TUESDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021

OPEC Increases 2022 Global Oil Demand Forecast By 1mbpd

Cartel’s data confirms Nigeria unable to meet August production quota Group says country’s economic recovery constrained by inflation, illiquidity

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

yesterday expanded its global oil demand forecast for 2022 by almost one million barrels per day (bpd), to 100.83 million bpd. This was a 4.15 million bpd increase

from the 2021 figure and a steep hike from the 3.28 million bpd growth projection it made last month.

Pegging its optimism of

stronger pace of demand recovery on a steady economic outlook in all regions, OPEC stated that vaccination rates had continued to rise, while the COVID-19

pandemic was expected to be better managed, with economic activities and mobility expected to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Disclosing this in its September

Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), the cartel further confirmed a THISDAY report Continued on page 10

Debt Service Gulps N11.679tn in Five Years... Page 5 Tuesday 14 September, 2021 Vol 26. No 9654. Price: N250

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Kabba Prison Break: Security Recaptures 99 Inmates Over 150 remanded criminals still at large Soldier, policeman killed during escape

Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Security operatives, yesterday, recaptured about 99 inmates

out of the 294 that escaped from the Kabba Correctional Centre in Kogi State, after some gunmen attacked the facility at about 11.03 Sunday night.

Although over 150 other

inmates were still at large as at last night, reports also had it that no fewer than two security personnel, including a soldier and a police officer, died, when the gunmen invaded the facility

to free the inmates.

Sources hinted that the suspected gunmen, who came in seven Hilux vans with sophisticated weapons were believed to have come

on a mission to release some of the inmates from the correction centres.

The gunmen, however, had a field day shooting sporadically into the air, which enabled them

to carry out their mission.

While nothing, according to an account, suggested that an improvised explosive device Continued on page 10

Army Chief to War Commanders: I Won’t Accept Any More Excuses over Attacks Says officers must take initiative, decisive action to defeat threats Maintains failure is failure irrespective of the circumstance Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, yesterday, read the riot act to war commanders in terrorism-ravaged parts of the country, saying he would no longer accept excuses for nonperformance in the prosecution of the war against insurgency and armed banditry. Yahaya asked commanders in the various theatres of operation to seize initiative and take decisive actions to defeat threats in their respective areas of responsibility.

The army chief emphasised, “Failure is failure, irrespective of the circumstances.”

In his address at the opening ceremony of the Chief of Army Staff Combined Second and Third Quarter Conference 2021, held in Abuja, Yahaya stated that the Nigerian Army on his watch would remain Continued on page 10

PULL-OUT CEREMONY FOR BABANDEDE...

L-R: Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami; outgoing Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, during the pull-out ceremony of the CG of Immigration at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja... yesterday.

Appeal Court President Pleads with FG to Review Judges’ Salaries ... Page 10

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

NEWS

MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE...

L-R: Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor; Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay; Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, during the 33rd International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) in Abuja...yesterday

Debt Service Gulps N11.679tn in Five Years Ndubuisi Francis and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja The federal government committed a total of N11.679 trillion into debt servicing while N8.31trillion was expended on capital/development expenditure between 2015 and 2020. A breakdown of the amount showed that in 2015 and 2016, N953.620 billion and N1.475 trillion, respectively, were spent on debt service, while N1.841 trillion and N2.203 trillion went into same line item in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

The figures were unveiled in the "Analysis of the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper," presented in Abuja yesterday by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).

The sums of N2.254 trillion and N2.951 trillion went into debt service in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The N11.679,845,205, 997 five-year debt service profile (2015-2020) also translated to a yearly average of N1.386 trillion.

At the presentation, the Lead Director of CSJ, Eze Onyekpere, whose organisation has been in the forefront of the campaign for fiscal discipline and transparency in public affairs, stated that Nigeria's debt had also been increasing in double digits year-after-year since 2015, with the highest increase recorded between 2015 and 2016.

Citing the Debt Management Office (DMO) statistics, Onyekpere observed that public debt stock stood at N12,603 trillion in 2015, N17.360 trllion in 2016, and N21.725 trillion in 2017.

In 2018, 2019 and 2020, public debt stood at N24.387 trillion, N27.401 trillion, and N32.915 trillion, respectively.

The highest increase was occurred between 2015 and 2016.

Between 2015 and 2020, Nigeria's public debt increased by 161 per cent, indicating a yearly average increase of 37.74 per cent.

The CSJ chief executive stated that the debt service figures provided the factual background to the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF's) position on consolidated debt.

He said, "The Consolidated Debt Statement affirms the MediumTerm Debt Management Strategy (MTDS) 2020-2023 as the governing policy strategy. The MTEF states that the MTDS focuses on the development of an optimal borrowing structure to fund the government's financial gap and needs, taking into consideration borrowing options, cost of borrowing and the associated risks with borrowing.

"Under the MTDS, the proposed portfolio composition is 70 per cent for domestic debt and 30 per cent for external debt while total debt as a ratio of the GDP has been increased from 25 per cent to 40 per cent; average tenure of debt portfolio is a minimum of ten years.

"It proposed up to five per cent of the GDP in sovereign guarantees for private companies executing public projects and Promissory Notes is to be issued to settle government arrears, Ways and Means Advance at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the debt stock of 5 state owned enterprises (SOEs." Onyekpere recalled that the Consolidated Debt Statement setting out and describing the fiscal significance of the debt liability of the federal government was expected to process measures to reduce any such liability.

However, he regretted that the MTEF's proposals were about measures to increase the liability, noting that debt as ratio of GDP increased from 25 per cent to 40 per cent and up to five per cent of GDP in sovereign guarantees for private companies executing projects, among others.

He said Nigeria would continue

borrowing in the medium term to finance expenditure, adding that the borrowing projections in the 2022-2024 MTEF contradicts the provisions of the Medium Term Debt Strategy (MTDS), which sets a portfolio composition of 70 per cent for domestic debt and 30 per cent external debt.

The trajectory, he noted, was leading to a 50:50 ratio, adding that debt service to revenue would be increasing in the medium term while capital expenditure as a percentage of total federal government spending would be decreasing in the medium term.

Similarly, he pointed out that from available facts, recurrent expenditure as a percentage of total FGN spending, would be increasing in the medium term.

Onyekpere pointed out that in the FGN Revenue Framework, the share of oil revenue to FGN overall revenue was projected at 43 per cent in 2022, 51 per cent in 2023 and 46 per cent in 2024 while the share of non-oil taxes (VAT, CIT and Customs collection) to FGN overall revenue is projected at 29 per cent in 2022, 28 per cent for 2023 and 34 per cent for 2024.

He stated that the FGN Expenditure Framework showed that statutory transfers as a percentage of total FGN budget amounted to 4.31 per cent, 5.15 per cent, 5.23 per cent and 4.96 per cent for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Onyekpere stated, "Debt service, including Sinking Funds to total

FGN budget is 29 per cent, 33 per cent, 39 per cent and 44 per cent respectively for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“Recurrent non-debt expenditure amounts to 48.94 per cent, 52.11 per cent, 47.81 per cent and 44.29 per cent respectively for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

"The high level personnel costs as a component of recurrent non debt expenditure (66.4% in 2021; 68% in 2022; 67.9% in 2023 and 67.9 per cent in 2024) is further evidence of the imperative for reducing the cost of governance.

"Special interventions funds amounts to 3.04 per cent, 2.94 per cent, 2.61 per cent and 2.39 per cent respectively for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“Capital expenditure (excluding Government owned Enterprises and statutory transfers) amounts to 32.87 per cent, 23.82 per cent, 20.22 per cent and 18.50 per cent for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively."

CSJ recommended that MTEFs should be prepared on the strength of high-level overarching national policy instruments, pointing out that a clear successor to the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERHP) should be articulated and made available to Nigerians.

According to the organisation, there are references in the MTEF to a Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP), which is neither in the public domain nor a product of the popular participation by Nigerians.

Kyari Charges NAPIMS on Further Cost-cutting Measures Wunti harps on need to strategise ahead of impending changes in global oil sector Emmanuel Addeh and Dike Onwuamaeze in Abuja The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, yesterday called on the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to embark on further cost optimisation strategies in line with the corporation’s objective of reducing inefficiency.

Speaking at the 2021 NAPIMS Annual Value Assurance Review Session (AVAR) , hosted by the NNPC upstream unit, Kyari urged the NAPIMS team to leverage on the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to ensure that the use and monetisation of gas resources remain its priority.

The event is an annual proactive platform for carrying out 360 degrees review of the NAPIMS portfolio to identify strategies, drive new approaches

and initiatives considering economic realities and industry trends.

Aside Kyari, the three-day event slated for the 13th-15th September, in Lagos, had in attendance a member of the NNPC Board of Directors, Dr. Tajuddeeen Umar, Group Executive Director Upstream, Adokiye Tombomieye, among others.

The NNPC boss stated that it was heart-warming that NAPIMS had taken the lead in conducting the annual value assurance review, which he said was in line with the best practice of other global ‘comparator organisations'.

He stated that NAPIMS must be ahead of the curve to ensure a successful transition of NNPC to a Corporate and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) company in the near future.

The GMD charged NAPIMS to remain focused, devise sustainable

cost efficiency measures and leverage on attractive provisions in the new Act to drive gas development and monetisation.

In his welcome address, the Group General Manager, NAPIMS, Mr. Bala Wunti, emphasised that the oil and gas industry represents over 75 per cent of national revenue of which NAPIMS manages a large part, implying that whatever action the organisation takes has farreaching consequences on not just the corporation, but the entire nation.

Wunti stated that this year’s AVAR was timely and provides NAPIMS a great platform and opportunity to adequately strategise ahead of the impending changes facing the industry locally and globally.

In his remarks, Umar enumerated the expectations of NAPIMS post-PIA, listing them as technical auditing,

superintendence on project delivery as well as serving as intermediary between NNPC, International Oil Companies (IOCs), federal government and other stakeholders.

He listed others as capacity creation and domiciliation of knowledge, skills and competence, organisational excellence as well as financial value maximisation.

A technical session to proffer key insight and understanding of the PIA was facilitated by the Managing Partner, Olaniwun Ajayi Legal Practitioners, Dr. Tominiyi Owolabi, and an Industry veteran and former Adviser to Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Dr. Timothy Okon.

However, the programme continues today with a focus on business overview and 2022 outlook, energy transition outlook and response strategy, among others.

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A DECADE OF PRAISE...

L-R: Chairperson, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, Mrs. Nkem Sofola; Convener, Celebrity Praise Night, Pastor Paul Emmanuel; Special guest/ Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and General Secretary, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, Mrs. Yewande Olorunrinu, during the 10th anniversary celebration of Celebrity Praise Night held in Lagos… yesterday

Mshelbila Takes over at NLNG, Vows to Complete Train 7 Peter Uzoho The new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, has commenced his single five-year tenure at the company with the promise to complete the train 7 project under construction.

He also promised the company's shareholders and the Nigerian people that he would ensure that more Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) were taken to further ramp up NLNG's gas supply capacity and secure its place in the global gas market.

Mshelbila, in a statement by the NLNG's General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mrs. Eyono Fatayi-Williams, yesterday, stated this weekend in Port Harcourt, River State, at the farewell and welcome ceremony, where the mantle of leadership of the company was handed over to him by his predecessor, Mr. Tony Attah, whose tenure ended on August 31, 2021.

The ceremony attracted dignitaries from the political and oil and gas spaces, among whom were the Governors of Rivers and Edo States, Mr. Nyesom Wike and Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Executive Secretary the Nigerian Content Development

and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote; NLNG Board Chairman, Dr. Edmund Daukoru, amongst others.

In his acceptance speech, Mshelbila stated, “We will complete Train 7 and take more FIDs to secure our place in the global market. We will complete the Bonny-Bodo Road and so many other social projects to fulfill our vision of helping to build a better Nigeria."

He said he was honoured to lead the company and vowed that the company would remain the leading LNG company in Africa and Nigeria’s most successful business model.

Admitting that the challenge before him and his team in a world marked by uncertainties and transitions was huge, Mshelbila, who had just rounded-up his tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad & Tobago, stated that he was not daunted.

He added, "It is with a great sense of responsibility that I stand here today, honoured to be the Managing Director of NLNG. The challenge before us is huge in a world marked by uncertainties and transitions, but I am not daunted.

"I am not daunted because I stand with a set of seasoned senior

and extended management teams who are worth their weight in gold.

"I am not daunted because, together with the management team we have as members of staff, people who possess the right acumen and resilience, with deep passion and commitment to move Nigeria LNG forward. These are the people who build the company to where it is today. I am humbled to lead them today."

In his farewell remarks, Attah, who has return to his original organisation, Shell, thanked NLNG's staff and partners for helping them to achieve their set goals, noting that after 15 years wait, the company pressed the reset button and got the Train 7 project that is now under construction.

Attah said, “I thank the staff and our partners who helped achieve our set goals. It was a collective success. I would like to see the five years as foundational.

"Earlier, the ambition of the company was to build only two trains which was referred to as the Base Project. But we went on to build Trains 3,4,5, and 6. Then, we went into a break for 15 years. We pressed reset, released the ‘pause’ button, and got Train 7.

"But Train 7 is about the same capacity as Trains 1 and 2. For me, Train 7 is another base project, and we should go on to build other trains. I strongly believe we will.”

Also speaking at the occasion, Wike, said Nigeria needed technocrats such as Attah, conferring

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, told the people living in the IbejuLekki axis of the state that the prosperity of the area was traceable to the prophetic utterances of the late sage and Premier of the old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Sanwo-Olu said this Sunday evening after watching a stage musical drama performance titled ‘Awo: The Man, His Jewel And…’ produced by The Duke of Shomolu, a theatre company run by Joseph Edgar.

The Governor said the uniqueness in what was presented on “Awo: The Man, His Jewel And…” was to bring back the memory of Ibeju-Lekki, where Awolowo was incarcerated and the blessing the Premier of the Western Region showered on the community, which had come to reality.

The play, which took place at the Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos Island, showcased the political life and times of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his wife, the late

Chief (Mrs) Hannah Dideolu Awolowo, who the late sage himself described as ‘Jewel of inestimable value.’ The play was directed by renowned director, Makinde Adeniran.

Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo led other prominent Nigerians, including Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Governor Sanwo-Olu; Osinbajo’s wife, Dolapo; former Governors of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Awolowo grandchildren, Segun and his mother, Mrs. Abah Zainab Folawiyo; Prof. Bankole Oyediran, the husband of Awolowo’s late daughter and Mrs. Omotola Oyediran, among others to honour Awolowo and his wife.

Sanwo-Olu, in his address, said one of the lessons and takeaways from the theatre was the story about Lagos and more importantly, the story about Ibeju-Lekki, where Awolowo was incarcerated for many months.

“For those who do not know, or have forgotten, Papa (Awolowo) was incarcerated in Lekki Town, Ibeju-Lekki, and he made prophetic

of NLNG, Mr. Sadeeq Mai-Bornu, who was represented at the occasion by Fatayi-Williams, described Attah as a visionary leader who triggered the development of key strategies to mitigate risks to the business.

He also assured Mshelbila of the commitment of the management and staff to the success of the company.

NLNG is owned by four Shareholders, namely, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented

by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 49 per cent, Shell Gas BV (25.6 per cent), Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15 per cent), and Eni International NA N. V. S.àr. l (10.4 per cent).

Buhari Drafts NEITI into PIA Steering Committee Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday drafted the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) into the newly-inaugurated Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) Implementation Steering Committee (ISC) to ensure openness in the operations of the body.

A statement by the Head, Communications and Advocacy, NEITI, Mrs. Obiageli Onuorah, said the president’s approval of the appointment of the transparency watchdog was conveyed to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, by the Secretary to the Government

Sanwo-Olu: Ibeju-Lekki People’s Prosperity Linked to Awolowo’s Prophecies Segun James

on him the second-highest honour in Rivers State.

He added that the former MD stood firm and made NLNG great, promising that NLNG and Rivers State would never forget him.

Wike also said Mshelbila’s tenure would achieve more, urging him to continue from where Attah stopped.

In his remarks, Daukoru, commended Attah for performing to expectation and overcoming the challenges posed by the oil price crash in 2016 and COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, amongst other vital wins.

He assured Mshelbila of the board's unflinching support to help achieve the company's set goals.

The Deputy Managing Director

utterances that the place will flourish, do well and be prosperous.

Well, those prayers have continued to prosper the town.

“Ibeju-Lekki today is the most talked about in real estate and property development. Should we even mention the refineries, petrochemical plants, sea ports, among others? There is no other place we can talk about in Nigeria now like Ibeju-Lekki, particularly, Lekki town. Papa Awolowo’s blessings have come true upon that town,” he said.

On the importance of the play to Nigerians, especially, the younger generations, Sanwo-Olu said it showcased those, who stood their grounds and brought the conversation about a united Nigeria to the front burner.

“This story is also important, especially, for the younger generation who wouldn’t have the opportunity to understand and reflect back on what life was like in the days of Awolowo, our fathers and grandfathers. It is very easy for us to push history behind, but this play has told us about those, who stood their grounds in the

conversation for Nigeria.

“When we hear about Awolowo, some people might not be able to put it in proper perspective, but those who have watched this musical show tonight can begin to connect that indeed these were great men, who helped to shape the narrative of this country.

“That is why all of us must hold on tightly to ensure Nigeria remains one, despite its ups and downs. We need to hold ourselves in these difficult times with the assurances that we will weather the storm together and come out stronger and better.”

Speaking at the event, Gbajabiamila gave kudos to the producer, Edgar, saying what he saw with the presentation was “immortality.”

The Speaker, while noting that it was common to have people, who had passed being brought alive through books, drama and others, and not really through music, declared that the takeaway from the presentation was that “once upon all the time, there was a man,” and not the common saying of once upon a time, there was a man.

of the Federation (SGF) Mr. Boss Mustapha.

The president stated that it was necessary to include NEITI in the committee to utilise the agency's independent knowledge, information, and data to help align the implementation of the Act with emerging global issues in the sector as expected.

“NEITI will also work with the committee to put in place sustainable systems and processes for institutions that will emerge under the act. NEITI is also expected to work with the committee to lay a solid foundation for a culture of good governance and open a new era for the industry,” the statement said.

While approving NEITI's inclusion, Buhari said the body has used its industry audit reports to facilitate successful implementation of the administration’s anti-corruption reforms in the oil, gas and mining industries.

According to him, this has advanced the economic development policies of the current administration and helped Nigeria to continue to meet the expectations of the international community, especially the 55-member countries of the global EITI. Reacting to the development, Orji applauded the president’s consideration to include NEITI into the PIA committee.

“It is the right step in the right direction, considering the mandate of NEITI and its objectives, its pivotal roles in the ongoing reforms and strategic importance to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

“We commend Mr. President for his insight and foresight. The inclusion of NEITI in this committee will provide the platform for our agency to bring in EITI standards and work with sister agencies in the committee to design a workable, result-based implementation plan for industry-wide use,” he said.

Orji explained that some of the new requirements of the global EITI on contract transparency and beneficial ownership are captured in the PIA. “NEITI's membership of the committee will provide opportunity for close monitoring of these issues right from the beginning of the PIA’s implementation,” he added.

He noted that the organisation currently ensures that revenue payments to the federation from all extractive sources are properly assessed, remitted and tracked, ensuring that entities are held accountable on the deployment and application of revenues for the benefits of the citizens.

Buhari recently approved the constitution of the nine-man steering committee which is headed by Sylva, with representatives from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS), ministry of justice, ministry of finance, budget and national planning, among others.

The committee is expected to guide the effective and timely implementation of the PIA and ensure that the new institutions to be created have the full capability to deliver on their mandate under the new legislation.

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CELEBRATING THREE SCORES PLUS TEN...

L-R: Dame Marie Fatayi-Williams: Chief Opra Benson: celebrant, Chief Sena Anthony and Hon. Jumoke Okoya at the 70th birthday of Sena Anthony which held in Lagos...yesterday PHOTO: Mubo Peters

FG Targets 52m Vaccines by Second Quarter 2022 Puts 50% ceiling on deployment of Moderna vaccine by states Removes India from list of banned countries Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government has projected that it will receive about 55 million doses of vaccines by April 2022 to ensure that more Nigerians are vaccinated against the dreaded COVID-19.

The Chairman Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha made the disclosure yesterday when the PSC briefed reporters in Abuja.

He assured that with the delivery of doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson vaccines, in addition to the expected delivery of Pfizer vaccines, there would be enough vaccines to go across the country.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, also reiterated that the only way to survive the scourge was to be vaccinated, a fact he said had been reinforced by science and research.

He noted that although the global cases recorded have continued to decline to about four million cases weekly, the situation, however, still calls for caution because the country and the world are not out of the woods yet.

“To ease travels for fully vaccinated Nigerians, we are exploring the principles of reciprocity between Nigeria and other nations. For the time being, Nigerians are advised to always carry their vaccination the card details or barcode on their electronic devices for easy access especially for those travelling outside the country,” he said.

He also disclosed that the federal government has removed India from the list of countries affected by the travel restriction that was introduced on May 4 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

He said India was removed from the list in view of the improved situation in that country.

In the light of the exemption of India, all non-Nigerian passport holders and non-residents who had travelled to the other countries on the restricted list - Brazil, Turkey and South Africa-in the last 14 days would be denied entry into Nigeria.

Meanwhile the Executive Director National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib has stated there are efforts to implement the policy of vaccine mandate for all federal public workers in order to ensure workplace safety.

Shuaib who spoke yesterday at the PSC briefing said with the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 globally, some countries have been instituting vaccine mandates by asking workers to either present proof of vaccination or provide weekly COVID-19 PCR negative results in order to be allowed into public offices.

He stressed that it was only when eligible persons come out for vaccination and observe the non-pharmaceutical interventions that the country can achieve population immunity and prevent the vaccine from becoming a nuisance and threat.

He also disclosed that as of Monday, September 12, 2021, the country had attained a national average of 70.4 per cent utilisation of the 2,000,040 doses of Moderna vaccines it received.

According to him a total of 4,052,756 eligible persons had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, comprising of 2,645,020 persons with the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine and 1,407,736 eligible persons with the first dose of Moderna vaccine.

“Considering the rapid progress seen in the utilisation of Moderna vaccines, states have been guided not to exceed their

50 per cent utilisation rates for Moderna in order to reserve the second doses for all those already vaccinated.

“Most states have reached this percentage and priority is now focused on administering AstraZeneca vaccine as first dose vaccine in all states,” Shuiab said.

He warned against an attempt by anyone to produce, procure and sell fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, saying anyone caught illegally transacting would be apprehended and made to face the law.

He similarly warned that any state found to be condoning acts of corruption in relation to the distribution of vaccines and

Former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof.

Jerry Gana has said Nigerians should be prepared to sack leaders and non-performing political parties in the 2023 general elections.

According to him, rather than wallow in regret, frustration and lamentations, the citizens should wait for the appropriate time at the next general elections to punish leaders who had failed to deliver on their promises.

Gana said this during an interview with journalists shortly after commissioning the newly built All Saints Anglican Church in Zone 5, Wuse Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Sunday.

Commenting on the rising spate of insecurity as well as hardship in the land, Gana said Nigerians should see it, "as government failing to deliver on promises made to them especially on the

issue of security.”

He added: "The security situation is certainly something of profound worry but the people should see it as the beauty of democracy. They should see it that what this government promised to deliver, especially on the issue of security, they have failed to deliver.

"Therefore, they should wait for the next election and not to get frustrated because elections are ways of rejuvenating the system and putting new people into power so that they will do the kind things they want," he said.

Against the background of the clamour for a credible and transparent electoral system, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, said the church must brace up to support the emergence of good leader in 2023.

He said the people should not be discouraged but that they should always insist on free and fair elections.

According to him, the church

and the people must resist any attempt by the government to intervene or alter the rules of the game.

He said: "The peoples’ will must prevail so that if the people feel disappointed, they should express it in an election and reject bad people and put good people into office so that peace, security and good governance moving forward.

"That is the beauty of democracy. We should punish those who have failed using the election.

"The most powerful way the church can prepare the nation for the 2023 general elections is to prepare the people. The church can transform the lives of the people by preaching the word of God so that they will be transformed within. Secondly, by teaching them how to become good citizens".

Gana also said the church should help raise a society that is governed by righteousness, good character and obedience

COVID-19 were eleven times more likely to die of the disease and ten times more likely to be hospitalised with the disease" Shuaib also said that the agency has taken steps to ensure that the vaccines are administered in a safe and effective manner and are made free for all.

He said there is the need for the states to hold their health workers accountable and sanction any health official found carrying out activities contrary to the mandates set by the federal government.

According to him, any state found to be condoning these acts of corruption would no longer be allocated vaccines.

Buhari May Present 2022 Budget This Month as N’Assembly Resumes Today Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja There is a high probability that President Muhammadu Buhari might present the 2022 budget this month. The speculation is coming on the heels of the two chambers of the National Assembly resuming plenary today, after a

Vote Out Bad Leaders in 2023, Jerry Gana Tells Nigerians Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

handling of vaccination cards sent to them will no longer be allocated vaccines.

Shuaib said it was the duty of the states to protect the vaccines and vaccination cards sent to them as well as ensure that the vaccines are administered in a safe and effective manner and are made free for all.

Shuaib further said: “A recent study by the United States Centre for Disease Control (USCDC) which examined 600,000 COVID-19 cases, revealed that people who were unvaccinated were about four and a half times more likely to contract COVID-19.

"It further showed that those who are not vaccinated against

to the laws.

In addition, he said the church should always insist on keeping to the rules of the game.

"We must insist that things are done in an orderly manner.

There shouldn't be as it were an intervention in the rules of the game. There must be proper rule and procedure. Things must done properly, so that elections will be orderly and peaceful and the peoples’ choice must be respected.

"Finally, the church must endorse, through prayer, very good candidate because only good leaders can move the nation forward. The church must not allow itself to be led, the church must be leading through prayer, through preaching and through Godly intervention. The church must show the light so that people will see the way.

"So they should not be discouraged, we are moving on and we hope we to keep going and we will insist that election should not rigged," he said.

two-month long annual vacation, to continue with the third year of the Ninth Assembly.

The Senate and House of Representatives had adjourned plenary on July 15 after passing landmark bills including the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which was assented to last month by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

The two chambers will upon resumption of plenary adjourn almost immediately as a mark of honour for a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Adedayo Omolafe, representing Akure South/North federal Constituency, who died on August 16.

The adjournment of legislative session till Wednesday is in line with the tradition of the National Assembly, which will not sit in the event of the death of either a Senator or House member.

But as the federal lawmakers returned to their desks fully, several important legislative work were expected to be lined up for their attention.

Aside consideration of crucial bills, resolutions to motions and continuation of probes, the worsening security situation was expected to be the main agenda of the lawmakers.

The legislators, in line with their promise in their legislative agenda, were also expected to maintain the budget cycle of January-December.

Flowing from this and with both chambers having held interactive session on the 2022-2024 Medium

Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) with heads of revenue generating agencies of government, President Muhammadu Buhari is being expected to present the 2022 appropriation Bill to the lawmakers hopefully before the end of this month.

Also, the review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is expected to be on the priority list of the two chambers.

The Senate and the House had earlier in the year held zonal public hearings in 12 centres involving all the 36 states to get inputs on the constitutional amendments from Nigerians.

On its resumption for legislative activities, both chairmen of the Constitution Review Committees, Senator Ovie Omo-agege and Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, were expected to harmonise reports from both the zonal and national public hearings before being presented to the two chambers for approval.

Another issue that might attract the attention of the lawmakers, is that of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Stamp Duties collection, which have become a legal matter between some state and federal governments.

There were speculations that some lawmakers might push for a legislation on VAT. The harmonisation of the differences in the position of the two chambers the in electoral act amendment bill is also on the card.

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A’Court President Pleads with FG to Review Judges’ Salaries As Malami insists justice not commodity for bargain Alex Enumah in Abuja The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, on Monday pleaded with the federal government for an immediate upward review of the salaries of judicial officers in the country.

The plea appeared to be predicated on the need for the financial autonomy of the judiciary.

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, had in recent past decried the current situation, where he said the judiciary always went cap-in-hand to the executive.

But Dongban-Mensem, who lamented the poor situation surrounding the welfare of judicial officers, revealed that their salaries had been stagnated for over 10 years now.

Speaking at the opening of the 2021/22 legal year, the appellate court president, disclosed that the CJN, as Head of the Judiciary in Nigeria, earned N279, 497 as monthly salary, while his brother justices on the Supreme Court bench earned N206,425.

Dongban-Mensem said as President of Court of Appeal, she received the sum of N206,425, while other justices on the bench of the Court of Appeal, earned N166,285 every month.

She, therefore, noted with that the salary structure for judicial officers and staff in Nigeria had consistently ranked poorly, when compared to that of their counterpart in other African and Commonwealth countries.

Specifically, Justice DongbanMensem recalled that the last time salaries of judicial officers were reviewed in Nigeria was in 2008, when the upward review was made to take effect on February 1, 2007.

She, however, called on the federal and state governments to live up to their obligations under the implementation of Financial autonomy of state legislature and the state judiciary order, 2020, known as Executive Order 10.

“I implore the government of the federation and states to urgently review the salaries and allowances of judicial officers and staff. The salaries of justices are static with no graduation as in the civil and public service. We have been on one salary grade for over 10 years now.

“May I also call on government to increase financial allocations that will enable us to introduce technical innovations that would improve adjudication,” she said.

On the performance of the Appeal Court under review, the president disclosed that a total of 5,392 appeals and 9,249 motions were filed in the

2020 divisions of the Court last legal year, between September 2020 and August 2021.

Out of the cases, Justice Dongban-Mensem revealed that 3,111 appeals were disposed along with 7,492 motions, adding that out of the appeals 2,169 appeals were dismissed while 942 appeals were upheld as at August 31, 2021.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, urged judges in county to maintain the sanctity and

credibility of the Court and not make Justice a commodity for sale to the highest bidder.

Malami charged them to ensure that the sacred integrity reposed on the judges remained unshaken at all times in order to foster and promote public confidence in all rulings that emanated from this Court.

“Your resolve, as a temple of justice in ensuring that justice is not trivialised to a common bargain and is in effect accessible to all is highly commendable.

Quarter Conference 2021 was the first edition of the conference under Yahaya as army staff.

The quarterly programme of the Nigerian Army brought together Principal Staff Officers, General Officers Commanding, Commandants of Strategic Army formations, and operational commanders to brainstorm and interact with the Chief of Army Staff on the state of affairs of the Nigerian Army and review its plans for the next quarter.

A major highlight of the opening ceremony of the three-day conference themed, “Developing Enduring Strategy to Accomplish Assigned Mission in a Joint Environment,” was the commissioning of seven satellite communication vehicles and conferment of special awards to some distinguished officers.

Among those given awards was the guest lecturer at the event, Maj Gen Lawrence Ngubane (rtd), who delivered a lecture, titled, “Leadership Development as a Panacea for Accomplishing Mission in a Joint Environment.”

Lt Gen Lamidi Adeosun (rtd) and the current Commandant of Nigerian Defence Academy, Maj Gen Ibrahim Manu, were also honoured. Yusuf received the award of Knight of the National Order of Chad conferred on him by the Government of the Republic of Chad for his outstanding performance during his time as Commander of the Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF) headquartered in Ndjamena, Chad Republic.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government has confirmed a attack on Peigyim village, near Kibori, Atyap Chiefdom of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, and said 12 people were killed by gunmen.

A statement on Monday by the Commissioner for Internal

judgement and rulings in the face of judicial precedent is an exceptional value of judicial system that must at all times strive to be upheld as a way of upholding the sanctity of the judiciary in re-enacting the confidence of the common man in the nation’s judicial system.

The AGF, however, assured the people that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, would review the welfare of judicial officers generally to ensure greater efficiency.

KABBA PRISON BREAK: SECURITY RECAPTURES 99 INMATES was used to gain access, despite having an iron door, at the scene were shattered glasses of the windows and broken ceiling.

According to inside sources, the hoodlums, who arrived the centre at about 11.03 on Sunday night and left around 3.00am on Monday morning, forcefully released the inmates, many of whom were brought from the Koto-Karfi Correctional Centre, following an ongoing renovation, compelled after the perimeter fencing caved in.

Sources further hinted that some of the inmates had voluntarily returned to the centre, while others went to the palace to surrender by themselves, after realising the implication of their action, yet, the Kogi State Vigilance Service claimed to have arrested some others in the bushes.

The Comptroller General, Haileru Dan Baba, said

investigation into the development had commenced but declined further comment on the matter.

The state comptroller, who was at the scene of incident, also declined to speak with journalists.

All heads of security agencies, including the Assistant Inspector General of Police, State Commissioner of Police, Commander, Army Records, Director State Security Service and special adviser to the Kogi State Governor, Jerry Omodara had also visited the scene of attack.

The Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, called on the federal and state governments as well as the security agencies to beef up security around the country, stressing that it was a big surprise to hear that gunmen came at 11pm and left around 3.00am in the morning.

AR M Y CH IE F TO WAR COMMANDER S: I WON’ T ACCEP T A N Y MO RE EXCUSES OVER AT TACKS resolute and continue to chart the progressive path towards tackling the security challenges confronting the country.

He stated, “I have directed that serious attention be given to sustaining and improving the tempo in all on-going Nigerian Army operations across the country. I have also directed the conduct of special operations, especially, in the North-central and North-west regions.

"Commanders must, therefore, glean from my command philosophy to ensure that operational and administrative proficiencies of the Nigerian army units and formations are sustained and improved upon.

“Commanders must seize initiatives and commanders must take initiatives, they must take decisive actions to defeat the threats in their respective Areas of Responsibility (AOR).

“I will not again take or accept no excuses. Gentlemen, failure is failure, irrespective of the circumstances.”

The army chief acknowledged that there were logistic constraints affecting operations across the country and disclosed that efforts were in progress to provide combat enablers that would enhance and boost military operations. He also said concerted efforts were being made to eliminate the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which had been a major impediment to troops and Operation Hadin Kai. Yahaya acknowledged the imperative of training and retraining of troops for operational efficiency, and reiterated his determination to rebuild fighting skills, capacity, confidence and morale of troops across the theatres of operations through “training and more training”.

The Chief of Army Staff Combined Second and Third

“I, hereby, also extend a call of solidarity, reverence and respect for the Courts and Court processes, to all our Learned Distinguished Colleagues here present to ensure that justice is not trivialised to a commodity bargained for and taken by the highest bidder, at the detriment of the indigent, who for want of equal bargaining power, wallow in the shadows of judicial neglect,” he added.

He said uniformity, consistency and universality of

Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the gunmen stormed the village late on Sunday evening. He listed those killed to include Philbia Ysuaf, Suzanna Ezekiel Rahib Alex, Ishaku Bamaiyi, Deborah Ishaku, and Tinat Bamaiyi.

Others, according to the commissioner, included Zichat Kefas, Sunday Daniel, Hauwa Gabriel, Fedelia Famson, Sadia Donald, and Goodness Kefas.

The statement added that two other residents were injured and were receiving treatment.

“Governor Nasir El-Rufai expressed profound grief at the report of another deadly incident in the area,” he said, adding, “The governor sent his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims slain in the mindless and gruesome attack, and prayed for the repose of their souls.”

According to him, the governor wished the injured residents quick recovery, saying, “Security agencies are poised to sustain patrols in the area, as investigations into the incident progress.”

The royal father noted the the the vigilance group was though trying its best, he maintained that their best could not be enough in face of sophisticated weapons brought by the suspected gunmen Meanwhile, the office of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has been briefed on the incident by the Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa.

The Minister was told that during the attack, security officers on duty, which comprised 15 Soldiers, 10 Police Officers and 10 armed guards of the NCoS on duty fought gallantly to repel the attack, but that two officers of the Correctional Service were yet to be accounted for while one soldier and a policeman lost their lives during the attack.

A statement by the Media Adviser to the Minister of Interior, Sola Fasure, confirmed that the minister had been briefed by Nababa, and disclosed that the Kabba Custodial facility had 294 inmates as at the time of the attack, many of whom escaped after the gunmen allegedly used explosives to destroy three sides of the perimeter fence.

He said 28 inmates stayed back and some had also voluntarily returned to the facility, adding that Nababa was currently monitoring the situation and that the tour of the facility was also ongoing.

He revealed that a Crisis Response Centre has been activated and a Special Taskforce

mobilised to recapture escaped inmates whilst an Inter-Agency Security Task Force was already on the trail of the gunmen, who attacked the facility, advising the public to stay calm as the situation was under control.

The minister, therefore, assured the citizenry that Nigeria’s security forces would find the attackers and bring them to justice.

He said: “We shall leave no stone unturned to bring them back to custody. We are also putting INTERPOL on notice with their details, in case any of them attempts fleeing outside our shores.

“We urge the people, especially, the communities around the custodial facility, to be vigilant and report any strange and suspicious persons or activities to the nearest law enforcement agency.”

He further warned the fleeing inmates, that escaping from lawful custody was a serious criminal offence.

“Law enforcement agencies and citizens are lawfully empowered to use all necessary means to arrest and bring you to justice. You should therefore know what you are up against. You will however be eligible for mitigation if you willfully surrender yourselves at the nearest law enforcement office. The Nigeria Correctional Service shall not be cowed by elements seeking to compromise the security of our nation; we shall deal with this situation with absolute resolve.”

He promised to provide more updates at the end of the preliminary assessment.

OPEC INCREASES 2022 GLOBAL OIL DEMAND FORECAST BY 1MBPD earlier in the month that though paltry compared to its pre-COVID production figure of nearly two million bpd, Nigeria was unable to meet its oil production quota for the month of August.

Based on secondary sources, the OPEC document revealed that the country was unable to take full advantage of the latest adjustments by the oil producers' group, and it lost a whopping 114,000 barrels per day in the month under review.

While crude oil output increased in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Angola, Nigeria was one of the three member countries, which were unable to fully pump their quotas, the rest being Congo with a deficit of 14,000bpd and Iran with 8,000 bpd.

The THISDAY report had revealed that despite asking for a higher baseline in August, Nigeria failed to meet the existing quota assigned by OPEC, with the new figures now showing that the country may have lost over 3.5 million barrels of crude oil during the month alone.

Many of the shut-ins, it was gathered, were attributable to assets' breakdowns, unresolved community issues, as well as shutdowns to carry out routine maintenance, although the

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had recently said it was difficult to get its facilities back to production after they were closed down due to OPEC cuts imposed last year because of the pandemic.

But on its latest demand forecast, OPEC projected that the pandemic would affect demand in the near term and revised down its fourth-quarter demand forecast by 110,000 b/d, to 99.70mn bpd, as well as this year's non-OPEC liquids supply growth to 170,000 bpd, lower than the forecast in last month's report.

It trimmed its world oil demand forecast for the last quarter of 2021 due to the Delta coronavirus variant, saying a further recovery would be delayed until next year when consumption would exceed pre-pandemic rates.

OPEC said in the report, “The increased risk of COVID-19 cases primarily fuelled by the Delta variant is clouding oil demand prospects going into the final quarter of the year. As a result, second-half 2021 oil demand has been adjusted slightly lower, partially delaying the oil demand recovery into first-half 2022.”

On the back of the new report, oil prices rose for a second session

on Monday, fuelled by concerns over shut output in the United States, following damage from Hurricane Ida. Prices have risen over 40 per cent this year, boosted by economic recovery hopes and OPEC+ supply cuts, although concern about the Delta variant has weighed heavily on the optimism.

Brent crude rose 67 cents, or 0.9 per cent to $73.59 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also added 66 cents, or 1 per cent, to $70.38, their highest since around September 3.

About three-quarters of the offshore oil production in the US Gulf of Mexico, or about 1.4 million barrels per day, have remained halted since late August, roughly equal to what OPEC member, Nigeria, produces.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the largest oil producer in the U.S. Gulf, on Thursday cancelled some export cargoes because of damage to offshore facilities from Hurricane Ida, signalling energy losses would continue for weeks.

In July, OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, agreed to gradually unwind record oil output cuts put in place last year due to the pandemic, by 400,000 bpd a month from August and

confirmed the plan at their last meeting on September 1 On the overall Nigerian economy outlook, OPEC recalled that it grew by five per cent year-on-year in 2Q21, following expansion of 0.5 per cent y-o-y in 1Q21, describing the growth as the strongest since 4Q14.

OPEC said regarding the growth rate, “More importantly, it mirrors a stable economic recovery, as it marked a third quarter of expansion following a recession in 3Q20. Growth was driven by the non-oil sector, which expanded to 6.7 per cent from 0.8 per cent y-o-y in 1Q21.

“Remarkably, the trade, information and communication, transportation, electricity, agriculture and manufacturing sectors contributed the most to GDP growth. On a quarterly basis, the GDP decreased by 0.8 per cent.

“For the time being, the re-imposition of lockdown measures to cope with a new wave of COVID-19 has become a more pressing risk.

“In the short term, the economy is anticipated to pursue its recovery, though high inflationary pressures, liquidity constraints and the impact of and uncertainties related to COVID-19 will provide challenges.”

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2023: No Provision for Zoning in Nigerian Constitution, Says Adamu Wants FG, states to protect herdsmen

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

A member of the National Assembly, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has faulted calls being made in some quarters for the zoning of the Presidency to the South come 2023, saying there is no provision for zoning in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).

He also canvassed for the free movement of herdsmen across the country while urging both the federal and state governments to provide adequate security for herdsmen nationwide.

The former governor of Nasarawa State who made this disclosure yesterday while speaking with newsmen declared that “the Constitution says you can only become a President through the ballot box. No where in Nigerian constitution that I have says we should zone any office. There is federal character, that is the Constitution.

According to him: “The Constitution is being reviewed.

If you want to review and you

want a provision, specific, that presidential office to be zoned in such a manner you tell us how you want it zoned. You

Eleven people have been killed following an attack by suspected fulani herdsmen on Apiyejim- Kibori community, Atyap Chiefdom, Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The attack came less than 24 hours after the murder of Rev. Silas Yakubu Ali, a pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in the same community.

Ali was said to have been ambushed on Saturday by yet to be identified assailants while returning home from Kafanchan. The attackers were said to have invaded the community at about 5:30pm on Sunday when it was raining.

A resident of the community who pleaded anonymity, said the gunmen were many, adding

Crisis is rocking the Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) as the Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, is set quit the party.

Although it is not known, which party he is heading to, some observers have been reacting to the lingering speculation that he might be headed back to the All Progressives Congress (APC), THISDAY checks have revealed.

According to the Publisher of World Top News Ng Mr. Jumu’ah Abiodun, who is a close political ally of the deputy governor, a meeting held during Shaibu’s long vacation abroad exposed the move.

Abiodun said: “Philip Shaibu is one man I admire as a political tactician and Maradona in the Edo political space. Quitting PDP may frustrate the developmental plans of the Obaseki’s administration due to his nuts and bolts experience

garner the kind of vote to deliver the presidential result. It is as simple as that. It is government of the people, by the people

and for the people. Why do you want to change it. It is wishful thinking only. We are not being practical”.

Executive Director, African Polling Institute (API), Prof. Bell Ihua (left), and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during the public presentation of Nigerian Social Cohesion Dialogue and the 2021 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey, in Abuja...yesterday

that they started shooting sporadically after laying siege on the village.

“They came at 5:30 pm on Sunday when it was raining.

Suddenly we heard gunshots and everybody started running.

“As we were running, they were pursuing us and firing at us.

“One was speaking to others in Fulani language. The attack lasted for about 10 minutes and they killed 11 people on the spot. Some people are still missing,” the source said in a telephone chat on Monday.

According to him, by the time security personnel arrived the village, the criminals had left.

Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mr. Mohammad Jalige, did not respond to telephone calls and a text message sent to his mobile phone when contacted.

Crisis in Edo PDP as Deputy Governor Plans to Quit Party Segun James

and talk of zoning. The issue of rotation, let’s just go by merit.

Let every party find a way of selling itself in a manner as to

PROMOTING SOCIAL DIALOGUE…

Gunmen Kill 11 Persons in Kaduna John Shiklam in Kaduna

can’t just wish away a situation that is fundamental to the life of a country.

“You can’t talk of merit

Says herders are free to move

as a voracious student of politics, as well as his sterling track record and pedigree as a fearless and charismatic lawmaker.”

“This rumour, however, did not come as a huge surprise to many, because the deputy governor was once quoted to have said he merely escorted Governor Godwin Obaseki to PDP.” Another source said: “The governor’s rigid position on some critical decisions that are now causing considerable disaffection between the Deputy Governor and some of his most loyal and committed supporters, who stood firmly by him, contributed morally and with resources and even risked their lives to deliver the Obaseki/Shaibu ticket and ensure that the Deputy Governor was not disgraced and embarrassed politically in his constituency, which he shares with Comrade Oshiomhole may have also Justify his reason for defection.”

A Week After, Whereabouts of Kidnapped A’Ibom Senator Unknown Okon Bassey in Uyo The where about of the former Senator that Represented the Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Nelson Effiong, has remained unknown a week after he was kidnapped.

Effiong, one-time Speaker of

the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, was abducted by gunmen in his sit-out along Oron Road on September 7, 2021, after several persons were injured in gun shut operation.

A younger brother to the kidapped ex-senator, Mr. Eyoh Effiong, revealed to journalists yesterday that the family is yet to be contacted by the

kidnappers about a week when the incident occurred.

He said: “The people that abducted him have not contacted the family yet. We are hoping that maybe within this week we will hear from them (abductor), but for now nothing, we have not heard anything.”

The State Police Command

is yet to make any arrest by the time of filling this report; but stressed that the command has put in place a man hunt to trail the hoodlums.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Odiko Macdon, assured the family and the general public that the command would continue to trail the hoodlums.

Ebonyi Condemns IPOB’s Sit-at-home Order Ugo Aliogo

Ebonyi State Government has explained that what appears as a total compliance with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) sit-at-home order by South-easterners is more out of fear of attack by IPOB operatives.

Giving the clarification in Lagos recently, the Commissioner for Information, Barr. Uchenna Orji, who condemned the order

by IPOB describing it as illegal and costly to the economy of the region, said government would continue through advocacy to establish confidence in the people to go about their legitimate business without fear of molestation or attack.

“I must say that our people must understand that the sitat-home order is not giving us any help, even in all the issues that we are raising that is not

the way to go, because it is sabotage to economic, social life and it is also illegitimate in all its ramifications.

“In Ebonyi State, people go about their businesses, except that out of fear, some people will not open their business places.

We have been on advocacies and sensitization to let them know that they have to come out to do their business without hindrance and security is up

and doing in ensuring that they are not molested and victims of violent attacks,” Orji stated.

He said: “We are taking the advocacy to our people especially those carrying out these violent attacks to let them know that we are undoing ourselves, and not Mr. President or the Governor, when we take arms to destroy ourselves and public and private property, and we are going to be ultimately affected.”

Nigeria Records 1,667 New Cases of Cholera Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said 1,667 new cases of Cholera were reported across the country. It also said of the cases reported, there were 46 deaths from Borno (13), Sokoto (12), Katsina (8), Bauchi (6), Niger (3), Kaduna (2), Adamawa (1) and Kano (1).

In a statement issued by

NCDC on Monday, the centre said 12 states reported 1,677 suspected cases, including Bauchi (566), Katsina (282), Sokoto (258), Yobe (183), Borno (179), Niger (94), Kaduna (66), Adamawa (34), Gombe (8), Kano (4), Kebbi (2), and Nasarawa (1).

It said there was a 58 per cent decrease in the number of new suspected cases in week 35 (1,667) compared

with week 34 (3,992) Bauchi (566), Katsina (282) and Sokoto (258) account for 66.3% of 1,667 suspected cases reported in week 35.

“Twenty-five states and FCT have reported suspected cholera cases in 2021. These are Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi,

Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara,” said NCDC. NCDC report also gave details of the reporting week, saying 12 states, which reported 1,677 suspected cases were Bauchi (566), Katsina (282), Sokoto (258), Yobe (183), Borno (179), Niger (94), Kaduna (66), Adamawa (34), Gombe (8), Kano (4), Kebbi (2), and Nasarawa (1).

Lagos Wants Adherence to COVID-19 Protocols as Schools Resume The Lagos State Government has called for strict adherence to safety regulations in the face of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and safety as students returned to school at the end of the vacation yesterday.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) schools resumed yesterday while those in model colleges

and upgraded schools will resume in batches due to the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The call was made in a statement signed by, Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr. Ganiu Lawal said in a statement that

Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, who was welcoming the students, teaching, non-teaching staff and school administrators back to school for the new academic session, urged them to be safety conscious.

According to the statement, Adefisayo added that the adoption of a uniform academic

calendar would enable proper planning; ensuring pupils and students attend school for the number of days required in a term.

She commended the concerted efforts of everyone in the education sector for the modest success recorded in the 2020/2021 session in spite of the effects of the pandemic.

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COMMENT

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

PDP AND THE 2023 PRESIDENCY

Atiku Abubakar remains the best bet to fly the party’s flag, writes Paschal Oluchukwu

F

ormer Vice-President and Presidential standard-bearer of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will from every indication throw his hat into the ring for the sixth time in his sojourn into Nigeria’s political murky waters. But that is not news, and neither is it the crux of this piece woven on my very personal thoughts, reflections and observations vis-à-vis the current happenings in the Party and Nigeria at large.

As a keen watcher and a diligent follower of happenings and developments in the opposition, PDP, every material fact shows the party is in dire need of a sincere consensus builder who would first and foremost shoulder the responsibility of unifying the party and save it not only from further cracks but also from tethering to the precipice.

There is no gainsaying the fact that flowing from certain actions, reactions and counter-reactions, the internal rancours within the party’s national, zonal and state leaderships versus its elites are mainly driven by ambitions on the part of the political class who are more in a hurry to position their loyalists to lead the party rather than quench the fire first.

However, from a deeply analytical viewpoint, the conflicts bedeviling the main opposition, PDP are not uncommon in a political or social system where there are conflicts of interests. Any wonder German political scientist and class conflict theorist, Ralph Dahrendorf postulated that conflict involves manifest clashes between social forces as incompatible differences of objectives, such as a desire on the part of both contestants to attain what is available, wholly or in part, only to one of them.

He therefore conceptualized social conflict as the great creative and ever-present force that leads to change, remarking further that societies and social organizations are held together, not by consensus but by constraint, not by universal agreement but by the coercion of some by others. Beginning from the attempts to oust its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus who has just about three months to the end of his tenure to the ultimate scramble for his successor and to the multiple disagreements leading to defections to the ruling political party, the PDP seems heading for the worse if there is no immediate consensusbuilding process led by no other than an able and respected personage like Atiku Abubakar.

The reasons the mediation and reconciliation mantle best fell on Atiku at these disturbing times are obvious; Firstly, Atiku has consistently harped on unity in his Press assertions that, “The PDP is greater than our individual ambitions. We have to consolidate the party first before we talk about our ambitions. We have to be careful not to play into the hands of the ruling party. We can’t afford a one-party system in Nigeria that denies our people a viable alternative for true change in 2023”, Abubakar maintained in a statement issued through his Media aide, Paul Ibeh on August 5th this year.

Secondly, Atiku had few days before making the afore-stated assertion and in sharp contrast to the expectations of many taken a boldly pragmatic step to hold a reconciliatory meeting with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike - a PDP strongman he had fallen out with due to conflicts of interests in the Party’s 2019 primary election.

During the meeting which took place at the latter’s private residence, Atiku had rightly disclosed that Nigerians are waiting eagerly for the PDP to take over power at the federal level in 2023. As a matter of fact, Atiku in his archetypal open-minded disposition did not hesitate to disclose to journalists that party affairs brought him to Port Harcourt,

COME 2023, NIGERIA NEEDS A LEADER WHO HAVE MANAGED AND SUSTAINED WEALTH AND NOT JUST AN ELITIST CONSUMERIST WHO COULD PLUNGE THE ALREADY TOTTERING ECONOMY INTO UNMANAGEABLE ABYSS

and that he had spent the time reconciling torching issues with Governor Wike. The issues, of course, as he had further emphasized bothered on how to ensure unity and stability in the PDP, which he noted are critical for the party in clinching electoral victory in 2023.

Thirdly, Atiku yet has the cognate experiences in wealth creation and economy-building going for him especially at this critical time in Nigeria’s history where the nation’s economic woes have deepened under the current leadership with policymakers more keen in deliberately throwing up figures which are not in tandem with economic realities into the polity. Come 2023, Nigeria needs a leader who have managed and sustained wealth and not just an elitist consumerist who could plunge the already tottering economy into unmanageable abyss.

Apart from being favoured by zoning, should the PDP ticket go north in 2023, Atiku who hails from Adamawa in the North-east geopolitical zone still has the dominant political structures and alignments across regional and party lines to give the ruling party a huge run for their money, considering especially the misgivings of many Nigerians on the failed promises of the APC. He almost succeeded in clinching the Presidency on his fifth trial in 2019. He is therefore now most positioned to lead the PDP back to power come 2023 especially if the party’s political leaders look beyond selfish considerations and focus chiefly on returning to Nigeria’s seat of power.

Even beyond the shores of Nigeria’s territorial borders, Atiku has shown demonstrable capacity to build and manage wealth via his many foreign businesses and conglomerates. Little wonder his 2019 campaign thrust mainly targeted our nation’s teeming unemployed youths.

It startled Atiku during the 2019 campaigns that unemployment for women and young people stood (as at then) at a staggering 33% and 70% of unemployed youths population are uneducated and unskilled.

To solve this, Atiku had vowed that creating jobs and economic opportunities for them will be vital both for reducing the pool of easy recruits for violent groups and reducing underlying grievances that feed the conflict.

Unfortunately in today’s Nigeria, majority of those in the aforementioned group has grown into bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers and all the threats to our national life, security and a huge hindrance to the prosperity of our people. This has become our fate simply because some Nigerians preferred party, religious and tribal sentiments to adopting and imbibing the plan to “Launch a new, more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable national Entrepreneurship Development and Job Creation Programme which targeted even up to three million self and wage-paying employment opportunities in the private sector annually.

It bothers also reiterating in conclusion that the man Atiku Abubakar has also shown himself a pan-Nigerian who understands the in-depth heterogeneity of a diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural society like Nigeria. Further to just the mere ambition of a man, Atiku’s zeal, courage and steadfast contributions to Nigeria’s economic growth and development appears well summed up in Billy Beane’s position that: “The reason all really successful people have to be slightly mad is because people like that are not capable of living in the comfort zone”.

Indeed, another chance for the erstwhile Vice President would prove this!

Amb. Oluchukwu, a businessman, wrote from UAE

SEKOU TOURÉ HAUNTING GUINEA Victor C. Ariole writes that Guinea must be saved from the military adventurists

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hen a society has sustained an economic surplus or excess of resources, people are theorised to have a predisposition to create uneven distribution, manifesting social hierarchies… creating more divisive… more aggressive groups… plagued with jingoism and bigotry… Peter Joseph (2017, 41) Sekou Touré is still alive in Guinea and the jinx must be broken to save Guinea from Malinké/ Mandingo – Soussou inferno. From Sekou Touré to Lansana Conté, through Dadis Camara, Sekouba Konaté to Alpha Condé to current Mamady Doumbouya the whole Guinea seems to be in captivity, in the hands of the same people – Mandigo/ Soussou. The bigotry of this group is what needed to be checked to establish a true nation or republic in Guinea. Since March 1984 when Sekou Touré transited at the age of 62, Guinea had rarely seen progress.

The paradox, here, that could baffle Nigerians is that out of about 13 million people in Guinea, the Fulanis/Peulh Fula are in majority, over 40% of the population, the most educated and the most oppressed as well as the most civilised in seeking peaceful way to take over power, symbolised by Celloun Diallo. In Nigeria it is Jalo. Somehow you wonder if they are the same people you see in Nigeria.

Sekou Touré like some Northern elite in Nigeria

had thought that modern development is not necessary unless you empower or train your own group – nepotistic and jingoistic group – to be in charge of the process as other groups could be seen as “barawo” or “unpersons” – according to George Orwell. In deed to Sekou Touré, it is better to be poor and remain free than to be rich and be controlled by the imperialists – the West.

Quite a paradox as Guinea sits on a great reserve of Iron-ore, bauxite and diamond exploited by the same group officially and unofficially as different heads of state come; and, so, from the same group distributing unevenly the Guinean ‘fools paradise excess resources’ as they like. General Sekouba who handed over power to Alpha Condé is reported to be enjoying his loot in Senegal and remains good ally of one of the foreign exploiters of the Guinean resources and, unfortunately the suspended sentenced former president of France – Nicolas Sarkozy – the man who also swindled and led the extermination of Khadaffi, has also led the deposition of Alpha Condé, claiming he was in Guinea (August 8) to settle disagreement between the deposed president and one of the foreign exploiters of the Guinea’s resources, financier of mining sites employing Mandigos.

Sekou Touré and General Lansana Conté were very friendly with the Russians and they so much so believed them than other exploiters and had remained in touch with them since 1958 when Guinea conducted a referendum to bluntly tell General Charles de Gaulle of France that they did

not want France in Guinea any more. Alpha Condé as the second civilian to rule Guinea (forget General Lausana Conté civil rule) reversed the situation and recalled France back to Guinea for a partial capitalist “renouveau” and the Guineans seem to resent it with another paradox of allowing a “rejected” Guinean – French soldiers to overthrow his own protector.

Guineans trooped to the street to welcome Alpha Condé’s enabled rejected soldier turned Lt. Colonel in Guinea to take over realms of Guinean resource distribution because it is the same Mandigo-Soussou connection. From the west of Guinea, Senegal and Guinea Bissau, with their Fula/Peulh/Fulani population intersecting those in Guinea find relief in the new person expecting, indeed, a friendly collaboration with the man towards mainstreaming or including them in the Guinean politics. From the east and north of Guinea the hegemonic group flowing into Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali, the Mandigo – Soussou group, ever stable in their mining business remain vigilant. The surprise is that you also see them in Nigerian mining sites as if they align better with the Nigerian Fulas than other Nigerians.

The Mandigo/Mandika/Soussou were factors in the destabilisation, once noticed, in Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia – all, borders with Guinea.

Informal mining sites are their preferred ground for preying on others. And one could not also lose sight of what they could do in Nigeria with vast mining sites and, surprisingly the deposed Alpha Condé

was, not too far distant, with the Governor of Kano as august visitor, for days, either to fraternise with them or to rekindle the marabout connection they share.

Nigeria must wake up to the challenge of the ravaging inferno of this group so as to avoid another ECOMOG or ECOMIL because in the mining fields, the exploiters know how to ward-off prying eyes of constituted governments by instigating constant banditry acts around the sites as mere diversionary tactics. A corporal Sankoh did it in Sierra Leone; the combined groups of Yakouba, Mandigo, Krus did it in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. Let them not spill it to Burkina Faso and other countries of West Africa.

Even Côte d’Ivoire is still afraid of such invasion as attempts by Alasane Ouattara to pacify them is not yielding result.

Time for ECOWAS to act is now to stop further military usurpation of power, otherwise West Africa could be a bigger Congo Democratic to subject to ruin than the world had known. Congo DR is still a wealthy geologic site on continuous preying and ravaging mission of the exploiters.

Just like the great grandfather of Sekou Touré, remained a figure the Mandigos rever, known as Almamy Samory Touré who led his people to war either as a Jihadist or in defiance of the West, they still see his ghost as their ultimate messiah. It is high time such thinking pattern was banished for Africa to progress. Mamady Doumbouya is not welcome.

Ariole is a Professor of French and Francophone Studies, University of Lagos

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EDITORIAL

STRENGTHENING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY The fiscal responsibility act has become ineffectual

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o the extent that the economic prosperity of a country and fiscal responsibility are directly linked, the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 is a crucial piece of legislation. It is aimed at blocking wastages, checking corruption, and ensuring accountability in the management of public finance. Sadly, the law has become increasingly ineffectual. Apparently in response to this development, the National Assembly has initiated a bill to strengthen the law while streamlining its powers towards improving transparency, fiscal discipline, and macroeconomic stability. It is a very much needed elixir at a period we need to restore a measure of sanity to the system.

Sponsored by Aisha Dahiru, a senator from Adamawa State, the bill seeks to curb financial fraud and wastages within Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and ensure efficient delivery of public services. Besides, the amendment bill will seek to expand the functions and powers of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and ensure adequate funding. At THE IMPLEMENTATION a recent public hearing OF THE FRA HAS on the bill organised by the Senate Committee REVEALED SOME on Finance, chairman INHERENT LOOPHOLES, of the Commission, WEAKNESSES AND Victor Muruako lauded DEFECTS WHICH HAVE the move to repeal and DETRACTED FROM ITS replace the act. He also NOBLE OBJECTIVES said it would end the current impunity with which statutory obligations imposed by the act are routinely ignored by many MDAs and government-owned enterprises (GOEs).

As contained in section 16 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the key objective of the law is to enshrine greater efficiency in the allocation and management of public expenditure, revenue collection, debt control and transparency in fiscal matters. Established in 2007 to enforce provisions of the act, the FRC has struggled to generate some N2 trillion for the

consolidated revenue fund (CRF).

Structured after that of Brazil, the application of the FRA has diminished chaos and corruption in the economy of the South American country. In Nigeria, the opposite is the case.

The implementation of the FRA has revealed some inherent loopholes, weaknesses and defects which have detracted from its noble objectives. Notable among these are lack of clear offences and stipulated sanctions regime to identify and deter fiscal delinquency. The composition and functioning of the commission are exposed to partisan maneuverings.

E T H I S DAY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO

ven with the “war” on corruption, there is a growing misplacement of fiscal priorities as resources have been increasingly frittered away or cornered for personal pursuits. The imperatives of well-functioning fiscal responsibility law and due process are still missing. Indeed, there is large scale fiscal irresponsibility within the system today. Annually, audit reports detail how poor oversight deprive the Nigerian government and people of huge revenues. The AuditorGeneral of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu said recently that the MDAs failed to account for N4.97 trillion in 2019. And according to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, the level of impunity is such that about 65 public agencies had never been audited since they were established.

The amendment bill promises to remedy many of these defects. A notable provision is the proposed reform of the current unwieldy and partisan-coloured composition of the commission towards a more professional, and broad-based representation. To guarantee independence and security of tenure, the bill proposes that the appointment of the executive secretary shall be subject to Senate confirmation while removal of a member of the commission by the president shall be supported by a simple majority vote of members of the Senate. This is apparently to strengthen the leadership of the commission. Besides, the bill proposes a range of offences and sanctions for defaulters to ensure compliance with the law.

We urge the National Assembly to expedite action on the bill.

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HEALTH CARE IS THE NEXT OIL

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igeria’s public spending on health care amounts to just 3.75% of its $495 billion GDP, according to the latest available figures from the World Bank.

A recent report from real estate consultancy Knight Frank said Nigeria would require 386,000 additional beds and $82 billion of investment in health-care real estate assets to reach the global average.

A report published Monday by New Markets Media & Intelligence highlighted a number of overseas companies and investment vehicles that have begun to invest in healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria. Despite all of these opportunities the sad part is that the government has not been able to harness all the opportunities.

Health care is big deal. In America the health care sector is a $3.5trillion industry for a GDP of $19 trillion. By interrogating the numbers if Nigeria needs $82 billion of investment it shows that over the next 10 years

health care if properly harnessed can be a $500 billion sector in Nigeria.

Every time the great potential of the health care excites me but we have a bunch of leaders that don’t think.

It is time to liberalize the health care sector and bolster it with credit. I also believe government hospitals should be run on a public-private partnership model with government and stakeholders regulating for efficiency while government should set up health insurance credit for the poor.

When properly harnessed Nigeria can be the health tourism Mecca of Africa.

Currently Nigerians spend over $1billion seeking health care abroad. If the money is ploughed back into our country then it would help greatly with our forex problems. The problem with Nigeria is that our leaders don’t think. Health care is another goldmine waiting to be tapped. I just hope they see these numbers. Nigeria is a blessed country with boundless opportunities. Health care is the next oil.

Rufai Oseni, rufaioseni@gmail.com

GUMI: WHEN SILENCE IS GOLDEN

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he revered Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmed Gumi, has continued to stir the hornet nest with his controversial statements on amnesty for bandits. Gumi who times without number proved to be sympathetic to bandits and championing amnesty for them, has kicked against the current military aerial bombardments aimed at bringing to an end their nefarious activities.

Gumi called on government to negotiate with or grant amnesty to them, yet they have failed to lay down their arms despite repeatedly appeals. In Katsina and Zamfara States, the governors had extended an olive branch to any bandit who agreed to repent and return to normal life. Sadly, the amnesty Gumi advocates has failed to yield the desired results. The activities of these bandits have continued unabated with many poor farming communities abandoning their hamlets and farms in total fear. Did Gumi caution these bandits to stop attacking these helpless communities? In my article entitled “GUMI AND AMNESTY FOR BANDITS” published by many national dailies, i debunked an erroneous attempt

by Gumi and his co-travellers to compare the violent activities of bandits to other elements of insecurity in the country such as Biafran agitators and Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND). I further clarified that Biafran agitators want secession and government is fully aware of it. The same with Niger Delta militants who have been advocating for resources

control, in view of what they perceived as negligence of their communities by government and oil companies.

What are the grievances of the blood thirsty northern bandits? Why do they kill and kidnap poor farmers, forcefully enter schools and abduct harmless children?

If there existed any grievances or injustice against them, one would have loved the bandits forwarding them to government instead of violence. Is Gumi aware that since the banditry began in Zamfara State in 2011, over 12,000 people had been killed and 250,000 cattle rustled?

Since the time he initiated his peace mission, how many bandits have so far surrendered and repented?

While nobody can deny the facts, Fulani herdsmen are victims of cattle rustling and other government corrupt officials, it should not be a licence for them to engage in kidnapping and banditry. That is why government cannot continue to fold its arm while bandits are holding some part of the country to ransom, destroying education and means of livelihood to millions of people.

Sheik Ahmed Gumi, a retired military officer must have known, if mediation fails to provide a lasting solution, the only option left for any government is to use brutal force to crush those who took arm against it and its people. For Gumi to insist on amnesty for bandits who killed thousands of helpless people while all efforts to make them repent has failed is like endorsing their murderous actions.

Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State

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T H I S D AY • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

POLITICS

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

Unfinished Business as House Returns to Work Tomorrow Important legislative duties await members of the House of Representatives as they resume plenary tomorrow, September 14, after two-month annual vacation. Udora Orizu writes

Gbajabiamila

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embers of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly who have been on a two-month annual vacation will resume Tuesday, September 14 to commence the third quarter of their legislative tenure.

The lawmakers had before adjourning plenary in July passed landmark bills such as the Petroleum Industry Bill, which was recently assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

As the third quarter of their legislative tenure is about to begin, the lawmakers are expected to attend to several unfinished business and trending issues. Some of the key discourse that may engage their attention include.

Growing Insecurity Recently, insecurity has enveloped the length and breath of the country, from the North, where bandits and terrorists are senselessly killing and kidnapping citizens to the South-east, South-south and South-west, where killer herdsmen and unknown gunmen are on the rampage. Every day citizens live in fear of the unknown, while the government appears to be helpless.

These security issues have been at the centre of discussion on the floor of the House, as several security-related motions and Bills have been passed by the lawmakers. As part of its continuing quest for solutions, the House recently held a security summit with many stakeholders in attendance. Their recommendations have been submitted

by Speaker Gbajabiamila to President Muhammadu Buhari. Members of the public still look forward to the

Wase

outcome of these resolutions and recommendations. As expected, the worsening security situation is expected to be the main agenda of the House, as it returns to work.

Budget Cycle The lawmakers are also expected to maintain the budget cycle of January-December.

Both chambers of the National Assembly had promised in their legislative agenda to normalize the budget cycle which had suffered disruptions due to delays in the budgetary process.

In line with that commitment, the lawmakers recently held an eight-day interactive session on the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) in Abuja with 83 heads of revenue generating agencies of government.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 8 sent the 2022-2024 MTEF/FSP to the Senate and the House of Representatives for approval. The letter which accompanied the document was read at plenary by the presiding

Elumelu

officers of both chambers, Senator Ahmad Lawan, Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

While seeking the expeditious consideration of the request, Buhari said that its timely passage would facilitate the early preparation of the 2022 budget based on approved parameters by both chambers.

The letter read in part: “It is with pleasure that I forward the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/ FSP) for the kind consideration and approval of the distinguished Senate. Let me use this medium to express my deep gratitude for the enduring collaboration and commitment of the leadership and distinguished Senators in our collective efforts to sustain the restoration of the January to December Financial year.

“On our part, we have worked very hard to sustain the early submission of the MTEF/FSP. This is to allow the National Assembly sufficient time to perform its im-

The lawmakers are also expected to maintain the budget cycle of January-December. Both chambers of the National Assembly had promised in their legislative agenda to normalize the budget cycle which had suffered disruptions due to delays in the budgetary process

portant statutory duty of reviewing the framework and strategy paper. I herewith forward the 2022-2024 MTEF/ FSP, as the 2022 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions of the approved 2022-2024 MTEF/FSP.” While Gbajabiamila referred the document to the House Committee on Finance to consider while the lawmakers were on their two-month annual vacation, Lawan on his part, gave the Senate Joint Committee on Finance, National Planning, Foreign and Local Debt, Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions 24 hours to complete work on the report and submit it for consideration and approval.

This, according to the duo, is to enable the executive commence work on the 2022 Appropriations Bill. Upon resumption, President Buhari is expected to submit the 2022 appropriation Bill to both chambers, following which a special session will be later convened to pass the 2022 budget.

Constitution Review Review of the constitution is also expected to be a top priority of the legislators as they resume, as Nigerians are hopeful that the 9th leadership will break the jinx this time.

The House had few months back held zonal public hearings across the 36 states to get inputs from Nigerians. On its resumption for legislative activities, Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee and the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, is expected to schedule a National Public hearing, following which inputs will be collated and synthesized for possible presentation of the committee’s report.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

POLITICS

Despite Denial, Osinbajo’s Presidential Bid Gathers Steam

With less than 538 days to the presidential election in 2023, the bid by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to succeed his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, is already gaining traction. Adedayo Akinwale writes

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fter the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced February 18, 2023 as date for the presidential election, various support groups have since swung into action to strategise and project the image of presidential aspirants nursing the ambition of succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari.

Loyalists of the former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu wasted no time when they inaugurated a presidential campaign movement tagged, “The South-West Agenda (SWAGA).”

SWAGA which was inaugurated last has December in Ibadan has Senator Dayo Adeyeye as its leader, while former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, representing Oyo South Senatorial District; former House of Representatives member, Otunba Abayomi Ogunnusi, among others, are members of the movement.

At the inauguration of SWAGA, Adeyeye said for the discerning mind, 2023 election was already on the front burner of national discourse. He said that was why they were asking Tinubu to join the presidential race, while urging the entire people of the South-west to support in voting him in as the next president of Nigeria.

However, following a recent interview on ARISE News, former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida suggested that individuals in their 60s should be the focus of Nigerians as potential presidential or vice presidential candidates in 2023. Babangida said such persons should have deep knowledge of the economy, must have contacts across the nation and must have been traversed the geo-political zones, marketing their acceptability and capacity.

He said, “If you get a good leadership that links with the people and tries to talk with the people; not talking on top of the people, then we would be okay. I have started visualising a good Nigerian leader. That is, a person, who travels across the country and has a friend virtually everywhere he travels to and he knows at least one person that he can communicate with. That is a person, who is very vast in the economy and is also a good politician, who should be able to talk to Nigerians and so on.

I have seen one, or two or three of such persons already in their sixties.”

With this submission, political analysts believe that the former Military President may have ruled out a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Tinubu, from the 2023 presidential race, because they would be in their 70s by the next election.

Although, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has not declared interest in the 2023 presidential race, his loyalists believe he perfectly ticked the box of the next president of the country as visualised

by Babangida.

With less down 538 days to the presidential election, various support groups of the Vice President are no longer waiting for his official declaration as they have embarked on political journies to some states selling his candidacy and the need to continue the legacy of Buhari after 2023.

Recently, a group under the auspices of the Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG) launched an advocacy to canvass support for Osinbajo to contest the 2023 presidential election. The National Chairman of the PCG, Aliyu Kurfi, while addressing journalists in Abuja said the group had paid courtesy visits to the Governor of Katsina State, Aminu

Osinbajo

Bello Masari; and the Emir of Daura, Umar Faruk, on the issue. He added that his team had held strategic meetings with APC members from all the 34 local government areas in Katsina State, on how to achieve success with the project.

The group had earlier lobbied principal officers of the National Assembly, governors and party starwalts to canvass support for the Osinbajo 2023 project.

Born in March 1957, Osinbajo a Professor of Law, had his undergraduate degree at the University of Lagos, where he obtained a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) Degree in Law. In 1979, he completed the mandatory one-year professional training at the Nigerian Law School, where he was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of Nigeria’s Supreme Court. In 1980, he attended the London School of Economics, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree.

Political observers are of the views that Osinbajo is the most eligible to take over from Buhari in 2023. First, he is a Christian of the Pentecostal denomination. Two, he is from the South-west. Three, he

is in his sixties. His capacity and capability to combine both politics and the economy for a smooth governance is equally not in doubt.

During the 2019 presidential campaign for the reelection of Buhari, Osinbajo took the campaign to the door step of the masses by visiting various markets across the country, relating with Nigerians and connecting with them. His campaign strategy went a long way in winning the election for the APC whose electoral fortune had taken a nosedive then.

With the country’s frail fault lines at the moment, the Vice President has been an advocate of a united Nigeria. He is of a firm believe that Nigerians have much more to gain from being citizens of a united country than they may derive from any secessionist entity that emerges from the nation’s fragmentation.

To many, Osinbajo represents the best chance to unify the county.

Recently, while speaking at the National Social Cohesion Dialogue organized by the Africa Polling Institute and the Ford Foundation in Abuja, Osinbajo said Nigeria’s challenges are not insoluble, adding that many countries have under-

While speaking at the National Social Cohesion Dialogue organized by the Africa Polling Institute and the Ford Foundation in Abuja, Osinbajo said Nigeria’s challenges are not insoluble, adding that many countries have undergone and are still undergoing similar trials as part of their historical evolution

gone and are still undergoing similar trials as part of their historical evolution.

He pointed out that lifting people out of poverty, promoting economic growth and securing territory from domestic and foreign enemies, as well as healing communities torn apart by conflict, addressing historical grievances, doing justice and forging a common identity in a diverse society as imperatives which Nigeria must address.

Osinbajo pointed out that the long history of internal trade has created synergies among communities in Nigeria have become strengthened over the course of centuries. He said advocates of the country’s disintegration were overlooking the strong economic ties that have developed which now make unity an economic necessity.

He said, “There is now a dense web of socioeconomic mutuality that has created strong bonds of complementarity among our people. The truth is that Nigeria has evolved beyond the sort of easy balkanization that is proposed by some separatists.”

The Vice President is of the firm believe that Nigerians do not hate each other, but must resolve issues of fairness, inclusion and justice that have driven wedges between communities.

He noted that in many quarters, there are genuine feelings of alienation and exclusion. He said there was a need to strengthen institutions which at every level can deliver justice, inclusion and mutual security.

He frowned at that various forms of systematic discrimination which he described as obstacles to national integration.

Osinbajo added: “We see this whenever Nigerians are denied opportunity on the basis of their state of origin or because they are non-indigenes. We see it when a Nigerian that has been resident in a state all his life is suddenly excluded from admission into an educational institution or an employment opportunity because he is not considered an indigene. Or when a young Nigerian that has served in a particular state during his National Youth Service Corps year is suddenly excluded from opportunity because he or she is dubbed a non-indigene of the state. Not only do these practices subvert social cohesion, they also feed profound resentments.”

The Vice President described the differentiation of indigenes from nonindigenes as “apartheid”, while insisting that all Nigerians have a constitutional right to live, work and enjoy their lives in peace and safety under the law. He said governments at all levels have a responsibility to uphold the rights of Nigerians and called for an end to all forms of discrimination.

With all forms of insecurity ravaging the country as well as communal conflicts, Osinbajo said criminals must not be seen as representatives of any ethnic or religious group. He said and it is unjust to harass an entire community for the crimes alleged to have been committed by some of its members.

He argued that calls for the breakup of the country are rooted in socio-economic frustration rather than any deep desire for disintegration. The Vice President said he remains convinced that the majority of Nigerians want to succeed in their country rather than secede from it.

Nevertheless, having walked with Buhari for eight years, no one can sell the programmes of the administration better or be able to sustain the programmes of the regime which is predicated on the tripod of economy, corruption and security. An Osinbajo presidency would ensure the continuity of the Buhari administration.

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FEATURES

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

Laying Solid Foundation for Visionary Leadership The need for visionary leaders to pilot the affairs of the nation was the thrust of the recent Leadership Colloquium and Award series by Akinjide Adeosun Foundation, Sunday Ehigiator reports

L-R: Founder/CEO Health Plus Pharmacy, Pharm.(Mrs.) Bukky George; Founder/CEO of ST. Racheal’s Pharmaceuticals, Pharm. Akinjide Adeosun; and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Oyo State, Pharm. (Mrs.) Olubamiwo Adeosun, at the 2021 AAF’s Leadership Colloquium & Awards -Chapter 6, recently held in Lagos

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he ability to see the potential for change, see beyond blurry visions of others, combined with the ability to lead others to achieve their maximum potentials, even with limited resources has been ascribed as one major attribute of a visionary leader.

This formed the center of conversations at the sixth colloquium of Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF), which was also held in commemoration of the 53rd birthday anniversary of the founder, Mr. Akinjide Adeosun.

Joining the conversation via zoom, former Chairman of First Bank Plc, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, noted that the youths must be encouraged to take active part in governance, and leadership training must be included in Nigeria’s secondary school curriculum.

According to her, “the foundation for visionary leadership either in government or private life is a long term process encompassing from childbirth and continuing till adulthood.”

She said leadership must be inculcated in children from young age through learning of leadership virtues from parents and other family

members, even before school age, as whatever learnt at that early age, has a tendency to influence children’s action as they grow older “That is why if the right things are done at the family level, it will certainly have positive effects on the communities and on the larger society,” she stressed.

She therefore concluded that leadership was an act of responsibility and may not necessarily be for the smartest persons but should be for those who have good visions and can sacrifice and understand the limitations of people and also communicate effectively to them.

Also speaking, the AAF Founder, Adeosun opined that the country does not need a brand new constitution but

an amendment of the current one to correct anomalies in the leadership of the country.

He also recommended that states should take 80 per cent of their resources and contribute 20 per cent to the center, “This will make states to be creative and stop the monthly crave for Abuja money.”

While stating that he was against state policing, Adeosun said “we must be careful not to create another problem because of a perceived problem. If we allow state police in Nigeria, don’t be surprised if Nigerians in future start asking for State Army, State Airforce and State Navy.”

He therefore suggested an amendment of the constitution, to allow guards of private security companies, similar to

The foundation for visionary leadership either in government or private life is a long term process encompassing from childbirth and continuing till adulthood

South-Africa, and regional security networks, to carry arms.

“Our problem is not the constitution but poor leadership. If you have the best constitution with a flawed leadership-we will not develop.

However, I am an incurable optimist.

I know we have visionary leaders in Nigeria especially in the private sector.

“However they are afraid and do not have the money required to get into the public space or will not spend their hard earned money chasing political or elective positions,” he said.

Speaking on ‘The Enabler of National Development’, Founder\ CEO of Cable Newspaper Ltd, Mr. Simon Kolawole, lamented that the country has continued to lag behind in the comity of prosperous nations because many political leaders are not vision-driven.

According to him, “many of them go into politics or leadership positions like travelers without clear destinations and that is why when they are asked about their visions in office and how and when to achieve it, they have nothing tangible to say.”

He thereby concluded that Nigeria needed a visionary leadership for genuine development to take place.

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FEATURES

Building a Brighter Future through Insurance

Omosehin Olusegun Omosehin

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ndrew is a busy 44-year old professional in the finance sector.

His wife, a freelance make-up artist insists on a weekend get-away at a resort somewhere along Lagos-Epe Expressway. On their way to the resort, the unexpected happens: a near-fatal accident almost claimed the life of Andrew. Though calamity is averted, he is confined to a wheelchair and voluntarily resigns at work on health grounds.

This scenario painted here is a fictional narrative that is based on real-life situations.

Our world is full of uncertainties, and it takes less than a minute for our fortune in life to take a downward spiral. This is one of the considerations for making an informed decision about insurance. With a family plan, the insured secure their family’s financial security against the storms of life.

In less morbid situations like retirement, insurance is very much desirable in protecting your finances for the future. In the past, many conceived retirements as an armchair, tea-sipping, rocking chair moment in one's life. But retirees have goals. Some may want to spend retirement years travelling the world or pursuing new hobbies without placing the burden of such expenses on children who may have their own family to cater for.

But there is still an inevitable twist to these years- a declining health. As one advances in age, nothing quite prepares anyone better for these difficult years than an insurance plan. Putting money in an annuity is like a pension plan. Many do not think that they need an insurance plan since they

have grown-up children. It has been an age-long African mentality to use children as insurance. But life, sometimes, teaches very hard lessons about such expectations.

Investing wisely also involves setting the right priorities when one is still very young. For many young unmarried adults, it is easier to get them to buy expensive phones or garbs and other elements of glamorous lifestyle than to convince them to own an insurance plan that works for them. Meanwhile, they are likely to be less financially strained while single than when married with children on the same income.

At its best, a family insurance can serve as a safety net when circumstances change. A once-lucrative career may be lost. The organisation may divest and decide to reduce its staff strengths.

Whatever the case may be, seeking insurance products in one's younger years is one great goal to have.

Without insurance, businesses can easily wind up. And as seen in the

aforementioned case of the fictitious character of Andrew, sometimes it just takes one accident to jolt us back to reality that life is completely uncertain.

Consider the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses. In fact, 94 percent of the Fortune 1000 across the globe, and businesses in Nigeria have been impacted and are already seeing COVID-19 disruptions. After its first confirmed case, Nigeria's federal and state governments implemented lockdowns across most cities and states. Borders were closed as well as non-essential businesses. Nigeria also faced declining remittances and export demand caused by the global recession.

In a survey report titled, “Impacts of COVID-19 on food systems and poverty in Nigeria” by Kwaw Andam, Hyacinth Edeh, and James Thurlow, it was reported that Nigeria’s GDP fell by 23% during the lockdown.

Although the Agri-food system was functional during the lockdown having been classified as essential service, GDP

Our world is full of uncertainties, and it takes less than a minute for our fortune in life to take a downward spiral. This is one of the considerations for making an informed decision about insurance.

With a family plan, the insured secure their family’s financial security against the storms of life

fell by 11%, primarily due to restrictions on food services. Many traders found the transportation of food items as a big challenge at that period. Household incomes also fell by a quarter, leading to 9% points increase in the national poverty rate. More specifically, the lockdown policies reduced Nigeria’s GDP by US$11 billion or 23% during the 8-week period. Instead of worrying about what could happen, liability insurance can give you peace of mind, enabling you to concentrate on what truly matters — running a successful business.

Even when one is employed, investing in insurance products can be a saviour on a rainy day. According to United Nations' data, 14 million young people are out of work in Nigeria, which has one of the world's largest youth populations, with more than a third of its 200 million people aged 24 or under.

After the lockdown, the unemployment rate spiked by 6.2% to 33.3% from 27.1% in the second quarter of 2020.

The figure now makes Nigeria move from 5th to the 3rd highest rate of unemployment in the world. Many companies made very tough decisions to reduce their staff strengths. Flexible and multi-skilled workers were retained while others were sacked.

Some who are still employed had to accept a pay-cut or delayed salaries. In situations like these, having family insurance can protect the household from the grave consequences of unemployment and an unhappy life that can lead to depression.

-Olusegun Omosehin is the Managing Director, Old Mutual Nigeria Life Assurance Company.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT FG, Ogun Partner to Rehabilitate Ota-Idiroko Road Bennett Oghifo

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he decrepit Ota-Idiroko Road, an all-important passage in and out of the country, is set for rehabilitation through a partnership between the federal and the Ogun State government.

According to the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Mr. Umar Bakare, the reconstruction

Fashola

would be done in good time to ease the pains of those who use the 64 kilometres road.

Bakare said contract for the reconstruction of the highway was undergoing procurement process under the Tax Credit Scheme of the federal government.

He said documentations were at advanced stage to mobilise the contractor to site, adding that the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency was already fixing some bad portions of the road.

He said that the rehabilitation works would precede the award of contract for reconstruction of the distressed international route linking Nigeria with neighbouring Benin Republic.

Bakare added that apart from being an international route, the highway also links major industries, two private universities and factories, hence government’s resolve for rigid pavement on it to absorb its huge traffic.

“While the processing of the contract is ongoing, there is a synergy between the Federal Ministry of Works and Ogun State Government to put this road in a motorable state,” he said.

He said a delegation of the Federal Ministry of Works visited the site last week to ascertain the level of work to be carried out.

He assured that consultations had reached an advanced stage on both rehabilitation and reconstruction of the road, assuring road users that government was concerned about their plight.

Speaking on behalf of the Ogun State Govern-

ment, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lateef Yusuf, said that the maintenance work would begin within two weeks.

“The Ogun State Government has started the process for palliative work that will start maybe in the next one to two weeks,” he said.

Bakare, Federal Controller of Works, Ogun State, said that trading along the walkway of Ota Bridge, is making it impossible for people to use the and that the activities of the market people is blocking the drainages.

“We don’t want tax payer’s money to be wasted, that is why we are redesigning the drainages around the Sango Ota Bridge with rigid pavements so that when it rains heavily it will not damage it.

“With delay in funding of SUKUK the project completion which is supposed to be by end of 2021 has been shifted to 2022 ending.”

He confirmed that the roads are bad and that is why the people are agitating “but I have good news for the people. Soon, a serious attention will be given to the 64km Ota-Idiroko road because it is an international road.

“As I speak to you now, FERMA is on the other side of the road doing all they can, to make sure that something is done at least to make the road motorable before the construction proper.”

Engr. Yusuf Lateef, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Ogun State, gave assurance

that before two weeks, the state government would start palliative work on the road with clearing of drainages, putting of hardcore, stone base probably putting asphalt on top and this will be done from the Ota Bridge down to Igumade grammar school.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Olukayode Popoola, represented by the Project Supervisor of Section one of the project, Mr. Adewale Adebote, said that the construction work was being slowed down by activities of traffic regulatory agencies.

He said apart from extortion, the traffic agencies prevent articulated vehicles from using the Ota flyover, thereby compounding gridlock which spills to Toll Gate to slow down construction works.

Adebote said that the Ota flyover was being redesigned to include major outfalls to address flooding caused by traders on the axis.

“Between chanage 17 plus 100 to chanage 18 plus 600, a distance that covers Temidire, Sango Garage, Under Bridge and Joju Bus Stop (the two bridges approaches), has been redesigned and considered to be re-constructed as rigid pavement for durability,” he said.

He, however, noted that construction work was progressing fast on section one on the Lagos-bound carriageway where 4.32 kilometres had been constructed to final stage and some sections reopened to traffic.

ChaviD Properties Targets Building 80,000 Housing Units by 2040 The real estate industry in Nigeria is set to witness massive innovation and uncommon ingenuity with the crop of young and vibrant individuals taking charge of the sector right now. One of these innovators is Mr. Charles Nwadavid, CEO of ChaviD Properties Limited. Nwadavid’s plan is to build 80,000 housing units across the world by 2040. He tells journalists more about it

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hat sector of the real estate market do you feature?

My company has recorded enviable achievements in the construction of private and commercial properties for notable people in Nigeria, as wells as commercial buildings across the nation.

Tell us more about your firm I’m Nwadavid Charles. I am the Founder and CEO of ChaviD Properties, which is currently dubbed as the fastest growing real estate development firm in Abuja. I am regarded as the man with the Billionaire’s Mind. I am a long-term thinker, one who pays meticulous attention to details. I hail from Enugu state, born and raised in Lagos state, Nigeria. My father is a computer scientist, who also happens to be extremely good in sales and a loving mother who is a pastor and businesswoman. I am the first of six kids; yeah, I know that’s quite a number, my parents gave us their all, for which we are eternally grateful to them. I am married to the most gorgeous woman in the world in and out. I fondly call her my answered prayer, because she literally is my answered prayer, we have the most adorable son and he is a great mind in the making.

How did you get into real estate?

I started out as a rental agent in the real estate sector over a decade ago. This played a pivotal

role in footing my bills back in school. Then I graduated into a major player in the sales of houses, I gradually transmuted into an astute estate developer. I totally support the axiom that says, if you jump up you will come down, if you grow up you stay up. I have painstakingly gone through the real estate process to arrive where I am today. I have been able to amass tremendous knowledge in the real estate sector and beyond, from the administrative aspect, to sales and marketing, the technical know-how, team building, people and leadership skills, the list goes on. I am also an avid learner. I believe so much in personal development, I see life as a learning journey, the moment you stop learning, ignorance sets in. As one of the dominant players in the industry, we have a primary aim of building 80,000 units by 2040, with 30,000 units in Nigeria, whilst spreading 50,000 units across every major city of the world. To transmute this humungous goal into its physical equivalent, we have been able to attract the right team of players and partners to make this a reality.

ChaviD Properties, is disrupting the status quo of the Real Estate World, leaving no room for mediocrity or myopic thinkers.

Why do you think people should invest in real estate?

Real estate is one of the major human necessities - “food, clothing, and shelter”. We cannot

do without it; we are currently conducting this interview in a building. Secondly, I am yet to find a wealthy man who doesn’t have a sizeable investment in Real Estate. It is one of, if not the safest and surest form of investment, and a good vehicle to creating generational wealth.

Also, it’s a good hedge against inflation. There are enormous benefits to investing in real estate; the list goes on and on.

How can we address the national housing deficit in Nigeria?

I get this question a lot. It is a mind - boggling figure. The numbers have risen exponentially over the years. This matter has to be addressed swiftly. The last time I checked, Nigeria’s housing production is at 100,000 units annually. This is for a country of over 200 million people with an annual growth rate of 3.5%. If the right measures are not put in place, it will take us a lifetime to solve the housing problem in Nigeria. We need to be producing over a million housing units annually to stand a chance of saving Nigeria from such an enormous number in housing deficit. To help mitigate these numbers, strong collaborations from both the government and private sector is imperative. Having the government setup policies and partnership to help facilitate and encourage the right individuals and institutions to take up pivotal roles in the industry to help mitigate this number in the near future. We need to establish

and implement viable mortgage systems that will enable middle- income and low-income earners acquire houses. Providing tax incentives, or grants to credible estate developers will go a long way. Making funds available at single digit interest rate will help mitigate the cost of housing units and in turn make it easier for mid and low-income earners to acquire properties.

Nwadavid

Local Technologists, Innovators Seek Funding to Reduce Machinery Imports Local innovators and technologists are seeking research funding to enable them produce machine parts and equipment to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imports.

Chukwueke

Statistics released last year shows that Nigeria’s imports of machine parts and equipment was about $9 billion, spurring these innovators that converged at the Hardware Convention 2021 to seek funding assistance to stop the revenue leakage.

Hardware Convention 2021 was organised

by Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC), hardware Startup Incubator that provides training, mentoring and equipment for young people to create engineering innovations, build indigenous products and start up technology businesses.

At the convention, professionals canvassed the need to grow the local hardware industry.

They included Emeka Okoye, Emeka Okafor, Anna Crawford, Prof. Rebecca Shipley, Jorge Appiah, Tony Alaegor, Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, Julian Mbakwe, Ifeoma Malo and Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata.

According to Tochukwu Chukwueke, the convener of Hardware Convention 2021, which held in Aba, Abia State, “the neglect

of the hardware sector is one of the major reasons Nigeria is suffering from 33 per cent unemployment rate (one of the highest in the world) and 60 per cent poverty rate.

“The hardware sector is responsible for producing and maintaining the tools, machines and equipment required by the manufacturing sector which is a major employer of labour.

“Today, Nigerian industries rely heavily on importation for virtually all the machinery they use, causing Nigeria to lose a lot of forex and the Naira to depreciate in value. Last year Nigeria imported machinery worth $9 billion, $3 billion for manufacturing tools. The hardware sector is also responsible for producing Military equipment as well as several consumer goods like electronics and domestic appliances. Until we pay serious attention to developing the Nigerian hardware sector, Nigeria may never experience any meaningful development, job creation or poverty reduction.”

He said concerned stakeholders were nurturing

a multi-industrial hardware innovation hub to drive development of equipment and adoption of emerging technologies in Aba. Chukwueke urged investors to support local fabrication and hardware hubs, and that a lot is happening to grow the local tech sector.

A substantial portion of the innovations, he said are the ones that are regarded as high-tech products, especially those related to telecommunications equipment, semiconductors and computer items.

He explained that there is hardware to support consumer electronics for domestic use, including a wide range of audio-visual equipment, computer products and telecommunications equipment.

“There are local capacities for building hardware to power PCs, vehicles, electrical devices,” he said, “adding local innovators are proving solutions to tackle numerous challenges the industry is facing exploring opportunities created by emerging technologies driven by conductor-enabled devices.”

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

POPE URGES EUROPE TO SHOW PA N D E M I C ‘S O L I DA R I T Y ’ Pope Francis called for Europe to show “solidarity” around the world during the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, speaking on a visit to Slovakia — one of the worst-hit countries in Europe.

On his first foreign trip since a colon operation in July, the 84-year-old Argentine pontiff called the pandemic “the great test of our own time.”

“It has taught us how easy it is, even when we are all in the same boat, to withdraw and think only of ourselves,” he said.

Slovakia, a European Union member with a population of 5.4 million, had the highest per capita COVID-19 contagion and mortality rates in the world for several weeks this year.

“After long and trying months of pandemic, fully conscious of the difficulties to be faced, we look forward with hope to an economic upturn favoured by the recovery plans of the European Union,” the pope said in the Slovak capital, Bratislava.

But he warned against “a fleeting sense of euphoria,” and a focus on profits as countries begin to recover and called instead for Europe to display “a solidarity that, by transcending borders, can bring it back to the centre of history.”

The pope met with Slovakia’s Jewish community members on Monday, a day after warning that anti-Semitism was still “lurking” around the world.

Three days before the pope’s arrival, Slovakia’s government issued an apology for the first time for the role played in the Holocaust by the Nazi puppet regime in power at the time.

SCIENTISTS POTTY-TRAINING COWS TO USE ‘MOO-LOO’

Turns out cows can be potty trained as easily as toddlers. Maybe easier, says AP. It’s no bull. Scientists put the task to the test, and 11 out of 16 cows learned to use the “MooLoo” when they had to go.

Just like some parents, the researchers used a sweet treat to coax the cows to push through a gate and urinate in a special pen.

And it took only 15 days to train the young calves. Some kids take quite a bit longer.

“The cows are at least as good as children, age 2 to 4 years, at least as quick,” said senior study author Lindsay Matthews, an animal behavioural scientist at New

Zealand’s University of Auckland who worked with colleagues on the tests at an indoor animal research lab in Germany.

What started with a half-in-jest question on a New Zealand radio talk show about the very real problem of livestock waste resulted in a serious study published Monday in the journal Current Biology. And it wasn’t just a “wow, this could be fun” academic question. Massive amounts of urine waste is a serious environmental issue, Matthews said.

At the lab in Dummerstorf, Germany, the researchers mimicked a toddler’s training, putting the cows in the special pen, waiting until they urinated, and then giving them a reward: a sweet liquid of mostly molasses. If the cows urinated outside the MooLoo after the initial training, they got a squirt of cold water.

Then in two sets of experiments, the researchers let the Holstein cows roam about the indoor facility. When they had to urinate, 11 of them pushed into the pen, did their business, and got their sweet reward.

LEBANON GETS NEW GOVERNMENT AFTER DEADLY PORT BLAST

A new government has been formed in crisis-ridden Lebanon, ending a more than year-long power vacuum that began shortly after the August 2020 Beirut port blast.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a billionaire who has already twice served as premier, will lead a cabinet of ministers that will preside over an economic depression that the World Bank considers one of the world’s worst since the mid-19th century.

Mikati visited Lebanese President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace, where he signed a decree to form the new government in the presence of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the Lebanese Presidency said.

Addressing the nation after the meeting, Mikati said he would try to “stop the country’s collapse.”

“The situation is difficult. It is very a slump in its popularity. difficult,” Mikati said as his voice choked up during an emotional speech. “However AFGHAN WOMEN it is not impossible if we unite ... our CONDEMN TALIBAN BLACK priority is to appease the suffering of the Lebanese people,” he said, adding: “I HIJAB MANDATE Afghan women worldwide are protesting won’t spare an opportunity to open doors with the Arab world. Today Lebanon is the Taliban’s new hijab requirement in schools by posting photos of themselves in need of the Arab world.” wearing colourful traditional dresses on social media, says CNN. PUTIN OVERSEERS WAR Recently, the Taliban has mandated GAMES AHEAD OF RUSSIAN the segregation of genders in classrooms and said female students, ELECTION Russian President Vladimir Putin lecturers, and employees must wear oversaw vast joint military exercises hijabs per the group’s interpretation of with Belarus on Monday ahead of his Sharia law.

On Saturday, photos emerged of female country’s parliamentary elections later this week, as NATO member Poland students wearing head-to-toe black robes and waving Taliban flags in the lecture hall voiced concern over the drills.

The sprawling ‘Zapad-2021’ live-fire of a government-run university in Kabul.

Other Afghan women responded by exercises will run until Thursday at numerous sites in Russia and ex-Soviet posting pictures of themselves in bright Belarus, some of which are close to and colourful traditional Afghan dresses - a NATO’s borders. They have caused stark contrast to the black hijab mandate alarm in neighbouring countries such outlined by the Taliban.

Bahar Jalali, a former faculty member of as Ukraine.

Monday’s exercises focused on the American University of Afghanistan, launching a counter-offensive against according to her LinkedIn, helped kick off enemy forces, the Russian Defence the picture posting campaign, according Ministry said. In the Arctic, Russia’s to other women who shared photos on Northern fleet and air force practised Twitter. repelling an attack near its border with Norway.

SEXUAL ASSAULT: UK Putin said the drills, which the defence PRINCE ANDREW TO ministry said involved 200,000 personnel and 80 planes and helicopters and nearly CHALLENGE US COURT 300 tanks, were not directed against any JURISDICTION foreign country and has called them a According to a Monday court filing, necessary response to increased NATO Britain’s Prince Andrew plans to challenge activity near Russia’s borders those of a U.S. court’s jurisdiction over a civil its allies. lawsuit by a woman who accused him The Russian leader flew into Russia’s of sexually assaulting and battering her Nizhny Novgorod region east of Moscow two decades ago. with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a In the filing with the U.S. District Court close political ally, to review manoeuvres in Manhattan, a lawyer for Andrew said taking place there. the prince also plans to contest that he Russia is due to hold parliamentary was properly served with the lawsuit elections from September 17 to 19. The by Virginia Giuffre, who has said she ruling United Russia party that backs was also abused by the financier Jeffrey Putin is expected to secure a win despite Epstein, according to Reuters.

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TUESDAY, ͹ͼ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

My Odyssey To Study Oldest New Testament Scripture

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n Saturday September 11, 2021, I travelled to Manchester, England, to pay a research visit to the John Rylands Research Library. My primary purpose was to research the Rylands Papyrus P52, the oldest existing New Testament Scripture on Earth at a little over 1800 years old (from 125-175AD).

Visiting the library increased my faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and my confidence in Scripture because it proved that the Word of God is reliable and unchanging.

The Rylands Papyri are a group of papyrus documents that contain verses of Scripture from the Book of Deuteronomy and the Gospel of John, Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, and the Book of Titus.

Though these parchments were discovered from various countries around the Mediterranean, the oldest one (the Rylands Papyrus P52) was found in 1920 in Egypt, meaning that they were discovered before the Dead Sea Scrolls of Qumran.

Another difference between the Rylands Papyri and the Dead Sea Scrolls is that while the Dead Sea Scrolls of Qumran

vindicate the Old Testament of Scripture (except the Book of Esther), the Rylands Papyri corroborate both books of the Old Testament and New Testament, meaning that they are of great spiritual value to both Christians and Jews.

Of particular interest to me was the Rylands Papyrus P52. It is from the Gospel, according to John.

The authorities at the Library were kind enough to authorise my crew and I to go in with a video camera; however, we were not permitted to record with a tripod.

We were also restricted in the kinds of photographs and videos we could take.

Light can damage the paper of old documents and the canvases of antique artwork and fabrics. Even the ink or paint of such dated materials erode with the encroachment of light. If we are to preserve these legacies for future generations, they have to be properly preserved away from moisture and certain lights.

However, the documents are there at the library and can be viewed. The Rylands Papyrus P52 is in Koine.

It contains verses from John 18:31–38.

However, some words have been eroded because of the degradation of the parchment. Below are modern English translations of the Koine Greek of The

Rylands Papyrus P52:

“the Jews, "For us it is not permitted to kill anyone," so that the word of Yeshua might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying what kind of death he was going to die. Entered therefore again into the Praetorium Pilate and summoned Yeshua and said to him, "Thou art king of the Jews?"

Front side. “a King I am. For this I have been born and (for this) I have come into the world so that I would testify to the truth.

Everyone who is of the truth hears of me my voice." Said to him Pilate, "What is truth?" and this having said, again he went out unto the Jews and said to them, "I find not one fault in him."

Back side.

This is an exact match to the corresponding verses (save the words that have eroded off the document) of the Gospel of John that we have today.

What does this prove to you? It proves

to you that the Scriptures we are reading today are reliable and accurate (except for the long ending of Mark, which is everything after Mark 16:8, and one verse in the First Epistle of John, 1 John 5:7, to be exact).

It costs me a lot of money to travel to the John Rylands Research Library, but the journey was worth it. It strengthened my faith and by recording it in video form and passing it on to two television stations for mass broadcast, I am certain it will also strengthen the faith of a multitude of others that will watch the documentary we made out of my experience in Manchester.

A significant portion of my adult life has been spent researching, investigating, and studying ancient Scriptures of the Jewish and Christian faith. Often, I have captured these trips on video and photos.

In Egypt, I came across the oldest document still existing in the world. In Ethiopia, I saw very ancient documents at Gondar, Lalibela and Adadi Mariam.

Unfortunately, because of the war in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, I could not visit Aksum to study even more ancient documents. However, I plan to go there when peace returns, God sparing my life.

Nothing can be as rewarding and fulfilling as knowing that the faith one professes is founded on a Rock that is aptly captured in Scripture that can be verified.

Although I have been on pilgrimages to Israel, Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Palestine, Greece, Turkey, and the Vatican, nothing has had a more profound effect on my faith, like travelling to research, study and investigate these ancient Scriptures.

The John Rylands Research Library is in Manchester, and I encourage my readers, who have the means, to create time to visit the institution. You can get tickets online. It is worth the visit. Not just here on Earth. The visit will impact you in the hereafter.

Reno’s Nuggets 21 Side Hustles You Can Still Do With or Without a Full Time Job: YouTubing Quora Fiverr Bitcoin Amazon publishing Affiliate marketing Forex e-trading Online marketing Web designer Blogger Shopify merchant SEO Optimisation Survey taker Online tutor Podcaster CV/Resumer writer eBay seller App creator Dropshipping Online music reviewer Project writer These are all solutions to the disease of poverty. Do not complain. Or find fault.

Or sneer. Attempt at least one. All you need is a laptop and a smartphone. You already have one. You currently use it to gossip, chat and entertain yourself.

Now flip it and use it to create wealth for yourself.

Former Presidential spokesman, Reno Omokri, at the John Rylands Research Library in Manchester to study the P52, the oldest New Testament Scripture on Earth

#RenosNuggets #FreeLeahSharibu

LAWYER TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

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NBA General Secretary, Mrs Joyce Oduah

‘Leadership Positions are Not the Exclusive Preserve of Men’

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retary, NBA General Sec Mrs Joyce Oduah

Constitutionality of FG’s Imposition and Collection of VAT, Withholding, Education and Technology Tax Page IV

sitions o P p i h s r e d a e ‘L clusive x E e h t t o N e r a en’ M f o e v r e s e r P

QUOTABLES

Registration of Vesting Instruments: ASTEP Builds Members’ Capacity Page V

‘The elite depend on a dubious one - the promotion of tribal and religious fault lines for legitimacy. So, the attacks we see on law and order, are themselves symptomatic.’ - Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Professor of Law, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

‘It appears that in a number of electoral issues in Nigeria, the settled rule is now unsettled, and the time honoured principle of Stare Decisis does not seem to matter any longer.’

- Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission

Ogun Trains Lawyers on Actualisation of State’s Mantra Page V

FG v States: Who Should Collect VAT? Page XI

III THE ADVOCATE

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

Issues in the VAT Legal Tango

L

ast week, I read a news report in which the Gombe State Commissioner for Finance appealed to Lagos and Rivers State to be their “ brother's keeper” as far as the VAT (Value Added Tax) sharing formula is concerned, and more or less, 'temper justice with mercy. Unfortunately, Suit No. FHC/PH/ CS/149/2020 AG Rivers State v FIRS & AGF is presently not a family matter, but a legal one! Therefore, I shall examine the highlights of this issue from a legal point of view (carefully, because it is sub judice).

Background The Rivers State Government (RSG) by way of Originating Summons, approached the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Division, seeking the determination of some constitutional questions, inter alia, the interpretation of Items 58 & 59 on the Exclusive Legislative List Part I Second Schedule to the Constitution, and whether the Federal Government had the power to delegate the FIRS to collect certain taxes like VAT by virtue of the said provisions of Items 58 & 59. An action is commenced via means of an Originating Summons inter alia, when a party “claiming….any legal or equitable right under…. an enactment….for the determination of any question of construction under the instrument and for a declaration of the rights of the persons interested”. The reliefs granted in an Originating Summons, are declaratory. The court declared inter alia, that the FIRS is not empowered to collect VAT. Armed with the favourable decision of the court, the Rivers State House of Assembly went ahead to swiftly pass its Value Added Tax Law No. 4 of 2021 (VATL), to enable them commence the collection of their VAT. FIRS then applied for a stay of execution of the judgement of the Federal High Court, which the court refused to grant, on the ground that the courts are bound to obey laws that are duly enacted (VATL), and that granting a stay would amount to overruling (or is it negating) the decision that it had already handed down. See the case of Nwabueze v Nwosu 1988 4 N.W.L.R. Part 88 Page 257 on the established principle that a successful litigant should be allowed to enjoy the fruits of his success.

The FIRS immediately appealed against the decision, filing a stay of execution of the decision of the Federal High Court and a motion for interlocutory injunction, while LSG (Lagos State Government) filed an application for joinder as a Respondent in the matter, in the interest of justice. Though the Appellant has not moved its applications, nor has the LSG’s motion for joinder been heard, last Friday, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, ruled that all the parties in the matter should refrain from taking any action that would give effect to the decision of the Federal High Court, pending the determination of the applications. In other words, the Court of Appeal granted a temporary stay of execution without actually hearing the application for one, citing the need to preserve the ‘res’, that is, the subject-matter of the suit. Can a declaratory judgement be stayed? judgement be stayed?

What is the res in this case?

The grant of a stay of execution of a judgement is discretionary. See Igwe v Kalu 1993 4 N.W.L.R. Part 285 Page 1. But, generally, factors that are considered in the grant of such an application include special circumstances, or the fact that the res may be destroyed and would render the appeal negatory if a stay is not granted; and the Applicant must show the existence of a legal right. See Vaswani Trading Co. v Savalakh & Co. 1972 7 N.S.C.C. Page 692 at 695; Irukwu v T.M.I.B. 1997 12 N.W.L.R. Part 531 Page 113 at 127.

The matter was however, adjourned to Thursday for the determination of the pending applications. Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly also speedily passed their own Value Added Tax Law last Thursday, and it was assented to by the Governor on Friday morning as well.

The Position of the Law Section 1(1) of Constitution declares its supremacy and bindingness on all authorities and persons throughout Nigeria, including the Federal Government, the Courts and the FIRS, while Section 1 (3) provides that any law that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, shall be void to the extent of its inconsistency. See AGF v Abubakar 2007 8 N.W.L.R. Part 1035 Page 117 at 144 on the supremacy of the Constitution, and the fact

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive.com onikepob@yahoo.com Twitter: @TheAdvocate

The

Advocate “I submit that, it is obvious from the constitutional provisions, that VAT is excluded from Items 58 & 59 of the Exclusive Legislative List and Item 7 of the Concurrent Legislative List, and therefore, does not come under the Federal Government’s control. Ergo, it is a Residual matter, falling squarely under the purview of the States alone” that the grundnorm is not a mere Act or law. In AG Ondo State v AGF 2002 9 N.W.L.R. Part 772 Page 222, the court held that “…once the powers, rights and the limitations under the Constitution are identified as having been created, their existence cannot be disputed in a court of law”.

Items 58 & 59 on the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution (that is items assigned solely to the Federal Government by the Constitution, for legislation upon by the National Assembly (NASS)) which cover taxes - while mentioning Stamp duties, taxes of incomes, profits and capital gains, do not mention VAT; nor is VAT mentioned on the Concurrent Legislative List, which both Federal and State can legislate upon. The well known principle in statutory construction, “Expressio unius est exclusio alterius’ is applicable here - that is, the rule that ‘the inclusion of the one, is the exclusion of the other’ - ‘when one or more things of a class are expressly mentioned, others of the same class are excluded’. I submit that, it is obvious from the constitutional provisions, that VAT is excluded from Items 58 & 59 of the Exclusive Legislative List and Item 7 of the Concurrent Legislative List, and therefore, does not come under the Federal Government’s control. Ergo, it

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike

is a Residual matter, falling squarely under the purview of the States alone.

Simply put, constitutionally speaking, it is ultra vires the FIRS to collect VAT, the reason being that VAT is a matter for the State Houses of Assembly to legislate upon, and consequently, the State tax collection agencies or whoever the State delegates so to gather. See SC. 340/2010 AGF v AG Lagos in which the Supreme Court held that the Federal Government lacks the constitutional powers to legislate upon matters that are on the Residual Legislative list, and are the responsibility of the States.

So, to the extent that a law like the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act 1998 (TLA) (already nullified by the Court of Appeal for its inconsistency with the Constitution in Uyo Local Government Council v Akwa Ibom State Government & Anor 2020 LPELR-49691 (CA)) in Section 4 Part I First Schedule to Section 1 of the Act provides that VAT should be collected by the Federal Government (the Federal Board of Inland Revenue or now, the FIRS), this provision is inconsistent with Items 58 & 59 of the Exclusive Legislative List, and is therefore, null and void and of no effect. Similarly, Section 7 of the Value Added Tax Act 1993 (VATA), which provides that VAT shall be administered

by the Federal Board of Inland Revenue, suffers the same fate of nullity as the above-mentioned TLA provision, by virtue of its inconsistency with the Constitution. See the case of Imonikhe v AG Bendel State 1992 23 N.S.C.C. Part II Page 480 at 491 per Nnaemeka-Agu JSC where his Lordship stated thus: "Any act which infringes or runs contrary to those organic principles or systems (in the Constitution), is said to be unconstitutional". See also Alhaji Nuru Bani Gaa v Alhaji Ishola Are Ogele SC.96/1998 18 N.W.L.R. Part 852 Page 251 per Pats-Acholonu JSC who held thus: “To suggest that the provision of the Constitution should be construed subject to the prescription of an inferior statute, is a legal apostasy…..

Any law inconsistent with such provisions would have done violence to the spirit of the organic and primary law, and therefore, to the extent of such inconsistency, is null and void and of no effect…”.

Based on the foregoing, as the law stands today, it is difficult to fault the decision of the Federal High Court, as it is a proper interpretation and application of the Constitution with regard to VAT. An amendment of the Constitution would therefore be required, to include VAT on the Exclusive Legislative List, for it to be lawful for the FIRS to collect VAT. It is trite law that the Constitution cannot be amended by the provisions of any law, but only by the means provided for in Section 9 thereof. In this scenario, it means that the TLA and VATA (which are existing laws by virtue of Section 315(1) of the Constitution), or any other law or Federal Government directive or practice, cannot serve as constitutional amendments that can be used to insert VAT onto the Exclusive Legislative List; and the offending sections of the said statutes which I already cited above, must be brought into conformity with the Constitution, as a result of their inconsistency.

Specifically, by virtue of Section 9(2) of the Constitution, for the purpose of amendment, there must be a proposal to include VAT on the Exclusive Legislative List in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and this proposal must be supported by votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members in each House of NASS, and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the States, that is, 24 States. The fact that the Constitution is constantly being observed in its breach by Government and its agencies with regard to many matters, does not or cannot confer constitutionality, lawfulness or correctness on such matters.

A pertinent question to ask, is what the effect of the newly enacted VAT laws of both States which empower them to collect VAT is on this controversy, since the laws are not the subject-matter of any litigation and are valid and subsisting?

Conclusion That the decision of the Federal High Court in this matter, is one that promotes fiscal Federalism is unarguable. But, there are many who are against this decision, and argue that it may put States who depend on ‘sharing’ of the VAT of others for part of their survival, into financial jeopardy.

Their concerns are not unfounded.

However, those on the other side of the divide, believe that this practice of the FIRS collecting VAT into a central pool and sharing it, is unconstitutional, unfair and inequitable to the States that generate the highest amounts of VAT, because they are deprived of their own revenue which can be used to develop their own State infrastructure, just so that other States can be propped up - ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’, is what this practice has been described as by many. They believe that this practice should be jettisoned, and items like minerals removed from the Exclusive Legislative List and left as Residual matters, so that States can harness their own resources and dramatically increase their IGRs and VAT, instead of depending on others.

My dear Readers, kindly, share your opinion on whether this VAT controversy is a family matter, which should be resolved amicably and holistically by negotiation and love, of course, along with other thorny issues which have not been brotherly in nature, but instead, have been a source of discord amongst Nigerians. For instance, as Governor Wike of Rivers State has publicly complained - is it equitable for States who prohibit and destroy alcoholic beverages, to be allowed to enjoy the revenue generated from the sale of alcohol in other States? Are those who argue that if the Federal High Court judgement is not upheld, we will be moving further away from true Federalism, correct? Or should the law be allowed to take its course, no matter the cost? What are your views?

IV LAW REPORT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

Constitutionality of FG’s Imposition and Collection of VAT, Withholding, Education and Technology Tax Facts The Plaintiff approached the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, by way of Originating Summons, seeking determination of four constitutional questions and seeking the grant of eleven reliefs by the court. The Plaintiff questions, among others, the interpretation of the provisions of items 58 and 59, Part I of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution vis-à-vis the residual powers of the States of the Federation to make laws, as well as Section 4(7) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the powers of the Federal Government of Nigeria to make laws for the purpose of taxation other than for stamp duties, taxation of incomes, profits and capital gains and the powers of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to enforce and administer laws inconsistent with or in excess of the powers of the Federal Government of Nigeria to make laws.

Upon being served with the Originating Summons, the First Defendant entered a Memorandum of Conditional Appearance, filed a Counter-Affidavit to the Affidavit in support of the Originating Summons, and a Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging the competence of the suit, on the grounds that the Plaintiff did not issue and serve it with Pre-Action Notice in line with Section 55(3-4) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2007; the suit is an abuse of court process; and that the suit was wrongly commenced by Originating Summons.

The Second Defendant also filed a Memorandum of Conditional Appearance, a Counter-Affidavit and a Notice of Preliminary Objection to the competence of the suit, and challenging the jurisdiction of the court to determine the suit as constituted. The grounds were that: the proper Defendant is not before court; the subject of the suit is not within the jurisdiction of the court to determine; and some of the reliefs are beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

By a Motion on Notice filed on 27th November, 2020 the First Defendant also submitted six questions covering all the questions raised in the Originating Summons, upon which it urged the court to grant a Case Stated/Reference to the Court of Appeal.

Issues for determination 1. Whether the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Government of Nigeria are entitled to make laws for the purpose of taxation other than taxation of incomes, profits and capital gains, and if not, whether the 1st Defendant is entitled to enforce and administer laws inconsistent with, or in excess of the authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Federal Government of Nigeria to make laws?

2. Whether the legislative competence of the National Assembly to impose tax or duties on capital gains, incomes or profits of persons and on documents or transactions by way of stamp duties, extends to and includes the power to levy or impose any form of Sales Tax including Value Added Tax or any other form of levy, and if so, whether the power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to delegate the power of collection of taxes can be exercised for the purpose of delegating the duty to any other person other than the Government of a State or other authority of a State?

3. Whether the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Decree No. 21 of 1998, now Act, in so far as it purports to legislate in respect of the responsibility for collection of taxes and levies, assessment and collection of taxes other than as provided for under items 58 and 59 of the Exclusive Legislative List (Second Schedule Part I), and items 7 and 8 of the Concurrent Legislative List (Second Schedule, Part II), is not unconstitutional, null and void?

Arguments Regarding the Preliminary Objection of the Second Defendant, the Plaintiff argued that by Order 26 Rule 2(1) and 29 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019 the only cognisable way of challenging jurisdiction of court is by Motion on Notice supported by an Affidavit and Written Address where the ground is not based on law alone.

Counsel argued that the Preliminary Objection is also

the course of the proceedings. Counsel argued that by the questions, the determination of the entire suit would have been transferred to the Court of Appeal.

Arguing the issues in the Originating Summons, the Plaintiff submitted that by virtue of Items 58 and 59 of the Second Schedule, Part I of the 1999 Constitution, the Federal Government can only make laws on, demand and collect duties and taxes in relation to incomes, profits and capital gains and the powers of its agencies (like the First Defendant) is limited to the administration of these taxes only.

Counsel submitted that imposition of VAT, Withholding, Education and Technology Tax by the Federal Government is ultra-vires its constitutional powers and therefore, null and void. The First Defendant on its part, posited that by Sections 4(1-4) & 351(1)(a), 318(1) and Items 62, 67 and 68 of the Second Schedule, Part I of the Constitution, the National Assembly has expansive powers to enact legislations to cover the referenced taxes in the Originating Summons.

Counsel argued that the taxes mentioned are on the incomes of the taxable persons, and within the purview of Item 59 of the Second Schedule.

The Second Defendant on his part, expressed the view that the Federal Government is not limited to Items 58 and 59 of the Second Schedule and that the National Assembly is constitutionally empowered to enact laws and impose taxes on persons other than corporate bodies in Rivers State, and that the Plaintiff cannot make laws which are inconsistent with a law enacted by the National Assembly.

Honourable Justice Stephen Dalyop Pam, J. In the Federal High Court of Nigeria In the Port Harcourt Judicial Division Holden at Port Harcourt On Monday, the 9th Day of August, 2021 Before Stephen Dalyop Pam, J. Honourable Justice of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt

Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/149/2020 Between ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF RIVERS STATE …

…

....

PLAINTIFF

And 1. FEDERAL INLAND REVENUE SERVICE 2. ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION …

DEFENDANTS

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Justice Stephen Dalyop Pam, J)

incompetent, because it did not contain any prayer or relief. He submitted further that the case falls squarely within the subject-matter jurisdiction of the Federal High Court under Section 251(1) (a)(b)(p)(q) & (r) of the 1999 Constitution, which confers exclusive jurisdiction on the Federal High Court in matters relating to revenue of the Federation and taxation, among others, and that the conditions for invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court pursuant to Section 232(1) and Section 1(c) of the Supreme Court (Additional Original Jurisdiction) Act are not present in this case.

Regarding the issue of joinder of proper parties, the Plaintiff argued that the Second Defendant, as the Chief Law Officer of the Federal Government of Nigeria, is the proper party to sue, and that there is no need to join the National Assembly. Counsel for the Second Defendant countered the submissions, stating that the challenge to the jurisdiction of court is based on law, and does not require an Affidavit in support of the Preliminary Objection or a relief, since the court can only strike out the

“The 1999 Constitution having specifically designated the taxes that the Federal Government is empowered to impose and collect in Items 58 and 59, this must be read to exclude other species of taxes like VAT, Withholding, Education and Technology Tax”

case once it arrives at the conclusion that it lacks jurisdiction. In response to the argument on joinder of parties, counsel argued that the dispute in the Originating Summons, is between the National Assembly and Rivers State.

With respect to the Preliminary Objection of the First Defendant, the FIRS submitted that by Section 55(3)-(4) of the FIRS Act, it is mandatory for the Plaintiff to issue it with a Pre-Action Notice through its Executive Chairman before commencing the suit, and failure to so do, rendered the action incompetent. Counsel submitted further that the suit is an Abuse of Court Process, as an action with similar subject with the present Defendants in Suit No. FHC/ PH/CS/30/2020 was filed and pending before the court for judgement. He argued further that Originating Summons is inappropriate, for suits which are contentious in nature. The Plaintiff argued otherwise, stating that the wording of the referenced section shows that it is not applicable to suits filed against the FIRS in its corporate name, but to suits filed against the Executive Chairman, Board members and other officials of the FIRS. The Plaintiff also posited that the reconstitution or mis-constitution of the parties by including the Attorney-General of the Federation as a Plaintiff in the Affidavit and Written Address in support of the Preliminary Objection without the leave of court, renders the process incompetent. Counsel submitted further that, there is material dispute to derogate from the use of Originating Summons in this instance.

Arguing the First Defendant’s application for Case Stated, counsel submitted that the questions formulated for reference to the Court of Appeal involve substantial issues of law which arose in the proceedings. The Plaintiff responded and urged the court to take judicial notice of the fact that the application was filed before parties concluded filing of their respective processes in the suit, and that the questions did not arise in

Court’s Judgement and Rationale Deciding the Preliminary Objection of the Second Defendant, the court held that it is founded on issues of law only and so, there was no need for filing an Affidavit in support and that a Notice of Preliminary Objection is envisaged under the Rules of Court as a mode of making an application before the court. The court held further that the suit falls within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Federal High Court pursuant to Section 251(1)(a)(b)(p)(q) & (r) of the 1999 Constitution, and that the suit is not a challenge to the legislative competence of the National Assembly to enact the Statutes, subject matter of this suit; hence, the National Assembly need not be joined as a party. The Preliminary Objection was thereby, dismissed.

With regard to the Preliminary Objection of the First Defendant, the court found that the unilateral inclusion of the name of the Attorney-General of the Federation as a Plaintiff in the Affidavit and Written Address, without leave of court, rendered the affected processes incompetent. Thus, the Preliminary Objection was bare and without legal argument in support of. The court thereby struck same out.

The court however, went on to touch on the issues raised in the Objection, and determined them. His Lordship found that Section 55(3) of the FIRS Act does not provide for service of Pre-Action Notice on the FIRS, before commencement of an action against it. Determining the issue of Abuse of Court Process, the court distinguished the referenced suit from the present suit, and found that the conditions for multiplicity of actions are not in this case. On suitability of Originating Summons for commencement of the action, the court found that the suit relates to interpretation of the Constitution and primarily, issues of law and thus, was properly commenced.

Determining the application for Case Stated, the court held that, the questions did not arise in the course of the proceedings because the parties were yet to conclude filing their respective processes in the suit. Also, the questions cover almost the entirety of the case, thereby showing that the aim of the application is to transfer the suit to the Court of Appeal for adjudication in contravention of the decision in ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR v A-G, FEDERATION & ORS. 3 PLR/2007/23(SC).

The court thereby, dismissed the application.

In its resolution of the questions raised in the Originating Summons, the court held that looking at Sections 4(1-4)(a) & (b), 315(1)(a), 318(1) and Items 62, 67 and 68 of the Second Schedule, Part I of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Sections 1, 2(a) of Part 3 (Supplemental and Interpretation) of the 1999 Constitution, there is nowhere that the Federal Government is given wide powers to make tax laws beyond the limits of Items 58 and 59 of Part I of the Second Schedule. Items 58 and 59 clearly state that the Federal Government is only empowered to enact laws in relation to stamp duties, taxations of incomes, profits and capital gains only. Tax laws are interpreted strictly, without room for presumption and intendment. It does not admit of equity – FEDERAL BOARD OF INLAND REVENUE v INTEGRATED DATA SERVICES LIMITED (2009) 8 NWLR (Pt. 1144) 637-638. It is the law that where a Statute mentions a specific thing among other alternatives, it is deemed that those not cont'd on page V

V NEWS

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

L-R: Mr. Dotun Ogunleye, Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran, Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Service Matters, Mr. Dahunsi Ogunleye and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Adeyemi Adewole during the 3-day Retreat of the top management staff of the Ministry of Justice, held at Frontier Hotel, Ilaro, Ogun State

Secretary ASTEP, Mrs Adetola Ayanru

Registration of Vesting Instruments: ASTEP Builds Members’ Capacity The Association of Succession, Trusts and Estate Planning Practitioners (ASTEP) held its monthly webinar titled “Registration of Vesting Instruments at the Lagos State Land Registry”, recently. The webinar was facilitated by Mr Olayimika Olasewere, the Vice-President of ASTEP and Mrs Adetola Ayanru, the Honourable Secretary ASTEP. It was a well attended program, in which the facilitators brilliantly explained the types of vesting instruments, the process of registration and a likely contentious matter.

Introducing the topic, Mrs. Ayanru gave a brief background of the Land Use Act. She explained that by virtue of the Land Use Act (formerly called the Land Use Decree) Chapter 202 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, each State Governor holds the land (except that of the Federal Government or it’s agencies) in trust for the people, and has the responsibility to allocate the land to individuals and organisations for residential, agricultural, commercial and other purposes.

She further explained that when the Governor allocates land to an individual or organisation, it is the responsibility of the individual or organisation to register the title to the land at the Land Registry/ Land Bureau of the State.

The Land Registry of each State is saddled with various responsibilities, one of which is keeping an updated record of all land transactions in the State. In Lagos State, by virtue of the Lagos State Land Registration Law

(Cap L41, Vol. 6, Laws of Lagos State Nigeria 2015), the Land Bureau is the only agency of the State Government that is statutorily empowered to store registered title documents relating to land in Lagos State.

Speaking to the topic of the webinar, Mrs Ayanru explained that where the Executors or Administrators are not beneficiaries of an Estate, due process must be followed to transfer the title of the estate to the beneficiaries after the grant of probate (when there is a Will) or the letters of administration (where there is no Will). The process is called Vesting. There are two types of vesting depending on whether or not the deceased person died with or without a Will.

Where there is no Will, the vesting instrument used is the Vesting Deed, but where he died with a Will, the vesting instrument is called a Deed of Assent.

For a vesting instrument to be valid, the Executors/ Administrators and the Beneficiaries must append their signatures. Also, the property in question must have been registered at the Lagos State Land Bureau.

Thereafter, the beneficiaries will proceed to the Registry to transfer the property from the name of the deceased to themselves, and a fresh title registration number will be assigned. Hence, the beneficiary becomes the new owner of the property.

Furthermore, to properly register the vesting instrument, the following requirements are needed; (a) application letter with the address, telephone number and email address

of the applicant/s or the applicants’ representatives; (b) 3 sets of Deeds of as-

sent/vesting deed; (c) 2 passports photographs for each party; (d) a certified

true copy of the root of title; (e) certified true copy of the grant of probate/

letter of administration; (f) payment of statutory charges.

Ogun Trains Lawyers on Actualisation of State’s Mantra Adémólá Òrúnbon

The Ogun State Ministry of Justice has implored top Lawyers at the management level be fair, and take a good decision while delivering their services, in order to actualise the mantra of the present administration led

by Prince Dapo Abiodun tagged "Building Our Future Together".

This came to the fore at the Ogun State Ministry of Justice’s 2021 3-day Retreat held at Frontier Hotel, Ilaro, so as to enhance the managerial skills of the top management staff at delivering of its mission.

Speaking with Journalists, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran, said the training was put together to effectively carry out Government policies and programmes professionally.

He said the Ministry is central

to the present administration’s vision and mission, hence, management staff need to be equipped on skills that would make the vision come to reality, adding that, after the training, people of the State would get more robust and fairness on justice dispensation.

"This training will be to imbibe some values that will be our watchword, and we all need to key into the overall goal and vision of this administration in order to put in place policies to attract private public partnership, improve on our efficiency and also be fair to the good people of the State, in getting fair and more robust justice in all aspects of human endeavours". Akingbolahan said.

The AG said such training would be regular in keeping all staff of the Ministry on their toes, saying the step down of the training would be replicated

across all cadres in the Ministry, as no one would be left behind.

While urging participants to pay rapt attention, Mr Akingbolahan who delivered a paper on the Topic "Government and Structure”, said major elements that make government policies and programmes successful were proper financial planning, leadership from the front, creative use of technology, in-house capacity building and development, stakeholders identification and consultation, good communication and regular team meeting, progress monitoring and measuring and effective rewards system.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Service Matters, Mr Dahunsi Ogunleye who discussed on "Deepening Effective Management Strategies in Actualising Building Our Future Together from the Perspective of an Administrator", said as management staff, acquisition

of major administrative skills is key to the mantra; adding that, to achieve a better public service setting that favourably competes with the private sector, administrators must be fair, equitable, empathetic, compassionate, and knowledgeable in the implementation of government policies.

Insisting on merit at the point of entering into public service, Ogunleye urged participants to read widely and study public service rules, so as to become a better administrators that the Government can be proud of in discharging of their duties.

Other resource persons at the retreat were Mr Dotun Ogunleye, Mr. Adeyalemi Joshua, who took them on ICT as a tool for “Building Our Future Together” and Mr. Azeez Tijani who took the participants on the practical aspects of Information Communication Technology in Microsoft PowerPoint Basic.

Constitutionality of FG’s Imposition of VAT, Withholding, Education and Technology Tax cont'd from page IV

mentioned are excluded. The 1999 Constitution having specifically designated the taxes that the Federal Government is empowered to impose and collect in Items 58 and 59, this must be read to exclude other species of taxes like VAT, Withholding, Education and Technology Tax. Had the framers of the 1999 Constitution intended otherwise, they would have specifically mentioned them in the Constitution.

Determining the second issue, the court highlighted the provisions of Item 7(a) & (b) of Part II, Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution and came to the conclusion that in the exercise of the powers of the National Assembly to impose

any tax or duty on capital gains, incomes or profits of persons other than companies and documents or transactions by way of stamp duties, the National Assembly may provide that collection or administration of the tax law shall be carried out by the Government of a State or other State authority, subject to the conditions prescribed by the National Assembly. The provisions do not extend the legislative competence of the National Assembly to impose any form of tax outside those specifically mentioned in Item 7(a) & (b) and delegation to any other person or entity other than the State Government or an Authority of the State Government shall be null and void.

Regarding the third issue which

questions the constitutionality of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Decree No. 21 of 1998, now Act, which purports to legislate on collection of taxes and levies other than as provided under Items 58 and 59, the court referred to the decision of the Court of Appeal in UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL v AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT & ANOR. (2020) LPELR-49691(CA) where the appellate court nullified the Taxes and Levies Act for being inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. His Lordship held that the Taxes and Levies Act being unconstitutional, any tax or levy provided for in the Act is automatically rendered unconstitutional, null and void, except such taxes are provided for in the 1999 Constitution or

any other law validly made by a competent legislature.

Having resolved all the issues in favour of the Plaintiff, the court granted all the reliefs sought in the Originating Summons.

Reliefs in the Originating Summons Granted.

Representation D.C. Den-Wigwe, SAN; K.C.O. Njemanze, SAN with others for the Plaintiff.

O.C. Eyiba, Esq. for the 1st Defendant.

D.L. Inko-Tariah, Esq. for the 2nd Defendant.

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited,Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)(An affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)

VI

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

TALKING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN

0809 889 8888 SMS ONLY

The Existence of Grazing Routes in Nigeria: Fact or Fiction (Part 4) Introduction

T

homas Jefferson once opined that the care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. Today, we shall conclude our discourse on the above issue.

Pro-Active Steps Taken by Some State Governors Some State Governors and Houses of Assembly in Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Oyo, Osun and Lagos States have since taken steps by getting anti-grazing laws passed by their Houses of Assembly. Indeed, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has already taken proactive steps to stop being the wailing Chief Mourner of his people being murdered daily in cold blood by Fulani Herdsmen. He got the House of Assembly to enact the anti-RUGA (Rural Grazing Area) and Cattle Colony Law, called the “Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law” No. 21 of 2017. He went further by challenging the Federal Government’s RUGA policy at the Federal High Court, Makurdi, in the case of AG OF BENUE STATE v AG OF THE FEDERATION. On 4th February, 2020, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the FHC, Makurdi, held that any move by the FG to acquire land for RUGA or cattle colony in Benue State without the State Government, was null and void. The Judge granted an order, nullifying every action of the FG to establish RUGA or cattle colony.

Many constitutional provisions such as Sections 5(6), 9(2), 20, 44(1), 58 and 315(5) and 6(b) were considered. Also considered were Sections 1, 2, 5, 6, 26, 28 and 49 of the Land Use Act vis-à-vis Section 4, 5, 6, 7 and 19(c) of the Benue State Anti-Grazing Law. It must be pointed out that the Governor of a State is the Chief Executive and Chief Security Officer of that State (Sections 176(1) and 214-216 of the 1999 Constitution). By virtue of Section 1 of the Land Use Act, 1978, all land comprised in the territory of each State of the Federation has been vested in the Governor of that State, and such land shall be held in trust and administered for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians.

Thus, a Governor of a State commands great power, in the usage of the land in his State.

See the case of NIGERIA ENGINEERING WORKS LTD v DENAP LTD & ANOR (2001) LPELR-2002(SC).

Should Southern Governors Have First Consulted the Northern Establishment?

It must be emphasised that the decision of the Southern Governors, does not in actuality impede the rights of cow rearers to own cattle. It merely limits their ability to openly graze on lands that are not theirs in the first place, and inflict misery on the indigenous owners. The ban will also ignite more anti-grazing laws in other States in Nigeria.

Those Northern elite arguing that consultation ought to have been first made by Southern Governors before making such resolutions, have not advanced any plausible argument anchored on the Constitution. In fact, they ought to applaud the Southern Nigerian Governors for wilfully choosing to dialogue with their Northern counterparts, and avoiding an impending doom.

The few Northern elite have not explained to Nigerians, why they never consulted their Southern counterparts before passing and enforcing Sharia Law in their States; or passing the various Hisbah laws. Did some of these Governors not cut off citizens’ hands for various offences, to the angst and condemnation of international communities?

Did they not order for some others to be stoned?

Recall the unfortunate cases of Buba Jangebe (2000),

Auwalu Abubakar (23), Lawalli Musa (22), Abubakar Aliyu (15), Attahiru Umaru, Sani Rodi, Sarimu Baranda, Safiya Hussein, Amina Lawal and many others for merely either stealing a cow, bull, N32,000 or committing adultery.

Did the Northern Governors consult their Southern counterparts? They did not explain why Southern Governors who are the Chief Security Officers of their States should first obtain their permission (like a pupil from a Headmaster), before dealing with security matters in their various States. It only shows their mindset, of a relationship of masters and servants; conquerors and vassals; slave owners and slaves. They failed to tell Nigerians that all the Northern Governors had actually pro-actively taken a unanimous position to ban open grazing, at its virtual meeting held on February 9, 2021, presided over by their Chairman, Simon Lalong Governor of Plateau State. They had unanimously agreed that the “current system of herding conducted mainly through open grazing is no longer sustainable, in view of growing urbanisation and population of the country”. While urging all the Governors to meet over this matter, they agreed on other methods such as ranching.

These critics of the Southern Governors hid the fact that, in response to the Northern Governors’ call, the entire Nigerian Governors’ Forum of the 36 State Governors held a virtual meeting on February 11 (two days later) and unanimously agreed to end nomadic and pastoral cattle wandering, “to address the rising insecurity in the country and the activities of Herdsmen… and the need for the country to transition into modern systems of animal husbandry that will replace open, night and underage grazing in the country”. They also encouraged ranching as alternative. The Northern elite carefully screened away the fact that, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano State Governor had openly supported adopting anti-open grazing measures.

Ganduje had argued in February, 2021, during his meeting with President Buhari and other APC Governors, that such a ban would not only solve incessant clashes between Farmers and Herders, but also prevent cattle rustling.

In spite of attempts by some Northern groups to cow in, Ganduje stuck to his guns.

The three-man sub-committee on Herdsmen/ Farmers clashes constituted by the Buhari Government in February, 2018, was headed by the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi.

It was specifically mandated to unravel the causes of Herdsmen/Farmers clashes (wrong usage: Herdsmen’s unproven attacks on Farmers

“…..it is crystal clear that the President does not have any power to recover so-called existing grazing routes. Same have since transferred to the Governors of States, by the Land Use Act of 1978”

is better). It was to dialogue with relevant stakeholders, to end the killings of innocent citizens.

Other members of the sub-committee included Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), and Bindo Jubrilla (Adamawa). The panel was mandated to visit Benue, Taraba, Zamfara and Adamawa States.

Umahi had told Nigerians after the NEC meeting at the Presidential Villa presided over

by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, that the Panel submitted its report to the Council which okayed the recommendation to ban open grazing, opting instead for the establishment of ranches in States affected by the Herdsmen onslaught.

Governor Umahi, who said his team visited five States Benue, Taraba, Plateau Adamawa and Zamfara, said there were three main categories of Herdsmen in Nigeria. These, according to him, are foreign Herdsmen, nomadic Herdsmen and migrant Herdsmen, whose continued activities have resulted in clashes with Farmers.

He said the NEC also agreed that the States affected by Herdsmen killings, should donate land for the establishment of ranches that will include nomadic schools and health facilities for their family members. Said Umahi: “Niger and Kaduna have given lands, and Plateau is also giving land. We also agreed that through the Agriculture Ministry, we have to introduce new species of cows…… and to stop the further influx of foreign Herdsmen into the country”.

So, where did the Southern Governors go wrong, in reaffirming Federal Government and Northern Governors’ position? I cannot see it. Or can you?

Recall also that on September 10, 2019, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, had also inaugurated the National Livestock Transformation Plan at the Gongoshi Grazing Reserve, in Mayo-Belwa LGA of Adamawa State. Inaugurating the said project, VP Osinbajo said the plan was designed to run from 2019-2028, as part of Federal Government’s initiative in collaboration with States under the auspices of the National Economic Council. He said the plan, targeted at supporting the development of Nigeria’s livestock sector, was to be implemented in seven pilot States of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara.

According to the Vice President, the plan will be implemented as a collaboration project between the Federal and State Governments, Farmers, Pastoralists and private investors.

He said: "From the provisions of Section 1 of the Act set out above, it is very clear that all land in the State is "vested in the Governor" who shall hold it "in trust and for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians." From this, it is very clear to me that the powers vested in the Governor by the Act in dealing with

the land entrusted to him is a public and not private power, which he must exercise for the use and common benefit of the Nigerian public."

Nigeria is a Federation that operates the principles of aFederalism. Under this, the FG, States and LGAs have their respective rights and spheres of influence. There are the Exclusive, Concurrent and Residual lists in the Constitution. This was why Justice Olajuwon of the FHC, Makurdi, held that since land in every State is controlled and managed by the Governor and LGs of such States, the FG cannot whimsically and capriciously grab lands in States; but must go through either the Governor or LG of such State.

“In this plan, the State Government or private investors provide the land, the Federal Government does not and will not take any land from a State or local government…Any participating State will provide the land, and its own contribution to the project. The Federal Government merely supports…It is a plan that hopes to birth tailor-made ranches where cattle are bred, and meat and dairy products are produced using modern livestock breeding and dairy methods…This solves the problem of cattle grazing into and destroying farmlands. It ensures a practical response to the pressures on water and pasture, by forces of climate change”.

Conclusion From the provisions of the LUA, it is crystal clear that the President does not have any power to recover so-called existing grazing routes. Same have since transferred to the Governors of States, by the Land Use Act of 1978. The Federal Government no longer plays any role in land administration matters, except in relation to Federal land, which these grazing routes do not fall under. Consequently, it is only the Governor of a State that has the discretion power to grant such grazing routes to the President.

Neither the President nor the Federal Government can forcefully and unilaterally recover old extinct grazing routes, or forcefully seize lands belonging to Farmers, indigenous peoples or States.

Surely, bootlickers misleading and misdirecting President Buhari are false, as regard his powers and limitations regarding grazing routes. The Federal Government must immediately run away from ancient and antiquated of grazing routes, and embrace modern ranching which is now globally accepted.

The existence of cattle routes as fantasised by the President, only lies in his analogue mindset. It is propelled by his cronies, bootlickers, grovellers and the professional “ranka dede sir” elements. (The End).

Serious and Trivial There are two sides to every coin. Life itself contains not only the good, but also the bad and the ugly. Let us now explore this.

“Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking, so as not to offend the imbeciles.” – (Dostoievski) THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” (Ronald Reagan)

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Mrs Joyce Oduah

‘Leadership Positions are Not the Exclusive Preserve of Men’ 38 years after the first Female General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was elected in the person of Mrs Hairat Aderinsola Balogun, last year saw Mrs Joyce Oduah, the second Female Lawyer in the history of the Association to be elected into that office.

Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi took her up in an engaging dialogue on a range of professional and gender issues, including the bothersome subject of the paucity of women in key positions, not only within the legal profession, but in the Nigerian polity generally

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fter over three decades you emerged the first female General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and only the second female General Secretary in the history of the Body. How difficult was it, for you to be able to achieve this feat?

Did you experience any form of gender discrimination along the way which could have discouraged you?

Why does there seem to be a paucity of females holding key positions, not only in our umbrella body, the NBA, but within our profession as a whole and governmental positions, like Senior Advocates and even State Governors? What can be done to stem

this negative tide?

Emerging as the General Secretary of the NBA, which is the largest Bar in Africa with approximately 200,000 Lawyers was no mean task, and I am grateful to God for the experience and opportunity to serve. I will begin by shedding light on why I think there is a paucity of females holding key positions, in the legal profession. A few day ago at the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference in the Bahamas, I spoke on the theme: ‘Sexism in the Legal Profession: Time’s Up’. I emphasised that the reason only few women hold key positions in the Legal profession, is as a result of the deep rooted patriarchy and sexism in Nigeria and Africa which has in

“When society endorses gender discriminatory practices, it rubs off on the mindset of the members of that society, both male and female”

turn seeped into the legal profession.

Whether one is a Christian, Muslim or Traditionalist; regardless of tribe or cultural affiliation, we are taught that “The Man is the head of a woman”.

The woman is relegated to motherly and wifely responsibilities, while the man is expected to cater for the home and lead it. Even where, as it is today, women are accepted in the economic, political or professional spheres, they are usually pushed to subordinate roles and only a few rise to top leadership positions.

When society endorses gender discriminatory practices, it rubs off on the mindset of the members of that society, both male and female. This is the reason you find that most women are either scared or not interested in challenging the status quo, and putting themselves out for leadership. Also, most men (and even women) tend to resist female leadership with all they have got, because it is unimaginable that a woman will “rule over them”.

So, I believe it is the society itself that is responsible for the paucity of women holding key positions, not

only in the legal profession, but also in the wider society.

Personally, I have experienced gender discrimination on many levels, but I have never let it stop me from achieving my goals. This is because I grew up in the care of strong independent ordinary women, who always went for what they wanted and did not stop until they got it. I am referring to my mother, God rest her soul, and my elder sister. From observing them and listening to them, I learnt that I could achieve whatever I set out to achieve. I have never been scared to take up leadership responsibilities, regardless of society's strictures. From my primary and secondary school days, I have always accepted leadership responsibilities. I was head girl in both Primary and Secondary school, and have continued to accept leadership positions in social, religious and professional circles.

My most recent experience of gender discrimination, was when I declared my intention to run for the office of the General Secretary of the NBA. Many of those I confided in about my intention, men and women alike, tried to dissuade me on grounds that the office of the

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‘Leadership Positions Are Not the Exclusive Preserve of Men' General Secretary was a male, rather than a female position. According to them, it was a strenuous office, and a woman lacked the physical and emotional capability to handle it. Their rationale was that heading the Secretariat of an Association with about 179,015 Lawyers was not an easy feat even for a man, let alone a woman. I was warned that it requires a lot of travelling, and it would be difficult to combine heading the Secretariat of the largest Bar in Africa with private practice and family. Also, I was opposed by three strong male contenders vying for the same office.

I was not deterred.

I believe that determination combined with commitment and diligence, is what is required to perform well in any position.

Sex; that is maleness or femaleness cannot be the determinant of whether or not a person will succeed in a particular role.

With support from God, my family, male champions and female Lawyers, I won the election with more than half of the total votes. For me, it wasn't merely about 'winning' my three male colleagues who also presented themselves for service to the NBA, it was about being in a position to effect real and positive changes in the Nigerian Bar Association.

As I said before, it is the society that places the strictures on women. Not the Law. In fact, there is no law anywhere that states that a requirement to be a President or Governor of a State, is that one must be male. There is no Legal Practitioners’ Law that states that to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, one must be a man. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in Section 42, also forbids discrimination based on sex. However, society seems not to have caught up with the law in this regard. For example, in the recent 2021 exercise for the conferment of the rank of SAN, only four female Academics were nominated out of 130 Lawyers shortlisted. No female advocate was nominated. Even when women are in leadership, it is usually appointive rather than elective positions.

The few women who rise up the corporate, political or professional ladder are seen as undeserving of these positions.

It is believed that these positions were obtained, based on tokenism or ‘Dash’.

What this means is that women are only chosen for these positions, to fill up the female quota to avoid the perception of gender bias.

To stem this negative tide, I believe that consciously and strategically adopting a culture of diversity and inclusion of both sexes in leadership positions, is a necessity. Specific leadership quotas should be allocated to women to ensure equal representation, for the benefit of the legal profession and the society as a whole. I am not suggesting that women be given positions merely to avoid the perception of bias, and so, fulfil all righteousness. Diversity and Inclusion is the willingness for all to see that, there are women who are capable of holding sensitive corporate and political leadership positions by merit; to identify these women and ensure they reach the apex of their careers. Women need to continue to work hard, to dominate the top on the platform of merit.

Sensitisation of members of the society on the need to eliminate sexist practices, and the benefits of female participation in

Mrs Joyce Oduah

leadership, using all available channels like the internet, social media, conferences, seminars, etc. is very important.

We must also welcome and invite men to be a part of these discussions so that we can; one, show them the benefits of having a non-sexist society; two, teach them how they can be of help; three, show them that we value their opinions and support in creating a sexist free society. I know of men who go out of their way, to push women to succeed. Kudos to the male champions! I believe that the minds of people are being sensitised against sexism, and discrimination based on sex. As you know, International bodies, especially the UN, are trying to promote and push for female inclusion and diversity in the workplace, in entrepreneurship, in corporate and political leadership, etc. People, men and women alike, are beginning to realise that the gender stereotypes which existed in the past, are nothing but a farce or a myth. However, this must not blind our eyes to the fact that, many are still stuck in the past. Truth is, there were as many men and women who opposed me as result of sex, as there were those who supported me.

We need to continually emphasise that non-discrimination against women and inclusion of women in leadership, is beneficial to us all in the long run. Studies have shown that female participation allows for growth, development and stability in

“Specific leadership quotas should be allocated to women, to ensure equal representation for the benefit of the legal profession and the society as a whole”

the society. Diversity of thoughts and perspective, leads to more effective and efficient decision making.

I believe the legal profession as the third estate of the realm after the executive and the legislature, has to lead the charge in stemming this negative tide. This is why we have very strong female groups in the Legal profession and within the NBA, like the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), NBA Women Forum, etc. These groups organise conferences to encourage women to put themselves out for leadership positions, and also to serve as a support system for women contesting for key positions. We need a recalibration of the perspective of the members of the society, that reminds us that leadership is not the exclusive preserve of the men.

Women in leadership also need to support, encourage and provide opportunities for other women to grow. We need mentors and mentorship programmes. A point I always emphasise in my speaking engagements and mentoring platforms is; “women, we need to support each other to succeed. We are most of what we have got”. Women also need to believe in themselves. Overtime, I have come to realise that, the mind is a very powerful place that can set the tone for our lives. Whatever we think, dream or aspire towards, is achievable. When we fix a thought in our minds and it is strong enough, it mobilises our bodies and the universe to act on them.

What have you done to improve the lot of women in our profession as the General Secretary of the NBA? Even as far as the NBA is concerned, have you been able to achieve any affirmative action

in favour of the women, to provide that a percentage of the Executive positions must be filled by women?

There is this saying that, women in power do not support other women to rise. This is not true, at least not in my case. I am passionate about Mentoring the younger generation of female Lawyers and students to shun discriminatory practices with tact, to believe in themselves and to make themselves available for appointive and elective leadership positions. I believe that holding the office of the General Secretary as well as my achievements, both in and out of office, provides me with the influence and clout needed to effect change in the mindset and attitude of female Lawyers and Students. For example, I have engaged in discussions with the Law Students Association Female wing; the NBA Women Conference, etc.

I am passionate about the NBA Women Forum. The forum organises seminars, workshops, symposia on emerging areas of law to enhance the professional and leadership skills of women Lawyers.

Under my watch, the NBA National Secretariat will continue to collaborate with the Women Forum to organise professional trainings, seminars and other empowerment programs for our female Lawyers.

Like I said, the NBA Constitution does not provide for maleness as a requirement for any executive position; it is the women that are usually scared to or apathetic about putting themselves out there for leadership; this is the reason I always try to encourage women through these mentorship platforms, to believe in themselves. Women are adequately represented in all NBA Committees, Sections and Statutory Bodies. I will continue to work with the NBA President, to ensure that a sizeable number of female cont'd on page X

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‘Leadership Positions Are Not the Exclusive Preserve of Men‘ cont'd from page IX

Lawyers are nominated and appointed into the service of the NBA. Like I always say, ‘Women are the light at the end of the tunnel, ever forging hope through the course that is humanity’.

As you approach the second half of your two-year tenure, what has been your experience administering this huge body of almost 200,000 learned persons spread across 125 branches?

So far, occupying the position of the General Secretary of the largest Bar in Africa, has been exciting and at the same time challenging. I use the word challenging in a positive sense. Serving about 200,000 Lawyers, is no small task.

It has pushed me to see real issues that members have and face, and has placed me in a position to proffer and provide solutions to their issues. It has put me in a position, to effect real change in the Association. My team and I have been working hard to digitise and professionalise the Secretariat for effective service delivery to members. We have begun talks to optimise our website, and also build the NBA Application to bring members closer to the Association. The Continuing Legal Education is now more active and vibrant, than it had been in the past.

I use this opportunity to encourage members, to take their Continuous Learning Education seriously. It is my dream, goal and mission, that the effect and impact of the NBA is felt by all our members for good. It is not merely about paying for Stamp & Seal or Bar Practicing Fees; it’s about what the value that the NBA can add to the members.

This administration led by our President, Olumide Akpata, is on its toes to see this happen. And, I must say it has been fulfilling so far. So far, my sex or should I say femaleness, has not stopped me from performing my role effectively and efficiently. The sex bias was just a myth after all. I'm really grateful to God for the strength and capacity to serve the NBA, and I am sure that at the end of the administration, supporters and-nonsupporters will be proud of me, and of womenfolk.

So far, what innovations have you introduced to the NBA as the General Secretary?

One of my major campaign promises to the members of the Bar was the digitisation and professionalisation of the NBA Secretariat, to make service delivery more effective and efficient in line with International Best Practices. Upon assuming office, I realised that members often forget or lose their supreme court enrolment numbers, and have to resort to calling the Secretariat or visiting the NBA website to recover it. This process is mostly strenuous for members due to lack of data subscription, poor network reception, etc. After much thought, research and consultation with experts, I proposed the building and configuration of a dedicated USSD Code for the NBA which, once dialled by Lawyers, would automatically generate their Supreme Court Enrolment Number. Approval was

Mrs Joyce Oduah

given by the President, Executives and NEC. I believe that this code will make retrieval of Supreme court numbers by members of our prestigious Association, seamless and effortless.

Also, the NBA Application, which will serve as a one stop platform for every member of the Association’s welfare, social, administrative and career advancement needs, is currently in the pipelines. We are working assiduously, to ensure that it is up and running in no time. We have set up a fully functional dedicated tollfree call centre which we encourage members of the profession to take advantage of, when they need to reach the Secretariat for their complaints, requests or questions.

In line with our campaign promise to professionalise the National Secretariat, we have commenced the process of training the Secretariat staff in various fields, in order to improve their skills for optimal performance. Our aim is to ensure that those working at the National Secretariat, are well equipped with the required skills and knowledge in their various fields. We engage both international and local certified

“‘One of my major campaign promises to the members of the Bar, was the digitisation and professionalisation of the NBA Secretariat to make service delivery more effective and efficient, in line with International Best Practice”

institutions to train our workforce.

We strongly believe that this training will not only boost job satisfaction at the Secretariat, but will also enhance effective service delivery to our members and the public at large.

One thing this administration has achieved is the speedy response to members’ complaints and petitions, swift production of NBA Stamp and Seal, quick attendance to insurance and welfare claims by members, etc.

We are particularly focused on the welfare and wellbeing of our members, and are currently working on a health insurance scheme for our members.

We prioritise building an institutional memory through proper filing of records and resolutions, so that it is easily accessible by members. The goal is to continue to make life and practice, easy for Nigerian Lawyers.

It’s been a tasking, yet fulfilling ride so far. Under my leadership, the Secretariat will continue to put the members of the Bar first in everything.

Many General Secretaries in the past, have had frosty relationships with their Presidents. How has yours been with your President?

When working with anyone, it is possible that clashes may occur based on differences in perspective and background. However, I believe that so long as these differences are not based on selfish rationales, it is healthy. The President and I have had our fair share of differences, but it is usually based on the wellbeing of the organisation and the members. One thing I appreciate about my relationship with the President is that, when

the welfare of the members or the Association is at stake, we put aside any differences we may have and work together as a team for the upliftment of the Bar. This is the reason I say that, diversity is important for any organisation to thrive. It provides for a diverse environment where choices can be questioned, where doubts are acceptable for good decisions to be made. Our relationship may not be perfect, but it is cordial and professional.

Going forward, do you plan to run for the Presidency of the NBA in the future, and become the second female President of our esteemed Association?

Wow. Thank you for the question.

The motivation to run for any office, should not be about becoming the first or second female or male to hold that office. It should be about the desire and the capability to effect progress and development, in the organisation or society.

I must say, I get asked this question from time to time. In fact, I laughed so hard when I saw a Facebook post including me among the 'Titans' to contest for the office of NBA President in 2024.

The truth is, I am not certain of the answer yet. What I do know is that, when I choose to run for President of the NBA, by God's grace, it would be on the basis of influencing positive change in the NBA and in the legal profession as a whole.

I will definitely let you know, when the time comes.

Thank you Madam General Secretary.

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CROSSFIRE!

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike

FG v States: Who Should Collect VAT?

The raging controversy between Rivers State and the Federal Government/FIRS, on who is empowered to collect Value Added Tax (VAT). has not only snowballed into a burning national debate, the judgement of the Federal High Court which was in favour of Rivers State collecting its VAT, is now the subject-matter of an Appeal at the Court of Appeal. Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN, Chief Dan Orbih and Sadiq Abdul zero-in on the issues in this Crossfire, as they advance their differing positions

’Only Federal Government Can Collect VAT’ – Jibrin Okutepa, SAN Introduction he ranging controversies as to who has the power to make laws for purposes of VAT collections, are needless political controversies which are not deep rooted in constitutional logic and construction.

In this write up, I will demonstrate that the VAT Act 2004 as amended in 2020 is a valid Act of the National Assembly, and any law made by any States which is in conflict with that Act, is void. But, before then, the VAT Act or Decree came into being in 1993. Most of the political actors steering the controversies now were either actively involved, or were privy to the making of that law. In essence, the law has been with us in our federal operations.

Then the 1999 Constitution came into being, and we have been experimenting with it since 1999. We need to appreciate that the 1999 Constitution as amended under the Exclusive Legislative List empowers the Federal Government to make law on tax.

See Item 59 on the Exclusive Legislative List which provides that the National Assembly has the powers to make laws on: Taxation of incomes, profits and capital gains, except as otherwise prescribed by this Constitution.

Again, when we look at the same Constitution under the Concurrent Legislative List, we will find that there is no power in the State to make laws to collect tax. The States can only make laws for the local governments to collect tax. Again these laws, must be subject to the laws validly made by the National Assembly.

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Let us look at what the Constitution says. Under Part II: Concurrent Legislative List Extent of Federal and State Legislative powers Part D thereof relating to Collection of Taxes, it is provided in items 7- 10 that: 7. In the exercise of its powers to impose any tax or duty on (a) Capital gains, incomes or profits or persons other than companies; and (b) Documents or transactions by way of stamp duties.

The National Assembly may, subject to such conditions as it may prescribe, provide that the collection of any such tax or duty or the administration of the law imposing it shall be carried out by the Government of a State or other authority of a State.

8.Where an Act of the National Assembly provides for the collection of tax or duty on capital gains, incomes or profit or the administration of any law by an authority of a State in accordance with paragraph 7 hereof, it shall regulate the liability of persons to such tax or duty in such manner as to ensure that such tax or duty is not levied on the same person by more than one State.

9. A House of Assembly may, subject to such conditions as it may prescribe; make provisions for the collection of any tax, fee or rate or for the administration of the Law providing for such collection by a local government council.

10. Where a Law of a House of Assembly provides for the collection of tax, fee or rate or for the administration of such Law by a local government council in accordance with the provisions hereof it shall regulate the liability of persons to the tax, fee or rate in such manner as to ensure that such tax, fee or rate is not levied on the same person

“I do not agree that, VAT is not part of the taxes mentioned in the Exclusive Legislative List”

‘No! Fiscal Federalism Empowers States to Collect VAT’ - Chief Dan Osi Orbih‘

Advice Fiscal Federalism, the battle that must be won. The South-South Governors must stand firm in the defence of fiscal Federalism, which is what the whole issue of the VAT collection controversy is all about. The Governors should be encouraged to give backing to the recent legal moves to reposition the collection of Value Added Tax, VAT, to the States where the duty rightly belongs.

Noting the recent amendments to the Value Added Tax law by Rivers State, and later Lagos State, one can describe the development as a big window for the South-South States to achieve the long desired quest for fiscal Federalism.

One must first note and commend the innovative and painstaking pursuit of this case, by Governor Nyesom Wike.

With this development, the long desired dream of many Nigerians for equitable distribution of resources has been given a very strong push. It is a bold and salutary move, in restructuring our tax collection system.

The soundness in the economics of Governor Nyesom Wike’s action, is seen in the speed with which Lagos State moved in the same direction towards pursuing the same objective. A nonpartisan action, driving the burning desire to give practical meaning to fiscal Federalism.

Other State Governors, especially in the South-South, must move with dispatch in support of VAT collection and retention by States. We cannot continue to practice political Federalism, with overbearing unitary economic policies.

The action is in the interest of all.

What these amendments will achieve, is that it will encourage States to work

harder in boosting economic activities, and engender a healthy competitive spirit that will, in the end, make Nigeria better for all.

I urge the other Governors to embrace this welcome initiative, and disregard the obvious but expected opposition from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS. Chief Dan Orbih, National Vice Chairman, South-South, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

‘No! Power to Collect VAT is Not Exclusive to FG’ - Sadiq Abdul‘ Reasons First, the fact that a law was existing before the 1999 Constitution, does not validate the law. Same must still conform with the Constitution. Section 315 of the Constitution, is clear in that regard.

Second, the wording of Item 59 of Part I the Second Schedule to the Constitution is unambiguous, in that it is specific about the class of taxes the Federal Government can exclusively collect, while Item 7 of Part II is also unequivocal to the effect that the NASS is empowered to; (a) delegate the collection of SUCH TAX (namely Income, Profit & Capital gains) to the State and (b) regulate the collection so delegated. Nothing in that Item suggests any concurrent power vested in NASS, to collect any other tax. Unlike Item 9 which clearly explains that the House of Assembly is empowered to: (a) make provisions (law) for the collection of ANY TAX (which may be VAT)…and (b) delegate such power of collection to a LG. Nothing is ambiguous in those provisions and the literal rule of interpretation - as settled in a plethora of cases such as Africa Newspaper v FRN - is that where the wording or provision of a statute is clear and unambiguous, there is no need to go beyond the ordinary, plain meaning of the wording. cont'd on page X11

XII CROSSFIRE!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FG v States: Who Should Collect VAT? cont'd from page X1

in respect of the same liability by more than one local government council.

Clearly from item 9 hereof, the States can only make laws for local Governments to collect taxes and such law is subject to the law made by the National Assembly.

As you can see, the National Assembly had made or deemed to have made the VAT Act, 2004 as amended in 2020, which clearly provides for the administration, management and collection of VAT in Nigeria and vests the responsibility by virtue of Section 7 on the FIRS. There is no doubt that the powers to make laws on Taxation or Taxes are vested in the National Assembly. That power was exercised, when the VAT Act was made as seen above. It is doubtful if State Governments can make laws to collect VAT, and to override the VAT Act made by or deemed to have been made by the National Assembly.

The issue that played out in the case of A.G LAGOS STATE v EKO HOTELS is germane here. In that case, what was before the court borders primarily on double taxation. The Lagos State Government had in operating the Sales Tax Law otherwise known as the consumption tax, which is a tax on goods and services, and in the same vein, the VAT being a Federal legislation also applies in Lagos. Eko Hotels was faced with demand notice from these two agencies of Government, both at the Federal and State level. If it went ahead to honour the notice by paying both VAT and consumption tax, it would amount to double taxation, thereby amounting to double jeopardy on the part of Eko Hotels.

In that case, the Supreme Court held that VAT Act, being an Act of the National Assembly had covered the field on the issue of Sales Tax, and must prevail over sales tax, and a State cannot impose consumption tax in addition to VAT. I do not agree that, VAT is not part of the taxes mentioned in the Exclusive Legislative List.

The powers of the Federal Government to make laws on Tax is constitutional, and it does not share that powers with the States. The law therefore, is that where any law made by the State is in conflict with the law validly made by the National Assembly, that law by the National Assembly shall prevail.

The 1999 Constitution as amended is clear on this.

It provides that: PART II Powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 4. (1) The legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in a National Assembly for the Federation, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.

(2) The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part I of the Second Schedule to this Constitution.

(3) The power of the National Assembly to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List shall, save as otherwise provided in this Constitution,

J.S. Okutepa, SAN

be to the exclusion of the Houses of Assembly of States.

(4) In addition and without prejudice to the powers conferred by subsection (2) of this section, the National Assembly shall have power to make laws with respect to the following matters, that is to say:(a) Any matter in the Concurrent Legislative List set out in the first column of Part II of the Second Schedule to this Constitution to the extent prescribed in the second column opposite thereto; and (b) Any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

(5) If any Law enacted by the House of Assembly of a State is inconsistent with any law validly made by the National Assembly, the law made by the National Assembly shall prevail, and that other Law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

In the face of these clear provisions of the Constitution, the political controversies being generated by the spate of laws on VAT being made by State Houses of Assembly, require judicial interpretation of our Constitution. While it is true that some parts of Nigeria have lazy governmental structures, we must be careful not to act in violation of Nigerian Constitution.

As lawyer, my duty is to look at the law. I cannot in clear conscience, fault the validity of the VAT Act which has covered the field. I may be wrong, but I strongly believe the Constitution is in favour of the VAT Act. Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN

“The South-South Governors must stand firm in the defence of fiscal Federalism, which is what the whole issue of the VAT collection controversy is all about"

Chief Dan Orbih

Sadiq Abdul

‘No! Power to Collect VAT is Not Exclusive to FG’ - Sadiq Abdul need to go beyond the ordinary, plain meaning of the wording.

Third, the Eko Hotel Case - relied upon is irrelevant, because it only relates to the issue of double taxation not the issue of respecting the constitutionality or otherwise of VAT being collected by the States. Besides, the case merely reiterated the provisions of Items 7 and 9 of Part II of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Lastly, and in response to the Learned

Silk, J.S. Okutepa’s introductory remarks, I hold the view that the controversy is needful, because the law must prevail and rule; impunity should not be encouraged, and every step (no matter how slight) in the direction of ensuring a true Federalism, must be commended.

Thus, the VAT Act is an ultra vires Act of the National Assembly, and as such, is unconstitutional, null and void, and should be ignored.

Sadiq Abdul, Legal Practitioner, Lagos

Fake Lawyer: Osun State Government Takes Over Prosecution from Police Steve Aya The Osun State Government has approved the taking over from the Police, the prosecution of a case involving one Adebowale Adeola Babatunde, who falsely presented himself as a Lawyer before a Magistrate Court in Osogbo on March 10, 2021.

The Attorney-General of Osun State, Mr Akande Oluwafemi, issued the approval of the taking over by the Ministry of Justice from the Commissioner of Police, in a statement which the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association Osogbo Branch, Dawood Iyiola Ajetunmobi confirmed.

The statement said “This decision which will enable proper prosecution of the case in Charge No: MOS/152C/2021: Commissioner of Police v Adebowale Adeola Babatunde” was communicated by the Attorney- General to the Chairman of NBA, Osogbo Branch, Hassan Agbelekale on Thursday, in a reply to a letter earlier written by the Association to the Ministry requesting the Ministry to take over the case.

“It can be recalled that the said Adebowale on March 10, 2021 appeared before His Worship, A.A Adeyeba, to move a motion. The way and manner in which he announced his appearance and conducted himself in court gave the Defendant up as someone who has not been called to the Nigerian Bar. “It was this scenario that made one of the Lawyers in the court, Mr O.U. Yussuf, the immediate past Assistant General Secretary of Osogbo Branch of NBA, to stand up and make an oral application to the court to make enquiry about status of Mr Adebowale as

a Lawyer.

“All the questions asked by the court in respect of the Law School that the Defendant attended and the lecturers who taught him, were answered in such a way that established the fact that the Defendant is a fake Lawyer.

The Defendant later confessed to the fact that he had not seen the four walls of Law School prior to his appearance before His Worship.

“Immediately, His Worship gave a prompt order for the arrest of the Defendant. In the course of visiting the Defendant’s house for further investigation, four Call to Bar certificates were found in his house, and it was also discovered that the Defendant has been practicing as a fake Lawyer for more than 10 years.

“Meanwhile the trial of the Defendant which was adjourned to Wednesday, 8th of September, 2021 before Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court No.3, Magistrate A.K Ajala, was stalled due to the absence of the Defendant.

“The Defendant’s Counsel, K.E. Ngowke, Esq. told the court that it was his inability to communicate the day’s date to the Defendant that caused Mr Adebowale’s absence. He however, asked for a short adjournment and promised that the Defendant will be in court on the next adjourned date. Although, the Police prosecutor did not object to the adjournment, he however, prayed the court to issue bench warrant against the Defendant.

“In his ruling, Magistrate Ajala refused the prosecutor’s prayer and adjourned the matter to September 24, 2021 for fresh arraignment, since the matter is coming up before | him for the first time”, the statement concluded.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

S E P T E M B E R

S & P INDEX

1 3 , 2 0 2 1

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OBB

14.00%

CALL

4%

INDEX LEVEL

567.73%

1/4 TO DATE

6.52%

N412.00/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

14.50%

1-MONTH

6%

1-DAY

0.08%

YEAR TO DATE

-15.30%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.85%

451 Leaks, 11 Fire Incidents Reported in NNPC’s 5,000km Pipelines in One Year

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The pipelines operated by a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) Limited, experienced a total of 451 breaks and 11 fire incidents last year, data

from the national oil company has revealed.

Contained in its just-released 2020 Annual Statistical Bulletin, a breakdown of the incidences indicated that while 349 cases were due to vandalism of the facilities, 102 were as a result of system deterioration.

Last month THISDAY reported that the NNPC lost 6.035 million barrels of crude oil to emergency shutdowns in June, as presented during its August presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

At an average of $73 which the product sold in June, that

would be a whopping $438 million shortage posted for the month and roughly N219 billion at N500 exchange rate to the dollar.

Put side by side the NNPC’s contribution of N47.162 billion to the federation account in the month under consideration, the huge 6 million barrels, which

was worth over 200 billion, dwarfed the entire funds shared in the joint pool by the federal, state and local governments.

It is also roughly the same amount to be allocated to the host communities fund in the Petroleum Industry Act (ACT), if the law was to take effect in the beginning of this year.

A breakdown of the losses, according to the document indicated that the highest combined shortage of 1.62 million barrels was from Qua Iboe, followed by losses from the Forcados facility, Anyala Madu , Usan Agbami, among Continued on page 26

Report: How COVID-19 Pushed 11 Distribution Companies’ ATC&C Losses to 51% in 2020 Peter Uzoho The 11 electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) in Nigeria recorded 51 per cent Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses in 2020, up from the 45 per cent recorded in 2019, owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the power sector, the latest electricity market

report by Augusto & Co, has revealed.

The report tagged: “ State of the Nigerian Electric Power Industry – Is there Any Light at the End of the Tunnel?”, obtained by THISDAY, stated that in 2020, the country’s 11 Discos only billed for 74 per cent of the energy received from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), below the 81 per

cent reported in the previous year.

It added that billing efficiency, which has historically been impaired by low metering rate and energy theft, with only 37 per cent of registered electricity customers metered in 2020, was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agusto & Co noted that the impact of the pandemic was

FOOD

more visible among consumer groups with post-paid meters and estimated bills, given that the social distancing rules and movement restrictions established to curb the spread of the virus impaired the physical billing process.

It said collection efficiency also fell marginally to 66 per cent from 68 per cent one year before, pointing out that the

COMMODITIES

PRICE

high loss level remained one of the many reasons for the resistance from electricity consumers on tariff increases, especially in the absence of a significant and immediate improvement in power supply.

The research and financial advisory firm pointed out that these challenges have not only weakened the ability of operators to meet electricity

T O D AY

demand but also threatened their financial viability, with significant implications for the fiscal health of the country.

It said despite the series of amendments to the tariff structure, cash flows from the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) have remained insufficient to fully cover the costs of electricity Continued on page 26

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS FOOD

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

PALM OIL

25CL

OYO

N18,000–N22,000

RICE

25CL RIVERS N21,000–N24,000

COMMODITIES SIZE

25CL

ABUJA N19,500–N25,000 IMO

N21,000–N24,500

PRICE

100KG ABUJA N23,000–N25,000 50KG 50KG

25CL

STATE

OYO

N22,000-N25,000

PLATEAU N23,500-N25,000 (JOS)

50KG KWARA N24,000–N27,000 50KG

LAGOS N23,000–N26,500

50KG RIVERS N23,000–N26,500

25CL LAGOS N20,000–N25,000 25CL

EDO

N17,000–N20,000

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

COCOA

T O D AY SIZE

EDO

N17,000–N20,000

PRICE

N740,000

1 TON ONDO – N760,000 1 TON OSUN 1 TON

EDO

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

ONIONS

100KG

IBADAN

N25,000

100KG

KANO

N10,000

100KG

BENUE

N27,000

100KG GOMBE

N12,000

100KG DELTA

N21,000

100KG LAGOS

N25,000

100KG ENUGU

N15,000

100KG

N29,000

N730,000 – N750,000 N720,000 – N740,000

N700,000 1 TON CROSS – N720,000 RIVER

50KG SOKOTO N11,500–N13,000 50KG

STATE

1 TON

AKURE SOUTH, ONDO

N730,000 — N755,000

ABIA

PwC Hails Provision for Continuation of Court Cases Against NNPC Limited in Petroleum Industry Act Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja A report by PricewaterHouse Coopers (PwC) has hailed a provision in the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which allows for continuation of existing court cases against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), when the corporation is fully commercialised in the coming months.

The globally renowned consulting firm, which raised concerns over the establishment of two regulatory agencies, however lauded the portion of the law that exempts stamp

duties and Capital Gain Tax (CGT), which if said will be a welcome relief for investors.

The report which centres around the operation of the PIA, noted that the introduction of the commission will promote transparency and introduce good governance practices in the sector as the minister of petroleum no longer has absolute powers.

“The provision that court cases instituted against NNPC will continue against NNPC limited will be of comfort to investors who want to acquire companies or assets which have

outstanding receivables or other unreceived issues with the NNPC. “However, Section 92 provides for existing oil prospecting lease or oil mining lease holders to enter into a voluntary conversion contract to enjoy the fiscal provisions under the PIA on the condition that they discontinue all court cases existing in respect of those OPL or OMLs. “This seems to be inconsiderate of counterparties to such cases without considering likely impacts on the parties or seeking to address the underlying issues with a view to achieving speedy

and amicable resolutions, ”the audit firm argued.

It further maintained that incorporating a Joint Venture (JV) as a distinct entity will resolve many of the issues with the existing structure of the joint operating agreements including failure of the NNPC to fulfil cash call obligations, difficulty in making decisions and getting approvals from the NNPC due to the government’s bureaucratic processes.

It added that incorporated JVs will also be able to access external funding as it will be a more attractive option for investors, with the Act now making migration to be

as painless as possible with exemption of the corporate action from transaction taxes.

On the two regulators, it said: “In practice, upstream and midstream operations are often integrated and there might be some difficulty in separating the streams especially where the assets for the operations are integrated.

“However, the exemption from stamp duties and CGT, where the qualifying condition is met, is a needed relief for companies who will be compelled to make the separation based on the PIA. This should also spur major deals in the industry

as it would open up the midstream market to new investors,” the report stated.

It said that while the Act is clear on some of the benefits to be received from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on an internal reorganisation including the calculation of the basis period of the new company, the transfer of unutilised capital allowance to the buyer remains unclear.

According to PwC, the provision can be interpreted to mean that only allowances, which have been received by the selling company, can be transferred to the buyer.

Africa Needs $93bn Annual Investment to Fill Infrastructure Gap Gilbert Ekugbe The Programme Manager of the Nordic Development Fund, Aage Jorgensen, has stated that Africa would require an annual investment of $93 billion to fill its infrastructure gap, noting that resilient infrastructure is at the core of the African development process.

Jorgensen stated this during the World Water Week held virtually last month as plans are ongoing by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to partner the Nordic Development Fund and the Government of Denmark to roll-out a program aimed at strengthening access to climate-resilient water and sanitation resources in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger and Somalia.

According to AfDB, the new initiative will enhance the sustainability of water systems

through the construction or upgrade of existing infrastructure, adding that the programme will also support feasibility studies to prepare bankable projects that contribute to increased financing for water, sanitation and hygiene services, improving human health, child education and economic productivity.

The Chief Advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark, Tobias von Platen-Hallermund said: “The programme will focus on immediate improvements, through rehabilitation, expansion and climate proofing of existing water supply systems, sanitation and handwashing

facilities.

“In the longer term, the programme will focus on preparing projects that are investment ready. The initiative will also seek to provide technical assistance to institutions and mitigate climate-related flood and drought risk in the target

countries, which experience a highly variable climate including irregular rainfall and persistent drought,” he said.

“Safely managed water, sanitation, and hygiene services are an essential part of preventing and protecting human health

during infectious disease outbreaks, including the current Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 recovery period is an opportunity to promote greater, equitable, sustainable and resilient access to WASH,” said Osward Chanda, head of the Bank’s Water Development and Sanitation Department.

451 LEAKS, 11 FIRE INCIDENTS REPORTED IN NNPC’S 5,000KM PIPELINES IN ONE YEAR others.

Pipelines network is an integral national asset designed several years back to distribute crude and white products nationwide to efficiently and seamlessly move refined products from the nations refineries to all products depots.

Movement of crude and white products were done through the pipelines over the years until the acts of vandalism rendered the pipelines inefficient as a result of the

high cost of maintenance and pipeline repair due to incessant vandalism on the product lines.

“A total of 451 line breaks were reported on NPSC pipelines out of which 349 were as a result of vandalism, while 102 cases were due to system deterioration like rupture and weld failure. This resulted in a negative variance of 124,417 m3 of petroleum products.

“A total of 11 fire incidences were recorded during the year under review, 64 per

cent lower than 2019,”the NNPC data stated.

The NNPC added that local refineries received a total of 79,498 barrels (10,743.00 MT) of Bonny light crude oil, but that all process units were on shutdown, thus It processed zero barrels (0.00MT) into various petroleum products.

“The total production output of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), petrol, household kerosene, diesel and fuel oil by the refineries was 0.00 Metric Tons. The combined average

refining capacity utilisation for year 2020 was 0.00 per cent as against 2.53 per cent in 2019,”it noted.

In addition, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) evacuated 576,849MT of major petroleum products and imported 15,146.625.14 MT of petrol, diesel and kerosene for distribution through the Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) arrangement.

PPMC equally sold a total of 3,017,907,238,000 litres of major petroleum products through

the depots and coastal lifting, including 221,553,033.39 MT of Naphtha, which was exported.

Estimated average daily consumption for 2020 was 60,000,000 litres of petrol; 14,133,866.51 litres of diesel; 740,316.68 litres of kerosene.

In addition, NNPC Retail Limited, another subsidiary of the national oil company, distributed 1.292 billion litres of petrol, kerosene and diesel in 2020 when compared with 1,18 billion litres of the same products in 2019.

REPORT: HOW COVID-19 PUSHED 11 DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES’ ATC&C LOSSES TO 51% IN 2020 Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Aviation Editor Chinedu Eze Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy) Ugo Aliogo (Development)

supplied.

According to the report, the fear of the impact of a ‘rate shock’ on consumers and the accompanying loss of ‘political capital’ has prevented the effective implementation of necessary amendments that will align the MYTO’s assumptions with economic realities.

It maintained that electricity has thus consistently been sold at a discount, with end-user electricity tariffs much lower than the cost of electricity supplied.

The report however noted that the shortfall from nonreflective tariffs has been borne in large parts by the federal government through multiple intervention funds and payment assurance facilities from

the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) totalling close to N2 trillion or $4.9 billion, as of the end of 2020, equivalent to 6 per cent of CBN’s balance sheet.

It observed that despite this level of intervention, the generating companies had estimated receivables of over N400 billion in 2020 alone, adding that while the interventions have been central in ensuring the profitability of operators along the industry’s value chain, they remained insufficient and unsustainable.

The report noted that more recently, there have been notable efforts by the primary regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to minimise the challenges faced by operators in the power industry, particularly, the raising

of tariffs to near-cost reflective levels and adjustment to match consumption via an initiative dubbed Service Reflective Tariffs (SRT).

Noting that the new tariff model as the name indicates was expected to reflect and match the quality of service received by the ultimate consumers of electricity, the analysts concluded that distribution companies would therefore discriminate in the application of tariffs, and that consumers who enjoy longer daily supply would be expected to pay higher rates and vice versa.

“The SRT like other MYTO models has key estimates and projections for macroeconomic and industry-specific indicators including inflation, exchange

rates and electricity generation.

Other company-dependent factors considered in the determination of tariffs include the amount of electricity received and the aggregate technical, commercial and collection (ATC&C) losses.

“Ultimately, tariff shortfalls (the difference between enduser tariffs and cost reflective tariffs) are expected to taper off by the end of 2022, with tariffs fully reflective and sufficient to cover the cost of production,” it stated.

It said since the privatisation exercise that commenced in 2013, the Nigerian Electric Power Industry (NESI) has remained fraught with many of the same challenges ranging from unreflective tariffs to high loss levels, obsolete

infrastructure, weak policy implementation and gas shortages.

“All of these have culminated in weak and erratic power supply and a dependence on self-generation by many businesses and households.

Furthermore, electricity distribution in Nigeria remains plagued by high technical, operational and commercial inefficiencies,” the research firm said.

It advised that to achieve the objectives of privatisation, reforms needed to be accompanied by a strong and enabling regulatory environment, stressing that improved access to finance, efficiency in billing and metering as well as secure gas supply were vital to reaping the benefits of privatisation in the long run.

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Feeding 264m Nigerians by 2030 Gilbert Ekugbe stress the need to boost food production with innovative solutions and smart farming techniques to ensure food security

A

recent report by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) projected Nigeria to add 202 million people between 2018 and 2050 to its current population of 196 million people. Therefore, the urgent need to boost food production with innovative solutions and smart farming techniques cannot be over flogged.

Already, the country is in short supplies to meet its current food demands as the prices of food products are skyrocketing astronomically amid diminishing disposable income of consumers. Farmers have abandoned their farms due to the incessant attacks from herdsmen, impact of climate change on crop yields, land and water shortages.

Moreover, poor and inadequate technologies have continued to ravage the agricultural sector of Nigeria’s economy while the developed economies have prioritised the need to produce more with little resources in their quest to achieve food security.

But Nigeria still has a chance at actualizing its quest for food security in less than a decade if it could investment in digital agriculture It has been proven that digital agriculture could vastly increase efficiency as well as create new markets and opportunities while also transform farming methods through better decision making, more precise management and automated action through the use of robots and advanced machinery.

It supports the use of ICT and data ecosystems to support the development and delivery of timely, targeted information and services to make farming profitable and sustainable while also delivering safe, nutritious and affordable food for all.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), has acknowledged the possibilities in digital technologies in transforming agriculture and food production. Specifically, in the agriculture and food sector, the spread of mobile technologies, remote sensing services distributed computing are already improving smallholders’ access to information, inputs and markets, increasing production and productivity.

However, the penetration of digital

agriculture is weak in Nigeria due to the high level of illiteracy. This has necessitated need for agricultural stakeholders and federal government to educate farmers on digital agriculture by organising massive sensitisation campaign on the impact of digital agriculture in the six geo-political zones in the country to change the perception of farmers, especially rural farmers on the need to embrace digital agriculture as it is practiced in developed economies.

VALUE-CHAIN INNOVATION Innovations in pre and post harvesting agriculture value chain are very critical to achieving food security in Nigeria. It would have a significant reduction on the N3.5 trillion annual post harvests’ loses due to lack of proper storage facilities and the poor road networks across the country.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Nigeria has experienced an unimaginable food loss, threatening food security and increasing the country’s food import bill as imported agricultural goods increased in value by 21.13 per cent in Q3 2020 as against Q2 2020 and 109.82 per cent compared to the corresponding quarter in 2019.

SECURITY REFORM According to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI),

the 2021 Appropriation Act (the 2021 Federal Government Budget), allocated N840.56 billion to defence expenditure, far more than any other sector.

In 2020, the Ministry of Defence received N878 billion. In the course of the year, another supplementary budget worth about N983billion was approved for the procurement of equipment for the military and medical infrastructure as well as COVID-19 vaccines. This vote of resources to defence operations show the commitment of the government to making Nigeria a safer and more peaceful nation.

However, despite the efforts of the government on securing the country and maintaining peace, the security situation in the nation is still a narrative of challenges, apprehension, anxiety, disrupted supply chains, and increasing economic cost from the impact of insecurity.

The 2020 Global Peace Index by the Institute of Economics and Peace said the economic impact of violence increased in 2019 to a total of $453.1 billion, or $433 for each person in sub-Saharan Africa.

For the government to achieve better results in tackling insecurity, a key turning point should be to understand the causes of insecurity as well as to investigate the sources of social disorder and instability. It is necessary

“There is also the need for collective and integrative security architecture by the federal, state, and local governments in Nigeria. This arrangement should produce a strong and coordinated presence at village, community, local, state, and federal levels with the responsibility of providing sensitive security information for security agencies in their areas of operation. This will assist in identifying criminals, their sponsors, and hideouts in the country.”

to distinguish between different causes as they may require different approaches.

There is also the need for collective and integrative security architecture by the federal, state, and local governments in Nigeria. This arrangement should produce a strong and coordinated presence at village, community, local, state, and federal levels with the responsibility of providing sensitive security information for security agencies in their areas of operation. This will assist in identifying criminals, their sponsors, and hideouts in the country.

There have been calls for open and frank dialogue as a critical factor in addressing the security challenges of the nation, using the media and stakeholders’ forums as catalyst for mutual cooperation among citizens to end the crises and the need for government to sustain the needed funding for defence operations to equip the military with advanced weaponry and intelligence infrastructure. These should be supported by heavy deployment of modern military intelligence technologies.

FG, Stakeholders’ Collaboration The new Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development must as a matter of urgency strengthen its partnership with agricultural stakeholders to formulate policies to attain food security. There is also a need to carry stakeholders in the agricultural sector to develop a new agricultural policy to replace the defunct Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP).

The new minister must address issues constraining food production with tactical and deliberate investment in the agro sector as agriculture has been identified to be a pivotal mechanism for reducing poverty and fortifying local livelihoods, according to the Director of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, Mr. Tijani Borodo.

Borodo stated the need to engender the principles of good governance structures and related policies at all levels if the agriculture sector is to thrive, adding that in addition to the reforms at national and regional levels of governance, there is also a need for reforms in the global governance of agriculture.

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Expanding Potential of Nigeria’s Forest Reserves For over 50 years, oil has remained the dominant economic sustainer, despite the seemingly rehashed rhetorics to diversify the economy by successive administrations. Ndubuisi Francis profiles Nigeria’s vast untapped forest resources with the potential to positively impact the revenue profile, if well harnessed

F

orest reserves serve important ecological and socio-economic functions and are clearly not for hunting, grazing or settlements.

There are no fewer than 1,129 forest reserves, 29 game reserves, four game sanctuaries and seven national parks. But these reserves are so mismanaged that rather than aiding national development; many of them have turned to havens for nefarious activities.

Faced with the stark reality that the nation’s hydrocarbon assets are exhaustive and may sooner than later dry up, successive governments have continued mouth the desire to drastically reduce the over-dependence on oil as the nation’s main revenue earner. But actions and in-actions on the part of each government have seriously called to question the sincerity towards the successful realisation of this economic goal.

However, the current economic malaise being faced by the country has again brought to the front burner, the need for economic diversification.

This has been a challenging factor and yet imperative for Nigeria and other African nations to make a paradigm shift from mono-product economies to more diversified and sustainable ones by looking into a sector that has long been neglected and under-utilised. That is the forest economy.

This is even more compelling and urgent at this time in view of the global economic challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact in international oil prices both of which greatly precipitated a serious dip in the revenue profile of Africa’s largest economy and several others.

The argument is not that the country is lacking in more revenue-yielding and economically viable alternatives, neither is there a move to push the narrative for further exploitation of the forest reserves. No! Rather, the campaign is for the incumbent federal government to strategically pursue an achievable policy for

Nigeria’s forest reserves, which are barely exploited profitably despite many policy papers meant to drive actions in the sector.

For example, the Nigerian Institute of Forestry Research is as old as the country, yet the sector has remained largely in disarray.

In 2019, a young Nigerian architect, Bosede Omoloya Idegbesor, propelled by the discovery of the gap and lack of policy implementation synergy among stakeholders in the forestry sector, initiated a platform, Wood Expo Nigeria (WEN). It is a convergence forum for environmentalists, forestry agencies, the academia, wood manufacturers, industrialists, investors and government agencies to discuss and identify the impending challenges and vast opportunities in the forest reserves of the country.

The aim is to develop sustainable headway to preserve the forest ecosystem as well as explore the many potential in the sector.

Over the years, successive governments have come with commendable policies, one of which is the country’s National Tree Planting project/campaign which estimates the creation of three million productive economic plantations.

This is quite in line with the Federal Government’s agenda on National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP2017-2020) to diversify the economy, resulting in the development of various sectors, including the wood sector.

But Nigeria with its famed and massive forest wealth has barely scratched the surface on the potential of this resource as an alternative revenue honeypot to oil.

This can change once the country joins the league of sustainable forest nations with certification as a timber-exporting nation.

The question is how can it be achieved?

Simple: The Nigerian government must key into the whole wood story starting from seed collection, through planting and forest

propagation, felling and milling of timber to the end products, like furniture, structural elements, and the entire building sector.

There are a thousand and one businesses with vast export potential untapped and poorly managed. The quantum of opportunities in the utilisation of wood for positive impact in the (built) environment in Nigeria and indeed the sub-Saharan Africa demand concerted efforts by the stakeholders spearheaded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) with complimentary efforts like Wood Expo Nigeria (WEN).

THE POTENTIAL From the experiences observed at the maiden edition of Wood Expo Nigeria (WEN) in 2019, participants and experts noted with keen interest that: *Nigeria has over 600 potential timber species out of which less than 30 are currently being commercially exploited for international trade, but the industry could contribute significantly to local and international trade if the informal enterprises of small wood-based industries operate with formal incorporation into the national economy. These enterprises include those engaged in the production of firewood, charcoal, chewing sticks, sculptured wood items and in some cases artisans, cabinet makers and timber converters. *The total installed capacity of the sawmill industry in Nigeria is 11.7 million m3 of wood (RMRDC 2003), but the current production is about 2.31 million m3 of wood (CBN 2007).

However, this represents a national capacity utilisation of 19.74 per cent growth per cent, and that since there is a ban on the export of logs, milling of the tropical hardwood becomes necessary. The plymill has a production capacity of 16008m3 for plywood and 57812.92m3 for veneer. *The wood industry in Nigeria is

dominated by waste generating activities like sawmilling, veneer, and plywood production.

The wastes generated from sawmilling have correspondingly increased from 92,000m3 in 1960 to 3.87 million m3 in 1993.This high rate of waste generation makes wood processing an inefficient way of natural resource utilisation and as such capable of threatening the ability of the resource base to sustain the wood industry. *There is need to expand the frontier of investment in forestry by providing appropriate institutional and legal framework for effective operation. Unlike what it used to be, there is an upsurge of private involvement plantation forestry in Nigeria. Therefore, government should support industrial plantation development, which is being powered mostly by private individuals. *The three tiers of government should introduce integrated forestry policy system where land restoration is done in a manner that allows various stakeholders to operate in the forest mainly community forest within the ambits of the laws governing the use of forest estate. This is a win-win system that has potential to reduce intra and inter-communal conflicts by self-regulations using a combination of indigenous and traditional forest management systems as well as modern scientific approach.

This year’s Wood Expo Nigeria (WEN) will yet again draw wood specialists/technologists, academicians/researchers, furniture manufacturers, forestry officials, facility managers, sawmill operators, government officials, architects, engineers, purchasing/ procurement officers, and the general public between October 25 and 29, 2021 at Sheraton Hotels, Abuja, Nigeria, for another exposition and high-level networking, harmonising positions of all stakeholders in the wood value chain.

This is with a view to creating economy; proffer solutions to all impediments in the wood industry, while providing a scenic brainstorming environment on the development of Nigeria’s forest reserves.

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

OIL & GAS

Tackling R&D Deficit in Nigeria’s Oil Industry The world over, Research and Development (R&D) remains the bedrock of growth and innovation, not just in the oil and gas industry, but across all sectors. But in Nigeria, R&D has always taken the back burner, getting little attention and resources. Emmanuel Addeh takes a look at the challenges and efforts by Nigeria to tackle these problems, given the new drive to ensure local content in the oil and gas sector.

D

espite the signing into law in 2010 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, which mainly sought to close the gap left unfilled

by Nigerian experts, there still exists a gap between the expertise required in the industry and associated service sectors and what is currently available. In the main, R&D literally keeps the world going, especially in the ever-changing oil industry, spurring competitiveness among leading nations and catalysing newer, faster as well as more efficient ways of doing things. In Nigeria, the lack of funding for research in the oil and gas industry as well as related sectors has hampered innovation and stunted development leaving investment in new technologies, new products, processes, and services suffer.

Although there have been improvements in the development of homemade, in-country technologies and expertise spurred by the local content law, which gives priority to Nigerian operators and prescribes minimum levels of Nigerian content, the missing link appears to be the R&D aspect.

As it is, Nigeria does not have adequate facilities and R&D infrastructure ecosystem to begin with, added to weak framework for protection of intellectual property, lack of funding, low technological development and inadequate educational infrastructure and curriculum to support and foster innovation in higher institutions.

Added to that is the inability to retain most of the best brains in-country and inability to employ or re-integrate those sponsored by government on scholarships to apply knowledge acquired. Even where it exists, there is some sort of discrimination against local researchers compared to expatriates, poor linkages between R&D departments and industry that are meant to promote the advancement of the frontiers of human knowledge. In developing and developed countries, the shift towards renewable sources of energy is being revved up, which underscores why Nigeria must not be left behind, being a major resource-dependent country. Countries are driving this with huge investment in R&D. The nexus is unmistakable. The fact that Nigeria is yet to advance economically or have globally branded products or world acclaimed Intellectual Property Rights, from its indigenous knowledge and industrial efforts is a clear testimony that the country still has a long way to go in its research efforts.

RESEARCH INSTITUTES

With over 300 institutions composed of research institutes, innovation agencies and policy implementation departments, multinational companies, large pool of skilled labour force, including a sizeable number of diaspora, the economy is still weak on innovation. The situation has partly contributed to the very high national poverty incidence, which implies that over 100 million Nigerians are living below the poverty line.

A major challenge to R&D in Nigeria is that the actors within the system, including private enterprises, universities and public research institutes have little or no linkage among them in form of joint research, personnel exchanges, and even joint purchase of equipment.

Despite the increasing number of research institutes and public and private universities, these distortions continue to exist. Nigeria as a country is the worst for it, with even academic researchers carrying out their

work for the sake of it, rather than channeling it to solve a particular societal problem.

An analysis of global practices of R&D will quickly reveal that Nigeria has either not started or is still lagging behind. For instance, the combined R&D spend of just five countries makes up 63.5 per cent of the entire global R&D expenditure.

It is therefore not surprising that these five countries, namely USA, China, Japan, Germany, and India also account for over 50 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Conversely, Africa, accounts for less than 1 per cent of the global R&D spend while its GDP is only 3 per cent of the global GDP. In the oil industry, which depends largely on new technology, the contribution is even less, even when the continent remains a major oil-producing one.

Indeed, the oil industry has come a long way.

From its early days of research efforts, to the breakthrough on crude oil exploration, improvement of geophysical methods of determining underground structures where oil may accumulate and even the investigation of the best methods of extracting oil from crude oil reservoirs.

In addition, there has been a certain amount of research carried out on improved drilling methods and along basic geological lines, seismic methods of determining underground structure, seismic surveying, which has come with great improvement in the accuracy and reliability of the instruments used and in the method itself. All these have been dependent on innovation.

NIGERIA AS CCUS HUB

In fact, although still far-fetched, Nigeria can be a major hub for Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) system, a new technology being supported by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

According to experts, this system encompasses methods and technologies to remove carbon from the oil and gas from spilling into the atmosphere, followed by recycling the carbon for utilisation and determining safe and permanent storage options.

With the growing adoption of alternative energy sources and energy efficient systems to reduce the rate of carbon emissions and limit rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations while meeting increasing global energy demand, this is one technology that industry players like OPEC Secretary General, Dr. Sanusi Barkindo, say is the future of the industry.

It was, therefore, heartening last Thursday that the federal government through the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), floated a $50 million Nigerian Content Research and Development Fund (NCRDF) to boost innovation in the country in general and the oil and gas industry as well as associated sectors.

The government noted that the 0.2 per cent currently devoted to Research and Development (R&D) in the country remains very negligible, noting that developed nations like the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and South Korea spend between 2.5 to 4 per cent of their annual GDP on research.

It noted that even developing nations like India,

Malaysia and Brazil spend between 0.7 per cent to 1.2 per cent, whereas Nigeria continues to lag well behind by deploying only about 0.2 per cent of its GDP, a far cry from the minimum threshold needed Speaking at the 2nd NCDMB Research and Development Fair and Conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, explained that the underfunding of R&D reflects on Nigeria’s overdependence on foreign goods and services.

The event also witnessed the formal launch of the NCDMB 10-year R&D roadmap, anchored on eight success pillars, namely: funding, infrastructure, capability, commercial framework, collaboration, governance, legal framework and enforcement.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo, Sylva argued that the situation remains unsustainable if the country is serious about building a national technological capability that will drive economic growth.

“To put certain realities into context, there is a need to do a comparative analysis. Currently, developed nations such as the USA, China, Japan, Germany, and South Korea spend between 2.5 to 4 per cent of their annual Gross Domestic Production (GDP) on R&D. “Also, developing nations like India, Malaysia, Brazil spend between 0.7 per cent to 1.2 per cent.

Nigeria lags well behind by spending only about 0.2 per cent of its GDP on Research & Development,” he stated.

Act (PIA), a governance framework for the industry with clear delineation of roles between regulation and profit-centric business units has now been established.

Members of the newly-constituted NCRDC include Dr. John Erinne, Mr. Ijuwe Albert ,Mr. Rosario Osobase , Dr. Noel Biodun Saliu, Alhaji Aliyu Adamu and Dr. Tandama Abu and will be headed by the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote.

Sylva also commissioned the NCDMB Technology Incubation and Innovation Centre, which will provide the platform for idea generation, incubation and acceleration of innovative ideas to the marketplace.

Wabote in his comments, also stressed that an analysis of global practices of R&D revealed that the combined spend of just five countries makes up 63.5 or cent of the entire global spend and also account for over 50 per cent of the global GDP. “Africa, on the other hand, accounted for less than 1 percent of the global R&D spend while its GDP is only 3 per cent of the global GDP. You will agree with me that there is a nexus between the spend on research and development and economic prosperity,” he argued.

He stressed that the authors of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICD) of 2010 recognised the importance of research and development and included key provisions in the Act. He stated that the board commenced the implementation of the 10-year strategic roadmap in 2018, which seeks to increase the level of Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry to 70 per cent by the year 2027.

FUNDING RESPONSIBILITY

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS

Sylva added that it was important to clear the misconception that funding of research is the sole responsibility of national governments, arguing that rather, big spenders on research and development globally come from the private sector.

“In 2019, private sector practitioners in the ICT hardware and electronic equipment sector, pharmaceutical & biotechnology sector, automobiles and components sector cumulatively spent $528bn on R&D, representing 22 per cent of the $2.3 trillion global R&D spend. In India, the private sector contributed 38.1 per cent of the country’s R&D spend.

“Still on funding and in line with our commitment to provide leadership, I am pleased to officially announce the creation of the Nigerian Content Research and Development Fund with an initial seed capital of $50 million,” he announced.

He explained that the fund was designed for application in the establishment of research centres of excellence, funding support for research commercialisation, funding support for basic and applied research as well as the endowment of professorial chair.

The minister noted that though clearly insufficient, it signified the premium the present administration places on growing the nation’s research and development capabilities.

He encouraged the private sector to replicate the global practice by complementing the NCRDF and actively support the government’s drive in upscaling its national research architecture According to him, with the Petroleum Industry

The ES described R&D as the core of the industrial revolutions the world has witnessed over the ages, saying that it was important that countries deploy means of nurturing home-grown solutions as a way to wealth creation and growth.

Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, who also spoke on the importance of R&D, disclosed that the corporation was happy to incorporate it into its processes, adding that as a technology-based industry, the NNPC has revved up research efforts to make it suitable for the future.

Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr Sarki Auwalu, in his comments, noted that the oil and gas industry must begin to see the world with new eyes, which also presents an array of opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing.

He added that it was critical for the global oil and gas industry to remain efficient and innovative in responding to the emergence of cheaper renewables to sustain the relevance of hydrocarbon resources to the global energy mix.

“Therefore, research and collaboration from all stakeholders is crucial to remain competitive and to meet safe, clean and sustainable energy demands of the future,” he said.

As the world moves away from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy, Nigeria must not be left behind if it must make tangible progress on the global stage.

It must devote more attention and resources to research and development, especially in relation to the country’s economic cash cow, the oil and gas industry, for the advancement of all.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

INDUSTRY

Manufacturing on the Rise Again The latest edition of the MAN’s CEOs Confidence Index of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) showed that the Nigerian manufacturing sector has waded through the setbacks occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic to bounce back to its pre-pandemic performance, writes Dike Onwuamaeze

T

he Nigerian manufacturing sector has bounced back to its pre COVID-19 pandemic performance. This was the verdict of the MAN’s CEOS Confidence Index (MCCI) for the second quarter of 2021, which was released last week.

The MCCI is an index created by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to gauge the quarterly pulsation of manufacturing activities to changes in the macroeconomic ambience and government policies.

It also served as the barometer used by the MAN to garner the perceptions of chief executive officers of manufacturing companies on changes in the economy by considering the Current Business Condition (CBC), Business Condition for the next three months, Current Employment Condition (CEC), the employment condition for the next three months and production level for the next three months.

The MCCI report stated that the manufacturing sector’s aggregate index bounced back to its pre COVID-19 performance by gaining 3.8 points to move from 49.1 points it recorded in the first quarter of this year to 52.9 points in the second quarter of the year.

It said: “On account of the improved economic tranquility, aggregate MCCI increased to 52.9 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 49.1 points recorded in the first quarter of the year. That was the first time the index value would reach and exceeded the 50 neutral points since the first quarter of 2020 when it recorded 44.4 points, thus, suggesting that the macroeconomic ambience improved in the second quarter of 2021. By implication, the performance shows an improvement in the confidence of manufacturers in the economy.”

In addition, the Current Business Condition (CBC) in the manufacturing sector scored 50.8 points in second quarter of the year against 46.7 points it recorded in the preceding quarter. This indicated 4.1 points increase over the points it scored in the first quarter.

The MCCI report stated that it was also the first instance that that CBC scores went above the 50 neutral points since the first quarter of 2020.

Similarly, index of CBC for the next three months also increased to 54.9 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 53.4 points recorded in the preceding quarter; thus, indicating 1.5 points increase over the quarters.

In the same vein, the Index of Employment Condition (IEC) in the next three months increased to 50.7 points to mark the first time sincethe first quarter of 2019 that the IEC would score above the 50 neutral points.

In the same manner, the Index of Production (IoP) for the next 3 months increased to 60.2 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 58.7 points recorded in the preceding quarter, thus, indicating 1.5 points increase over the quarter.

“The improved scores of the indexes support the continuous improvement in the macro economy following the economic devastation by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the confidence of the manufacturers on the economy gradually improves, it is important that the identified challenges of the sector are adequately addressed so as to continue

to advance the momentum of manufacturing in the country,” the MCCI said.

The MCCI survey for the Q2 2021 covered 400 chief executive officers of MAN’s member-companies who provided data on the afore-mentioned diffusion factors, macroeconomic indicators and business operating environment variables, which were analysed descriptively using tables, simple percentage and charts.

The MCCI has a baseline index of 50 points, which implied a stationary point in the economy.

“Therefore, any index point above 50 points indicates that manufacturers have confidence in the economy and improvement in manufacturing performance, while any index point below 50 points indicates otherwise. By the design of the Diffusion Index, the more index point tends to 100 points the higher the level of confidence in the economy and improvement in manufacturing activity,” the report said.

SECTORAL GROUP MCCI

Index scores across sectoral groups also showed improvement in the second quarter of 2021 from what obtained in the first quarter of the year. The MCCI report said that out of 10 sectoral groups, six scored above the 50 neutral points while the remaining four sectors scored below the benchmark in the quarter under review.

Among the sectoral groups that scored above the 50 neutral points was the Food, Beverage and Tobacco group that increased to 59.3 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 51.2 points obtained in the preceding quarter.

Likewise, Index for Textile, Wearing Apparel, Carpet, Leather and Leather Footwear group increased to 52.4 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 48.57 points recorded in the first quarter of the year.

Index for the Chemical and Pharmaceutical sector group increased to 58.6 points in the second quarter of the years from 55.9 points recorded in the preceding quarter just as Index for Domestic/Industrial Plastics & Rubber increased to 57.4 points in the quarter under review from 56.3 points recorded in the preceding quarter. Likewise, Index for Basic Metal, Iron & Steel, Fabricated Metal increased to 56.8 points in the quarter under review from 54.4 points recorded in the first quarter of 2021.

However, the index for Pulp, Paper & Paper Products Printing, Publishing and Packaging (6Ps) group, however, declined to 53.3 points in the second quarter from 54.8 points recorded in the first quarter of the year.

The Index for the Wood and Wood Products increased to 46.0 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 38.9 points recorded in the preceding quarter. Index for Non-Metallic Products sectoral group stood at 46.8 points in the quarter under review as against 42.9 points recorded in the preceding quarter. Similarly, Index for Electrical & Electronics group increased to 48.2 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 42.8 points

recorded in the first quarter of the year.

Also, Index for Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly increased to 49.7 points in the second quarter of the year from 45.3 point observed in the preceding quarter.

“The performances of the sectors suggest significant improvement in the confidence of manufacturers in the economy. However, it is expected that the macroeconomic environment will continue to adjust so as to sustain and improve on the current optimism and momentum in the manufacturing sector,” the report said.

ZONAL MCCI

The MCCI’s survey carried out in different industrial zones across the country showed that nine out of the 14 industrial zones scored index points that were higher than the 50 neutral points.

The report stated that Imo/Abia Edo/ Delta, Oyo/Ondo/Ekiti/Osun, Kaduna, Ogun, Apapa, Ikeja, Rivers and Kwara/Kogi industrial zones scored index point greater than the benchmark 50 neutral points. The result indicated improved confidence in the specific economic environment by manufacturers operating in those zones.

Among the three top industrial zones in Nigeria, the index for Ikeja in Lagos State , which is the industrial hub of the country, increased to 57.1 points in the second quarter of the years from 52.7 points recorded in the preceding quarter. Similarly, index for Ogun zone increased to 56.6 points in the quarter under review from 55.6 points scored in the preceding quarter. For Apapa industrial zone, the index points increased to 56.3 points in the second quarter of 2021 from 54.6 points observed in the first quarter of the year.

Conversely, Kano (Challawa/Sharada/ Bompai) industrial zone, Anambra/Enugu, Abuja and Cross-Rivers/Kawa-Ibom industrial zones scored index points that were below the benchmark 50 neutral points for the period under review. This was an indication that the confidence of manufacturers operating in the zones has been persistently low; “thus suggesting that the macroeconomic environment was unfriendly in the quarter.”

The index performances of the industrial zones corroborated the full return of manufacturing activities to the pre-COVID-19 level and the overall improvement in the macro economy since the receding of the pandemic.

Summarily, it can be observed that from the various trends, the distortion brought by the COVID-19 pandemic on the macro economy is fast retreating while the economy moves back to the condition before the onset of the pandemic.

However, the MAN’s report said: “While production and distribution expenses are contracting, manufacturing investment and employment improved marginal in the quarter under review, the capacity utilisation, production and sales are still sluggish

which is attributed to the erosion firms’ budget and households’ income by the persistent high inflationary pressure on the economy.”

MANUFACTURERS CHALLENGES The MCCI stated also that myriads of challenges were identified during the second quarter that included poor access to foreign exchange for importation raw materials and machines that are unavailable locally ranked first among the challenges

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recognising the various challenges identified in this report and need to adequately address them so as to sustain the little improvement made in the sector in the last two quarter of 2021, the MAN made a number of recommendations.

One of its recommendation was on the need for banks to build capacities for handling the streaming applications and Form M to ensure seamless and timely processing of FX application by manufacturers.

It also called for the granting concessional FX allocation at the official FX market to manufactures for importation of productive inputs that are not locally available.

The MAN also recommended for the retention of the Eligible Customer initiative for electricity regulations in the country. It said: “The MAN believes that the regulation is capable of addressing to a large extent the current electricity challenge of the manufacturing sector.

“Unfortunately, the distribution companies and their cohorts are doing everything within their powers to frustrate the initiatives. This may have in one way or the other been responsible for the recent call for the cancellation of the project.

“We, therefore, encourage the government to continue with the plan and create a platform where all stakeholders within NESI will deliberate on the implementation of the regulation and resolve all pending issues that have affected the seamless running of the Eligible Customer initiative.”

The MAN also called for the publishing of the list of the approved harmonised taxes and levies for the manufacturing sector by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) and the commencement of its implementation.

It lamented over the “unbridled double regulation of chemical materials by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). We encourage the government to streamline NAFDAC with the control of only for related chemical materials while the SON oversees non-food related ones.

“Consequently, the index performance underpinned the improvement in the confidence of manufacturers on the economy, although much is still required to ensure that the current momentum in the economy is sustained and improved upon.

We believe that with the ardent implementation of the recommendations, there would be significant positive change in the business operating environment in the country.”

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ 14, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Flour Mills Shareholders Approve N6.77bn Dividend Pay-out Darasimi Adebisi Shareholders of Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) Plc have approved a dividend pay out of N1.65 per share, amounting to a total of N6.77 billion for the financial year ended March 31, 2021.

The shareholders gave their approval at the company 61st Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos in accordance with COVID-19 protocol.

The chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria, John Coumantaros speaking to shareholders at the AGM said despite the current COVID-19 severe environment, the group delivered an impressive year-over-year top-line growth with an average revenue rise of 34 per cent across all business categories.

According to him: “Our agroallied turnaround strategy coupled with the Group’s investments in lucrative local content and route to market activities, particularly in the B2C segment, resulted in

an increase in profit before tax of N13.4 billion from a break even situation in the same period last year.”

Coumantaros noted that the directors proposed the payment of a dividend of N1.65 per share, a 17 per cent increase over last year, stressing that to complement growth strategy, “management is keeping reserves to fund additional investments in important business categories, such as local content creation and the Company B2C route to market strategy.”

He said that the food division is focused on the continued execution of its objective to double the operating profit in five years, saying that the key pillars of the Company’s strategy are the expansion of the consumer business by driving existing categories harder, “accessing new ones, with an enhanced innovation capability, investment in a winning Route to Consumer, and maximizing value creation in B2B and B2C businesses.”

Coumantaros stated that the company will continue to act with disciplined and focused investment to deliver superior, long term growth so that we can emerge stronger.

He said, “We will continue to implement our overarching long-term strategy on local content and value additions as our group stays guided by its purpose of ‘Feeding the Nation Everyday’.”

The Group Managing Director of FMN, Boye Olusanya noted that as a business, we have consistently prioritised operational and capital efficiency by increasing local content in our group-wide supply chains and supporting backward integration programmes through our five key value chains.

He also said that: “We implemented a turnaround strategy in the agro-allied segment, which included deliberate efforts to acquire raw materials from a network of smallholder farmers and young entrepreneurs.”

MARKET INDICATORS

Oriental Energy Announces 2021 University Scholarship Scheme

Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

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-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

Oriental Energy Resources Limited, has announced the commencement of applications for the 2021/2022 University Scholarship Award Scheme from the 1st of September till the 30th of September 2021.

Operating offshore in Akwa Ibom State, the oil company targets scholarship applicants specifically from Effiat and Mbo communities as well as applicants who are indigenes of other Local Government Areas of the state.

Open to only 200-level students currently undertaking undergraduate studies in any recognised university in Nigeria, applications are expected to be completed and submitted online through the company’s scholarship application portal at www.oriental-er.com.

Speaking on the company’s social investment initiatives in Akwa Ibom State, the Managing Director, Mr Mustafa Indimi said: “Oriental Energy is committed to sustainable and human capital development in the communities within our area of operations and Akwa Ibom state in general.

We will continue to focus on social investments in education, community health and enterprise development that meet the needs of our stakeholders. The university scholarship scheme is one of such interventions.”

Providing more information on the process, Dr Uwem Ite, the Head of Community Relations at the company, said, “Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an aptitude test after which finalists will be selected for the scholarships on the basis of test results as well as other academic

indices submitted by applicants.

The deadline for all submissions is Thursday, 30th September, so interested applicants have a full month to take advantage of the opportunity. We look forward to welcoming another batch of bright young persons from Akwa Ibom who will be awarded the scholarship, just as Oriental Energy continues to contribute meaningfully to education sector in the state.”

Since commencement of the scholarship award scheme in 2009, more than 1,500 indigent students in universities across Nigeria have benefited. Among other recent projects, a Science Laboratory Complex built and fully-equipped by the company was handed over in March 2021 to Community Grammar School in Ebughu community, Mbo Local Government Area.

Access Bank Boss Wins Banker of theYear Award Mary Nnah In acknowledgment of his stellar leadership in the market expansion of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bank and navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank PLC, Herbert Wigwe has been recognised as the ‘Banker of the Year’ at the 2020 Leadership Conference and Awards, held in Abuja, on Thursday.

The award follows Wigwe’s recognition as the Banker of the Year at the 2021 African Banker Awards, second consecutive time,

and Best Banking CEO at the 2021 Global Brands Magazine Awards. Receiving the Award, Wigwe credited the efforts of all the employees at Access Bank who put a lot into ensuring that the institution has been able to attain the level of success that it has experienced over the last 18 months.

“This award is dedicated to all the ‘Access Warriors’ who bought into our vision to establish Access Bank as not only Africa’s gateway to the world, but also as the world’s most respected African Bank. Together, we have been able to provide financial services to over 22

million previously underbanked individuals; given over 1 million women access to financial and non-financial offerings; and set the pace in banking through our novel digital and sustainable initiatives. We would not rest on our laurels, but instead continue to redefine possibilities in sustainable banking,” he said.

Over the years, Wigwe has spearheaded Access Bank’s cultural, technological and digital transformation, which has resulted in sustained year-on-year improvement in financial performance and the creation of strategic initiatives that have positively influenced the Nigerian economy.

Shell BeginsTraining of 40 ImoYouths On Gas Project Peter Uzoho Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) said it has started a one-year training for 40 youths from its host communities of Assa North and Ohaji South in Imo State.

SPDC’s Country Head of Corporate Relations, Mr. Igo Weli, announced this in a

statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

“The aim is to make ready these youths for opportunities in the operations of the gas project and for the entire Nigerian gas development value chain,’’ Weli stated.

According to him, the training, taking place at the Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo State, is being supervised by

the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

“The training is part of SPDC Joint Venture contributions to build the capacity of people in our host communities and is the outcome of recommendations by the NCDMB,’’ Weli said.

The trainees were selected from the host communities cluster development boards.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͷ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $71.82 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $71.17 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

33

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Profit-taking Persists as Stock Market Opens on Negative Note Darasimi Adebisi The Nigerian equities market yesterday closed transactions for the first day in the new week on a negative note.

The price depreciation was due to investors’ profit-taking sentiments in all the major indices except the consumer goods and banking indices.

Consequently, the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) AllShare Index (ASI) dropped by

6.16 basis points, representing a decrease of 0.02 per cent, to close at 38,915.62 basis points.

Similarly, the overall market capitalisation value dropped by N3 billion to close at N20.276 trillion yesterday.

Analysts at United Capital Plc had pedicted bargain hunting on some stocks that experienced profit-taking in the previous week.

According to them: “In the medium term, we expect the

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

market to remain choppy. Additionally, market participants will be watching the fixed income space closely amid a hike in stop rates at the recent Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTB) auction.”

The market breadth closed negative, recording 20 losers as against 18 gainers. Morison Industries recorded the highest price gain of 9.38 per cent, to close at N2.10, per share. Sovereign Trust Insurance followed with a gain of eight per cent to close at

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

27 kobo, while Linkage Assurance appreciated by 5.26 per cent to close at 60 kobo, per share.

Fidelity Bank went up by 4.35 per cent to close at N2.40, while International Breweries appreciated by 4.17 per cent to close at N5.00, per share.

On the other hand, SCOA Nigeria led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N1.17, per share. Academy Press followed with a decline of 7.69 per cent to close at 36

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

kobo, while UACN Property Development Company (UPDC) down by 6.21 per cent to close at N1.51, per share.

Associated Bus Company depreciated by 5.71 per cent to close at 33 kobo, while Oando declined by 4.09 per cent to close at N4.45, per share.

However, total volume traded appreciated by 30.11 per cent to 201.103 million shares, worth N2.526 billion, and traded in 3,340 deals. Transactions in the

O F

shares of Universal Insurance topped the activity chart with 19.447 million shares valued at N3.889 million. Fidelity Bank followed with 19.283 million shares worth N46.513 million, while FBN Holdings (FBNH) traded 16.680 million shares valued at N12.499 million.

Courteville Business Solutions traded 13.758 million shares valued at N3.870 million, while Access Bank sold 13.499 million shares worth N125.059 million.

1 3 / 0 9 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

34

TUESDAY, ͹ͼ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021• T H I S DAY

35

MARKET NEWS 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 10Sept-2021, 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.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 160.50 161.84 -0.87% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 6.17% Nigeria International Debt Fund 324.84 324.84 -15.98% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 109.52 110.57 -1.24% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.67% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.30 3.46 -2.87% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 7.16% Anchoria Equity Fund 132.89 134.54 0.67% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.15 1.15 -13.90% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 19.53 20.12 7.69% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 431.04 444.03 7.66% ARM Ethical Fund 38.17 39.32 13.24% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.10 -0.56% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.97 0.98 -7.06% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.28% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 106.15 106.15 4.37% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,032.79 1,032.79 3.28% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.05 2.05 -7.22% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.14 2.18 -6.69% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.01 1.01 2.98% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.57% Paramount Equity Fund 16.44 16.74 2.79% Women's Investment Fund 136.39 137.96 2.48% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.15% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 118.64 119.40 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 108.20 108.20 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.05% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.21 1.22 0.67% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.44 1.44 -9.02% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 7.97% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 5.21% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,161.22 1,178.45 0.82% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,415.36 1,415.36 11.39% FBN Balanced Fund 191.25 192.50 1.90% FBN Halal Fund 112.68 112.68 9.89% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.82% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

N/A 157.96

N/A N/A 159.98 4.49% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.97 1.58 1.19

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 5.96% 3.97 2.64% 1.62 4.02% 1.19 4.51% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price 3,794.78 3,358.16 100.00

Offer Price 3,848.49 3,358.16 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn 1.28% 2.50% 5.05%

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.62% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.78 2.84 -2.54% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 153.02 153.30 -1.59% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.27 1.32 1.16% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.10 1.10 3.82% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.42 1.44 4.17% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,149.92 1,149.92 5.88% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.42 11.46 9.00% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 9.21% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.67 1.70 7.12% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.59 11.58 -4.70% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 6.59% PACAM Equity Fund 1.66 1.67 4.62% PACAM EuroBond Fund 113.14 115.07 3.03% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 130.98 133.26 8.69% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.05 1.05 10.05% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.31 1.33 2.28% United Capital Bond Fund 1.92 1.92 4.63% United Capital Equity Fund 0.87 0.89 9.35% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.19% United Capital Eurobond Fund 120.20 120.20 5.27% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.08 4.08% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.06 1.06 6.20% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.85 12.96 8.25% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.29 14.44 17.06% Zenith Income Fund 24.36 24.36 1.56% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.03%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 53.10

10.62% 5.15%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.30

13.40

0.63%

121.41 96.63 17.17 18.32

124.43 98.74 17.27 18.42

0.97% -2.61%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund

SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.85 5.46 17.36 1.00 19.49 157.36

3.89 5.54 17.46 1.00 19.69 159.36

2.07% -3.99% 6.97% 7.58% -4.98% -28.43%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

36

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Kidnapped Zamfara Students Regain Freedom The kidnapped students of Government Day Secondary School, Kaya in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State have regained their freedom. Bandits, had abducted the students from the school late in the night of September 1.

However, the students were received by Governor Bello Matawalle in Gusau, on Sunday after being released by their abductors, According to the Zamfara Police Command said 73 of the students were kidnapped from the school but five of them were freed a day later.

Zamfara State has witnessed several school abductions in recent months.

The incident is one of the several school abductions that have been reported in the North-western state and other northern states battling attacks from bandits.

Other states in the region including Katsina and Kaduna, have had their fair share of attacks on schools.

Irked by the incessant assaults, the Zamfara State government introduced a string of measures including the recent shutdown of telecoms services, ban of sales of fuel in jerry cans among others to tackle the menace.

The Katsina State government

has also taken tougher measures including banning commercial phone charging points in 18 of the hardest hit local government areas in the state.

The attacks on schools are not only a source of concern

for the Zamfara Government.

International bodies and rights groups have also decried the spate of assaults on schools.

Shortly after the abduction in Kaya, UNICEF raised the alarm over the abduction of

students in the region and in the North-central, saying the development was a threat to education.

“We reiterate that attacks on schools and abduction of learners are a gross violation of

children’s rights, and a horrific experience for children to go through – one which could have long-lasting effects on their mental health and overall wellbeing,” UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, said

in a statement.

“Schools must be safe; no child should experience any harm because they went to school, and no parent should come to grief for sending their children to learn,” he added.

COURTESY VISIT…

Governor of Gombe State, Mr. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (left), and the Minister of Power, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, during the governor’s visit to the Federal Ministry of Power in Abuja...yesterday KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

Four Killed, 26 Vehicles You’re Not Sincere on Agreement Reached, ASUU Tells FG this in Benin-city at a an earlier February 7, 2019, tranche of Earned Academic Swept off in Abuja Flood Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city disclosed media briefing while speaking MoA, in which it freely agreed Allowances (EAA).

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja A flash flood occasioned by several hours of heavy downpour late Sunday night has claimed four lives and swept off of 26 vehicles and many farm settlements.

The three estates worst affected by the deluge were Trademoore, Light Gold and Wisdom estates all in Lugbe, a suburb along the Airport Road in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT).

The Director-General, Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA), Abbas Idriss, confirmed the disaster caused by the flood in a statement yesterday.

He said that apart from the human casualty, 166 houses were destroyed, while 26 vehicles, including an articulated towing van were swept away by the flood.

Idriss said all the corpses had been recovered and handed over to the families for burial.

“FEMA has established, in the course of rescue operations which began from 9: 00 pm of 12th September 2021 up to 13th September 2021 that four persons lost their lives to the flood and the recovered bodies have been taken by family members for burial.

“Also, over 26 vehiclesincluding an articulated towing van were swept away by the flood, besides a tarred road in Trademoore Estate was completely washed away as a result of the strength of the floodwater. These losses are a summary of the impact of the flood on the affected locations. In total, 166 houses were affected. The Agency is still estimating the volume of losses suffered as a result of this flood.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday said it might be compelled to embark on another industrial action if the federal government fails to implement the December 22, 2020, Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed with it prior to the suspension of the latter’s strike.

The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Fred I. Esumeh,

on what a theme: ‘Another Inevitable Round of Crisis in Nigerian Universities’.

Esumeh, who did not disclose when the strike might commence, said they await the decision of the national body to give the directive.

He recalled that a strike was declared on March 23, 2020, over the federal government’s failure to honour the terms of

Commuters were yesterday stranded as vehicular movements were disrupted along Ekhehuna Road that leads to the Gelegele River Port. This was due to a protest by residents and landlords from the various communities on the bad state of the road which re-construction has been on for over two years at very slow pace.

The communities complained that the few metres that have been done were already failing, alleging that the work was substandard.

The construction of 8.7 kilometres Ekhehuan Road commenced in May 2019 from the Oba Market axis of the Ring Road and is meant to pass through the Army Barrack and terminate at the Gelegele River Port.

The protesting communities

are from Upper-Ekhehuan, Uvgbugyoko, Oghede, Agenigie, Ekhehuan Barracks, Udo, Evbuotubu, Ugbine communities living along the road.

Speaking with journalists, a landlord in the area who identified himself as Uche Nwabuzo,r said: “We are protesting because of the bad road. They said the road was awarded to a construction company but I don’t really know because all these time, they will come and dig the road and selling the sand.

“The old asphalt on the road has been excavated and right now, no road for us to pass again. In the evenings once it is 6:00 p.m. from Ring Road to Uvgbugyokho is N1000 while some of us that have cars will go to the mechanic’s workshop every day.

Others are the non-release of the earlier agreed N40 billion fund for the revitalisation of the public universities, the unwillingness to sign the draft of the renegotiated 2009 agreement, the continued nonpayment of promotion arrears, the non-payment of withheld salaries and the non-remittance of deducted check-off dues of the union.

Obiano Opposes Sit-at-home Order, Visits Market, Banks David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The Anambra State governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, yesterday led the enforcement of return to full business and other economic activities in the state.

The state had in last five weeks witnessed a shutdown on Mondays, leading to a

directive by Obiano to business owners, banks and market leaders to resume duties or risk sanction.

Obiano in a meeting with bank managers last weekend had warned banks in the state to resume operation every weekday, saying any bank that defaulted would be sealed.

Fitch Rates Lagos Communities Protest Dilapidated AAA, Attests to Good Standing, Resilience Gelegele River Port Road during the Pandemic.

Segun James Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

to conclude the details of the renegotiation of the federal government-ASUU 2009 agreement.

Esumeh added some of the specific issues are the federal government deliberate delay in deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the payment platform for university staff, and the non-payment of the due

Fitch Ratings, an internationally rating agency that determines the standing of countries, states and multinational corporation’s financial and debt standing worldwide in its recent publication has upgraded Lagos State ratings from AA+ (nga) to AAA(nga) for its good standing in terms of its debt sustainability, and resilience.

Communicating the development to the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, Fitch Ratings said the feat was published in the Y2020/2021 rating report, noting that the upgrade of the national long-term rating reflects Lagos State’s strength compared with national peers as well as its resilient operating performance

According to the Senior Director, Head Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Andrew Parkinson: “I just wanted to say congratulations on the upgrade to AAA (nga). This is a fantastic achievement and an endorsement of all the good work going on in your department.

“The assessment reflects Fitch’s view of risk relative to international peers with the ability to recover debt service with the operating balance”, he said.

According to Fitch, Lagos benefits from a solid revenue structure driven by internally generated revenue (IGR), which represents 70 per cent of its N620 billion operating revenue at the end of Y2020.

The governor who led members of his executive council on round the state capital visited banks and markets in the state capital.

At Eke Awka market, the governor thanked traders who braved it to come to the market, saying that the state must avoid giving urchins chance to take over the state.

THISDAY observed that there was partial compliance to the governor’s order for businesses to open, as markets and some banks along Ukwu Orji Road in Abba opened.

There were, however, only few vehicles on the road, just as most businesses including motor parks, banks and markets were closed.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

37

NEWS XTRA

Karen-Happuch: Police Undermining Investigation of Rape Victim, Coalition Alleges Emameh Gabriel in Abuja A coalition of Gender-based Violence (GBV) Responders has accused the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command investigating the rape and consequent death of a 14-year-old boarding student of Premiere Academy in Lugbe, Abuja, Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher, of undermining the process by allegedly giving advance information to the school “whereas it refused to give same to the family of the deceased.”

This is as the mother of late Karen, Mrs. Vivien Akoagher, also expressed worries over the delay of investigation, saying she has not slept since the death of her daughter.

Akpagher said: “I have not slept since June 22, 2021, when my daughter died. I just want closure of the matter. I want the police to give us justice. I am tired of all these games.”

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, leader of the Coalition of GBV Responders and Executive Director of Men Against Rape Foundation, Lemmy Ughegbe, said whereas the FCT Police Command flagrantly denied the family access to the medical

and autopsy report or detailed information thereof, it was more generous with availing Premiere Academy the information contained in the said autopsy.

According to him, “Last week, I received a ‘love letter’

from the law firm of Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) acting for Premiere Academy, wherein it threatened to take out an action of defamation against me. In the said letter dated September 3, 2021, the

law firm confirmed that they already have details of the autopsy report as they made disclosure of the content of the autopsy report. Specifically on page 2 of the four-page letter signed by Head of the

Chambers, Mr. Eyitayo Fatogun, it stated: ‘There has been an autopsy carried out on the body of late Karen, and no condom or semen was detected’.”

He said: “This is inconvertible evidence that the police were

conniving with the school and conferring them with undue advantage by giving them information regarding their investigation on one hand and refusing Keren’s family same on the other hand.”

HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY…

L-R: Senior Pastor, Trinity House Centre, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo; the celebrant, Mrs. Aderonke Fetuga; daughter of the celebrant, Ms. Oyinkansola Fetuga; and wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, at Mrs. Fetuga’s 75th birthday thanksgiving in Lagos...recently

Twitter Ban: Nigeria Aviation Security Experts Worried over Designation Loses $360m Revenue of Two Sudanese Airlines to Nigeria Informed source from Bilateral Air Service Agreement airlines to operate to Nigeria.

Chinedu Eze within 100 Days the Nigerian Civil Aviation (BASA).

He said the threat might not Reacting to the decision be directly on aviation but on Aviation experts have expressed Authority (NCAA) confirmed Ugo Aliogo and Oluchi Chibuzor

A group of social enterprises yesterday announced that the continued suspension of the micro blogging site, Twitter, in Nigeria has cost the country about $360 million in economic revenue in 100 days of its suspension.

The coalition, which made the announcement, includes groups like Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), Paradigm Initiative (PIN), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) among others.

It also claimed that the government, while claiming to promote innovation and at the same time clamping down on

tech companies was contradictory to its economic drive promoting national development.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos to mark the 100 days since the government announced the suspension of Twitter, the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, Gbenga Sesan, noted that as far as they are concerned, the ban remains illegal as rule of law must prevail in a democratic dispensation.

Citing NetBlocks cost of shutdown tool, Sesan said the blockade costs Nigeria’s economy $250,600 every hour in the last 2,400 hours the federal government banned the platform in the country.

fear over the federal government designation of two Sudanese airlines to operate to the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, just as the world commemorates 20 years anniversary of September -11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States by al-Qaeda.

to THISDAY yesterday that the federal government designated Sudan Airways and Sun Air Aviation and two Nigerian carriers, Kabo Air and Skypower Express, to operate between the Sudanese city of Umm Badr and Kano in Nigeria, as the two countries have long-term

of the federal government, former Chief Security Officer of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Festus Adeboye, told THISDAY that the regulatory authority, NCAA, should have considered the security implication of designating two Sudanese

the country because currently, Nigeria is going through security crises that could be exacerbated by further influx of arms from Sudan.

According to him, “Our regulatory body ought to have considered the security implication of that decision.

Prominent Edo PDP Chieftain, Two Others Kidnapped Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Pa Owere Dickson Imasogie, has been kidnapped.

He was said to have been abducted with his driver and another person, whose identity was not ascertained at press

time on the Benin-Agbor highway on their way to the farm.

Apart from politics, Imasogie is a commercial farmer, who owns lot of farmlands where he cultivates both food and cash crops.

The abduction of Imasogie and two others with him was

disclosed this morning on a platform of a group known as ‘Edo State Decide Movement’.

The movement, therefore, urged the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to as matter of urgency, “take drastic action and rescue the father to all, and others from the hoodlums or kidnappers, who are enemies

of progress in our dear state.”

When contacted, the Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bello Kotongs, said he was yet to get any official report from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area where the incident took place.

Fund (NSSF), a brainchild of Global Citizen (GC), an international advocacy organisation and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) have revealed some A-list Nigerian artists set to perform at the GC Live event in Lagos, Nigeria on September 25, 2021. The event is meant to

million Nigerians get vaccinated over the next 12 months.

The event is part of a once-in-a-generation 24-hour global activation that will see artists perform across six continents to help rally citizens in demanding that governments, major corporations, and philanthropists work together

the planet by focusing on the most urgent, interrelated threats.

These include vaccine equity, climate change and famine that impact those in extreme poverty the hardest.

Nigerian Artists donating their talent and time to help raise funds to boost vaccine equity through the vaccination

the country include: Davido, Burna Boy, Femi Kuti, Made Kuti and Tiwa Savage.

Other Artists taking part in this groundbreaking project include artists from locations in Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, New York City, Paris, London, Seoul, Los Angeles, Sydney and more to be announced.

Makinde Disowns 2023 NSSF, Nigerian Artists, Others to Raise Funds for COVID-19 Vaccination Presidential Campaign The Nigeria Solidarity Support raise resources to ensure that one to defeat poverty and defend of one million people across Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, yesterday described as fake a news item purportedly promoting him as a presidential hopeful in the 2023 elections.

The governor’s remarks were contained in a statement issued yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa.

The statement said a banner advert, which has the picture of the governor and the Nigerian flag, as well as a picture of Adisa, allegedly promoting the presidential ambition of the governor, should be treated for what it is: “Fake News!”

The advert, according to the governor, was one of the antics of fake news promoters.

The statement read: “This is

clearly the antics of purveyors and social media lap dogs, who are merely seeking to distract well-meaning people of Oyo State from the joy occasioned by the well-deserved promotion to the Nigerian Premier League of the Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC).

“We believe that this fraudulent post alluded to the Chief Press Secretary to the governor is the handiwork of opposition elements, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) social media lap dogs widely posted the fake news on their social media accounts.

“It is the usual practice of naysayers and detractors to seek to mix sour grapes in the basket of fruits at a time when well-meaning citizens are celebrating.

APC to Hold State Congresses October 2 The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed its state congresses for October 2, according to a notice issued by the National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, John Akpanudoedehe.

“APC schedules State Congresses for Saturday, 2nd October, 2021; begins

sale of forms, Wednesday, 15th September, 2021,” the notice reads.

The party held its LGA congresses on September 4. Prior to then, it held its ward congresses on July 31 across the country except in the federal capital territory (FCT), Bayelsa and Imo states.

By holding the state

congresses, the party is inching closer to its national elective convention.

Since the dissolution of the national working committee (NWC) led by Adams Oshiomhole, the former national chairman, in June 2020, a caretaker committee led by Mai Mala Buni, Yobe State Governor,

has been piloting the affairs of the party.

The Oshiomhole-led NWC was dissolved after a protracted leadership crisis.

The committee led by Buni was directed by the national executive committee (NEC) to organise a convention where substantive national officers of the party will be elected.

TUESDAY, ͹ͼ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

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TUESDAYSPORTS

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

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Atlas Lionesses of Morocco training yesterday at the Legacy Pitch inside the National Stadium...Lagos

Atlas Lionesses of Morocco Train at Legacy Pitch, Ready for Cameroon The Atlas Lionesses of Morocco who are in Nigeria for the Aisha Buhari Six-Nation Invitational Tournament had their first training yesterday afternoon at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium in Lagos ahead of their Match-day 2 fixture against Cameroon.

The Moroccans who are determined

to make an impact at this tournament will take on the Cameroonians on Thursday, 4pm at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.

Coach Reynald Pedros selected his 23-woman team of the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco with the inclusion of Italy-based Seghir Sabah and the France-based duo of Hassani Marwa

NFF, Baba Ijebu Seal Four-year Partnership on National Teams Duro Ikhazuagbe The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Premier Lotto Limited popularly known as Baba Ijebu, yesterday formally sealed an agreement for the betting company to become the Official Bet Sponsor of the National Teams.

The partnership officially began on 1st September 2021 and will run for four years At the brief but colorful ceremony at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick expressed his joy at adding the Premier Lotto deal to the other corporate Nigerians that have identified with the country’s football.

“Today’s event makes me very happy because it takes us even closer to the financial autonomy that we so much desire, so that we can remove entirely the burden of funding the National Teams from the Government.

“Premier Lotto is a company with high integrity and we are happy to have this relationship with Chief (Kessington) Adebutu and the company,” observed the CAF and FIFA executive committee member shortly after signing the documents at the ceremony.

Although the details of the partnership were not disclosed, the Premier sports betting mogul, Chief Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu, known as ‘Baba Ijebu’, admitted he

made his first public outing in 18 months at the event for the sake of Nigeria’s football.

He stressed further that he opted to personally attend the ceremony as a way of giving back to the sport – football – which launched him into financial prosperity.

“Am personally here because of the importance I attach to this ceremony…I made my money from football”, he said pointing out the breakthrough he had in the 1970s when he set up the ‘Face to Face Million Dollars Pools.

According to him, before he ventured into the business, pool betting in Nigeria was dominated by the Lebanese.

“Because we are Nigerians, the citizens supported us and we were able to diversify”, remarked Baba Ijebu who termed his gesture as a way of giving back to the nation’s lead sport that launched him into financial prominence.

Apart from the partnership with the NFF, Chief Adebutu also expressed his joy that the National Stadium in Lagos which his company is renovating will soon be ready for use again.

In 2016, ahead of Super Eagles qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Chief Adebutu donated N50million to the Nigerian senior national team to celebrate their victory over Algeria.

and El-Ghazouani Imene. The Lionesses are in the same Group A with hosts Nigeria and Mali.

The delegation of Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon is the last team expected to arrive Nigeria for the tournament expected to be used in ranking of participating teams

by FIFA

Wednesday’s opening match of the maiden edition of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament between host Nigeria and Mali at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan will be watched by President of world fooball –governing body, FIFA. Mr Gianni Infantino, President of CAF, Dr Patrice Motsepe,

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, President of NFF and FIFA Council Member, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick and other top officials of the Lagos State Government, the Nigeria Football Federation and relevant stakeholders.

Boxing Needs My Fight with Tyson Fury, Says Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua...craves match up with Tyson Fury before retiring from the sweet science Anthony Joshua has said he "needs" to fight Tyson Fury before he retires, as he prepares for his latest title defence against Oleksandr Usyk.

The WBO, WBA (Super) and IBF champion takes on Usyk later this month at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and is hopeful he can fight Fury next.

"Do I need Tyson Fury on my record? I need it," Joshua

tells Steve Bunce on the 5 Live Boxing podcast.

"Fight good fighters and they bring out the best of you."

Talks over an undisputed title fight collapsed during the summer, but Joshua says a showdown with Fury is hugely important to him.

"We need it for boxing," he adds.

"Training camp is hard. To

get better is very difficult in boxing. To fight Tyson Fury is a big challenge.

"I'm going to put that pressure on myself to actually get better.

But it's what we all need, I need it. Come on, let's see how good I am.

"Let's see how far I can take myself during this period. It'll be a good challenge mentally.

Not about him, but because I

actually want to do well.

"When I wake up in the morning early and I'm tired, my body's battered, I still go out and do what I do. It's great rewards and only someone like Fury can give that to me."

Fury fights Deontay Wilder in their trilogy clash next month and both heavyweights will need to win their respective bouts for the undisputed bout to go ahead next year.

Usyk, 34, was an undisputed champion at cruiserweight and has two wins at heavyweight, including a points victory over veteran Derek Chisora.

"The pressure's back on," Joshua said of their forthcoming meeting.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host boxing's first major stadium fight in the UK since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

With over 60,000 fans expected, Joshua revealed he had just one regret in his boxing career.

"When I watch my first fight against Emanuele Leo, I was so bad," he said.

"I wish I started earlier - I'd be much better. If I had started in 2000 then by 2010, I would have been a lot better. And when I started my pro journey, in three years I would have been the man I am today.

"I would have been more experienced, more seasoned."

39

TUESDAY, ͹ͼ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

SPORTS

Tuchel Rules out Kante, Pulisic from Chelsea Clash with Zenit

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante will not be involved in the club's Champions League opener against Zenit St Petersburg today, Manager, Thomas Tuchel, announced yesterday ahead of the Group H cracker against the Russian side.

Kante has been struggling with an ankle injury this season, and was substituted at halftime against Liverpool before the international break when the problem flared up again and he subsequently missed France's World Cup qualifiers.

Tuchel was hopeful Kante

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

would be back in action against Zenit but now expects the 30-year-old to return for Sunday's Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

"N'Golo had two training

sessions on Sunday and trained again yesterday, but the Champions League game comes a bit too early for him,” Tuchel told a news conference ahead of today’s match at Stamford

Bridge.

"We won't take the risk with him now at this moment of the season. We have decided to give him another load in training tomorrow... (he will) train with us all on Friday to be ready totally for Tottenham."

Tuchel added Chelsea will also be without American forward Christian Pulisic as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.

Chelsea's 50 million pound ($69.15 million) signing Ben Chilwell has yet to play this season and Tuchel said the full back must be patient with Marcos Alonso preferred on the left as a wing back.

"It's been difficult for him, from a Champions League win, then it was individually for him a tough Euros because he felt he could have played a part for England," Tuchel said.

"When I arrived I felt he was mentally tired which is unlucky because Alonso had a full pre-season. We had some talks with Chilly... He's in the race now and with a good mental attitude."

Chelsea were knocked out in the group stages the last time they tried to defend their Champions League crown and

captain Cesar Azpilicueta said they wanted to avoid a repeat of the elimination which cost coach Roberto Di Matteo his job in 2012.

"It was a very bad experience, painful because I came from (Olympique de) Marseille and when I arrived to Chelsea just after they won, it was a tough moment to be out at the group stage," Azpilicueta recalled.

"I want to help make sure that doesn't happen again."

TODAY UCL Barcelona

v

B’Munich

Dynamo Kyiv v

Benfica

Young Boys v

Man Utd

Villarreal

v

Atalanta

Sevilla

v

Salzburg

Lille

v

Wolfsburg

Chelsea

v

Zenit

Malmoe FF v

Juventus

EUROPA Maccabi T’Aviv v Alashkert Maccabi Haifa v Feyenoord

Gombe Utd’s Return to NPFL Excites Gov Inuwa

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

N’Golo Kante (second right) has been ruled out of Chelsea’s Champions League home fixture against Russian side, Zenit St. Petersburg

Anwuli, Ajibola Lead 18 Others to National Chess Championship Femi Solaja The Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), yesterday released the names of the players invited to its annual National Chess Championship scheduled to hold in Lagos between November 8th and 14th.

In the list made available by Caretaker Committee member of the federation, Alhaji Bode Durotoye, 20 players made up of 10 males and 10 females have been invited for the re-introduced format at selecting the best players from both gender annually.

The current National Champion, International Master Daniel Anwuli tops the list of male players include; Olanrewaju Ajibola, Bomo Kigigha, Chukwunonso Oragwu, Akintoye Abdulraheem, Oluwafemi Balogun, Abimbola Osunfuyi and Odion Aikhoje.

Isaac Okeke was given a wild card entry as the 10th male player.

In the female section; Jessica Pelomoh topped the list that include; Deborah Akintoye (current champion), Eloho Ogbiyoyo, Toritsemuwa Ofowino, Emmanuelle-Trust Enomah, Ayisha-Azuma Suleiman, Sandra Aramide, Oluwaseun Assa and Iyefu Onoje. Nkem Omishogbon also got a wild card entry just like Okeke in the male section.

Durotoye also confirmed NCF

appointed Orchid-Lekki Chess Club (OLCC) as the host of the championship which will hold at Orchid Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

He explained the players were invited based on their current FIDE ratings.

“The selection of participating players was based primarily on current FIDE ratings and top nine rated players in both the male and female categories as at 1st of September 2021,” he stated.

He said further that an additional player is given wild card entry in both sections to complete the 10 entries just as

two players in the section are on stand-by should any of the players invited decides to opt out of the competition.

In the male section, veteran star players, International Master Bunmi Olape and IM Oladapo Adu are on standby while Peace Samson and Yemi Osundinakin may come in from female section should any of the top nine rated players fail to show up for the championship.

The mode of selection of the national champion of chess has been a bone of contention among stakeholders of the

game since the last decade with ‘reformists’ agitating for a separate tournament based on the rating of players in the year under review as against one of the major tournaments in NCF calendar over the years.

“What we have today is a departure from the past because we have to go with the global standard which evaluates all the players in tournaments over a period of time and invite them for a separate tournament to award the best player in both male and female in a calendar year,” Durotoye explained.

Chess board....Nigerian champions in the male and female categories are to be decided at Championship slated to hold in Lagos in November

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is highly excited over the promotion of Gombe United back to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) three seasons after they were relegated to the second tier league.

Governor Inuwa while reacting to the victory of the Savannah Scorpions in the NNL Super 8 play-off concluded at the weekend in Enugu, hailed the team's management led by its Chairman, Dr. Lanre Daniel and the players for putting up superlative performance at the mini tournament.

According to him, " We are proud of the boys and their management team for making us proud and giving the entire sports loving people of Gombe State something to cheer and cherish".

He noted that the players had demonstrated resilience, capability, discipline and tactical knowhow during their matches and urged them to maintain the same spirit in the NPFL when the new season kicks off.

The Governor then assured the players and the management that his administration will continue to invest in sports development in the state.

Lagos Sports Commission Summer Camp Designed to Groom Kids, Says Aiyepeku The Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku, has said that Lagos Sports Summer Camp is a programme deliberately designed by the Lagos State Government for grooming of Lagos Children during the long holiday.

According to Aiyepeku, summer camp is one of the platform created by the Lagos State Sports Commission to ensure that children in Lagos State get the right foundation they deserved. " Children have creative and imaginative idea and we need to set and put the picture in their mind to know what they can achieve and from there their mind would expand and when their mind expand that they can absolve a lot of positive things. " We need to create a future even we adult can't see now for this children because the future we are trying to creat is only theirs.

He went further that the idea of putting the children in camp is to teach them basic talents. " The more we make camp conducive for them, the more they are able to learn more of new things," he concluded.

The Season Two of the Lagos Sports Summer Camp designed for children of Lagos aged nine to 14 started with Phase 1 for Lagos West Senatorial District held at Badagry Grammar School from 15th to 21st August, Phase 2 for Lagos East Senatorial District held at the Oriwu Model College, Ikorodu from 22nd to 28th August. While the Phase 3 for Lagos Central Senatorial District ended at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere.

The Campers were exposed to 60 per rcent of sports which includes; Athletics, Basketball, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Judo, Swimming, Teakwondo, Chees, Scrabble, Monopoly and Ayo.

TR

Tuesday September 14, 2021

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& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE Ijaw Elders to Presidency

“After 16 months of postponement and rigmarole, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has finally submitted the long overdue report of the forensic audit on the NDDC. The complexities and superfluousness that trailed the process, and the diversionary comments of the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, have left us more worried and suspicious of the true intentions of the exercise”.

––President of Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, expressing anger over the continued silence of the Presidency on the audit report.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Notes from Osun at 30

O

n Thursday, September 9, I participated in a Colloquium titled “Osun at 30: Celebrating a Milestone, Building a Prosperous Future”, which as the title indicates was a commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the creation of Osun State. On August 27, 1991, the Babangida administration created nine additional states: Abia, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Osun, Taraba and Yobe, bringing the total number of states in Nigeria to 30. The states were carved out of existing states, Osun for example was part of the old Oyo State, Delta was carved out of the defunct Bendel State, Jigawa used to be part of the old Kano State, Yobe state was carved out of Borno State, Enugu State from Anambra, Taraba state from old Gongola. Kebbi from Sokoto state. Four years earlier, the same Babangida administration created two states: Akwa Ibom and Katsina.

The politics of state creation has been one of the most volatile issues at the heart of the national question in Nigeria. From Gowon who created 12 states in 1967, to General Murtala Muhammed who added seven more states in 1976, General Ibrahim Babangida who increased the number first to 21 and later 30, and General Abacha who added six more states in 1996, giving us the present 36-state structure, the argument has always been anchored on the need to bring government closer to the people at the grassroots level, address the concerns of ethnic minorities who feel marginalized or dominated by numerically stronger neighbours, promote national unity, and ensure a more equitable distribution of national resources. Today, there are still many groups demanding the creation of more states. A cost-benefit analysis shows that states creation may have created more problems than it has solved. It has heightened the politics of difference, disunity and protests about the distribution of resources and advantages. But for me the bigger challenge is the viability or non-viability of the states.

The invitation from Professor Niyi Akinnaso, the moderator of the Colloquium was accompanied with an explanatory note about objectives and expectations. The keynote speaker was identified as Chief Bisi Akande, former Governor of Osun State. Panelists, 10 in all, from the UK, USA and parts of Nigeria were asked to interrogate issues raised in the keynote address and feel free to go beyond Chief Akande’s submissions. The chair of the occasion was His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto. It all looked enticing enough more so as Professor Akinnaso made it clear that the Colloquium will be by both physical and virtual participation.

I opted for the latter.

In his keynote address, Chief Bisi Akande, who had been part of the history of the development of Osun State, as a Local Government Councillor in Ila Orangun, Secretary to the Government of Old Oyo State, and as Deputy Governor of Oyo State, and later, Governor of Osun State (1999 – 2003) provided a historical background to the creation of the State. But his central argument was about the concept of “the Optimum Community”, with emphasis on people-oriented development using education: primary and secondary schools in rural and urban centres as catalysts for the creation of optimum communities, even, all-round, development within the state, and the provision of basic infrastructure: potable water supply, electricity and energy, health facilities, housing, agro-allied activities. Chief Akande’s submission was a subtle reminder of the original purpose of state creation in Nigeria as earlier defined and the imperative of people-centred development.

There were echoes in this regard of the concept of “OptiCom” developed by Professor Akin Mabogunje, Africa’s first Professor of Geography and his friend, Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, the renowned economist.

In the 80s, Mabogunje and Aboyade launched “The Awe Opticom Plan” in a rural community in Oyo State called Awe. Their focus was access to credit.

Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State

It was an attempt by the two scholars to move beyond classroom theory to demonstrate that there is indeed a connection between theory and praxis, and between ideation, abstractions and quotidian reality. Their key message was that development energies should be redirected in a manner that would result in the empowerment of the people through decentralised governance and poverty reduction initiatives. The Awe Opticom Plan was later adopted for the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure, a rural development framework established in 1986, in which Mabogunje was a major player. It also inspired the establishment of community banks by the Babangida administration.

Professor Mabogunje was Executive Chairman of the National Board for Community Banks (1991 -1994). Years later, Professor Mabogunje in his autobiography, A Measure of Grace would state that he felt the Opticom development option met with “minimal success”. But the problem was not with the concept. The problem is with Nigeria itself: our tendency to politicise everything, the lack of continuity in governance, policy somersaults, and endless opportunism about the common good. Chief Bisi Akande did well to remind us all of the value of optimum development for the people’s benefit.

Most of the discussants took their cue from his keynote address.

I was in no doubt that Osun State had a lot to celebrate not simply because it emerged as a state, but for its historical significance and enormous resources.

Osun is the heartland of Yoruba history, the home of so many landmarks – Ile Ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilization, Osogbo, a cultural epicentre and a global destination for tourism, Ilesa, Ede, Igbajo, Oke Ila, Ila Orangun, Iree – major theatres of war in Yorubaland, especially the Kiriji War (1877 – 1893), and home of iconic legends: Timi Agbale - Olofa Ina of Ede, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, Ogunmodede of Ilesa.

Oduduwa, the eponymous progenitor of the Yoruba race is from Osun State. In more contemporary times, Osun state has also produced some of the most prominent figures in Nigeria in virtually every field of human endeavour: it is the state of Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, General Alani Akinrinade, civil war hero and pro-democracy activist, Chief Bola Ige, Orlando Owoh, Duro Ladipo, Justice Bolarinwa Babalakin, Davido, Christopher Kolade, Femi Fani-Kayode, labour leaders, the Sunmonu brothers. Stepping on every piece of land in Osun State is an imprint on the sands of history.

It is also a state rich in culture: the Osun Osogbo grove, the Erin Ijesha waterfall, the annual Olojo festival in Ile -Ife. There was so much talk about education and the development of the human potential. Osun State is where the Obafemi Awolowo University formerly University of Ife is located. Other

institutions of higher learning in the state, many of which were established post-state creation in 1991 include the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, Osun State Polytechnic, Ila Orangun, Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke, Osun State University, Adeleke University, Ede, Bowen University, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Oduduwa University, Redeemers University, Kings University …I pointed out that given the milestones of Osun State in the education sector and its reputation as an incubator of skilled labour, there is no reason why going forward, the state should not continue to invest in human development through education as pointed out by Chief Akande. Incidentally, while the COVID-19 pandemic raged in 2020, the first major genome sequences research in Africa was carried out at the Redeemer’s University in Ede, Osun State by a team led by Professor Christian Happi.

The Colloquium took place at a time in Nigeria when there was great “war” between states and the Federal Government over the collection of Value Added Tax. Revenue sharing has always been a problem in Nigeria. Nobody talks seriously about adding value or the value chain or a serious commitment to GDP growth at sub-national levels, the people just want to share any part of the proverbial national cake be it proceeds from crude oil sale or multiple taxation. Compared to the other states created along with it in 1991, Osun State gets a comparatively low share of Federal Revenue. Internally Generated Revenue in the state may have increased over the years, currently about N13 billion per month, owing perhaps to increased population and economic activity but whereas a State like Akwa Ibom gets more than N34.8 billion, Osun could receive something as low as N1. 7 billion due to deductions at source for inherited loans. While the controversy over fiscal federalism, restructuring and VAT rages on, I argued that there is no reason why a state like Osun, blessed with abundant natural resources should be at the mercy of the politics of the national cake. Beyond its rich agricultural space of over 9, 000 km, Osun is also rich in mineral prospecting potentials: Gold, Kaolin, Talc, Iron Ore, Columbite.

The people of Osun have “riches beneath their feet” including over 15.3 million ounces of minimum gold deposit. But all the resources beneath their feet in Atakunmosa East and West, Ife East, Ifewara, Ibodi, Iperindo have been left at the mercy of illegal and artisanal miners, I said, at great cost to the state.

I was aware of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the present Adegoyega Oyetola administration in the state and a company called Badger Mines. I wanted to know the status of the MOU. I also drew attention to tourism as a major revenue earner for the state, post-COVID. The resources are available as low-hanging fruits but they have not been properly harnessed. Nigeria is one of those unlucky countries in the world where the people sit on great wealth that can transform their lives but they are happy doing nothing about it. They talk about it, they quarrel about it, but they lack the motivation to act. Governor Oyetola would be seeking a second term in office in 2022. I wanted him to pay attention to the take-aways from the Colloquium. We had very useful conversations I had hardly signed out of the event when my phones began to ring. It was Funke Egbemode, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation on the line. Before going to Osun to serve her state, Egbemode was Managing Director of the New Telegraph newspaper, and President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. She wanted me to join other participants at the Colloquium and some media stakeholders for a physical inspection of how Governor Oyetola was already addressing some of the concerns raised and the significant progress made. After much persuasion about the security situation in Osun State, I agreed. And so, I spent a part of the weekend in Osun State.

Very early in the morning, we joined the Governor, and some of his key staff, on a journey. I am often reluctant to praise a Governor for constructing roads for his people. It is part of his job to do so. But I saw in Osun state, an unusual level of commitment to infrastructure development. From Alekuwodo in Osogbo, to the Olaiya flyover Bridge at the centre of the town (which the Governor said was prompted by an accident scene that he witnessed and on the spot decided to address the problem), to the newly rehabilitated Osogbo- Kelebe-Iragbiji road, Ada to Igbajo, Ikirun to Eko Ende and other roads in the state, the Oyetola touch was evident. We visited the Osogbo General Hospital, now being reinvented and expanded, and primary healthcare centres across the state that have been revitalized, transformed from being abandoned units into new facilities, which are now being used for COVID-19 vaccination in the communities. The Commissioners of Works and Commerce and the Chief Press Secretary were very detailed in their explanations. We also visited the Dagbulu International Trade Centre/Customs Bonded Terminal, a dry port/free trade zone initiative by the Oyetola Government. Everywhere we went, the Governor was received by crowds chanting “Leekan si, 4 plus 4”. If that was meant to be a road show or show boating, it worked.

For me however, the high point was our visit to the Omoluabi Badger Mines Gold Buying and Refining Centre at Osu. Osu in Osun state is known for its special bean cake - Akara Osu. But today, it has been turned into a gold refinery centre by the Oyetola administration. Osun State has always been known for its vast gold deposits in the Segilola Gold mines, the Ife Schist Belt, Iperindo and the Eastern Ilesha Belt. About 25 years ago, Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola (as he then was) got 17 mining titles from the Obasanjo Federal government – 12 of which are for exploration. For 25 years, the licenses were kept in the files. One month left for the titles to expire, the Oyetola government waded into action.

In 2019, it entered into a Joint Venture with Badger Mines. Twenty months later, Badger Mines working on 73 exploration belts, has found gold at between 200 - 300 metres. Badger Mines CEO and his officials took us through the gold refining process. High grade technology at work! And right there in our presence a 25 kg gold bar worth about 120, 000 dollars was produced. We asked all the necessary questions: alignment with the Federal Government, community and regulatory issues, derivation, and security for the gold refinery. I was impressed.

But I was also worried. The moment Osun State begins to talk about its gold refinery, its future elections could become war by another name. Everyone would struggle to lay their hands on the gold. Oyetola, a man of few words and a quiet mien, seemed to be more interested in development, job creation, making sure salaries are paid and his continuous affirmation that he has not borrowed a penny. We asked him to talk about his reported conflict with his predecessor and former boss, Rauf Aregbesola.

He refused. He said they are brothers! Oyetola wants a second term of course. But he should be ready to put up a serious fight to achieve that 4 plus 4 ambition. You can’t build a gold refinery and expect your opponents or the Federal Government not to show interest. And that is how politics spoils everything. On our way back to Osogbo, we saw the Osogbo Steel Rolling Mill, now in a decrepit state, overgrown with weeds. We also saw the Nigeria Machine Tools – now a shadow of its former self. The Gold refinery was an indication of new possibilities and a statement about the future of Osun State, but the once flourishing industrial efforts now in ruins are painful reminders of the past.

On my way back to Lagos, I could not but get upset seeing the poor state of the Ibadan-Ife road, a Federal Government road leading to the heartland of the South West, in such terrible condition.

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