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Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari have in separate condolence letters written the Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY and Founder, Arise Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena over the death of his mother, Princess Margaret Obaigbena (NeeThisUsifoh).wasjust as the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, yesterday paid condolence visit to the Obi of Owa, HRM Obi (Dr.) Emmanuel Efeizomor and the family of Prince Nduka Obaigbena over the demise of their mother ahead of the commencement of the funeral rites.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The arrest of a supertanker with capacity for three million barrels of oil, about three times the one million barrels per day (bpd) currently being produced by Nigeria, clearly validates the widely held suspicion that international collaborators are involved in siphoning the country’s oil wealth in collaboration with syndicate of thieves and high level government officials.Thecapacity of the tanker points to the scale and scope of the theft of the precious resource commodity going on thereby denying the country of much needed foreign exchange.TheNigerian Navy late Wednesday confirmed that the ship in question had been seized in Equatorial Guinea after the 300,000 metric tonnes facility escaped from its Theforces.Nigerian economy has FUNERAL RITES OF PRINCESS MARGARET OBAIGBENA...
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Deji Elumoye in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, directed the military and security agencies in the country to take the fight against insurgents in the North East to their hideouts and eliminate them. The president, who gave the directive in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day 2022, however, charged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, to ensure the safe return of internally displaced persons in the North East. In another development, troops, yesterday, rescued four kidnapped victims and arrested four suspected bandits in two separate operations in the onslaught against terrorists and kidnappers in Kaduna State. Addressing the military, Buhari said, ''The men and officers of Operation Lafiya Dole, security agencies and the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) are Buhari to Military: Take Fight to Doorsteps of Insurgents, Eliminate Them on 5
L-R: Sarkin Dawaki Babba of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Babba-Dan'Agundi; Prince Benjamin Obaigbena; Obi of Owa, HRM Obi (Dr.) Emmanuel Efeizomor; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; Chairman /Editor-in-Chief, THISDAY/ARISE Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Prince Alan Obaigbena, during the Emir's condolence visit to the Obi of Owa's Palace ahead of the funeral rites of Late Princess Margaret Obaigbena in Owa-Oyibu, Delta State...yesterday KUNLE OGUNFUYI
NPA Generates N172bn Revenue in First Half of 2022... Page 6
Directs humanitarian ministry to ensure safe return of IDPs in north east Troops rescue four kidnapped victims, arrest four terrorists in Kaduna very much appreciated for their commitment to the fight against insurgency.''Icommend their professionalism on Emefiele Upbeat as e-Naira Transactions Hit N4bn with 200,000 Deals in 10 Months... on
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The two condolence letters which were personally signed by the president and his wife came as the final burial rites of the 88-year community leader commence in Owa Kingdom, Delta State, today. While expressing his sympathies to the Obaigbena family, the president described the late special adviser to three governors in Delta state, as a treasured daughter of theHeland.noted that the demise of the mother of the THISDAY’s publisher would create huge vacuum, but urged those she left behind to take comfort in the fact that she lived her life caring for the disadvantaged in the society.
www.thisdaylive.com Friday 19 August, 2022 Vol 27. No 9992. Price: N250
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TRUTH & REASON
Buhari, Wife Write Obaigbena as Funeral Rites
of THISDAY Publisher’s Mother Begin
Emir of Kano visits Owa Kingdom to condole Obaigbena’s family Says Nduka Obaigbena is the greatest Nigerian he has met
Navy confirms chasing suspicious vessel into Equatorial Guinea Says crude oil ship feigned attack by sea pirates 16 Indians, 8 Sri Lankans, 1 Pole, Filipino found aboard facility
Oil Theft: Arrest of 3m Barrel-capacity Supertanker Reflects Scale of Crisis
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY2
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FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY4
5 THISDAY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 PAGE FIVE BUHARI TO MILITARY:
In the meantime, the Emir of Kano has paid a condolence call to the Obi of Owa Kingdom to commiserate with the Obaigbena family and the Owa royal household on the death of Princess Obaigbena. He stated that the Publisher of THISDAY, Nduka Obaigbena is the greatest Nigerian he has met. Welcoming the Emir of Kano and his entourage in his palace at Owa-Oyibu in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, Obi Efeizomor II expressed delight at receiving the highly regarded monarch having traveled with his entourage all the way from Kano State. He noted that, "Owa Kingdom has, indeed, lost an illustrious mother, a woman of peace who all through her life had been an epitome of grace and an ambassador of Thedevelopment."Arewapeople from Northern Nigeria have lived peacefully with their hosts in Owa Kingdom for over 200 years, Efeizomor pointed out.The Owa monarch said, "We have good and cordial relationship between the Arewa people (Northern Nigerians) and today they speak Owa dialect fluently as much as I do. "A friend in need is a friend indeed; there is no difference between the Northern (Nigeria) people and Owa people of Delta State. We thank you for honouring us, coming to Owa is a great testimony, we will not call it moment of grief because we lost a member of our family. Her passing away has made possible the first Emir of Kano to visit Owa land. This is a history we will never forget. "We like your people, we appreciate your people; we know a bit of your history, the lasting relationship between our people and Kano people made us to crown our former head of state, General Murtala Muhammed as a Chief in Owa kingdom, after the civil war in While1967."assuring of continued support for the Arewa community, Obi Efeizomor II recalled that during the Nigerian Civil War, there was no gun shot and no life was lost between Abudu (Edo State) and Asaba and Owa, adding that the people that travelled to Kano "returned home more prosperous and good stories to tell". Responding, the Emir of Kano thanked Obi Efeizomor for hosting him and honouring his entourage, saying he never doubted that Owa would be another home to him. The Kano monarch said, "When I was leaving home, I told my people that I am leaving Kano State to come to Kano city and I believe when I go back my people will confirm that, indeed I traveled to a place called home. "I am really delighted to be here, I didn't come to make a speech but I came to pay homage and condole with my brother. My brother's mother, Princess Margaret is an icon of hope, a mother to all who has left a legacy that cannot be "Myforgotten.visitto Owa will cement the relationship between the North and Owa Kingdom. Indeed, it is a loss not only to you and my brother, Nduka; it is a loss for all of us, and we will continue to pray for her to rest in peace. "In terms of tradition, I have come to greet my brother from another end, I have come to pay homage to someone who is like a father to me. Being a father to my good brother and friend, Nduka, means he (the Obi) is undoubtedly my father in both ends of life. I feel good, I feel great meeting someone who is great. "I am happy to tap from the experience of Obi Efeizomor and I look forward to seeing more of him and to grab the experience he has gathered over 80 years plus. If we have traditional rulers like him all over the country, I am sure, we will always be guided, succeed and we will always reach the the stage of helping anybody in this country."People have said that there is no peace and harmony between us, and I beg to disagree with them because we are one people and our similarities are more than our differences, and I believe this will be the "Thisbeginning.isjustabrief visit to honour my father, my brother and I pray to have an opportunity to come back here for another occasion." While thanking the Owa monarch, for accommodating his people without a single complaint, the Emir of Kano called on the people of Northern Community living in Owa kingdom to continue to live in peace, respecting the tradition and culture of Owa Kingdom.
Having failed the initial test, the source noted that the ship was directed to proceed to Bonny Fairway for further investigation. However, it was gathered that the captain of MT HEROIC IDUN deliberately refused to comply with the directive, despite several warnings. The captain was said to have increased speed and altered course towards Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Zone boundaries, in an apparent move to evade arrest. Preliminary investigation, the source said, showed that the captain claimed that he was directed by the shipping agent not to comply with the order given by the Nigerian Navy Ship. In spite of MT HEROIC IDUN’s recognition and communications with NNS GONGOLA, the captain, while evading arrest, raised a false alarm it was under attack by sea pirates.The source added, “This misleading action by the MT HEROIC IDUN and her shipping agent give strong indication that the vessel was, indeed, in Nigeria to load crude oil illegally and, hence, the desperate defiance to evade arrest. “To further buttress this, the vessel had earlier responded to all questions during the questioning by the Nigerian Navy Ship, thereby affirming its recognition of NNS GONGOLA and dismissing their fabricated claim of coming under attack by sea pirates.”
World Bank: Conflict, Major Driver of Food Insecurity in Nigeria, Others
''I, therefore, implore you not to relent in your efforts, continue to take the fight to their hideouts and ensure they are completely eliminated. I also implore you to ensure adequate security for farmers in their farming activities. Agricultural activities are most-needed for settlement and development of the rural areas and this can only be achieved if the farmers are sure of their safety.'' Directing the Humanitarian Affairs ministry and its agencies to come up with specific programmes to address urgent threats posed by explosive remnants in the North East region, Buhari affirmed government’s commitment to reducing the effect of disasters, climate change, insurgency and challenges of IDPs. He urged the ministry to pay particular attention to emerging issues amid the return and rehabilitation of Nigerians displaced in the 13-year conflict and insurgency in the region, adding that, ''The emerging issues include the increasing number of orphans and widows. ''From our experience in the unfortunate civil war, I know the threat that unexploded ordinances can pose to returnees even after the conflict has ended as we saw in the latest IED incident in Bama just last“Iweek.urge the Ministry and its agencies as well as state governments and the special committee I have set up under the chairmanship of the vice-president to come up with specific programmes and projects that respond to these emerging challenges of explosive ordnance as well as that of children orphaned byOninsurgency.''WorldHumanitarian Day, commemorated annually on August 19, Buhari commended all humanitarian aid workers that provide the much-needed assistance to those afflicted by the conflict. He praised humanitarian aid workers across the globe for distinguishing themselves through their courage, commitment and drive to help their fellow humans in need, often at extreme personal risk to themselves.''Thistypifies the nature of humanitarian work and sacrifice, and it is a great testimony for the theme of this year’s World Humanitarian Day which is “It Takes a Village,” he Thesaid.president led other guests at the event in Maiduguri to observe a minute silence in memory of all, who lost their lives in disasters and humanitarian workers, who died in the line of duty. According to him, “On this 2022 World Humanitarian Day and every other day, we stand and shall continue to stand in solidarity with humanitarian aid workers and recognise their tremendous service and''Wesacrifice.celebrate their tireless efforts to save lives, preserve human dignity, and alleviate suffering. Their selfless commitment and actions stand as an Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The World Bank has identified conflict as one of the critical drivers of food insecurity in West Africa, especially in the north-western part of Nigeria and the Liptako Gourma region, which borders Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic. In its latest 'Food Security Update', the multilateral institution, noted that the number of conflicts and fatalities reported between January and June 2022 had already surpassed what was recorded in the first half of According2021. to the report, conflict and fatalities were expected to reach a record high in 2022, increasing food insecurity in the West African region.The World Bank observed that the ongoing war in Ukraine, which had increased global food, energy, and agricultural input prices, has exacerbated atypical price trends for local and imported foods. "In addition to reduced financial access to food, conflict is one of the critical drivers of food insecurity, especially in the Liptako Gourma region and northwest Nigeria. "It is expected that conflict and fatalities will reach a record high in 2022, increasing food insecurity in the region. The number of conflict events and fatalities reported from January to June 2022 has already exceeded what was recorded in the first half of 2021," the report stated, citing the West Africa Food Security OutlookDespiteBriefing.favourable plant growth conditions in many parts of the Sahel, it explained that fertiliser shortages were expected to limit foodTheproduction.FoodSecurity Update further submitted that: "West Africa is highly dependent on fertiliser imports from Russia and Ukraine. With the ongoing war causing significant fertiliser shortages and price increases, a deficit of fertiliser of 1.2 million to 1.5 million tons is projected. "These shortages may translate to losses in cereal production of approximately 20 million tons— equivalent to more than one-quarter of production in 2021. In the very short term, fertiliser scarcity will affect Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mali most acutely, with supply gaps for this year’s agricultural campaign ranging from 69 per cent (Ghana) to 88 per cent (Mali) as of April 2022 (ECOWAS, FAO, and WFP 2022)." Providing a glimpse of the global food situation, the report stated that available information between April and July 2022 for which food price inflation data are available shows high inflation in almost all low and middle-income countries. It noted that 92.9 per cent of low-income countries, 92.7 per cent of lower-middle-income countries, and 89 per cent of upper-middle-income countries had seen inflation levels above 5 per cent, with many experiencing double-digit inflation. The share of high-income countries with high inflation also increased sharply, with about 83.3 per cent experiencing high food price inflation. In all, the most affected countries are in Africa, North America, Latin America, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia. recently been badly hit by the inability of the government to generate dollar revenue from its main source, which is the export of crude oil. While Nigeria’s production in the last few months hovered between 1 million bpd and 1.1 million bpd, its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota this August is 1.826 million, a deficit of roughly 700,000 to 800,000 bpd. At the unveiling of new Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) with its partners last week, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, hinted that while local oil theft had been contained to some extent, there were some international cartels involved in the stealing of Nigeria’s oil. Kyari said Nigeria was setting in motion a firm mechanism to mark its crude export so that buyers could easily identify stolen crude. He added that henceforth any foreign collaborators would be dealt with in accordance with international laws. A source told THISDAY that the supertanker, MT HEROIC IDUN, a Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), was observed by the Nigerian Navy’s Falcon Eye Maritime Domain Awareness system to have arrived Akpo offshore oil field operated by Total SA at midnight of August 8 for loading operations without valid documents, especially the NNPCLAccordingclearance.tothenaval source, the Martial Island flagged vessel with IMO No: 9858058 is a 336-metre supertanker capable of loading nearly three million barrels of Nigeria's crude. Her presence in Nigerian waters and proximity to Akpo Oil Field, the source said, necessitated further inquiry from NNPCL, which confirmed the vessel’s presence and intended loading operation to be illegal due to lack of relevant clearance by the agency. To further confirm her intention, NNPC was said to have contacted Total SA demanding further information regarding the intended loading operation of the supertanker at the Akpo offshore oilBasedfield. on the information gathered, the Nigerian Navy sent NNS GONGOLA to intercept and question MT HERIOC IDUN within the vicinity of Akpo oil field for her suspicious presence in Nigerian waters, THISDAY was told. The source said, “On arrival of NNS GONGOLA at the location and communication with MT HEROIC IDUN, inquiry revealed that the vessel had 26 crew members on-board, comprising 16 Indians, eight Sri Lankans, one Philippine, and one Pole. “The captain of MT HEROIC IDUN also revealed that the vessel arrived the oil field to load crude destined for Ziba in Equatorial Guinea. Further questioning revealed that MT HEROIC IDUN had no appropriate documentation for the intended loading operation at Akpo Oil Field, as earlier confirmed by NNPC.“Allefforts to get clarification and additional information regarding the loading operation from the shipping agent of Inchcape shipping and owners of Idun maritime Limited proved abortive.”
OF INSURGENTS,
According to the source, the Equatorial Guinea Navy has now arrested the ship with the help of intelligence provided by the Nigerian Navy. It said there was need for the vessel to be appropriately sanctioned for entering into the Nigerian waters without due clearance and for resisting instructions and arrest by the Nigerian Navy Ship. “It is believed that the vessel would be handed over to Nigeria for further investigation,” it added. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy confirmed the arrest of the vessel and narrated how it evaded arrest and how the captain tagged Nigerian forces as sea pirates. It noted that that findings showed that the vessel was owned by Hunter Tankers AS, domiciled in Scandinavia, Norway, but operated by Trafigura Maritime Logistics situated in the Netherlands. It confirmed that the vessel had arrived the Total Safe Anchorage (SA) operated by Akpo Oil Field for loading operations but was interrogated by the Nigerian Navy and later observed to be without NNPC due clearance for the loading operations.Thenavy source stated, “Notwithstanding, MT HEROIC IDUN proceeded for the loading operation at the Akpo Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) on 8 August 2022. “Having not produced her NNPC clearance papers for the loading operation, MT HEROIC IDUN was stopped from proceeding further by Nigerian Navy Ship GONGOLA. The Captain of MT HEROIC IDUN then revealed that he was instructed by his ship's agent, Messrs Inchape Shipping (owners of IDUN Maritime Limited), not to obey any directive from the Nigerian Navy. “The VLCC subsequently resisted arrest when ordered to stop by NNS GONGOLA and the supertanker escaped towards the Nigeria - Sao Tome Joint Development Zone Area. “In a bid to be mischievous and justify her escape, MT HEROIC IDUN reported her encounter with NNS GONGOLA as a sea robbery/pirate attack on various international maritime security watchHowever,platforms.”itadded that the false alarm of sea robbery attack was refuted by the Head of the Regional Centre for Maritime Security for West Africa, Abidjan, Rear Admiral Istifanus Albarra, who mentioned that on August 9, 2022, the Regional Centre (CRESMAO) received a report from the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) of an attempted boarding of a tanker between 10 to 15 Nautical Miles (Nm) of Akpo oil field in Nigeria. A statement by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore Olukayode Ayo-Vaughan, explained that investigation through radio communication with the vessel revealed that the tanker did not have the appropriate documentation for the intended purpose. It also quoted the head of CRESMAO as confirming that the captain of the tanker refused to cooperate and rather altered course towards Sao Tome and Principe and later deliberately raised false alarm to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). The navy welcomed with much satisfaction the news of the arrest of MT HEROIC IDUN by the Equatorial Guinean Navy (EGN) on August 12, 2022, barely four days after the supertanker assumed she had evaded arrest. TAKE FIGHT TO DOORSTEPS ELIMINATE ARREST OF 3M BARREL-CAPACITY SUPERTANKER REFLECTS SCALE OF CRISIS BUHARI, WIFE WRITE OBAIGBENA AS FUNERAL RITES OF THISDAY PUBLISHER’S MOTHER BEGIN
THEM OIL THEFT:
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“Let me convey my heartfelt sympathies to the Royal Palace of the Obi of Owa Kingdom in Delta State on the passing of a most treasured daughter, Princess Margaret Obaigbena, Nee Usifoh, at the age of 88. “I commiserate with you, members of your family and the entire people of Delta State on the loss of your mother, Princess Margaret, a pillar of strength for the family, an accomplished mother and revered community leader, whose absence will be felt far beyond her immediate environment. “The demise of Princess will no doubt create a great vacuum in the community. I therefore urge the family to take solace in the understanding that she lived her passion by caring for the distressed and disadvantaged,” the president wrote.Hesaluted what he described as the late Mama Obaigbena's steadfast disposition to servicing mankind, beginning early in life and reaching the peak of the nursing profession as well as channeling her energy and resources to the realisation of lofty convictions. “I use this opportunity to condole with the government and people of Edo and Delta States on the loss of the illustrious citizen who contributed immensely to the development of the two states. Her role as special adviser to three governors of Delta State will remain indelible in the annals of the state,” Buhari added. In the same vein, the wife of the president, while condoling with the Owa prince, asked God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. “I write on behalf of the first family, our friends and associates to express my heartfelt sympathy over the demise of your dear mother, Princess Margaret Obaigbena. “In this period of grief, I and the people of Nigeria mourn with you and the royal family of Owa Kingdom. May the good God grant you and the entire family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss and the wisdom to oversee the affairs of the entire family. Please, accept my sincere condolences and best wishes,” she wrote. Meanwhile, the funeral ceremony of the matriarch of the Obaigbena family, who passed in June would commence today in Owa-Oyibu, DeltaTheState.octogenarian Dame of Anglican Church, who died on June 16, 2022 was a former chief nursing officer in the defunct BendelEarlier,State.a commemorative birthday and day of tributes was held on August 16 at Owa-Oyibu, for the accomplished mother. A programme released by the royal family indicated that on August 19 (today), a lying in state ceremony would hold from 11:00am while service of songs holds between 4:00pm – 9:00pm at Obaigbena Family Compound, Delta State while a Christian wake will hold on the same day from 9:00pm. The funeral service holds on August 20 between 11:00am –1:00pm with a private burial scheduled between 1:00pm – 2:00pm. Also, on August 21, an outing service would hold between 9:00am -12:00pm, all in Owa-Oyibu, Delta State, the programme stated.
Emir of Kano Visits Obi Of Owa Kingdom, Condoles Obaigbena Family
and tactical penetration to the hideouts of the criminal elements, leading to appreciable improvement of the security situation in this North East region, without which the resettlement of the IDPs would not be possible.
L-R: Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan; President, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; recipient of the Presidential Public Service Merit Award, Mr. Babatunde Aina and Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Office of Head of Service of the Federation, Emmanuel Meribole, at the hosting of the awardees and offer of N500,000 to each of them by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation...yesterday
Ejiofor Alike One of Nigeria’s leading energy giants, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has disclosed that the Shell Group would not go ahead with the divestment of its interest in SPDC until the outcome of outstanding litigation against the exercise. The Head of Corporate Relations at Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Igo Iweli told THISDAY, yesterday, that as a law-abiding corporate citizen, Shell’s local subsidiary, SPDC, would also not take any action in respect of the review of the company’s portfolio. Iweli who debunked insinuations that the company wanted to exit Nigeria, stressed that the company only aimed to continue to grow its deepwater and gas positions under a stable and competitive investment climate.Iweliadded that the company would always conduct its businesses and operations in accordance with the laws, Remits N78.496bn to consolidated revenue fund
This is an improvement and we are strategising to perform better in the second half of the year.” Koko said it was important to note that, “port remains the gateway of the national economy, and thus represents the barometer by which we measure the pulse of the “Theeconomy.Authority remains committed to providing improved services to increase efficiency at the ports that impact on higher revenue generation and economic growth of the nation.” He listed such improved services to increase efficiency at the ports to include: deployment of marine crafts at all ports locations; marking/ laying of buoys at Calabar and Escravos Channel to improve safe navigation; encouraging the use of Eastern Port by way of incentives to importers on port charges; deployment of security patrol boats to increase safety along the Port Quays; and repairs/ rehabilitation of ports’ access roads to improve cargo evacuation and dwell time. Others, he said, were: encouraging the use of barges for cargo evacuation to reduce traffic gridlock on the roads; licencing of export processing terminals in order to support the federal government’s initiative on increase in non-oil exports; creating MSS for barge operations in order to improve multi-modal means of cargo movement; and, working on initiatives to improve on staff members’ welfare.” Koko assured stakeholders and Nigerians that the Authority would exceed expectations in Revenue in First Half of 2022 to grow deepwater, gas resources in stable, competitive
Seeks
including any court orders. “We respect the Nigerian judiciary and recognise its role in upholding the rule of law, hence, as a firm believer in the rule of law and due process, our actions will always be guided by the law,” Weli said. Asked to comment on the ongoing spill litigation that led to the court order stopping any planned asset sale by Shell in Nigeria, Weli said, “we have a strong belief in the merits of our case, which we are vigorously defending. We have no further comments at this stage other than to say that SPDC is complying with the Supreme Court’s order to maintain the status quo.” The appeal before the Supreme Court comes up on October 4 and 22. In the underlying suit, Isaac Torchi and 84 other claimants obtained an N800 billion judgment from a state High Court against SPDC, its joint venture partners and the Shell International over alleged damages suffered from two oil spills which purportedly occurred on February 1, 2018, and September 18, 2019 at SPDC JV’s facility in Nkpogu and Bomu in Rivers State. SPDC JV is contending that it does not believe the said spills ever occurred and is vigorously defending that position. On the reported plan by Shell to exit Nigeria, Weli said contrary to the claim, Nigeria remained an important heartland for Shell. He stressed that the company aimed to continue to grow its deep-water and gas positions under a stable and competitive investment climate. Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 350 6821, 7777
environment
NPA Generates N172bn
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Oluchi Chibuzor The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has generated a total revenue of N172.286 billion from its operations in the first half of 2022. The Authority in the same period, remitted N78.497 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the federation. These disclosures were contained in a half-year 2022 operational reports released by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Mr. Mohammed Bello Koko,Kokoyesterday.explained in the release that, “a breakdown of the figure indicates that N50,255,925,779.20 (fifty billion, two hundred and fifty-five million, nine hundred and twenty-five thousand, seven hundred and seventy-nine Naira, twenty kobo) represented cash remittances, the compulsory deduction of 25 per cent of revenue generated and other sundry payments for the absolute period of January-June 2022.” He stated that, “the remaining sum of N28,241,041,083.00 (twenty-eight billion, two hundred and forty-one million, forty-one thousand, eighty-three Naira) relates to the remittance with respect to other periods.” Furthermore, Koko noted that in the face of global economic and inflation crises, among others negative factors, the half-year operational statistics were encouraging, adding that they bolstered impressive remittances to the CRF of the federal government
PRESIDENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICE MERIT AWARD...
Shell: Why We Halted Onshore Divestment
UK Inflation Hits New 40-year High as Food, Energy Price Surge Continues
terms of revenue generation and keep fidelity to its remittances into the CRF for the year. He promised that the Authority would continue to come up with robust initiatives that would further improve trade facilitation, which, according to him, “is the core function of the Authority.”
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency report Britain’s annual inflation rate has burst through the 10 per cent barrier sooner than the financial markets and the Bank of England expected , following the sharp jump in the cost of living in July. The Guardian UK reported that consistently over the past year, the figure has come in higher than forecast, stressing that it will not merely be the leap in the headline number for the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) – up from 9.4 per cent in June – that will be a cause for concern.Although food prices rose particularly strongly, but there were also increases in clothing and footwear, restaurants and hotels, and recreation as well as culture, it Comparedsaid.to the UK, in Nigeria, the inflation rate rose to 19.64 percent in July, the highest since September 2005, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday. The CPI, which measures the rate of change in prices of goods and services, surged 17-year high from 18.60 percent in the previous month. The increase was recorded against the backdrop of food inflation, which rose to 22.02 per cent in July from 20.60 per cent in June. The rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, food products, potatoes, yam and other tubers, meat, fish, oil, and However,fat. the UK statistics agency reported that the price of goods leaving factory gates – an indication of inflation in the pipeline – rose by more than 17 per cent in the year to July, the highest rate in 45 years. The annual inflation rate has clearly not yet topped out, and if anything the Bank of England’s forecast of a peak of 13.2 per cent in October may prove optimistic, it stated.Inflation excluding food, fuel, alcohol and tobacco, stood at 6.2 per cent in July, up from 5.8 per cent in June. The inflation rate for services, which provides a clue to price pressures generated domestically as opposed to global forces, was 5.7 per cent in July compared with 5.2 per cent in June. At the same time, the risks of a hard landing for the economy, it said, have increased because the ever-widening gap between prices and wages is leading to a sharp fall in consumer spending power. “The consumer price index rose 10.1 per cent annually, according to estimates published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday, above a consensus forecast of 9.8 per cent and up from 9.4 per cent in June,” it said. Rising food prices made the largest upward contribution to annual inflation rates between June and July, the ONS said in its report. Inflation rose to another 40-year high in July as spiralling food and energy prices continued to intensify the country's historic squeeze on households."Supermarkets have had little choice but to pass on price increases from suppliers, themselves contending with unprecedented inflation in raw material and ingredient input costs," said the Director of Retail Strategy at PwC, Kien Tan.
According to him: “Global economic and inflation crises, global reduction in household incomes and purchasing power and scarcity of foreign exchange all of which has negatively affected business environment, affected government revenue and constrained expenditure. “The development in the port industry cannot be severed from the macro-economic environment with galloping inflation that has grossly reduced the disposable income of the households, the depreciating exchange rates that stifle business environment and the dwindling government revenue that constrains expenditure.“Intheface of these harsh macro-economic indices, the NPA has forged on to deliver port and harbour services to the teeming operators in the export and import businesses across the country.”TheNPA boss explained that the remittances were expressions of the operational performance of the Accordingports. to him: “In the first half of 2022, a total of 1,992 ships calls were recorded and the aggregate of the Gross Registered tonnage (GRT) of vessels was 60,235,133 tons. “The Authority achieved total cargo throughput of 38,672,392 metric tonnes and 849,175 teus (twenty-foot equivalent units) of container traffic. Vehicle traffic handled, during the period under review, was 132,543 units. “Also, the average turn-aroundtime (TAT) of vessels, indicating port efficiency, stood at 5.16days.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY 7
Chuks Okocha and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Abubakar Atiku, yesterday outlined how he will lead Nigeria out of its current electricity challenges.Inastatement he personally signed, Atiku said that having keenly observed developments in the power sector, he was convinced that his solution to the electricity crisis as encapsulated in his policy document, 'My Covenant with Nigerians’, remains the most proactive plan to lead Nigeria out of darkness. "In this regard, my approach is to first remove the entire electricity value chain from the exclusive list and give states the power to generate, transmit and distribute electricity for themselves. "An industrial dispute with the federal government in Abuja should not affect an industry in Lagos or a factory in Aba or in Kano or even an average Nigerian who just wants to get home, watch the news and sleep under a ceiling fan,” he stated. The former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the main opposition party, PDP, reiterated that his policy shall aim at achieving greater coordination of investments in the entire electricity value chain. "Investments in additional generation capacity are futile without consideration for the complementary transmission and distribution infrastructure to wheel the additional energy. "Any investment in additional generation capacity would be competitively procured considering a viable mix of renewable (hydro, solar, wind and biofuels) and nonrenewable (coal, gas) options for energy"Thirdly,security.ahead of procuring additional generation, both transmission and distribution capacities would be enhanced with government and private sector support for investments," Atiku stated. In this regard, the former vice president promised to incentivise private investment in the development of multiple greenfield mini-grid transmission systems to be looped into the super-grid in the medium to long term while allowing the federal government focus on policy, regulation, and standardisation."Myaspiration to be president is to protect the interest of the average Power grid begins gradual recovery after nationwide blackout
Scanfrost Unveils New Inverter Series of Air Conditioners, Washing Machines
FINAL T-BEAM LAUNCH FOR LAGOS BLUE LINE RAIL...
8 THISDAY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 NEWS
The on-going work on the Lagos Blue Line Rail project in Marina as the final T-Beam is being launched by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, 17 August, 2022. Inset l-r: Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Federic Oladeinde; Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. Abimbola Akinajo; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and an official of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) during the launch of the final T-Beam.
Nigerian in all circumstances, and on this, I stand to say that I have no interest either directly or indirectly in any generator company, as has been publicly revealed,” he added. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s electricity grid began a gradual recovery yesterday after a nationwide blackout the previous day occasioned by the shutdown of the country’s power supply infrastructure by protesting members of the National Union Electricity Employees (NUEE). The action by the union, which has drawn flaks from Nigerians had led to the collapse of the fragile national grid which had crashed at least six times before the latest incident.Checks at the national System Operator (SO), a unit of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) showed that although some of parts of the country were yet to have supply, generation had hit 3,772.60 megawatts at about 4pm. Many parts of Abuja which had suffered darkness after the cuts, started receiving supply at about 10am, following the suspension of the industrial action embarked upon by workers of the TCN over some controversial demands. Chief among the demands was the refusal of the workers , mostly principal managers of the wholly government-owned TCN, to accede to attend a promotion interview before their elevation. As of yesterday evening, 22 power generation companies were on the grid even as Shiroro Hydro was pushing 584MW into the system, Azura-Edo IPP was generating 408MW and Jebba Hydro was supplying 403MW. But on the distribution side, the electricity distribution companies load allocation was 2,485MW cumulatively with Abuja and Ikeja Discos having the highest allocation of 280MW each. But earlier in the day, a statement by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) noted that while the strike had been called off, rebooting the system was taking a while.“Asof 8.33 am, today 18 August, 2022, AEDC received and absorbed only 100 megawatts stabilisation supply to help restart our system. Please bear with us as we restore power to your area as we receive more allocation,” it said in a note to its Thecustomers.unionhad suspended the action for two weeks to enable the government address the issues, which also included the so-called stigmatisation of former Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) workers, who alleged that they had been denied employment opportunities in TCN.
Atiku : How I Will Lead Nigeria Out of Current Electricity Challenges
Scanfrost, an electronics appliance company has launched new Genmate series inverter air conditioners and washer dryer laundry into the Nigerian market with eco-friendly low running costs and up to 70 percent energy saving.These products are manufactured in Nigeria are compatible with small capacity generators to maintain a lifestyle of comfort with convenience consumers.Managing Director, New Home Distributions Africa Limited, Maneesh Nanda, said the Scanfrost brand has been offering for more than three decades to customers the best quality products and after sales service through its vast network of service centres pan Nigeria.
The Managing Director also stated that the focus for the company in the coming weeks and months would be on launching similar lines of new and exciting products with specific focus being on the inverter range. The MD further emphasized, “We are very excited on launching these new Genmate inverter air conditioners and inverter washer dryer laundry. In today’s scenario consumers are seeking out alternatives that are energy efficient, durable, low maintenance and have low cost of operations and Scanfrost is bringing exactly such products into their stable.” Head of Marketing, New Home Distribution (Africa) Limited, Nitin Nambudiri, said considering the post pandemic focus on personal health, the new 2 in 1 Inverter Washer-Dryer Laundry has a special Spa-care feature that removes 99.9 per cent bacteria; ensures hygienic dry laundry; heat pump drying that makes cloth fluffier.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY 9
The CBN governor further described the launch of the eNaira as timely and strategic in complementing the various diversification and digitisation initiatives of the federal government including the launch of the Nigeria Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), the National Broadband Strategy, as well as the introduction of the Start-Up Bill and a host of others. He re-echoed the central bank’s mantra that, “eNaira is the same Naira with far more possibilities. The eNaira will make a significant positive difference to Nigeria and Nigerians.”Specifically, Emefiele, pointed out that the eNaira was expected to enhance financial inclusion, support poverty reduction, enable direct welfare disbursement to citizens, support a resilient payments ecosystem, improve availability and usability of central bank money, facilitate diaspora remittances, reduce the cost of processing cash, and reduce cost and improve the efficiency of cross-border payment amongAccordingothers.to him, the eNaira was also developed to provide Nigerians with a cheap, safe and trusted means of payment. He said, “Unlike the offline payments’ channels like agent networks, USSD, wearables, cards, and near field communication technology, the eNaira would give access to financial services to underserved and unbanked segments of the population. “Innovative products and services built on the eNaira would enhance Nigerians’ participation in the digital economy and promote further development of a burgeoning Fintech ecosystem. “To achieve these set-out objectives, the project adopted a phased- approach with the first phase focusing on banked users, while the policy objective of the second phase borders around financial inclusion. “In addition, the eNaira platform possesses an innovation layer for products and services to be built with the aim of enhancing Nigerians’ participation in the digital economy and promoting further development of a burgeoning Fintech ecosystem.”
Nigeria Recorded Positive $2.6bn Trade Balance with Indonesia in 2021
GOVERNORS
KINGSLEY ADEBOYE Unveils USSD code to deepen financial inclusion Predicts
will dissipate use of cash E-business deals hit N2.4trn CBN reverses decision to extend interest rate on intervention funds Emefiele Upbeat as e-Naira Transactions Hit N4bn with 200,000 Deals in 10 Months
Edo Awards
The Commissioner added that Benin-Ologbo-Sapele road, UweluSpare Parts Market-Uwasota-road have all undergone studies which have been concluded on how to provide functional solution to flooding in the areas, adding, “Government is not unmindful of what our citizens are passing through this season. We will do our bit with the available resources to ensure our roads are passable.” On his part, the Federal Controller of Works, Edo State, Engr. Aransiola Ademola said within the last one year, the Federal Government has executed eight special projects in the state, which include the Ologbo axis, Sapele RCCG and Ogheghe Junction, which is now passable.
Ogeh urged participants that would be attending the forum to take advantage of the summit to transform their businesses while also promoting the good image of credible Nigerian businesses. The Director, Indonesia Trade Promotion Council, (ITPC), Mr. Hendro Jonathan, said Indonesia has maintained four per cent growth in its GDP in the past five years despite the pandemic, adding that the Indonesian economy is resilient and is ready to do business withJonathanNigeria. commended the Nigerian government for promoting non-oil export, saying that the total export of Nigeria to Indonesia is almost 10 times bigger than Indonesia's export to Nigeria. He said: "It is mainly crude oil products, but the non-oil export has grown more than 46 per cent since the January 2022 to date." He urged interested participants to register for the expo online, adding that the expo is the first international expo the country is hosting since the pandemic outbreak.
James Emejo in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos
The Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Engr. Jonathan Lawani, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to solving the flooding and erosion problem in the state, adding that the “Queen Ede Gully, Ekenwan, Iguosa, Ogiso, Emu, Ewu Gully sites have all been completed.” over 860km of Roads, Completes 545.7km, 314.3km Others Ongoing
10 THISDAY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
L-R: Deputy Governor, Enugu State, Mrs.Cecilia Ezeilo; Deputy Governor, Kaduna State, Hadiza Balarabe; Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Governor Abubakar Sani of Niger State; Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State; Chairman, Nigeria Governos’ Forum/Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state, during the Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting on the economy and security of the nation in Abuja...yesterday digital currency
NEWS Dike Onwuamaeze Nigeria recorded a favourable trade balance of $2.6 billion in its bilateral trade relationship with Indonesia in 2021. This was disclosed yesterday by the President of Nigerian Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), Mr. Ishmael Balogun, during a press conference to announce the Nigerian Indonesian Investment and Trade Forum 2022, which would be holding in Jakarta, Indonesia between October 17, and October 27,Balogun2022. said that deliberate effort is needed to increase the trade balance to $4 billion in favour of Nigeria in 2023 by attracting more foreign direct investments from Indonesia to Nigeria as well as showcasing the best of Nigerian products for export trade with Indonesia in particular and the rest of the world in general. He said: “Our (Nigeria) trade balance with Indonesia in 2021 was exactly $2.6 billion. It is my opinion that we can actually do better than that. And that is why we need to take deliberate actions. For that reason, we said that we going to do Nigeria Indonesia Trade Mission in Jakarta, Indonesia. “We want the trade balance to reach $4 billion by 2023. And in order to do that we are sensitising Nigerian business elites and informing them that Indonesia is a place where there are opportunities in agriculture, horticulture, pharmaceutical, beauty and lifestyle, aviation, defence, digital economy and green energy. If they are doing it right, then there is a lot we can learn from them. “The main reason we are going on the trade mission is because we want to attract foreign direct investments into Nigeria. That is also the reason we are partnering with Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). “We are very clear on what we want to achieve as we want to tell Indonesian companies that we have verified entities in Nigeria that they can do businesses with and be rest assured that everything will turn out okay. “On the other hand we are partnering with NEPC because we also want to showcase to the world that beyond oil, Nigeria has potentials in the non-oil export. So, we want to showcase the best of Nigeria to Indonesia and the rest of the world.” “So, I invite the Nigerian business community to come with the NICCI on this business exposition trip to Jakarta, Indonesia. Our plan is to take at least 150 Nigerian business men and women on this trip, attract investments into Nigeria and at the same time showcase the best of what Nigeria can offer apart from crude oil.”
Speaking during the press conference, the Nigerian Ambassador to Indonesia, Ambassador Usman Ogeh, said that both countries have similarities in terms of natural resources, but emphasised the need for both countries to deepen its trade relationship as a means to develop their natural resources.
However, Emefiele noted that while the successes achieved so far including the global recognition of the great job on-going by the CBN is being celebrated, it must be acknowledged that the journey is iterative and therefore, requires cutting-edge innovation to sustain the vision and achieve the set-out policy objectives. He said the Enabling Private Sector Innovation remained one of the three foundational principles of CBDC, stressing that the, “hackathon event today is neither a coincidence nor an accident but rather another forward leap by the Central Bank of Nigeria in the implementation of eNaira, to ensure all Nigerians receive the full benefits of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).” MEETING ON STATE OF THE NATION...
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday disclosed that the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) also known as the eNaira has recorded over 200,000 transaction volumes valued at N4 billion since the platform was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2021.Emefiele, also said effective next week, Nigerians, both banked and unbanked, would be able to open eNaira wallet and conduct transactions by simply dialing the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data code (USSD) *997# from their phones. He added that since the launch of the initiative, the eNaira has reached 840,000 downloads, with about 270,000 active wallets comprising over 252,000 consumer wallets and 17,000 merchant wallets. He said both merchants and consumers with bank accounts can use the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) to transfer and receive eNaira to any bank account, adding that this will further deepen the integration of the eNaira with the existing national payment infrastructure.Speakingat the opening of the Grand Finale of the eNaira Hackathon in Abuja, the CBN governor said the world was now in the digital dispensation adding that the use of cash will soon dissipate to zero as digitisation become part of human lives. This was just as CBN Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, Dr. Kingsley Obiora, also revealed that the value of e-business transactions had grown from N39.3billion in 2014, to currently about N2.4 trillion. Emefiele, however, pointed out the event marked another milestone in the journey towards building the future monetary system of the country in response to the emerging trends and developments in the global digital space. He stressed that the eNaira remained a journey, not a onetime event, pointing out that the, “hackathon is a continuation of that journey and the first among many to come given that the future of central banking is inextricably bound to innovation.” He said pursuant to achieving its mandate of preserving monetary and financial stability, the CBN is, “strategic in charting the future of Nigeria’s legal tender, be it in its traditional or digital form as the economy transits to a digital one as well as charting the course for innovation in the financial sector and in the infrastructure underpinning financial markets.”
The Edo State Government has awarded over 860km of roads for construction, completing over 545.7km, while over 314.3Km others are at various levels of completion across the state. The Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Engr. Newton Okojie, who disclosed this while briefing journalists in Benin City, said over 100km of roads have been designed and are awaiting approval for award. Okojie said the update became necessary to inform the public on the activities of the government regarding development of road infrastructure in Edo State. The Commissioner said Governor Godwin Obaseki has since 2016 awarded 860km of roads for construction, adding that “bids for an additional length of 26.314km of roads were opened two weeks ago to bring the total of roads to 886.31km.” He said, “As at April 2022, a total of 545.7km of roads have been asphalted, 314.km is ongoing while over 100km of roads have been designed and awaiting approval for“Edoaward.has about 9,700km of roads cutting across its landscape; 2,700km of roads are paved, while 7000km are unpaved.” Okojie said the government is committed to the completion of all ongoing road construction projects, in line with the government’s urban renewal and infrastructural development drive, urging calm and support from residents. He added, “We are collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Works as we conclude studies on Benin-Auchi-Okene Road to provide a functional solution to the perennial problem. Work will commence in the next few weeks to provide solutions to these drainage challenges.”
There comes a defining moment in the life of any country when all people of good conscience must stand up to be counted. Those times offer no middle ground; you are either on the dark side or on the side of the light. For Nigeria, 2023 is such a moment. Nigerians will be divided into two classes – those who will work to entrench the forces that have destroyed Nigeria or those warriors of the light who will work to bring justice, equity, and peace to our beloved country. And next year, as we go to the polls to elect a new president, there will be no fences to sit on. Under the incumbent president, Nigerians have suffered untold hardships. Never in this country’s storied history has it been decimated and devastated by a government as it has been under General Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressive Congress (APC). Our economy has practically crumbled before our eyes. Disunity and suspicion now define the fabric of our country. Obscene levels of corruption and looting continue to dominate our news headlines. Terrorists, bandits, robbers, kidnappers, ritualists, and cultists now operate openly and without fear of law enforcement. Infrastructure across the country has been left to decay. Our social safety systems have all collapsed. All over Nigeria – from Abuja to Akure, from Bauchi to Benin, from Daura to Degema, from Enugu to Epe, from Jos to Jalingo, from Sokoto to Sapele, from Kaduna to Koko, from Nsukka to Numan, from Maiduguri to Makurdi, from Yola to Yenagoa – from North to South, it doesn’t matter where you choose, Nigerians are living under the siege of criminals, the siege of poverty, the siege of a collapsing nation. Nigerians have lost the zeal for life, and violation of human lives is the new normal. Clearly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed at leadership. They have failed on all their campaign promises. The party has effectively pushed Nigeria to the brink, and the 2023 election is existential, and we must make deliberate and conscious choices. When we vote in February, we will have two clear options before us. Either we sustain the old corrupt brigade, an inept and outmoded class of politicians running on naked ambition and a raw desire for power, or we turn away from our past and embrace the new possibilities of a bright future.
Fuelled by an undying love for country and a burning passion for changing Nigeria, the youth have risen boldly and intentionally to get their voices heard. They have rejected the lust for power of politicians that ought to be in retirement. They have consciously chosen who they want to lead them into the next four years.
Instead of criticism and unfair attacks, these courageous and gifted youth deserve the support and encouragement of all Nigerians.
THE YOUTH TAKE-OVER
THE PETER OBI I KNOW
His Excellency, Peter Obi was the governor of my home state of Anambra for eight years. The groundswell of support that his candidacy is receiving from Anambra, the South East, and the entire country is based mainly on the revolutionary, inclusive, and inspiring leadership he demonstrated as a governor. Before he was 40 years, Peter Obi had created an enviable mark in the private sector. A multiple-awardwinning banker, entrepreneur, and globally trained business leader, Obi took the helm of Anambra State after a long fight for justice. Eight years later, he had completely transformed the leadership culture in Anambra with his style of downto-earth grassroots engagement, prudential management of resources, and keen vision for qualitative transformation. Peter Obi is the Nigerian politician I have the utmost respect for. Having worked with him closely during my governorship campaign in 2021, I can attest that Obi is a thoughtful, kind, and generous leader who seeks excellence in all he does. After spending many months working with this phenomenal human, I am convinced that he has an abiding love for Nigeria and all Nigerians. He has the right vision for this country, the temperance, and the capacity and experience to take Nigeria out of these troubled waters and lead us to a land of Ipromise.acknowledge the brilliant choice of His Excellency Peter Obi’s running mate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. Together, this is an unbeatable presidential ticket, and they deserve the support of all wellmeaning Nigerians. Pulled by the brilliance of the candidacy of Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti, inspired by the passion of the Nigerian youth, and driven by an undying love for Nigeria, I, Valentine Ozigbo, at this moment, formally join the Obidient Movement. From what I know about His Excellency Peter Obi, if we join our hearts and hands and elect him as our next president, I can guarantee that he will be the best president Nigeria has ever had. I genuinely believe that his emergence has a divine inspiration. With his track record as one of the best governors in Nigeria’s history, he has the best character, competence, capacity, and compassion in the presidential race today.
BY VALENTINE OZIGBO ADVERTORIAL
L-R His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party with Valentine Ozigbo, Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for Anambra State 2021, at a campaign rally in Anambra State in 2021. (Photo credit: Onyinye Omah/ VCO Campaign Organisation.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY 11
2023: A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR NIGERIA
Valentine Ozigbo is an inspirational Nigerian political figure who is a multiple-awardwinning global CEO. He was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2021 Anambra election. He can be reached via Instagram @valyntino.
A few hours ago, I informed His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of my erstwhile party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of my decision to resign from the PDP and throw my weight behind Peter Obi. I assured him of my abiding love and respect for him as a father, a leader, and a friend, even as I told him I had to follow my conscience and what I feel is best for Nigeria. We cannot afford to replace Buhari with any version of the same. I call on all Nigerians to join hands with us as we work to transform the promise and dreams of Nigeria into reality. We must get it right in 2023, we can, and we must.
In taking a stand, the Nigerian youth have done what their grandfathers have refused to do. They considered fairness, justice, and equity. They embraced the path of unity for Nigeria. They have adopted a bold vision of a country where every kind of Nigerian is carried along irrespective of beliefs, faith, tribe, language, gender, and social status. They are committed to seeing that peace returns to Nigeria and that we experience the true promise of our founding fathers. This magical movement, a youthdriven political revolution, is inspired by the candidacy of Peter Obi, a modern-day leader who we can all believe in. Our country has never seen this level of passion in the youth.
The Obi-dient Movement cannot be ignored, shamed, or waved away. It is the fastest growing and biggest political movement in Nigeria today. The forces that have imprisoned the dreams of the younger generations of this country are terrified because they know the unstoppable power of the youth.
Alleged Certificate Forgery: Court Orders AA to Present Witnesses against Tinubu on Oct.12
NEWS Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The National Economic Council (NEC) Thursday rose from its monthly meeting with a resolution to set up a sub-committee to consider the 36 state governors' concerns over the ownership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). The Council, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at a virtual meeting at the State House, Abuja, also endorsed the financial performance of the Nigeria's Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) for year 2021. Osinbajo's Media Aide, Laolu Akande, in a release said the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, presented to the Council updates on crude oil production, PMS supply situation, and security intervention against oil Accordingtheft.tothe
NNPC's Ownership: NEC Sets Up Committee to Address Governors' Concerns FG Bans Telcoms, Digital Payment Operators from Providing Services to Unregistered Online Lenders
Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday ordered the Action Alliance (AA) party to present its witnesses in court on October 12, 2022, when hearing would commence in the alleged certificate forgery suit against former Lagos State Governor, and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Bola Tinubu. Justice Egwuatu gave the order shortly before adjourning yesterday's proceedings to enable parties in the suit complete their exchanges of brief in the suit. AA had on June 21, 2022, approached the court for an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from including the name of the APC in the ballot of the 2023 presidential election. The party equally asked the court for another order restraining the electoral umpire from accepting the name of Tinubu as candidate of the APC in the forthcoming presidential election. The plaintiff in the Writ of Summon marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/954/2022, predicated its request on the claim that both the APC and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu are not qualified to participate in the 2023 presidential election on alleged forgery committed by Tinubu in 1999. While the AA was the sole plaintiff, INEC, APC and Tinubu were the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively. When the case came up yesterday, Mr. Ukpai Ukairo, AA's lawyer, informed the court that he just received the objection of Tinubu to the suit and would need a short time to respond to it. Similarly, INEC represented by one Hassan Mohammed, also indicated interest to respond to the case of the plaintiff and also requested for a short adjournment. While there was no representation for the APC despite evidence of service, Tinubu's lawyer, Mr. Babatunde Ogala, told the court that the suit was an abuse of court process and a waste of the court's precious time because the subject matter involved issues that happened over two Accordingdecades.to Ogala, the foundation for the suit against his client was rooted in the 1999 electoral forms he (Tinubu) submitted to the then electoral body. The senior lawyer further claimed that the case of the AA has become statute barred because it was placed on the report of the Lagos State House of Assembly which probed Tinubu long ago over the alleged certificate forgery issue.
release, after Kyari's presentation, State governors raised a number of issues regarding the ownership of the new NNPC Limited, its assets and liabilities. The Vice President at this point directed that a sub-committee of the Council be set up to liaise with the Federal Government on all the issues raised. The Council also received briefings from the Managing Director (CEO) of the NSIA, UcheOrjiOrji.told NEC that the NSIA closed the 2021 financial year with a profit after tax of N153.8 billion, slightly down 1.9% from 2020. (2020: N156.5 billion). Total comprehensive income declined marginally in 2021 by 8.2% to close the year at N147.0 billion (2020: N160.1 billion) Orji said: “The NSIA has reached major milestones across domestic infrastructure in the year under review in terms of projects such as motorways, agriculture, healthcare, technology, gas industrialization and others".TheCouncil, thereafter, endorsed the report and commended the NSIA board and management for a credible performance despite the challenges facing the country. The NEC equally approved presentations by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Jumoke Oduwole, on System Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) program.Therecommendation for the set up of SABER's National Steering Committee, comprising PEBEC and the NG SABER Adhoc Committee to be chaired by the Vice President was approved by NEC. Council also received briefings from both the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Dike Onwuamaeze and Gilbert Ekugbe
The federal government has barred all mobile network operators, telecoms service providers and digital payment systems providers in Nigeria from rendering services to unregistered online lenders in Nigeria.The restrictive order was announced yesterday by the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Mr. Babatunde Irukera, in a statement titled, “Further and Continuing Investigation of Rights Violation in Money Lending Industry and Release of Interim Regulatory Framework,” which he released immediately after the enforcement of Federal High Court order against Soko Lending limited, an alleged illegal online lender in Ikeja, Lagos State.Irukera said: “The FCCPC has ordered all operating payment systems including Flutterwave, Opay, Paystack and Monify to immediately cease and desist from providing payment or transaction services to lenders under investigation or not otherwise operating with applicable regulatory approvals.“Thecommission has also ordered telecommunication/ technology companies (including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)) to cease and desist providing server/hosting, or other key services such as connectivity to disclosed or known lenders who are targets/subjects of investigation or otherwise operating without regulatory approval.”
Okays NSIA's financial performance 12 THISDAY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
COURTESY VISIT TO THE KHALIFA...
He stated further that, “in addition to the enforcement action(s) and in furtherance of the desire to promote fair, transparent and mutually beneficial alternative lending opportunities apart from traditional lending to consumers, the inter-agency Joint Regulatory and Enforcement Task Force has developed and mutually adopted a Limited Interim Regulatory/ Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending, 2022 (now available at complyperiodprovidestohenceforthimmediately,”lendingregulatorylendingregulatoryinterimregulations/fccpc.gov.ng/resources-library/https://)asthefirstandsteptoestablishingaclearframework,”foronlineactivitiesinthecountry.Heexplainedthatthisframeworkondigitalhas,“becomeenforceableaddingthat“itrequirespermissionproceedindigitallending;italimitedmoratoriumforexistingbusinessestoinordertocontinuein digital“Thelending.guidelines also mandate different service providers in the relevant ecosystem (such as banks, access/download platforms or stores, technology providers and payment systems) to require regulatory approval before providing services.” The FCCPC expressed its gratitude to victims and citizens who have either provided information or contributed to the investigation of the activities of illegal digital lenders. It also “welcomes the continuing engagement that provides the relevant information or intelligence through the already established and publicised channels.” Irukera also said in furtherance of a continuing investigation and pursuant to additional intelligence, the FCCPC yesterday conducted enforcement actions with respect to some digital money lenders in Lagos State. He said: “Specifically, intelligence gathered including over a significant period of surveillance as well as renewed orders of the Federal High Court empowering the commission to search and seize properties from premises of targets/subjects of investigation, the commission enforced against a company widely known as Soko Lending Limited.
L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Anchor Insurance Company Limited/sponsor of the just concluded Emir Sanusi live stage play held both in Lagos and Abuja, Mr. Ebose Augustine; His Highness Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II; Arise TV Presenter, Mr. Rufai Oseni; and Managing Director, Duke of Shomolu Productions (producer of the play), Mr. Joseph Edgar during a courtesy visit to His Highness in Lagos… recently
Responding, Ukairo, urged the court to disregard Ogala’s submission that the suit had become statute barred, adding that the plaintiff would respond adequately at the appropriate time, if and when the 3rd defedant formally file and served on him his reply to the originatingResponding,summons.Justice Egwuatu ordered parties to put their houses in order for proper hearing of the alleged certificate forgery suit, promising to give accelerated hearing in the matter. The judge ordered the plaintiff to come with its witnesses on the next adjourned date which he fixed for October 12, noting that the matter can be taken within one week if all parties are well prepared. He subsequently adjourned till October 12 for hearing. Egwuatu in addition ordered the plaintiff to be ready to call its witnesses on the adjourned date so as to establish his case against Tinubu.AAin the suit is claiming that Tinubu forged his university of Chicago certificate he submitted in 1999, in aid of his qualification for the 1999 governorship election in Lagos State, which he won. In a 16-paragraph statement on oath deposed by one Kalu Agu, the plaintiff submitted that “the 3rd defendant is a person who is not qualified for election to the office of President of Nigeria on the grounds of alleged forgery. According to the deponent, the 3rd defendant had provided false information and attached forged documents in his form CF 001, he submitted to INEC in 1999 in aid of his qualification for the governorship poll. The deponent stated that the claim of Tinubu that he possesses Bsc degrees in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Chicago and Chicago State University in 1976 and 1979 respectively were false. “The 3rd defendant knew he did not possess all the educational qualifications he listed in the said INEC form,” he added. The deponent further claimed that the matter of false information by Tinubu was once reported to the Inspector General of Police and the Lagos State House of Assembly, wherein the latter set up a committee which in its report at page 2 said that, “The Governor of Lagos State stated his evidence by admitting full responsibility for some of the needless errors being pinpointed in recent publications and which formed the basis of the allegations against him”. The plaintiff contended that arising from the above the 3rd defendant is not qualified for election into the office of President of TheNigeria.party therefore prayed the court to declare that 3rd defendant’s claim that he attended Government College, Ibadan and University of Chicago on his INEC Form CF 001 in 1999 which he presented to INEC is false. He also urged the court to further declare that the alleged false information on Tinubu’s INEC Form CF 001 about his BSc degree in Economics from the University of Chicago, “is a forgedPlaintiffcertificate.”saidinview of Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, the court should declare that the 3rd defendant, “haven in 1999 presented a forged certificate to INEC….is not qualified to contest for the office of president.” “A declaration that by virtue of Sections 224, 23 and 24 of the 1999Constitution and the Constitution of the APC, the office of the President of Nigeria is to be occupied by a man of integrity and impeccable character.” While plaintiff prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from publishing the name of Tinubu as candidate of the APC in the 2023 presidential election, the AA, prayed for another order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from listing the APC as a political party in the ballot for the 2023 presidential poll.
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In it BudgIT was able to respond to the observations raised by the Edo, Plateau and other states governments but is yet to address the anomaly pointed out in its position on Nasarawa.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY16
We have since issued a statement condemning this injustice and have asked that BudgIT revisit the survey and make amends by reporting the facts on the ground in Nasarawa state. Any sampling technique used in a survey, no matter its scholarly acceptance, would have failed woefully if in the end it grossly misinformed the public as BudgIT 2022 salary survey has done.
Therefore, it is not surprising that governthe report have also come out to condemn the survey outcome.
The report, released recently, as usual, enjoyed wide circulation and screaming media headlines claims that some state governments, including Nasarawa, failed to pay their workers for at least six months.
The BudgIT report has however failed in its attempt at tarnishing the image of the state government as this misinformation has earned the organization the well-deservedknocks and condemnations from stakeholders like the Nigerian Labour Congress
We demand that BudgIT tow the path of honour by coming out with a categorical position admitting it has goofed and publicly apologise to the Nasarawa State govas the workers in the state at large.
This is evident in the enormous resources committed to the training and retraining of the state public servants in order to put the service on the right pedestal.
The NLC Chairman in Nasarawa state, Comrade Yusuf Iya, described it as “false, malicious and baseless”, pointing out that, the BudgIT report as the outcome of a survey lacked professional input as it excludedcivil servants and labour unions who are supposed to be the primary sources of data.
IBRAHIMSignedADDRA
Probably, because of its intended mischief, BudgIT, in carrying out such an important assignment, ignored stakeholders such as the NLC, other key unions and even the workers who would have enriched and given credibility to its report.
Engr. Sule has ensured that the welfare of civil servants is given utmost priority in or-der to motivate them in their task of service delivery for socio-economic development. It is such a genuine spirit of commitment to service that the report in question authored by BudgIT aims to dampen.
From such interactions, BudgIT would have understood how Governor Sule painstakingly resolved a lingering crisis of unsettled salaries liability hanging since 2016 to thetune of N720,000,000 he inherited from the previous administration thereby boosting labour/government relations in the state.
disturbed by the protests from the affected states, BudgIT is reported to have issued a statement supporting the authenticity of its report.
BudgIT, a supposedly civic organisation which holds institutions and governments accountable through detailed periodic scrutiny, has somehow failed the integrity test in its 2022 report.
It is also to Governor Sule’s credit that the discontent between labour and the state government over the payment of wages based on percentage was laid to rest.
In Nasarawa state Government has oftentimes come to the aid of Local Governments to enable them pay wages in spite of enjoyGovernor Sule also mandated the partial implementation of pending promotions of local government employees in a bid to motivate them for enhanced productivity. The governor has consistently restated the resolve of his administration to reposition the state’s public service for enhanced performance, especially against the backdrop in the initiation and implementation of government policies and programmes.
BudgIT’s inclusion of Nasarawa, noted for its prompt payment of salaries and pension, exposed the fact that it failed to do a thorough and professional job in its outing this Theyear.inclusion of Nasarawa in this category is completely untrue, unfair, unjust and unprofessional, and has caused the state anavoidable embarrassment.
The Nasarawa state government shares in the ideals of BudgIT…promoting the dignity of labour. We however insist that thetruth must be told and Nasarawa should instead be commended.
WORKERS SALARY: Why BudgIT should apologize to Nasarawa
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Advertorial
Governor Sule also ended the imbroglio between labour and the state governmentover the reluctance of successive administrations in the state to effect promotion ofcivil servants.
The trade Union Congress, TUC, in a press statement said that “the publication is baseless, malicious and aimed at tarnishing the good image of the present administration which has been labour friendly from inception and up to date in the payment of monthly salary to civil servants in the Apparentlystate”.
For the record, any further delay or refusal to right this wrong will leave the Nasarawa state government with no option but to seekredress in the law courts.
He approved and paid the required funds to the tune of N216,000,000 monthly for the implementation of pending promotions which had hanged for years thereby giving civil servants a sense of belonging while further spurring commitment to service delivery across the ranks.
It is not clear why this is so despite outcry and protest by the state government, the NLC and TUC in the state against the reWeport.again call on BudgIT to in the interest of all make public the result of the review it promised in its reported statement in order to set the record straight and clear the misgivings its report has created across many minds in the country.
If BudgIT had carried out a professional and comprehensive survey in the state targeting the right segment of the workforceand stakeholder bodies, it would have been informed that the Nasarawa State Government has been up-to-date in its obligationsto workers and retirees and saved itself from the ridicule its report has brought upon it. If it had interacted with the right people and followed through the proper channels,it would have discovered that Governor Abdullahi Sule ensures that both state and local government workers, including retir-ees, are never owed for even a month since his administration came on board.
It is gratifying that the public and stakeholders have been able to see through the façade to denounce the report which has failed the litmus test of objectivity.
The governor also recently directed theHead of Service (HoS) of the state to expedite action on the promotion of civil ser-vants that were due for the exercise with effect from 2017.
The Kwara State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project dicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the reThe shortlisting criteria are: ties such as (i) Social and Environmental Safeguards (ii) Preparation curement Support (iv) project management support, and Construction Supervision of Roads;
2. Demonstration of effective organizational/managerial structure relevant to the assignment.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of AgWorld Bank and the L’Agence Française de Développement (French participating States (namely Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto) toward the cost of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP). to eligible payments under the contract for Consulting Services.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY 17 KWARA STATE RURAL ACCESS AND AGRICULTURAL MARKETING PROJECT (RAAMP) REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI) FOR DESIGN AND SUPERVISION CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR RURAL ROAD UPGRADING IN KWARA STATE Reference No: NG-KWARA RAAMP-280440-CS-QCBS
The Consulting Services (“the Services”) includes; (i) Carrying out Planning, design (preliminary/detailed) and su pervision of upgrading of roughly 150 to 160 km of rural roads to all-weather bitumen-surface standards, including cross-drainage structures on them, using a design-build method (about 20% of total road length) and remainder length using conventional FIDIC contract method following GON/IDA’s guidelines which incorporates Envi ronment, Social, Health and Safety (ESHS) measures;
(ii) Supervising and assisting SPIU/ILO in the supervision of construction works to ensure that these are executed in accordance with the General and Particular conditions of Contract, the Technical Spec(iii) Providing necessary support and advice to SPIU in optimizing the use of available material resources to minimize costs, achieving desirable work quality and expediting construction activities;
6. Evidence of Firm’s/Consortium regional work experience in simi The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paraof cations,interest.but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and sever ally liable for the entire contract, if selected. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement RegulaFurthertions. information can be obtained at the address below during ofExpressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 12th September, 2022. Late Submissions will NOT be accepted. The Client is not bound to short-list any Consultant.
(iv) Assisting SPIU in ensuring that works/contracts are construct ed/completed within the agreed price and allocated time under the contract or any subsequent agreed amendments. The Services are expected to extend over a period of 30 months, involving approximately 12 key persons as required in the TOR;
Credit No.: 6519-NG Issue Date: 1 9th August, 2022
The State Project Coordinator,Kwara State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) Rural Access and Agriculture Marketing Project (RAAMP) c/o Kwara State Ministry of Work and Transport, Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin, Kwara Nigeria.State TELEPHONE: +2348035815091, +2348069378681 E-MAIL: Kwara-RAAMP@hotmail.com
i. Evidence of registration with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC); three (3) years (2019, 2020 and 2021); iii. Company audited account for the last three (3) years (2019, 2020 and 2021) duly stamped; v. For Joint ventures, Memorandum of Understanding must be at andtached.supervision consultancy services for rural road upgrading of up to 10 references or more similar assignments; 5. Evidence of similar experience supported under multilateral donor Agency like The World Bank, AFD, AfDB, etc in the previous 10 years
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for this assignment will be made available on request at the address given below.
18 THISDAY FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022
Udeme Uti p weighs in on the potentially dangerous options before the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom state Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, had on December 30, 2021 organized an emergency stakeholders meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Governor’s Lodge in Uyo, the state capital and presented his commissioner of Lands and Water Resources, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, as God’s choice of his successor when his tenure lapses on 29th May, 2023. This announcement was greeted with vehement condemnations from all angles. However, the name of God being mentioned and the fact that major stakeholders in the state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) were part of the unholy revelation, got some Akwa Ibom people following the trend with passion. Until dragged to court for alleged ir regularities in his credentials and other documents, Pastor Umo Eno, almost got away with a hijacked mandate to fly the PDP gubernatorial flag during the 2023 general elections. For inexplicable reasons, Udom Em manuel had dumped close associates and scuttled promises he made to some persons especially those who fought hard for his reelection in 2019 when his ‘master’, Senator Godswill Akpabio turned against him. The alleged documents forgery slammed on Eno has left so many infuriated Akwa Ibomites withdrawing their support from the ticket as it is obvious that if proven true, he has serious character issues. Emmanuel however appears adamantly and intransigently prepared to defend Eno’s alleged notorious history of gross impro prieties. This has left some party members and supporters thoroughly embarrassed and furious at the governor for deliberately neglecting to carry out due diligence on Eno’s past records before presenting him as his preferred successor. The big question now is: would God have preferred someone with character flaws to be the Governor of Akwa Ibom State? Or did God really reveal Eno to the incumbent gov ernor and the fathers of faith who claimed to have prayed and fasted for the choice? From reliable sources, Eno’s emergeance as the preferred successor to the incumbent is a creation of a certain Apostle Achudome from Abeokuta in Ogun State and the gover nor’s half brother, Mr. Gabriel Nkanang. The case before Eno is such that he may not come out clean and if he does survive, no spinmeistering, votes buying or any other agenda item by the PDP may secure her victory at the polls. Emmanuel and Eno need to eat their humble pie and apologize to Akwa Ibom people either in secret or in public for the misleading and embarrassing episodes they have put the state through. Judging from the fact that the whole world knows Emmanuel as a Deacon of the United Evangelical Church established as Quo Igbo Church and Eno as a well known pastor, if the case of forgery is by any way true, it would be proper for the two men of God to go to God in confession and repentance. It would only be proper to do so, rather than allow the case of God to be decided in the Court of men. PDP has a tedious task to reclaim the party’s battered image if it must maintain power in the states in 2023. The fact that thousands of members of the ruling Patty had just last weekend defected to the Young Progressives Party (YPP) should serve as a deterrent to the Udom Emmanuel leader ship and stakeholders of the party from the national level to do all within its powers to put the house together to sustain power as the 2023 general elections approaches. Most of those who defected are those who hitherto had been the movers and shakers of
Heavy weights like Bassey Albert Akpan, the present Senator representing Uyo Senatorial District of the state at the National Assembly; Hon. Emmanuel Ekon, representing Abak/ Etim Ekpo/ Ika Federal Constituency of the state at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly; Hon. Emmanuel Ukopng Udo, representing Ikono/Ino Federal Constituency; Hon. Asuquo Nana of Ikono State Constituency; immediate pass Chief of Staff to the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel; Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-Eyen; among other politi cally relevant personalities. The exodus is occasioned by the defection of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan who is pres ently candidate of the relatively new party in the state even as unquantifiable number of women and youths of the state had since moved to support his ambition of taking over the state in 2023. As more big wigs defect to join other parties, coupled with the alleged certificate forgery before the Federal High Court, Uyo hanging on the neck of the PDP Governo ship candidate, Pastor Eno, the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the state is becoming so unpopular by the day and losing personalities with their supporters to lesser political parties in the state. With all that stand before PDP, will all the leaders still stand to watch the collapse of this beautiful 24 year old edifice? On the 25 of May 2022, Hon. Onofiok Luke, Senator Bassey Albert, (who was still in PDP), Mr. Aniekan Etim had tendered official letters to appropriate quarters of the party, withdrawing from the contest which was scheduled to be held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium citing perceived irregularities. Mr Akan Okon, one of the aspirants was privy to the documents of forgery by the preferred aspirant and had challenged his credentials at the Federal High Court in Uyo.
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POLITICS
the system as far as the conduct of elections in the state is concerned. Would PDP in Alwa Ibom State be politi cally naive to ignore someone like Akanimo Udofia, bearing in mind that he bought the PDP numination form and consulted widely among the political ranks in the state?
-Adigun writes from Lagos Adebo Adigun writes about the giant educational strides of Senator Tolu Odebiyi in Ogun West Senatorial District Odebiyi’s Sponsorship of 300 Indigent Students
In a suit titled FHC/UY/CS/110/2022, Eno is the 2nd defendant, while the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Com mission (INEC) are 1st and 3rd defendants respectively.Politicalonlookers are of the view that if Okon has convincing evidences to prove his case beyond reasonable doubts, Eno has a bad case and stands a chance of being prosecuted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) for forging their certificate among other consequences. Also, the recent endorsement of the embattled candidate by his kinsman, Hon Luke might turn out to be another mail on the coffin of the party which is struggling to come out of a political quagmire. Sources close to the federal law maker confided in this analyst that the move is not backed by the remnants of Luke’s support ers who had since joined the new YPP leader in the state, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan. Though a reconciliation meeting was staged between the duo by the Ibibio highest traditional stool, the Oku Ibom Ibibio and the President General of Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Council, His Eminence, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk, it is alleged that Luke is pacified by the promise that his wife, Dr. Uduak Luke, would be given commis sionership slot if Eno is voted in as governor of the state in 2023. This has also left the people of his Con stituency with raised eyebrows considering the fact that Luke had been a two term member representing Etinan State Constitu ency and presently the member representing Etinan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly.
Acting Group Politics Edito r DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye08033025611@thisdaylive.comSMSONLY
Burden of Confession in Akwa Ibom PDP Governorship Ticket
Without a doubt, one Senator that is always exploring angles that will provide solutions to the education challenges in his Senatorial District is the Senator represent ing Ogun West Senatorial District, Tolu Odebiyi.Overthe last three years, he has gone beyond the call of duty to transform the education sector in his Senatorial District into greatness and turning his Constituents into respectable individuals among their peers from other regions. It was well publicised in all traditional and new media platforms that he is the only Senator that is sponsoring and mentoring more than 300 Ogun West indigent students in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Not only has he paid their tuition fees on a yearly basis, provided brand new HP Laptops for each of the students but it is well known that he has facilitated full-time employment opportunities for 20 beneficia ries of his scholarship schemes in Africa’s leading fintech companies such as Flut terwave, SecureID and other government agencies in Nigeria. In my humble opinion and with my knowledge of politics, no Senator has ever achieved this great feat of sponsoring students and then going ahead to facilitate full-time employment opportunities for them.Heis one of the very few Distinguished Senators who is making major exploits in the National Assembly that we know of. While others look for existing Bills to amend, he is known to have crafted, novel and quality Bills of community and national interests which were subjected to rigorous parliamentary debates before being passed. He has also done so much for the small holder farmers in Ogun West to enhance the nation’s agricultural productivity. It is because of this service to the public and accolades that several awards were duly given to him to applaud him for his many good works. I think other politicians should emulate this respected politician who has engineered a new dawn in educa tion and all sectors.
POLITICS 19THISDAY FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022
-Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of USAfrica magazine and first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the Internet,FollowUSAfricaonline.comhimonTwitter@Chido247
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-Kila, a Jean Monnet professor of Strategy and Development is Centre Director at CIAPS. www.ciaps.org.
Kenya’s Political Arithmetic
A Place for Corporate Africa
Kenya’s young and charismatic 55-yearold president-elect, Ruto, has the swag ap peal of a social media savvy politician. He’s also controversial arising from war-crimes allegations and charges from the 2007 elec tions made against him at the International Court of Justice (later dropped). For the 2022 campaign, Ruto gained substantial support from his knowledge of governance and development strategies. Second, he campaigned on the mainline advantages of economic progress rather than get fixated on bloody inter-ethnic group conflicts.Third,he actualized capabilities of the young, poor fellow who overcame poverty to become, realistically, the giant killer of the corruption-ridden ‘politricks’ of the East African nation of 56 million creative people! Ruto led a remarkable political movement away from the dominance of the two major dynasties/families in political power of Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta (first President of relatively independent Kenya) and Odinga Odinga (first Vice President of relatively independentRemarkably,Kenya).Jomo’s son, Uhuru Kenyatta, who is finishing his second term in office was an ally of Ruto’s; Uhuru turned his back to support Raila Odinga latest unfulfilled effort to become President of Kenya. During one of those efforts in the 1990s, Raila visited and discussed Kenya and Africa politics with me at USAfrica’s editorial headquarters in Houston, Texas. Now, let’s go the numbers palaver. 4 of the 7 electoral commissioners rejected the result to accuse the chairman of the commission Wafula Chebukati of engaging in a “math ematical absurdity that defies logic”. Here’s why. The chairman’s math added up to Meanwhile,100.01%.
EPISTLES of ANTHONY KILA
terday was a travesty and blatant disregard of the constitution,” Kenya’s battle-weary opposition leader Raila Odinga said on August 16, 2022. He promised to exercise “all constitutional and legal options” after Deputy President, Dr William Sammie Ruto, was declared the win ner of the August 9, 2022 election by Kenya’s Elections and Boundaries commission. The President of Kenya is elected through a modified two-round system. According to Article 138 (4) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, to win in the first round, a candidate must receive over 50% of the vote nationally and 25% of the vote in at least 24 of Kenya’s 47Ifcounties.thereisproof of manipulation of calcula tions or excess votes, will those change the outcome in the announcement made by the controversial election commission?
You may recall that on November 18, 2021, I wrote a commentary titled, Games Nations Play: U.S, Kenya, Biden, Blinken and Uhuru. By Chido absurdity”?bypresidentOdinga’swherehisassignmentKenya,Blinken,theand-uhuru-by-chido-nwangwu/com/2021/11/18/u-s-kenya-biden-blinken-https://usafricaonline.NwangwuIanalyzedtheNovember2021tripbyUnitedStatesSecretaryofState,AntonytothreeAfricancountries,namely:NigeriaandSenegal.Blinken’sfromNovember15,startedwithfirstdestinationbeingNairobi,Kenya—hemetwithMr.Kenyatta.Now,thebigquestionis:willRailaalmost26yearsquesttobecomeofKenyabecollapsedintohistorytheconsequenceofa“mathematical
Chido Nwangwu writes about the political calculation in Kenya which culminated in the emergence of Vice President William Ruto as President-elect
sitting President Uhuru Kenyatta has not said anything about the unfolding uncertainty and tension emerging from the calculation and tally of percentages.
I know that Kenya is an important country in the geo-strategic power equation and intelligence interests of the United States. In nearby Somalia, the radical Islamists al-Shabab remain a material danger to Kenya itself and Somalia. Recall that almost 10 days after the publication of the “Pandora Papers” (in October 2021) where it was revealed that Mr. Kenyatta, the President of Kenya, stashed away (with his family) $30 million US dollars in offshore accounts and secret tax havens, Biden hosted the same Kenyatta on Thurs day, October 14, 2021. Kenyatta, therefore, became the first African leader hosted at the White House by Biden.Butin an indirect dig at the controversial Uhuru and his opaque financial dealings, the White House stated, as quoted in USAfrica online.com, that the two leaders will highlight “the need to bring transparency and accountability to domestic and international financial systems…. discuss efforts to defend democracy and human rights, advance peace and security, accelerate economic growth and tackle climate change.”
Starting from Nigeria
Anthony Kila writes that Nigeria should spearhead the clamour to develop a corporate Africa based on happenings across the continent As it is with most developing countries, the history of modern African States is a history of politics, struggle for political power and chronicles of natural disasters and human tragedies. To put this into context, it will suffice to compare the history of African States to that of their neighbours in Europe and other Western States where what defines an era is the history and chronicles of scientific breakthrough, technological advancement, expansion into markets and innovation of products and services. While African States were bumbling from dictator to dictator in the middle of war and coping with famine and other disasters, western countries were advancing in trade, invention and innova tion. In the 70’s, the now very popular and familiar ATMs made their entrance into our lives, the decade after that, in the 80s, saw the sequencing of DNA molecules brought to us by researchers who in that same decade invented ways of cutting organic tissues by usingThelaser.1990s, known as the era of communi cations for work and play, was the period of SMS, games of all kinds and mobile phones of various shapes and of course Google, it was also the era in which fibre optics became the preferred medium for telecommunica tion and networking, in 1994, the first stents were approved for use in the United States of America. In 1973, Ethiopia was dealing with the drought that killed 100,000 people, while it was the turn of Sudan to lose 150,000 people to drought in 1983, and Somalia to lose over 2,500 lives to flood in 1997. There were no major natural disasters in Nigeria but the human factor caused the country to lose close to 2 million people due to war and starvation between 1967 to 1970, while providing chronicles of close to 10 coup d’états between 1966 and 1993. In the middle of all these and beyond them, the country has witnessed and continues to witness elections marred by various irregularities that range from imposition of candidates to vote buy ing, to violence at the polls. Interestingly, the same issues of corruption, misappropriation of public funds, nepotism and clannishness, a general lack of development and dearth of good leadership are the same reasons for which those struggling for power using boots and guns as well as those bidding for power via the ballot boxes have promised to resolve. It is safe to say that these problems have not been solved and that in some cases these problems are getting worse. Crucial elements for developments such as education and health, infrastructure and other social amenities continues to be rarities rather than the norm. In Nigeria security is getting worse in 2022 and too many capable members of the society are dreaming of leav ing the country for a better life elsewhere.
Just has politics as defined the history of Africa there seems to be a consensus that politics will solve her problems. Election and after election, coup d’état after coup d’état, people are hoping that good capable leader ship will somehow from somewhere pop up. This idea is however counterintuitive since save for some very rare exceptions here and there, politics has not been able to offer solutions to problems in Africa. Whilst it is true that human development needs vision and direction under good leadership, the error here is that people continue to believe and hope that such leadership will come from politics. The objective fact and logical observation in reading Africa as a whole and Nigeria in particular is that the little gains that have been made in the past 50 years in the arts and entertainment, trade and finance are due to individual and private endeavours.Wherethe State has tried to manage any of these affairs from aviation to telecoms to health and education, we have seen regres sion not development, in half a century. Starting from Nigeria that has the biggest market and a dynamic population, it is time for businesses and those that pay (or at least should be paying) more than one form of tax or rent to rethink their place in the conti nent’s affairs and start to take clear, organic and consequential positions. Corporate Africa needs to find a new place in Africa. The first step in creating an organic and coordinated position is the development of a consciousness that will in turn lead to the creation of a collective ethos. Businesses and or professionals that pay more than one form of tax or rent need to perform an ontological exercise:Athorough reflection on the role of business in the society as an entity and in the working of the society as a system is required, such reflection will readily lead businesses to review their import for their society as whole. As the main source of wealth, jobs and as providers of services and innovative ideas business and professionals should boldly, confidentially and logically feel they own premium share of the countries. Yes, every Nigerian citizen is a stakeholder in Nigeria, but the shares owned by corporate Nigeria are not just acquired by birth or residence, they are shares paid for with investments, commitment, and their bet on Nigeria. Even if not acknowledged as an institutional position, Corporate Africa, starting from Nigeria can and should legitimately and persuasively theorise and propagate the idea of her position as the “Fifth estate of the realm”. It is obviously their right to attempt such but the quest for a premium status goes beyond and above a legitimate partisan or sectional desire, it is and should be presented as duty to the collective for the benefit of the wholePeoplesystem.andgovernment need to be educated to realise that it is not possible to truly develop any country or see progress in any society until those who create jobs, produce goods and services and supply ideas have recognised impactful inputs in how the society is managed.
“We totally Whatelectionthereservationwithoutrejectpresidentialresults….wesawyes
For the 2022 campaign, Ruto gained substantial support from his knowledge of governance and development strategies. Second, he campaigned on the mainline advantages of economic progress rather than get fixated on bloody inter-ethnic group conflicts. Third, he actualized capabilities of the young, poor fellow who overcame poverty to become, realistically, the giant killer of the African‘politricks’corruption-riddenoftheEastnationof56millioncreativepeople!
EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com
MARKET NEWS 20 THISDAY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Bond Fund 1489.91489.911.38% FBN Balanced Fund 193.27 194.52 10.28% FBN Halal Fund 122.48 122.48 10.69% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.13% FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) 125.27 125.27 5.90% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 157.03 159.13 4.03% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.04% Legacy Debt Fund 3.74 3.74 -6.57% Legacy Equity Fund 1.89 1.92 8.36% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.24 1.24 2.59% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Emerging
The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.
Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Price Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.99% Africa Bond Fund 1.03 1.03 8.74% Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.03 1.03 3.90% Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 103.04 103.04 1.93% FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com
Emerging
Tel: 08039492594 Fund NameBid PriceOffer
DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS Coral Balanced Fund 4,054.87 4,109.13 6.45% Coral Income Fund 3,603.13 3,603.13 6.19% Coral Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.10% FSDH Dollar Fund 1.11 1.11 4.01% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.65% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.89 2.94 1.25% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 6.00% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 142.20 142.20 3.80% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.25 1.29 2.98% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.06 1.06 0.65% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.60 1.63 12.75% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,163.45 1,163.45 5.99% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/AN/AN/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 101.90 101.90 9.61% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 8.15% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.65 1.68 4.54% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.78 11.81 5.26% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 7.25% PACAM Equity Fund 1.45 1.46 1.44% PACAM EuroBond Fund 117.30 120.23 2.81% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 130.04 132.63 4.74% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.05 1.05 9.25% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,589.73 3,630.73 6.07% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 240.90 240.90 2.26% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.42 1.44 13.49% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 324.50 324.51 3.63% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 262.15 266.61 12.51% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.07% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,831.47 11,999.85 8.48% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.33 1.33 3.19% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 119.40 119.40 2.13% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 111.43 111.43 4.75% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 0.97 1.00 9.64% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.35 1.37 3.50% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.15 1.16 10.82% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.07 1.07 4.51% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.91 1.91 4.00% United Capital Eurobond Fund 122.64 122.64 3.52% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.03% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 13.67 13.80 3.66% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 15.63 15.77 6.87% Zenith Income Fund 23.00 23.00 4.78% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.72% VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Bid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund 3.81 3.91 -5.03% Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund5.99 6.09 2.42% Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund18.01 18.21 1.85% Vetiva Money Market Fund1.00 1.00 7.80% Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund18.54 18.74 -7.21% Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund148.03 150.03 -6.13% REITS Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn SFS REIT 117.96 4.16% Union Homes REIT51.82 1.90% EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Bid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund 14.40 14.50 2.93% SIAML Pension ETF 40 133.49 136.75 4.97% Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund102.44 104.62 2.66% MERGROWTH ETF16.40 16.50 -3.50% MERVALUE ETF17.10 17.20 19.08% INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund 107.59 0.00% info@anchoriaam.com MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 188.42 189.57 12.88% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 7.25% Nigeria International Debt Fund 309.07 309.07 6.98% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 104.32 105.47 5.76% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.74% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.68 3.74 7.99% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund NameBid PriceOffer PriceYield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 5.53% Anchoria Equity Fund 139.56 141.14 0.22% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.18 1.18 3.52% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 21.31 21.95 5.05% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 508.71 524.05 12.76% ARM Ethical Fund 42.64 43.93 9.46% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.08 1.08 -0.10% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.06 1.06 4.05% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.22% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 92.4692.46-4.45% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Naira 1,089.41 1,089.41 8.94% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/AN/AN/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/AN/AN/A Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) N/AN/AN/A CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,013.86 1,013.86 4.83% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund NameBid PriceOffer PriceYield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.011.015.29% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.41% Paramount Equity Fund 19.3919.7411.27% Women's Investment Fund 147.59 149.41 3.99% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.04% Cordros Milestone Fund 132.69 133.63 6.58% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 110.82 110.82 5.12% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/AN/AN/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/AN/AN/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/AN/AN/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/AN/AN/A EDC
A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 16Aug-2022, unless otherwise stated. Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date. Nigeria Fixed Fund N/AN/AN/A
Income
Yield / T-Rtn Emerging
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY Afrinvest West Africa Limited Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com Brokerage Asset Management Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com Investment Research Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index fell by 14bps atThe1,674.89 points due to sell-pressure on ZENITH (-0.6%), WAPCO (-1.3%), and UBA (-0.7%). These stocks cumulaASI up 11bps as DANGCEM Gains 3.3% (+9.8%), (+0.7%) bolstered the local bourse as the AllShare index rose by 11bps to 39,550.36 points. proved to -1.8% while value The most traded stocks by volume were (11.1m Bearish Sector Performance Across sectors under our coverage, performance was bearish as 4 indices lost, 1 index gained er Insurance indices, down 4.6% and(9.1%), (-3.5%), (-6.4%), and (ing indices fell (-0.8%),by (er, up 1.8% driven by price appreciain (+3.3%). stocks1.6x advanced while 15 stocks declined. MRS (+9.9%), MAYBAKER (+9.8%), and HONYFLOUR (+9.8%) led gainers while ABCTRANS (-8.3%), LASACO (-6.7%), and LIVESTOCK (-4.8%) led losers. Previous day, we expect the earnings season gradually winds up. TickerPricePrice Chg % TickerPricePriceNAHCO5.860.2%STANBIC28.100.2%MANSARD1.860.5%FIDELITYBK3.081.0%AIICO0.551.9%ACADEMY2.132.4%UNITYBNK0.454.7%LASACO1.156.5%SOVRENINS0.278.0%PRESTIGE0.489.1%Chg % UPDC1.02-2.9%JAPAULGOLD0.33-2.9%PZ9.00-3.2%CHAMS0.27-3.6%CAVERTON1.01-3.8%HONYFLOUR2.65-5.4%REGALINS0.23-8.0%SKYAVN5.10-9.7%SCOA1.75-9.8%COURTVILLE0.46-9.8% Top 10 Gainers Top 10 Losers TickerVolumePrice Chg % TickerValuePriceREGALINS2.7-8.0%JAIZBANK4.10.0%GTCO4.30.0%TRANSCORP4.90.0%ACCESSCORP5.50.0%UBN5.70.0%CORNERST11.1-1.4%UBA11.2-0.7%ZENITHBANK16.7-0.5%FBNH28.4-0.5%Chg % UBN36.50.0%OKOMUOIL43.40.0%ACCESSCORP46.60.0%NGXGROUP47.80.0%UBA78.2-0.7%GTCO86.40.0%MTNN89.00.0%FBNH303.2-0.5%ZENITHBANK361.7-0.5%NESTLE2705.90.0% Top 10 Trades by Volume Top 10 Trades by Value Ticker CurrentPrice PreviousPriceChange WeightingCurrent ChangePriceYTD IndexChangePricetoDate ROEROAP/EP/BV DivindendYield EarningsYield THISDAY AFRINVEST 402423.26-0.31%30.7%142.3%26.0%4.9%4.8x0.8x6.9%14.0% 1 Airtel Africa PLC 1,905.40 0.0% 50.2%99.5%10.0%19.2%6.7%1.1% 2 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 200.00 -0.5% 7.0%1.5%-13.0%144.8%14.4%12.0x15.2x6.9%8.3% 3 BUA Cement Plc 53.85 -1.4% 4.5%-19.7%-25.1%23.3%12.1%20.2x4.6x5.0%4.9% 4 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC 20.30 0.0% 4.2%-21.9%-1.0%19.8%3.2%3.3x0.7x14.8%29.9% 5 Zenith Bank PLC 21.95 1.2% 4.3%-12.7%1.2%20.6%2.6%2.8x0.5x14.3%36.2% 6 Dangote Cement PLC 258.80 0.0% 3.6%0.7%-5.9%44.2%15.8%12.9x5.8x8.0%7.8% 7 Lafarge Africa PLC 24.95 0.0% 2.8%4.2%-5.5%15.6%11.1%6.7x1.0x8.4%14.9% 8 FBN Holdings Plc 10.70 0.0% 2.5%-6.1%-7.8%20.5%1.9%2.3x0.4x3.3%43.7% 9 Nestle Nigeria PLC 1,300.00 0.0% 2.4%-16.5%-7.1%178.2%15.1%22.4x35.7x3.9%4.5% 10 SEPLAT Energy PLC 1,419.90 0.0% 2.8%118.4%9.2%9.9%5.1%10.9x1.1x3.1%9.1% 11 Access Holdings PLC 8.35 -1.8% 2.0%-10.2%-10.2%17.9%1.6%1.8x0.3x8.4%54.8% 12 United Bank for Africa PLC 7.00 0.7% 1.6%-13.0%-6.0%15.6%1.4%2.0x0.3x14.3%49.8% 13 Nigerian Breweries PLC 47.15 0.0% 1.2%-5.7%-19.8%13.4%4.9%16.0x2.1x3.6%6.3% 14 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 195.30 -10.0% 1.3%37.5%-10.0%52.6%30.4%8.7x4.3x3.6%11.5% 15 Ecobank Transnational Inc 10.60 0.0% 1.3%21.8%0.0%20.0%1.1%2.1x0.4x6.2%46.9% 16 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC 28.00 -0.4% 1.1%-22.2%-16.5%15.6%2.1%5.9x0.9x10.7%16.9% 17 International Breweries PLC 5.00 0.0% 0.9%1.0%-20.6%-2.4%-0.9%1.0x-2.5% 18 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 29.05 -5.2% 0.8%2.5%-10.6% 0.6x7.4% 19 Fidelity Bank PLC 3.05 -1.0% 0.6%19.6%-10.8%13.3%1.2%2.3x0.3x11.5%43.1% 20 Guinness Nigeria PLC 84.00 0.0% 0.6%115.4%-7.2%19.1%8.1%11.7x2.0x8.5%8.5% 21 Presco PLC 142.60 0.0% 0.4%62.4%-13.6%53.7%20.2%6.3x3.3x5.1%15.9% 22 FCMB Group Plc 3.44 0.0% 0.4%15.1%-0.6%12.4%1.2%2.3x0.3x6.1%44.2% 23 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC 1.85 -0.5% 0.4%-20.3%-7.5%5.7%1.7%9.1x0.5x13.5%10.9% 24 United Capital PLC 11.80 0.0% 0.4%19.2%-7.5% 5.6x2.7x12.7%17.7% 25 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC 16.00 0.0% 0.4%-8.0%-1.8%23.2%8.7%6.5x1.4x6.3%15.3% 26 Transnational Corp of Nigeria 1.06 -1.9% 0.3%10.4%-13.8%19.0%4.3%2.6x0.4x1.9%38.5% 27 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 8.50 -5.6% 0.2%39.3%-11.5% 6.5x0.9x2.9%15.5% 28 Cadbury Nigeria PLC 13.70 -8.1% 0.2%55.7%-20.6% 7.8x1.7x3.6%12.8% 29 UAC of Nigeria PLC 10.80 0.0% 0.2%13.7%-2.7%3.6%1.6%18.0x0.7x6.0%5.6% 30 TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeri 234.50 0.0% 0.2%5.7%0.0% 1.8x 31 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 25.90 0.0% 0.2%15.9%-2.3%19.1%2.1%5.5x0.8x9.7%18.2% 32 Custodian and Allied Insurance 6.80 0.0% 0.2%-13.9%-2.9%18.2%5.2%4.1x0.7x7.4%24.4% 33 Wema Bank PLC 3.49 0.0% 0.2%384.7%9.4%15.7%0.9%8.8x1.8x7.0%11.4% 34 Unilever Nigeria PLC 13.50 0.0% 0.1%-6.9%-8.8%7.2%4.3%42.0x1.2x3.7%2.4% 35 Jaiz Bank PLC 0.84 -1.2% 0.1%50.0%-7.7%20.0%1.5%6.1x1.2x4.8%16.3% 36 Oando PLC 4.86 0.2% 0.1%10.0%-14.3% -21.5%-185.0% 37 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 6.00 0.0% 0.1%1.7%-2.4%6.4%0.7%9.6x0.6x10.4% 38 Sterling Bank PLC 1.51 0.7% 0.1%0.0%-0.7%10.3%1.0%2.8x0.3x6.6%36.2% 39 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 62.50 0.0% 0.0%0.0%0.0%-17.7%-4.1%1.8x-1.8% 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc 6.25 0.0% 0.0%16.2%0.0% 1.0x1.1% Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX Friday, August 19, 2022 Damilare Asimiyu | dasimiyu@afrinvest.com Thisday Afrinvest Index down 0.31% The Thisday Afrinvest 40 index fell 0.31% to MTNN (0.5%), BUACEMENT (-1.4%), and ACCESSCORP (of1.8%).the index. Local Bourse Extends Bearish Momentum ASI down 0.3% streak as price decline in BUACEMENT (-1.4%), OKOMUOIL (-10.0%), and MTNN (-0.5%) dragged the benchmark index lower 0.3% to 49,546.38 creased by 78.1bn to ty level diverged as volume traded rose 14.1% to 147.0m units while value traded fell 35.8% to Bearish Sector Performance Across our coverage sectors, performance was bearish as 5 indices lost while the index Insurance index led the -0.5%).lagTrailing, the Industrial and Consumer Goods indices losses in -7.0%). Also, the AFR-ICT and Oil & Gas (-5.6%). Outlook breadth, weakened to -0.18x frommarket performance. 21
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY22
BUSINESS WORLD Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email
THISDAY investigation revealed that Arik Air, Ibom Air, Air Peace are expecting some of their aircraft ferried overseas for maintenance to return. Some of them are due to return if the airlines make the needed payments, but with the scarcity of Forex, the airlines are handicapped. The President/CEO of Topbrass Aviation Limited and former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Roland Iyayi, told THISDAY that airlines could conduct A and B checks in Nigeria but would have to ferry their aircraft overseas for major checks, but warned that if the current Forex scarcity continues it would even be difficult to source for spares to conduct minor checks in HeNigeria.alsoacknowledged that many of the airlines have depleted fleet already so there is need to bring in more aircraft into the country to stem the decrease in the number of aircraft seats. “Not all checks require you to fly the aircraft overseas. There are some checks that can be done here in Nigeria. It is when major checks are involved that you will talk about flying the aircraft overseas or grounding them if you cannot take them out. But so far things are still okay but if the forex scarcity persists, it will be difficult for airlines to source spares to maintain their aircraft even in Nigeria and this will ultimately lead to the grounding of their aircraft,” Iyayi said. THISDAY investigation also revealed that passengers are finding it very difficult coping with airlines flight delays and cancellation, which are not only caused by fuel scarcity or high price of the product, but also technical issues. A passenger told THISDAY how his flight was cancelled after several hours of waiting and also some airlines drop passengers luggage on some fights in order to carry more fuel, especially when flying to the airports they are not sure they would get Jet A1. Former Managing Director of NAMA, Nnamdi Udo, told THISDAY that the ripple effect of high airfares, flight cancellation and delays, oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com08056356325
Oluchi Chibuzor Maritime expert and Ex-President of The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has underscored the imperativeness of the maritime industry to engage constructively with key political parties across the country in order to intimate them with a clear blueprint for the development of the nation’s maritimeSpeakingindustry.atapress conference in Lagos, he said it is necessary for industry stakeholders to interface with the different political parties in order to share insight on how the sector would develop beyond the current Accordingstate.tohim, “maritime industry must take charge of their sector by engaging different political parties in other to intimate them with a clear blueprint for the growth of their business and the country at large. We must engage them with a clear blueprint on how the industry must grow, because when they know the challenges and what need to be done for the sector only then is our business secured.“They understand their industry better than any politician and so it is good that the over 15, 000 workforce should engage with the different candidates aspiring to lead the nation. If we come together as a force and present a clear blueprint on what policy should be implemented for the industry to them, we can now have understanding going forward for theHesector.”added that maritime players must ensure they have access to the government in order to protect their business within the country’s maritime domain. “Take a look, Apapa as an environment is completely down in terms of business; hotels are shutting down because we have no access. When I founded NAGAFF in 1999, we wrote a special document on the need for the establishment of truck terminals when our ports space was not taken with the development of Dangote, Flour Mills. We saw it from NAGAFF angle and nobody listened for the truck terminals to service the port.
Expert Urges Maritime Stakeholders to Engage Political Leaders on Sector’s Development Blueprint Aircraft Depletion Imminent as Airlines Suspend Abroad Maintenance over F orex Scarcity
Continued on page 25 Continued on page 25 THISDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
Chinedu Eze Domestic carriers may suffer forced depletion of aircraft, following the suspension of all aircraft checks abroad due to lack of foreign exchange.Withthe latest development, all the aircraft ferried overseas would remain in various aircraft maintenance facilities until the airlines are able to source for funds to pay for their repairs and subsequent return to service in Nigeria. THISDAY learnt that the consequence is that any aircraft that is due for major check like C-check, which is carried out overseas, would be parked and any aircraft that develops fault beyond A and B checks, which can only be done in Nigeria, will also be parked, and this will lead to forced depletion of operating aircraft, unless more aircraft are brought into the country. So airlines are losing seats and this has given rise to high demand, high airfares, flight delays and cancellations, as few aircraft are made to operate many schedules in a Theday.situation is exacerbated by high aviation fuel, which has risen to N903 per litre, as industry observers said it could hit N1000 per litre any moment unless there is urgent Formerintervention.CEOofAero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, told THISDAY on Wednesday that the aviation industry is in dire situation and in need of urgent action to arrest the situation before things could get worse. He listed the solution to the challenges to include making foreign exchange available to airlines and urgent intervention in the rise of price of aviation fuel to arrest the high cost of “Depletionairfares.inaircraft fleet will lead to shortage of seats, which means that high demand will drive up the fares. Currently dollar is scarce so airlines will not access Forex to pay for the maintenance of their aircraft taken overseas. This has given rise to reduction in capacity, so something must be done to stop the slide,” he Thesaid.reality that aircraft on major maintenance could be grounded as long as possible has stirred fears that without the return of aircraft previously flown overseas for maintenance the ones currently operating could all be grounded when their check time are due or if they develop fault so there would not be fleet to fall back on.
MARKET DATA AS AT THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 BILLS MATURITY countDis- Yield (%)Change Updated Time NTB 13-Oct22 9.009.16 0.00August 3, 2022 NTB Nov-2210- 3.903.94 0.00August 3, 2022 NTB 26-Jan23 7.507.78 0.00August 3, 2022 NTB 9-Feb23 7.307.59 0.00August 3, 2022 NTB 9-Mar23 5.455.63 0.00August 3, 2022 BONDS DESCRIPTIONPriceYield (%)Change TimeUpdated ^14.20 MAR-202414- 104.8710.81 0.00 3,August2022 13.53 MAR-202523- 104.68 11.41 0.00 3,August2022 ^12.50 JAN-202622- 102.07 11.75 0.04 3,August2022 ^16.2884 MAR-202717- 115.19 11.91 0.00 3,August2022 ^13.98 FEB-202823- 107.92 11.98 0.00 3,August2022 OTC FX FUTURES (MONTH)TENORCONTRACT Contract ($/₦)RateCurrent Updated Time 1 NGUS AUG 31 2022 433.54 August 3, 2022 2 NGUS SEP 28 2022 435.39 August 3, 2022 3 NGUS OCT 26 2022 437.24 August 3, 2022 4 NGUS NOV 30 2022 439.09 August 3, 2022 5 NGUS DEC 28 2022 440.94 August 3, 2022 MATURITYDiscountYieldCPSChange(%) Updated Time SIBP CP 27-OCT-22III 15.1215.14 -0.03August 3, 2022 DLMG CP 11-NOV-22IV 17.2417.98 0.06August 3, 2022 FDHP CP 17-MAR-23III 11.2511.57 0.06August 3, 2022 VHPL CP 1-APR-23III 10.4410.71 0.06August 3, 2022 RATES AS AT AUGUST 11,2022 MONEY MARKETREPOS & P INDEX S & P INDEXEXCHANGE RATE OPR 11.25% CALL 10.25% INDEX LEVEL 613.31% 1/4 TO DATE -0.85%N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR* OVERNIGHT 11.50% 1-MONTH 9.56% 1-DAY 0.16% YEAR TO DATE 7.64%*AS AT LAST FRIDAY 3-MONTH 10.52% MONTH-TO-DATE 0.44%
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IATA Launches Platform to Manage Business Risks
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of AVSEC Insight, an online platform offering users a comprehensive range of timely, open-source, information to aid in identifying potential security risks and threats to their operations and businesses.“Monitoring risks is both difficult and time-consuming, particularly for airlines with international operations. Adding destinations means more intelligence collection and monitoring is required. AVSEC Insight responds to this challenge by gathering risk-related information from a wide variety of sources, including niche and locallanguage news media as well as NOTAMs (Notice to Air Missions) and other official sources. It enables users to manage and identify business risks at early stages, monitor them in real time, and conduct post event analysis. The tool covers threats and continuity risks from natural disasters, civil unrest and protests, geopolitical developments, transnational crime and cybersecurity to name a few,” said Matthew Vaughan, IATA’s Director, Aviation Security and Cyber.The subscription-based service provides an intuitive user-friendly interface. Information can be customized to risk profile and operational needs, by country, city, airport or flight information region (FIR). Better and faster identification of risk means safer and more secure operations and resource optimization. Moreover, AVSEC Insight incorporates advanced machine learning and natural language processing capabilities to ensure the platform becomes more intelligent and robust as the dataset“Recentgrows.events have shown the enormous value of being able to track, assess and respond to potential risks in real time, particularly in a dynamic and fast changing industry such as aviation. AVSEC Insight is a vital tool for any organisation in the aviation value chain or that manages mobile workforces and/ or the time-sensitive movement of assets,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Operations, Safety and Security. Oluchi Chibuzor Mouka, Nigeria’s leading manufacturer of mattresses, pillows, and other bedding products, has affirmed that it would continue to invest into research that would allow them backward integrate local raw material into the production of eco-friendly products. However, with the company now part of Dolidol International Group, it also pledged to work with its loyal business partners in recognition of their contribution to the company’s growthSpeakingtrajectory.inLagos at an event to reward its business partner, Mouka’s Managing Director, Femi Fapohunda, commended the Business Partners for their continued loyalty to the brand. According to him, the firm has acquired one of the latest technologies in the world that makes them produce products that are internationally recognised to continue to deepen its market share and create a viable product for its partners and consumers.Hemaintained that they would continue to invest in research in local eco-friendly materials to produce eco-friendly products. He said, “As much as possible some of our inputs or materials that we can convert to local, we have backward integrated and converted them. Am sure you know we are now producing pillows in fiber, because most of our pillows are now made from recycled PETS bottles. Which means we do not have to spend foreign exchange to get our inputs, but we are also researching a lot of things that take us ahead of Commentingcompetition.” on their local business partners, he said, “Mouka’s success story spanning over 63 years would not have been possible without your hard work and dedication. Our ability to maintain the leading position in the sleep industry of Nigeria could not have been possible without you. We call you partners because you have continued to demonstrate immense commitment to this relationship which has resulted in steady growth and achievement of our business objectives.”
Mouka Reiterates Commitment to Backward Integrates Eco-friendly Raw Materials
Evaluating International Flight Operations from Enugu Airport
BUSINESSWORLD AIR WATCH
In 2013 the federal government responded to many years of clamour of the people of South-east Nigeria to have international airport in their zone by designating the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu as international airport. Before then there was no international flight emanating from the zone and till today, there are only four airports that process scheduled international flight services in Nigeria, which are the airports in Kano, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt; so Enugu became the fifth airport for international flight service. It was historical on August 24 2013 when Ethiopian Airlines, designated by the federal government, airlifted its first passengers from the Enugu airport to Addis Ababa in an augural ceremony that drew emotional tears from many who witnessed the event, including the then Minister of Finance and currently the Director General of the World Trade Orgonaisation (WTO), Dr. (Mrs.) NgoziTHISDAYOkonjo-Iweala.monitored the return flight when many passengers from the zone flew directly from different parts of the world and connected to Enugu airport via Addis Ababa. On landing, many of the passengers overwhelmed by excitement, called their loved ones to inform them that they landed from overseas to the Enugu airport. Since then Ethiopian Airlines has remained steadfast on that route, suspended flights when the airport was closed for rehabilitation and resumed flight operations in 2020 after the COVID-19 lockdown. Recently, the management of Ethiopian Airlines has called on the people of the zone to make use of the Akanu-Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for overseas travel, instead of going to Lagos or Abuja to board flights. The Traffic and Sales Manager of the company in Enugu, Henok Sirak, said that there is a flat rate for international flight tickets for Enugu and Lagos Airports and wanted to create awareness to increase the number of international passengers from Enugu airport. “We organised this awareness to meet our target in Enugu. Since it was made an international airport, we have been flying three times a week, but we are going to fly four times a week — Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. “People of Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, and Abia can now fly and cargo their import and export from Akanu-Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to over 125 destinations and routes in over five continents including, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Europe. We give full-fledged passenger-cargo service. “We have the same price for flights leaving from Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu for cargo. So, customers from Enugu don’t need to bother sending their cargo to Abuja and Lagos since the price is the same. That’s the advantage we give to the people of the South East and Port Harcourt. We have adjusted the price so that passengers can get the benefits of using Enugu“Finally,airport.Iam appealing to all the South Easterners traveling to use Ethiopian Airlines and fly from Enugu to any part of the world. We are operating with a modern aircraft. We are currently using Boeing 787”. THISDAY also learnt that many people from the zone are not patronising the airport, but rather travel overseas through Abuja and Lagos instead of using the airport closest to them, which was exactly what they protested against some years ago when the insisted on having international airport in their zone. THISDAY learnt that cargo freighting has been going on through the airport but the volume of cargo is “not encouraging yet.”
Chinedu Eze Arik Air, Nigeria’s leading airline has become the Supporting Sponsor and Exclusive Official Airline Partner of The Next Titan Nigeria Reality TV show Season Nine.An agreement to this effect was signed recently between the management of Arik Air and Bravopoints International, promoters of the The Next Titan Nigeria TV show. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of Bravopoints International, Mr. Mide Akinlaja, said the company was glad that Arik Air is identifying with the show for the first time. “It is so peculiar because Arik Air is identifying with us at a time when we need you most and we sincerely appreciate this”, Akinlaja elaborated. The Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, in his response said the airline was proud to be associated with the show, stressing that he has been following the show for quite a while. He commended Bravopoints for coming up with such a brilliant idea. “Such shows actually imbibe the spirit of encouragement and hope for the future because by supporting the young ones you are guaranteeing that we have future leaders for the country. We commend you and look forward to the commencement of Season Nine of the show”, Roy stressed. The Next Titan is Nigeria’s foremost Business Reality TV Show, and has hosted several thousands of young entrepreneurs across the country through its auditions. The Next Titan in its 9th Season is scouting for intelligent, charismatic and audacious young people with inspiring, impactful, and scalable business ideas to battle it out on a 10-weekreality TV show for a grand prize to start their business idea. The TV Reality & Competition Show brings together young aspiring entrepreneurs (Age: 21-40) from all walks of life where they out- compete one another in the hope of winning a cash prize to launch their business.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced passenger data for June 2022, showing that the recovery in air travel remains strong. IATA said total traffic in June 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 76.2 per cent compared to June 2021, primarily propelled by the ongoing strong recovery in international traffic. Globally, traffic is now at 70.8 per cent of pre-crisis levels. Domestic traffic for June 2022 was up 5.2 per cent compared to the year-ago period. Strong improvements in most markets, combined with the easing of some Omicron-related lockdown restrictions in the Chinese domestic market, contributed to the result. Total June 2022 domestic traffic was at 81.4 per cent of the June 2019 Internationallevel.traffic rose 229.5 per cent versus June 2021. The lifting of travel restrictions in most parts of Asia-Pacific is contributing to the recovery. June 2022 international RPKs reached 65.0 per cent of June 2019“Demandlevels. for air travel remains strong. After two years of lockdowns and border restrictions people are taking advantage of the freedom to travel wherever they can,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. In the international traffic market, Asia-Pacific airlines had a 492.0 per cent rise in June traffic compared to June 2021. Capacity rose 138.9 per cent and the load factor was up 45.8 percentage points to 76.7 per cent. The region is now relatively open to foreign visitors and tourism which is helping foster the recovery. European carriers’ June traffic rose 234.4 per cent versus June 2021. Capacity rose 134.5 per cent, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 86.3 per cent. International traffic within Europe is above pre-pandemic levels in seasonally adjusted terms. Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose 246.5 per cent in June compared to June 2021. June capacity rose 102.4 per cent versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 32.4 percentage points to 78.0 per cent. North American carriers experienced a 168.9 per cent traffic rise in June versus the 2021 period. Capacity rose 95.0 per cent, and load factor climbed 24.1 percentage points to 87.7 per cent, which was the highest among the regions. Latin American airlines’ June traffic rose 136.6 per cent compared to the same month in 2021. June capacity rose 107.4 per cent and load factor increased 10.3 percentage points to 83.3 per cent. After leading the regions in load factor for 20 consecutive months, Latin America slipped back to third place in June.
WATCHAIR
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 THISDAY
The major produce that is exported from the Enugu airport is chilly, popularly known as Nsukka pepper. This is a variety of pepper that is highly sought after in Europe and grows in the temperate climate of the Nsukka area of the Informedstate. source told THISDAY that the farmers wanted to collaborate with the Enugu state government to assist them in expanding plantation through irrigation or digging of boreholes to water their farmland. “The state government has promised to support them but they needed to have boreholes in their farms so that they will cultivate more land and reap bigger produce, but the state government is yet to embark on this project. Those who are into freighting of this perishable produce are of the view that if they could increase the volume of their produce it would be a moneyspinning venture that would empower the people of the rural communities. The exports will engage them with jobs and the needed finance. So providing them boreholes would be a significant empowerment by the state government,” a freighter told THISDAY. Customs agents who operate in Enugu and environs are encouraging South East people to fly through the Enugu airport instead of going to Abuja or Lagos and also to move their cargo through the airport. One of agents told THISDAY that it would cost less in terms of logistics to move cargo from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu than to go to Abuja or Lagos because of proximity. “I think the problem we have is information. Many of our people do not know that it is far easier to take your flights from the Enugu airport and even move your cargo from the airport than from any other place. How can you travel to Lagos or Abuja to board a flight you can just drive from your house to Enugu and board the same flight? What I understand is that many of us do not know that Ethiopian Airlines is still providing service from the Enugu Airport. People should be sensitised and as I am talking to you that is what I am doing. It costs you less and it is more convenient for you. We should let people know this fact,” he said.
Airlines Record Strong Passenger Demand in June, Says IATA Arik to Sponsor The Next Titan Nigeria Reality TV Show
Chinedu Eze
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correspondents said: “The fact is that the cost of tickets would still soar higher than what we are experiencing at the moment because several things act as determining factors. Everything that has to do with air transport is dollar denominated. So, if it is dollar denominated, how can we ensure business success for our people? That is what we should be thinking about. Someone told me recently that a flight to Maiduguri is now about N400, 000 and I said that makes a lot of sense. It is either you want to fly or you go by road where you may be kidnapped. It is not the airlines’ fault that they are charging that amount of money, but it is the reality on ground.”
AMCON: Bleak Future for Aero, Arik Air
AIRCRAFT DEPLETION IMMINENT AS AIRLINES SUSPEND ABROAD MAINTENANCE OVER FOREX SCARCITY would amount to inconveniencing of passengers, loss of revenue by aviation agencies in form of charges, taxes and other offering and also the overall negative impact on the industry.While travellers lament the high cost of airfares, airlines complain of low passenger traffic, insisting that the only way they can survive is to pass the high cost of aviation fuel to their fares, which is also keeping many potential travellers away from the airports.
Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) took over Nigeria’s foremost carrier, Aero Contractors and a promising airline, Arik Air, after taking over Nigeria Airways Limited over issues of debts. Since the takeover of both firms, by AMCON, the airlines have recorded diminishing performance, while their debts continue to rise, writes Chinedu Eze.
BACKGROUND In February 2016, AMCON fully took over the management of Aero Contractors after it dissolved the board of the company. It thereafter appointed a manager to run the affairs of the company in interim capacity. So the Corporation became both the majority shareholder and creditor of Aero Contractors. Five years before then, in 2011, AMCON had intervened to save the company based on N14 billion debt profile. As a result, AMCON took 60 per cent stake in the company, leaving 40 per cent to legacy shareholders, the Ibru family, with an agreement that the shareholders manage the company through their representatives. But after over the five –year period, and despite further investment AMCON made in Aero, the airline’s debt profile had grown to about N20 billion by 2016. But not without the allegation of financial mismanagement and the controversies that marred the then administration of the airline. Aero Contractors is Nigeria’s oldest aviation company. It commenced business in 1959, initially providing services to oil and gas sector, before venturing into fix wing operations in the year 2000. Also in February 2017, AMCON took over Arik Air and became the receiver manager at the time the airline has 17 airworthy aircraft, including Boeing B737-700, 800, Bombardier CRJ 900, 100 and Bombardier Q400 and staff of over 3200. In fact, informed source told THISDAY in 2021, that, “AMCON took over Arik Air with 17 airworthy aircraft; in addition two aircraft just needed minor maintenance of maximum six hours to fix. Also three aircraft were ferried for checks overseas. Rather than fix the aircraft and maintain them properly, AMCOM cannibalised some Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft. They have the heart to cannibalise such aircraft! Most of the other aircraft like Bombardier CRJ 900 are parked without maintenance and also Bombardier Q400. They only operate few of the Arik aircraft are supplemented with wet leased aircraft, which is from Mongolia and Value Jet of Tunisia, which they obtained through some questionable deals.” Although Arik Air management is niggard about the number of aircraft under its operation currently, but the airline does not have more than five aircraft from the original fleet it inherited from the former management, AMCON literally toppled the company under forceful take over in 2017.
EXPERT URGES MARITIME STAKEHOLDERS TO ENGAGE POLITICAL LEADERS ON SECTOR’S DEVELOPMENT BLUEPRINT I have heard now people saying shutting down Ajegunle; these are things we said how many years ago; the expansion of these roads to accommodate cargoes. “We are suffering from it; so it is better to fight from inside than fighting from outside. We have churned out position papers, so many have been taken to court, Every Nigerian is looking forward to a new Nigeria. The maritime project, NAGAFF is bankrolling to enable them galvanized the port and they have the obligation to also provide equal opportunity to other political parties.”
SOLID STRUCTURE Development strategist and former senior staff of Arik Air, Lanre Bamgboshe, told THISDAY that Arik Air was built on solid structure that was inimitable and has sustained the airline till date. The founder (Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide) established Operations Control Centre (OCC) that was top notch. When Emirates Airline contingent did a tour of Arik facilities they were amazed at what we had. Arik had spare parts inventory for all its aircraft types that ran into millions of dollars. The airline had highly trained personnel and working with Lufthansa Technik put the airline ahead of its contemporaries. The airline was technically advanced and no airline has come close in comparison. So in terms of operational manpower, technical skills, training and equipment, Arik Air stands very solid and remains the best airline in Nigeria till today. Before establishing Arik Air, Arumemi-Ikhide came with wealth of experience as senior executive at General Electric. With that he built strong relationship with US Exim, which financed most of the Boeing 737 NG fleet, Export Credit Agency of Canada, which financed the Bombardier fleet. These are the some of the goodwill he brought into the country, which we have frittered away because of the system we are in. So, you see, these international financiers worked with Arik Air. Nigerian banks only provided guarantees. And these credits were serviced effectively without default; despite the fact that we were paying in dollars while earning our revenues in naira.
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After the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted for flights in Nigeria in June 2020, a tall, dark man, maybe in his early 50s, walked into an office owned by private operator at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and sat down. The owner of the office had been waiting for him. The visitor brought out his phone and showed the pictures of one Boeing 737-700 owned by Arik Air that was cannibalised. Every technical equipment in the aircraft cockpit was stripped, leaving the carcass of the airframe, the cabin and the THISDAYlivery.made enquiries and a source from Arik Air said that the parts from the cannibalised aircraft were used to repair others. But further investigation indicated that it was not only the aircraft that was photographed that was cannibalised. It was alleged that there had been arbitrary use of aircraft spares between Aero Contractors and Arik Air, especially on Bombardier Q400 owned by Arik Air and Q300 owned by Aero Contractors. In fact, THISDAY confirmed that many parts from Arik Dash 8 aircraft were used on the Aero Dash 8, including engines. Such was the level of the cooperation between the two airlines under receivership of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
AMCON’S INTERVENTION What has been established by industry stakeholders and analysts is that if AMCON did not intervene in Aero when it did, the airline would have gone under many years ago. They also agree that AMCON stepping into Arik Air also saved the airline. So AMCON provided the two airlines the elixir that sustained their existence till this day. The Managing Director/CEO of 7 Star Global Hangar Nigeria Limited, Isaac Balami, who spent many years working for Aero, told THISDAY that AMCON tried to rescue Aero Contractors when it took it over. It injected billions of naira into the airline, but after some time the agency felt it would not continue to inject funds into the airline, recalling that during that period the federal government and the then Minister of Aviation were worried and wanted to safeguard the jobs of the personnel and that explained why it continued to operate till the recent shut down; although there were times it stopped operation temporarily before it was revived in 2017. Former CEO of the Airline, who took over the management in 2017, Captain Ado Sanusi, acknowledged that AMCON timely intervention saved Aero Contractors. Sanusi, who revived the maintenance department that brought resurgence of hope in the airline, noted that AMCON gave life to Aero Contractors. The Managing Director of the airline, Captain Abdullahi Mahmood told THISDAY that without the financial intervention at critical periods, Aero Contractors would have gone under. Also in Arik Air, the former management was reported to have been bereft of operational funds and was waiting for quick credit extension from Afrexim Bank when AMCON stepped in. in October the previous year, there was one day the airline did not operate due to insurance issues, as the local insurer was unable to source for forex to pay for the insurance of the fleet. Industry analysts believe that Arik Air and Aero Contractors have different experience when it comes to AMCON management. Many who spoke to THISDAY believe that AMCON failed in Aero. In Arik Air, the airline was operating when it was taken over by AMCON. The reason it took over was because of debts owed it, aviation agencies and““Forothers.some time now, the airline, which carries about 55 per cent of the load in the country, has been going through difficult times that are attributable to its bad corporate governance, erratic operational challenges, inability to pay staff salaries and heavy debt burden among other issues, which led to the call for authorities in the country to intervene before Arik goes under like many before it,” AMCON justifying the take over of the airline in a statement on February 9, 2017. But senior official of Arik Air who has been working with the airline said AMCON’s intervention would have saved the airline but it was still operating when it was taken over. “We believe that the airline would have gone under if AMCON did not intervene. But the owner was also looking for funds and would have been able to source the funds. He was having serious discussion with Afrexim Bank then. “But what I can say is that AMCON has made its mistakes, but they improved staff welfare. Arik Air is the first airline in Nigeria that receives its salary before 28th of every month. That is one good thing about AMCON. They also improved workers’ condition of service. I wish to also say that AMCON failed woefully in Aero for whatever reason but they did not fail in Arik. They reason why Arik Air is still strong today is because of the foundation laid by the founder of the airline,” he said. But out of 3200 workers inherited by AMCON, about 600 are still in the employment of Arik Air today and out of 17 aircraft it took over, only five are currently operating; although some are still at maintenance facilities overseas.
DEBTS Industry observers are aghast that despite the period AMCON has managed Aero and Arik Air it still claims that it is hugely owed by these airlines. Last year a former Director in Arik Air told THISDAY, “Suffice it to say that AMCON claimed that it intervened to save Arik from huge debts but in almost five years of operation, AMCON has failed to service any of the debts it claimed it inherited. Furthermore, the mortgage on the Bombardier aircraft was not serviced and AMCON used the aircraft before parking them due to lack of maintenance. “Arik Air did not borrow money from Union Bank Plc. The bank guaranteed Arik loan from HSBC London but in 2010 CBN changed its policy and changed the guarantee into debts and treated it as on balance sheet asset. The guarantee was changed to local currency with high interest rate without any discussion with management of Arik Air. Before that action was taken, Arik was effectively servicing that loan to the satisfaction of HSBC, London.”
BUSINESSWORLD AVIATION THISDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
INEXPERIENCE Reacting to the status of Aero Contractors and Arik Air, industry expert and Secretary General of Aviation Round Table (ART), Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), said AMCON literally bulldozed its way into the aviation industry by taking up the management of airlines, which it lacks the needed competences. “I am not surprised. First, AMCON may be a financial management entity but not a commercial aviation entity and has no knowledge of how commercial aviation works. Secondly, the manner the two airlines got credits from banks and government intervention funds had no credible assessments. At the time of the receivership of Arik and Aero by AMCON, I said that it would be a miracle to recover the total debt Arik and Aero owed banks. Both airlines today are pipeline for some persons to continue draining and suckling more funds from them until they are confirmed dead; dead to the extent that the original owners may not be able to recover their bodies,” he said. He also made a recommendation, “Let me repeat what I have said at the beginning: assess the assets and debts of the two airlines both local and external; look out for credible foreign technical partners and investors to buy these to recover their debts through their investments and convert the airlines to two flag carriers.“Unfortunately, the way we are going, the original owners may return to sue the government to demand for compensation if they are not involved in the process that eventually killed their airlines. It will be another manner of financial exploitation by those in government and their political allies outside the government,” Ojikutu said. In the aviation industry, AMCON is described by many as an undertaker. It has not done anything to prove that appellation wrong. Rather, many see the gathering dark clouds that may envelop the two airlines into oblivion under its receivership, if urgent action is not taken.
The Group Managing Director, Finchglow Holdings, Mr. Bankole Bernard, has warned that airfares might continue to rise as long as the naira continues to depreciate and there is Forex scarcity. Bankole who spoke to aviation
New Vista for Eastern Ports
Another port that is critical to businesses in the region outside Lagos is Onne Port, which has become the busiest port and important gateway to the Interestingly,east. the port has been witnessing an increased volume of trade in recent times and there is a need to sustain the tempo. Against this backdrop, the NPA has rolled out some strategies aimed at strengthening the position of the port in that region. First, the NPA commissioned three marine crafts including a pilot cutter, a security patrol boat, and security to support port operations. Secondly, it flagged off the construction of the 4.5 kilometers access road ‘D’ at the Federal Ocean Terminal in Onne Port Complex to ease the movement of cargo in and out of the port. The road, which was part of the port expansion plan of Phase 4B that was awarded to the Deep Offshore, is expected to be delivered within a 10 months period. The teams also access the readiness of the Export Processing Terminal run by the West African Container Terminal (WACT), one of the terminal operators in Onne. According to Bello-Koko, the terminal was part of the NPA’s strategy to work with the federal government to improve the export of non-oil products.“Theexport terminal has the capacity to accept, arrange and bag export. Exporters can also containerise the cargo before sending the goods to the ship for export. It will help to reduce the cost and time wastage for exporters, and ensures that products are exported fresh in line with the international best practices,” he said.
To improve security, NPA started working to fence all the open spaces at the port that is resulting in either attacks on ships or enchantment to the port properties by communities.
In terms of infrastructure, he said, there is a berth that needs to be rehabilitated and the payment is being worked on. At the stakeholders’ interactive session in Onne Port, President of Shipping Trade Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Onne Chapter, Kazeem Adebisi appealed to the NPA management to urge other government agencies to comply with the joint boarding policy aimed at reducing ship delays and improving the turnaround time of ship. He complained of the delay experienced by ship charterers when their ships come into Onne late at night without agency officials to board the ship for Responding,inspection.Bello-Koko promised to reach out to the agencies that are not complying with the order on ease of doing business that requires all agencies to jointly board vessels for inspection.
BOOSTING ONNE PORT
BUSINESSWORLD MARITIME 26 FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 THISDAY
SOLVING HOLDING BAY PALAVER Alternatively, the NPA is planning to purchase land that can be converted into a holding bay, which would be private sector driven using a public-private partnership arrangement.ThePPParrangement, Bello-Koko said, could be driven by the terminal operators or a shipping line with NPA as a partner. Aside from visiting the port, the management of NPA held an interactive session with the stakeholders to see the best way to address the many problems of Rivers Port. Speaking at the meeting, President of the Shipping Trade Practitioners Association, Isreal Oyina, said that government agencies are not complying with the policy of joint boarding of This,vessels.he blamed, on the lack of vehicles to convey the officers of these agencies to the port terminal. The cost of doing business in Rivers Port, according to him, is very high such that charterers are compelled to pay freight on risk due to the security concern along the port channel. “It takes up to 5 hours to clear vessels, which goes a long way to affect the turnaround time of the vessel. Out of the eight berths, two berths have collapsed and it takes about 14 to 21 days to turn around the vessel, which results in the payment of demurrage to the shipping companies because it takes about $30,000 per day to maintain a ship,” he said. Similarly, General Manager of BUA Terminal, Mohammed Ibrahim, pointed out that the lack of 24-hour pilotage service also affects vessel turnaround time at Rivers Port, adding that the NPA should at least ensure pilotage services till late hours. He said that such would help to reduce vessel waiting time and enable ease of departure for vessels that have fully discharged theirResponding,contents. Bello-Koko, pointed out that the risk insurance paid by ships is not attributable to the NPA, but to the business environment.TheNPA,he said, has engaged the Nigerian Navy, communities, and other stakeholders that help to improve security in the waters by increasing patrol. “NIMASA has also deployed the Deep Blue Project and with the assets that they are deploying, monitoring will increase along the channel as they even want to start monitoring pipelines and vandalism in the oil industry. We will engage NIMASA on what they can do to improve security on this side of the country. This will reduce incidences and the premium paid on risk,” he added.
“The export terminal has the capacity to accept, arrange and bag export. Exporters can also containerise the cargo before sending the goods to the ship for export. It will help to reduce the cost and time wastage for exporters, and ensures that products are exported fresh in line with the international best practices.”
Seaports are complex dynamic systems consisting of numerous interacting elements, influenced by random factors. Over the years, seaports across the country have suffered neglect, depriving Nigeria of the economic advantages of having efficient and well-managed ports. Apart from the Lagos ports, there are seaports at Warri, Koko, Onne, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Lekki Deep Seaport and Ibom Deep Seaport at Ibaka, Akwa Ibom State, which is still at the design stage. There are also numerous inland dry ports and fuel depots. The main problem with these ports is that the river channels leading to them are too narrow to accommodate large vessels. The shipping companies find it more convenient to take their vessels to Lagos than to the eastern ports. Currently, apart from the Onne Port, most of the other ports servicing the Southeast, SouthSouth and the Eastern flank of the North are virtuallyDespiteidle.having six seaports in Nigeria, Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports in Lagos have remained the nation’s major economic gateways. As a result, both ports are currently operating above their capacities as they handle over 60 percent of Nigeria-bound import and export goods. Both ports are situated in the heart of Lagos State while the remaining four popularly known as ‘Eastern Ports’ are located in Delta, Rivers, and the Cross River States. Having functional seaports in Lagos alone comes with its challenges for both businesses and residents in Lagos. Indeed, the traffic gridlock in Apapa caused by the over concentration on the two ports in the locality has become a national shame. Though importers and exporters in the Southsouth, south-east, and northern parts of the country would have preferred to take delivery of their consignments from either of the Eastern ports, many are forced to come to Lagos to pick up their containers and transport them back to their base. This situation has been a source of concern to businesses in that region as many have lost money in one way or the other to the bottlenecks experienced in the already clogged ports in Lagos.
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE However help is on the way as the present management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has started looking for ways to encourage businesses to move to the Eastern Ports in order to reduce congestion in Lagos Ports by ensuring that the Eastern Ports are functional. Last month, the Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Belo-Koko and the NPA management visited the four eastern ports including Delta, Calabar, Rivers, and Onne Ports with the main aim of inspecting the facilities and brainstorming with stakeholders at each port to understand their concerns and find ways to sever them better. Last week, Bello-Koko, led his executive team on an inspection of Rivers and Onne Ports. Rivers Port, one of Nigeria’s longest-standing seaports has been operating below-built capacity in recent years due to issues around poor infrastructure. Located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Rivers is a multi-purpose port managed by Ports and Terminal Operators Limited (PTOL), and BUA Port and Terminals Limited. Rivers Port has some collapsed berths particularly berths 5 and 8 of the BUA Terminal that were decommissioned years back, which the present management of NPA has given approval to BUA management to rebuild and NPA expects construction to commence soon. The PTOL terminal also has some collapsed berths, which the NPA is discussing with them how to fix to enable bigger vessels to berth at Rivers Port. In addition, PTOL has a development plan that involves bringing down some of the sheds in the terminal to improve the stacking areas and increase the terminal’s ability to handle more“Wecargoes.arevery serious about increasing traffic to the Eastern Ports that way we can decongest Lagos Ports. Though most of these ports have draft limitations and we are looking at dredging deeper for bigger vessels to come and enable the economy of scale, “Mohammed Bello-Koko, said during the visit. He said NPA will soon start the process of surveying the channel to improve its draft in order to bring bigger vessels into the port. Following port users’ complaints, the Ports Authority has started reviewing the thirdparty towage contract and plans to bring in pilot cutters as well as other marine crafts that would help to improve efficiency and activities at the port. Holding-bay for trucks doing business at the port is another infrastructure that the port is in serious need of. However, the location of the port especially in lieu of the fact that there has been municipal encroachment into the port space has made it difficult to locate the holding bay in proximity to the port.
On using tariff rebates to attract patronage to the Eastern Ports, Bello-Koko said that years ago the NPA gave the terminal operators a tariff rebate that did not translate to traffic as related to the port. He said that his management is currently reviewing the request for a 30 percent rebate put forward by terminal operators but that rebate must come with conditions. On the dilapidated state of the major road to the port, he assured that the Ministry of Niger-Delta has taken up the road reconstruction. Onne Port Manager, Stanley Yitnoe, disclosed that while the management has perfect plans to deploy an electronic call-up for the movement of trucks similar to Lagos, the port has deployed a manual call-up system.
With the Export Processing Terminal at Onne port soon to commence operation, construction of berths 5 and 8 of the BUA Terminal, dredging of Warri channel and planed purchase land for holding bay, the NPA’s vision for the eastern ports will soon become a reality, writes Eromosele Abiodun Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko
27THISDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
LOCAL CONTENT Speaking at the unveiling of the skid to SDPC at the Nivafer fabrication yard in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote, stated that the growth in the number of Nigerian companies winning and delivering quality projects has shown that the Local Content Act was working. He stated that the milestone recorded by the successful completion and delivery of the facility
SHOWCASING EXPERIENCE
Wabote highlighted the diverse capabilities developed by Nivafer which include Fabrication and Coating of Separation Packages, Manifold Skids, Process and Modules, and Heat Exchangers. Other capacities he mentioned included Metering Skids, Flare Systems Pig Launchers & Receivers, Condensate Stabilisation Trains and Cladded Pressure Vessels. He added that the company also has capacities for Storage Vessels; Offshore Anchor Piles, Floating Roof Tanks, LPG Spherical Tanks, Structural Steel, Pipe Support and many others.
The Managing Director of Nivafer, Mr. Chris Ijeli, said the company had gained sufficient industry experience, which it had demonstrated in delivering many projects for oil companies. He said that the growth of the company, which was established in 1977 was fuelled by the Nigerian Local Content Act. Ijeli pointed out that aside the HP fuel gas skid being unveiled and loaded out for the ANOH gas project, they had fabricated modules and manifolds for the project and had also constructed pressure vessel for the Saipem JV, the contractors handling the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG)’s Train 7 project in Bonny Island, Rivers State. He said the company had taken advantage of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act to nurture an organisation that is now known for world-class expertise in the fabrication work in the oil and gas“Asideindustry.this HP fuel gas skid being unveiled and loaded out for Asa North gas project today, we have fabricated Modules and Manifolds for Asa North gas project. We have also constructed pressure vessel for Saipem JV in Train 7 project. “We have handled fabrication and construction of gas engineering asset for NIPCO. What we have here is a major milestone in the Nigeria’s local content development,” Ijeli said. He commended Shell for partnering with the company and thanked the Wabote-led NCDMB for leading the local content success story while appreciating the Tokunbo Coker-led board of Nivafer Engineering and Construction Limited forIjelisupport.added: “The successful execution of the contract for Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation of the Assa North Gas Project as awarded to NIVAFER by Shell Petroleum Development Company in April 2019, is yet another remarkable achievement. ”At the time of the award, Nivafer’s quality management system was certified to ISO 9001:2015 which was one of the requirements that provided the technical basis for the award by SPDC, with further requirements to close some identified gaps before the activation of any Work scope package and actual commencement of work on the project. ”It clearly means that the Nigerian Local Content Act is a success because Nigerian companies, technicians and engineers have acquired expertise, and built capacity that has increased indigenous participation in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. “With the Local Content Act, we have made significant progress as a nation and assumed a position of dignity amongst international oil companies (IOCs), and other players in the sector, who are the beneficiaries of our first-rate services.”
LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT
“The local content development was the saving grace for a lot of projects during COVID-19 pandemic when Europe was totally locked down. This is because some yards in Nigeria were able to work while all others in Europe were locked down.”
BUSINESSWORLD OIL & GAS
THE ANOH PROJECT Recently, Nivafer showcased such rising competences and capacities amongst the indigenous firms in the oil services sector when it successfully delivered the high pressure fuel gas treatment skid for the Shell’s part of the ANOH Gas project. The contract was awarded to the company by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited, which is jointly building the two-sided gas development project with Seplat Energy -Nigeria’s only oil and gas company quoted on both the Nigerian and the London Stock Exchange. Indeed, indigenous Nigerian companies are speedily demonstrating what is possible when given opportunity to participate in any field of human endeavour in the country including the oil and gas industry. The timely delivery of the project, which the client confirmed was according to specification, has again demonstrated the capacity and the cando-spirit of Nigerians, which has become known across the globe. The facility was delivered to SPDC at the Nivafer Fabrication Yard in Akowonjo, a suburb of Lagos State, last June, in the presence of top industry players.Thehigh pressure gas treatment skid is a highly prioritised technology that generally pre-treats the natural gases and other ignitable gasses before infusing them into a basic cycle or a gas turbine generator.TheANOH Gas project is reputed to be one of the largest greenfield gas condensate development projects being undertaken in Nigeria. It is also one of the seven critical gas development projects and part of the National Gas Expansion Plan (NGEP) initiated and driven by the federal government to boost in-country natural gas supply. The Shell’s side of the ANOH Project is expected to deliver about 250 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscf/pd) to the local market to boost power generation, industrialisation and to ultimately help in turning around the Nigerian economy.Nigeria prides itself as the largest gas reserves holder in Africa with over 209 trillion cubic feet (tcf) proven and about 600 tcf yet to be proven. The country however, performs poorly in terms of production, with daily gas production hovering below or around 8 billion cubic feet (bcf). This has resulted in the acute gas shortages both for power plants, industries and for cooking. These were parts of the deficits the ANOH Gas project was meant to help to solve, hence the excitement that trailed the speedy delivery of the gas treatment skid for SPDC, as the delivery of that equipment has been adjudged a major boost to the completion of the gas project.
There is no better way to explain the gains of the Nigerian Local Content Act and its implementation than to look at the rate at which indigenous Nigerian companies are speedily winning project awards, timely execution of those projects and the level of quality job delivery. Aside that, the volume of direct and indirect jobs created in the course of project delivery is also a major indicator of the many wins of the Act. Decades ago, total retention of oil and gas projects in Nigeria accounted for a paltry 5 per cent, and this resulted to massive capital flight running into billions of dollars, deprivation of opportunities for local firms and sundry other costs. But today, with the advent of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act in 2010, followed by the robust implementation of the Act, the story is gradually changing for the better.Total jobs retention in-country now stands at 42 per cent and the Local Content agency has set its sight on increasing the total in-country retention to 77 per cent by the year 2027, five years from today. However, the latest pointer to the growth of the capacity and capabilities of indigenous oilfield services firms is the recent delivery of the high pressure fuel gas treatment skid fabrication contract for the Shell’s part of the Assa-North-Ohaji-South (ANOH) Gas Processing Plant in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, by Nivafer Engineering and Construction Limited.
Ramping Up In-country Capabilities in Oilfield Services Sector
The Project Manager, SPDC, Mr. Afolabi Ojo, said the delivery of the gas treatment skid to his company was a landmark achievement by all parties involved in the ANOH gas project. ”Today is indeed a day worth replicating. It’s a landmark achievement of all parties: Nivafer, Shell, NCDMB, TotalEnergies, NAOC, everybody, who is involved in the Assa North project. We particularly recognise and appreciate NCDMB for recognising the Shell brand and indeed, Shell’s contribution to local content development in ”We’veNigeria.come to celebrate today, the transfer of technological knowledge and expertise to Nivafer. Nivafer has built the fuel gas treatment skid and this is the testimony to SPDC’s commitment to advancing local content. “Nivafer Steel Construction Limited is a Nigerian contractor in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. They constructed the gas treatment facility and receiver vessels for Assa North and they have done a great job,” he said. He said the project was part of government’s aspirations to grow indigenous domestic gas market for additional power and industrial projects. According to Ojo, the ANOH gas project is the most advanced of the federal government’s seven critical projects and that the project was expected to develop 3.4 trillion scuf of natural among other expectations. ”The SPDC partners in the ANOH Gas Project are NNPC -55 per cent stake, Shell -30 per cent stake, TotalEnergies -10 per cent, and Eni -five per”Uponcent. completion of this project, it will deliver 250 million scuf per day of natural gas and also sell 20,000 barrels of condensate to nearby refinery. The project included drilling of six wells,” he added.
Nigerian companies are increasingly proving their competences and capabilities in delivering highly technical projects to support the operations of the oil and gas industry owing to the enactment and implementation of the Nigerian Content Act. This has resulted in the rise of the number of indigenous companies participating actively in the nation’s oilfield services, writes Peter Uzoho by the Nigerian firm, has deeply rooted the belief in the can-do spirit of Nigerian companies for local content development. Wabote added that the delivery of the equipment has also heightened the expectation of the ANOH projectWhiledelivery.urgingShell to keep working towards the completion of the project, which he noted had been on the drawing board since 2002, the executive secretary expressed excitement at the successful fabrication of the skids by Nivafer. Wabote said: “This is one of those happiest moments for me and I am excited because this fabrication was done by Nivafer, a Nigerian company with track record. “The successful fabrication of this skid undertaken by Nivafer for Shell, a company that gives optimum priority for Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), has also confirmed Nivafer’s expertise and reaffirms the can-do spirit of local companies as well as our seriousness of delivery of local content development.
It is a scandal that the government could not prevent the strike, writes ETIM MATRIARCHFAREWELL,ETIM
1THISDAY FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 Friday August 19, 2022 Vol 27. No 9990 www.thisdaylive.com opinion@thisdaylive.com
The strike by university teachers remains on the front burner of public discourse more than six months after it started and given the hardening of positions, there is no chance in hell that it would be over soon.About a month ago President Muhammadu Buhari was reported to have asked Chris Ngige, the loquacious minister of Labour and Productivity, to stand down from the headship of the negotiations between the federal government and the teachers. Adamu Adamu, the taciturn minister of Education, the place where the dispute arose, was reportedly asked to take over proceedings and report progress in two Unfortunately,weeks. just as tertiary students and their parents who had been at the for joy, Ngige denied the directive, saying no one had asked him to step aside. Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman, would the sad days. Disappointed, the public increased their call-out of the government that it felt had run out of ideas on how to resolve the logjam. That the federal government had come meeting with the lecturers ended without a resolution. There had been hopes that the meeting would resolve the more than sixcame out without a word. As usual, the media went behind the scene to unravel what had happened behind closed doors. It emerged that Prof. Nimi Briggs led the government negotiators to the table with a bow to beg for an understanding of the inability of the federal government to abide by a Memorandum of Agreement it supposed to go back to their members and report that it was back home emptyhanded. How was that supposed to happen? Particularly when it was evident that the government was unrepentant of Universities supposed to appreciate a government that had failed to shift grounds on all outstanding issues in dispute?Atthe resumption of hostilities in March 2022, there were at least three substantive issues over which resolutions were sought: earned allowances, revitalisation and had been partially addressed last year with the government providing N22.1 billion and N30 billion respectively. Although these were a pittance compared to the
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SOLUTION TO FG-ASUU FIGHT by the government in its renegotiation that led to the 2017 MoA, the teachers were forced by public pressure to return to work while the outstanding, including the issue of mode of payment, were to be dealt with It was the failure to keep to the timelines that lead to the prevailing strike, and six months on, no progress had been made as the government complained that it had no money to implement the monetary aspects of the MoA. “We cannot borrow Keyamo, minister of state for Labour and Productivity, told the nation days that the government was unwilling to bulge, making the extension of the strike inevitable even to the consternation of the traumatised students and parents. The point the government made was that given the comatose state of the economy it was unable to raise the funds to implement the monetary aspects of the MoA. While it might be true that the economy was on its knees, the challenge was its lack of integrity, arising from its knack for misplacement of priorities and endemic corruption, which had made it citizenry.Afterall, all the MoAs had arisen from always agreed to phase implementation therefore, become worn out and untenable hence the persistence of the strike. But the students cannot continue to stay at home. Many of them are becoming frustrated and predisposed to crime. Some of them have fallen victim to violent crimes that have claimed lives. So, there has to be a way out of the current cul-de-sac. A step forward is the loosening of the hardlines towards a middle-of-the-road concession with adequate guarantees.
OF THE OBAIGBENA FAMILY OLAJOBI OLUGBENGA JOSEPH pays tribute to Margaret Obaigbena, Princess of Owa Kingdom
SABOTAGEISWORKERS’ELECTRICITYSTRIKEECONOMIC
T U S N See page 30
disrespect of agreements, it should agree to a 50 per cent down payment of the agreed sums on earned allowances and revitalisation while the Central Bank of Nigeria should guarantee the payment of 24 months. Thereafter, there should be an public universities. On the mode of payment of salaries, the government should work with the teachers on seamless integration of their preferred University Transparency and Accountability Solution into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System. There is no reason for the two systems to be incompatible if they are both targeted at preferred IPPIS was that foolproof, it would not have been reportedly gamed by the suspended Accountant-General short-circuiting the payment system to personalise some huge sums of money. Approaching these middle-of-the-road sides of the divide retain the minimum capacity for damage with unsavoury consequences. Persistence of the hostility months to a general election is not groundsoftening for the party in government been held for six months cannot hope to brings.immense opportunities for the disputants who need a peaceful environment to face other important endeavours in their Adebiyi, the managing editor of THISDAY Newspapers, writes fromthisdaylive.combolaji.adebiyi@
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A step forward is the loosening of the hardlines towards a middleof-the-road concession with adequate guarantees. Given the government’s notoriety for disrespect of agreements, it should agree to a 50 per cent down payment of the agreed sums on earned allowances and revitalisation while the Central Bank of Nigeria should guarantee the payment of the balance within specified timelines
EDITORIAL OPERATIONS OF FOREIGN AIRLINES See page 29 See page 29
The federal government and university teachers should shift grounds, writes BOLAJI ADEBIYI
The news of the passage of Princess Kingdom in Delta State seems like an unexpected one because nobody really wants to lose a loved one no matter how the mother of the Chairman and EditorGroup, Prince Nduka Obaigbena.
3THISDAY FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 29 writers and a place of mentorship for future generation of journalists. Today, the newspaper titles shape our opinions and its commentaries guide our intellect. The publisher is still working very hard to sustain the hard-earned THISDAY brand. No wonder he moved on to establish the Arise TV, what a perfect complement! Today anyone can read THISDAY newspaper and watch Arise TV on the go. He once recalled how as a young college student together with his peers in Ughelli worked together to form a group called the Black Cultural movement and campaigned for South start towards greater heights. The logic of projection from THISWEEK to THISDAY is quite futuristic! The Duke couldn’t have gone this far but for the tutelage of his good parents. His dad was a senior civil servant on the executive cadre and his mum a nurse who rose through the ranks to become a chief nursing They ensured he and his siblings went to good schools and paid for their wellbeing. No wonder The Duke and the other children are successful in their various endeavour. I enjoin every parent to learn from this, give your best to your children; train them with good morals, care for them and help them to grow their God given talents to better our world like The Duke is doing with THISDAY, Arise TV, and other platforms. It is said that “Charity begins at home”. All the strides by the Publisher may not have come to play and there may not be a party today if he was not given that good motherly training and learnt the skills of hard work. Of course, the good home background and how he was weaned and trained by his late mother is evidence of what he has achieved in life. Truly, mothers are like expensive gold that money let go of our loved ones. I celebrate with all the children and members of the Obaigbena Dynasty for a life well the indelible marks she had made by serving as the route through which helped humanity as nurse, all of you are doing same in your chosen careers - helping our world and impacting lives. This moment is not for you to mourn but to thank God and rejoice Despite Nigeria’s lifespan ratings, she had a good life and God helped her to stay for quite a while. As she passes on to glory I urge you all to be strong and take heart. For us in the school of journalism, The Duke is an encyclopedia that we serving as a route for him to connect the world. Joseph is a postgraduate student of Mass Communication in Babcock University
It is a scandal that the government could not prevent the strike, writes ETIM ETIM
ELECTRICITY WORKERS’ STRIKE IS ECONOMIC SABOTAGE
The THISDAY titles are undoubtedly among the leading publications in the country and across the globe, courtesy Owa Kingdom, Prince Nduka Obaigbena whose eyes are trained on talents and assembles them to build an attractive newspaper with rich contents to the satisfaction of readers everywhere.
It should be a big shame and embarrassment to the Buhari administration that electricity workers had embarked on a nationwide industrial action and plunged the whole nation into darkness. I do not know of what other hardship is yet to be visited on Nigerians the electricity workers have declared economic sabotage and subversion against the nation. It is a scandal that the government could not prevent the strike, of the Buhari administration. This is a real
The workers are protesting nonpayment of outstanding arrears owed former workers of defunct PHCN, suspension of conditions of service and and the directive by the TCN Board to conduct promotion interviews for acting principal managers who are moving to estate residents’ association in Uyo, and I had cause to interact regularly with PHED workers. They were always complaining of these same issues to me, especially the lack of career path in their jobs. It is therefore a shock that the same problems have led to this strike action that has plunged the nation into a huge economic loss.I wish to seriously condemn the ineptitude of this government in handling certain important duties. This strike action is the clearest manifestation of the administration’s inability to nip a problem in the bud before it overwhelms us. We have seen many instances in which every single problem grew into a crippling crisis in the last seven years. IPOB crisis, scarcity of aviation fuel and rampant kidnappings all started as isolated infractions but gradually burgeoned into paralyzing calamities in a short time. Now that electricity workers have gone on strike, I would not be surprised if Aviation workers, Policemen or Customs nobody seems to have any care for how the country is fairing. We should be clear that the DISCO and GENCO workers who went on strike are not government employees. They are who bought the assets and liabilities of the defunct PHCN in the last days of the the transactions and the power structure that emerged were poorly thought out. The industry has not performed optimally since its Beforeprivatization.PHCNwas privatized in 2014, electricity workers were barred by law from embarking on industrial action. Such an action would have been deemed as an economic sabotage punishable by long prison term. In all of my 40 odd years as an adult, I can only remember one incident when these workers attempted an industrial action in 1988. But it was met with a brutal response from the IBB military junta. The ring leaders were not only sacked, they were arrested and detained under Decree 2. This is 2022. The Buhari administration has just 10 months to go. I guess the electricity workers have come to the realization that nobody has any iota of respect and regards for this government. Almost every workers’ union has been on strike in the last seven years. I remember calling a Director in the National Library some months ago in connection with my book project, and she responded that she was home because her union had been on strike for several months. ASUU’s strike, we all know, has shut down public universities for a cumulative period of over a year in the last seven years. It is inconceivable that a government would be so complacent to allow all the chaos. The electricity workers’ strike would hurt the greatest harm on the already fragile economy and social life in the to which the pervasive security challenges would be further impacted by this strike. not able to thwart the workers’ action despite the fact that it was presaged by a series of picketing and warnings across the nation? Why was no single person the intelligence community incapable of doing something to stop the workers? Was the government not alerted to this? Don’t we have a mechanism of early warnings within the government? What exactly is the worth of the federal government if it cannot protect us from all these miseries? Even though the strike had been called quickly resolve this matter with their employers within the two weeks window of the suspension. I believe that given the centrality of electricity in our economy, the workers have committed a serious economic sabotage by their action. They should be condemned; and to prevent a recurrence, the National Assembly should make a law that criminalizes an industrial action by certain workers, including electricity workers, just as it is illegal for the people in law enforcement to go on strike. Etim is a Journalist FAREWELL, MATRIARCH OF THE OBAIGBENA FAMILY OLAJOBI OLUGBENGA JOSEPH pays tribute to Margaret Obaigbena, Princess of Owa Kingdom
According to one of my former of a newspaper is a description of the Editor,” but I will say it is by extension a description of the Publisher. The Duke of Owa Kingdom, no doubt brought innovation and revolution to the business of newspaper publishing and media profession in Africa just like what Otunba Apesin of Ijebuland, Otunba the telecom industry in Nigeria and some parts of Africa. The Duke worked very hard to ensure that the THISDAY titles survive the test of times as we were told stories of the humble beginning, about how he single -handedly distributed newspapers to vendors on many occasions in some parts of Lagos, when the cabals within the vendor unions were not forthcoming or at times when the copies came late. This is outright determination. He had successfully positioned the newspaper as a publication to reckon with having assembled intelligent minds and writers of note with precision and creativity. Despite the tortuous economy that continuously stares us in the face especially in this part of the world, The Duke never gets discouraged. The THISDAY family is a house of star
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
Letters to the Editor LETTERS
In a statement yesterday, Emirates Airlines said international trade The consequences of reduced air connectivity include the erosion of our national competitiveness, diminished investor confidence and the reputational harm that could come with a perception that Nigeria is a high-risk place to do business The authorities should intervene immediately to ensure that the airlines continue with their scheduled operations
T H I S D AY 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
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4 THISDAY FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022
This Weekend Group Features Editor: CHIEMELIE EZEOBI 07010510430chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 NEWS Eloy Awards Foundation, Firstbank Empower Over 500 Women in MSMEs See page 33 LIFE Fitting Farewell for the Last of the Founding Septet See page 34 POLSCOPE PDP: Between the Hammer and Anvil See page 35 WEEKLY MAGAZINE CHIOMA YVONNE CommunicationBrands,aboutPassionateAFE:ConsumerPeople,
CREATING BALANCE
NEED FOR INCLUSION On the quest for Inclusion that the bank is championing at the moment she said: “We are an African brand with a global outlook. So that is the vision for the ban and what we’re focused on. He speaks about excellence a lot, professionalism and inclusion. “The reason for that is that with our merger, we’ve gone into southern Africa, a market that has no other African banks like Botswana, as well. We just opened Kenya and Cameroon as well. So when you’re saying the inclusion and you create a new market, you have to make the people who are there doing the work- the locals, the indigenous of those countries also feel they’re part of this bigger thing.”
JOURNEY TO THE TOP If there is one thing Afe has been able to do, it is proving that a woman can still climb the executive ladder while taking care of the home front. Like she tells those she mentors, including a single mother, excellence always sticks regardless of gender. “So I learned a long time ago that excellence always sticks if you know your job. I insist on being judged by the output of my work, not by how I look or the fact that I’m female, not that I have four children. “The questions should be ‘do I come to work on time? Yes. Do you give me a task on any device? Yes. If I come into a snag, do I raise my hand and say I need some support? Yes. But do I also not make excuses? Yes. That is why I said you must build the credit so that tomorrow when I say I can’t come in at seven o’clock because I have to take my child to school or meet the teacher at nine, you will understand because I have done everything I need to do. “So as a woman, it’s about being treated equally and understanding that I’m capable, and I’m able to do this. So judge me first that I’m an excellent person and I do my job. “As a woman it’s not been easy, but I’ve worked with all sorts of people-male and female, my best boss ever is a male. He was always pushing me and then at the same time, encourage you. So being a guy, he also helped me build my confidence to deal with men in the workplace at senior levels. They are looking for competence, give them competence first, and everything will follow.”
PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST
In creating their messaging strategies, Chioma believes it’s pertinent to put the customer first. “The business side makes me want to put the customer first. So you understand this importance in customer insights by putting yourself in the customers’ shoes, because if you have not walked the path of the customer in the marketplace, you can’t sell it to the customer. Simple!” To do this, she said they look at Search Engine Optimisation and all the buzzwords around digital marketing that typically banks would not have done, which is what is done in email marketing. With this, they guage what needs of the customer has been met or unmet and then fashion out solutions to meet them. Also, they sample first hand opinion from customers from inside the bank, their SMEs and even exclusive plus customers. This is in addition to surveys they do, all geared to understand their customers. The responses gotten has always helped them sort of design how best to communicate with that particular audience.
To those who know her, Chioma is not just about work. In between her duties to her home and work, she has found a perfect way to create balance and a ‘me time’ for herself- Yoga. But it all started during the lockdown when she was advised by her doctor to focus more on meditation. She signed up since then and goes for yoga classes at least once a week. Interestingly, she is also an avid lover of fun games on her phone and Korean Soaps, as well as an absolutely huge fan of Marvel and DC movies. She also loves to read comics in her spare time.
Afe
WHY BANKING For one who had worked with multi- nationals, the move to the financial sector was a leap from Multi-choice. But she felt that for communication to be truly rounded, one needs to understand the other parts of the brand that are not driven by product and sales and “all that, that speaks to the corporate image as opposed to corporate brand perception”. On the journey so far she said: “The journey been very hectic, tough and very different. The way Diamond Bank and Access Bank were, were very different organisations but excellent. We had strong retail franchise in Diamond and Access Bank had big bank mentality, they brought a more aggressive sort of approach to pushing the people to get the work done. But even in that sort of aggression, I think there’s a pride in winning that I have never seen anywhere else. “And of course, given the Access culture, there’s so much pride in being the first and the best. What have I gotten from all these? Don’t just get into the game because you want to be that number, get into the game because you want to be number one, and you can’t just be number one, you need to excel too. So that is what I have learned in the last three years withRoleAccess.”inRetail Marketing, Internal Communications What does the retail marketing involve one might ask. According to Afe, they look at campaigns while working with product managers on the best way to engage customers. They also look at direct marketing through the digital (email and SMS) and help them to plan their marketing activations. But beyond this, they provide events support for regional activations as well as branches, because the bank operates a branch banking system. So part of what she does is look at stability in the branches and revamp where necessary to ensure that from a marketing standpoint, their communication around their products, services, working with customer experience and how best to serve, are in tandem. In gauging this, a team of analytics, who are focused on performance management look at customer behaviour or transactions and ascertain where the problem is with the inflow and outflow. Also, she said they look at campaigns on how it is affecting the target audience at all and whether they are positively attuned to those campaigns? Basically, she noted that they look out for performance and with her team. “ This is an extension of what I am doing in managing the subsidiary markets. So we currently have about 11 countries outside of Nigeria that we are present in and I’m responsible for supervising the markets and outcomes for people in those markets. “So my role is what they call a quid pro. So I would focus on retail products, move into those markets and similarly communicate from the central perspective. But I also work with them on their strategy, I help them out with PR insights and stuff like that. So we’re hand in hand.” Beyond that, she deals with the corporate brand, its sustainability, and the corporate media. Then for the bank, she also deals with its internal communications, as well for the bank’s events or sponsorships. Also, speaking to their corporate and commercial clients sits within her portfolio.
FUTURE GOALS On her personal goal in the next five years, she aspires to be on an executive board. However, even though she recently did her Master’s Degree, she still wants to return to school and do more on programming because she believes that “the way things are moving right now, it is not all about facts, but about payment system and services and that’s all about Fintech. So I want to play a role in that ecosystem”.
As Head, Marketing and Communications, Access Bank Group, Chioma Yvonne Afe’s job is dynamic and multi-faceted, a fact she will be first to admit. Primarily, her role involves retail marketing and communication.Althoughhersojourn into the financial sector began in 2016 at Diamond Bank before its merger with Access Bank in 2019, she saw the importance of retail marketing when the merger took place, thus the need to engage their retail customers was borne. According to her, once the merger took place, the banks combined 29 million retail customers and they discovered that the one-size-fits-all marketing approach and communication no longer suited their customers’ needs, so they created another one.
Chioma Yvonne Afe: Passionate about Consumer Brands, People, Communication
SUPPORT SYSTEM But given all she has achieved so far, Afe believes the solid support system she has played a huge role in her success story. From her team and supervisors at work to her husband, who has held and kept her solid. “I have an excellent support system at home too. My husband is probably the best and I say this because when we first merged, it was as hectic as we were up to sometimes 11 o’clock midnight, but he understood that it was for a time and that I was just driven to be the exact support system in the office,” she said. On the work front she posited, “I have an excellent team. Some of them came with me from the former bank, some of them new but they have implemented a very supportive system that could take up tasks. I’ve got an excellent set of managers. “Also my supervisors are Victor Etuokwu (ED) and Roosevelt Ogbonna (CEO). They allow you do the work and get the job done. “We celebrated 20 years of Access back in March and Roosevelt has been part of that journey for 20 years, so he understands the vision, quest for excellence, need to be professional and understand the culture of access, and what we’re trying to achieve. Not just in Nigeria, but across the African continent he still carried on that same vision.”
COVER THISDAY32 Chiemelie Ezeobi i
NEED FOR MENTORS As a woman in a demanding profession, she believes women should find role models in their businesses and have them speak to you about how to map it out because you can’t do it by yourself. “So have that agreement, have some kind of plan as to where you want to go and have that conversation with somebody who even in the organisation can say, ‘wait a minute, I see you doing this, you know, why aren’t you in this project, come on to this thing, either let people see that you can do it” And then and then take it from there. And then always be conscious of it. “Always be deliberate about your actions even as a female. You have to be courageous. You have to be ambitious, slightly greedy, and not look at anybody’s face. That’s true. And then also be very open to the experiences. Very open to the challenges, do not shy away from them. I have ladies who are secretive about finding a bit of balance.”
JUGGLING MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES With the multi-faceted role she plays, she has been able to juggle all effectively by being a team player at work. With her open door policy and communication strategy with her team, the work gets done effectively. She also believes that building trust and having a regular conversation helps, so every month she holds meeting with all the heads of marketing. But beyond this, she gives them a certain level of freedom to do what they need to because they understand their“Inmarket.terms of the number of customers we have across the whole of Africa at the least, we have about 60 million. We have grown rapidly and I think in the next five years our goal is to double our pace and we look at 100million. So this period, we are taking the time to balance that sheet and take the company one step closer to number five and we get there.”
Oluchi Chibuzor Nigeria’s premier discovery platform and organisers of The Kitchen Nigeria, Lost in A City, has announced September 19 to October 16, 2022 as the date for the Season II of the show. This is just as it revealed that it increased the prize money for the prospective winner of the show by 150 per cent- from two million naira to five million naira. This announcement was made at the unveiling of The Kitchen Nigeria Season Two and as Lost in A City enjoins interested members of the public, who would want to participate in the show, to avail themselves of this wonderful opportunity.TheKitchen Nigeria, which debuted last year, is a search for ‘the next big restaurateur in Nigeria.’ It is aimed at promoting the restaurant industry in Nigeria by grooming and supporting aspiring restaurateurs in the country. It is sponsored by Mastercard, a global payment and multinational financial services corporation.According to the Chief Executive Officer of Lost in a City, Tannaz Bahnam, this year’s The Kitchen would host a pool of emerging talents in the industry from across the country and provide them with a platform to “Thecompete.Kitchen Nigeria is the perfect opportunity for aspiring restaurateurs to turn their dreams into reality. It is a search for the next big restaurateur in Nigeria and aims at supporting and promoting aspiring small business owners in the dining sector in Nigeria. The winner of this Season II will get N5 million to be invested into his or her dream of becoming a restaurateur. “The challenge will be for the contestants to create their own three-night pop-up restaurant in order to see who will become the next big restaurateur in Nigeria. “During the show, four contestants will prove to their customers that they have what it takes to open and run a successful restaurant outlet. “ The winner will be selected based on the showcase of the three pillars of a successful restaurant or hospitality firm – food, ambiance, and service,” Bahnam continued. For the Director, Area Marketing of Mastercard, Yosola Atere, informed that dining is one of Mastercard’s passions and The Kitchen Nigeria is an opportunity to groom and support SMEs in the sector, where aspiring restaurateurs have an opportunity to test their ability to open or run a business in a challenging environment.“TheKitchen Nigeria is not ‘another cooking competition’ but a platform that takes you on a culinary journey to find the next big restaurateur in Nigeria. “It is in keeping with Mastercard’s commitment to support small and medium businesses (SMEs) in Nigeria, with a particular focus on the restaurant industry. It is also aimed at further growing the hospitality industry in Nigeria, as well as empowering talents with the interest of becoming restaurant owners.”
Mount Carmel Experience 22, an annual prayer programme of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church Nigeria (IPHCN) is set to bring together servants of God in an assembly where they will hear from God and align with His prophetic directions, while they pray for the Church and the Nation at large.According to the National Superintendent IPHCN, Rev. Samuel Akpan, the highlights of the event, which is scheduled to hold on August 20th at the church premises located at Itire, Lagos will feature prophetic declarations, word ministrations, prayers of consecration, repentance, re-dedication, and song ministrations.
Lost in A City Calls for Entries for The Kitchen Season II Nigeria MOUNT CARMEL EXPERIENCE 22 HOLDS AUGUST 20THMount Carmel... National Superintendent
Speaking on the recognition, the Head of Marketing, Mavin Records, Emmanuella Nnadozie, noted the achievement would motivate the company and its team to continue playing their part in building a brand that is globally competitive and standardized to harness and promote the potential of the African entertainment industry.
Rotary Club of Lagos Island, the first Mega club of district 9110 has launched a new interact club at Government College, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Rotary Interact club brings together young people between the ages of 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Speaking at the event, the President of the club, Rotarian Anant Sabat inspired the new Interact Club members to do a service project to serve mankind and to protect the environment by planting tree and making the school campus free of plastic. The youngster planted over 40 trees in the school compound and pledged to protect them by watering them regularly and taking care of them. It is worthy to note that the Rotary Club of Lagos Island has adopted many schools like Government College, Ikoyi, and it is doing service projects like building libraries, providing sanitary pads to young girls, and creating awareness seminars regularly. Assistant Governor to the club, Rotarian Nike Maiyaki visited the school and encouraged them to learn from Rotary values and explain the benefit of being a Rotarian. The school authority highly appreciated the great effort and support of Rotary and requested Rotary to continue supporting them.
“We hosted over 500 hundred women across Nigeria. It was an avenue for these women to gain access to entrepreneurial training from experienced businessmen and women, who armed them with tools and information to help them grow their businesses successfully”.Onasanyanoted that following the huge success, phase two of the event will begin in August when ELOY Awards Foundation will enroll 50 women who are small business owners in the three-month ELOY Foundation Sustainable Empowerment Program (SEP), these small business owners will be mentored for three months and they will have access to entrepreneurial training every month, mentorship, access to information on affordable finance and 10 of these women will be considered for a grant to assist them in their businesses. Following on from this event, preparations have started for the 14th ELOY Conference and Awards which will hold on November 25th. Registration for this for business owners and exhibitors has started. Details can be found on the eloyawards.com website.TheELOY Awards Foundation aims to sustain women’s empowerment through access to affordable finance, entrepreneurial training, mentoring, networking opportunities, and more. The foundation is about empowering and challenging thousands of women to be more and do more by providing access to resources, business skills, and tools for them to be able to grow, transform and sustain their businesses, which will, in turn, benefit their families and the community at large.
He explained that “Let the Line Be Drawn”, which is the theme for the programme, is a call for members to take a stand for God as individuals and as a Church, adding, “As a Nation, it is taking a stand to enthrone righteousness in the place of leadership and every sphere of our national life.”
Speaking on what impact the forthcoming event will have on the nation, particularly at this point when people are going through a lot of difficulties even as another election draws near, Akpan said, “The word of God is true and God answers prayers.
Global Brand Awards: Mavin Records Emerges Fastest Growing Entertainment Company in Africa Yinka Olatunbosun Mavin Records, one of Africa’s biggest music label, has emerged as the fastest growing entertainment brand in the entertainment category in Africa in the 2022 edition of the Global Brands award organised by Global Brand Magazine.MavinRecords, listed among other winners in the current edition of the magazine, was honoured in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the growth of the entertainment industry in Nigeria and Africa. This marks the second time in a row that the company will
“And of course, we know what happened at Mount Carmel in the days of Elijah when the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the groove, 850 prophets in all gathered against Elijah, the true prophet of God, but they failed woefully, and Elijah triumphed over them (1Kings 18:19-39). So, it doesn’t matter the number of persons against the goodness of God in our lives or how long evil has persisted. We will triumph to the glory of God”, Akpan noted.
Eloy Awards Foundation, Firstbank Empower Over 500 Women in MSMEs
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ROTARY UNVEILS NEW INTERACT CLUB
Stories by Mary Nnah
The ELOY Awards Foundation in partnership with FirstBank recently launched the 2022 Edition of the first ever “Eloy Business Shower”, designed and dedicated to encouraging, promoting, and empowering businesses owned by female entrepreneurs across Nigeria.Theaim is to expose female entrepreneurs to important business skills, networking, and the Eloy Foundation Business Toolkit, which is a collection of business survival information, grants, and affordable loans which is being executed through FirstBank’s FirstGem 9% Loan Scheme created
Commenting on the launch, Marketing Manager, Burger King, Nigeria, Ebun Victoria shared that the company is appreciative of how much it has been able to achieve in such a short period with its loyal customers. “Besides the fact that Burger King is already a force to be reckoned with globally, we pride ourselves in consistency, quality offerings, and quality services to serve the needs of our customers. This approach, so far, has helped us achieve our goals, and we also see them taking us even farther.” Provided all goes well, another outlet is expected to launch in the upcoming months in Lekki, with plans already in motion to penetrate the Abuja market with two new outlets. for female-owned MSMEs and the SMEConnect Initiative. The Business Shower by the ELOY Awards Foundation was held in five different states; Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano, and Abia.According to the Founder of the ELOY Awards Foundation, Tewa Onasanya, the event was held to support business owners on their journey to building a sustainable business.
BURGER KING OPENS FOURTH OUTLET IN FESTAC
Chief Principal Stylist SymplyLil Clothes & More, Lillian Oparaji; Founder ELOY Awards Foundation & Exquisite Magazine, Tewa Onasanya; Launch Expert & Marketing Educator, Dele Amaebite, and CEO School of Personal Branding, Emily Wale-Koya be winning the award, having won same in 2021 Global Brand Awards aims at honouring and recognising excellence in performance and reward companies across differentCommentingsectors.on the choice of Mavin Records for the entertainment category, the organiser, the Global Brands Award, said in a statement that the jury team of the award was highly impressed with the quality of its contribution and impact on the growth of the entertainment industry in Africa. Founded by legendary producer, Don Jazzy, the label has consistently created some of Afrobeats biggest artists both locally and on the global scene. Home to Rema, Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Johnny Drille, Crayon and industry newbies like Magixx and BoySpyce, the label keeps raising the bar on what excellence represents in the African music industry. “After careful observation and study of the entertainment in Africa, we found out that no other company, more than Mavin Records, has played a tremendous role in growing entertainment industry in Africa. Under its records, it has produced more talents than any other. Besides, most of the music talents under the record are now a global force to reckon with,” the statement reads.Mavin Records has become a key landmark in the documentation of the Aftobeats story. As a brand, it has consistently remained open and relatable to the public - yet aspirational for undiscovered talents looking to make their mark on the African music scene.
Vanessa Obioha Popular American hamburger fast-food franchise, Burger King (BK), recently added a new outlet to the Festac community in Lagos.Thelaunch records it as the fourth in the state following a Victoria Island debut last year in November as well as introducing new stores in Yaba, and Ikeja in the past few months. Through an elaborate ceremony fashioned to engage families, BK rolled out the red carpet to foodies in the environs to experience its unique tasting burger options. Punctuated with popular music, fun games and prizes, and discounted food items, the opening day recorded an impressive turnout. Speaking at the event, Operations Manager, Burger King, Nigeria, Elie Youssef revealed the brand’s goal of satisfying consumers.“Afterthe first restaurant we opened on Victoria Island, everyone who came to try out our food was more than satisfied with the quality of the food. This is based on the comments that we have received so far. To maintain such feedback, we are trying to keep this level of high standards.” Youssef revealed plans by the brand to compete favourably by catering to local palates. “We are trying to find a lot of varieties inspired by local food. For example, the suya sauce in a sandwich, and as well as working on other flavours in 2023. It will be all about variety, and hopefully, everybody will be satisfied,” he concluded.
“Let the line be drawn is particularly saying NO to the powers of darkness that confront our lives, saying enough is enough to forces of darkness against kingdom advancement. It is a decision to live for God and serve the interest of His kingdom”, he added.
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The ISO certification first came in 2013 as “ISO 9001:28. This was upgraded to the 9001:2015 version, which endured the three year renewal of certification. The subsisting certification was received this year and will last until Oyeyemi’s2025.professional perspirations have not gone unrewarded. His primary professional community, the FRSC, awarded him the “Road Safety Grand Star of Excellence,” (RSGSE). He also, finally earned a PhD in 2017, which he observed, took him 14 long years, no thanks to the unending mobility of his job. He has been decorated with the national honour of “Member of the Order of the Federal Republic,” (MFR) and the National Productivity Order of Merit, (NPoM), respectively. He was also festooned with the medal of “Member of the National Institute,” (mni) from NIPSS, after a one year “executive programme, at the institute. He has similarly received a chain-length of fellowships, memberships and medals, at home and abroad. These include the Nigerian Institute of Management,” (FNIM); Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, (FISPN) and the Chartered Institute of Corporate Administration, (FICA). He has also received the American Medal of Honour, American Biographical Institute, USA, among many others. In honouring its first-ever “home-grown” Corps Marshal, for a fulfilling and successful career, Oyeyemi’s colleagues put up a loaded, week-long valedictory programme for him. Beginning Monday July 18, 2022 with a “Farewell Management Meeting,” and “Special Marshals’ NEC Meeting, other programmes included the “Corps Marshal’s Strategy Session with the FRSC High Command. The latter which took place Wednesday July 20, 2022, was flagged off by the Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS), General Lucky Irabor. The ninth in the series of “Valedictory Lectures” delivered by retiring top officers who had attained the rank of DCM and above, was delivered by Oyeyemi on Thursday July 21. Friday July 22, there was a parade in his honour at the Zone Three, Abuja National Headquarters of the FRSC, which was followed by a thanksgiving service at the FRSC chapel at the same address. On Saturday July 23, two programmes, the “Corps Marshal’s Walk” and a novelty football match featuring the wives of top management, bothMondayfeatured.July 25, 2022, however, was the climax of the valedictory programme. The handover ceremony between Oyeyemi and the acting Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, the DCM in-charge of Finance and Administration, that morning, was followed by the “pullout” at the Old Parade Ground, Garki, Abuja. It was a very colourful ceremony which was very well attended by dignitaries and public officials, among others. Soyinka, the grand actualiser of the FRSC concept, and Agunloye, founding Corps Marshal, were present. Agunloye who knows my close relationship with Oyeyemi, told me in a private chat en route to the programme: “This is a momentous stride for Yemi. I’m proud of him. May God bless his nextSecretaryendeavours.”tothe Government of the Federation, (SGF) Boss Mustapha; former Inspector General of Police, (IGP) and incumbent Chairman, Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, were present. Chairman of the FRSC Commission, Bukhari Bello and his members, as well as former Chairmen of the FRSC, notably: Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo; Adamu Waziri; Greg Mbadiwe and Col Lawan Gwadabe, attended the event. Danyaro Yakassai a former acting COMACE during the years of the Corps wrongful appropriation into the NPF, was present.TheMinisters of Information and Culture; Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) as well as Labour and Employment, were represented. IGP Usman Alkali Baba; Commandant-General of the Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps, (NCDSC), Abubakar Audi, and ComptrollerGeneral, Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji, were present. The Chief of Army Staff and the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, (NIS), were represented. Director-General, (DG) of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze; his counterpart from the National Productivity Centre, (NPC), Kashim Akor; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Garba Shehu, also made it to the event. Former Assistant Inspector General of Police, (AIG), Tunji Alapini; former FCT police commissioner, Lawrence Alobi and the Deputy High Commissioner of the South African High Commission, Dr Bobby J. Moroe, graced the programme. National President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, (NARTO) Lawal Yusuf Uthman; former President of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) and Eunice Odegbe, President, Female Drivers’ Association, (FDA), honoured the event. Boboye Oyeyemi will be 62, November 26, 2022. Much as he hails from Odo-Owa in Kwara State, Oyeyemi was born and raised in Ibadan. He has been happily married to Mrs Yemisi Oyeyemi, a senior civil servant, for about 30 years now, and the union is blessed with children and a daughter in-law. A golfer and lawn tennis player, his official engagements have impacted his regularity on the golf course and tennis courts, in recent years. He attempts to make up by dutifully jumping on the treadmill to burn calories. An intellectual by disposition, he enjoys scholarly banter, reading, writing and travelling. Now that he will have more time for himself, he hopes to do some catching up with some of these interests which have been in abeyance for sometime. He hopes to begin by reorganizing his primary work station, his study, in his home.
Prof Woke Soyinka with Oyeyemi Boboye Oyeyemi, (left) and his wife, Yemisi, acknowledging greetings from the enthusiastic crowd at Oyeyemi’s pullout ceremony
Tunde Olusunle Boboye Olayemi Oyeyemi could not have wished for a more fitting conclusion to his public service career. Thirty four years ago, he enlisted into the nascent Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC), specifically on June 6, 1988, as Superintendent Route Commander, (SRC). In response to public outcry and outrage about the accentuating arithmetics of carnage on the nation’s roads, the administration of President Ibrahim Babangida, formally established the FRSC. There is, however, a little story behind the eventual fruition of the concept, relative to Oyeyemi’s ascendancy. In 1976, the Murtala Mohammed/Olusegun Obasanjo military rulership carved Oyo, Ogun and Ondo states, out of the old Western State. David Medaiyese Jemibewon, then an army colonel and military governor of the new Oyo State,established the Oyo State Road Safety Corps, (OSRSC). The initiative was in response to the disturbing incidents of automobile mishaps and the staggering casualty figures arising from such mishaps, within the state. In particular, such occurrences were commonplace on the federal highways which straddled Oyo State. These included the Lagos-Ibadan expressway; the Ibadan-Ile Ife-Ilesha, and the Ibadan-OyoOgbomoso roads. The road safety initiative had a volunteer arm. This attracted among others, no less a personality than Wole Soyinka, the iconic literary creator, scholar and activist, who would later become Africa’s first Nobel Laureate for Literature. Some members of the volunteer scheme, patrolled on power motorcycles and flagged down over-speeding drivers, admonishing them on the imperative of speed moderation. They were nicknamed *maja maja* in popular folklore, which translates literally as “catching dogs.” After Soyinka’s investiture with the Nobel prize in 1986, Babangida, hosted him to a reception. The former military leader exhorted Soyinka to make available to Nigeria, his broad-based vistas and experience, in any department of governance and administration. Soyinka advocated the adoption at the federal level, of a road safety management model, previously pioneered by the old Oyo State. He expressed concern about the high attrition rate of Nigerians in avoidable road accidents, which was diminishing the stock of irreplaceable potential contributors to national development. Soyinka seemed to be reading the mind of the military president. Babangida’s government was equally disturbed by Nigeria’s unsavoury record as one of the countries with the world’s most dangerous roads, and highest highway carnage figures. Babangida bought the idea and set in motion the machinery for the implementation of the dream. Soyinka was invested pioneer chairman of the project, saddled with the conceptualisation and implementation of a sustainable countrywide road safety model. He invited Olu Agunloye, a physicist who functioned as technical adviser to the initiative, and would later become the pioneer Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, (COMACE), of the FRSC. The new outfit was formally inaugurated February 18, 1988, by Babangida’s deputy, Augustus Aikhomu. A young, job-hunting engineering graduate, Oyeyemi, had walked determinedly into the primordial FRSC headquarters in Bodija, Ibadan, June 6, 1988, shortly after the flag-off of the new outfit. He met Agunloye and expressed his desire to join the fledgling, *amoeboid* organisation. He was unfazed about potential uncertainties which could affect a nascent creation, which had been the lot of several government initiatives. Oyeyemi thus joined the pioneering septet which birthed the FRSC, and which included: Ben Ifode; Sam Aleno-Wyse and Engr. Coker (both now departed) and Adeyemi Omidiji. And so began a career which was going to last 34 long years, and during which history would beckon at Oyeyemi at various intersections of his eventful career. Oyeyemi went through the toughening, oftentimes ambivalent mills and grills of the FRSC, beginning from those teething years of the organisation. He was moved quite frequently, around all the critical offices, units and departments of the Corps, which enriched his aggregate experiences about an organisation he least imagined he would someday head. He looked at the positives of every task, every posting, taking them in his stride, in an eternal learning process. These would serve him in good stead in his professional evolution. Oyeyemi wouldn’t forget his spontaneous redeployment by executive fiat to Sokoto State, in one instance in a hurry, a destination which like a number of others in the nation’s humid north, was largely considered punitive. All these experiences, however, have combined to make him easily the most decorated specialist and professional in road management and traffic administration, in Nigeria, and the West African subregion.Hestayed on in the FRSC, even in those testy years when the agency was strangely subsumed under the superintendence of the Nigeria Police Force, (NPF), in gross disobedience to the founding rules and objectives of the FRSC. That development, witnessed a rash of appointments and the disengagements of several chief executives of the body within a short period. These threatened its evolution, as a novel, distinct, specialised creation, to pointedly help engender road sanity in the country. That illegality subsisted until its decisive abrogation in November 2003, by former president Olusegun Obasanjo. The FRSC, thereafter continued to bloom into a model, internationally certified, globally recognised model traffic safety administration outfit. Having attained the peak of his career following his elevation to the position of Deputy Corps Marshal, (DCM), Oyeyemi was subtly divesting his office of his personal effects, preparatory to retirement. He desired to complete his longabandoned doctorate in public administration, at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, (UNN). He equally wanted to develop his passion in agriculture. This was until his historic and providential elevation to the position of COMACE, July 24, 2014, by former President Goodluck Jonathan. His appointment was against the extant tradition where chief executives of the FRSC, were sourced from outside the organisation. Some of Oyeyemi’s predecessors, notably Maj. Gen. Haldu Hananiya and Osita Chidoka, were hunted from outside the FRSC. Popular expectation within the organisation therefore, was for a perpetuation of the practice. Instructively, President Muhammadu Buhari, reappointed him for a second term of four years beginning from July 24, 2018, on the strength of his altruism and innovations in his first term. This enabled the completion of many of his initiatives. As though on a mission, Oyeyemi grabbed the opportunity with every strand of his body, to justify, even supersede the expectations of the federal government and the motoring sector. He set for himself a three-pronged mission: Continuity, Innovation and Sustainability, (CIS). This was to guide his dispensation in theHisorganisation.primaryresponsibility was to impact road traffic crashes and fatalities across the country. This remained a galloping phenomenon, with reductions in parts, and increments elsewhere. But Oyeyemi and his team remained committed to the admonition, education and public enlightenment of road users, many of who could not divest themselves of dangerous oldHehabits.hadlong appreciated the imperative for increment in the personnel strength of the organisation, against the backdrop of its expanding roles and responsibilities, in a very dynamic, post-democratic sociopolitical ecology. Under his leadership therefore, at least 7000 new positions were created in theThisFRSC.has enabled the outfit to better man its 55 Outpost Commands, seven Corridor Commands and 764 (newly created) Station Offices, in the various local government areas across the country. More permanent prototype offices were also built in several states, while housing schemes were initiated across the country to ensure comfortable accommodation for serving staff, and homeownership in retirement.Oyeyemi, who had profited from trainings and refresher courses in many institutions at home and abroad, committed to broadening the scope and depth of human capital development under his watch. He prioritised training, retraining and capacity building. He widened access by FRSC officers and personnel, to opportunities in all elite policy tutoring and management redevelopment programmes.Underhim, top FRSC officials were availed openings at the: National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS); National Defence College, (NDC); National Institute for Security Services, (NISS) and the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, (NARC), among others. This is not forgetting the lower officers and “other ranks,” who also benefited from such opportunities in institutions and programmes compatible with their job descriptions. It is credit to his regime, that many management level officers have highly respected ascriptions such as: *Mni,* *fwc,* *fdc,* *fsi* and *mnarc,* among others, behind their names, to underscore their exposures to contemporary trends in policy, governance and administration. He moved quickly to ensure the establishment of a wholly FRSC-grown Command and Staff College, (FCSC), consistent with extant practice in other military and paramilitary organisations. The budding College, presently operates from the FRSC Academy, Udi, Enugu State, even as its permanent site is being developed in Ibadan, Oyo State. The FRSC Academy has been affiliated to the Federal University of Technology Owerri, (FUTO), to run post graduate diploma courses and masters degree programmes, respectively, in Transport Safety Management. FRSC’s *Traffic Radio* which programmes are solely about traffic and safety matters, was actualised under Oyeyemi. FRSC’s collaboration with intelligence and security services were also enhanced. This is a positive development as against erstwhile rivalries and contests for turfs, between brother uniform-wearing organisations. It is now commonplace to find the Nigerian Airforce for instance, working with the FRSC on highway traffic management operations. A joint aerial Airforce/FRSC team, is able to advise operatives on ground, about gridlocks and flashpoints on various routes and sections of the national roadways, especially during festivities which encourage mass travel. Such partnerships have also been deployed during flood incidents, which overrun vital road arteries, precipitating traffic bottlenecks. The FRSC in recent years, has also been enlisted on election matters, because of the integrity and respectability the Corps has built over time. Accentuated international partnerships were consolidated, and fresh opportunities cultivated between the Corps and several affiliates, under Oyeyemi. These include the World Bank; African Development Bank, (AfDB); the International Roads Federation, (IRF) and the World Road Association, (WRA). Similarly, contemporary international allies of the FRSC include the International Road Transport Forum, (ITF); United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, (UNECA) and the National Transportation Safety Board, (NTSB) of the United States of America, (USA). Under Oyeyemi, the FRSC received the “International Standards Organisation,” ISO Certification ISO: 9001: 2015, consummating its recognition from international stakeholders.
Fitting Farewell for the Last of the Founding
LIFE
You mean parties like the Action Alliance (AA), New Nigeria Political Party (NNPP) are not to be reckoned with? They are fringe political parties. Their strengths are limited. The ones I mentioned pull the crowd, they hold the promise and offer the … (cuts in) You keep deluding yourself. What is the promise they hold? Is it the impending festival of lies? You want discerning and reasonable Nigerians to believe that some good will come out of the campaigns? Is it claims like that of Festus Keyamo who is saying that the APC government under President Buhari has done so much to make Nigeria safer than it was? Is that the kind of raw and vexatious lies that will be promising during the campaigns? Or is it the claim that Atiku has never been indicted? Or is it the swarm of bees called the Obedient crew that descend on anyone who does not want to be obedient? Where exactly are you seeing the promise you are enthused about? Look, you have to understand that the various spokespersons for the campaign organisations are in the electoral market to sell their candidates. Not every claim of the marketer can be fact-checked. Some of them are glib talks. It is for the electorate to be discerning and ask all the critical questions.
Ok, let me ask you: how old is Bola Tinubu in the true sense of the word? What are his educational qualifications? What is his state of health? Why are his hands always shaking? Does he have Parkinson disease? How come he is so rich? As for Atiku, how come his American business partner, Congressman William Jefferson was jailed for 13 years in 2009 for a business deal he had with Atiku, yet Atiku claims to be corruption free?
PDP: Between the Hammer and Anvil
You really do not understand. Asiwaju means that he’d grow the Nigerian economy, build infrastructure, tackle insecurity and make Nigeria far better from the point Buhari will leave out. Saying he’d continue in his legacy is just to sell a sense of loyalty. His loyalty should not be to an individual but to the nation and the values exhibited by that individual, if such values are virtuous. Nigeria is bigger than any individual.
The three I mentioned are the serious ones. The rest are just there to make up the numbers democratically.
The Peoples Democratic Party was the first to hold its presidential primary, but it is the party yet to settle the dust arising from the primary of May 28,2022, no thanks to the Governor Nyesom Wike factor. And that tells a big story on the party’s problem-solving mechanism and capacity. The party has practically been held down by the conundrum orchestrated by Governor Wike and the Atiku Abubakar tangle. Among the frontline contenders for the party’s presidential ticket, were Atiku Abubakar, Nyesom Wike, Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim and Aminu Tambuwal By a stroke of what they termed “digital politics,” Tambuwal skewed the votes to favour Atiku, and that was how Atiku won, to the chagrin of Wike. Then the issue of who becomes the running mate came up. After much political shenanigans, Atiku, fearing the haughty candour of an empowered Wike, settled for the more amenable Gov Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, to the pain and shock of Wike. That second blow knocked Wike off and he was muted for nearly one month. His silence caused more anxiety than his usual loud and croaky utterances. And since he broke his silence, he has practically seized the front pages of the newspapers. Clearly, Wike has become an issue both within his PDP and in the polity. Given his financial and electoral capacity, Wike has managed to be the indispensable political tool every workman wants to have in his toolbox. But the choices before Wike are very few. Would he dump the PDP he had vowed not to quit? Vows by politicians are anything but sacred or sacrosanct. Didn’t the same Wike vow that he would support whoever emerged from the primary? Eighty three days after, the PDP umbrella is still being blown asunder by a wicked wild wind from the coast. Bookmakers are predicting his joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), what with the sudden romance with the allies of Bola Tinubu. He has invited, first, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and then, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to commission projects in his Rivers State. But would Wike bond humbly in APC, which he had demonized in the past and described in very unkind words? Not likely! Would he head into the Labour Party as he is being wooed and pressured by the Obedient Movement? Uncertain but not impossible. Some pundits believe that although Wike may not leave the PDP, he could play a spoiler by subtly supporting rival political parties as a way of spiting the PDP presidential candidate for ignoring him. The content of his utterances still betray bitterness. His influence within the rank and file of the party is unmistakably strong. Will he pull the plug on Atiku and the PDP? The garrulous Wike had denigrated almost every other political party in Nigeria, so much that he would scarcely afford to eat his acidic words and hibernate therein. Atiku has been struggling to settle the Wike storm. And it is almost appearing like an enigma that would weigh the party down even till the elections of next February. The Gov Fintiri-led reconciliation committee would be meeting with the Wike group today. No one is sure how it would end. The fact that the Wike team may have soft-pedalled on the demand for the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu to resign, may pave the way for a more fruitful outcome. Ayu had fired back few days ago at Wike, insisting that he has a 4-year mandate and the plan to resign is not in the offing at all, whether or not major principal stakeholders (presidential candidate, BOT Chairman, National Chairman) of the party are from the same northern region. Perhaps Wike may emerge the Director General of the Atiku-Okowa Campaign organization, as a way of assuaging him. The in-house crisis has surely delayed the setting up of the campaign council of the party.
2023 Presidency: Who Will the Cap Fit?
Canticles…. H urray, we have just about five weeks to the national campaign for the election. I am looking forward to it with bated breath Really? What is there to excite any discerning Nigerian? As far as I am concerned, it is only a season of deceit and raising of false hopes. That was in the past. This time, nobody will be deceived. Everything shall be in the open. Nigerians are a million times wiser and more involved in the political process. Can’t you see and measure the high-pitch enthusiasm? Don’t be carried away by the wild ululation of political reverie. I can tell you that nothing has and will change. We shall end up at the same point of origin. God forbid! Look, this is not a matter of rock-hard grammar. I am telling you that the tide has changed. Can’t you see the fire of the campaigns on the horizon, even when campaigns have not quite started? If nothing else, you can see the Bola Tinubu campaign structure warming up for the robust campaigns next month.The Atiku campaign Organisation is also kitting up, just as the Peter Obi campaign organization is raising the bar in social media networking. It all looks very promising. Why did you name only three political parties? What about the remaining thirteen parties?
Tinubu AtikuObi
The Wike issue has served as a huge distraction for the party. The campaigns will officially start lateManySeptember.believe that Gov Wike is not only scared of post-governorship years in the polity, he is worried that unless he gets a good bargain ahead of the election, he might drop to near insignificance if Atiku wins the election. He does not trust that a President Atiku will not marginalize him and his followers. A source informed that his fears are what is informing the seeming difficulty in resolving the issues, especially as there has never been a one-on-one committal with the presidential candidate himself. Some party chieftains in Rivers also fear that Wike’s obduracy may cause the state and its stakeholders to be sidelined if the Atiku presidency becomes a reality; and that is why some party chieftains in the state are willing to deal directly with the Atiku group for the purpose of being in the power loop. This was why Gov Wike had accused some party chieftains of bypassing him in the political calculations of the state, wherein he restated that he is in charge of the state. Analysts believe that head or tail, Wike will have to keep struggling to be seen or heard in the party, if it wins the election. Already, Wike has declared that he does not want to be a Evenminister.ifandwhen the Wike barrier is crossed, Atiku and many party chiefs are likely to deal with Wike with standing suspicion. Perhaps it would even be worse with Dr Ayu who has no love lost between himself and Gov Wike. “They (Wike and Ayu) can hardly operate together in a united bid for the presidency, given the bad blood that the crisis has generated between both chieftains of the party“, a Port-Harcourt based PDP member said. Wike had, about a year ago, championed the removal of the former national Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, who himself was Wike’s countryman.Itisthusfeared that whether Wike is settled now or not, the PDP is likely to keep wearing the look of a harassed object lying helplessly between the hammer and the anvil. Will it survive the crush?
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How come Atiku’s house in Maryland, USA was seized by the American government? Why was Atiku barred from entering the United States until he manoeuvred to get in through another congressman in 2019? What is Atiku’s source of wealth? And for the man called Peter Obi: Is he really such a saint that he claims to be? Is it true that he invested Anambra State money in his father’s brewery, Premier Brewery without giving Anambra State its fair share of the profit thereof? Why is it that his supporters are so aggressive as to want to attack whoever disagrees with them? Is it true he is not a team player and carries on with the Omniscient complex? You are asking too many questions. Take it easy.Atiku has challenged any Nigerian with any case of corruption against him to come forward with it. Don’t listen to side talks and beer-parlour gossips. As for Asiwaju, he is a smart and enterprising accountant. He is 70 years old. Don’t believe those who allege that his daughter, the Iyaloja of Lagos is 60 years old. How can a 10-year-old boy impregnate a lady? Not even in this digital age. If you are his father or mother to doubt the age he has declared, please come forward. Asiwaju was sick as is natural for every mortal. But now he is very well and fit as a fiddle. Don’t mind what the social media haters keep writing. Their cups will soon be full. I am surprised you are accusing Peter Obi of a misdeed. Better check your facts well.The investment in the Premier Brewery came with full benefits and gains for Anambra State. Please go and check. I am not their spokesperson. But I am just helping you to know how to choose the man the cap will fit. That’s all I am trying to do here. As for Obi’s supporters, they are not aggressive. They are mere activists who are fanatical about his candidature. Have they attacked anybody? Don’t mind Femi Kuti o.
So, Mr Asiwaju said he’d continue from where President Buhari stopped. What exactly does he mean? Does it mean he will pronounce death sentence on all Nigerians, if truly he’d continue from where Buhari will stop? Did you not hear that termites ate up vouchers of NSITF’s N17.158 billion fund? Few years ago, it was a snake that swallowed N36 million belonging to JAMB. If Tinubu is to continue in that manner, we will get to hear one day that some sharks and whales have sucked up all the crude oil loaded for export. Or did you not hear few days ago that Agric ministry used N18.9 billion to clear the bush during the COVID 19 year? Where was the bush please? Or how do you explain that one young fellow, Bashir Ahmad, an aide to President Buhari continued to earn a salary three months after he had resigned? And how come such a young man, working for the first time in his life is earning over One Million a month, whereas a University professor of over 20 years standing is earning N400,000 per month? And you blame ASUU for going on an indefinite strike? One American dollar is about N700 now. Is that what we will continue in? Inflation is now 19.64%. Or is it the pogrom being visited on Nigerians on a daily basis in the name of banditry that APC is seeking to continue? I don’t understand.
BUSINESS/ MONEYGUIDE EBID Releases West Africa Development Outlook MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) JUNE 2022 Money Supply (M3) 48,865,823.53 -- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors 167,956.2 Money Supply (M2) 48,797,867.32 -- Quasi Money 28,405,330.1 -- Narrow Money (M1) 20,392,537.22 ---- Currency Outside Banks 2,722,785.91 ---- Demand Deposits 17,669,751.32 Net Foreign Assets (NFA) 6,242,394.29 Net Domestic Assets(NDA) 42,623,429.24 -- Net Domestic Credit (NDC) 57,267,178.05 ---- Credit to Government (Net) 17,996,690.06 ---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA 0.00 ---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA) 0.00 ---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS) 39,270,488 --Other Assets Net 5,566,430 Reserve Money (Base Money 11,320,304 --Currency in Circulation 3,259,269.15 --Banks Reserves 11,320,303.72 --Special Intervention Reserves 384,377.56 Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) MonthJune 2022 Inter-Bank Call Rate 11.10 Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) 13.00 Treasury Bill Rate 2.45 Savings Deposit Rate 1.38 1 Month Deposit Rate 3.48 3 Months Deposit Rate 4.55 6 Months Deposit Rate 4.97 12 Months Deposit Rate 5.30 Prime Lending rate 12.29 Maximum Lending Rate 27.61 36 THISDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 Michael Olugbode The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has released the 2022 edition of the West Africa Development Outlook (WADO), which takes stock of socio- economic developments of the previous year and presents a macroeconomic outlook for the year 2022. The WADO discusses the socio-economic challenges of the times and postulates policy interventions that could help ease these challenges. The 2022 WADO, which is themed, “Navigating Global Shocks through Structural Transformation and Trade,” discusses how the ECOWAS sub-region can mitigate the recent price escalation by increasing local production capacities, improving intraregional trade and embarking on a deliberate structural transformation agenda. It also discusses the causes of the recent price hikes as being structural and the need for cautious monetary policy interventions.Whileannouncing the release of the WADO, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID, Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, emphasised the importance of the review of key economic indicators as a way of highlighting the impact of recent global events on ECOWAS economies and postulating mitigating actions for policy makers’ consideration.He stated that the WADO also highlights the opportunities and threats in the sub-region to guide the investment decisions of existing and would-be investors.TheDirector of Research and Strategic Planning of the Bank, Mr. MacDonald Saye Goanue, spoke about the challenging macroeconomic environment the Community faces as a result of which growth prospects have been downgraded.Theelevated food and energy prices pose a great risk to fiscal consolidation and debt sustainability, while threatening to increase current account deficits and exerting pressure on local currencies. There is the need for a fiscal and monetary policy synchronicity to successfully navigate these challenges.
FMDQ Exchange Admits Sundry Foods N10bn CP Programme
Stockbrokers to Set New Agenda on Agriculture, Economic Development
L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Sam Egube; Commissioner for Finance, Dr Rabiu Olowo; Executive Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr Ayodele Subair and Partner, Deloitte & Touche, Mr Beulah Adeoye during the launch of the Lagos State Whistle-Blower Initiative in Lagos../ recently
The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), has concluded arrangements to hold its 26th Annual Stockbrokers’ Conference where topical issues in the financial market and the economy in general shall be the main focus. This year’s Conference, with the theme: “Capital Market and Agricultural Development in Nigeria: Issues and the way forward,” scheduled to hold in Benin City will be declared open by the Executive Governor of Edo State, who is also a Chartered Stockbroker. In a statement from the Institute, the Conference theme was carefully chosen to provide a platform to enable experts to advise the federal government on how it can leverage the commodities market to grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) into a double digit, provide food security, guarantee employment, eliminate banditry and terrorism etc. “The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) says agriculture is the foundation of the Nigerian economy, employing about 35% of the country’s population. The sector also contributes approximately a quarter of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) despite the presence of crude oil. Consequently, agriculture is a sector that has been of topmost priority to the Nigerian capital market. Two companies in the agricultural sector, Okomu Oil Palm Co PLC and Presco PLC , have ranked among the highest price gainers on the NGX in recent time.
Chams Plc Increases Shareholders’ Value, Now a Holding Company
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT THURSDAY, MAY 7
Kayode Tokede In another bold move that reinforces its positioning as the leading destination for capital raising by discerning issuers, FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited (FMDQ Exchange) has approved the registration of the Sundry Foods Limited N10billion Commercial Paper (CP) Issuance Programme on its platform. Sundry Foods Limited is one of Nigeria’s leading food services companies, operating in the quick service restaurant, bakery, and catering segments. The Company has over one hundred and thirty (130) branches across Nigeria with a variety of franchises that include Kilimanjaro, Pizza Jungle, Nibbles Creamery, Nibbles Bakery, Kiligrill, and Sundry Foods Services.
Speaking on the successful CP Programme registration, the Managing Director, Sundry Foods Limited, Mr. Ebele Enunwa stated “we remain committed to harnessing the full potential of Sundry Foods Limited and creating superior value to all our stakeholders. This is evident in the growth we have experienced in the past year, which has been as a result of visionary leadership and a defined growth strategy. We look forward to engaging market participants under this N10.00 billion CP Programme.” Also, the Managing Director, CardinalStone Partners Limited, Mr. Michael Nzewi stated “CardinalStone Partners Limited is pleased to have spearheaded the registration of the debut CP Programme for Sundry Foods Limited. We believe our role in assisting Sundry Foods Limited with raising capital will actualise its strategic growth objectives by providing opportunities to access a wider universe of market tors”.ratesrelativelyaccessingoptimisefacilitateitscommercialSundryThebillionofco-Arrangerdelighted“StanbicMr.StanbicEqually,participants”.theChiefExecutive,IBTCCapitalLimited,FunsoAkere,statedthatIBTCCapitalistohaveactedasthetotheestablishmentSundryFoodsLimited’sN10CPIssuanceProgramme.CPProgrammewillenableFoodsLimitedissuepaperstodiversifyfundingsourcesinordertobusinessgrowthanditsfundingcostsbyshort-termfundingatcompetitiveinterestfrominstitutionalinvesNosa Alekhuogie Nigeria’s leading provider of integrated identity management and digital payments solutions Group, Chams Plc, has changed its Nigerian Exchange (NGX) listing to a holding company. The company’s Group Managing Director (GMD), Gavin Young who made this know during a chat with newsmen in Lagos, explained that Chams Plc started the process last year to meet requirements for the renewal and recapitalisation of Mobile Money and Switching payment licenses. He said: “Part of the requirements of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was for Chams to change its listing to a nonoperating holding company, which we have now successfully achieved. This change takes immediate effect, and we will now be known as Chams Holding CompanySpeakingPlc.”further on the change, he noted that 2022 was a major year for the now Chams Holding Company, adding that Chams Plc is the majority stakeholder in two major Central Bank of Nigeria payment licences via subsidiaries, ‘ChamsSwitch Limited and ChamsMobile Limited.’ Young however noted that listing as a Holding Company means they are focusing on existing subsidiaries and business assets to build shareholder value, whilst incubating and growing other businesses within their subsidiaries, and creating new subsidiaries as part of the Holding Company structure. “The Group has focused primarily on growing its consumer and business digital payment solutions whilst also expanding other potential and current investments in the digital space, to ensure sustainable value for our stakeholders. All our businesses have returned improved performances, promising growth, and good value, and we are working hard to ensure this continues”, the GMD stated. On her part, the Managing Director, ChamsMobile Ltd, Mayowa Olaniyan disclosed that the fintech subsidiary recently recapitalised, which has positioned the company to roll-out its anticipated fintech products.
Azoji: N5bn Offer Will Position Neimeth as Leading Global Healthcare Commodities Producer with liquid preparations. These projects will not only sustain the current upbeat performance of the company but will give us a quantum leap into the league of leading global healthcare commodities producers. I am optimistic that Neimeth shareholders will take their rights in the Rights Issue and the offer will be fully subscribed.” The Rights Issue that commenced August 3, 2022 aimed to raise the sum of N3,679,618,625 at the cost of N1.55k per 50 Kobo share. To carry out the Rights Issue, the Company had in March 2022, created 2,373,947,500 additional Ordinary Shares, which will be allotted at the rate of five new shares for every four shares currently held in the company to existing Shareholders. He added that the company returned to dividend payment in 2020 and is determined to remain consistent amid increase in the amount payable to shareholders every year.
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The Oregun factory upgrade is already close to completion with funds from the Bank of Industry (BOI) and own resources. “On completion, the Oregun plant alone will add additional 300 per cent to the Company’s production capacity especially FOR SECURITIES TRADED AS OF 17 /8/2022
THISDAY 37 Kayode Tokede The Managing Director/CEO, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, Matthew Azoji has stated that the proposed N5billion capital raising offers through rights issue and private placement will take Neimeth to the league of leading global healthcare commodities producers.Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, he noted that the money raised is to fund strategic expansion plans of the company in Lagos and Anambra States. According to him, “We are seeking a total of N5 billion of investors’ funds through a hybrid Offer of Rights Issue and Private Placement. We want to raise N3.7 billion and N1.3 billion respectively from both“TheOffer.money is being raised to fund our strategic expansion plans. Last year, at the 62nd Annual General Meeting of the company, our shareholders approved a two-pronged expansion plan, namely the construction of a new plant in Anambra State and a facility upgrade of the Oregun plant. “The new plant will be a multi-product facility that will be tailored to comply with the World Health Organization (WHO) current standards of Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) at Amawbia in Anambra State.”Headded, “Part of the funds will also be used to support the company’s strategic plan of maintaining a sustainable capital structure, leverage the company’s balance sheet, reduce cost of borrowing or finance costs and fund working capital.
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48 THISDAY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Offers N21m to 42 Presidential Merit Awardees lastHeyear.said the foundation recognised the federal workers for their contributions and wanted to motivate them to attain greater heights in their career. The recipients were drawn from various Ministries, Agencies and Departments in the service and they cut across different categories of all Aig-Imoukhuedeworkers. said the award was established in furtherance of the foundation’s mission to drive public sector transformation for improved public service delivery in the country.Heassured that the foundation would now make the awards of cash to discerning civil servants an annual practice. He said: “We recognise the crucial role the civil service plays in national development and how the work of civil servants in implementing government’s policies and programmes can lead to better life for all Nigerians. “It is therefore necessary that we recognise and reward those civil servants who diligently carry out their duties for the benefits of all “WeNigerians.hopethat this award will serve as incentives to all civil servants to strive for professionalism and excellence in their work.”
L – R: Commissioner, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Millionaire Abowei; , Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu; EVC/CEO, NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami; Chairman, NCC Board, Prof. Adeolu Akande, and Commissioners, Chief Uche Onwude and Aliyu Abubakar, at a 2-day Retreat facilitated by the Minister for board and management of NCC on Effective Performance Management in the 4th Industrial Revolution... yesterday Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation yesterday doled out a total of N21 million cash gifts to 42 federal civil servants who were conferred with the Presidential Public Merit Awards by President Muhammadu Buhari in June. Each worker received N500,000 in instant transfers at the ceremony that was hosted by the Head of Service of the Civil Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan.TheChairman of the foundation, Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede, said the windfall was a token of the foundation’s recognition of the importance of the civil service as a key stakeholder, but the least rewarded in the country. “If today things are bad, it is because the civil servants have not been rewarded enough, they need recognition, they need opportunities to excel, they also desire good life so that they can be more focused in their duties, serve well for the nation to do well," he said. The Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Endowment Fund for Public Service Excellence was in honour of Aig-Imoukhuede's late mother, who served in the civil service before she passed away
On the funding of subsidy payments, Ahmed explained that payments that have been made to oil marketers were directly from the domestic excess crude account through the deduction of Sovereign Debts Instruments (SDI). She further explained that the instrument which was approved by the then President in 2010, also had instances where funds were transferred from the consolidated revenue fund to the domestic excess crude account for subsidy payments. She informed the lawmakers that the ministry was not in the position to provide statement of account of the NNPC and its affiliates on the transfer of funds to the treasury singleSpeakingaccount.further, the minister lamented the burden of petrol subsidy on the government, hence she recommended a stakeholders’ meeting on the way forward. Chinedu Eze Middle East mega carrier, Emirates Airlines has announced that it would suspend all flights to Nigeria from September 1, 2022. This comes just as foreign airlines have kept to their threat of withdrawing flight service to Nigeria if their trapped funds are notEmiratesrepatriated.is owed over $95 million in Nigeria, which it cannot repatriate due to foreign exchange (FX)Emiratesscarcity. in a statement announced that it was suspending all its flights from 1st of September, 2022 and disclosed that it had tried every avenue to address its ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria and had made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution but regrettably there has been no progress. "Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market. “We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible," the airline stated. The airline further stated that if there would be any positive developments in the coming days regarding its blocked funds in Nigeria, it would re-evaluate its "Wedecision.remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much needed connectivity for Nigerian travellers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations," the airline added. A fortnight ago, Emirates had announced that it would reduce its flights to Nigeria from August 15, 2022, due to its failure to repatriate its revenue earned from its ticket sales in Nigeria. The airline had stated that it would be forced to reduce flight from Dubai to Lagos from 11 times per week to seven times per week, saying that it did not have any choice but to take this action, to mitigate the continued losses Emirates was experiencing as a result of funds being blocked in TheNigeria.airline had made this known in a letter it wrote to the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, dated July 22 2020 and signed by Sheik Majid Al Mualla, the DSVP International Affairs. The letter had explained that as of July 2022, Emirates had $85 million of funds awaiting repatriation due to non availability of dollars in Nigeria and this figure has been rising by more than $10 million every month, as the ongoing operational costs of the airline’s 11 weekly flights to Lagos and five to Abuja continue to accumulate. The mega carrier said that the funds are urgently needed “to meet our operational costs and maintain the commercial viability of our services to “WeNigeria.”simply cannot continue to operate at the current level in the face of mounting losses, especially in the challenging post COVID-19 climate. Emirates did try to stem the losses by proposing to pay for fuel in Nigeria in naira, which would have at least reduced one element of our on-going costs, however this request was denied by the supplier. This means that not only are Emirates’ revenues accumulating, we also have to send hard currency into Nigeria to sustain our own operations. Meanwhile, our revenues are out of reach and not even earning credit interest,” the letter said. THISDAY authoritatively learnt that other foreign carriers might soon withdraw their services, unless the federal government opens a discussion with them. By the end of July, the amount of trapped funds, known as blocked fund, in Nigeria had risen to over $600 million and according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Nigeria has the highest blocked fund globally and its inability to pay the airlines is inhibiting economic recovery of these international carriers after the devastation of COVID-19. Last week foreign airlines had introduced new fares in their higher inventory, which increased economy ticket to average of N1 million and business class ticket from N4 million. The airlines included major international carriers like Air France, KLM, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines andRoundothers.trip in later August, as indicated by the airlines’ sites indicated that business class could go as high as over N12 million, while economy could go for over N3IATAmillion.said airfares charged by international carriers against Nigerian travellers were three times higher than what obtains in other countries that do not retain airlines’ revenues and expressed fear that the fares might continue to rise until Nigerians would not be able to afford international travel and that would eventually weaken the nation’s economy. The global body had said that if after introducing the higher fares and the airlines were unable to repatriate their revenues they might suspend flight operation to Nigeria.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed yesterday disclosed that the federal government spends an estimated N18.397 billion daily on petrolAhmed,subsidy.who revealed this to the House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee investigating subsidy payments regime from 2013 to 2022, said a total sum of N6.210 trillion had been paid as fuel subsidy to independent oil marketers from 2013 to 2021. The Minister who made the disclosure while addressing the lawmakers at the resumed hearing, said the ministry paid the sum of N1.774 trillion from 2013 to 2016, while the remaining N4.436 trillion, came under PMS under-recovery by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION...
"When we engage the leadership of the National Assembly, we recommended a national stakeholders’ forum that will bring all major stakeholders together, including all the political parties. “We submitted that to the Federal Executive Council and it gave its approval and the government is working on that. It is important so that if all stakeholders agree, we know what exactly we are dealing with. "I do hope that is done very soon because we cannot continue to carry the burden. So, the petrol subsidy we are carrying today in the nation is around N283 per litre, that is what we are carrying; so it is the difference between the pump price and the landing cost of petroleum products in the country," Ahmed addedReacting, a member of the Committee, Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka questioned the rationale behind NNPC’s deduction from source, the sum of N1.66 trillion against the sum of N1.15 trillion paid to oil marketers in 2021, leaving an excess of N500 billion. Also, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ibrahim Aliyu faulted the formula for the computation of the subsidy payments.Heruled that documentary evidence of the beneficiaries of the N500 billion should be provided. He said, "The N6.7 trillion required for 2022, why I’m disturbed is because the 2023 financial year is approaching by September, we will be expecting Mr. President’s budget submission, and the MTEF is already before the National Assembly. “You see, if you look at the average daily truck-out quantity latest, 64,964,400, in 2012 there was a report and the total consumption was put at 31,500, so it’s very difficult to imagine how you can have a near 100 per cent increment in consumption within a period of 10 years.” He also faulted the fact that even during public holidays as well as the period of the COVID-19 when there was lockdown and limited movement the petrol consumption rate remained same. Meanwhile, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) told the House of Representatives special adhoc Committee that it was not in its place to utilise funds of the government.TheExecutive Chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Nami who was represented by the agency's Coordinating Director, Compliance Support Group, Dr. Dick Irri at the resumed investigative hearing stated that their statutory mandate was to collect taxes and also enforce same to be paid to the federal government. According to Nami, the role of the Service as provided by its Establishment Act was confined to the assessment of taxpayers, collection of taxes, accounting for and enforcement of taxes that were due to the government of the Federation.
Udora Orizu in Abuja
Emirates Pulls Out of Nigeria September 1 over Blocked Funds FG Spends N18bn Daily on Petrol Subsidy, Finance Minister Reveals
More foreign airlines mull flights’ withdrawal
COURTESY VISIT...
Akande: Devolution of Power Panacea to Insecurity, Poverty, Secession
Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
Troops Rescue Four Kidnapped Victims, Arrest Four Suspected Terrorists in Kaduna Meanwhile, troops have rescued four kidnap victims and arrested four suspected bandits in two separate operations in the onslaught against terrorists and kidnappers in Kaduna CommissionerState. for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, stated this in a statement in Kaduna, saying the four kidnapped victims were abducted along the Zaria-Kano Road. He said in yet another operation in Chikun Local Government Area of the state, troops cleared the camp of a notorious bandit, Lawal Kwalba, arresting four suspected bandits. According to him, the kidnapped victims, which included a 10-month old baby, were rescued by troops conducting patrols around Ungwan Namama, along the Zaria-Kano road.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the freeing of citizen Inibehe Effiong, a lawyer and activist, currently serving one-month prison sentence for contempt of court in in the Akwa Ibom State. Chief Justice of Akwa Ibom state Justice Ekaette Obot had sentenced Effiong to one-month imprisonment in a defamatory case involving the state governor, Emmanuel Udom. However, in a statement signed by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the Congress faulted how he had been treated since the commencement of the defamatory case against his client, saying that it appeared to have violated the morality of the natural instinct to protect the weak and vulnerable against the mighty and powerful. NLC said: "We followed with keen interest the travails of citizen Inibehe Effiong, a lawyer and activist, in the Akwa Ibom State High Court in a case of defamation brought by the Akwa Ibom State Governor which is before Justice Ekaette Obot who happens to be the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State. "We do not believe that it serves the cause of justice and public order for Mr. Inibehe Effiong to be perceived to be punished for doing the job of representing his client."We also find it curious that Mr. Effiong’s lawful request for the order of the court proceedings that sentenced him be released to him was denied more than twenty days after had filed for the release even when the law provides that such a request should be granted after seven "Furthermore,days. the fact that a journalist who was also covering the proceedings of the court the day Mr. Effiong was sentenced was also harassed by Justice Obot who had his recording device confiscated and the contents deleted and the subsequent ill-treatment of Mr. Effiong while in custody lends weight to the suspicion of organised ambush designed to intimidate and cower.”Headded: "The truth is that there is no room for vindictiveness in our laws. It is on this premise that we call on the Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Ekaette Obot to reverse her earlier ruling incarcerating Mr. Inibehe Effiong." The NLC stated that its request for the release of the lawyer was guided by the fundamental principle of justice in, “our laws that presumes an accused innocent until proven guilty.”
BUHARI TO MILITARY: TAKE FIGHT TO DOORSTEPS OF INSURGENTS, ELIMINATE THEM
misunderstanding between two chieftains, which was gradually being resolved, cautioning that there was no need to create further bad blood among members. "I wish to call on all members of the PDP and all Nigerians to remain calm; never create bad blood and confusion on the state of our party," he said, noting that all efforts were on ground to ensure reconciliation between Wike, the party and Atiku. According to Jubrin, "What is happening now should never be categorise as a problem but misunderstanding within the party. At this period leading to the 2023 elections, we should concentrate on how to win all positions to be contested and seriously adhere to the provision of the party constitution. "My strong advice is for us to give strong support to the present reconciliation committee set up to resolve all issues. Thereafter BoT, the highest advisory organ of the party, will give more encouragement leading to greater success of PDP." His advice notwithstanding, indications still showed that the Wike's supporters were still insisting that Ayu must go, explaining that he was not a man of integrity, having said on national television that he would resign once a presidential candidate from the north emerged chairman of the party. According to a source close to Wike, "What shall we be campaigning for in the south. There is no equity in the whole affair and Ayu has not presented himself as an unbiased national chairman. "We are expecting Atiku's camp to the meeting, we will hear them out and then decide. But our position still remains that the national chairman should go. But let's hear them out first," the source said. Fintiri will lead Atiku' s team, while a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, will lead those from Wike's camp. It is not clear, however, whether the meeting would still take place in Port Harcourt or moved to Abuja. Meanwhile, Onuesoke who spoke about Atiku’s superiority to other presidential candidates at a media briefing in Asaba, Delta State, said Atiku has the prerequisite experience, contacts, both international and across the country and had impacted many lives through his many philanthropic works. He contended that, Atiku understood how to bring deliberate steps and actions to create big ripple effects that could impact on the economy and make life far more abundant for the people. He recalled that Atiku oversaw the telecoms revolution, which gave rise to flourishing career among the youths, adding that his tenure as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, witnessed a large repatriation of Nigerians back to Nigeria, driven by the hope of the recovering economy. As for provision of employment, the PDP Chieftain disclosed that Atiku had taken many unemployed youths out of the streets, stressing that in his home state of Adamawa, he created over 50,000 direct jobs and 250,000 indirect ones.
Chuks Okocha in Abuja, John Shiklam in Kaduna, Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano, Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Sues for calm, cautions members Atiku remains best presidential candidate, says Onuesoke PDP BoT: We Don’t Need More Bad Blood in Our Party
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
A former governor of Osun State and first interim national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, has said Nigeria could only surmount the prowling insecurity, poverty and secession threats afflicting it, by devolving more powers to the states. Akande described this democratic system, as the most workable globally, as accentuated in quality governance being witnessed in United States of America, Britain and other advanced nations that had imbibed the practice. He said this in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, during the presentation of a book titled: 'Serving with Integrity: Ideology and Praxis of Senator Ayo Fasanmi in Nigeria's politics', in honour of a Second Republic Senator, Ayo Fasanmi. The book written by the deceased's daughter, Dr. Olufunmilayo Fasehun and husband, Dr. Orobola Fasehun, was reviewed by the former Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Kayode Soremekun.Akande,represented by former Osun State Deputy Governor, Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, in his speech titled: 'Fasanmi, a Nigerian Patriot', insisted that the country could only be returned to the path of good governance, if the subnationals were given more powers to operate. He said, "The purpose of devolution generally is to bring the government closer to the people so that problems of security, poverty, and agitation for self-actualisation could be reduced or better handled. The logic is very simple. "Federating units or subsidiary units are usually the theatre of action. That's where you have the land, the forests, the farms, the schools, the hospitals, the manufacturing industries and even the roads and the citizens together with daily economic and social"Takeactivities.education, for example. What business has the federal government to engage in primary and secondary education? These schools are located in the states and their local governments. "The truth is that subsidiary units perform better in Nigeria, when they are in control of their resources, security outfits in the cities and the forests, and in all other activities within their space. That was why the different regional governments were able to achieve a lot between 1954 and 1966, just within a space of twelve "Americayears!works because its federal system, which we copied, thrives on the devolution of powers by laws between the central and the states; and, each state devolves powers to local governments, known variously as counties, boroughs, municipalities, and townships."
Ahead of the tomorrow’s planned reconciliatory meeting between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, the party's Board of Trustees (BoT), has called for calm and understanding of all members, saying there was no need for further bad blood in the party. The meeting was earlier scheduled for Monday, but shifted to Friday, because leader of the camp of the PDP presidential candidate and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, had hosted Atiku in Yola, where they received many defectors from other political parties. Also, a Chieftain of the PDP and former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has said Atiku remained the best among other candidates in the presidential race. However, in a statement by the PDP BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jubril, the conscience of the party said all efforts were geared towards the reconciliations of Atiku and Wike. He said there was actually no crisis in the party but a
L-R: Executive Vice President, Middle East, Africa & Global Trade, Intertek Group Plc, Ian Galloway; Director for Africa, Mr. Thierry Metzger, and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo, when a delegation of the Intertek Group visited the minister in his office in Abuja...yesterday Wants presiding judge to recuse himself example to us all. We will also make sure that they have our backing by ensuring that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Social Development facilitates their work." Buhari also used the occasion to appreciate Lt General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) for his support to Borno State government in rehabilitating many IDPs in the North East. He described Danjuma’s humanitarian assistance as significant and patriotic, urging other Nigerians and organisations with the means, to support humanitarian work. Buhari also thanked the UNDP, the European Union, the government of USA, United Kingdom and Germany, as well as other foreign establishments for their support in complementing the administration’s effort to stabilise the North East. He urged all relevant public, private and international agencies to support government’s drive to rehabilitate IDPs, care for victims of insurgency as well as commitment to ''on-going processes concerning Boko Haram/ISWAP members willing to surrender.'' In his welcome address, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, said the state was enjoying relative peace and stability, because of the sacrifices of gallant soldiers, security agencies, local vigilantes and the MNJTF.Commending the President for his leadership and successes recorded so far in the war against terror in the region, the governor hailed the establishment of North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the ongoing installation of a 50MW power generation plant to provide electricity in the State. He also thanked Buhari for the recent approval of N15 billion for the repatriation of citizens from the North East living in Chad, Niger and Cameroon as a result of the displacement caused by the insurgency.Onher part, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, who cited figures from Aid Worker Security Database, disclosed that since 2016, 35 aid workers had died, 22 wounded and 28 kidnapped, adding also that, since the beginning of this year, six aid workers had been kidnapped in the country. On the choice of Borno for this year’s event, the minister explained that it was meant to highlight the humanitarian situation and plight of IDPs in the region and to inspire the much-needed change.
NLC Seeks Immediate Release of Inibehe Effiong
NEWSXTRA 49FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY
FG: We Won't Pay ASUU Members for Strike Period Deji Elumoye, Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
Meanwhile, ASUU has rejected what it described as a miserly offer of salary increase by the federal government.Osodeke,in a statement stressed that ASUU "firmly rejected and still rejects the ‘award’ of salary by the federalASUUgovernment.”saidatthe resumed meeting with the federal government 's 2009 Agreement Re-negotiation Committee on Tuesday, the government team presented a recommended Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) prepared by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to it which it rejected. The federal government had in a statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, claimed that the proposal made by the Briggs-led committee in relation to the demands of members of ASUU and other unions in universities would gulp N1.12 trillion to implement which it finds difficult to afford. Although the union did not specify the new salary offer, ASUU said the reason given by the government for abandoning the earlier proposal by the Briggs committee was not tenable. As a way forward, ASUU said: "Where there is will, there will be way. The federal government, through the Ministry of Education, should return to the New Draft Agreement of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Renegotiation Committee whose work spanned a total of five and half years as a demonstration of goodThefaith."union while rejecting the offer by government said the reason of lack of funds cannot be justified, alleging that the government was engaging in wasteful spending and misappropriation of funds to the detriment of genuine needs of the people.ASUU said: "This is because of several reasons chief of which is poor management of the economy. This has given rise to leakages in the revenue of governments at all levels. There is wasteful spending, misappropriation of fund and outright stealing of our collective patrimony.“ASUU believes that if the leakages in the management of the country's resources are stopped, there will be more than enough to meet the nation's revenue and expenditure targets without borrowing and plunging the country into a debt crisis as is the case now. "We believe that if the leakages in the management of the country's resources are stopped, there will be more than enough to meet the nation's revenue and expenditure targets without borrowing and plunging the country into a debt crisis as is the case now.
The federal government has declared that the striking public university lecturers would not be paid salaries for as long as they remain on strike, to serve as deterrent to other government workers. Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, who disclosed this to newsmen yesterday, at the weekly ministerial press briefing at the State House, Abuja, said government refused to give in to the demand by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for their members to be paid backlog of salaries withheld over the ongoing strike, saying it is meant to be the penalty for their needless action. Adamu said this just as ASUU yesterday advanced reasons why its meeting with the Prof. Nimi Briggs-led committee of the federal government on August 16 ended in Indeadlock.astatement issued yesterday by the union and signed by its President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU accused the government of repudiating a salary package arrived at through collective bargaining during negotiation, just as it rejected what it described as a miserly offer of salary increase by the federal government.However, Adamu noted that the insistence by ASUU on being paid six months salaries of the strike period was what was stalling the negotiations between the federal government and the lecturers. He added that other striking tertiary institution-based unions namely - the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Academic Staff Union Polytechnics (ASUP) and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), have all agreed with the federal government on terms and would be calling their strike actions off within a Adamuweek.stressed that the discussions with ASUU had also gone far, but noted that there was a hitch in the negotiations, saying the university lecturers had been insisting on two other demands, including being paid the salaries for the six months they have been out of the classrooms on strike, a demand he said the federal government was not willing to accept. He said President Muhammadu Buhari outrightly rejected the lecturers' proposal when he presented the report to him. The minister insisted that the strike by the university-based unions came despite the trillions of naira expended on education by the present administration directly as well as by agencies such as TEFFUND and UBEC. “All contentious issues between the government and ASUU had been settled except the quest for members' salaries for the period of strike be paid, a demand that Buhari has flatly rejected. "On the contrary, unions in tertiary institutions in the country especially the ASUU have been engaged in recurring and avoidable strikes that have crippled the university system. "This is in spite of the huge investments of over N2.5 trillion in tertiary institutions in the last ten years from TETFUND alone. Common knowledge as it were, many Nigerians may not know that the federal government is paying the salaries of every staff in its tertiary institutions, academic and non-academic staff, while these institutions are also in full control of their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR)."Just recently, we inaugurated a committee to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with ASUU and related unions in tertiary institutions. We are doing everything humanly possible to conclude on the negotiations. "It is our hope that the outcome of the renegotiations will bring lasting industrial peace to our campuses. In the meantime, I am sure that the current efforts would yield the desired results and return our children back to school. "I want to use this opportunity to thank all Nigerians, especially those that contributed to our efforts to see to the resolution of the present strike."Adamu also disclosed that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment system proposed by ASUU outscored the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) already in use by government and which the lecturers are kicking against.
He also stressed that IPPIS has been updated to now accommodate payment of those on sabbatical. His words: “Just one thing that I was reminded even the current IPPIS has been made to accommodate sabbatical. I didn't know this. Somebody just told me." Asked if government would compensate the students for the strike period, the Minister said it was the responsibility of ASUU to compensate students for the time wasted from the six-month strike, not the federal government. According to him, the federal government bears no liability to compensate millions of students grounded for six months over lost time, saying if the students were determined to get compensated, they should take ASUU to court. The minister also said the Buhari administration has expended a total of N6,003,947,848,237 in capital and recurrent expenditure in the education sector in the last seven years.The expenditure, he said, was in addition to interventions from TETFUND and UBEC amounting to N2.5 trillion and N553,134,967,498 respectively in capital investment. “We must also note and appreciate the huge investments from states and the private sector at all levels of our educational system. "We will continue to improve on the implementation of the Ministerial Strategic Plan, (MSP) all through to 2023 for the overall development of the education sector and the Nigerian Nation. “We will continue to create the necessary enabling environment to attract more and more private sector investment. We shall hand over a better education sector than we met it," he Adamuadded.also canvassed for clampdown on perpetrators of examination malpractice, which he said had been discovered to be a cartel and called on the examiners to work closely with law enforcement agencies to "crackdown on examination malpractice". According to him, despite efforts to raise the integrity of the examination system in schools nationwide, the ministry still grapples with malpractice perpetrated both at the exams councils and school levels. He lauded the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board for its efforts at stemming malpractice, saying more works need to be done. On efforts of the present administration to expand education and learning in the country, the Minister gave figures and facts about milestones covered in the last few years. His words: "Universities: At the inception of this Administration in 2015, Nigeria had 40 federal universities. The Buhari Administration has established additional nine universities, bringing the total number of federal universities to 49. Similarly, we met a total of 39 state universities, we have licenced additional 16 universities, bringing the total number of state universities to 55. The total number of public universities (federal and states) now stand at 104. "Similarly, we have licenced a total of 50 private universities more than any other administration has done in the history of Nigeria. As at 2014, the country had 49 private universities. The country now has 111 private universities. Put together, Nigeria now has 215 universities. "In spite of these laudable efforts at ensuring unfettered access to university education, the challenges posed by illegal universities, "Degree Mills" still persist. As I speak, the NUC has identified approximately 70 illegal universities in the country. “We will not rest on our oars in cracking down on illegal universities in the "Polytechnicscountry. and Allied Institutions: As at 2014, Nigeria had 24 Federal Polytechnics. The Buhari administration has established 12 more, bringing to total, the number of federal polytechnics to 36. In the same vain, we had 41 State polytechnics as at 2014. Seven have been added, bringing to total, the number of states' polytechnics to 48. We had seven private polytechnics as at “This2014.administration has licenced 41 private polytechnics, bringing the number of private polytechnics to "In48. terms of carrying capacity, the Federal Polytechnics had 60,800 as at 2014. Today, we have 63,700. The carrying capacity of State polytechnics stood at 52,480 in 2014. We have increased this to 60,880. "Colleges of Education at the inception of this Administration, the country had 21 Federal Colleges of Education. We have established additional six Federal Colleges of Education in the last six years, bringing to total, the number of Federal Colleges of Education to 27. The process of establishing nine more Colleges of Education has already commenced. "We also inherited 46 State Colleges of Education in 2014. Between 2014 and now, we have 50 additional State Colleges of Education, bringing to total the number of State Colleges of Education in the country to 96. In the same vein, we met 48 private Colleges of Education when we came in. As I speak, we have a total of 120 private Colleges of Education". ASUU Rejects New Salary Offer by FG, Say It's Miserly Offer
"Does the Nigerian government care about what becomes of public universities in another five or ten years if this trend continues?” ASUU stated that rejecting a salary package arrived at through collective bargaining amounted to a repudiation of government's pronouncements on reversing "brain drain".Itstressed that it was common knowledge that more now than it was in the 1980s and 1990s, Nigerian scholars, especially in scarce areas like science and medicine, are migrating in droves to Europe, America and many parts of Africa such as South Africa, Rwanda, and Ghana with supportive environment to ply their trades as well as competitive reward systems for intellectual efforts.
University lecturers reject new salary offer by govt, insist it's miserly Explains why Tuesday’s meeting ended in deadlock
L-R: Company Secretary, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Mr.Oloruntomiloba Olagunju, Chairman of the Company Mr. Oluseun Ajayi and the Managing Director/ CEO, Mr. Olaotan Soyinka, at the 27th Annual General meeting of Sovereign Trust Insurance, held in Lagos...
Confirms UTAS, U3PS outscored IPPIS in integrity tests Says IPPIS now captures sabbatical Puts educational expenditure at N6trn in seven years
NEWSXTRA 50 THISDAY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2022 27TH AGM OF SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE...
yesterday DAN UKANA
"Rejecting a salary package arrived at through collective bargaining is a repudiation of government's pronouncements on reversing ‘brain drain.’ It is common knowledge that, more now than in the 1980s and 1990s, Nigerian scholars, especially in scarce areas like science and medicine, are migrating in droves to Europe, America and many parts of Africa such as South Africa, Rwanda, and Ghana with supportive environment to ply their trades as well as competitive reward systems for intellectual efforts.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY 51
Horror as Police Uncovers 20 Mummified Bodies in Edo
Anambra to Spend N6bn onAbandoned Govt House Project
Alex Enumah in Abuja An Abuja based legal practitioner, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, has accused the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami of plotting to extradite one Adesina Lasisi to the United States of America, while his extradition request was pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on May 26, granted request by the AGF for the extradition of Lasisi to the USA to face corruption allegations. The court delivering judgment in the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/ CS/126/2022, had committed Lasisi to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for extradition to the United States of America as a fugitive and further ordered to await the order of the Attorney General for his surrender to the United States of America. The defendant according to Ajulo appealed the judgment of the trial court and applied for stay of execution of the decision of the lower court. In a statement released in Abuja, Ajulo however, accused the AGF of unprofessional and ethical misconduct by allegedly colluding with the US to extradite the defendant when the Court of Appeal has taking over the matter.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 THISDAY52 NEWS
The Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has said that culture and crafts are important tools being used to tell positive story of Nigeria to the international community. Runsewe, who doubles as President, Africa Region of World Craft Council (WCC), disclosed this yesterday at the official opening of the 15th International Arts and Crafts (INAC) with the theme: ‘Networking Nigerian Crafts to the World’ in Abuja. The NCAC boss, who announced that over 26 countries, six states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are participating in the three-day Expo, said that Nigeria is safe for foreign investments. Runsewe, who advocated for the use of culture and crafts to reduce crimes and tensions across the globe, said that culture is one important tool that unites all the countries of the world. He said: “Today, is a day of telling Nigeria’s positive story to the whole world and we are happy that we have our friends from the diplomatic community among us. “We have a brand that unites us and we are happy to export our culture and crafts to other parts of the world. Participants will gain a lot from the entertainment and business contacts from this three-day event.
Malami Accused of Plotting to Extradite Nigerians in Disregard to Court’s Proceedings
Blessing Ibunge inPortHarcourt A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), in Rivers State that is known as Securing Individual Means (SIM), has concluded plan to secure over 2,300 youths in the state. The group disclosed that it has begun online registration for unemployed youths of the state origin. Also known as “What Rivers Youths Need,” the group noted that the project would meet needs of the youths particularly, in the area of economic empowerment, job creation among others. The SIM Project Consultant, Blessing Fubara, said that the project is targeted at removing at least 2,300 youths from the list of 1.7 million jobless populations in the state before the 2023 election campaigns kicks off. Fubara observed that lack of purpose has been the reason for disconnection between the youths and government of the state. He said that the registration portal opened was meant to collate data of every unemployed youths in Rivers State, including their academic qualification, skill learnt, interests among others to guide the NGO on how to engage government on the behalf of the youths.
The state Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba Geza, disclosed this at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the ‘Roles and Responsibilities of Local Government Leads and Gender Officers in NG-CARES Result Area 3(MSE)’, organised by Result Area 3 Deliverance Platform in Birnin Kebbi. The commissioner explained that NGCARES programme was an intervention intended to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic which affected the economy and livelihood of the people. Geza said the intervention was done through 3 Result Areas including Cash Transfer/CSDA, Fadama and MSE unit targeting access to livelihood support, food security services and grants for poor and vulnerable household and firms (MSE). He said the Result Area 3 was specifically targeting vulnerable, micro and small businesses in the state affected by COVID-19 pandemic.
Group Targets 2,300 Jobs forUnemployed Rivers Youths
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia As the 2023 general election inches closer, a group that advocates for good governance, the Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria (PAN), has urged the electorate to ensure the emergence of inspiring and accountable leaders at all levels of Thegovernance.group,which was birthed in 2015 as a non-governmental organisation with a pan-Nigeria outlook and objectives, has continued to provide political and democratic advisory services from the electoral process through the governance structure in order to make way for a new Nigeria.Inapress release issued by Abia State Coordinator of PAN, Hon. Amarachukwu Kalu, said that it remained committed to changing the dynamics and expectations of Nigerians hence its belief that the choices of candidates at all levels must be those that would inspire citizens’ confidence. “With an articulated 37 year strategic programme, the organisation has pursued a vision to enthrone a “New Nigeria’’ that is driven by patriotic, purposeful and exemplary leadership, supported by strong institutions and encouraged by patriotic citizenship,” Kalu said. However, the organisation noted that citizens must drive the process for the enthronement of good leadership by using their votes wisely “as weapon for political and economic liberation from those many have described as rent-seeking political elites.”
The Anambra State Government has revisited its abandoned Government House project in Awka, 31 years after it was initiated.Thestate governor during a state executive council meeting said the project would gulp N6.088 billion for it to be completed. This was contained in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Paul Nwosu, after this week’s state executive council meeting at TheAwka.Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo in the statement noted that his government would complete the project within 18 months. Work on the new government house had been stalled for about 31 years, since after the first Military Administrator of the State, Navy Captain Joseph Abulu began the project. Nwosu in the statement explained: “The memo on the abandoned government house and 25 other peripheral structures were presented by the Commissioner for Housing and considered by Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC).“Theproject which will cost N6.088billion and will be completed within 18 months was approved by ANSEC.
NEW REALITY SHOW… L-R: Head of Production, The Big Break Moment Africa, Mr. Ernest Idahosa; Head of Marketing/Public Relations, Bianca Anunobi; Chief Executive Officer/ Founder, The Big Break Moment Africa, Mr. Tayo Folorunsho; Project Manager/Administration, Mr. Oluwatobi Imoh, and Head of Branding, Mr. Adegoke Olufemi, at the media unveiling of Big Break Moment Africa reality show in Ajah, Lagos… yesterday ETOP UKUTT
Zeroing in on Abia State, the organisation stated that the emergence of a high quality leadership in 2023 is very necessary as the state “is arguably the most horrible across the South-east geopolitical zone.” Pan-Nigeria Group Wants Inspiring, Accountable Leaders
Kebbi State Government last Wednesday said it has injected N3billion in the federal government NG-CARES programme to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the state. It said the vulnerable, micro and small businesses in the state would be granted loans to revive their businesses affected by the pandemic.
David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
Kebbi Injects N3bn into NG-CARES, to Grant Loans to Micro, Small Businesses
immediately swung into action and mobilised to the scene. “At the scene, three suspects, Chimaobi Okoewu ‘M’ and Oko Samuel ‘M’ both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday ‘M’ of Akwa-Ibom State were arrested while others fled. An intensive effort is ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects. “Fifteen mummified male corpses, three mummified female corpses and two mummified children corpses were discovered at the scene.
2023:
Charles Ajunwa in Abuja
Runsewe: We’re Telling Nigeria’s Positive Story through Culture, Crafts Sunday Okobi A group, Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), has urged state governments in the Niger Delta region to adopt the Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) model to address youth unemployment in the region. PIND’s Programme Director, Dr. Effiong Essien, stated this recently during the grant signing ceremony for the second year of the YEP project in Delta TwelveState. implementing organisations signed grant agreements to train 785 youths in technical and soft skills in agriculture, ICT, construction (and renewable energy), and services (catering, fashion designing, finished leather). Explaining the YEP model, Effiong said: “At PIND, we have a unique approach towards training the youth on entrepreneurship. We strengthen the ecosystem of skills development actors, demand-driven technical and vocational training, labour market analysis for job opportunities, and enterprise development. We also focus on investment initiatives in innovative and qualitative training that prepare youth with market-relevant skills and support and transition into wage employment or entrepreneurship.”PIND’sExecutive Director, Dr. Tunji Idowu, affirmed that the YEP model was one of the region’s best secrets. He said it was effective and provided relevant skills.
Group Faults Judgement of Tribunal on Abuja Council’s Elections
Suspectssayhouseisdesignatedmortuary
Adopt YEP Model to Solve Youth Unemployment, N’Delta Govts Urged A civil society group, has accused security agencies of involvement in the alleged falsification of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC’s) election results which was tendered at the Council’s Election Petition Tribunal in AccordingAbuja.to the civil group, Election Monitoring Watch (EMW), the alleged falsification of the results was to influence judgment in favour of the ruling party. The Secretary General of the group, Comrade Ahmed Salisu, made the accusation against the security agencies in Abuja, on Wednesday, while reacting to the judgment of the tribunal which recently declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Council’s poll. Salisu, claimed that there are enough proof in the public domain which indicted personnel of security agencies of involvement in the alleged manipulations of the election results. Some personnel of the Nigerian Police Force, the National Security and Civil Defence Corps and others were among those listed to have perpetuated the alleged criminal“Thereact.have been several reports of police interference with the process leading to the tribunal judgment.
The Edo State Police Command late Wednesday night announced it busted a ritual shrine in a building along Asoro slope, off Ekenhua road, Uzebu quarters in Benin city, recovering about 20 mummified bodies and arresting three male suspects. The Command in a statement signed by the Deputy Spokesperson, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, said the arrest was made possible through information made available to the police. The statement read in part: “In pursuance of its operational mandate of nipping crimes in the bud, operatives of the Edo State Police Command today 17/08/2022 unraveled a suspected ritual shrine. “Following credible information at the Command’s disposal that some corpses were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekenhua road, Uzebu quarters, Benin city, operatives of the command Ismail Adebayo in Birnin Kebbi
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The same was said by the noble Messenger (pbuh) as authentically reported in the following Hadeeth: “Three are the signs of a hypocrite: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted, he betrays the trust.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] In another Hadeeth, he says: “Four traits, whoever possesses them is a hypocrite, and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who, when he is entrusted, betrays the trust; when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he breaks his promise; and when he disputes, he transgresses.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit challenging the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded governorship election in Osun State. Justice Egwuatu in a judgment delivered yesterday struck out the suit seeking Adeleke’s disqualification from the July 16 governorship poll for being incompetent and lacking in merit. According to the judgment, the plaintiff, an aggrieved member of the PDP, Mr. Lukman Awoyemi, lacked the necessary locus standi (legal authority) to initiate the legal action in the first place. The court, while holding further
that the suit lacked merit, stated that the case have not been filed within the stipulated time allowed by the law for a pre-election matter, and has become statute barred and liable for dismissal. In the suit marked: FHC / ABJ/ CS/469/22, the plaintiff had asked the court to disqualify Adeleke from participating in the July 16 governorship poll on the grounds that the submission of his nomination as candidate of the PDP in the online portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not fall within the stipulated time directed by the electoral umpire.
Alex Enumah in Abuja
Adhering to Good Manners in Dealing with Opponents (2) you say that it is the vomit of wasps! In both cases of praise and dispraise you gave a valid description, yet the truth may be blemished by the misuse of words.” So, if you need to detect the truthfulness or falsehood of a meaning, you have to rid it of the wrap of words enclosing it and set your heart to be neither in a state of inclination nor aversion, then give the words due consideration with a fair eye. Do not be like the one who gives full consideration and attention to the words of his companions and those whom he trusts then casts a careless glimpse over the words of those who disagree with him. Verily, the eye of enmity sees pros as cons, and the eye of admiration sees cons as pros. None is saved from this except one whom Allah has willed to honor and chose him for accepting the truth. A poet expressed this meaning in the following verse: The eye of content is blind to every flaw, whereas the eye of discontent spotlights the faults. Another poet said: They looked with the eye of enmity, had it been that of content they would have liked what theyForcondemned.thisreason,the Prophet (pbuh) used to say the following in his supplications: “Allahumma inni as’aluka ath-thabaata fil-amri, wal-‘azeemata ‘ala ar-rushdi, wa as’aluka shukra ni‘matika, wa as’aluka husna ‘ibaadatika, wa as’aluka qalban saleeman, wa as’aluka lisaanan saadiqan, wa as’aluka min khayri ma ta‘lamu, wa a‘oothu bika min sharri ma ta‘lamu, wa astaghfiruka lima ta‘lamu, innaka anta ‘allaamu-l-ghuyoob (O Allah, I ask you for steadfastness in this matter (Islam), and I ask You for the resolve to adhere to the path of guidance, and I ask You for gratitude for Your blessings, and I ask You that I worship You well, and I ask You for a sound heart, and I ask You for a truthful tongue, and I ask You for the good of what You know, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of what You know, and I ask You for forgiveness for what You know; verily, You are the Knower of the Unseen).” [Ahmad, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Albaani: authentic]3-Another aspect of adopting good manners with an opponent is fairness in reporting misconceptions from those who raise them and refuting them. To explain, if a Muslim needs to report a misconception that has been widely circulated, he should do this without overlooking any of its aspects. Adhering to honesty in reporting a misconception is essential for achieving fairness. He should know that truth is accompanied by light, and that he has to search for the truth and exert himself in defending it and fulfill his duty in refuting the misconceptions raised about it. In case one fears that he might fail to do this duty properly, he should entrust it to another so that he should not commit wrong acts unknowingly. The noble Quran abounds in brilliant examples of rebutting the opponents after reporting their malicious allegations. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {And they say, “Never will the Fire touch us, except for a few days.” Say, “Have you taken a covenant with Allah? For Allah will never break His covenant. Or do you say about Allah that which you do not know?”} [Quran 2:80] {They say, “ Allah has taken a son.” Exalted is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him.} [Quran 2:116] {Those who remained behind rejoiced in their staying [at home] after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allah and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah and said, ‘Do not go forth in the heat.” Say, “The fire of Hell is more intensive in heat” - if they would but understand.} [Quran: 9:81] {As for [the people of] ‘Aad, they were arrogant upon the earth without right and said, “Who is greater than us in strength?” Did they not consider that Allah who created them was greater than them in strength? But they were rejecting Our signs.} [Quran: 41:15] Honest reporting of malicious allegations then rebutting them with the overpowering answer is an efficient technique to block all arguments with full politeness and fairness So, shall we try to be pure believers in both words and deeds?! I ask Allah, The Almighty, to guide us all to achieve this. Amen!
The raging debate over the Muslim-Muslim preference for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), took another dimension as the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has said the first Nigerian military head of state, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, experimented with. Same faith leadership, when he picked a Christian deputy in 1966. But the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has said the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not in the interest of the country as it would jeopardise peaceful ticket,Muslim-MuslimsaidnotintheMuhammaduhisDiocese,theMURIC,co-existence.whichcarpetedCatholicBishopofSokotoMatthewKukah,overcommentthatPresidentBuharistartedsamereligionleadership1983,saidtheassertionwascorrect.Kukah,hadinaninterview,todiscussthe2023APCpresidentialNigeriamustreturnto
CONFIRMATION OF NAME I,formerly known and addressed as OGBOO JOSHUA EBUBECHUKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as CHUDI-AGUNYENWA JOSHUA EBUBECHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take I,note.formerly known and addressed as OGBOO DAVID AKACHUK WU, wish to be known and addressed as CHUDI-AGUNYENWA DAVID AKACHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS MOYOSOLA ABIODUN LASISI, wish to be known and addressed as MRS MOYOSOLA ABIODUN BAJOMO. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS SANDRA CHIWENDU AKUJOBI, wish to be known and addressed as MRS SANDRA CHI WENDU ALOZIE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as OLUWA ABDULLAHI OLADAYO, wish to be known and addressed as ZAKARIYAU ABUDULLAHI OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as PEDRO GODSON PEDRO, now wish to be known and addressed as PEDRO GODSON GIFT. All former documents with previous name re main relevant. For the attention of relevant agencies, organisations and the general public
CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as OYELUDE OLUWATOYIN ESTHER. Now wish to be known and addressed as AKANBI OLU WATOYIN ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.
The Lagos State government has ordered a ban on commercial motorcycles also known as Okada in four more Local Government Areas (LGAs) and their respective Local Council Development Areas effective from September 1, 2022. The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde who disclosed this, said the affected four LGAs are Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu and Mushin while the six Local Council Development Areas are Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Isolo, Bariga, Odi-Olowo and Ejigbo. Following the directive, the state government directed the Nigeria Police Force, the Army, Navy, Air force and other law enforcement formations within the state to form 13 Dead, Scores Injured in Plateau, Kogi Road Accidents Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and Ibrahim Oyewale in LokojaIbrahim Oyewale in Lokoja At least 10 persons have died and scores injured on Wednesday night in an auto crash involving a trailer truck and six other vehicles along the Jos-Bauchi highway. Similarly, no fewer than three persons were confirmed dead in a motor accident when an articulated truck rammed into a stationary bus at Ogudar village on Okene-Auchi road at 10.00 a.mAnyesterday.eyewitness said the Plateau accident occurred at Zakalio/Babale axis along the highway when a trailer conveying goods to the North Eastern part of the country suddenly lost control following break failure and rammed into several vehicles. He said that 10 persons died on the spot, while sympathizers had a hectic time trying to rescue the victims from the wreckages of the vehicles, causing serious traffic jam.
“scene of the crime” in 1983, when Buhari appointed Tunde Idiagbon, as his deputy. According to Kukah, “In 1983, when General Buhari came in as head of state, he took Idiagbon. Sadly, Nigerians were very excited. Maybe that is where we should have returned to as a scene of crime. “It broke tradition, completely. The whole issue was that two Muslims from the north of the same religion would govern Nigeria, but Nigerians gave them that concession,” he said.
MURIC Defends Buhari, Says Aguiyi-Ironsi First Experimented With Same Faith Leadership
The last trait means that when he gets into a dispute with others, he accuses them of that which they are not guilty of.
Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com
Lagos Extends Okada Banto Four More LGAs Segun James
WORLD OF ISLAM
I, formerly known and addressed as OGBOO OLAEDO DEBORAH, wish to be known and addressed as CHUDI-AGUNYENWA OLAEDO DEBORAH. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as FOLORUNSO TOLULOPE VICTORIA, wish to be known and addressed as OLUDE TOLULOPE VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as EZEKIEL PAUL, wish to be known and addressed as ESUA EZEKIEL PAUL. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as FELICIA FAVOUR OMOMOH, wish to be known and addressed as FELICIA FAVOUR ABRAHAM. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 THISDAY 53 NEWSEXTRA
This is to inform the general public that my correct name is ISEGEBU LEYIGA but was wrongly written as LEYIGA ISIGEBU during my BVN registration. I wish to be known and addressed as ISEGEBU LEYIGA. All former docu ments remain valid. General public please take note.
2- One must not bind him to what he did not bind himself to. Fairness entails that you do not attribute to him what he did not say or commit him to what he did not commit himself to. You should clear his words of any ambiguity, understand them in the way he meant them, and it would be good if you interpret them in the best way possible. Our guiding light in this regard is the Hadeeth narrated on the authority of Usaamah ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sent us to Al-Huraqaat (one of the families of the tribe) of Juhaynah. We reached these people in the morning and defeated them. I chased one of their men and when I attacked him, he said: ‘La ilaaha illa Allah’ (there is no God but Allah), but I stabbed him with my spear, killing him. I felt uneasy for having done that, so I told the Prophet(pbuh) about it and he said to me: ‘He said there is no God but Allah and you killed him?!’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! He said so out of fear of the weapon.’ He said: ‘Did you split open his heart to know whether he said it sincerely or not?’ The Prophet(pbuh) kept on repeating this to me until I wished I had embraced Islam only on that day.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] It is an aspect of fairness that we refrain from harboring bad assumptions about others without clear proof; we should rather avoid this even in cases of uncertainty until the situation becomes evident and clear. It is narrated that a man asked the Prophet (pbuh) about giving testimony. So he (pbuh) said to him: “Do you see the sun?” The man said: “Yes.” The Prophet(pbuh) said: “Bear testimony to whatever is as clear as the sun; otherwise, do not.” [Al-Haakim and Al-Bayhaqi, and it is classified as inauthentic by Ibn Hajar and others. Ibn Hazm said that its chain of narration is inauthentic, but its meaning is correct] Ibn Al-Qayyim (ra) said: “Every follower of a creed choose the best words to express its principles and try to present it in the most appealing way, while doing the opposite with the thoughts and beliefs of their opponents. An insightful person is the one who can discern what is hidden beneath such words and know whether it is true or false, so you should never be deceived by words.” A poet expressed this idea saying: “You say: ‘this is the giftofbees’ inpraiseofhoney,orifyouwill
PFN:Muslim-Muslimticket’lljeopardiseNigeria’sco-existence the “Anti-Okada Squad” that would enforce the implementation of the phase two ban. The government had in June banned commercial motorcycles in six LGAs and their respective nine LCDAs including all major bridges and highways of the State. The latest move brings to 10 the LGAs where Okada riding is banned out the 20 LGAs in theConsequently,state. effective September 1, Okada operations would no longer be welcomed in the city-centres of the state. The Commissioner explained, “So, having critically accessed these resolutions and the challenges of Okada Operations on the Security Architecture of the State, recommended to Mr. Governor not to go back on the already laid down phased ban in a bid to sustain the gains.
CHANGE OF NAME
Court Dismisses Suit Challenging Adeleke’s Nomination as Osun PDP Guber Candidate By: Islamweb (Continued from last week) The Good Manners that Should Be Adopted in Dealing with the Opponents: …Such are the believers when they are overwhelmed by jealousy or differences, they are pure-hearted people who seek excuses for each other and distance themselves from ill speech and evil assumptions. They are aware of the size of trouble that an improper word can cause, and that is why it is said: “The believer’s tongue is behind his heart; were it to utter a word, it would pass first through his heart, and if the heart disapproves it, he refrains from saying it, and if the heart approves it, he says it. Unlike the hypocrite, who goes around with evil and likes offense.” This is the behavior that Allah, The Exalted has underlined as He threatens those who accuse people of what they are not guilty of; He Says (what means): {But whoever earns an offense or a sin and then blames it on an innocent [person] has taken upon himself a slander and manifest sin.} [Quran 4:112]
PREMIER LEAGUE 2023 FIBA WORLD CUP WOMEN’S U20 WORLD CUP 54 FRIDAY, AU THISDAY
Mike Dean has admitted that he should have advised referee Anthony Taylor to consult the pitch-side monitor over Cristian Romero's hair pull on Marc Cucurella.Cucurella was hauled to the ground by Romero during Chelsea's intense 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, but the Argentine defender escaped punishment for potential violent conduct, despite replays clearly showing he had yanked the former Brighton defender down by his hair.
Dean Admits He Got
FRIDAYSPORTS Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com08111813083SMSONLY
D’Tigers Camp for Qualifiers to Open Tomorrow in Abidjan
Duro Ikhazuagbe
NFF AGA Approves Elective Congress for Benin City on Sept 30
Following from the above, the Congress constituted the NFF Electoral Committee and the NFF Election Appeals Committee 2022 thus: NFF Electoral Committee 2022: Aikhunegire Anthony Malik (Chairman); Justice Abdulkadir Zakariyya (Vice Chairman); Babatunde Ogala – SAN (Member); Daha Umar Daura – Danburam (Member); Gambo Mamman (Member).
Tottenham subsequently scored from the following phase of play, as Harry Kane nodded in Ivan Perisic's corner, with on-field referee Taylor coming in for a barrage of criticism after the game for not dismissing Romero. But writing in a newspaper column for Mail+, Mike Dean, who was the VAR on duty at Stamford Bridge, has accepted full responsibility for not referring Taylor to the monitor at pitch-side - and admitted that not suggesting he view the footage for potential violent conduct was the wrong decision.
Pinnick restates resolve not to seek Third Term to douse tension
VAR Decision Wrong over Cucurella Hair Pull Nigeria’s Falconets early hours of Thursday in Alajuela, Costa Rica set a FIFA U20 World Cup group stage perfect record for themselves after beating Canada 3-1 to finish with a perfect nine points out of nine in Group C. They are to face The Netherlands who vanquished Africa’s other representatives, the Black Princesses of Ghana 4-1. The Falconets who are Africa’s best team conceded their first goal of the competition in an and surefooted in the middle with the return of Deborah Abiodun, who sat out the encounter with the Koreans, and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu also played an inspired game after starting for the first time in the tournament. Her firm header from a Blessing Okpe cross in the 15th minute missedOnyenezidenarrowly.shot Nigeria ahead, also from the spot, in the 32nd minute minute, after Simi Awujo’s dangerous play against Mercy Idoko, as the latter went for a header from Rofiat Imuran’s inswinger, was penalized. In the added time of first period, Idoko came close to scoring her first goal of the tournament, but her touch from another Imuran inswinger kissed theInupright.thesecond half, the Falconets added pace and brilliant use of space to their game, and it was no surprise when Imuran, again with a visionary cross, set up substitute Chioma Olise for Nigeria’s third goal. The Falconets, who lost in the tournament's final in 2010 and 2014 to Germany, will be hoping to make compatriots happy going ahead to nip this edition. Ghana had already suffered defeats to United States and holders Japan, which meant they could not qualify for the quarter-finals. The Black Princesses were once again punished for goalkeeping and defensive blunders in this year's tournament to send the Ghanaians home.
Esther Onyenezide...scored brace against Canada as Falconets set World Cup record Television replays showed Tottenham’s Cristian Romero pulling the hair of Marc Cucurella of Chelsea shortly after with Harry Kane scored the 2-2 equalising goal. Now, VAR Mike Dean has accepted blame for not alerting the Centre referee accidental manner yesterday, following goalkeeper Omini Oyono’s poor management of a backpass from Jumoke Alani that granted Kala Novak a fortuitous goal in less than two minutes for Canada to fly into the lead. But midfield wonder-kid, Esther Onyenezide, whose vicious curling shot earned all three points against Korea Republic in the penultimate game to send the Falconets into the last eight on Monday morning, scored from the penalty spot in the 24th minute to pull the Falconets level. Defender Mia Pante had handled the ball from a Blessing Okpe shot in theThebox.Falconets looked composed D’Tigers camp will open on Saturday in Abidjan as the team start preparation for window four of the 2023 FIBA World CupThequalifiers.team’sHead Coach, Mike Brown, disclosed this became necessary to address the slow starts in the first two windows when the team lost to Cape Verde. According to NBBF media, Brown said knowing the task ahead in the quest to qualify for the World Cup, the team need to get more training under their belt before they face host- Cote d’Ivoire next Friday, August 26 at the 3,500 capacity Palais des Sports Treichville. “We are trying to get there earlier to see whether we can have a few more practices to see whether we can get ready to perform at a little higher level in game one. In the last window, things were put together at the last second and we went there right before the first game”. He is optimistic that early preparation will make a difference when his players step on the court for their first game.
The roadmap that will lead to a new executive committee for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been constituted with Benin City chosen as venue for the historic event on September 30.Months of intrigues, speculations and bitterness over a perceived attempts by incumbent Amaju Pinnick to elongate his tenure at the Sunday Dankaro House in Abuja, the coast is clear for fresh elections to hold in accordance with the Statutes governing football in theThiscountry.wasthe good news that came out of the 77th Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which held in Lagos yesterday.Trueto his words, Pinnick, restated to the ‘44 wise-men’ that constitute the soul of the country’s football administration, his earlier resolve not to seek a third term in office as president of the NFF to douse the palpable tension that gripped the stakeholders leading to the AGA in Lagos. "As I stand before you today, I want to thank the Congress for what they have done for Nigeria football in the last eight years. I want to leave the Congress as one unit the way it was handed to me in 2014 (in Warri). "I want to say it here that I am not going to contest for the NFF President again,” observed Pinnick who is a CAF Executive Committee and FIFA Council Member.Withcoast cleared, it was not a surprise that the Congress then agreed to suspend the provisions of the NFF Statutes (2010) and the NFF Electoral Code (2009) that provide a certain duration between the time of constitution of the Electoral Committee and the conduct of elections into the NFF Executive Committee. It then adopted Friday, 30th Septemberas date for the NFF Elective Congress 2022 to be held in Benin City, Edo State. The Elective Congress was initially supposed to hold on September 20, the date the Pinnick board was elected in 2018 in Katsina.
Alternate Members: Barrister Ifeanyi Dike; Barr. Ransom Ariyo. NFF Election Appeals Committee 2022: Barrister Gandi Umar, mni (Chairman); Ayo Akindele – SAN (Vice Chairman); Rev. Obioma Onyeaghala (Member). Alternate Members: Barrister Chive Kaave; and Barrister Idi Halidu Ali.
Onyenezide on Fire Again as Falconets Beat Canada to Set up Holland Q’final
“Hopefully, with us getting there a little earlier, getting three or four practices under our belt, it will show a little bit of difference when it comes to playing the games”, Brown said. Currently fourth on the table, D’Tigers will play their opener against host- Cote d'Ivoire before facing Guinea a day later. On Sunday, 28 August, the team will square up against Angola. The 2023 World Cup is to take place from 25 August to 10 September in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2022 • THISDAY 55
from the evolutionary tendency of Nigerian political system to culminate in two grand alliances. In the first republic it was the United Progressive Grand Alliance, UPGA vs Nigeria National Alliance, NNA. In the second republic it was between the Peoples Progressive Alliance, PPA and the National Patty of Nigeria, NPN. Rather than leave the party system to evolve by the force of its own internal logic, President Babangida peremptorily decreed it into existence. Hence the establishment of the left of centre Social Democratic Party, SDP and the right of centre, National Republican Convention, NRC. Alongside this experiment was the increasingly strident agitation for power shift to the South regardless of the religious identity of the prime beneficiary. More than any factor it was Babangida’s game of ulterior (motive) political brinkmanship that resulted in the unlikely emergence of Abiola (who was not in the reckoning as a potential presidential aspirant). It was the vacuum created by the banning of more compelling aspirants that Abiola stepped into. Ultimately the choice of Babagana Kingibe (regardless of his religious identity) as running mate to Abiola was motivated by the SDP governors with whom he had shared intensive political relationship as party chairman. Taken together, the elements that superceded ethnic identity politics in the constitution of the SDP presidential ticket of Abiola and Kingibe were the imperative of power shift to the South; the bond between Kingibe and the SDP governors; and winnability. It was not the candidacy of Abiola, ab initio, that prompted the Yoruba support for SDP. The Yoruba were predominantly SDP before Abiola ever aspired to become president. There had been a prior mobilisation of the Yoruba into SDP before he showed up. Abiola went on to win the Jos convention primaries not because of Yoruba support which the governors had pledged to Kingibe but despite their preference. Given the totality of this backdrop, it would have been peculiar were the Yoruba to then vote against the SDP candidate who also happened to be Yoruba in the contest against Bashir Tofa and the NRC at the general elections. On Obasanjo. Kperogi recalled “In a February 21, 2003, confidential cable revealed by WikiLeaks in 2011, the US Consul General reported Tinubu to have told him that Yoruba people would vote for Obasanjo against Buhari because even though Obasanjo was unlikeable, he was Yoruba and Buhari wasn’t” The specious argument here is the assumption that the unlikability of Obasanjo should translate to a vote for Buhari. But what if the Yoruba detest Buhari even more? And they have enough reasons to do so. As military head of state it was Buhari who had the residence of Awolowo violated and had innocent old men like Adekunle Ajasin locked up for no just cause. And like the leopard which nary changes its colour, it was Buhari who led a fuming Fulani moslem delegation to the oyo state governor, Lam Adesina, to complain on the maltreatment of (his people the Fulani) by Adesina’s people (the Yoruba). Yet the man had been a president of Nigeria. Beyond these speculations is the compelling implausibility of a Fulani moslem especially Buhari, coming to displace Obasanjo and thereby preclude him from getting a second term in office . More so against the polarising background of the annulment crisis that brought him to office in the first place.
–FormerPrelateof
Of Awolowo, Abiola and Obasanjo
AKIN OSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA akinosuntokun@thisdaylive.com TRUTH & REASONFriday August 19, 2022Price: N250 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 MISSILE Prelate to Presidential Candidates neveryourschurch“God,therearemanypeoplecontestingtobepresident;youknowthem.Weasaarenotendorsinganybody.Letyourcandidateemerge.Weusethissonof(PeterObi)asapointofcontactthatthebulletofenemieswillneverhitanyofthecandidates.WhoeverwillleadNigeriatodestructionormoresufferingwillwin.ButwhoeverwillwinandtakecareofNigerianswillwin“
Abiola Obasanjo his opponents to seek recourse to the ploy of framing him as a dangerous ethnic irredentist out to subordinate other Nigerians to the Yoruba. With regards to this political demonisation, the original sin was the divide and rule policy of the British colonialists
“By 1914, modern Nigeria came into being under an autocratic Governor, Sir Frederick Lugard, who succeeded in isolating one Nigerian group from the other” (Jide Osuntokun) . “In administration, in land policy, in a dozen different fields of colonial government, the administration reinforced not the unity of the colony, but the differences between North and South” said Ruth First. Since 1960 and of the big three of Nigerian politics including Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Awolowo was the most active and painstaking in reaching out to the rest of the country. Unfortunately, the returns on this political investment drive have been rather poor. At best, the harvest consists of little more than appointment as vice chairman of Yakubu Gowon’s federal executive council; and the speculation that the coup makers of January 1966 had pencilled him down as their choice for the position of prime minister. In his unique devotion to the cultivation of political leadership myth, he was the most intellectually rigorous, propaganda savvy and practically driven among his peers. There is no more apt citation of him than the tribute paid him by President Ibrahim Babangida as “the main issue of Nigerian politics”. Further apotheosis vocabulary came from Emeka Ojukwu who cited Awolowo as “the best president Nigeria neverContraryhad” to the impression of many commentators however, from 1951 (when he became the leader of government business in the Western region) to 1979, Awolowo never enjoyed the kind of Yoruba hegemonic political dominance ascribed to him until his martyrdom (spawned by his trial and conviction for treasonable felony) in 1963. The reason the results of the 1951 elections in the Western region became so contentious was the less than compelling victory of the AG. Indeed the party would have lapsed into becoming the opposition party were the other contestants to gang up against it. The facts speak for themselves. In the 1951 regional elections, AG won 37 seats. Mabolaje (Ibadan people’s party) won 6 seats. NCNC won 18 seats, Independents won 19 seats]. The AG then went on to lose the elections into the federal house of representatives in 1956 to the NCNC. It was on account of this loss that the federal ministers from the western region were the likes of the flamboyant Adegoke Adelabu, T.O.S Benson and Akinfosile, all of the NCNC. Similarly the results of the 1960/61 regional elections all over Nigeria were as follows Western region: Action Group 79: NCNC–NEPU 33: Mabolaje Grand Alliance 10. Total: 122. In the Eastern Region: NCNC 106; Action Group15; Dynamic Party 5; Independents 20. Total 146. In the Northern Region: Northern People’s Congress 156; Action-Group–UMBC 9; NCNC–NEPU 1. Total166 A major extrapolation from these results is that the AG was the least regionally dominant relative to the National Council of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC and the Northern Peoples Congress NPC in their respective regions- contradicting the suggestion that “Chief Obafemi Awolowo enjoyed the kind of political dominance in Western Nigeria that Sir Ahmadu Bello didn’t have even in Hausaphone Muslim Northern Nigeria (he could never win over Kano, for example) and that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe didn’t enjoy in Eastern Nigeria”. For whatever it is worth, here are the results of the 1959 parliamentary elections in Nigeria National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (2,594,577 votes) (34.01%) (81seats) Action Group (1,992,364 votes) (26.12%) (73 seats) Northern People’s Congress (1,922,179 votes)25.20%) (134 seats) On Abiola The predisposing background to the political ascendance of Moshood Abiola (as winner of party primaries and subsequently as winner of the 1993 presidential election) consisted of the following elements. First is the imposition of the two party system by Babangida which constrained all ethno regional cleavages to find accommodation within the two parties. The Babangida prescribed two parties followed
MethodistChurchofNigeria,Dr.SamuelKanu-Uche,praystoGodforthe2023elections.
“We saw a repeat of this with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. When his major opponent was Chief Olu Falae, another Yoruba man, he lost not only the Southwest but also his natal Ogun State. However, when his major opponent in 2003 was Major General Muhammadu Buhari, the Yoruba electorate voted for him massively”-Kperogi Here is a response from Awolowo himself. “It has been suggested that I didn’t make efforts enough to widen my base. Since 1952 I made strenuous, strenuous and relentless effort to widen the base of the Action Group, and I succeeded to the extent that the Action Group at that time was the only party that control the regional government and have opposition members in all the other regions, in the other two regions, the only party that did, no any other party did”. If there is any political attribute Awolowo repudiates, it is the equation of his political leadership (and the Action-Group, AG) with Yoruba leadership. In his presidential address to the AG in 1963 he did, in fact, call any member of the party who propounds such equation as traitor. In the same manner and while getting set for participation in the politics of the second republic he relinquished the title of Yoruba leader bestowed on him in the run up to the civil war. He argued that it was logically inconsistent and incompatible with partisan politics. The reason the name of Awolowo has become the personification of Yoruba political leadership had to do with the transformative ramifications of his exceptional utilitarian premiership of the western region; and less to do with the reality of his field performance in elections. On the former, Dele Shobowale succinctly captures the“Awopointis today next to God worshipped by my own generation. His government devoted such a large percentage of the annual budget to Education – in all its ramifications – and gave the Western Region (including Edo and Delta) a huge advantage which we still enjoy till today. Yoruba people are the leaders in any legal profession in the country. The collateral advantage, for Nigeria, of Awo’s strategic vision, was the competition it induced in other regions to educate their own children”. Ironically, it was the need to contain the challenge of this leadership appeal that prompted
In the effort to decipher and formulate the chances of All Progressives Congress, APC candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential aspiration, narratives and speculations have resurfaced on the political behaviour of the Yoruba. Employing the precedents of Obafemi Awolowo, Moshood Abiola and Olusegun Obasanjo; Mr Farouk Kperogi of Saturday Tribune, for instance, came to the conclusion that “The most time-honored fixity in Nigerian electoral politics since independence is the certitude that the Yoruba electorate will always overwhelmingly vote for a Yoruba candidate in national elective contests” “Well, one can attribute Awolowo’s political iconicity in Western Nigeria to his admirable policies and inclusive strategies when he was a premier of the region. But how about Chief MKO“AbiolaAbiola”?spent the better part of his political career swimming against the political mainstream in Yoruba land. “But when his opponent turned out to be Alhaji Bashir Tofa, a Kanuri Muslim born and raised in Kano, the Yoruba electorate closed ranks, eschewed religious divisions, accentuated Abiola’s ethnicity, and voted for him overwhelmingly” .
