THURSDAY 22TH SEPTEMBER 2022

Senate: PIA Won't Solve Oil Industry Challenges Without Addressing Crude Theft Military, security personnel involved in the economic sabotage, PENGASSAN, NUPRC allege Deji Elumoye and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The Senate has said the current massive oil theft in the country, if not immediately curbed could frustrate the implementation of

the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) passed in to law last year by the National Assembly.

The Chairman, Senate adhoc committee to investigate oil lifting, theft and the impact on petroleum production and oil revenues, Senator

Akpan Bassey, stated this yesterday, at one-day investigative hearing on the issue.

He said, "The quota from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries is about 1.8 million barrel per day but we are producing less

than 1.2million per day, showing a shortfall of 600,000 bpd. How do we meet our fiscal challenges?

"It is clear that the PIA/Host Community law we put in place is not the solution. If stealing of crude has taken this worrisome dimension,

what can the host communities do?

"We didn't see any pipeline physically and nobody could ascertain the right of way.

"I still believe that PIB/Host Community law put in place is not the solution to oil theft. The law

would not achieve its intendment if the current massive oil theft is not addressed."

Bassey lamented the massive crude theft in the oil producing Continued on page 10

$47m Paris Club Refund: Court Sets Aside Consent Judgment Favouring Firm... Page 6 Thursday 22 September, 2022 Vol 27. No 10026. Price: N250

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Russia Warns West, Raises Spectre of Nuclear Conflict ... Page 10

PDP Crisis Deepens as Wike, Loyalists Pull Out of Atiku’s Campaign Presidential candidate sues for peace, seeks collaboration, declares decision to resign is Ayu’s Unbothered chairman says party is ideas, development-driven Chuks Okocha in Abuja, George Okoh in Makurdi, Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The last may not have been heard of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) as the Governor Nyesom Wike-led tendency in the party, has pulled out of the

Presidential Campaign Council of Atiku Abubakar, except the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, steps down.

But Atiku had quickly made a

deft reconciliatory move, where he first sued for peace, sought the collaboration of the aggrieved parties and reiterated that the decision to resign as national chairman was

Ayu’s, given the constitutional and legal pathway to the option.

This, nonetheless, Ayu, yesterday, assured the party's social media handlers of massive support and

encouragement, to enable them effectively communicate PDP's message of hope, unity, restoration Continued on page 10

In Last Address to UNGA, Buhari Recommits to Credible 2023 Polls Says Nigeria championing democracy, rule of law in West Africa Reiterates adherence to constitutional term limit Canvasses debt cancellation for developing nations Calls for structural change in UN Deji Elumoye in Abuja For the umpteenth time, President Muhammadu Buhari has stated his resolve to bequeath free, fair and credible elections to the country.

Buhari made the iteration yesterday in his last speech as Nigerian

president at the on-going annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

In his farewell speech to the 77th session of UNGA, Buhari emphasised that one of the enduring legacies he Continued on page 10

FG Asks ASUU to Obey Court BUHARI'S LAST ADDRESS TO UNGA AS NIGERIA'S PRESIDENT...

President Muhammudu Buhari delivering his last address as Nigerian President to the 77th United Nations General Order, Resume Work... Page 41 Assembly in New York... yesterday

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

SOLUDO VISITS OSINBAJO...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN (left) receives in audience the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, at the State house, Abuja... yesterday

Nigeria-Siemens Power Project: FG to Begin Inauguration of New Equipment in Two Weeks Vows to ramp up electricity supply to 7000mw by 2024 Peter Uzoho The federal government, yesterday, said all was set for the commencement of inauguration of the first set of power equipment procured under the Presidential Power Initiative (IPP), popularly known as Nigeria-Siemens power project.

It hinted that the inauguration would begin in the next two or three weeks.

Chief Executive Officer, Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company (FGNPC), Mr. Kenny Anuwe, made the disclosures in Lagos, while speaking to journalists at the on-going Nigeria Energy Exhibition and Conference. Anuwe said the company would ramp up electricity supply to 7000 megawatts (mw) by 2024 as promised Nigerians.

He said the first inauguration ceremonies would begin at a location in Lagos, while the second set of equipment would be unveiled in Abuja.

Anuwe said the latest milestone showed the determined effort of the government to improve the supply of electricity to Nigerians.

“We will be seeing commissioning of these projects in the next two to three weeks, and every month after that until the end of the programme," Anuwe said.

He stated that the equipment, which included transformers and mobile substations, were procured under the IPP in partnership with Siemens Energy, the implementing partner.

Anuwe said the equipment were purpose-designed to meet Nigeria’s power supply needs in a phased programme that would see to the generation and distribution of 25,000 megawatts (mw) of electricity by 2025.

He added that the company was set to commence the unveiling of the first set of the power equipment that had already arrived the country, stressing that the aim is to sustain the tempo until power disruptions in the country becomes a thing of the past.

Anuwe stated optimistically that with the new equipment, power supply would rise to a minimum of 7,000 megawatts, and assured that the company was committed to executing its plans until all the targets set towards ending power disruptions in the country were met.

According to him, “The federal government is determined to make a difference in the lives and livelihood of Nigerians, and with the pace of work being put in the project so far, I think we would exceed 7,000mw.

“But this is our first objective,

and we are not taking our eyes off that ball. We want to hit that target and exceed it, and that is a confirmation that improvement in electricity supply is absolutely doable."

He maintained that FGNPC adopted a transparent and sustainable model that would deliver on the objectives of the project across the electricity supply value chain, a procedure he believed would win the trust and support of Nigerians.

Admitting that the energy needs of a country of Nigeria's size and capacity exceeded 7,000mw,

he said the set threshold was a minimum target that would continually be improved upon until the average Nigerian had access to electricity supply without recourse to the more expensive and environmentally hazardous alternatives.

Anuwe explained that FGNPC was established by the federal government as a special purpose vehicle for the implementation of the PPI, in an effort to make the task of ramping up electricity supply easier.

He stated, “The FGN Power

Company was set up as a special purpose company to implement the PPI. But its core mandate is in three broad categories. Number one is to secure financing for the programme; number two, to engage with stakeholders right across the value chain, and number three, to coordinate the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative.

"It also includes engagement in engineering and procurement contracts (EPC) and master content management (MCM), all fashioned to deliver for Nigerians, all the objectives set in the PPI.”

Emmanuel Addeh and James Emejo in Abuja

In spite of decreased electricity supply to Nigerian homes in the first six months of 2022, power Distribution Companies (Discos) raked in a whopping N393.15 billion between January and June this year.

Latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that power supply fell from 5,956

(Gwh) to 5,227 (Gwh) between the first quarter and second quarter of 2022. This showed a decline of 12.23 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis, the information released by the country's main data repository noted in a document, titled, "Electricity Report Q1-Q2 2022."

The report stated, "Electricity supply in Q1 2022 stood at 5,956 (Gwh) and 5,227 (Gwh) in Q2 2022, showing a decline of 12.23 per cent

on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

"Nevertheless, on a year-on-year basis, electricity supply declined compared to 6,172.19 (Gwh) and 5,882.57 (Gwh) reported in Q1 2021 and Q2 2021 respectively."

Nigeria has for over 40 years grappled with severe shortage of supply of reliable power supply, despite past and the present administrations' expending trillions of naira to resolve the problem.

Supreme Court to attend workshops were claimed not to be provided for whereas in the budget there were these provisions.

"When we realised that each time we had a meeting and we took this up, our brother the Honourable the Chief Justice then would probably forget or didn’t remember to take care of it. Sometimes, the management of court would still tell the Chief Justice there was no money.”

Speaking further, the CJN said: "So, we sat together and put something in paper. No Secretary typed this.

One of us who was Secretary to a committee which was then the welfare committee of the court typed it and we all, the 14 of us, sat and signed.

The incumbent Muhammadu Buhari administration alone has spent over N2 trillion in offsetting some of the debt arrears in the power supply system, even with data pointing to a decline in the availability of power supply.

Nigeria has roughly 5,000 megawatts of supply daily but even that meagre supply is hobbled by transmission and distribution challenges.

On Tuesday night, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, argued that it was wrong to say the current administration hadn't done anything to ramp up power supply.

Despite the very limited time before the exit of the Buhari government, Adesina stated that the president would make considerable progress before leaving government in May next year.

He pointed out that the Siemens deal remained on course, explaining that some mega transformers are already arriving the country for the purpose.

"President Buhari is determined that before he leaves, maybe in another eight months, there will be significant progress in delivering electricity and power to Nigerians," Adesina stated during an interview.

However, he admitted that there still remained a huge gap in electricity supply in the country, declaring that Buhari is determined to make the difference.

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CJN says no crisis among Supreme Court Justices despite leaked memo Bemoans poor funding of Judiciary The acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola was screened and confirmed by the Senate as the substantive head of the Judiciary arm of the Nigerian government yesterday.

The screening lasted one hour during which senators across political party lines, asked questions bordering on the plans of Ariwoola to turn the Judiciary arms of government around during his tenure.

Obviously satisfied with the performance of the CJN during the questions and answers session, the senators unanimously approved his appointment after the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, put the

approval to voice vote.

Ariwoola's, confirmation came, close to three months after his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The acting CJN was appointed on June 27, 2022, and he had three months to get the Senate confirmation, failure which he would have required fresh nomination.

The newly confirmed CJN told Senators during the screening that there was no crisis among Justices of the Supreme Court, contrary to the insinuations contained in a leaked memo to the immediate past CJN, Mohammed Tanko.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo – Agege; Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, and a few other

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Despite 12.3% Decline in Power Supply, Discos Raked in N393bn Revenue in Six Months

Senate Confirms Ariwoola's Appointment as CJN Deji Elumoye and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

On the role of the generating companies (Gencos) and distribution companies (Discos) under the new order, Anuwe explained that the establishment of FGNPC did not impact the role of the players in the electricity value chain since the arrangement took the form of a partnership than role absorption.

He said, “The Gencos and the Discos will continue to play their part in the value chain of delivering energy to consumers right across Nigeria.

lawmakers had in their remarks before asking questions, expressed worry over the embarrassment caused by the alleged petitions written to Justice Tanko by 15 other Justices of the Supreme Court in June this year.

However, Ariwoola in response to the lawmakers' remarks said Supreme Court Justices didn't write petition to or against Justice Mohammed, the then CJN. He clarified that it was an internal memo on how to address challenges being faced by them as regards welfare and unconducive working environment.

He said, "Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege started from what he decided not to call a petition even though many newspapers and the press that accosted me on the day I

was sworn-in as acting said Justices of the Supreme Court wrote petition.

"We did not write petition. It was an internal memo not of the court but of Justices. There were about 15 Justices of the court then with the Chief Justice and we had either individually as friends, colleagues or in group at meetings raised certain issues that were touching on persons, working conditions of Justices such as some of us not having accommodation at all particularly amongst my brothers who were appointed in 2020.

"Some have still not gotten accommodation and ask me where do they live? Some live very far and stay quite far to the court. Some vehicles had not been provided.

"Our entitlements as Justices of

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MEDIA MERIT AWARDS...

L -R: Chairman, Rosabel Group, Senator Akin Odunsi; Chairman, Nigeria Media Merit Award, Alhaji Haroun Rasheed Adamu; Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Mr. Reuben Muoka; Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim; , District Head of Kanya Babba in Jigawa State, Makama Ringim, and Chairman STB-McCann Group, Mr. Steve Omojafor, at the Nigeria Media Merit Awards held in Lagos...recently

$47m Paris Club Refund: Court Sets Aside Consent Judgment Favouring Firm Alex Enumah in Abuja The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho has set aside a consent judgment entered in favour of Panic Alert Security Systems Ltd against the Trustees of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for payment of some individuals and organisations for the roles they played in the Paris Club refund received by the federal government.

Panic Alert is one of the six beneficiaries of government's

payment of the very controversial judgment debt of $418 million to contractors that facilitated the Paris Club Loans refund to the 36 States.

Following advice from the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, President Muhammadu Buhari had last year approved the deduction of the said sum from funds accruing to the states to pay the said debt owed the contractors.

A breakdown of the $418 million demanded by the consultants showed that Ned Munir Nwoko

- $68,658,192.83; Dr Ted Isighohi Edwards - $159,000,000; Panic Alert Security Systems Ltd $47,831,920; Riok Nig. Ltd -$142,028,941.95; Prince Orji Orizu- $1,219,440.45 and Barrister Olaitan Bello $215,195.36).

Panic Alert Security Systems Limited had relied on the consent judgment to lay claim to professional fees of $47. 821, 920.

Before the judgment delivered by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, Malami had equally relied on the judgment and had since recommend that the

money be paid to the company.

However, dissatisfied with the recommendation of the AGF on the basis of the consent judgment, the 36 state governors through its forum, the NGF had instructed its counsel, Mr. Paul Harris Ogbole, to challenge the said consent judgment upon which the AGF relied on in court.

In his ruling delivered on Tuesday, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho held that the said consent judgment in its entirety was entered

Lagos Seeks Improved Private Sector Support to Fund Projects Nume Ekeghe and Oluchi Chibuzor The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has called on the banking sector and other major players in the financial sector to fund and key into its various infrastructure and developmental projects across the state.

Sanwo-Olu also revealed that the fourth mainland bridge which has been in the planning and discussion phase previously was getting closer to execution, saying three investors were already showing interest in financing the project.

Speaking yesterday at a privatepublic partnership pre-Ehingbeti stakeholders’ engagement on building a sustainable future for a greater Lagos, Sanwo-Olu, said the government would continue to pursue policies that are inclusive and equitable to all over the development plan period.

Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, he maintained that his administration remained committed to taking appropriate lessons from this Summit through the implementation of its resolutions, and “this edition will not be an exception.”

He said: “It is important to mention that past summits gave birth to initiatives such as the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund which have continued to support young people with innovative ideas, to start and grow their businesses; the Lagos State Security Trust Fund through which security agencies are being assisted to be more effective in securing lives and property; design and construction/reconstruction of key road infrastructure with special consideration for the provision of pedestrian walkways. The list is not exhaustive as no sector of the state’s economy has not been positively impacted.

“The state government in recognition of the pivotal role played

by the banking and finance industry in the development of the economy has decided to share its vision and plans with us, to harness insights and commitment of the banking industry towards the actualisation of the development agenda.

“I, therefore, call on all members of the banking community to support the initiatives of the state government by channeling resources to critical sectors towards the development of Lagos State into a major economy in Sub-Saharan Africa."

Furthermore, Sanwo-Olu noted that subsequent summits were private sector-driven and had to a very large extent, achieved their purpose through the meticulous and faithful adoption and implementation of innovative ideas and suggestions.

He acknowledged that governance was not a one-man show, stressing that no government, irrespective of the quality of its officials could claim the monopoly of knowledge or ideas thus the continuous engagements with the private sector.

“Hence the summit is a clear admission of this fact and therefore presents the opportunity for everyone to get involved. Ehingbeti is now firmly established as a credible forum for the stimulation of economic ideas and the emergence of the most vibrant, diverse, competitive and inclusive Lagos,” he added.

On the development plan, Sanwo-Olu stressed that the, “forum is organised to sensitise key stakeholders on this year's Summit and more importantly seek your input on the proposed 30 years Lagos Development Plan which will be formally presented at the Summit for deliberation and final adoption for implementation."

In his opening remarks, the President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Ken Opara said the

engagement would institutionalise the developmental landscape of the state through the private-public state partnership.

According to him the forum, a precursor to the Ehingbeti Summit, provides an opportunity for the state government and private sector players to exchange ideas on the most efficient and effective way of accelerating growth and development in the state.

He noted that the collaboration between the bankers’ institute and the Lagos State government epitomises a partnership that works, adding that the institute has enjoyed

a very cordial relationship with the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Sanwo-Olu. However, responding to stakeholders' question on ease of doing business, housing and infrastructural development within the state, the deputy governor noted that as a state, Lagos would continue to respond to issues that would move the state forward.

“We want people to use government’s channels in transacting their businesses. We have an ease-ofdoing business platform that has helped us to solve various mirages of problems facing the state.

without jurisdiction.

The court agreed with counsel to the 36 state governors, Ogbole, that the reliefs claimed by Panic Alert Systems Ltd. against NGF in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/123/2018, were premised on a simple contract which

by Section 251 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) strips the Court ab initio the required jurisdiction to entertain such matters.

Accordingly, the court set aside the consent judgment in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/123/2018.

By the ruling, all approvals by the AGF, the President, Minister of Finance, Accountant-General of the Federation, Debt-Management Office arising from, related to or concerning Panic Alert's claims have been voided.

In addition, all Promissory Notes, cheques or any financial instrument issued by the federal government in favour of Panic Alert were nullified and canceled and of no effect whatsoever.

The decision followed a motion filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigeria Governor's Forum on June 30, 2021, for the setting aside of the purported consent judgment in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/123/2018.

The motion which was filed and argued by counsel to the NGF, Ogbole, against Panic Alert

Security Systems Ltd and Dr. George Uboh and others, was rooted on the grounds that the Federal High Court by virtue of Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), lacks jurisdiction to have entertained a matter that was founded on a simple contract.

In the suit, Panic Alert Security Systems Limited, purporting to have been contracted by the NGF to review a 16-page judgment in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/130/2013, between Linas International LTD & 235 Ors. V. Federal Government of Nigeria & 3 Ors. The company had claimed that it was entitled to $47,821,920, being consultancy fees which were never agreed or specified in any contract with the NGF. It thereafter filed an action for breach of contract against the Nigeria Governors’ Forum at the Federal High Court, Abuja on April 8, 2021.

But in motion for the setting aside the consent judgment, the NGF through its counsel, Ogbole, argued that the Consent judgment arising from the suit did not award the sum of ($47,821,920) or any other sum to Panic Alert.

He submitted that on the contrary, the judgment merely stated that Panic Alert will be referred to the Attorney General of the Federation for verification and settlement.

Nigerian, 16 Others Emerge UN’s Young Leaders for the SDGs Dike Onwuamaeze A 25-year old Nigerian Poet, Ms. Karimot Odebode, with five other Africans, were among the latest group of 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were announced yesterday by The United Nations (UN) during the start of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

The 17 young leaders were picked from 5,400 applications from over 190 countries in an initiative that was launched in 2016, that has collectively reached millions of young people around the world.

A press release issued yesterday by the UN stated that every two years, the Office of the SecretaryGeneral’s Envoy on Youth recognises 17 young change-makers who are leading efforts to combat the world's most pressing issues and whose leadership is catalysing the achievement of the SDGs. It explained: “Following an open call for applications earlier this year, which resulted in more

than 5,400 applications from over 190 countries, this next cohort of Young Leaders for the SDGs hail from all corners of the world and work across all pillars of the UN, including sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security.

“The group, who are all between the ages of 17 and 29 years old, were made up of an aspiring astronaut, medical doctor and fashion designer, paralympic medalist, poet, artists, climate entrepreneurs, peace builders, gender justice advocates and education innovators, among others.”

According to the UN SecretaryGeneral’s Envoy on Youth, Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, “the 2022 class of young leaders for the SDGs represents an incredibly diverse, intersectional and inspirational group of young people who reflect the very best of global youth activism and advocacy when it comes to challenging the status quo and creating a better world for all.

“Even amidst the ongoing pandemic, climate crisis and

global instability, these young people demonstrate immense resilience, resourcefulness and leadership in finding innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.”

Odebode, who is the only Nigerian on the list, is an awardwinning poet and the founder of Black Girl’s Dream Initiative, which is a youth-led organisation that aimed at closing the gender gap in education inclusiveness through the arts, advocacy, research, technology and sports.

The UN said that she is also “the author of the poetry collection ‘A Woman Has Many Names’ and she uses her poetry to foster sustainable development and create a safe world for girls and women.

“She created the Transform Education anthem for the United Nations Girls Education Initiative and has been featured by the Global Education Summit, Plan International, and BBC Media Action.

“In 2018 and 2019, Odebode was appointed as a Youth Champion for ONE Campaign in Nigeria

where she helped spearhead the fight against extreme poverty, and campaign for quality education for girls. In 2022, Karimot was recognised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Oyo State Government as one of the 100 influential young people for her advocacy work,” the UN said.

The other Africans that made the list were a 29-year France Based Sudanese Refuge, Ms. Mayada Adil, who is also fashion designer, medical doctor and Co-Founder of La Loupe Creative; a 24-year Beninese Civic and Digital Rights Campaigner and President of Tonafa Institute, Mr. Emmanuel Ganse, and a 27-year Tanzanian Climate Entrepreneur & Founder of WAGA, Mr. Gibson Kawago.

Also, other Africans on the list were two Zimbabweans that comprised of a 24-year Education Activist, YouTuber and Founder of Empowered by Vee, Ms. Varaidzo Kativhu, and a 23-year HIV/AIDS Advocate and Radio Champion at Zvandiri, Mr. Paul Ndhlovu.

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AT THE ONGOING UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY...

L-R: Plateau State Governor, Mr. Solomon Lalong; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York …yesterday

Buhari at a Meeting on Climate Change, Stresses Nigeria’s Commitment to Energy Transition Plan Canvasses better Afro-Arab cooperation to settle issues of mutual benefit Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the commitment of the Nigerian government towards ensuring that there is a rapid and strategic transition to renewable energy in response to the world-wide efforts for the preservation of the environment.

Speaking yesterday at a Leaders’ Closed-Door Meeting on Climate Change convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, coming before the commencement of the COP27 in November this year, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the President stressed that his administration had, in August this year, launched a home-grown, data-backed, multi-pronged energy transition plan, which is the country’s framework in achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

Highlighting some of the details in the plan, the President said that through the use of emerging technologies and alternative fuels such as hydrogen, bioenergy and waste-to-energy, a pathway would be created for accelerated decarburization of energy systems and harnessing of new and diverse technologies towards low carbon development while aligning to our broader developmental aspirations in a fair and just manner.

Speaking further, the Nigerian President said, “the plan also sets out a timeline and framework for the attainment of emissions reduction across five key sectors: power, cooking, oil and gas, transport and industry,” adding that, “gas will

play a critical role as a transition fuel in Nigeria’s net-zero pathway, particularly in the power and cooking sectors.

“The clean energy goals of the plan include modernizing the power sector with large-scale integration of renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency and conservation; and is expected to generate 250 gigawatts of installed energy capacity with over 90% made up of renewables.”

Expressing his confidence that the plan would put the nation on the path of prosperity, President Buhari said that a careful implementation would create significant investment opportunities as it will engender the establishment and expansion of industries related to solar energy, hydrogen and electric vehicles.

“It will guide Nigeria’s rapid transition to renewable energy and result in significant job creation with up to 340,000 jobs created by 2030 and up to 840,000 jobs created by 2060 driven mainly by power, cooking and transport sectors.”

He commended Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his tireless efforts in the preparations for the COP27 and assured him of the support of the Nigerian Government.

President Buhari yesterday also called on African countries and their Arab partners to work hard and be more united to realise common objectives.

Speaking at a bilateral meeting with the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, in New York, the President said the actualisation of the UN resolution proposed a Two-State solution to the crisis between Israel

and Palestine required a platform to think creatively on how to engage the rest of the world on the matter.

“The rest of the world need to be apprised on current state of things between Palestine and Israel in order to commit to the way forward. There should be a better collaboration between African countries on one side and our Arab bothers to get to the end of this matter,” the President said.

The Palestinian President had visited his Nigerian counterpart to thank him for being a consistent supporter of the Palestinian cause even as he reflected it in his (Buhari’s) address at the floor of the General Assembly and to solicit his support by rallying other African countries

to their side.

He regretted that the Palestinian issue had dragged for a long time without commensurate progress, adding that there is a daily loss of lives on the Palestinian side.

Abbas added that Palestinians had decided to pursue a peaceful path towards resolving the matter by relying on nations like Nigeria to help in a peaceful resolution of the Two-State solution as recommended by the United Nations Resolution.

In another meeting with Mr Mahamadou Issoufou, former President of Niger Republic and Special envoy of the UN and African Union on Joint Strategic Assessment and Governance Situation in the Sahel, President Buhari assured

Chinedu Eze The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that Nigeria records high rate of bird strikes which most often leads to airlines spending huge resources to replace engines damaged by such incidents or other parts of the aircraft that hit the birds.

Airlines also lose revenue running into millions of naira when such damaged aircraft are grounded, waiting to be repaired and taken into the air again, which could take weeks.

Speaking at a workshop organised by the Search and Rescue Mission of the Nigerian Airspace

Management Agency (NAMA) yesterday in Lagos, the Head Bird/ Wildlife Hazard Control, NCAA, Mr. Azike Edozie, decried the high incidents arising from bird strike in the industry.

He said no fewer than 93 bird strike incidents have occurred across Nigerian airports in the first half of 2022.

Out of the number, 54 of such bird strike incidents happened at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos alone, he said.

Edozie however said the responsibility of keeping the airspace safe from birds’ incidents lied with all stakeholders in the industry, including airline operators, security

Hints community's initial refusal to sign JIV report cause of delayed repair The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) yesterday revealed that the current gas leak rocking Sangama, a community in Rivers state, was caused by a third party breach.

The disclosure came 48 hours after a similar incident was reported in Bayelsa, allegedly following an explosion on the asset.

The spill was discovered along the Bayelsa Palm-New Otuoke Road near Yenagoa and was said to have happened around 11 pm on Monday.

On the Rivers incident, the NUPRC in a statement signed by its Chief Executive, Mr Gbenga

Komolafe, hinted that fixing the pipeline may have been delayed due to the refusal of the community to endorse a document arising from a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV).

The statement noted that during the joint inspection, it was noticed that a portion of the asset had been tampered with by a third party, a revelation the community initially disagreed with.

Komolafe stressed that the NUPRC was earlier notified of the gas leak incident on the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Well 6 facility in Bonny local government area of the state.

"Efforts are being made alongside other relevant agencies to deal with

the job done.

The former Nigerien leader had informed President Buhari that they required Nigerian support to raise funds for their activities especially as desertification is spreading across a number of African countries and most of the countries are severely challenged. He added that the committee needed to visit the countries involved to know their specific needs and would, at this instance, be in Nigeria in October this year.

He requested President Buhari to convene a side event at the COP 27 meeting in November in Egypt so that it can come up with a rich outcome for the committee to use as a basis for its report.

Nigerian Airlines Lose Huge Resources to Bird Strikes

Rivers Gas Leak Caused by Third Party Pipeline Breach, Says NUPRC Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

the Special Envoy of the support of Nigeria in the discharge of his assignment bordering on seeking political and economic solutions to issues confronting countries in the Sahel.

President Buhari stressed the essence of a collaboration between the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Green Great Wall in order to combat the desertification spreading across some African states as well as finding practical solutions to the displacement of over 30 million persons whose means of livelihood depended on the shrunken Lake Chad.

The President expressed optimism that with his wealth of experience and capacity, Mr Issoufou will get

the situation," he stated.

The NUPRC chief executive explained that the incident which was observed on September 3, 2022 at about 13:30 hours, was reported by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Exploration & Production Limited (NNPC E&P LTD) on September 9, 2022.

According to Komolafe, a JIV was carried out on September 11 by a team from the NUPRC, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Rivers state ministry of environment as well as community representatives with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in attendance.

"During the JIV, the team

observed a gas leak from one of the valves on the well head. A closer look revealed that the anode valve on the wellhead had been tampered with.

"It was adjudged by the regulators to have been caused by third party interference.

"However, the community did not agree with the regulators and as a result would not sign the joint investigation report in spite of the technical explanation by the team," he explained.

This, he said, prompted the team to reconvene on September 15, 2022 when, after an extensive discussion, all stakeholders eventually signed the incident report.

agencies and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

He expressed hope that the respective agencies would find a lasting solution to the menace soon, saying airlines are losing millions of dollars to the incident annually. ''My record shows that we have had at least 93 bird strike incidents in all our airports between January this year to June. And out of this number, 54 of it happened in Lagos airport alone, which represents about 70 per cent of the total occurrences. ''We all have to proffer a solution to this menace and I do hope we have a lasting solution to it because everyone, especially the airlines are losing money,” he explained.

Also, the Head of Unit, Bird Control, FAAN, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Mr. Adetunji Adetutu stated in his presentation that no airline was immune from the incident of bird strikes.

Adetutu explained that FAAN as the airport landlord was doing its best to curb the spread of the incident through the procurement of modern equipment, which he said had gone a long way to reduce its impacts.

He also blamed some of the pilots for the high bird strike rates in the industry, stressing that some of them are always in hurry to depart an airport for the other and violate the instructions of Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) He insisted that it was necessary for the airlines and their pilots to also have a change of culture by adhering to the instructions issued

by ATCs.

According to him, 98 per cent of bird strike incidents occurred at the airports, especially when taking off and landing.

He said, “The final say on what happens to the aircraft lies with the pilots. Until the ATC gives clearance for pilots to depart or land, it is necessary for pilots to listen to their advice. ''Airline operators should have a change of culture on how we carry out our duties. It's the suitability of the environment that brings birds to the airport environment. We have water, shelter and food around the airports. Runway should be free of activities at take-off and landing.''

He also stated that most of the birds that cause havoc at the airports migrate from other continents to Africa at a particular time of the season.

Speaking also, the Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, NAMA, Mr. Olanrewaju Iwalaye, said it was necessary for all stakeholders to curb the actinides of bird strike incidents at the airport with the procurement of advanced equipment.

Iwalaye, however, observed that FAAN had in recent times improved with the procured of equipment to reduce the incident.

He added that same programme was simultaneously going on in all the major airports across the country, including the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Omagwa, Aminu Kano International Airport (AKIA), Kano and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Port Harcourt.

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Russia Warns West, Raises Spectre of Nuclear Conflict US President Joe Biden calls Putin's threat "reckless." “It is chilling … It’s a serious threat," says UK foreign office minister Gillian Keegan Bayo Akinloye with agency report President Vladimir Putin has put the world, especially the West, on edge and notice of a potential nuclear Armageddon as he ordered Russia's first mobilisation since World War II and backed a plan to annex swathes of Ukraine, warning the West he is not bluffing when he said he would be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia.

US President Joe Biden called Putin's nuclear threat “reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime,” referring to international treaties that prevents nations with nuclear warheads from using them.

Already on tenterhooks is the United Kingdom. UK foreign office

minister Gillian Keegan told Sky News that the West should begin to worry about Putin's threat and see it as more than just a bluff.

China, North Korea, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, the UK and the US possess nearly 13,080 nuclear weapons. Russia and the US possess roughly 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear weapons, with over 5,500 weapons each. Specifically, according to estimates, Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads as of 2022, the largest in the world, while its archrival, the United States, has a stockpile of nuclear arsenal amounting to 5,428.

“Clearly, it’s something that we should take very seriously because, you know, we’re not in control – I’m not sure he’s in control either, really.

This is obviously an escalation,”

Keegan said. “It is chilling … It’s a serious threat, but one that has been made before."

In the biggest escalation of the Ukraine war since Moscow’s February 24 invasion, Putin explicitly raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict, approved a plan to annex a chunk of Ukraine the size of Hungary, and called up 300,000 reservists.

“If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will, without doubt, use all available means to protect Russia and our people – this is not a bluff,” Putin said in a televised address to the nation. Citing NATO expansion towards Russia’s borders, Putin said the West was plotting to destroy his country, engaging in “nuclear blackmail” by allegedly discussing

the potential use of nuclear weapons against Moscow, and accused the United States, the European Union and Britain of encouraging Ukraine to push military operations into Russia itself.

“In its aggressive anti-Russian policy, the West has crossed every line,” Putin said. “This is not a bluff.

And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weathervane can turn and point towards them,” he added.

The address, which followed a critical Russian battlefield defeat in northeastern Ukraine, fuelled speculation about the course of the war and showed Putin was unrelenting in his “special military operation” against Ukraine.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine

has led to the death of thousands of people, and several hundred more maimed, including children and women, throwing the world off balance in terms of economic turmoil and global food shortages.

According to reports, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has also triggered the worst confrontation with the West since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when many feared nuclear war imminent.

Putin signed a decree on partially mobilising Russia’s reserves, arguing that Russian soldiers were effectively facing the full force of the “collective West,” which has been supplying Ukraine’s forces with advanced weapons, training and intelligence.

Speaking shortly after Putin, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said

Russia would draft some 300,000 additional personnel out of some 25 million potential fighters at Moscow’s disposal. The mobilisation, the first since the Soviet Union battled Nazi Germany in World War II, began immediately.

Putin has repeatedly railed against the United States for driving NATO’s eastward expansion, especially its courting of ex-Soviet republics such as Ukraine and Georgia, which Russia regards as part of its sphere of influence, an idea both nations reject. The Russian president said top government officials in several unnamed “leading” NATO countries had spoken of potentially using nuclear weapons against Russia.

a government with the legitimacy it needs to deliver positive change.”

Recalling that the first time he could have addressed the Assembly was in 1984, as military Head of State of Nigeria, Buhari said it was a great privilege to personally address the Assembly, 31 years later in 2015, “As the democratically elected president of my country.

“As I approach the end of my second and final four-year term, I am reminded of how much has changed in Nigeria, in Africa, and in the world, and yet, how some challenges remain.”

Buhari’s address also touched

on pressing international issues, including the war in Ukraine, climate change, malignant use of technology, and debt service suspension.

On the war in Ukraine, the president warned that the danger of escalation further justified Nigeria’s resolute calls for a nuclear-free world and a universal Arms Trade Treaty, which are necessary measures to prevent global human disasters.

He demanded that world leaders must find a quick means to reach consensus on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty with related

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IN LAST ADDRESS TO UNGA, BUHARI RECOMMITS TO CREDIBLE 2023 POLLS would like to leave "is to entrench a process of free, fair and transparent and credible elections through which Nigerians elect leaders of their choice.''

The president disclosed that by next year, there would be a new face speaking for Nigeria from the podium of the UN Assembly Hall.

He reiterated his commitment to constitutional term limit and Nigeria’s effort to promote rule of law and democracy in West Africa, citing the country’s support for The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Chad during their political crises.

Buhari stated, “We believe in the

sanctity of constitutional term limits and we have steadfastly adhered to it in Nigeria. We have seen the corrosive impact on values when leaders elsewhere seek to change the rules to stay on in power.

“Indeed, we are now preparing for general election in Nigeria next February. At the 78th UNGA, there will be a new face at this podium speaking for Nigeria.

“Ours is a vast country strengthened by its diversity and its common values of hard work, enduring faith, and a sense of community.

“We have invested heavily to strengthen our framework for

SENATE: PIA WON'T SOLVE OIL INDUSTRY CHALLENGES WITHOUT ADDRESSING CRUDE THEFT areas of the Niger Delta region and noted that the development was crippling the nation's economy.

He told the stakeholders that the shortfall in the country's oil revenues were not due to oil theft alone, but also caused by inability to have evacuation access, lack of effective metering and monitoring by operators as well as the unwillingness of security agencies to checkmate the incidents of oil theft close to where they are stationed.

He disclosed that shut in wells, oil theft and evacuation issues and lack of effective metering were the issues affecting petroleum production and national revenues. He said the country had incurred a loss of over $2.1 billion (about N872 billion) as a result of oil theft and sabotage.

He explained, "We've carried out on the spot assessment of the Niger Delta area where we spent over one week trying to find out what was actually going on.

"We spoke with necessary stakeholders and many of us returned to Abuja very sad because our investigations revealed that it was nothing but a national calamity.

"We are losing more than 900 barrels per day. a barrel is made up of 159 litres of crude. Most of the pipelines had been covered by bush, making it very unsafe for any security personnel to asses and secure the facilities.

"This is the worst form of economic sabotage which needed a strong political will to tackle but at the same time it required legislative input to address.

"Stakeholders are also complaining about the roles of regulatory agencies which they claimed was not good enough to guarantee ease of doing business."

He said the Bonny Terminal, being operated by Shell, which hitherto produces 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) has not produced a single barrel for the past seven months.

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who declared the public hearing open, said the Senate was worried that the petroleum sector had been bedeviled by oil theft which he said was threatening the nation's economy.

He added, "It is regrettable that the criminals are perpetrating the unfortunate crime with the active connivance of stakeholders including security personnel.

"The Senate will stop at nothing to unveil the criminals behind the crime and that is why we set an adhoc committee to unravel the thieves and come up with workable

solutions to end the menace, before December this year."

Representatives of Shell, Total LNG, Chevron, SPDC Nigeria, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Inspector General of Police, Federal Inland Revenue Service, National Security Adviser, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) made presentations before the panel.

PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, identified problems of oil theft, vandalism of pipelines, host communities’ issues as major issues affecting the nation's oil revenues.

He alleged that the military and other security agencies were aiding and abetting criminals to steal the crude with the active connivance of the regulatory agencies in charge of the nation's petroleum industry.

He specifically alleged that the military should be held responsible for high rate of crude oil theft in the country.

Furthermore, he alleged that the military and other security agencies were aiding and abetting criminals to steal the crude with the active connivance of the regulatory agencies in charge of the nation's petroleum industry.

He therefore challenged the regulatory agencies and various security outfits to be alive to their responsibilities in order to solve the problems.

He specifically alleged that men of the Amphibious Brigade in Port Harcourt and their counterparts in the Navy were conniving with superior officers at different times, joined the locals in the theft .

He said, "One of the greatest problems we have, which nobody has highlighted is that there is a strong connivance of our security forces in the crime.

"There is no doubt about this.

From our Army to our Naval officers, we have information that they pay their superiors to post them to some areas in the Niger Delta.

"I can authoritatively inform this committee that men of the Nigerian Army and the Navy pay their superiors to be posted to Niger Delta. " Even when the former Commander of the Amphibious Brigade in Port Harcourt was removed, many of the men in the Command resisted to be posted out due to lucrativeness of their operational area.”

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free and fair elections. I thank our partners for all the support that they have provided our election institutions.”

Highlighting support for democracy in the sub-region, Buhari said in The Gambia, Nigeria helped guarantee the first democratic transition since independence and stood by the democratically elected government in Guinea-Bissau when it faced mutiny.

He added that following the tragic death of President Idris Deby Itno of Chad in the battlefield, Nigeria joined forces with other neighbouring countries and international partners

to stabilise the country and encourage the peaceful transition to democracy, a process that is on-going.

The president stated, “Democracy is an idea that crosses time and borders. Certainly, democracy does have its limitations.

“The wheels of democracy turn slowly. It can demand compromises that dilute decisions.

“Sometimes, it bends too much to special interests that exercise influence, not always for the general good, in a manner disproportionate to their numbers.

“But it has been my experience that a democratic culture provides

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PDP CRISIS DEEPENS AS WIKE, LOYALISTS PULL OUT OF ATIKU’S CAMPAIGN and development to the Nigerian public, noting that the opposition PDP was a party of ideas.

The resolution of the Wike group to pull out of Atiku’s campaign was taken at a meeting held in Wike’s country home in Obio-Akpor, yesterday.

Prominent members of the group, including founding members of the party, governors, former ministers and other leaders of the party made their stance known in a resolution read by a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George.

George said, “Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the National Chairman of the party for an acting Chairman of the Southern Nigerian extraction to emerge and lead the party on the national campaign.

Consequently, we resolve not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.” The group accused Ayu of compromising the May 28 and 29 presidential primary of the party through his conduct and as such, aligned with Wike to pull out of the Atiku campaign.

Immediate former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang, described Ayu as a bad referee, who assisted one side to score a goal during a football match and later blew the whistle.

His words: “For a National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to go and embrace Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, calling him the hero of the convention, meant that there was a private arrangement that was done with Tambuwal to shortchange other contestants, including Governor Wike.

“Here was a referee, who helped one of his sides to score a goal and then blew the whistle. This is not what we formed the PDP to do for Nigerians. Therefore, we unequivocally ask that Ayu must step down.”

The group contended that, their support for Wike was neither because he lost the presidential primary nor because he was not chosen as the running mate but because of equity and justice in the party.

A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, said if the party intended to restructure Nigeria, it should have the courage to restructure itself.

Gana said, “You cannot build on a faulty foundation. This call for the chairman to step down or resign is not because any of us is

aggrieved but because we believe it is important to ensure a just, fair, principled and constitutional structure for the party. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we should have the courage to restructure our party.”

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said, “We hope that the powers that be listens to the voice of reason and do the needful” adding that, he backed the decision of the group to pull out of the Atiku campaign.

Makinde is the Deputy Director General (South) of the campaign council while Wike and several others are members.

But a former national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, has distanced himself from the suit to sack the Ayu-led NWC. The suit is presently at the Abuja High Court.

According to the media aide to Secondua, Ike Abonye, the case said to have been filed by Mr Chuma Chinye, a former staff in the office of the former national chairman, prayed the court to sack the Ayu-led NWC, since Secondus was illegally and forcefully removed from office.

The statement read: "But Prince Secondus, who was never privy to the case said he was distancing himself from it as it runs against his principles of exhausting internal party machinery on any case before going to court."

He noted that he has always been a strong advocate of settling cases in-house, saying the only circumstance that would make him be in court against PDP is if he was defending self.

Secondus then told members of the public and the party faithful trying to associate him with the case to be properly guided and note his position.

Atiku: Let’s Join Hands, Move on With Task of Nationbuilding

Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the withdrawal of the Governor Nyesom Wike associates and urged them to join him to rescue Nigeria, stressing that the decision by the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign or not, remained his personal undertaking.

The former vice-president said, as a believer in the concept of the rule of law, any move to remove Ayu must be within the dictates and letters of the PDP constitution.

In the statement, Atiku stated: “My attention was drawn to a news

clip in which several very senior and influential members of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), addressed the press and, amongst other things, declared that they are withdrawing, forthwith, from the Presidential Campaign Council set up by our party to judiciously plan and prosecute the general elections set to hold in February and March 2023, on the one hand; and reiterated their earlier calls for the resignation or removal from office of the national chairman of our party, Senator Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, on the other hand.

"The people that addressed the press must have their reasons for withdrawing from the Presidential Campaign Council, and I will not speculate as to what those reasons may be.

"Personally, I am quite surprised with this withdrawal, because as I have been informed by officials of our party, apart from the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, all the remaining states of the federation submitted names of people, who they wanted included in the Presidential Campaign Council."

On the calls for Ayu’s resignation or removal from office, he said, "I must reiterate what I have said severally in public and in private; the decision for Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign from office is personal to Dr. Ayu and, neither I nor anyone else can make that decision for him.

"As to the calls for the removal of Dr. Ayu from office, however, I will state that, as a committed democrat and firm believer in the rule of law and democratic tenets, and our party being one set up, organised and regulated by law and our constitution, it is my absolute belief that every thing that we do in our party must be done in accordance with, and conformity to, the law and our constitution.

“If Dr. Ayu is to be removed from office, it must be done in accordance with the laws that set out the basis for such removal. In any event, you will all recall that the very body that is empowered by law to initiate this removal from office, has already passed a vote of confidence in him.

"Now, our nation is currently in the throes of a multidimensional crisis encompassing insecurity, economic meltdown, disunity and mutual mistrust and educational dislocations, to mention a few. I have a plan to address these issues and I have, graciously, been given the ticket to lead our great party in next year’s presidential election,

with the singular mandate to come and lead the efforts to cure these ills.

"It is in this light that I have reached out to every single member of our great party to join me in the massive undertaking required to reset the ship of state, and help rebuild our country. Every single person, who loves this country, as I do, is needed for the arduous tasks that face us ahead as a nation, and this includes every member of the PDP. "And it is my fervent hope and prayer that every man and woman of goodwill will join hands with us to help rebuild and reposition our beloved country. In this light, therefore, I will urge those members of our party that have stated their resolve to withdraw from the Presidential Campaign Council to have a rethink, retrace their steps, and join us in these efforts.

"The above, notwithstanding, and for the sake of our country, our children, and those yet unborn, we must not, for one minute, shirk in our responsibilities to rebuild this beloved country of ours. Accordingly, we must forge on with the task and the mandate that we have been bestowed with. It is time, therefore, to move on with the formidable tasks of nation building ahead of us.”

Ayu: PDP is Party of Ideas, Development

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has assured the party's social media handlers of massive support and encouragement, to enable them effectively communicate PDP's message of hope, unity, restoration and development to the Nigerian public.

Ayu stated this in Kano yesterday while hosting a coalition of some PDP Social Media Groups.

Ayu, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Mal Yusuf Dingyadi, warned party faithful to eschew falsehood, mischief and political blackmail.

"I urge you to take the high road of truth and issues. PDP will not tolerate or encourage use of lies, propaganda and mischief by any member of the party, even if it's to garner support for the party. We are not a party of lies or perpetual propaganda; we are the party of ideas and development.

"We will, therefore, not allow use of lies or mischief by any of our social media handlers in order to market candidates of this great party.

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POLITICS

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

Odibo: How Obi Phenomenon is Energising the Youth Director of Media and Communications of the BIG-TENT for Peter Obi, the umbrella body of the Obi Presidential campaign organization, Charles Odibo, in this interview explains how Obi has become the most talked-about political figure in the country. Vanessa Obioha brings excerpts:

T

here is a growing buzz about some cause-related social issues being championed by the BIG TENT for Peter Obi, like the Clean-Up Nigeria project.

What is it all about?

In some way, Peter Obi, who has unsurprisingly become the most-admired political figure in Nigeria today, has defined and set the tone for engagement in this forthcoming election. In words and deeds he is showing the face of the new Nigeria that we all desire, that it’s about peoples’ lives, their hopes, their dreams, and their aspirations. That’s what this Clean-Up Nigeria project engagement is all about. In terms of how the project engages with Nigerians, especially the youth who are the major drivers of the Obidient movement, it is designed to mop up and properly channel the energies of our growing Obi-dient youth population through various socially impactful SPEAK UP & CLEAN UP activities to promote sustainably organized youth led support rallies for Obi’s emergence as President.

Through Clean Up Nigeria, we have created a rallying point for the productive engagement of youth; it will serve as channel to support youth Speak-Up (Soro-Soke). Above all, it will enable clean up our cities, de-clog the drainages in support of the world climate month and beyond, and rid our environment of plastics waste. Clean Up Nigeria shows that the Obi presidency will be all about doing good and solving societal problems.

There is also another project called Doctors For Peter Obi. What is it all about?

In the Obi campaign architecture, the BIG-TENT has responsibility for vetting and endorsing all the numerous support groups that are daily volunteering to work for the ObiDatti movement. We encourage more progressive-minded groups to join us.

So, Doctors for Peter Obi and Medics for Peter Obi movement is one of such support groups.

It is a grassroots outreach initiative of doctors and allied professionals who freely volunteered to support the presidential campaign of Obi. It is a non-profit, non-religious and non-ethnic initiative. It is open to all doctors who are of good character and standing in the community, and are known to be interested in the aims and aspirations of the initiative. So far, the group has over 7000 doctors and about 3500 Allied Professionals, totaling over 10000, in the movement at home, in over 20 states, and in the diaspora.

Already, the UK chapter of Doctors For Obi has concluded a 30-day fully funded medical outreach/sensitization campaign across the 16 LGAs of Taraba State in collaboration with the Taraba Doctors for Obi. Clearly, you can see that the Obi movement is about collaborative and productive engagement, a mindset that today’s politics should not be about the candidates but about Nigerians, their dreams, aspirations, beliefs and hopes.

But there is still that feeling that the OBIdient movement has not cascaded the political firmament of the country, that Obi is not known in many parts of rural Nigeria, apart from city centres, where the social media savvy Nigerians are able to operate from their keyboards.

Let us first and foremost create some context here so that you can clearly understand that the jaded tantrums of the outgoing political class is because they are jittery and merely playing the ostrich. First, is the overwhelming turn-out in the just concluded INEC Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by youth who earnestly desire to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

According to The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it recorded a total of approximately 12.3 million fresh registrants out of which 8.8 million, that is 71%, are youth, as at July 31, 2022 when it ended the exercise.

Recall that this CVR started as far back as June 2020, but it was only after Obi dumped PDP

permutations has not stymied but seems to be gathering steam. What is it that ensures this upsurge in Obi’s popularity?

In a nutshell, it has to do with his issues-based messages, his persona, and his pedigree. Peter Obi’s message is clear and it resonates. It is the mindset of a true change agent. He tells the youth that it’s not about him and Datti Baba-Ahmed, but it’s about them, you and I, our dreams, aspirations, beliefs and hopes.

He makes it abundantly clear that it’s about Nigerians and the government he will form in May 2023 working together to make things happen. His emphasis for the true change that endures is about focusing on our issues, our dreams, our beliefs and our aspirations.

Odibo

and pitched his tent with Labour Party in June this year did the nation witness the unprecedented surge in voter registration. Take note also that since the return to democracy in 1999 this nation has never witnessed this sort of massive youth involvement. So, how can over eight million additional young Nigerians defy all the odds, in sun and rain, out of their own volition, choose to be major actors in the February 2023 election and you describe it as social media frenzy.

Also this, in the 2019 general elections, more than half of the registered voters (51.11%) were between the ages of 18 and 35, while 30% were between the ages of 36 and 50. So with an additional over eight million Nigerians, between the ages of 18 and 35 who have already registered to collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) for the 2023 elections, the youth percentage has further increased astronomically.

Another factor to note is the use of BVAS technology and the expected adherence to the 2022 Electoral Act which states that results must be electronically transmitted. Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), as you know, is an electronic device designed to read Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters – using the voters’ fingerprints – in order to prove that they are eligible to vote at a particular polling unit. This will drastically

reduce rigging of elections. As for vote buying, which is the forte of these misruling parties that brought us to this sorry pass, the youth who will outnumber their thugs at the polling units will truncate their anti-democratic plans. With this perspective, of verifiable youth numbers and involvement, does it in any way seem to you that Peter Obi’s massive followership is on social media only? Definitely, No. But there is still the talk about structure which hasn’t also gone away despite the massive turnout at the OBIdients rallies across the country, ahead of the start of campaigns later this month.

You see, when we deflate one unfounded fallacy, they search for another and seek to hold onto it because they have nothing tangible to offer long-suffering Nigerians. They constantly exhibit the tendencies of drowning persons trying to hold on to straws, relying only on cheap and self-serving propaganda that distract from the issues that are plaguing the country, and on which only Obi is engaging Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, offering clear solutions while committing to measurable timelines.

Having said that, the multitude of youth who are organically growing the Obi movement is a structure because they will vote and defend their votes in all polling units across the country.

Do not also forget that the Labour Party and all the coalition partners in the third force have also aligned with the National Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) which have presence all over the country.

These are formidable and real structures that will prevail when the chips are down.

The Peter Obi Movement, against some

“Peter Obi’s message is clear and it resonates. It is the mindset of a true change agent. He tells the youth that it’s not about him and Datti Baba-Ahmed, but it’s about them, you and I, our dreams, aspirations, beliefs and hopes. He makes it abundantly clear that it’s about Nigerians and the government he will form in May 2023 working together to make things happen.”

Why do the youth whole-heartedly tend to believe him given that past leaders have made promises and failed, especially those who recently promised “change” It’s essentially his pedigree, his remarkable life of exemplary prudent conduct in his private life and public service as former governor of Anambra state, for eight years. Unlike the other candidates, he is credible and has no baggage.

Before I delve into specifics, let me read out to you what a popular columnist in your paper, Dr. Chidi Amuta, wrote recently about Peter Obi. “He has spent the last few weeks stomping the nation, naming the many things that have troubled Nigerians for decades. He has shed his personal mask and assumed the mantle and face of spokesperson of every troubled Nigerian. It is not Obi but his message that has ignited an unfamiliar flame among Nigerians.”

Now to his pedigree. I shall attempt to list some of his outstanding accomplishments.

Under him, Anambra state was rated the least indebted state in Nigeria by the Debt Management Office (DMO). During his tenure, Anambra was adjudged by the Federal Ministry of Works as the state with the best network of roads in the country having asphalted over 800 kilometres of roads.

Obi re-opened long-closed schools and returned Missionary schools to the original owners with a grant of N6 billion for their rehabilitation, distributing over 30,000 computers and internet access to over 500 schools.

With this transformational activity, Anambra state students for the first time achieved first place nationwide in the 2011, 2012, and 2013 WASSCE and NECO examinations. He also ensured the payment of over N35 billion in outstanding pensions and gratuities in the state since 1999.

Perhaps Obi’s greatest legacy in office was his financial prudence. He funded development projects without borrowing money from financial institutions nor raising bonds, and he handed over to his successor the sum of N75 billion in form of cash, local and foreign investments. I could go on, ad infinitum.

In terms of the big idea, what do you consider as Obi’s Point of View for the new Nigeria that he espouses?

It is evidently clear. It is an integrated thinking. For him, it goes beyond the tokenism that attends our attempts at building infrastructure, on the rent seeking that we have all come to regard as the way of doing business. The way forward for him is that all investments whether in the structure of the nation, the educational system, rail, power, roads, health, and security must answer one question: How will Nigeria be globally competitive in the new age – the post digital age? How do we enhance and release the creative energies of our people instead of turning on each other? This new thinking is a developmental future forward positioning as against politicking posturing.

It is only Peter that can commit to this new thinking because he has embraced at his core, the concept of transparency in government and accountability to the people.

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

17

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

POLITICS

Ogundiwin: Those Opposed to Makinde are Enemies of Good Governance Associate Professor of Political Science at Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, and Oyo State Coordinator of Omituntun Initiative in the Diaspora (OID), Dr Aaron Ola Ogundiwin, speaks on the achievements of Governor Seyi Makinde and criticisms by the opposition in the pace setter state. Kemi Olaitan presents excerpts:

W

hat is your assessment of the present administration in Oyo State?

To have a holistic assessment of the present government which came in in May, 2019, would be a bit difficult as I would not know where to begin especially when one considers some circumstances such as COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession that assailed it. However, given the tremendous development that could be seen in the state, I would say without equivocation that it has been legendary, non-partisan fulfilment of electioneering promises across the state.

How is your relationship with Governor Seyi Makinde?

While I would not know why you are asking the question, I am happy to say that the governor is my brother with whom I don’t share any biological consanguinity and I don’t think one needs to be biologically related to be brothers or sisters. It is a function of values, moral code and belief system.

How will you define your loyalty to him?

There are many Makindes in this world but on my part I am loyal to values, kindness, truth, good leadership and providence and as a journalist you know who embodies those virtues in Oyo State today.

What is your role in his election in 2019 and why?

I supported the election of Governor Makinde 100 per cent in 2019 by educating and mobilizing youths who for over two decades have been following my family and I as their non-partisan opinion leaders across wards in my local government. My ward (ward 3) alone has 41 villages where we hold sway except when we elect to remain silent as a matter of principle. And to your second question, why? You know I am an educated citizen by the grace of God with BSc., MSc., and Ph.D in Political Science. Why wouldn’t I support a man who has a name to protect, a family to respect, a religion to honour, a leader first before becoming a politician and a man of verifiable sources of income?

Who else would you support?

How true is the insinuation that he bankrolled your campaign for him?

That is a big problem we have in Nigeria today. Everything is reduced to money and what you hope to benefit personally rather than looking at the bigger picture which is providence. We don’t take money in my family to go the way God through our conscience leads us. The first time I saw Engineer Makinde was in 2014 when he came to Babcock University to attend Ph.D graduation ceremony of one of the political leaders in Oyo State. I was with that leader when he came in company of another brother whom I later discovered to be brother Peter Eledan whose elder brother, Moses Eledan, all have perfect taste of what good governance is and should be. The second time I met him (now as His Excellency) was in December 25, 2020 when he attended the 80th birthday ceremony of Pa Jacob Adetoro at Igbeti.

I was in church on that day as the State Coordinator of our group, following the directive of the Convener of the group, Mr Moses Eledan, when he came to worship with Pa Adetoro, while the third time was at the 2021-2022 budget meeting.

Ogundiwin

So at what point did he bankroll my campaign for him? Prior to the 2019 election, I was the first in our group to say on our LinkedIn that we MUST not ask or wait for money before and after mobilizing support for his emergence, because I had the premonition that the state has good governance to reap. I am always happy today because our choice is not wrong.

I asked our members to be more active offline, to go to their wards to sensitize the electorate towards the positive change I personally saw Governor Seyi Makinde was bringing the way of Oyo State.

So in terms of educating and mobilizing the electorate for the governor, I can beat my chest that I worked the most among my colleagues in my domain and this is a fact that can be checked.

Are you proud of what you did and what rewards can you show for it?

I am very proud of my decision and my efforts! But first of all, kudos must be given to the Convener of our group and his brother for their leadership. If your motivation for doing what you are doing is not selfish and God blesses your efforts with public goods, you cannot but be daily full of praise to God. Governor Makinde has completed 200 Primary Health Care Centres out of 351 in each electoral wards (my ward is one of the first to benefit) in the state, he has linked Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso and Oyo and their environs with road networks to make transportation and vehicular movement across the zones of Oyo State effortless while he is fixing inner and feeder roads in the city of Ibadan.

He has completed well over 300 projects in the education sector including but not limited to the construction of 26 model schools, renovation of over 132 classrooms, the construction of 87 classrooms and installation of over 50 boreholes to make learning worth the while for the teaming population of pupils and students across public and private schools in the state while the inherited over 272, 000 out-of-school children has been brought back to classrooms in such a speed of light that

The blinds don’t see except the Lord restore their sight by miracle. So those you refer to as opposition, I shouldn’t see them as opposition because opposition in democratic studies has its useful place. We should call them as far as the state is concerned now the unrepentant enemies of good governance. And because they have chosen blindness for themselves, blind will they remain until their sophistries and shenanigans become ineffably ineffectual to mislead the vulnerable voters

that population has been reduced to less than 20 per cent. In my entire life, no administration has been so functional, humane, frugal and accountable as to keep me glued, counting and losing counts of its achievements in less than three years as that of the administration of Governor Makinde.

The achievements are limitless, free education from primary through secondary school, recruitment of competent teachers, 35 per cent reduction of what private schools pay to the state, promotion of teachers to the peak of their careers, bursary award to 233 Law School students as at my last count, reinstatement of 129 school teachers unjustly sacked by the former administration, full state-ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, with N500 million take-off grant released for its Iseyin Campus, payment of pensions and gratuities of retirees, prompt payment of workers’ monthly salaries and allowances plus 13th month salaries.

Why shouldn’t I be proud of what we did in our own little corners to support his emergence? Is it the wonders in agribusiness and the training and support for thousands of youth who desire to be self-reliant and creator of jobs that one shouldn’t be proud of? Or the innovation and commitment Governor Makinde has brought to the security of the state that one shouldn’t glorify God for? What of his zero tolerance for corruption? Or justice, fairness, equity he has brought to bureaucracy of the state? What of the appointment of the like mind, ageless, forward-looking and equally passionate lover of the state, Adebayo Adeleke Lawal as the Deputy Governor?

Shouldn’t we be proud of the governor’s native intelligence, respect for royal authority, the appointment of Olubadan of Ibadanland and his religious tolerance that has endeared His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto and the immediate past President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence, Rev. Dr. Supo Ayokunle to Governor Makinde, such that they both visited him?

But it seems the opposition don’t see things the same way you are painting the pictures. What if they take you up on this?

You know that I am not a politician, right? I don’t know who the opposition whom you are talking about are. Maybe you mean those who want Governor Makinde to release the capital expenditures to them so that Oyo State can go to the never-satisfy grave that their stomach represents. Or those who want him to give them the recurrent expenditures so that workers can work for 11 months without salaries like it happened in the recent past. Ask them for one thing, just one thing the governor is not doing right that they want to correct and they go gaslighting. I like the words you used in your question, “don’t see.”

The blinds don’t see except the Lord restore their sight by miracle. So those you refer to as opposition, I shouldn’t see them as opposition because opposition in democratic studies has its useful place. We should call them as far as the state is concerned now the unrepentant enemies of good governance.

And because they have chosen blindness for themselves, blind will they remain until their sophistries and shenanigans become ineffably ineffectual to mislead the vulnerable voters.

18

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

FEATURES The Goalkeepers' Push to Accelerate the SDGs

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

In 2015, about 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development to achieve a better world by 2030. As a catalyst for action toward these goals, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation inaugurated the Goalkeepers who are dedicated to accelerating those Global Goals. This year, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that the Goalkeepers returned to New York at the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly to push for progress toward ending poverty and fighting inequality

Bill Gates; Progress Award winner, Radhika Batra of India; Campaign Award winner, Vanessa Nakate of Uganda; Changemaker Award winner, Zahra Joya of Afghanistan; and Melinda French Gates at the 2022 Goalkeepers Award in New York

A

t the United Nations headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) otherwise called the Global Goals. That day was September 25, 2015.

Although the commitment was quite audacious and some might even say, too ambitious, but for the world leaders, the objectives were quite clear as the target was to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change, all by 2030.

THE GOALKEEPERS As part of move to accelerate those goals, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) launched the Goalkeepers. These sets of people are catalysts for action toward the goals.

Essentially, the Goalkeepers are dedicated to accelerating progress toward the Global Goals by using powerful stories, data, and partnerships to highlight progress achieved, and bring together a diverse range of leaders to address the world’s major challenges.

For the foundation, the Goalkeepers are part of their campaign to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). "By sharing stories and data behind the Global Goals through an annual report, we hope to inspire a new generation of leaders—Goalkeepers who raise awareness of progress, hold their leaders accountable, and drive action to achieve the Global Goals".

BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION Of course, championing this cause is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For them, they are guided the belief that every life has equal value, thus their push to help all people lead healthy, productive lives.

In developing countries, the foundation focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. This they are doing with CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

GOALKEEPERS REPORT Being one that constantly evaluates what's done, the Gates Foundation’s recently released its sixth annual Goalkeepers Report, “The Future of Progress".

Co-authored by foundation co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, the report underscored opportunities to accelerate progress toward ending poverty, fighting inequality, and reducing the impacts of climate change.

In their respective essays, French Gates and Gates called for new approaches to achieving gender equality and food security. They also cited dramatic progress in dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic—a nearly 60 per cent decline in annual deaths between 2000 and 2020—as an example of what can happen when the world invests in long-term solutions and innovative approaches to entrenched issues.

This year’s report includes best- and worst-case scenarios for ending preventable infectious diseases and malnutrition, improving access to quality education, increasing access to financial services, and achieving gender equality.

“At this historical inflection point, how the world responds to setbacks is a choice that will impact what happens now and for generations to come. Millions of lives hang in the balance,” said Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman.

“We call on governments, the private sector, civil society, and philanthropic organisations to do more to meet the ambitious goals and to keep investing in new ways of thinking, new tools and data, and proven solutions to ensure every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.”

In her essay, French Gates cited data that shows the world will not reach gender equality until at least 2108—three generations later than previously projected. She calls for approaches that do more than just ensure a woman’s ability to earn a livelihood, but to control it.

“When it comes to the future of progress—not just on the global goals related to gender equality but on those on good health, quality education, ending poverty, and more—there is one engine that can drive them all: women’s power,” French Gates writes.

She highlighted two proven approaches for increasing women’s power in their families and communities: building economic resilience through expanded access to digital financial tools and implementing a robust caregiving infrastructure that enables women to earn an income outside of the home.

In his essay, Gates asserted that hunger cannot be solved solely through humanitarian assistance. He cited recent shocks to the world’s supply of grain from Eastern Europe and the ongoing threat of climate change to underscore the vulnerability and interconnectedness of the global food system.

HONOUR FOR 2022 GOALKEEPERS At the 2022 Goalkeepers event, the foundation honoured four leaders with the 2022 Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards for their inspiring efforts to drive progress for all.

According to Head of Goalkeepers, Blessing Omakwu, while the world is far from being on track to reach the Global Goals by

2030, "there is still cause for optimism.

We’ve seen how human ingenuity and innovation can lead to game-changing breakthroughs and progress toward our shared goals, and that’s exactly what we see in this year’s Goalkeepers Global Goals Award winners.

“Each show us how women are leading the way in coming up with the innovative solutions to move the numbers in the right direction, so that more people can lead healthy and productive lives."

Hosted by Tumelo Mothotoane, senior anchor at South African news broadcaster eNCA, the event was attended by leaders, influencers, and even changemakers across the globe.

The award presenters included Malala Fund co-founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai; and entertainer and founder of Unicorn Island, Lilly Singh. The ceremony featured special performances by George the Poet and Grammy-nominated singer and performer, Somi who thrilled the audience with her range and powerful voice.

For Radhika Batra of India, Zahra Joya of Afghanistan, Vanessa Nakate of Uganda, and Ursula von der Leyen of Germany, they were recognised for their extraordinary work towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in their communities and around the world.

Dr. Radhika Batra is co-founder of the nonprofit organisation Every Infant Matters, which provides last-mile health solutions to disadvantaged children in India. She won the 2022 Progress Award for an individual who supports progress via a science, technology, digital, or business initiative.

Through her work, she continues to tackle health inequalities by providing last-mile health solutions to disadvantaged children. Batra is progressing SDG 3, Good Health & Well-Being and SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities.

Batra founded Every Infant Matters when she was working as a resident doctor in a hospital in the slums of New Delhi.

Since launching in 2017, the organisation has saved 74,173 children from blindness; given prenatal vitamins to more than

"Essentially, the Goalkeepers are dedicated to accelerating progress toward the Global Goals by using powerful stories, data, and partnerships to highlight progress achieved, and bring together a diverse range of leaders to address the world’s major challenges"

40,000 disadvantaged women; and provided education to prevent gender inequality and the stigma of TB, HIV/AIDS, and blindness to more than 65,000 families.

The 2022 Changemaker Award was presented to Zahra Joya, a journalist from Afghanistan who founded and self-funded Rukhshana Media, an online news agency focused exclusively on covering issues that affect the women of Afghanistan.

Presented by Angelina Jolie, the award celebrates an individual who has inspired change using personal experience or from a position of leadership.

Through her work, she is ensuring women’s stories in her home country are reported on and reach the attention of the wider public and through this, she is progressing SDG 5, Gender Equality and SDG 16, Peace Justice and Strong Institutions.

For Vanessa Nakate, a climate justice activist from Uganda and founder of the Africa-based Rise Up Movement and the Green Schools Project, she bagged the 2022 Campaign Award for progressing SDG 4 on Education; SDG 5 on Gender Equality; SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 13 on Climate Action.

Presented by Malala Yousafzai, the change maker was celebrated for building a campaign that has raised awareness or built a community by inspiring action and creating change.

Nakate's work highlights the disproportionate impacts of climate change, bringing much-needed attention to the inequalities that it exacerbates, especially for women and girls in Africa.

This she has done through the Rise Up Climate Movement, which amplifies the voices of activists from Africa and across the world.

Also, through her Green Schools Project, she addresses energy poverty in rural schools in Uganda using economical and sustainable solutions to equip 24,000 schools with solar panels and eco stoves.

Ursula von der Leyen is president of the European Commission who received the 2022 Global Goalkeeper Award for driving progress on a global scale toward achieving the SDGs. In her capacity, she was awarded for showing determination in leading both the EU and global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, from crisis management to long-term recovery efforts.

Identified as a champion of global health and equitable access, von der Leyen was instrumental in the creation of ACT-A, a global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

She led the efforts of the European Union to support lower-income countries in responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, including a commitment of €1 billion from the EU to boost manufacturing capacity in Africa in order to increase access to vaccines, medicines, and health technologies.

In June 2020, at the Global Vaccine Summit, von der Leyen also announced a new European Commission’s contribution of €300 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This is more than the sum of all previous EU contributions to Gavi.

19

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

#THISISNIGERIA – Seun Akinyemi

Digital Rights and Closing Civic Spaces in Nigeria

T

he path to digital rights in Nigeria is rough and rocky. This can be credited to different attempts by the federal government of Nigeria to regulate social media.

The journey to regulate social media started with the Cybercrime Act which was assented to by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. President Buhari has also made several attempts to regulate social media to silence dissenting voices. One of the most recent attacks was the 7 month Twitter ban for parochial interest while ignoring the importance of Twitter for citizens, businesses and even government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

The emergence of new media has turned the world to a global village and information istransmitted to global platforms in real-time.

Today, we can access information (political, educational, entertainment, business, etc.) online through our mobile phones or computers once it is connected to the internet.

Social media has revolutionised how people communicate and share information. The expanding use of social media in Nigeria can be credited to the availability of smartphones, internet connectivity and data subscription which have become more affordable. As of January 2022, there were 32.9 million social media users in Nigeria. This is equivalent to 30.6% of Nigeria’s adult population (over 18 years old). The use of social media for disseminating and consuming information is not only left to citizens as MDAs in Nigeria have also embraced social media to reach out to citizens and get immediate feedback on policies.

A good example is the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which used Twitter very effectively to keep Nigerians updated on the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The emergence of social media does not imply the neglect of traditional media because both have their audiences and at times, their audiences intersect. There are citizens, especially the older generation whose primary source of information is the traditional media while the youths’ primary source of information is social media. Both the traditional media and social media have remained potent tools of communication, and interestingly, according to several polls, most Nigerians still get their news from radio!

There have been several attempts by governments in Africa to regulate social media. Internet shutdowns, clampdowns and indiscriminate arrests of citizens for posts or comments made on social media; cyberbullying by the government and the proliferation of laws restricting the activities on social media are all violations of citizens’ online freedom. A report from a cybersecurity company, Surfshark, shows that Africa has become the most censorship-intensive continent across the globe, responsible for 10 (nearly 53%) of the cases in 2021. Africa led the social media shutdown numbers during election days (3 out of 4 total cases were in Congo, Uganda, and Zambia). Many governments in Africa have also passed legislation to restrict the activities of their citizens on social media. Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, DR Congo has either proposed laws or passed laws to regulate public activities on social media.

Nigeria is also not left out.

It is true that cybercrime has now become an issue in Nigeria constituting a menace to our economic development and our reputation in the international community. This has necessitated an appropriate framework to guide and protect cyber activities in Nigeria. The Cybercrime Act was enacted in 2015 to provide an “... effective, unified and comprehensive legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution and punishment of cybercrimes in Nigeria. This act also ensures the protection of critical national

information infrastructure and promotes cybersecurity and the protection of computer systems and networks, electronic communications, data and computer programs, intellectual property and privacy rights.”

However, since this Act has been signed into law, it has become a tool of oppression in the hands of our political leaders. Citizens have been indiscriminately arrested and detained for posts and comments, governments and powerful elites found offensive.

Section 24 of the Act which focused on cyberstalking violates the online freedom of Nigerians and several Nigerians have been victims of this repressive section of the Act. Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria in partnership with Paradigm Initiative (PIN) and Media Rights Agenda (MRA) have challenged the constitutionality of Sections 24 and 38 of the Act in court. The case has been in the courts since 2016. They lost at the High Court and have appealed the case to the Supreme Court. Freedom of expression is guaranteed by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and several international treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory. Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Section 39 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution guarantee the freedom of expression for all Nigerians irrespective of social status.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, has consistently reiterated the government's commitment to regulating social media. On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, the APC-led Senate re-introduced a bill to regulate social media - Protection of Internet Falsehood and Manipulations Bill, 2019

by Mohammed Sani Musa (Senator, Niger East). This Bill is a replication of Singa-

pore’s Protection from Online Falsehood and Manipulations Act 2019. The Senator copied the Act without considering our differences in culture, social setting and political nature. The bill was thankfully thrown out at the public hearing stage.

The Buhari-led administration suspended twitter in Nigeria on June 4, 2021 because the social media platform deleted his tweet.

President Buhari tweeted, “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.” Many Nigerians regarded this tweet as inflammatory and invoked painful memories of the Nigerian Civil War. The same comment was posted on Facebook but it was not deleted. Immediately after this suspension, on June 5th, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, directed the Director of Public Prosecution to begin immediate prosecution of those who violated the federal government’s order suspending Twitter. A lot of Nigerians disobeyed the directive and bypassed the suspension with the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). There is no record of any Nigerian charged to court for using the platform despite the AGF’s directive. The worst of it was that in a media report of the AGF deactivating his account, people spotted the use of a VPN on his phone although it is unclear whether he was using it on Twitter. There were several other government agencies and employees that continued to use Twitter despite the ban.

They include - Bureau of Public Procurement; the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; the

Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; and Akin Alabi, a member of the Federal House of Representatives (Egbeda/ Ona-Ara Federal Constituency).

In addition to the rights of Nigerians this suspension deliberately infringed on, Nigeria also lost revenue. According to Netblocks Cost of Shutdown Tools, Nigeria lost over $243 million during the twitter suspension. Nigeria was losing this amount of money when the country’s public debt stock stood at $86.6 billion.

On Thursday, July 14, 2022 the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court finally held that the act of suspending Twitter by the Buhari-led administration was unlawful and inconsistent with Article 9 of the African Charter and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This became the first step in the right direction of justice for millions of Nigerians whose rights were violated. No Nigerian court has ruled on the cases before it on the Twitter ban.

The role of social media cannot be underestimated; however, due to the constant abuse of social media by citizens, this makes it imperative for the government to prohibit some activities on social media and the internet generally. However, There are existing laws which the government can enforce that will not trample on the rights of citizens’ to freedom of speech. The National Assembly does not need to duplicate laws to cause confusion and silence dissenting voices. The National Assembly should work with the executive to enforce the existing laws and bring culprits to justice.

- Seun Akinyemi is a Senior Program Associate at Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria | Twitter : @erudit007 // Linkedin: Seun Akinyemi

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 •T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

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Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

S E P T E M B E R

S & P INDEX

2 1 , 2 0 2 2

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EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

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613.31%

1/4 TO DATE

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N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

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*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

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Nigeria Domestic Debt Service Increases to N5.24trn in 30 Months

Kayode Tokede With mounting domestic debt now standing at a whooping N20.95trillion as of June 2022, Nigeria’s domestic debt service rose to N5.24trillion in 30 months, the Debt Management Office (DMO) data published on its website has revealed.

The DMO data revealed that domestic debt service in the first quarter of 2022 was N664.73 billion, representing 0.6 per cent decline from N668.69billion in second quarter of 2022.

This implies that the federal

government has serviced domestic debt with N1.33triillion in first half of 2022, a 43 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) increase from N935.46billion reported in first half of 2021.

Further breakdown of the data revealed that the government domestic debt service was at N2.05trillion in 2021, a 10.8 per cent increase from N1.85trilllion in 2020.

With budget deficit, the government of recent borrowed aggressively through treasury Bills, Bonds, Savings Bonds and Sukuk to support infrastructure development across the country.

Experts have raised concerns as the federal government continues to obtain new loans from both local and external sources, despite growing debt profile and servicing cost.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had predicted that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio would jump to 92 per cent in 2022 from 76 per cent in 2021.

Speaking with THISDAY, the CEO, Wyoming Capital & Partners, Mr. Tajudeen Olayinka stated that the debt servicing by the federal government over the

years has encouraged investors to provide additional support to the government with respect to further investment in government securities.

According to him, “It presents government in good light, with the opportunity to fund developmental projects across the country. The negative aspect of debt servicing in Nigeria is the sustainability problem that has now greeted the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, whereby, more than 100per cent of revenue

is now being expended on debt servicing, giving room for possible default and failure of government in no distant future, especially with respect to foreign debt component.

“The fact that government spends its entire revenue to service debts, despite introducing new taxes and raising rates in some others, is an indication that economic agents are not generating enough outputs, sufficient to put Nigeria’s economy in the positive territory.

It is actually a sign of declining

output. It is simply a failure of fiscal policy.”

He hinted that the only way to cut the debt service figure down is for government to shift away from its current public sector dominance, and allow private sector businesses to occupy the driver’s seat, so as to consistently put the economy in the positive territory.

“Government should begin to consider removing subsidies in phases, in a manner that will Continued on page 23

CWG Urges FG to Implement Sound Policies to Boost Growth in Technology Companies, Economy Emma Okonji The Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of CWG Plc, Mr. Austin Okere, has stressed the need for the federal government to develop sound policies that will support the growth of businesses at all levels, when fully implemented, insisting that policy formulation

and implementation could make or mar technology businesses that drive economic growth of a country.

Worried about the shrinking global economy and the rising inflation that are already affecting the Nigerian economy, Okere called on the federal government to create a balanced system for tax and subsidy policies in order to

enhance equitable distribution among all taxable individuals and organisations.

Okere who spoke in Lagos at the TeXcellence Conference, organised

by CWG to celebrate its 30th anniversary, said: “The Nigerian economy is shrinking because of the imbalance in the system.

Currently, Nigeria is spending far

more that it earns and her debt profile is rising. The continuous subsidy financing by the federal government is an imbalance and a major setback for the Nigerian economy.

“In Nigeria, an average citizen pays more tax than the rich citizens because of the imbalance in the system. The tax system is supposed

to be used to tax the rich in order to fund social programmes for the poor but in Nigeria the reverse is the case where the poor are taxed in order to sustain government relation with the rich.

If subsidy is removed from petroleum products and from foreign exchange, there will be balance in the economy.”

He however explained that sound policy implementation could promote businesses and drive development across the country.

Chairman, Board of Directors, CWG, Mr. Philip Obioha, said in the last 30 years of operation, CWG leveraged technology to offer best Continued on page 23

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 2 2 BILLS

BONDS DESCRIPTION Price ^14.20 14MAR-2024 13.53 23MAR-2025 ^12.50 22JAN-2026 ^16.2884 17MAR-2027 ^13.98 23FEB-2028

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11.05

101.11

13.00

99.25

12.77

111.56

12.83

103.73

13.00

Change Updated Time (%) -0.01 September 16, 2022 0.00 September 16, 2022 0.00 September 16, 2022 -0.09 September 16, 2022 September 0.00 16, 2022

MATURITY NTB 13-Oct22 NTB 10Nov-22 NTB 26-Jan23 NTB 9-Feb23 NTB 9-Mar23

Discount 9.00

9.06

3.90

3.92

9.80

10.16

10.00

10.42

Change Updated Time (%) 16, 0.00 September 2022 16, 0.00 September 2022 16, 0.00 September 2022 16, 0.00 September 2022

7.82

16, -2.74 September 2022

7.54

Yield

CPS MATURITY NENL CP I 24-OCT-22 FSDH CP VII 27-OCT-22 SIBP CP III 27-OCT-22 DLMG CP IV 11-NOV-22 FDHP CP III 17-MAR-23

Discount Yield 20.68 21.14 14.67 14.92 13.84 14.05 17.20 17.66 11.16 11.81

Change Updated Time (%) 16, 0.03 September 2022 16, 0.02 September 2022 16, 0.01 September 2022 16, -0.01 September 2022 16, -0.07 September 2022

OTC F X F U T U R E S CONTRACT Current TENOR Contract Rate Updated Time ($/₦) (MONTH) NGUS SEP 28 439.60 September 16, 1 2022 2022 September 16, NGUS OCT 26 2 441.81 2022 2022 NGUS NOV 30 444.01 September 16, 3 2022 2022 NGUS DEC 28 446.22 September 16, 4 2022 2022 NGUS JAN 25 448.43 September 16, 5 2023 2022

22

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Improving Healthcare Delivery with Strategic Resource Plan The need for Nigeria to stem the massive exodus of its healthcare professionals through the development of a strategic human resource plan for effective management of personnel at the various public health facilities, has become a thing of necessity, write Ugo Aliogo and Oluchi Chibuzor

T

he ‘JAPA’ syndrome, where Nigerians of different professions leave the country in large numbers in search of greener pasture, has become a crucial human capital dilemma in recent times which has led the gradual loss of the country’s best brains and talented workforce.

This is a serious problem in Nigeria presently as the trend has been on the increase, and created a huge talent gap, thereby imposing a serious challenge to talent sourcing especially in the healthcare industry.

With a deficit of 315,426 medical doctors and over 6,067 Nigerian doctors migrating to the United Kingdom within the last seven years, experts have attributed this to the lack of proper use of the human resource (HR) in the healthcare sector.

Generally, it is known that human resource managers oversee the administrative affairs of a corporate organisation but research has shown that the presence of an HR manager in a healthcare facility is essential in delivering effective services.

Human resources management and development in the healthcare sector are seen as an element that requires less consideration when creating a strategic plan, but it is an essential element in the growth and success of an institution in the healthcare sector.

Due to the lack of strategic human resources plan and management, a lot of medical facilities especially in the public healthcare sector are failing.

A strong healthcare system reflects a country’s development level, thus any obstacles in the industry must be solved efficiently and HR leaders in healthcare have been faced with countless challenges in the past decades. Many of these challenges have remained unsolved and the COVID-19 pandemic took a further toll on the country’s healthcare system.

While efforts are being made in addressing most of the challenges facing talent sourcing, HR professionals need to diversify ways to optimise the land and available human resources through engagement and employer participation.

At a stakeholders’ conference, the issue of adopting human resource as a vital element in tackling the issues affecting the healthcare sector, was brought to the front burner of discourse at the Society for Quality in Health in Nigeria (SQHN) event themed: ‘Human Resource in Healthcare: Building an Efficient and Resilient Workforce’.

BRAIN DRAIN CASE STUDY

Speaking during the event, the medical director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Dr. Adedamola Dada, highlighted the essence of having a strategic human resource while describing it as the process of attracting talent, retaining them, and ensuring they are appropriately rewarded, and developed in the best interest of both the employers and organisation.

He hinted that human resource management is the glue that binds everything done in the organisation especially in the medical setting.

He revealed that FMC as a multi-specialist hospital has 288 beds and is a SafeCare Level 4 Hospital in the country.

He also revealed that the medical center has 1250 workers with 32 percent clinical and 68 percent non-clinical serving low and middle income clients including people in hard-to-reach communities.

Speaking on the challenges he encountered during implementing HR plans in FMC Ebute Metta, he highlighted staff issues such as overstaff, inadequacy, lack of motivation, attitude, loyalty, and overbearing labour unions.

According to him, “In 2017, I met dilapidated infrastructure and general poor state of the hospital’s internal wards, clinics, lab, pharmacy, kitchen and external environment. There was also the issue of rationing of electricity supply, leaking roofs, inadequate modern equipment, poor work environment, while adding that lack of work tools demotivates staff. On the issue of brain drain, FMC Ebute Meta has witnessed a total of 152 exits from January 2021 to August 2022. A total of 38 doctors, 42 nurses, 30 Lab/Pharm/Physio and 42 other healthcare professionals have left the country within the period.

Commenting on the issue of funding in the developing healthcare facilities as can be seen in the case of FMC, the board member, SQHN, Dr. Kunke Onakanya, said funding cannot be attributed as the reason responsible for human resources issues in healthcare.

“I do not think just saying that funding is the reason behind the human resource issues in

healthcare, it will be a very simplistic approach.

This is because if you look at all that motivates a professional’s funding, finance and money is just one of it; it is by no means all of it,” Onakanya said.

He further explained that funding is one of the problems, but added that if other issues such as the issues of infrastructure, quality in terms of care that is provided, the issues of training and provide mastery to the professionals, “you will remain in the same situation. We have learnt from this conference that there are a lot of things that we still need to address.”

“As a private medical practitioner, I think what the FMC Ebute Metta story shows and what their MD clearly demonstrated today is that it can be done. It can be done in public and private health practice, that is the example and lesson for this morning,” he said.

STRATEGIC HEALTH CARE PLAN

In his presentation, human resource management specialist in healthcare, Dr. Obi Obinna, lamented that the issue of brain drain in healthcare has been a crucial HR dilemma in recent times.

According to him, the trend has been on the increase and in turn created a huge talent gap and imposes a serious challenge to human resourcing especially in the healthcare industry.

He also stated that research has shown that 90 per cent of hospital executives believe that in the next 1 years they would experience a deficiency of specialists, generalists, physicians, nurses and other clinicians, which will hamper their ability to deliver high quality care.

“It is paramount that every organisation should have goals which must entails achieving flexibility, innovation and competitive edge especially in the public health sector; which is an important attribute every organisation must have to survive, inventing a suitable organisational culture and increased efficiency in the run of business in the organisation.

Creating solutions in tackling these issues in the medical system through proper strategic human resources plans can help,” Obinna said.

He emphasised that without an effective management of the organisation in the healthcare sectors there would be service failure and clients dissatisfaction, noting that human resource management is the glue that binds everything done in the organisation.

RETAINING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Speaking on the significance of retaining healthcare facilities, Obinna advised that HR officers should offer flexible scheduling to attract and retain health workers.

He maintained that HRM should consider temporary arrangements to attract providers who are training for higher-level jobs and hire them as temporary employees at their current levels while they are working on new certifications.

Obinna remarked that HR in health facilities must ease burnout to minimise dissatisfaction, and improve work-life balance for their healthcare professionals that are employed at their facilities.

“With the night tools, they can help employees become more effective and enjoy greater satisfaction at work resulting in increased employee retention, greater capacity and higher performance. HR leaders in healthcare are thus being pushed to be forward-thinking and tech-savvy.

“Facilitating public-private partnership, developing work life balance programmes and mental well-being education and improving communication channels and providing effective and ethical leadership and governance in healthcare institutions. HR and organisations should provide career advancement programmes and opportunities, invest in training, learning and development programmes to keep abreast of new innovations. They must develop and implement enhanced health sector salary/ incentives schemes especially in deprived areas.

“The health sector requires diverse and precise application of knowledge to deliver quality services.

Changes in the health environment require additional competences with respect to clinical and relational skill sets in order to perform optimally.

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

NIGERIA DOMESTIC DEBT SERVICE INCREASES TO N5.24TRN IN 30 MONTHS not add more to the hardship on the ground. It also presents an opportunity to allow the economy to run a normal course of adjustment,” he added.

The CEO, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf commenting on raising debt

profile noted that, “When we take account of borrowings from the CBN and the stock of AMCON debt, the debt profile would be in excess of N60 trillion.

“Although government tends to argue that the conditions was not a debt problem, but a revenue challenge. But debt becomes a

problem if the revenue base is not strong enough to service the debt sustainably. It invariably becomes a debt problem and possibly a debt crisis. Government actual revenue can hardly cover the debt service obligations.

“Which implies that the entire capital budget and the recurrent

expenditure may have to be funded from borrowing. This is surely not sustainable. The finance minister reported recently that in the first four months of this year, debt service to revenue ratio was over 100per cent.”

According to him, “What is needed is the political will to cut

expenditure and undertake reforms that could scale down the size of government, reduce governance cost and ease the fiscal burden on the government.

“As far as possible, the government should push back in sectors or activity areas where the private sector has the capacity to

deliver desired outcomes. We should see more privatization at all levels of government. This would allow for the infusion of more private capital into the infrastructure space. We need to address the fuel subsidy conundrum at some point as it clearly not sustainable.”

CWG URGES FG TO IMPLEMENT SOUND POLICIES TO BOOST GROWTH IN TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, ECONOMY of services to companies and banks operating in Nigeria.

Addressing the challenges faced in 30 years of operation, Obioha said lack of sufficient technical skills and scarcity of Forex, which affected businesses in Nigeria, were some

of the major challenges.

He explained that technology companies like CWG were suddenly on high demand and organisatons were looking for technology companies to offer technology solutions for business

growth, and that, according to him, boosted CWG and other technology companies that were available and prepared to offer technology services to organisations.

“The banks were also looking for technology partners to grow

their financial business, and all these were happening because of sound policies that opened business opportunities for technology companies,” Okere further said.

The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of

CWG, Mr. Adewale Adeyipo, who spoke about the next phase of CWG after 30 years of operation, said: “Based on past success, CWG is introducing FifthLab, a Fintech company that will drive the next phase of development

by providing solutions to the challenges of e-commerce and future businesses.”

Highlight of the TeXcellence Conference, were the different panel sessions that discussed opportunities in digital transformation.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

23

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Sanni: Production Activities Must be Local Content-driven to Impact Economy The President, Association of Promotional Products Specialists of Nigeria (APPSON), Abiola Sanni, in this interview with Raheem Akingbolu speaks on the measures being put in place to promote professionalism among his members and the need for government to facilitate easy access to funds on liberal terms for the SMEs of members.

The global economy is currently undergoing a challenge, what impact can a sub-sector like yours play to impact the local economy? he first thing we are doing in this regard is to encourage harmonisation of efforts towards the proliferation of cottage industries within the promotional products specialist sector. In this respect, we provide facilitation for ease of start-up and business conduct. We also encourage local sourcing of materials in line with Government initiatives to encourage organic growth.

Increasingly, we are sustaining efforts that would ensure local technology transfer and innovation. Finally, we are looking inward at growing manufacturing opportunities with local content in mind, amongst our members, so as to develop an export market for corporate promotional products.

Government should work on the fluctuating foreign exchange so manufacturing materials can be sourced, procured and used with our local materials as and when required.

Our members pay taxes, Government and Nigerian companies should support APPSON members. As companies patronise APPSON members, we will be contributing more to the public purse, which will benefit the citizens of Nigeria.

Are there measures in place to ensure proper regulation and what qualifies one to be a practitioner?

Prospective members shall be required to complete an application form and provide information approved for registration. Firms are required to demonstrate professional competence as an organization concerned primarily with providing strategies and advice on promotional products.

Measures are in place to get APPSON chartered.

We do due diligence by requesting from prospective members copies of CAC registration, audited accounts, VAT number, Bank confirmation letter, Company Profile including CVs of key executives, Evidence of work done prior, Annual Subscription as prescribed by the Board etc.

T

What do you think the government can do to further boost the industry?

Government can help hasten the laws that will get APPSON a chartered status, easy access to funds for our SME’s on liberal terms and patronage from the government for manufacturing, production and supply of corporate gifts and promotional products. It would be good to get such patronage during national celebrations, sporting events and festivals for all corporate promotional branded materials through APPSON’s registered members.

Most professional bodies and associations always struggle with quacks, what will you do to ensure your association is not infiltrated and that the interest of your members is protected in the marketplace?

We are working at getting APPSON a chartered status. This will bring in strict adherence to membership registration controls and encouragement of strict peer surveillance within the industry.

Production of promotional products and branding are not new to Nigeria. Why did it take the players in the industry this long to have an umbrella body?

There is an adage that says “not how long but how well’’. Today, APPSON has come of age because we have been able to integrate all disparate parts and divergent opinions. All stakeholders are on the same page, working for the common goals of the Association. The seeming delay has also helped us to hone our values aspirations. We were not “slow”.

Only being deliberate. APPSON has come of age in this regard. Prior to now, divergent opinions and the difficulty in getting stakeholders to be on the same page, as to the objective is the reason for the perceived slow emergence of the Association As a follow up, can you shed light on what

Don’t you think there could be friction between APPSON members and some sectoral bodies in the marketing communications industry that sometimes handle promotional products for their clients?

Not at all. We offer different specialised services; the advertising and other marketing communication professionals are very well known to us and so far, our relationship is well managed and beneficial

Sanni the stakeholders are trying to achieve with APPSON? Or better still what are the objectives of the association?

I spoke about values- and these are several.

One, the professional body was established to provide network opportunities for promotional product specialists for strategic alliance. Another reason is to support members with programs as we embrace the best standard practice with regards to social responsibility, environmental sustainability and product quality assurance.

The inauguration is also necessary now to drive

visibility and reinforce our position nationally and internationally within our industry. In a broader sense, APPSON is also important now to promote and elevate the practice of promotional product services as a profession and encourage training programs for firms and personnel to enable us to establish high professional conduct.

Finally, we have come together to accelerate local content development through innovation and local contents’ substitution in the production of promotional products. However, in all these, we want to represent and promote the interest

With APPSON’s conceptualisation and inauguration, what should Nigerians expect from the industry in the years ahead?

Standardised cost-effective operations amongst promotional products specialist members leading to improved innovative, creative products, and professionally enhanced service delivery.

What are the structures being put in place to promote standards?

We encourage companies in Nigeria to use APPSON registered members because they are professionals and fully vetted before becoming a member of APPSON.

NITDA Harps on Women’s Role NCC Deploys 84 IT Projects to in Digital Economy Pursuit Support Persons with Disabilities Nosa Alekhuogie The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has stressed the crucial roles of women participating in the digital economy pursuit being championed by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

The Head of Servicom Unit at NITDA, Mrs. Tariundu Ndoni, who represented the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi at the Nigerian Women Entrepreneurship and Executives In Tech Summit (WEETS) in Lagos recently, noted that with women’s participation in ICT below 24 percent, it has become essential to empower and encourage them to consider studies and careers in ICT to bridge the existing technology gender gap.

Speaking on NITDA’s role

in bridging the gender gap, Ndoni noted that NITDA was determined to bridge the gap and boost participation through the special training programs for women and the conventional ICT capacity development activities of which both men and women are given the same opportunities.

She disclosed that in recent years, NITDA had trained 594, 344 Nigerians in different courses of Digital Literacy for both men and women.

“Specifically, NITDA has trained 200 women in ICT Training and Entrepreneurship and each participant is provided with laptops, Internet dongles and various software packages.

50 women trained in capacity building for digital literacy, 60 rural women trained in ICT Techprenuership and tablets distributed to each participant,” she said.

Ndoni believes that the 310 women being trained were projected to create 3,100 direct jobs and over 310,000 indirect jobs, emphasizing that the key objectives of the programs include boosting digital literacy, digital jobs creation, promoting digital inclusion, bridging the digital divide and the use of technology to address the gender imbalance in terms of economic opportunities.

She added that there were several other available NITDA’s interventions and initiatives that leverage ICT to enhance access to infrastructure, education, learning and skill development for women through the agency entrepreneurship start-up programs and capacity training in National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) and Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI).

Emma Okonji The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has deployed 84 assistive Information Technology projects at different locations in Nigeria to support people with special needs while supporting policies that enable disadvantaged members of the society to live a more qualitative life.

The E-Accessibility project seeks to meet the ICT needs of persons living with disabilities in Nigeria by providing ICT tools, assistive technologies, training, and internet provision in the identified locations.

Between 2012 and 2020, the NCC said it deployed the E-Accessibility Projects in at least, 84 locations nationwide.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof.

Umar Garba Danbatta, disclosed this in Abuja

recently, during a courtesy visit by a delegation from National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to the NCC in its corporate headquarters.

During the visit, Danbatta restated NCC’s commitment to continually support people with special needs across the country.

Danbatta, while receiving the NCPWD team led by its Executive Secretary, James Lalu, said the telecom regulator had always implemented initiatives aimed at ensuring digital inclusivity for all Nigerians regardless of their circumstances.

Represented by the Director, Human Capital and Administration at NCC, Usman Malah, Danbatta said telecoms sector had become the backbone of the national economy and has recorded tremendous growth from 400,000

telephone lines on the eve of sectoral deregulation in 2000 to over 208 million active telephone lines now, just as active Internet subscription rose to 156 million in the last two decades.

In his remarks, Lalu, said the purpose of the agency’s visit was to keep the NCC management abreast of its mandates and activities, and to seek greater collaborations with NCC for the benefits of estimated 35.5 million persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

He commended the NCC for the wonderful work it has been doing through various projects in support of people with disabilities in the country. Lalu slso appealed to the NCC to help in creating awareness among telecom service providers to comply with the legal requirement to dedicate five per cent of their employment quota to persons with disabilities.

24 T H I S D AY THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 TR

UT H

& RE A S O

Thursday September 22, 2022 Vol 27. No 10026

N

opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

ABA SAHEED: THE MINT AND THE OTHER ROOM TOLA ADENIYI satirises the political system

See page 25

WIDOW, SON AND THE AUCTIONEERS Punishment should be proportionate with any crime, writes OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

See page 25

EDITORIAL THE NORTH AND SCANTY CLASSROOMS

See page 26

1

There are doubts particularly with so many ineligible names in the register, contends CHIDI ANSELM ODINKALU

CAN NIGERIA’S INEC ORGANISE A CREDIBLE NATIONAL ELECTION? “Indeed, it can be claimed with a large measure of truth, that rigging of elections has become part of our political culture.”

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7KUHH WKLQJV DUH HYLGHQWO\ PLVVLQJ IURP WKLV UHOHDVH 2QH &RPPLVVLRQHU 2NR\H did not say how long the “cleanup” of the register would take or when it would end.

Two, he did not say what degree of accuracy the processes of the ABIS enjoy. Third, this release did not say what consequences would follow if it were to be found that VWDͿ RI ,1(& KDG LQ IDFW EHHQ FRPSOLFLW LQ PDQLSXODWLQJ RU LQÁDWLQJ UHJLVWHU RI YRWHUV LQ any place through facilitating clear breaches RI ZKDW 0U 2NR\H FDOOHG ,1(&·V ´EXVLQHVV rules.”

The Commissioner did not forget to GLVFORVH WKDW ´LQHOLJLEOH UHJLVWUDQWVµ KDYH VR IDU EHHQ LQYDOLGDWHG LQ +RSH 8]RGLQPD·V 2UX (DVW /*$ 7ZR PHWULFV ZLOO put this number in context. )LUVW ,1(&·V EUHDNGRZQ VKRZV WKDW LW IRXQG RI QHZ HQWULHV IURP ,PR State’s ineligible. This means that Hope 8]RGLQPD·V 2UX (DVW DORQH VXSSOLHG RI ,PR 6WDWH·V JKRVW YRWHUV )RU FRQWH[W ,PR 6WDWH KDV /*$V DQG HOHFWRUDO ZDUGV Second, if the number of “ineligible UHJLVWUDQWVµ IURP +RSH 8]RGLQPD·V 2UX (DVW ZHUH WR EH DSSOLHG DV D FRQVWDQW DFURVV WKH /*$V LQ 1LJHULD LW ZRXOG \LHOG JKRVW YRWHUV 7KDW LV D PHUH OHVV WKDQ WKH PDUJLQ RI ZLWK ZKLFK 0XKDPPDGX %XKDUL EHDW 3UHVLGHQW *RRGOXFN -RQDWKDQ LQ ,Q RWKHU ZRUGV HYHQ WKH QXPEHUV VR IDU GLVFRYHUHG DV LQHOLJLEOH E\ ,1(& FRXOG HDVLO\ GHWHUPLQH the outcome of any election. It, therefore, warrants serious action against the perpetrators. ,W VKRXOG EH HYLGHQW WR ,1(& DQG LWV OHDGHUVKLS WKDW WKH VWDͿ ZKR HQDEOHG WKLV NLQG RI ULJJLQJ RI WKH UHJLVWHU RI YRWHUV ZLOO happily enable worse in an election. If the Commission is interested in a credible poll, surely, claiming that it is engaged in Spring Cleaning the register in the rainy season is not good enough. It should say how these ineligible people got there and what will KDSSHQ WR WKRVH ZKR SHUSHWUDWHG WKLV 8QWLO ,1(& LV ZLOOLQJ WR FRQWHPSODWH WKLV LW PXVW remain in doubt whether the Commission XQGHU FXUUHQW OHDGHUVKLS LV ÀW IRU SXUSRVH A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

TOLA ADENIYI satirises the political system

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Punishment should be proportionate with any crime, writes OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

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ENDNOTE: $V , VWDWHG DW WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI WKLV LQWHUYHQWLRQ , GR QRW EODPH WKH /DJRV 6WDWH *RYHUQPHQW IRU DWWHPSWLQJ WR restore a measure of order on roads within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ͿHQVHV RXU VRFLHW\ ZLOO EH EHWWHU LI H[DPSOHV DUH DOVR PDGH RI WKH 1LJHULDQ ¶%LJ 0HQ· ZKR KDYH VFDQW UHJDUG IRU WKH ODZ 7KUHH ODZV PXVW QRW EHFRPH D QRW VR VXEWOH UHYHQXH JHQHUDWLQJ JDPELW LQ ZKLFK WRXWV DUH GHSOR\HG WR WKH URDGV DV JRYHUQPHQW HQIRUFHUV DV ZH VHH LQ /DJRV DQG PDQ\ RWKHU VWDWHV DFURVV 1LJHULD )RXU WKRVH ZKR LQWHUSUHW ODZV WKDW GHDO ZLWK ZKDW RUGLQDULO\ DUH PLQRU LQIUDFWLRQV VKRXOG EH FRPSDVVLRQDWH DQG UHVSRQVLEOH )LYH LQ D PLOLHX ZKHUH GULYLQJ DJDLQVW WUD΀F DQG EXOO\LQJ LQQRFHQW URDG XVHUV KDYH EHFRPH D VWDWXV V\PERO IRU SROLWLFDO OHDGHUV PRVW RI ZKRP H[KLELW QR GLVFLSOLQH ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR SXEOLF FRQGXFW KRZ FDQ DQ\ERG\ UHVSHFW WKRVH ZKR HQIRUFH WUD΀F UXOHV VHOHFWLYHO\" 2Q WKH ZKROH LQ FLUFXPVWDQFHV LQ ZKLFK ODZV WKDW JXLGH WKH FRQGXFW RI DOO FLWL]HQV VKRXOG DSSO\ RQO\ WR WKH SRRU RI RXU VRFLHW\ LW LV GL΀FXOW IRU WKH JRYHUQPHQW WR HDUQ WKH WUXVW RI WKH SHRSOH $QG ZLWKRXW WKDW WUXVW ZH FDQQRW EXLOG D QHZ 1LJHULD Adeniyi is Chairman, THISDAY Editorial Board

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

EDITORIAL

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

THE NORTH AND SCANTY CLASSROOMS The north should invest more in education

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

L-R: Chief Technology Officer, inq.Digital Nigeria, Tolu Ajayi; Head Products and Services, inq.Digital Nigeria, Funke Atanda; Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Fahm; CEO, InstinctWave, Akin Naphtal and Marketing Manager, inq.Digital Nigeria, Martina Ogbebor at the 2022 Technology Innovation Award Ceremony in Lagos... yesterday

Report: Global Internet Surge Suffers Setback, Leaves 2.7bn People Offline in 2022 Emma Okonji A new report on data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency responsible for driving global Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), showed

a slower growth in the number of internet users than at the height of COVID-19.

According to the report, an estimated 5.3 billion people worldwide are now using the internet, which is a drop from the figure previously obtained at the

peak of COVId-19 in 2020.

The report said an estimated 2.7 billion people, which is about one-third of the world’s population, remain unconnected to the internet in 2022.

The report added that while continued growth would be encouraging, the trend

Robust Security Infrastructure Will Tackle Oil Theft, Says Expert Emma Okonji In view of the massive vandalism and rising cases of oil theft in Nigeria’s oil producing region, the Director of Operations, PPC Limited, Dr. Patrick Ede, has advised the federal government on ways to reduce crude oil theft in the country.

Ede while speaking on the state of the Oil and Gas industry recently, said the regular destruction of pipelines and assets of oil companies by vandals in a bid to siphon crude oil would continue to discourage further investment in the nation’s oil industry, if not addressed.

He noted that many oil investors were shutting down operations in Nigeria as they no longer find oil production profitable within the current

situation because of the activities of vandals, adding that some other investors are divesting their interests.

He said vandalisation of oil installations was causing loss of revenue to the government, and had led to massive destruction of pipelines and further making the oil-producing communities inhabitable.

While observing that the breach in oil infrastructure in the country was increasing, Ede proposed a robust virtual and remote monitoring of oil installations and deploying high-end technology, especially in areas where vandals are known to operate.

He said, “These superintelligent tools will allow security agencies and operatives to monitor the activities of pipeline vandals

and oil thieves, gather vital information that will be analysed, stored in the cloud and used to prevent attacks on oil installations before it happens. These tools will also minimise the environmental impact and considerably reduce revenue losses caused by the illegal operation of crude oil thieves. These technologies that have proven to be efficient and useful in other oil producing countries must be adopted to help the government shore up its current Oil & Gas revenue position.

“We need to preserve the country’s natural resources, prevent it from getting into the wrong hands and shore up our revenue. Some of the pipelines, which are old and vulnerable, need to be replaced to derive value from the operations of security agencies.”

MultiChoice Highlights Offerings, Unveils Big Brother Naija+South Africa Raheem Akingbolu MultiChoice Nigeria has announced a bumper coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and a special Big Brother Naija +South Africa edition for its customers on DStv and GOtv This was disclosed at the MultiChoice Media Showcase held recently in Lagos.

Speaking on the special coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the next Big Brother reality TV show, the CEO, MultiChoice Nigeria, John

Ugbe, said all 64 matches of the World Cup in Qatar will be live on DStv and GOtv. He added that the special Big Brother edition would be even more intense with housemates from Nigeria and South Africa.

“MultiChoice is excited to bring every single fan, all the action in their language, along with local commentary. To add value to all our customers, we are making all 64 World Cup matches, available in 14 different

local languages including Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.

“The next Big Brother edition will have housemates from the two giants of Africa, Nigeria, and South Africa, together in one house.

This is designed to be a unifying experience of culture, personalities, and entertainment, highlighting what we both have in common.

The prizes promise to be as massive as the entire show itself – both in cash and other sponsored prizes,” Ugbe said in a statement.

Mediatek Global Donates to Schools to Commemorate Anniversary Raheem Akingbolu In commemoration of its 10th anniversary, Mediatek Global Service Limited, one of the leading advertising and media buying agencies, has donated learning materials to the pupils of Agidingbi Junior Senior Secondary School and Agidingbi Senior Secondary School. Shortly after delivering the learning materials, the Chief Executive Officer of the advertising firm, Mr. Dotun

Solanke, explained that the donation is in furtherance of its determination to meaningfully contribute to the educational development of students while also giving back to society.

In her response, Principal/ Director, Agidingbi Senior Secondary School, Mrs Faronbi Adenike Olufunke, expressed profound appreciation to the management of the company for their support, promising

that the school and pupils would put the educational materials into good use “We are grateful that you are putting smiles on our pupils’ faces. This is much appreciated. We cannot thank you enough for this kind of support. Undoubtedly, this would go a long way to assist our pupils in learning better and succeeding academically. I must say we are glad that you have given us joy through this gesture,” Olufunke said.

suggests that without increased infrastructure investment and a new impetus to foster digital skills, the chance of connecting everyone by 2030 would look increasingly slim.

Analysing the report, ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic gave us a big connectivity boost, but we need to keep the momentum going to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can benefit from digital technologies and services.

“This can only be achieved

with more investments in digital networks and technologies, implementing best practice regulation, and a continued focus on skills development as we move to a post-pandemic era.”

Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “While the rise in the number of people using the internet worldwide is positive, we should not assume the robust growth witnessed in recent years will continue unabated.

Those who are still not using

the internet will be the most difficult to bring online. They live in remote areas, often belong to disadvantaged groups, and in some cases are unfamiliar with what the Internet can offer. That is why our target needs to be not just universal connectivity, but universal meaningful connectivity.”

ITU defines ‘meaningful connectivity’ as a level of connectivity that allows users to have a safe, satisfying, enriching and productive online experience at an affordable cost.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Wami: CMA is the Only Maritime Academy Offering Dynamic Positioning Course Sunday Okobi The Chairman of Charkin Maritime Academy (CMA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Sir Charles Wami, has stated that the school remains the only maritime training institution that offers Dynamic Positioning of

vessels as a course in the country.

He maintains that CMA, which is situated at Ozuoba in the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt, has been offering the course over the years, and will continue to do so base on its capacity and capability, especially in the availability of required personnel and modern

state-of-the-art equipment.

In an exclusive chat with journalists, Wami maintained that CMA has what it takes to provide the required manpower for the maritime sector of the economy as well as the oil and gas industry in the years ahead.

He called for the support and

collaboration of all stakeholders particularly the federal and state governments so that the academy will be in a vantage position to do more for Nigeria and its citizenry.

The CMA chairman’s statement is coming on the heels of the Secretary-General, Maritime Organisation of West and

Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu’s call for concerted efforts of governments, multi-national companies and individuals to support maritime training in the West and Central Africa sub-regions.

Adalikwu, who made this call shortly after a visit to the

Regional Maritime University (RMU), Nungua in Ghana recently, enjoined all stakeholders and investors operating in the maritime sector to contribute in raising training and certification standards of the university and other maritime academies in West and Central Africa.

NITDA, GLO, Others to Attend Experts Urge CMOs, Marketers to NITRA’s ICT Growth Conference 2.0 Redefine Role in Marketing Profession

Nosa Alekhuogie

The Second Edition of the Nigeria Information Telecommunications Reporters Association (NITRA) ICT Growth conference has continued to gather momentum, as more stakeholders and companies indicate interest to actively participate in the event.

Added to the NITRA ICT Growth Conference 2.0 partners’ list are the nation’s Information Technology (IT) regulator, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Nigerian multinational commercial bank, Access Bank; indigenous and one of the largest carrierneutral data center in West Africa,

Medallion Data Centre; wholly indigenous, customer-focused telecommunication Company; Globacom Nigeria Limited; and a leading West African data center and connectivity solutions provider, with presence in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, MainOne, an Equinix Company.

Technology guru, Mr. Chris Uwaje has also been confirmed to chair the conference while the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami has been confirmed as the lead speaker.

Themed: Creating A Digital Ecosystem In Nigeria: The Hurdles, The Gains”, the event

is scheduled to hold at the Lagos Oriental Hotels on Thursday, September 29, 2022.

NITRA ICT Growth Conference is an event organizsed by Nigeria Information Telecommunications Reporters Association (NITRA) to discuss insightful topics in the various ICT subsectors.

Commenting on the event, Chairman of NITRA, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi explained that the conference is germane to the present realities in Nigeria as both the industry regulators and the supervisory Ministry are working assiduously to set Nigeria on the apex list of digitally empowered countries, and make it a forerunner in global technology index.

Experts in the marketing industry have advised chief marketing officers and aspiring marketing officers to redefine their roles in the business of marketing and integrated marketing communications.

This advised was given by two respected marketing professionals - Managing Director, P&G Nigeria, Mokutima Ajileye and foremost business and marketing professionals, Oare Ojeikere, at the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Chief Marketing Officer Forum in Lagos with the theme: “The Evolving Role of the CMO.”

Speaking, Mokutima said time has come for CMO to be adaptable and keep evolving in order to keep functioning adequately. According to her, “adaptability is about change and change itself is inevitable, hence the continuous need for CMO to make sure they follow the current trends and quickly adapt to new developments in the industry.”

She said this adaptability is necessary because CMOs must see themselves as business leaders who have the duty to focus on increasing the growth of their brand.

She urged CMO to know that volatility, disruption and

various changes in the marketing industry are more now than ever before, interestingly, there is a need to move swiftly and be on top of their game in order to remain a force to reckon with in the industry. She added that such disruption may emanate from the activities of digital natives who are agile, very fast in responding, adding that CMOs should make sure they incorporate digital natives in their teams. She advised that neutrality is not an option for brands nowadays but, CMOs need to make sure that their brands stand for social cause anytime it arises in order to worm their brands into the minds of the consumers.

Verified.Africa Expands ID Verification Services to Ghana, South Africa, Kenya Nosa Alekuogie Verified.Africa has launched in Ghana, South Africa and Kenya with its verification services now available to businesses and individuals in these countries.

With initial operations in Nigeria

since 2021, Verified.africa is making good on its roadmap to achieve digital inclusion for all on the continent.

Since its inception, Verified Africa has recorded over 300 thousand digital identity verifications from a thousand plus businesses - enabling startups, banks and SMEs to

confirm the true identity of people safely.

Its CEO, Frank Atube, said: “Ghana, South Africa and Kenya represent key markets for Verified’s roadmap into continental dominance and with this launch, we’re thrilled to

open our doors to businesses and individuals in three more countries - bringing the best of digital verification to your shores.”

The digital identity industry has never been more important to online security and

customer trust. KYC (Know your customer) and AML (anti-money laundering) protocols have become stricter with governments looking to secure economic growth and eliminate loss from fraudulent transactions.

Verified.africa through the use of machine learning and facial recognition technologies facilitates this process for both businesses and individuals by helping them eliminate fraud, onboard online customers faster, and meet KYC compliance in minutes.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22,

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Scaling Up Free Medical Services in Nasarawa Igbawase Ukumba writes that Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration is committed to the provision of quality healthcare services to the people of Nasarawa State, hence scaling up free medical outreach to reach every part of the state

P

erhaps, Governor Abdullahi Sule’s commitment to the provision of quality healthcare services to the people of Nasarawa State might have informed his decision to scale up the medical outreach to reach every part of the state.

Therefore, since the commencement of the exercise, nine Local Government Areas, out of 13, have so far been covered under a free medical outreach, with 819 surgeries carried out, while 18,000 patients have been treated for different ailments. These treatments included eye surgeries, ultrasonic scanning and laboratory investigations.

Flagging off one of the free medical outreach at the headquarters of Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, Governor Sule expressed optimism that with the outreach now in Nasarawa Local Government Area, more medically challenged people would be covered by the exercise. Sule reiterated that the medical outreach was intended to facilitate the medication and treatment of the vulnerable and of course, the less privileged in the society.

The Nasarawa State governor took liberty of the Nasarawa Local Government Area medical outreach to announce his approval for the recruitment of 37 medical doctors meant to boost healthcare services delivery across the state.

According to Governor Sule, “the gesture has become necessary in order to meet the demands of doctors who will work in various health facilities across the state, including newly completed clinics built by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) office.”

Nevertheless, the governor commended frontline health workers in the state for their resilience and support to government, which has made the free medical outreach exercise worthwhile and beneficial to the people of the state.

This was even as he also commended the state Ministry for Health and other sister agencies in the health sector, as well as the Nasarawa State Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results for sustaining the collaborative effort towards enhancing the health conditions of the people.

He equally used the opportunity to highlight some key interventions within the health sector under his administration to include, procurement of functional Mobile Clinics aimed at facilitating medication and treatment to the vulnerable and less privileged in the society.

He continued that his administration has also established the Infectious Diseases Diagnosis and Research Centre to serve as a research hub centre for innovation and operational research that would promote policy initiation.

He added: “My administration facilitated the establishment of the state health insurance agency in order to provide accessible and affordable healthcare services. The agency has so far enrolled 86, 682 beneficiaries from both the formal and informal sectors. I assure you that this administration will continue to accord premium to the provisions of the healthcare services at primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions, with a view to ensure a healthy society.”

Sule specifically commended the development partners, particularly the Doctors on the Move Africa, for their efforts at sustaining such worthy collaboration, hitherto, calling other NGOs to emulate the gesture which is beneficial to the people of the state. He also appreciated the Emir of Nasarawa, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibrin, for the role he played in attracting the construction of two new SDGs clinics located in Nasarawa town and Gudi Station.

Governor Sule then called on those with medical challenges within the Nasarawa Local Government fringes to avail themselves of the opportunity to access free medical healthcare services, while imploring all and sundry to cooperate with the frontline health workers and the Doctors on the

Governor Sule (left) monitors treatment on a patient Move towards a hitch free medical exercise.

The Nasarawa Local Government Area free medical outreach exercise was expected to cover not less than 2,000 people. Like previous exercises recently held in Awe and Kokona Local Government Areas in the state, the outreach in Nasarawa Council Area will also include flagging off enrollment of people into the state’s health insurance scheme.

Earlier, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, Ahmed Baba Yahaya, disclosed that over 60 surgeries had so far been covered from the beginning of the exercise in Nasarawa Local Government. While thanking the governor for the initiative, the state health commissioner promised that his ministry would sustain the medical outreach in order to cover the entire state. Also speaking, chairman of Nasarawa Local Government Area, Mohammed Sani Ottoz, announced that, so far, about 234 persons have been enrolled into the state health insurance scheme, following which he identified three persons to be symbolically presented with their registration cards.

The Emir of Nasarawa, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibrin, recounted that since the commissioning of the Nasarawa General Hospital in May, 2019, he has witnessed three free medical outreaches at the facility.

This, according to the royal father, “was indeed a show of care and concern from the governor and government to our people who are in dire need,” he stated.

In a bid to support her husband’s drive

for a wider free medical outreach to the vulnerable of the state, wife of Governor Abdullahi Sule, Hajiya Silifat Sule, inaugurated an outreach for free medical intervention for about 1,000 indigents in the state recently. The Nasarawa State First Lady inaugurated the outreach shortly after concluding a road walk with members of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) who were in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, for their annual conference.

The free medical outreach was part of activities of AHAPN 23rd Annual National Scientific Conference in Lafia with the theme “COVID-19 Experience: Expanding the Role of Health System by Pharmacists,” which was appreciated by the first lady as a gesture that will go a long way to address the immediate medical needs of people in the state.

Silifat, therefore, called on residents of the state to reciprocate the gesture of the association by coming out en masse to be attended to, even as she thanked the AHAPN for choosing Lafia to organise the Annual National Scientific Conference.

In an interview, National Chairman of the AHAPN, Mr Olabode Ogunjemiyo, explained that organising the health

outreach was part of the association’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which it carried out regularly.

“We always organise it to complement the efforts of the Nasarawa State Government in improving the health of its citizenry. I have the opportunity of enjoying the pharmaceutical care free of charge,” Ogunjemiyo said.

According to the AHAPN National Chairman, “about 1,000 Indigents are expected to benefit from the outreach which is only focused on basic ailments such as Malaria, High Blood Pressure, among others. Most of the ailments don’t even require medication. There are some of them that will probably just require counselling. We are not treating chronic ailments here. We are only treating basic ailments.”

A beneficiary of the programme, Mallam Aliyu Magaji, said the gesture had gone a long way to tackle some health challenges of the people who were not buoyant enough to visit a health centre. He urged the association to sustain the effort and called on other organisations and well meaning Nigerians to imitate the association.

“Some of us don’t go to hospital not because we don’t want to go, but because of the harsh economic situation we find ourselves. So, for these people to bring this initiative here is a big plus for us. It has given us the opportunity to come out and get the medical attention that we wanted but cannot pay for,” Magaji maintained.

SpecSMART Opens Optometry Clinic in Lagos Mary Nnah SpecSMART, a world-class optometry clinic has opened its store in Lagos, the commercial hub of the country, promising to deliver high-quality optometry services comprising primary eye care, premium quality frames, lens variants, contact lens fitting, and optical/ophthalmic services to Nigerians, for patients seeking effective healthcare.

The world-class clinic which debuted recently was unveiled at the Ikoyi Plaza Mall, Awolowo Road, in Ikoyi, Lagos, to cater to the over 50 million people requiring eye care that has become almost exclusive for the few in the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Clarence Nwokocha, Practice Head and Medical Director, SpecSMART, said quality eye care is one of the key

areas of healthcare and that the gap in the services has prompted the launch of the first-class clinic which was launched to meet the demand while ensuring the overall well-being of the patient and expectations that are fully guaranteed.

Dr. Nwokocha pointed out that with the unveiling of SpecSMART, patients would be able to have access to over 1,000 premium frames,

contact lens fitting with sales and after-sales service, as well as international and designer sunglasses of a high standard at affordable prices.

He said SpecSMART will ensure on-the-spot glazing of spectacle prescriptions for standard lens prescriptions, fully automated quality eye examinations, full glaucoma care services, free registration for patients, a world-class medical

suite using automated digital equipment, and delivering a wide and comprehensive range of tests every day of the week, for flexibility of appointments.

The Medical Director stated that lots of Nigerians complain that they don’t get the type of customer service they need, the prescription of frames, type of eye care required, and we are here as a world-class clinic to offer them the best treatment in

line with global best practices.

According to him, there will be 24 hours automated appointment scheduler via the clinic’s website platform, 12-hour online customer care service, and eye care plans according to customers’ budgets and preferences, from skilled, licensed optometrists that would guarantee top-notched optometric and optical services to achieve accurate diagnoses.

33

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

FEATURES

Rotary Club ofBananaIslandExtends Medical Intervention toVillages Rebecca Ejifoma The recently formed Rotary Club of Banana Island (RCBI) has extended medical assistance to a cluster of remote island villages in Lagos State.

The intervention included vaccinations for children up to age 14, cataract screening, and free medicines for a range of prevalent health conditions and tropical infections across age groups in the benefiting villages.

The medical outreach was initiated by Rotarian Mrs Mickey EF +POH WBO 7FMEIPWFO BOE adopted by RCBI. It targeted island villages including Agaja Beach, Agaja 7JMMBHF 0LPHCBEP "MBHVUBO and Igbolobi, collectively called UIF "HBKB #FBDI 7JMMBHF XIJDI is situated about 45 minutes by TQFFE CPBU GSPN 7JDUPSJB *TMBOE The islands are inhabited by around 1,450 people according to the Chiefs of the four host communities comprising a mix of 600 males and 850 females.

According to newly-elected Charter President, Mrs Anita Senan, given that there are no primary or secondary health facilities on any of the islands we at RCBI decided to join IBOET XJUI EF +POH UP QSPWJEF dwellers with broad-spectrum medical interventions.

Susan added: “In consonance with the Rotary’s theme for this year, we imagine a transformed "HBKB 7JMMBHF 8F XJMM OFFE

to set up a more permanent medical facility to cater to the health-related needs of the communities.

“To this extent we took along some experts in the fields of solar power and structural engineering to evaluate the feasibility of putting up a health centre and other related critical infrastructure. Till then, we will continue to hold regular medical camps both as a follow up as well as to provide succour to new patients.”

The Medical Camp which was held this September, had over 400 adults and children from all the village communities.

According to RCBI, of the 180 people treated, 80 were hypertensive, 10 were diabetic and the others were diagnosed with different diseases such as malaria, typhoid, ulcers and allergies. Medical personnel also screened the villagers for oral health and eye-related problems. The medical team said it found that about 27 patients had significantly reduced visual acuity due to cataract, three IBE BEWBODFE (MBVDPNB had allergic conjunctivitis and about 16 were diagnosed with more serious problems involving biopsy, excision and grafting.

Many of the patients were provided free sunglasses while the dental team treated 20 patients for decayed teeth leading to periapical infection.

Many others were given free medical advice on their oral health.

A private pharmaceutical company, Sam Pharmaceuticals, set up a counter where medications worth N130,000 were dispensed to the patients as prescribed by the onsite doctors free of charge.

The company also donated a boat for the trip. $IPMFSB 7BDDJOBUJPOT XPSUI N200,000 were donated by Serving Hands Society for the empowerment of the less privileged persons.

Medical doctors who gave voluntary service at the camp JODMVEFE %S "SVOEIVUJ 3PZ $IPVEIVSZ . % 1IZTJDJBO BOE Paediatrician), Paras Medicare Int’l Ltd along with her team; %S 4IVNJUB 4FO %FOUJTU #POB Specialist and Implant Center, %S .BSZHPME 0LJZJ BOE %S Collins Ezeh, from the Eye %PDUPST 0QUPNFUSJTU /NFTPNB (SBDJPVT &NNB 0DIV GSPN UIF *OEP &ZF 'PVOEBUJPO BOE .ST 7BOEBOB $IPLTJ 1BUFM 0O IBOE UP TVQQPSU UIF Charter President were Rotarians Mickey and Marno de +POH WBO 7FMEIPWFO $IBSMFT +FOBSJVT XIP JT UIF 'PVOEBUJPO $IBJS BOE %S "SVOEBIVUJ 3PZ Choudhary served as the Service Chair for RCBI. Paras Medicare Int ’Ltd, Indo &ZF 'PVOEBUJPO UISPVHI UIF intervention of Rotary Club of 1BMN (SPWF 5IF &ZF %PDUPST #POB 4QFDJBMJTU %FOUBM BOE *Nplant Center, The Serving Hand Society for the Empowerment of Less Privileged Persons, and Sam Pharmaceuticals supported RCBI in the exercise.

FERTILITY

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) PART1

M

enstruation is a normal vaginal bleed that occurs in which the endometrium (inner lining of the womb) of a woman of childbearing age who has not become pregnant in that cycle sheds and is discharged spontaneously in response to the hormone secretion cycle.

This week our discussion will be on Premenstrual syndrome.

severe PMS symptoms compared to non-smokers. r 0WFSXFJHIU BOE PCFTJUZ 8PNFO XJUI B BMI greater than 30 are three times more likely to have PMS than women of normal weight.

WHAT IS PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)?

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of symptoms that occur repeatedly before menstruation and are accompanied by changes in emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms. It is a syndrome that typically begins 2 to 10 days before menstruation and disappears immediately before or after menstruation begins. (PMS) is a collection of physical and emotional symptoms that many women experience following ovulation and prior to the start of their menstrual period.

According to research, PMS occurs in the days following ovulation because estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fall dramatically if you are not pregnant. PMS symptoms subside a few days after a woman’s period begins, as hormone levels begin to rise again. PMS is a very common issue. PMS affects nearly 48 percent (48%) of women of reproductive age, with about 20 percent (20%) of them experiencing symptoms severe enough to disrupt their daily routine.

Contrary to popular belief, PMS is a real condition that can disrupt daily life and cause significant physical and emotional discomfort.

SYMPTOMS OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME Every month, the majority of women experience at least one PMS symptom. But it is not the same for everyone. It may change as you age. PMS symptoms can be both physical and emotional.

CAUSES OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME The main cause of premenstrual syndrome is unknown. However, several factors may contribute to the condition such as:

Members of the Rotary Club of Banana Island flanked by beneficiaries of the medical intervention in some villages

PCN Seals 387 Pharmacies in Oyo Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan No fewer than 387 pharmacies and patient medicines shops, IBWF CFFO TFBMFE JO 0ZP 4UBUF 5IF %JSFDUPS BOE )FBE &OGPSDFNFOU %FQBSUNFOU Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Mr. Stephen Esumobi, who made the EJTDMPTVSF JO *CBEBO UIF 0ZP State capital, said the exercise by the enforcement team was carried out in collaboration with officers of the Nigerian 4FDVSJUZ BOE $JWJM %FGFODF $PSQT /4$%$ He said the PCN has a responsibility to step up its enforcement activities to ensure that medicines remain safe, effective and of good quality as they move from one level of the distribution chain

to another until they get to the consumers.

He stressed that personnel in charge of each pharmaceutical premises must have the requisite knowledge and training required to handle the categories of medicines in stock. According to him, “At the end of the exercise, a total of five hundred and eighty five premises were visited. This comprises four hundred and six (406) Patent Medicines Shops (PMS) and one hundred and seventy nine (179) Pharmacies. “ A total of three hundred and eighty seven (387) premises were sealed comprising fifty seven (57) pharmacies and three hundred and thirty (330) Patent Medicines Shops.

“A total of ten (10) compliance directives were issued

while one operator of an unregistered Patent Medicine Shop was arrested for breaking PCN seal.

“The public is hereby advised to source all drug needs from registered and currently licensed pharmacies BOE 0WFS UIF $PVOUFS NFEJDJOFT from registered Patent Medicine shops. All licensed premises are expected to display their premises licences or evidence of registration conspicuously in the premises.”

He added that the council observed that in spite of the PCN sensitisation programs through various platforms, so many premises in the state still operate in breach of regulations, stating that one person was arrested for illegally breaking PCN seal.

With Dr. Kemi AILOJE drkemi@lifelinkfertility.com www.lifelinkfertility.com +2348033083580

t $ZDMJD DIBOHFT JO IPSNPOFT These hormones naturally fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle. Hormones reach a peak during the luteal phase, which follows ovulation, and then rapidly decline, causing anxiety, irritability, and other mood changes, which disappear with pregnancy and menopause. t $IFNJDBM DIBOHFT JO UIF CSBJO Changes in serotonin and norepinephrine, two brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) thought to play an important role in regulating emotion, mood, and behavior, may cause PMS symptoms. This happens when a small amount of estrogen causes the release of norepinephrine, which causes the production of dopamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin to decrease.

Inadequate levels of these hormones may contribute to premenstrual depression, fatigue, food cravings, and sleep issues. t%FQSFTTJPO Some women with severe PMS have undiagnosed depression, even though depression does not cause all of the symptoms. t&YJTUJOH NFOUBM IFBMUI DPOEJUJPO Living with a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, may increase your chances of getting PMS. A family history of PMS, bipolar disorder, or depression, including postpartum depression, may also raise the risk. r4NPLJOH 4NPLFST BSF UXJDF BT MJLFMZ UP IBWF

r1PPS QIZTJDBM DPOEJUJPO r (FOFUJDT BOE GBNJMZ IJTUPSZ r*G ZPV ESJOL IFBWJMZ PO B SFHVMBS CBTJT ZPV increase the chances of getting PMS.

Physical symptoms of PMS may include: rAcne: This is one of the most common symptoms of PMS, and it is not limited to teenagers.

Hormonal changes may cause skin glands to produce more sebum. This oily substance may clog the pores, resulting in a breakout and a visible reminder that your period is approaching. r'PPE DSBWJOHT 8IFO 1.4 TUSJLFT NBOZ women experience specific cravings for sweet or salty foods such as chocolate cake. r"CEPNJOBM CMPBUJOH r6OVTVBM DMVNTJOFTT r$SBNQJOH r%JHFTUJWF VQTFUT JODMVEJOH DPOTUJQBUJPO and diarrhea r'MVJE SFUFOUJPO r8FJHIU HBJO r#SFBTU UFOEFSOFTT PS TXFMMJOH r+PJOU PS NVTDMF QBJO r5JSFEOFTT r1PPS TMFFQ PS TMFFQJOFTT r)FBEBDIF BOE NJHSBJOF r)PU áVTIFT PS TXFBUT r*ODSFBTFE BQQFUJUF r*ODSFBTFE TFOTJUJWJUZ UP TPVOET MJHIU BOE UPVDI EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS PMS-related changes in your mood, emotions, and behavior may include: Anxiety, agitation, or a sense of being on edge Irritability, including rage-filled outbursts Confusion %FQSFTTJPO BOE B MPX NPPE XIJDI NBZ include thoughts of suicide Loss of self-esteem and confidence, resulting in social isolation 'FFMJOHT PG JTPMBUJPO BOE QBSBOPJB Appetite changes, including increased food cravings, particularly for sweets Sleep pattern changes, such as fatigue and difficulty sleeping A sad or depressed mood, which may include tears or uncontrollable crying r&NPUJPOBM PVUCVSTUT BOE NPPE TXJOHT r4FYVBM EFDSFBTF PS PDDBTJPOBMMZ JODSFBTF r%JGàDVMUJFT DPODFOUSBUJOH PS SFDBMMJOH information, as well as memory lapses Physical pain and emotional stress are severe enough for some people to interfere with their daily lives. Regardless of symptom severity, most women’s symptoms disappear within four days of the start of their menstrual period

t5P CF DPOUJOVFE

34

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

HEALTH

Arogi Foundation to Provide Succour to Traumatised People

LEGIT.ng, WARIF to Provide Succour to Domestic Abuse Survivors Mary Nnah

L-R: President, Arogi Foundation, Mr. Otis Ojeikhoa; Speaker/Broadcaster, Mrs. Andrea Oduobi-Teke; Speaker/Associate Professor of Psychology, Prof, Andrew Zamani; Vice President, Arogi Foundation, Mrs. Joy Tim-Ayoola; and another Speaker,/Lecturer, University of Lagos, Dr. Charles Umeh at the event Mary Nnah To ensure that traumatised and mental health cases in Nigeria are given adequate care and succour provided to them, Arogi Trauma Care Foundation (ACTF), a notfor-profit organisation has been launched to offer free counseling and therapy accessible to traumatised individuals.

The maiden conference themed “Dealing with life’s emotional struggles” held the presence of renowned professor of psychology, Professor Andrew Zamani who addressed the conference on “Dealing with marital traumas; Award-winning radio broadcaster, Andrea Oduobi-Teke spoke on “Dealing with life’s emotional struggles”; whilst Consultant clinical psychologist, Dr. Charles Umeh highlighted “How to find happiness”.

Experts at the conference

commended the Arogi team for “launching at a time when Nigerians are saddled with depression, traumas, suicidal tendencies, and worry” amongst other things.

According to the professionals, there are a lot of “hidden pains” masked behind smiles and laughter that people are yet to identify as depression and/or trauma.

Highlighting viral slang such as “we move”, “going through a lot”, “easy, and Jeje”, as some methods of escapism that the Nigerian social media community has adopted, Dr. Fred Nnadi said: “We won’t be lying if we state the obvious that Nigerians are going through a lot.

And Arogi couldn’t have come at a better time. People need a place where they can go for therapy, in fact, free therapy, because finance is another constraint.”

Against the backdrop of the whopping amount of alcohol consumed by Nigerians in the

first half of 2022, a figure which sat at an alarming N599.11 billion, Nnadi said: “People need to be able to talk about their emotions, instead of drowning it in alcohol.

Alcohol is not the way out.

Nigerians have always had that “we move” capabilities, like we just move on from anything, and get up from anything. But you realize that people just subdue those emotions with entertainment and alcohol, instead of addressing the issue.” Validating Nnadi’s position on the relationship between trauma, depression, and alcoholism, Professor Andrew Zamani said: “Trauma has been a very elusive mental situation in this country, and right now, I think we are taking the bull by the horn. Research has it that most alcohol abusers are depressed, and alcoholism is a means by which people try to cope with their daily life challenges; albeit maladaptive.”

“And when people who abuse alcohol discover that they can bury their woes and escape the reality of their stresses, they tend to repeat and increase their indulgence. That eventually leads to depression because they soon realize that alcohol does not solve the problem.”

On his part, Business guru and founder of Brands Optimal, Grey Cottage, and Arogi Trauma Care Foundation, Otis Ojeikhoa explained that although people know that they are traumatized, they stay in denial because they believe that “somehow, someday, things will get better.”

“Things getting better means that on your own, you have to be better. You have to heal, you have to recover, and know how to develop better coping mechanisms.

Through qualified interventions, people can develop proper and positive coping mechanisms.”

is determined to deploy all clean technologies to reposition Nigeria as a self-sustaining nation, where we can no longer depend on other countries to survive.

By signing this MoA, Mustapha reiterated that the agency is ready to swing into action immediately, explaining that the CEO of Mesencell Biotech, Dr. Stevens James Kellener, an expert on stem cells, is in Nigeria to conclude the legal framework.

The NABDA boss said: “We are ready to deploy the therapy at the conclusion of the agreement. Now, instead of Nigerians traveling abroad for stem cell regenerative therapy or cartilage treatment or some other diseases, now there is that technology that we can deploy here to assist Nigerians.

While allaying fears of skills and manpower deficit, Mustapha, said: “The skills will be learnt by our staff as stated in the MoA, putting them on the track and that means that the technology will be in NABDA. Our staff will also be trained within and outside the country.

On sustainability, he as-

sured that the technology will be sustained here in Nigeria as NABDA staff will be trained on management, handling and re-invention of the technology.

He said: “We are going to upgrade our laboratory.

We have started that with the basic equipment and the laboratory now is going to be world standard of carrying out research on stem cell regenerative therapy and so this is another milestone that we have reached and so NABDA will be one centre that you can point at to see that whatever problem that we can solve in the country using stem cell regenerative therapy in NABDA we will research on it and then deploy it to the country.

“Stem cell application and deployment will also help reverse Nigeria’s medical tourism as several billions of dollars will be saved as according to him: ‘A lot of Nigerians do travel abroad for stem cell treatment because we don’t have the technology in the country, but with this MoA and commencement of deployment the country will save a lot of foreign

Experts: Financial Institution Must Be Set Up to Improve Health Sector Rebecca Ejifoma

Anti-aging Therapy: FG, RAHAB Global, Mesencell Sign MoA on Stem Cell Deployment The Federal Government through the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), RAHAB RVD Global Industries and Mesencell Biotech at the weekend in Abuja, sealed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) on Stem Cell medicine deployment even as the treatment is said to be a potential anti-aging and regenerative therapies.

Speaking at the conclusion of the deal at the Headquarters of NABDA in Abuja, the Director General of agency, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, acknowledged that the agreement between the agency and the firms is exciting primarily because biotechnology is the modern technology that every country is trying to drive development.

We are also partnering with them on the technology that involves generation of clean water using biotechnology, adding that bio-organic fertilizer production is also part of the deal.

According to Mustapha, these areas are key sectors expected to drive Nigeria’s national development even as he reinforces that NABDA

Legit.ng, Nigeria’s leading digital media and news platform made a monetary donation to the Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF), in fulfillment of its corporate responsibility mission to lead the way in the restoration of vulnerable women and victims of gender-based violence (GBV).

This commitment fostered a partnership with a nonprofit organisation, WARIF, incorporated in response to the high incidence of sexual violence, rape, and human trafficking occurring amongst young girls and women across Nigeria.

The campaign which was on for two months reached a total of six million (6,000,000) home-based readers and Nigerian readers in diaspora via web content, radio interviews, influencer relations, and social media communications.

With donations accrued from readers across the globe through the Legit.ng charity’s Patreon account, Legit.ng has been able to fulfill its support ambition to WARIF. The leading digital media and entertainment news company decided on this ambitious decision as a response to the rallying cry for widespread public sensitisation about gender-based violence. During the campaign, Legit. ng identified sexual abuse and domestic violence survivors’ stories, referring to them as heroes and heroines, and seeking support from its audience in the restoration of these women. Just like with WARIF, Legit.ng has been able to help scores of people overcome severe life events. Expressing gratitude and speaking about the partnership impact, the Head of Communications at WARIF, Boluwatito Awe said, “We are grateful to Legit.ng Charity for this donation. It’s going to go a long way in ensuring that survivors who need it the most, get adequate care, both medical and counseling.

“We look forward to having more such donations and partnerships in the future. On our end, we are more committed to ensuring a world free of rape and sexual violence. WARIF is more than committed to pushing this forward and ensuring that survivors can live in society again .”

Reiterating Legit.ng’s commitment to telling stories that drive impact and restoration, Head of Desk, Human Interest Stories, Rahaman Abiola, whose dedication to identifying survivors of life’s hard dealt blow, and bringing awareness to their problems in a way of providing a solution, described the partnership with WARIF as a partnership worthy

exchange.”

Other components of the deal embedded in the MoA, according to the DG include: Oil tank farm cleaning, paraffin recovery and remediation of oil contaminated soil, portable water and waste water management and organic biofertilizers and soil biodegradation.

Fielding questions from journalists at the sideline of the ceremony, Dr. Kellener, while corroborating Mustapha’s view, said the collaboration will launch Nigeria into a new era of exciting medical breakthroughs, adding: ‘We are bringing in new ideas and technologies on regenerative medicine.

Regenerative medicine also means that you stay longer and healthier with high possibility for anti-aging.

Kellener said: “The main focus is on staying healthy for longer. That is the technology that we are bringing. We have seen quite a lot of increasing cancer development which means that we are actively researching and also doing cancer preventive treatment like vaccines for cancer.

The Head, Specialised Sectors of Stanbic IBTC, Mrs Jane Ike-Okoli has implored financial institutions across the country to be set up to complement the government’s efforts and improve the health sector of the nation.

She remarked this to newsmen at this year’s Medic West Africa Access to Healthcare Conference which was held in Lagos.

According to the Ike-Okoli, the minimum allocation to the health sector should not be less than 15 per cent.

Hence, she recommended that the financial sector must be set up to complement the government’s efforts.

She emphasised: “We, as financial institutions, need to understand how the health business works. We need to come up with innovative solutions, without asking for an arm and a leg.

“We also need to leverage on strategic partnerships that would boost the healthcare businesses in Nigeria.”

On its part, Stanbic IBTC has launched a secured short-term loan for healthcare businesses, where they can access loans for about 12 months.

This, she added, is part of its contribution to improving the health sector in the country. Adding to it that “We have also launched a long-term loan for up to three years that healthcare companies can access to carry out projects or expand their businesses”.

According to Ike-Okoli, Stanbic IBTC is leveraging strategic partnerships with dealers of health care equipment while also connecting them to hospitals and laboratories.

During the panel of discussion, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi said the state government is investing a lot in the Primary Healthcare Centres.

He, therefore, urged financial institutions and the private sector to complement the efforts of the state government.According to the commissioner, the state government believes and understands that the bedrock of healthcare delivery is at the PHC level, where 80 per cent of Lagosians go.

He assured the audience that the state government is putting a lot of work and strategy into the structure of the PHC. He added, “It is not just about building, it is about the manpower inside these facilities.”

35

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

NEWS

Paelon Memorial Hospital Provides“Back To School”Health Assessment Checklist Mary Nnah The numerous fun activities children engage in during the long summer holidays often expose them to bacteria, viruses, and potentially harmful diseases, which can easily be transmitted.

In addition, children are at a critical point of development and need routine health checks to proactively manage any deficiency/defects in growth and development.

Consequently, as a new school session is about to start, parents need to ensure that children are in good health for school resumption.

It is for this reason that Paelon Memorial Hospital is providing a “Back To School” Health Assessment Checklist with the primary objective of identifying potential health problems, including those that could impair learning with a view to averting, correcting, and mitigating them.

According to the CEO of Paelon Memorial Hospital, Dr. Ngozi Onyia, the Health Assessment Checklist is not meant to exclude any child from school, noting that,

“The benefits of these health checks cannot be overemphasised as the defects are identified and interventions are made, which can save lives, as well as optimise the learning opportunities or prevent chronic ill health like the provision of Epipens for children prone to anaphylaxis, Metered Dose Inhalers for asthmatic children, Glasses for correction of refractory errors for visually impaired children, Ear syringing or Gromet insertions or Hearing aids for children with conductive or sensorineural hearing loss, and nutritional advice for growth problems.”

Onyia explained that history taking is done via a well-designed, customised questionnaire to exclude chronic ailments such as asthma/allergies, Sickle Cell disease, Diabetes mellitus, Seizure disorders, Heart disease, and Immunization history including compulsory and optional vaccines.

The hospital noted further that the following Health Assessment Checklist has been developed by the Paelon pediatric team to

ensure that children are fit to return to school.

Physical examination includes Growth Monitoring, which includes, height, weight, and blood pressure monitoring due to the identified increase of hypertension in younger people; assessment of the

cardiovascular system to rule out cardiovascular risk and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate for suspected asthmatics.

There is also Developmental Tests, which include: vision assessment; visual acuity, color blindness; speech and hearing screening tests, Neurological function

assessment, and Social skills assessment.

Another aspect of the checklist includes a Blood test/ X-ray and which aims to confirm genotype and blood group in case of emergencies; a Hemoglobin test because iron is important for cognition and a Chest

Paelon CEO, Dr. Ngozi Onyia

x-ray to rule out lung infections such as tuberculosis.

There is also the Vaccinations aspect which will provide a detailed vaccination history and review of vaccination records while a missed vaccine can consequently be administered.

She noted further that all national programme immunisation (NPI) vaccines and optional vaccines like Flu, Meningitis, Typhoid, Chicken pox, MMR Cholera and HPV (optional) are optional.

Last but not least on the checklist is the Allergy Screening, explaining that there there was a rising incidence of respiratory and skin conditions as a result of allergies.

Paelon Memorial Hospital began as a pediatric hospital in memory of the founder’s special needs child, Patricia Elozie Onyia, Over the years, the institution has grown to include other practices but still maintains a particular dedication to the care of children.

With a team of specialists trained in the care of children, parents can perform any of the highlighted tests at any of their facilities.

Nasarawa Reviews Family Planning Budget to N30m Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia The Nasarawa State government has reviewed upward its Annual Family Planning Budget from a paltry N5 to N30 million in order to support all efforts aimed at institutionalising family planning in the state.

Leader of a civil society

group, Community Link for Health and Family Planning Advocacy (CLHFPA), Mrs Mary Asheneye, revealed this last week at a one-day media forum organised by the Pathfinder International, in collaboration with the CLHFPA, on the status of family planning in Nasarawa State.

The leader of the CLHFPA,

therefore, commended the state government for reviewing the family planning budget, noting however that prompt release of the sum will hasten implementation of the programme in the state.

However, representative of the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Health and Coordinator of Family Planning,

Mrs. Salomi Aya, said the state government has been doing all within its powers to support all efforts aimed at institutionalising family planning in the state.

She said the sustained advocacy and support by Pathfinder International, the CLHFPA as well as other collaborators has led to the

reduction of maternal and infant mortality in the state.

Aya, however, said a lot needed to be done in getting women and men in rural communities to embrace the use of contraceptives and other preventive methods.

Representatives of Pathfinder International, Bayo Ewuola, said the advocacy

was intended to strengthen the capacity of the media to effectively report public health issues in the state.

He maintained that the initiative has been yielding positive results with many women embracing child spacing and antenatal as well as other means aimed at averting birth complications.

Experts Advocate Sustainable Support System for Children, Adults with Autism Mary Nnah When Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is discussed in our society, there is a culture of silence that hinders awareness, acceptance, and access to resources for children living with the condition and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the CEO/Founder of Shades of Life Care Limited, Eziafakaku Nwokolo has emphasised that early intervention and educational services, combined with support networks, will lead to improved quality of life for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Nwokolo made this declaration at Shades of Life’s graduation ceremony for some Behaviour Analysts that were trained at the facility. They are charged with the mission and responsibility of ethically delivering excellent assessment, diagnosis and intervention services for ASD and IDD. “We are on a mission to increase access to experts in the field, not just in Lagos, but throughout Nigeria. At Shades of Life, we train practitioners in the science of ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis). The center was set up to assist in tackling the hindrance of care for children with ASD and other IDDs and also to some extent, change public perception of these individuals and their families”, she said.

“It is not easy to have an autistic child and I think that one of the best things that parents can do for themselves is to first of all, acknowledge it and then educate themselves.

“For you to have an autistic child, you have to be strong-willed, you have to have a mind of your own, and you should not be easily influenced by societal views. “ Your love and dedication have to be for your child.

Shades of Life’s graduation ceremony for some Behaviour Analysts Nwokolo who revealed that she got into this sector due to her experience of being the mother of an autistic daughter, added that this fueled her passion to provide quality services to families with children that have similar challenges.

“So my foray into developmental disabilities started, shall I say, 21 years ago. And the reason I say 21 years ago is that that’s about how old my autistic daughter is. And we did a lot of intervention for her outside country and in the country.

“Other parents like myself and my friends got together. And we used to bring in specialists from outside of the country. I figured that would not be sustainable.

Plus, I realised we needed to

build capacity in Nigeria. So I decided that I was going to retire from a regular job and be part of the solution. So that’s how I got into the industry.”

“I discovered that therapy and early intervention were the things that aided my child and I decided to get certified.

Then I opened a training center in Nigeria”, Nwokolo added.

The guest speaker at the event, Mrs. Abisoye Akinola in her keynote address, charged the graduating set to be prepared because there is a process towards achieving greatness.

She doled out some nuggets on passion, patience and profits, explaining that they might not find the gains immediately but the opportunity would present

itself for them to be rewarded.

Akinola also emphasised measuring their gain in their career based on the impact it has on society, especially when managing special needs children.

She further advised them to be of good conduct and character, as well as make ample use of time pertinent to their chosen career path. Head of Primary, RiverBank School, Mrs. Uzochi Maduekwe, who was also one of the graduating students of the day, stated that she joined the programme because there are a lot of children with special needs in the country and she wants to have a different grasp of how she can help them, while also integrating them into the society.

It is your child first and society next. The work of ABA therapy is actually to help children to function within the society they find themselves in, ” she said.

Also, the only male graduating practitioner in the set, Olurotimi Dada stated that he has a son and with the knowledge he has acquired, he would be able to deploy it for his personal use as well as help others as a practitioner.

Axxess Merges with Cavista Nigeria for Greater Access to Healthcare Vanessa Obioha Axxess, a healthcare technology company founded by the U.S.based technology entrepreneur Niyi Olajide has merged with Cavista Nigeria to provide greater access to healthcare.

Olajide founded Axxess in 2007 to create a lasting solution to home healthcare delivery across the world.

As a Nigerian from Erinmope-Ekiti, investing in Nigeria was paramount.

“Nigeria is the hub for the best brains in the IT sector and software development,” he said in a recent chat. “It’s my own way of contributing towards ensuring sustainable growth and opportunities for job creation in the economy.

I am passionate about increasing access to quality healthcare for people everywhere in the world

Niyi Olajide and with technology, we can make that possible,” Olajide is convinced that Nigeria is blessed with highly cerebral youths “who are doing great things with limited resources when it comes to all aspects of software development, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and the rest.”

36

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Gbajabiamila: Efficient Operation of Capital Market Key to National Development Kayode Tokede Capital markets have been described as avenues for an increase in values of assets and wealth creation whose proper and efficient operation is essential to sustainable national economic growth.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila stated this during a Public Hearing call/submission of memoranda on the Investments and Securities Bill and the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers Bill in Abuja on Tuesday.

Represented by Peter Akpatason, Gbajabiamila stated that capital markets provide funding for new and existing businesses to innovate, expand, adapt to market changes and strides and also allows small and large scale investors to contribute to growth of enterprises and by so doing create wealth and economic development.

According to him, “Both bills for consideration today are in keeping with our commitment to the legislative agenda of the 9th House of Representatives to pursue far reaching reforms of

critical institutions in our country.

Our ultimate goal is to ensure that these institutions are properly grounded to perform their functions, execute their mandate and serve the best interest of the Nigerian people.

“The need to ensure that the operations of the capital market and the entire industry sector are sufficiently fair and transparent to ensure investor confidence is particularly of concern. It is often said that capital is cowardly and will run at the slightest risk.

In this new global economy, when investors have the option to quickly move money across industries, nations and countries, we cannot allow deficiencies in the system that cause investors to worry about the safety of their investments.

“I am delighted that many industry stakeholders have convened in this Public Hearing today to participate in this public hearing and I urge you to take full advantage of this public hearing to make well thought out contributions so that final legislation that emerges from this process can adequately reflect the talents and expertise of the

men and women who operate and regulate the capital market in Nigeria”.

In his remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on Capital Markets and Institutions, Hon. Babangida Ibrahim said the ISA Bill seeks to repeal the existing Investments and Securities Act 2007 and to establish a new market infrastructure and wide-ranging system of regulation of investments and securities businesses in Nigeria especially in the areas of derivatives, systematic risk management, financial market infrastructure and Ponzi scheme and platforms.

Other areas the bill seeks to address are alternative trading systems, inclusion of National Pensions Commission as part of the board of the Securities and Exchange Commission, deletion of the provisions on merger control in the current Act and amendment of the criteria of borrowing by sub nationals and strengthening and enforcement powers of the Securities and Exchange Commission in line with the requirement of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions, IOSCO.

CBN, Finance Ministry Urged to Review Economy, Improve Purchasing Power Kayode Tokede The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance have been called upon to execute a comprehensive review of the economy with the view of upping the purchasing power parity of Nigerians.

The Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN) through its National Co-ordinator, Dr Anthony Omojola in a statement said there is an obvious need for the two bodies to use the instrumentality of the monetary and fiscal rates to stem the ravaging hunger and privation in the land.

ISAN maintained that their urge is that the monetary and fiscal authorities should emulate other nation’s across the World

by introducing palliatives such as un-banning of certain vital food imports temporarily, granting tariff reliefs to certain industries, and reducing taxes for some sectors.

According to him, FG would be deceiving itself if it fails to acknowledge the economic poverty ravaging Nigeria across the board; arising from the war in Europe, devastating insurgency, and insecurity in Nigeria.

He said the situation was worsened by food, education, fuel, debt crises and the massive on-going theft in the oil and gas sector that have ensured that the country missed the global windfall for oil and gas producers.

He said OPEC has improved its quota thrice since the RussiaUkraine war but we are unable to benefit, yet we have debts to

pay. ISAN maintained that “FG should reduce corruption in the system. There are duplication of charges and taxes certain sectors of the economy are being overtaxed.

Those sectors should be helped.

“FG has to un-ban those food products like wheat, corn etc that are essential so that there maybe food adequacy. Bread for instance is going out of reach of the mass of Nigerians as a result of wheat shortages. But the fear by the government is obviously that imports may negatively affect our exchange rate and further devalue the Naira.

“That is why we are saying there should be a comprehensive review of the economy so that we can ably weigh the needed changes and their impacts on the overall economy.

Survey Reveals Glo as ‘Most Popular Brand in Nigeria’ in 2022 Globacom, which recently marked its 19 years of quality services delivery in Nigeria has been named the Most Popular Brand in the country for the year 2022. This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen as part of the public presentation of the 2022 brand evaluation by ‘TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA’.

Disclosing this in a statement, CEO of the brand rating firm, Mr. Taiwo Oluboyede, said, “this is the second time that Globacom, a proudly Nigerian brand will be achieving the status of the Most Popular Brand in the country for the year.”

Describing what this is all about, he said, “Brand popularity, the extent to which a brand enjoys facial recognition and retention in the minds of the people is also the degree of its wide acceptability and purchase by the general public. This is largely driven by the level of awareness, the extent to which customers are able to recall or recognize a brand under different conditions.”

He went further to say that, “A popular brand does not emerge overnight. It is a result of many characteristics it exhibits over a period of time. Put another way, brands that are popular have some common threads which run through them and they have consistently communicated their values and promises which give them that status.”

He listed out some of the traits of popular brands as “Originality, Sincerity, Boldness and taking giant strides, Consistency, Visibility and Humane among others.”

The Most Popular brand is an outcome of a top of the mind (TOM) survey where respondents mentioned 10 brands that come to their mind or could easily recall. This year’s again was conducted among CMOs and Head of Corporate Communication of major companies across the land. However, respondents were not allowed to mention their own brands to avoid prejudice.

It should be noted that

respondents are people with good knowledge of the subject of brand because they are mostly custodians and promoters of their company’s brand. More so, their individual opinions, particularly since prejudice was not allowed to creep in, indicated the opinion of a multitude of people.

These are people that understand the market and are well-grounded in consumers’ choice patterns. Their individual choice represents the opinion of many people in one.

In eulogising the Most Popular brands, Taiwo said “The emergence of the 50 Most Popular Brands was done by putting the best 50 brands in the pigeon holes according to public perception of them. The most preferred among them is the PRIMUS INTERPARES, that is, first among equals. The Most popular brands are those whose height cannot be hidden under a bushel by reason of their impeccable corporate performance in the business environment, the past calendar year.“

L-R: Group CEO, SO&U Ltd and Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Udeme Ufot, MFR, presenting the MARKETING EDGE Outstanding Brand and Media Personality of the Decade award to Ms. Sandra Amachree, Senior Manager - Media, Brand PR & Sponsorships · Nigerian Breweries Plc at the MARKETING EDGE Brands and Advertising Awards of Excellence which held in Lagos ...recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JUNE 2022 Money Supply (M3)

48,865,823.53

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

167,956.2

Money Supply (M2)

48,797,867.32

-- Quasi Money

28,405,330.1

-- Narrow Money (M1)

20,392,537.22

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,722,785.91

---- Demand Deposits

17,669,751.32

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

6,242,394.29

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

42,623,429.24

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

57,267,178.05

---- Credit to Government (Net)

17,996,690.06

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

39,270,488

--Other Assets Net

5,566,430

Reserve Money (Base Money

11,320,304

--Currency in Circulation

3,259,269.15

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

11,320,303.72 384,377.56

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

June 2022

Inter-Bank Call Rate

11.10

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

13.00

Treasury Bill Rate

2.45

Savings Deposit Rate

1.38

1 Month Deposit Rate

3.48

3 Months Deposit Rate

4.55

6 Months Deposit Rate

4.97

12 Months Deposit Rate

5.30

Prime Lending rate

12.29

Maximum Lending Rate

27.61

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͵

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).

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

NGX Group Reiterates Commitment Towards Upholding Corporate Governance Kayode Tokede The Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) yesterday said it will continue to uphold the highest corporate governance standards and remains on course with its long-term strategy to provide competitive returns for its investors.

In a statement, Company Secretary, NGX Group, Mojisola Adeola restated the group’s com-

mitment to the highest level of corporate governance with the overriding interest of maximising value for its shareholders.

The statement which noted that the appointments of some of its directors which was approved by the National Council and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not contravene any law or governance codes also added that the directors were empowered to establish the Scheme further to a resolution

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

of the shareholders at the NSE’s Extra-Ordinary Meeting held on 3 March 2020.

Additionally, the resolution for the allotment of 200,419,990 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each for the operation of a Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) consisting of a Deferred Bonus Plan (DBP) and an Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP), was made at the Company’s 2021 AGM on 9 September 2021, for the purpose of operationalising the earlier

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

approval of the establishment of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2020.

It said, “Furthermore, it should be noted that part of the approval granted by the shareholders at the 2021 AGM was for half of the total number of shares proposed for the LTIP being 100,209,995 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to be purchased by employees under an Employee Share Purchase Plan.

Under the terms of the ESPP, the shares will be offered at a

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

discount of between 15 – 20 per cent of its market price and will be purchased by employees subject to the fixed cap per employee and availability of the pool.

“The other half relates to deferred bonus under the Deferred Bonus Plan (DBP), which is earned when eligible employees meet set performance standards annually. Neither the DBP nor the ESPP are gifts to the employees. Both are multi-year plans”.

O F

Speaking on its intention to raise additional capital of N35 billion, the Group said the capital is going to fund its business expansion, growth phase for existing business expansion and fund investments in identified and carefully curated new targets, in line with the group’s strategy.

It added that as captured in the notice of the AGM, the company does not intend to raise the entire amount in dollars.

2 1 / 0 9 / 2 0 2 2 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

38

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

ʬ

ʬ ʬ

7 R S 7 U D G H V E \ 9 R OX P H

7 R S * D LQ H U V

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

5.65

7.6%

ST ER LN B A N K

173.8

0.0%

CHA M S

0.31

6.9%

UB A

54.1

3.4%

FCM B

3.50

6.1%

Z EN IT H B A N K

14.0

0.0%

UB A

7.55

3.4%

CHA M S

14.0

6.9%

30.30

3.4%

T R A N SC OR P

6.4

-2.7%

8.85

2.3%

FCM B

5.6

6.1%

WA P C O

24.90

1.8%

GT C O

5.2

-0.5%

ET ER N A

6.30

1.6%

F ID ELIT YB K

4.8

1.4%

C UT IX

2.15

1.4%

OA N D O

4.1

-1.2%

F ID ELIT YB K

3.65

1.4%

FB NH

3.8

0.0%

A C C ESSC OR P

7 R S 7 U D G H V E \ 9 D OX H

7 R S / R V H U V T ic k er

T ic k er

Value

UB A

400.6

3.4%

-8.9%

M TNN

289.5

0.0%

-7.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

281.4

0.0%

ST ER LN B A N K

252.1

0.0%

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

H ON YF LOUR

2.25

-10.0%

LEA R N A F R C A

2.25

LIN KA SSUR E

0.48

P ric e C hg %

WA P IC

0.38

-7.3%

J A IZ B A N K

0.85

-4.5%

N EST LE

119.2

0.0%

103.8

-0.5%

C OUR T VILLE

0.48

-4.0%

GT C O

UA C N

11.00

-3.5%

WA P C O

63.9

1.8%

40.3

0.0%

A B CTRA NS

0.28

-3.4%

FB NH

J A P A ULGOLD

0.29

-3.3%

GUIN N ESS

34.1

0.0%

-2.7%

P R ESC O

21.1

0.0%

T R A N SC OR P

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

P ric e C hg %

N EM

F LOUR M ILL

Vo lum e

1.07

Investment Research

Brokerage

Asset Management

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com

Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Damilare Asimiyu | dasimiyu@afrinvest.com

39

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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 20Sept-2022, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

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 N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Dollar Fund 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 11.14% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.69 3.63 6.81% 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 6.57% Anchoria Equity Fund 138.75 140.30 -0.36% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.18 1.18 3.24% info@anchoriaam.com 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 21.05 21.69 3.79% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 509.19 524.54 12.86% ARM Ethical Fund 42.55 43.84 9.23% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 0.38% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.06 1.06 4.43% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.07% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 86.21 86.21 -10.60% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Naira 1,090.96 1,090.96 9.10% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.10 2.10 3.34% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.33 2.38 6.47% CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.26% Paramount Equity Fund 18.25 18.58 9.86% Women's Investment Fund 145.05 146.79 2.18% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.93% Cordros Milestone Fund 130.51 131.42 4.92% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 111.27 111.27 5.03% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 9.50% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 9.76% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,122.01 1,142.57 0.97% EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.34% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.04 1.04 8.61% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.03 1.03 2.29% Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 103.43 103.43 2.20% FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Bond Fund 1505.44 1505.44 11.46% FBN Balanced Fund 192.74 194.04 9.98% FBN Halal Fund 123.65 123.65 11.47% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.36% FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) 125.99 125.99 6.01% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 157.11 159.23 4.66% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.43% Legacy Debt Fund 3.57 3.57 -10.83% Legacy Equity Fund 1.87 1.91 7.61% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.24 1.24 2.79% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

FSDH Dollar Fund N/A N/A N/A GUARANTY TRUST FUND MANAGERS LIMITED 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 10.28% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.92 2.97 4.92% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 6.00% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 142.98 142.98 5.77% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.22 1.26 2.86% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.06 1.06 3.42% 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 1.62 1.65 13.96% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,171.31 1,171.31 6.66% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: www.meristemwealth.com/funds/; Tel: +2348028496012 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.95 12.03 9.45% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 10.71% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 102.71 102.71 9.69% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 11.40% 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 N/A N/A N/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM EuroBond Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 122.52 125.04 0.05% 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 1.07 1.07 10.04% 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 3,519.36 3,552.85 3.90% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 241.85 241.85 2.67% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.39 1.41 11.11% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 326.33 326.34 4.22% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 257.56 261.22 10.39% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.28% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,699.38 11,857.70 7.23% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.34 1.34 3.74% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 119.78 119.78 2.45% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 112.40 112.40 5.66% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 0.95 0.97 7.01% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.34 1.36 2.76% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.14 1.15 10.02% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.08 1.08 7.20% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.92 1.92 6.30% United Capital Eurobond Fund 123.40 123.40 5.80% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.99% 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 Balanced Strategy Fund 13.59 13.70 2.98% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 15.51 15.65 6.05% Zenith Income Fund 23.13 23.13 5.38% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.47% VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund 3.71 3.81 -7.41% Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund 6.02 6.12 2.98% Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund 17.87 18.07 1.04% Vetiva Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.85% Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund 17.81 18.01 -10.80% Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund 139.91 141.91 -11.25%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

119.29 52.14

5.27% 2.50%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

14.17 125.74 98.81 16.40 17.10

14.27 128.92 100.96 16.50 17.20

1.29% -1.08% -0.96% -4.15% 15.08%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.59

0.00%

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

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.

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

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

L-R: Journalist, Kennedy Mbele; Medical Director, S.E Medical Clinics, Lagos, Dr. Stanley Dikedi; Nigeria Country Head, Max Group of Hospitals, Saravanan Arimuthu, Dr. Adeleye Olufunke; and Max Group of Hospital Assistant Marketing/Sales Manager in Nigeria, Oluseyi Emmanuel, at the unveiling of Liver Transplant by Max Group of Hospitals held at Hotel Continental, Lagos…recently

L-R: President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr. Oluwole Adeosun; representative of Edo State Governor, Mr. Anthony Okungbowa; Director-General Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Lamido Yuguda; and second Vice President of CIS, Mrs. Fiona Ahimie, during the 26th Stockbrokers Conference in Benin-city, Edo State…recently

L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Goni Alkali; Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs, NEDC, Musa Umar Yashi; Executive Director, Administration and Finance, NEDC, Mohammad Jawa Gashua; and Executive Director, Operation, NEDC, Maiwada Omar Mohammed, during the Presidential Communication Team weekly briefing on the achievement of the commission held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja…recently PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI

L-R; Book Reviewer, Dr. Pat Mbatojuo; Chairman, Book Unveiling Committee, Dr. Uchenna Ezeagwu; Chief Launcher, Elder David Edoche; author of the book, Prof. Donatus Nzei; and legal practitioner, Mr. Ike Ugwoke, at the unveiling of a book titled: ‘The Christian Identity’, and the author’s professorship thanksgiving ceremony in Lagos...recently

L-R: President-General of Yoruba Community, Chief Hakeem Mosebolatan Adetunji; the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams; and Vice President of the community, Alhaji Dauda Murana, during the visit of the newly inaugurated leadership of the Yoruba Community in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) to the Aare Ona Kakanfo in Lagos...recently

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, presenting Oath of Office to newly appointed Chairman, The Standing Tribunal of Inquiry into Chieftaincy Matters in Lagos State, Justice Owolabi Dabiri (rtd), during the swearing-in of members of the tribunal, at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja…recently

L-R: Representative of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) National Governing Board Chairman, Hajia Binta Muazu; NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Muhammad Kaku Fadah; representative of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister/Mandate Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, Hajia Hadiza Mohammed Kabir; and NYSC Director for Community Development Service and Special Projects, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Salawu, during the opening ceremony of the 2022 annual NYSC Sports and Cultural Festival held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja...recently

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THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

EXPANDING BUSINESS FRONTIERS...

L-R: CEO, Sanlam General Insurance Nigeria Limited, Bode Opadokun; CEO, Sanlam Pan Africa Life Cluster, Robert Dommisse; CEO, Sanlam Life Insurance Nigeria Limited, Tunde Mimiko, and Head, PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA Marketing, Sanlam Pan Africa, Clement Nhlangwana, during a press conference to announce the birth of Sanlam Nigeria in Lagos, yesterday.

FG Asks ASUU to Obey Court Order, Resume Work Says out of court settlement not ruled out Union may file appeal today

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government has directed the vice chancellors to reopen the universities in compliance with yesterday’s court order.

According to the government, nobody won or lost in the ruling of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), ordering members of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to work, adding that all parties should respect the position of the Industrial Court in national interest.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said this while receiving members of the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) in his office.

Ngige also assured that the court ruling does not preclude further negotiation between the federal government and the universities’

lecturers.

He said: "The ruling is in the best interest of the nation. It is a win-win situation for all of us- government, students, lecturers- all Nigerians indeed. I have just gotten the order of court asking ASUU to go back to work. It is a sound judgment.

“It is no victor, no vanquished.

You doctors in academics are for now members of ASUU, but, you are here, even though you have dissociated yourself and you are working. We want to thank you for working and teaching your students."

When reminded that ASUU was considering filing appeal against the court ruling, Ngige said such a move was not necessary, saying there was still a window to resolve the matter out of court.

However, in a statement credited to the Chairman of Lagos Zone of ASUU, Adelaja Odukoya, the union

urged its members to remain calm.

He was quoted as saying that, "Our President, Comrade Victor Osodeke, has urged members of our great union to remain calm as there is no cause for alarm on the back to work order delivered earlier today.

“Our lawyer is filing an appeal and stay of execution of the judgment. Members should remain resolute and strong. A people united can never be defeated. Solidarity without compromise.”

Speaking on the development, Ngige said the court ruling, “does not preclude us from going on with further negotiation and consultations.”

“The pro-chancellors met Mr. President and made some demands, such as topping up government offer and seeing whether there could be some bailout. Mr. President said in considering it, he will consult

stakeholders. So, he is going to consult everybody,” he added.

Ngige welcomed the intervention of the House of Representatives in the ASUU imbroglio, saying he was happy that the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila said they were going to meet the President.

He said the intervention was timely considering that the President must have also consulted some stakeholders, adding that whatever money to be put in would go into the 2023 appropriation where the National Assembly comes in.

"If they have shown interest now, it is good and wonderful.

When they bring that proposal, the Executive will not have any problem. ASUU should also know that this is a step in the right direction. And all these things have been promised them by the Minister of Education at their last meeting with him. For me, they should

Rivers APC NASS Candidates Petition CJN, Want Case Reassigned from Justice Daylop-Pam Court Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly candidates in Rivers State for the 2023 have petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, seeking the recall of their case files in a suit against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is before Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt and transfer same to another judge in Abuja.

The candidates said they have lost confidence in justice DaylopPam over his alleged association with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

According to the candidates, the refusal of justice Daylop-Pam to recuse himself from the suit despite several applications was a plot by the PDP to delist them from the ballot in the elections.

Signatories to the petition included Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi, Henry Paul Odidi, Ininasiya C. West and Nwibani Eric Sorbari.

Others were Chikordi Dike,

Collyns Owhindo, Oji Ngofa, Eric Chinedu Apia, Chisom Dike, Ephraim Nwuzi and Allison Igbiks.

The petition read in part: "We are the candidates of the APC in Rivers State for National Assembly seats in the 2023 general elections.

"The PDP filed the above suit against us, seeking to nullify our primaries and consequently delisting our names from the ballots of the 2023 general elections.

"The matter, alongside all similar matters filed by the PDP against all other parties and seeking the same relief of delisting from the 2023 ballots, was assigned by the Administrative Judge to Honorable Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam for determination.

"On the 25/7/2022 when the matter came up, the 12th Defendant who appeared in person, orally applied that Hon. Stephen DaylopPam recuses himself from the Suit as he - the 12th Defendant - had already written to the Administrative Judge requesting that the case filed be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another Judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, for determination.

"Apart from the letter written by the 12th Defendant, every one of us wrote individually to the Administrative Judge requesting that the matter be taken away from Hon. Justice Pam. "One of the grounds of our petition was that Justice Pam is extremely close to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, whom he delivered in his favour, the controversial Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) VAT case. We know so much that transpired between Justice Pam and the governor at that time even though for the sake of decency, we did not state and have not stated all that transpired in that matter.

"We also stated that the Rivers State Legal Adviser of the PDP was seen on several occasions while this Suit is still pending, having free ingress and egress to the Chambers of Hon. Justice Pam, having meetings with him. How else can one infer likelihood of bias?

"By letter dated 8th of August, the Administrative Judge responded to our letters and directed that we go back to the same Court and orally apply to Hon. Justice Pam to recuse himself so that he will,

according to the Administrative Judge, write a considered ruling on our application.

"Your Lordship, we are dissatisfied with the decision of the Administrative Judge. In the first place, we had made the application on the 25/7/2022 when the matter came up. The reaction of the trial judge was that he would take the application together with the substantive suit.”

do the needful and get back to classroom."

He said the intervention was timely considering that the President must have also consulted some stakeholders, adding that whatever money to be put in would go into the 2023 appropriation where the National Assembly comes in.

He added: "If they have shown interest now, it is good and wonderful. When they bring that proposal, the Executive will not have any problem. ASUU should also know that this is a step in the right direction.

“And all these things have been promised them by the Minister of Education at their last meeting with him. For me, they should do the needful and get back to classroom."

He said the government would order the vice chancellors to reopen the universities in compliance with the order of court.

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 to protest poor funding of education by the federal government as well as demand for improved welfare conditions amongst others.

After several failed attempts to get the striking lecturers back to work while negotiations continue, the government opted for the current court action and had prayed the court to compel ASUU to end the near seven months old strike in the interest of the nation and the Nigerian students who are suffering the most from the strike.

The Ministry of Transportation Labour and Productivity, had approached the industrial court to challenge the refusal of the striking lecturers to end the nearly seven

months old strike, claiming that millions of students have been out of school since the university lecturers went on strike.

The complainant had also applied for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining ASUU from continuing with the strike since the matter was already in court.

However, responding to yesterday’s ruling, ASUU's lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana stated that the union’s leadership is currently meeting with stakeholders to ensure an amicable resolution of all the thorny issues.

While he urged the federal government to cooperate with the stakeholders to ensure a lasting resolution of the dispute, Falana said neither a minister nor the president could wield such powers as to control a court of competent jurisdiction.

He therefore objected to the granting of the order, claiming that doing so was "wrong and scandalous."

He further argued that the injunction was not necessary as there was no urgency since the strike had lasted for seven months.

Reacting to the National Industrial Court ruling, a legal practitioner, I.M Danjumma, said the order granted against ASUU was interlocutory that I'll only last within the pendency of the main case between the parties involved.

According to him, the order granted against ASUU must be obeyed, even if such an order was perverse, until set aside by a competent court, that is a Court of Appeal.

Continues online

Court Remands Chinese National Who Allegedly Killed Nigerian Lover in Kano Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Magistrate Court 30, sitting at Zangeru road in Kano State yesterday remanded Frank Geng Quanrong, a 47-year-old Chinese national accused of killing his exlover, Ummukulthum Buhari in the state.

Quanrong reportedly followed late Ummukulthum to her family house in Kano, forced himself into her room and stabbed her to death

on a Friday evening.

He was arraigned by the Kano State Police Command.

In his ruling, the judge, Hanif Sanusi Yusuf, said the offence contravened Section 221 of the penal code law.

The judge adjourned the case to October 13.

Spokesman of the police in Kano, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa explained that the suspect committed the crime after scaling

the fence of the deceased residence to gain access and stabbed her severally until she died.

Geng alleged that he was deceived by Ummu who was his girlfriend and promised to marry him, but betrayed him even after he had spent so much money on her.

The suspect further stated that he was angered by her deception and decided to attack and kill the deceased at her residence.

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COMMUNITY SENSITISATION AND EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME...

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu acknowledging cheers from participants at the 4th Community Sensitisation and Empowerment Programme by her office held at Ikeja…recently

Report: African Central Banks Poised for Rate Hikes as Inflation Bites Harder Nigeria, S’Africa, others likely to tighten monetary policy Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency report Africa’s three biggest economies are poised to raise interest rates this week as well as next week while policy makers in several other countries stake out different approaches to navigate inflation shocks and bring prices under control, Bloomberg reported yesterday.

The central banks of Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt are among six likely to tighten monetary policy in the days ahead, it said, while another six countries are set to pause as they assess the impact of previous hikes and relief measures to contain prices.

Topping the agenda would be the implications that weaker local currencies would have on the cost of imported goods, as aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and expectations of more to come boost the dollar.

The repercussions of Russia’s war in Ukraine and an anticipated downturn in Europe and China, alongside emerging price pressures from extreme weather events, are also likely to be in the spotlight.

Nigeria’s central bank was expected to step up monetary tightening after inflation hit a fresh 17-year high in August. It threatens to remain elevated because of floods in its food-producing regions, a surge in diesel costs and continued currency weakness, the report added.

Bloomberg quoted Central Bank

of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele as saying at the July MPC meeting that policy makers could lean towards additional hikes if inflation continues to be “aggressive.” An increase in the benchmark would take it over 14 per cent for the first time since the rate was adopted in 2006.

The central bank, “may feel there is still some scope to raise rates in order to attract foreign exchange inflows,” said Joachim MacEbong, lead analyst at Lagos-based Acorn and Sage Consulting. “Inflation remains a serious concern,” he added.

In South Africa, worries over unanchored inflation expectations and increased depreciation pressure on the rand will probably see the country’s Reserve Bank raise its key rate for a sixth straight meeting, said Sanisha Packirisamy, an economist at Momentum Investments.

All the economists polled by Bloomberg said they expected the MPC to raise its benchmark to 6.25 per cent from 5.5 per cent, in what would be the first time it hiked rates by 75 basis points at consecutive meetings.

In the same vein, economists surveyed by Bloomberg are divided over what Egypt’s central bank will do at its second meeting since Hassan Abdalla became acting governor after Tarek Amer’s shock resignation.

While a minority of forecasters predict the benchmark deposit rate will stay at 11.25 per cent for a third

meeting, most see an increase of 50 to 100 basis points to curb annual inflation that hit its highest level in almost four years.

A hike would also make the North African nation’s assets more attractive after months of quickening price gains turned its rates negative when adjusted for inflation, undercutting the appeal of the country’s domestic bonds and bills to foreign investors. The country has seen some $20 billion in foreign outflows from its local debt market this year.

In Ghana, stabilisation in the cedi since mid-August will probably see policy makers in the country stand pat or stick to existing rates.

The currency has plunged 39 per cent against the dollar this year, sending inflation to its highest level in more than two decades At an extraordinary meeting last month, the Bank of Ghana raised its

key interest rate by three percentage points, adding to 550 basis points of increases since November. It also announced measures to boost foreign-exchange reserves and support the cedi.

In Angola, a downswing in inflation will likely see rate setters in the country, which vies with Nigeria as Africa’s biggest oil producer, cut borrowing costs, making it an outlier at a time of global monetary tightening, Bloomberg said.

Price growth has already dropped below 20 per cent for the first time in more than two years and the central bank forecasts it will slow to less than 18 per cent by the end of the year.

Morocco hasn’t raised interest rates for more than a decade, and it might keep bucking the global trend for monetary tightening, the report said.

The Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative(IPDI) yesterday called for the immediate withdrawal of soldiers allegedly occupying Udouda and Okobe communities in Egene kingdom in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, in order to allow homeless and defenceless residents return to their homes.

The Niger Delta Pressure group, in a statement signed by its national president, Austin Ozobo, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State maintained that it, “has not seen any provocation in the South-South or Niger Delta region currently to have made the military bombard, kill and conquer a residential community

compared to the glaring provocations in northern Nigeria which the military is sentimentally ignoring.”

It added that, “Uduoda and Okobe communities were not at war with the Nigerian military and, as such, needed not to be haunted, killed gruesomely, and conquered

by Nigerian troops.

“If the Nigerian military is looking for somewhere to conquer and occupy, it should be the Sambisa forest and not residential communities whose common trade is fishing and farming.

“We want to make it abundantly clear that Uduoda and Okobe communities in Rivers State are not militant hideouts or camps and can’t be shelled or bombed with crude military intelligence because these are communities that have

check. Kenya scrapped a subsidy on gasoline this month but kept one for diesel and kerosene.

In smaller African economies, the report suggested that Eswatini and Lesotho, whose currencies are pegged to the rand, will probably follow South Africa’s central bank and hike on Friday and Tuesday respectively.

Rate setters in Mauritius who are confronting the highest inflation in almost 14 years will likely raise borrowing costs for a third straight meeting on Septembee 28.

The MPC is “very mindful of the trajectory that inflation is taking,” Governor Harvesh Seegolam said in an interview earlier this month.

Zimbabwe on September 23 and Mozambique a week later are set to hold borrowing costs after introducing sweeping measures to curb soaring inflation and aggressively raising rates this year.

EFCC Denies Detaining Justice Mbaba, Says Property He Occupies was Under Investigation Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, denied detaining the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals, Kano Division, Ita Mbaba.

EFCC, in a statement, said the justice was neither arrested nor

detained by the agency, but that the property he occupied was under investigation.

There were reports that armed operatives from the commission invaded the house of Mbaba.

General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ade Adegbite Esq, said in a post

N’Delta Group Calls For Withdrawal Of Military from Rivers Communities Sylvester Idowu in Warri

With wage hikes for lowerearning households kicking in this month and subsidies due to offset energy costs for consumers, authorities may wait to see the impact on inflation, which is running at its highest since the 1980s.

For Kenya, in the first rate decision since William Ruto was sworn in as president, policy makers will likely look past inflation even though it’s been above the central bank’s 7.5 per cent ceiling since June. Kenya’s MPC sees price pressures easing, probably allowing it to extend a pause for a second straight meeting.

Governor Patrick Njoroge told lawmakers on Monday that global prices of imported goods have started to come down and the central bank is optimistic that

by November, the East African nation won’t need subsidies on products like fuel to keep costs in

government schools, churches, MTN mast, government power lines, and others,” it added.

Consequently, IPDI called on the Nigerian military authorities to prevail on the Chief of Army Staff to evacuate soldiers out of Udouda and Okobe communities without further delay to allow the fleeing residents to return to their homes immediately “as hundreds of persons have been made homeless and suffering as a result of these invasions.

“Again, we call on the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, the Chief of Defence Staff, and Chief of Army Staff to prevail on the military task force, Operation Delta Safe in Rivers and Bayelsa State to stop further invasions in Niger Delta Communities and ensure the military

personnel who have perpetrated this heinous crime against Uduoda and Okobe communities be made to face justice,” the group added.

IPDI, however, urged Niger Delta communities to sue the Nigerian military for at least N100 billion for any unlawful military torture, harassment, and invasion, “to check the excessive militarisation of the Niger Delta communities.”

The group insisted that, “mere suspicion that some people are carrying a gun or doing bunkering business in a community is not enough reason to bombard such community, because it should be remembered that as people, carrying a gun is being targeted, there are also good people in that community who are not carrying gun or doing bunkering.”

shared on his social media handle that the Bar would not allow such act to slide.

He said the premises of the presiding justice was invaded in the early hours of yesterday by the EFCC officials but no arrest took place.

But the agency said the judge was not the target of the raid.

"The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to some reports in the Social Media, alleging that its operatives, in the Kano Zonal Command, ‘invaded’ the residence of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, Honourable Justice Ita Mbaba, located on Sheik Yusuf Adam Game street, off Race Cross Road, Nassarawa Government Reservation Area, Kano.

"While it is true that operatives of the commission visited the property housing Hon. Justice Mbaba on a property verification exercise, owing to a subsisting matter involving the owner of the property, there is no truth, linkage or nexus with any investigation of the Honourable Justice of the Court of Appeal "Available facts showed that Hon. Justice Mbaba is not the owner of the property and could,

therefore, not be the subject of any investigation by the Commission.

We wish to restate that Hon. Justice Ita Mbaba is not under any investigation by the EFCC. The commission holds the Judiciary in optimum respect and would do nothing to embarrass any officer of the court," it said.

Meanwhile, operatives of the agency have arrested a suspected fraudster, Hassan Babangida Hassan, over alleged criminal conspiracy, employment scam and forgery.

He was arrested in Kano, yesterday, September 7, 2022, based on alleged fraudulent claims of being an employment agent that could secure jobs for applicants in different ministries and parastatals.

He allegedly defrauded an applicant, Usman Rilwan, of the sum of N14,950, 000 in the guise of getting a paid job for him.

A separate statement by the agency said Rilwan alleged that he paid the suspect the money as a “facilitation fee” to “process” the offer of the job.

Hassan allegedly issued his victim an appointment letter, which upon presentation was discovered to be fake EFCC said the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

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THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

KANU HEART FOUNDATION FITNESS WALK...

L-R: Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Nigerian former Professional Footballer, Kanu Nwankwo, and his Manager, Engr. Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe, when Nwankwo led a delegation of the Kanu Heart Foundation to the Government House, Enugu…yesterday

IPOB Dares Soludo, Accuses Him of Secretly Eliminating Members Gov seeks help from FG, development partners to tackle erosion Deji Elumoye in Abuja and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, of secretly setting up Ebubeagu militia to eliminate their members.

IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, stated this in a press release in Awka, Anambra State, where he dared Soludo, and promised to confront his militia, using the militant wing of their Organisaion, Eastern Security Network (ESN).

"We have been drawn to the reckless and unjustifiable murder of innocent citizens of Biafra in Anambra State by the secret militia and Ebubeagu security outfit created in Anambra State by Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

"IPOB wants to bring to the knowledge of Biafrans the criminal activities of Soludo's militia and Ebubeagu security outfit in Anambra State. Soludo had secretly set up the Ebubeagu security outfit simply to begin a covert elimination of IPOB members. Now, it is clear that the governor wants to turn the peaceful state of Anambra into flame.

"Soludo must be held responsible for whatever happens in Anambra State going forward if he continues to use his Ebubeagu militia to be profiling Biafrans and

eliminating them because they have paintings or tattoo on their body."

The group said the secret killing of its members were pronounced in Nnewi, Idemili South and North, including other important towns and communities in the state.

It advised, therefore, Soludo to take a cue from what was happening in other South Eastern states, where the governors defied IPOB's warnings, citing Imo and Ebonyi States in particular.

Powerful said ESN has been put on alert about happenings in Anambra State, where he claimed that several members of IPOB had been either killed, abducted or arrested.

Meanwhile, Soludo has called on the federal government and other development partners to come to the rescue of his state, saying between 30% to 40% of the state land mass was currently threatened by erosion and other ecological problems.

The governor, who sent out the appeal yesterday while speaking to newsmen after meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja, noted that erosion had become a matter of emergency in his state.

According to him, the state’s entire budget for ten consecutive years would not be sufficient to remedy the situation, adding that, only an urgent intervention from the federal government and other

development partner could save the situation.

He, however, disclosed that the state government had already commenced steps towards introducing better environmental awareness among the people, targeted at limiting factors that worsen the erosion problem.

His words: “The environment is our number one existential threat, other than security, and Anambra is the erosion capital of Nigeria.

Perhaps, you might know that

about 30% to 40% of our land is under threat of erosion, there's no other state like Anambra, when it comes to erosion. Even last week, somewhere between Ezinhifite/Osumenyin Road was cut off again and several … Huge gullies everywhere; Obosi, Oko, Nanka, Aguolo, everywhere, there’s erosion menace.

“Like I said, while our landmass is shrinking massively due to erosion and so on, it’s far, far beyond the capacity of a state

government to deal with. Even if you were to sink the entire budget of the state into dealing with the gully erosion in the state, even if you were to sink all of them for the next ten years, it will still be like a drop in the ocean.

“This is an area where the state government wishes to partner effectively with the federal government and the development partners to deal with that. It is a state of emergency, with regards to erosion. And of course, we're

also promoting this concept of responsible citizenship on the part of our people, to be able to take some responsible steps.

“We are providing some regulations; people controlling the runoff water from their homes, they don't just pipe them and get them off on the streets. Of course, they must go somewhere, contain it within you your place. Building controls; it will designate drain versus buildable areas, and so on and so forth.”

Gbajabiamila: Why Govt Won't Fund Political Parties Says it's late to propose fresh amendments to electoral act Juliet Akoje in Abuja The Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday, said it was nolonger fashionable to expect the federal government to fund political parties at this critical period of Nigeria's democratic advancement.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Lanre Lasisi, he stated that using government's money to run the parties was an indirect invitation for it to assume control of the political parties by dictating choices and policies that might be in conflict with the tenets of democracy.

Gbajabiamila argued that the international best practice was for

parties to be self-funded and that using government's money would also lead to the proliferation of political parties.

Gbajabiamila, who said this while receiving a delegation of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the National Assembly in Abuja, noted that people would simply abuse the process by registering hundreds of political parties in the hope of cashing out on free government money.

"I am not sure how many countries fund their political parties; we will have to do research and to be sure that it's international best practice. Government is an interested party, if it will be providing the funds, that will also mean they can compromise the

system.

"There is also proliferation (of parties) that will become a problem if the government begins to fund the parties, since there will be free money,” he explained.

Reacting to requests for fresh amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, the speaker said it was not advisable to do so a few months before the general election, because making new amendments to the law this period could disorganise election planning, create unnecessary tension in the polity and raise credibility questions.

According to him, the safest route would be to further amend the Act after the elections if a need arose, or in the alternative, aggrieved persons could approach the

judiciary to seek an interpretation of any contentious provisions.

He, therefore, called for patience, urging parties to seize the opportunity of the upcoming polls to fully test the Act and determine the success of innovations such as electronic transmission of results, the deployment of the BIVAS, among others.

He added that upon a successful poll, other innovations such as electronic collation of results and Diaspora voting could also be considered.

On his part, National Chairman of IPAC, Yabagi Sani, told the Speaker that the purpose of the visit was to seek synergy and a good working relationship between IPAC and the National Assembly.

In order to cut waste and eliminate duplication of functions, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has approved the restructuring of the state’s civil and public service.

Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Andrew Emwanta, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the weekly Executive Council (EXCO) meeting chaired by Obaseki, at the Government House, Benin City.

The Commissioner said with the new development, ministries in the state had now been cut down from 22 to 18, while Ministries,

Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had been reduced from 105 to 72.

“At today’s EXCO meeting, the Council received a memo from the office of the Secretary to the State Government, which was presented by the Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., for the restructuring and rationalisation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Edo and was graciously approved by the Council.

“The details of this memo include the reduction of ministries

from 22 to 18 and the reduction of MDAs from 105 to 72. The idea behind this is to reduce wastages and avoid duplication of functions especially when we have an economic situation that requires prudence on the part of the government.

“So, if at the federal level, there is this talk of reducing its bureaucracy and MDAs, Edo State is now blazing a trail in walking the talk. Towards this end, a new office has been created, the office of Special Duties to be headed by a commissioner.”

Also, yesterday, Obaseki said the state government would partner indigenous horticulturists in the state on the state’s greening project, in line with the Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) Agenda.

He disclosed this during a dialogue with members of the state chapter of Nigeria Institute of Landscape Horticulturists, who were on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City.

The horticulturists were led on the visit by the Edo State Chairman, Uwadiamen Iyamuosa and Secretary, Akintoye Temitope.

Shekarau Formally Announces Defection to PDP in Senate Obaseki Reduces MDAs Via Restructuring, Rationalisation Announcing Shekarau's defection Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The Senator representing Kano Central, Ibrahim Shekarau, officially defected on the floor of the Senate, yesterday, a month after he left the New Nigeria Peoples Party ( NNPP) for the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).

Shekarau, had on Monday, August 29, 2022, defected along with thousands of his supporters to PDP from NNPP on the grounds of alleged unfair treatment by the party led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the party.

through a letter, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the Kano Central Senator wished to officially inform his colleagues of the development.

Shekarau, in the letter read by Lawan, said his defection and those of his supporters was to carry out their political aspirations in a party well disposed to them.

After the announcement, PDP senators led by the minority leader, Philip Aduda, and the Minority Whip, Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), embraced Shakarau for defecting to their party.

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NEWS

ROUNDTABLE WITH INVESTORS...

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Founder and CEO of Rendeavour, Mr Stephen Jennings; Head of Partnerships, 17 Asset Management, Eliza Prendzov and Executive Vice President of Rendeavour, Mr Preston Mendenhall, during a roundtable with investors at the 77th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), organised by the Business Council for International Understanding in New York…recently

Bello to Youths: Don't Be Misled By Sentiments, Social Media Campaign Isn't Real Says he's link between old and new generations Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has advised the youths not to be misled by sentiments during next year's general election, saying social media campaigns are not the same as the physical ones.

Bello, who has just been appointed the National Youth Co-ordinator of the TinubuShettima Presidential Campaign Council, however, said he he was the link between the old and new generations.

"Electioneering via social media is different from the physical one and now is the time to educate the younger generation not to be carried away by sentiments in order not to be misled," he said.

According to him, he was the best man for the job based on his track record, adding that he would deliver on his new mandate to win votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.

Although facing criticisms for being too old for the role, the governor appreciated the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding him worthy of the position and the recognition,

stating that his appointment would boost Tinubu’s chances of becoming president in the 2023 election.

He said, "I am the youngest serving governor in the last six years with an experience and history of mobilising and coordinating young people affairs, including women and people living with disabilities," Bello said.

Bello, who was on the Morning Show of ARISE NEWS Channels, said he was properly placed to coordinate the activities of the younger people across the country.

His words: “My appointment is not to be a youth leader, president, or chairman. I am the youngest governor for the past six years and by my experience and from my pedigree, achievements, and records of inclusivity of a younger generation, youths, women living with disabilities, in governance and all other activities across the country, I think our leader and candidate, BAT has experienced and exercised his eagle eye and sight by spotting me to come and lead this crusade.”

Fielding questions on how he classified himself as a youth considering he was well over 40 years old, Bello said the party was

more concerned about winning and that he wasn’t a youth but a young man, who belonged to a younger generation.

He further stated that his role

was to coordinate activities and ensure that he breached the gap between the younger and older generation for the success of their campaign.

Ortom, Wabara Meets to Solve PDP Crises

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and former Senate President and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Dr Adolphus Wabara, have called for true reconciliation to solve the rift within the party

before the 2023 elections.

Both Ortom and Wabara spoke at the inauguration of the N400 million forty room Aper Aku lodge government guest house, Makurdi.

Wabara, who is the chairman, peace committee, appealed to all aggrieved members to support the committee to enable them solve the problems and quickly too.

He stated that every family has its own problems and there was need for every hand to be on deck to restore peace to the party.

“There is no family without problems and that is exactly why we have came to the head to encourage us with suggestions to solve the problems. As I said earlier, there is no problems without solution. We should just watch our utterances, because we will all come back to the same table in the interest of Nigerians,” Wabara said.

The BOT chairman stated that it was only PDP that could deliver the nation and provide dividends of democracy like they did in the past 16 years, when they were in power, adding: “God just asked

and connectivity with the younger generation. Anybody older than me who has the connection with the youth can equally be appointed,” he further said.

IN LAST ADDRESS TO UNGA, BUHARI RECOMMITS TO CREDIBLE 2023 POLLS commitments by nuclear weapon states.

According to him, the Ukraine war would have adverse consequences, including hindering the capacity of the international community to work together to resolve conflicts elsewhere, especially in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Buhari said, “Indeed, the on-going war in Ukraine is making it more difficult to tackle the perennial issues that feature each year in the deliberations of this Assembly, such as nuclear disarmament, the right of the Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar, and the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for statehood and reduction of inequalities within and amongst nations.”

Buhari emphasised the call by Nigeria and many other memberstates for the reform of the Security Council and other UN agencies, saying, “Change is long overdue.”

He added, “We need more effective and representative structures to meet today’s demands that have since outgrown a system designed for the very different world that prevailed at its foundation in 1945.”

On the use of technology, Buhari called attention to the use of social media to spread hate speech and divisive information. He said world leaders must come together to defend freedom of speech and uphold other values.

He stated, “We must continue to work for a common standard that balances rights with responsibilities to keep the most vulnerable from harm and help strengthen and enrich communities.

“Efforts to protect communities from the scourge of disinformation and misinformation must also be matched with efforts to reduce inequalities and restore hope to our poorer and most vulnerable of our communities as a means to stem

PDP CRISIS DEEPENS AS WIKE, LOYALISTS PULL OUT OF ATIKU’S CAMPAIGN Those of you with such ideas must change and blend in our journey.

"Our social media handlers should focus on issues, unity, reconciliation and political cohesion by posting things that will improve the party's electoral fortunes, not things that will hurt our reputation or hinder our membership drive ahead of 2023," he said.

Earlier, Coordinator of Kano State Social Media Group, Malam Farouk Abba Labaran, assured the national chairman and the national working committee of the PDP of their loyalty, support, with a vow to helping the party win the presidency, take control of the National Assembly and at least 25 governorships in next year's general elections.

“I congratulate our leader for supporting me to come and put to bear my expertise in bringing together all these younger generations. I think I have the experience

us to give way, eight years, for Nigerians to judge for themselves.”

While acknowledging that the aggrieved members have their points, he promised that, “We will look at it as the conscience of the party and come out with a decision very soon. We will reach out to the groups. That is why we came here so that he (Ortom) will create the enabling environment for us to reach out to others.”

Responding, Ortom, who noted that he was also an aggrieved party member, commended the Wabara committee for their peace moves.

“I have been with Wike. We are friends. We are colleagues and we share common understanding on these issues. I commend the BOT for taking these steps because reconciliation is very key and that is why I said the party leadership would have deployed its internal conflict resolution mechanism long ago. I commend this effort, reaching out, discussing and dialoguing.

“Politics, as I know in over 40 years of practice, is full of conflict but you must get to discussing it

and finding solutions. People have diverse interests. You must look at it and see how there can be a win-win.

“But treating people as if they are nothing or they have no value, does not make sense to me. So, that is what the BOT is trying to do and I believe they have seen me, we have discussed, they are also going to see other governors and I believe that at the end of the day, we shall do something that will bring us together,” he said.

Asked if he was going to play a mediatory role or stay by the side, Ortom said, “I’m an aggrieved person too and that is why they came. I’m not happy with leadership of the party on what they are doing.”

“We should be working together.

They are here as fathers, as leaders and as conscience of the party, to discuss with us. We have met, we have made our positions known severally, that we are not happy with the way the leadership of the party at the national level is managing the party. They need to do something.”

the many socio-economic conflict drivers with which we are faced.”

The president asserted that while social media was helpful in strengthening the foundations of society and common values, at its worst, it remained a corrosive digital version of the mob, bristling with intolerance and division.

He noted that a key feature of the last decade had been the growing partnership between states and the increasingly influential non-state actors.

“There was a time when the most important event at this Assembly was the speech by the world’s most powerful leaders,” he said.

Buhari added, “Now a Tweet or Instagram post by an influencer on social or environmental issues may have greater impact.

“When I began my tenure as President in 2015, distinctions were drawn between the experience of poorer countries and those apparently better able to manage the avalanche of unfiltered information.

“Nigeria has had many unsavoury experiences with hate speech and divisive disinformation. Increasingly, we also see that many countries face the same challenge. Clearly, data also know no borders.”

Buhari called for outright debt cancellation for developing countries facing the most severe fiscal and liquidity challenges.

According to him, the multifaceted challenges facing most developing countries have placed a debilitating chokehold on their fiscal space, justifying the need to address the burden of unsustainable external debt by a global commitment to the expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative as well as outright cancellation.

On climate change, Buhari expressed concern that Africa and other developing nations, which produced only a small proportion of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to industrial economies, were the hardest hit by its consequences, as seen in the sustained droughts in Somalia and floods of unprecedented severity in Pakistan.

He said, “These and other climaterelated occurrences are now sadly

becoming widely commonplace in the developing world. We are, in effect, literally paying the price for policies that others pursue. This needs to change.'

“At the Cop 26 in Glasgow last year, I did say that Nigeria was not asking for permission to make the same mistakes that others have made in creating the climate emergency.

“Fortunately, we now know what we can do to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and the related energy challenge. As a first step, we must all commit to releasing the financing and the technology to create a stable and affordable framework for energy transition.

“Development Financial Institutions must prioritise de-risking energy projects to improve access of renewable projects to credit facilities.

There should be no countries 'left behind' in this equation.

“Rocketing energy costs worldwide are, in part, the product of conflict and supply disruptions to Europe and the Americas.”

Buhari said Nigeria expected UNGA 77 and the upcoming COP 27 to help galvanise the political will required to drive action towards the fulfilment of the various existing climate change initiatives.

In his final reflection to the world body, Buhari urged leaders to uphold the values of justice, honour, and integrity.

According to him, “We live in extraordinary times with interdependent challenges but enormous opportunities. The pace of change can seem bewildering, with sometimes a palpable and unsettling sense of uncertainty about our future.

“But if my years in public service have taught me anything, it is that we must keep faith with those values that endure.

“These include, but are not limited to such values as justice, honour, integrity, ceaseless endeavour, and partnership within and between nations.

“Our strongest moments have always been when we remain true to the basic principles of tolerance, community, and abiding commitment to peace and goodwill towards all.”

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2022˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

COURTESY VISIT.…

L-R: Chairman, Committee of e-Business Industry Heads (CeBIH), Celestina Appeal; Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu; Vice Chairman, CeBIH, Folasade Femi-lawal; Executive Directors, Zenith Bank, Adaobi Nwakpa, and Tope Fasoranti, during a courtesy visit by CeBIH Exco to the bank in Lagos…yesterday

Ondo Amotekun Arrests 45 Suspects for Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Burglary Fidelis David inAkure Men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun, have arrested 45 suspects for various criminal offences in the state. The Amotekun Commander, Mr. Adetunji Adeleye while parading

the suspects at the headquarters of the corps in Akure yesterday, said the suspects were arrested for offences ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, stealing, snatching of motorbikes among others.

The Amotekun Commander who doubles as Special Adviser on Security to the state Governor said:

“Today is another major harvest of criminals operating within the Ondo state. A couple of weeks ago, we deployed additional hands to all the 18 local government areas of the state, to assist in beefing up the security architecture of Ondo state and it has actually yielded a lot of results.

“Within the last two weeks, we’ve been able to curtail the

excesses of the criminals raging from kidnapping, armed robbery, rape among others. We have 45 criminals which we’ve concluded their investigations and they are ready to go for prosecution.”

Adeleye explained that the corps has a case of one Okoye Chukwuma, who specialises in burgling cocoa stores and one Philip Jacob who specialises in

vandalising vehicles parked in mechanical workshop overnight.

“At Ore, in Odigbo LGA, we have a suspect who kidnapped a family and we immediately swung into action and we were able to arrest the kidnappers and release the victims. We also have those that are regular in house breaking, in the midnights. They have their ways of opening doors

and silently entering to molest innocent people and disposes them of their valuables.

“We also some suspects that specialises in using vehicles to steal goats across the state and some of the goats have been recovered from them. We have a gang of fraudsters that uses spiritual means to defraud some people in the society.”

Amby UnezeinOwerri

journalists at the Government House yesterday also debunked insinuation that foreigner’s name were discovered in the INEC Register in Omuma ward which is his home ward.

While extolling the tactics of the security agencies in listing the bomb factory, he noted that the professional approach of the security agencies prevented loss of lives during the operation but regretted the critical injury sustained

by the army captain and another officer who led the operation.

Uzodimma, who vowed to sustain the fight against insecurity in the state, explained that the natives of the area where subjected to various forms of molestation including tasking them to pay all forms of illegal taxes before opening their shops.

He has also promised the people of the community that their market, shops and other items destroyed

in the process of the operation would be replaced and adequate compensation made to the affected innocent traders.

“As I speak with you, the army Captain that led this operation and another officer is lying critical at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Federal Medical Centre, the soldiers were able to dislodge bandits’ fertilizer and other electrical items they used in manufacturing the explosives and all were recovered.

Again, Gunmen Attack Private Vehicle, Abduct Two in Rivers We‘ll Flush Bandits, Kidnappers from Imo,Says Uzodimma Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Gunmen have attacked a private vehicle enroute Emohua/ Kalabari road in Rivers State, kidnapped two of the occupants.

THISDAY gathered that the incident happened Tuesday night. Four days ago a similar incident occurred where five passengers of a commercial bus were whisked away by the kidnappers at the area. But the police yesterday, confirmed the rescue of four of the victims, while it has intensified effort to rescue the remaining victim, with effort to arresting the fleeing suspects.

However, a driver at the Choba Park in Obio/Akpor

Local Government Area who confirmed the kidnap to incident, said it was a private vehicle loaded with illegally refined petroleum product and heading towards Choba, near the University of Port Harcourt.

The driver, who pleaded anonymity disclosed that the incident occurred at about 8pm, Tuesday, on the same spot where a commercial bus driver was killed and eight of his passengers kidnapped a fortnight ago, as well as well the abduction of five passenger last Saturday.

He said:”They were two persons in the car, the driver and another man. The vehicle is loaded with adulterated kerosene.

113th Anniversary: King’s College Holds Colloquium on State of Nigeria

WaleIgbintade

To mark its 113th anniversary, King’s College has set processes in motion to hold a colloquium where solutions to issues of insecurity, and lack of national cohesion facing the nation will be proffered.

The event, billed for September 24, with the theme: “Building the Nigeria of our dreams”, will be chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, while Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is chief host.

Chairman of 2022 Kingsweek celebration, Etigwe Uwa, SAN, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos, stated that other dignitaries

expected include: Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN); former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) former President, Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN).

He said the Managing Director of ARISE News Channel Ms Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, would moderate the session, as the event is to set an agenda for a new Nigeria, in line with the long-standing tradition of King’s College Old Boys’Association (KCOBA).

Buhari Mourns Mother of FCT Minister of State, Hajiya Zainab Ali Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, over the passing of her mother, Hajiya Zainab Sidi Ali. The President, in a release issued yesterday by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, commiserated with family members, friends and associates of the late matriarch, who defined her life with kindness, charity

and service to humanity.

President Buhari noted outpouring of testimonies over the good life of Hajiya Zainab, fondly called “Gogo”, with reflections on her wise counsels, diligence in business and enveloping love for her children, orphans, neighbours and community, mostly of the underprivileged she looked after.

He prayed that the Almighty God will remember her investments of love on earth, and grant her eternal rest.

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma has reiterated his government’s resolve to flush out all bandits, Kidnappers and terrorists in the State, even as he commended the security agencies for destroying the bomb factory at Ekeututu market in Orsu Local Government Area of the State last weekend.

The governor, while briefing

Court Convicts Pastor for Issuing $1.6m Dud Cheque Wale Igbintade Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court, in Ikeja yesterday sentenced Ayodeji Oluokun, an assistant Pastor of the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of David Parish, Victoria Island, Lagos, to two years imprisonment for issuance of $1.6

million dud cheque.

The convicted Pastor was charged alongside his company, Peak Petroleum Industry Nigeria Limited, on an amended six-count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheque, stealing and obtaining money under false pretences.

Justice Taiwo in her Judgement, held that the prosecution had

successfully proved the charge of issuance of dud cheque against the defendants. The judge, however, discharged and acquainted the defendants of stealing and obtaining money under false pretences. “The defendant issued two cheque in the sum of $1.6 million to the nominal complainant, which was

dishonoured because there was no fund in the defendant’s account.

“Issuance of cheque for lack of credit is a strict liable offence. If the defendant was truly expecting some money till the end of July 2014 as claimed by him, he would have waited till he received the money before issuing the cheque on June 24, 2014.

Kwara Disburses N600m Grants to 30,000 Traders Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

As part of move to boost economic activities in Kwara State, the government has commenced the distribution of a whopping sum of N600m grant to empower at least 30,000 women and petty traders across the sixteen local governments of the State.

The support, which is being coordinated under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP), is a replica of World Bank programme, Nigeria for Women Project, with each of the beneficiaries receiving N20,000 to support their trades.

Speaking at the event in Ilorin yesterday, Acting General

Manager, KWASSIP, Mr. Abdulqowiyu Olododo said that the disbursement exercise started with Asa, Ilorin West and Ilorin South, while other local governments are scheduled for the coming days.

He said: “We are paying N20,000 each to 30,000 petty traders across the State.

“As I speak, enumeration is still ongoing to accommodate more people. But we needed to kick-start the payment.

“From now till Saturday, we will be paying the first batch of the beneficiaries. And subsequently like a week or so, disbursement for the new entrants will continue.

Atiku Possesses Leadership Exposures to Proffer Solutions to Nation’s Challenges’

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Kwara State Coordinator, Atiku Support Organisation(ASO), Hon. Segun Olawoyin, has said that former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, possessed all leadership exposures to take the nation out

of her present challenges.

Speaking in Ilorin, yesterday on the sideline interactive session with Atiku affiliate groups, media volunteers group among others under auspices of Friends of Atiku, Hon. Olawoyin stated that the current challenges facing the nation was as a result of poor leadership on the part of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)

at the centre.

He said: “Enough is enough of backwardness in Nigeria, enough of lecturer’s strike, enough of economic and insecurity in Nigeria.

“The ruling APC led federal government has impoverished Nigerians due to the poor management of policies.

“And, I want to say that, the only presidential candidate that

can take out Nigerians out of the current challenges is PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar “Atiku was a former presidential aspirant in 1992, 1999, 2007, 2011 and 1999. He has garnered all forms of political exposures that can be used to add more values to the people of the country come 2023 general elections.”

Firm Wants Makinde, AG, Others Jailed for Disobeying Court Order AlexEnumahinAbuja

AHigh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),Abuja has been asked to jail the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Attorney General of the State, Oyewole Oyelowo for allegedly refusing to obey the order of the court.

Besides Makinde and the Oyo

State AG, plaintiffs is also seeking the committal to custody some Egyptian contractors led by Fadi Khalil on the same alleged disregard to lawful order of the court.

An Abuja based company, ENL Consortium Limited, in a committal to prison proceedings argued yesterday, held that the

order of the court issued against the governor, Attorney General and others since July 4, 2022 has not been complied with.

Counsel to the company, Mr. Bankole Akomolafe in a form 48 initiated against the defendants prayed Justice Josephine Obanor not to listen to the defendants on

any issue until they have purged themselves of contempt of the court.

Akomolafe reminded the Judge that on July 4, 2022, the court issued an order restraining Craneburg Limited, Oyo State Government, Oyo State Attorney General and an Egyptian, Mr. Fadi Khalil from interfering with the activities of ENL

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

BOOSTING SECURITY IN OYO STATE…

L-R: Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Williams Adebowale; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, K. R. Madayi, when the governor presented 10 patrol vehicles to Police Area commands in the state in Ibadan…recently

Protesting Niger Pensioners Block Govt House Gate

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Scores of pensioners yesterday continued their protests against the nonpayment of their pensions and gratuities by the Niger State Government.

The pensioners blocked the main gate to the Government

House and chanted war songs during the protest.

They also carried placards with various inscriptions and vowed to remain at the entrance to the Government House until their demands are met.

The Chairman of the Pensioners, Mr. Ibrahim Mahmud,

Court Refuses Baba Ijesha’s RequestforPost-ConvictionBail Wale Igbintade An Ikeja Special Offences Court yesterday refused post-conviction bail application filed by convicted actor, Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo rejected the bail application on the ground that he did not meet exceptional circumstances and criteria to warrant the bail.

The Court held: “The applicant must show special and exceptional circumstances because the term given to him is 5 years which is to run concurrently. There is no evidence that the appeal has been entered and there is no indication before this court that the court will not treat the case expeditiously.

“It is the view of this court that the applicant has failed to show special circumstances to warrant him bail because he is facing a serious crime.

“In view of this, I am inclined to refuse the bail application of the applicants pending appeal.”

The embattled actor is seeking a bail for an appeal for the five years conviction of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Baba Ijesha’s counsel, Prince Gabriel Olabiran had on August 10 informed the court that a notice for bail pending appeal has been submitted pursuant to Section 6 (6) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 51 of the High Court law of Lagos State, administration of criminal justice law.

Police Rescue Kidnapped Victims, Nabbed Suspects in Delta Sylvester Idowu inWarri

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have rescued two kidnapped victims and apprehended their abductors in Delta State.

Two of the alleged kidnappers who were identified as Mr. Felix Itoje (32) and Mr. Israel Adam (22), were arrested last Sunday after kidnapping a woman.

Also, at about 10:30 p.m. last Friday, detectives from Agbarho Police Station chased and arrested

some gunmen who broke into the residence of a man (name withheld) along Railway Station Road Agbarho in an attempt to kidnap him.

It was learnt that 50 rounds of live cartridges were recovered from the car they used in perpetrating the act.

In the same vein, a 30-year-old kidnap suspect, one Onyeka Ozoh was arrested last Saturday in his hideout at Issele-Uku by men of Issele-Uku Division while acting on credible intelligence.

NGO Offers Scholarships, Materials to Pupils Ugo Aliogo

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Help for School Foundation, has given out scholarships, school bags and exercise books to community children in Amukoko, Ajegunle, Lagos State.

The project tagged “Back to School Delight” was held recently. Speaking on the project, the Executive Director, Help for School Foundation, Bunmi Oreaje-Ogbori said: “It is one of the many ways the

foundation has been making impacts in the community since its inception in 2019.

“I am so happy for the success of today’s outreach and delighted that “Back to School Delight” was able to impact 300 school children in two low cost schools, (Sadec Schools, Funmiland Nursery and Primary School) and had three more visiting schools in attendance.

“The foundation gave out 150 scholarships, school bags and exercise books to the children.

said that they decided to storm the Government House for the second time in less than a month because of the nonchalant attitude of the state government to their

plight.

Mahmud said that despite assurances from the state government that their entitlements would be paid, nothing

meaningful has come their ways.

He said: “Our members have continued to die from very avoidable sicknesses and diseases because we had the

misfortune of serving Niger State Government.

“At a time we are supposed to enjoy the reward of our labour, we are being punished.”

Police Smashes Robbery Gang, Arrest Housewife over Husband’s Murder in Kebbi Ismail Adebayo in Birnin Kebbi The Kebbi State Police Command announced yesterday the arrest a member of notorious armed robbery gang operating along Bena/ Mairairai Road in southern part of Kebbi State.

The police command also apprehended a housewife suspected to have murdered her husband in Birnin Kebbi area of the state.

While addressing journalists at the command’s police headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, the Commissioner of Police,

CP. Magaji Kontagora, said that the armed robbery gang robbed and attacked one Tasiu Magaji Kassalle, shot one Mikail Ibrahim dead and made away with their motorcycles, four bags of fertilizer and the sum of N1,950.

Kontagora said that police

detectives swung into action, trailed and arrested one of the gang member, Mr. Muhammed Lawali (aka Kaska).

He disclosed that the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation, adding that one single barrel gun and a matchet were recovered from the suspect.

17 Years after, Nwosu Loses Bid to Remain ADC National Chairman Emameh Gabriel in Abuja Efforts by the former National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, to extend his tenure beyond the provision of the law as chairman of the party through

the back doors was neutralised yesterday, THISDAY has gathered.

Nwosu, who has spent 17 years as the National Chairman of ADC before the expiration of his tenure in August, sources at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed

that he was said to have been told yesterday by commission to jettison the idea of getting another tenure extension.

ADC had early this month set up caretaker committee after Nwosu’s controversial exit to plan and conduct a national

convention to elect substantive national officers within six weeks.

Having spent 17 years as the national chairman of the party, Nwosu was recently asked to vacate the office for another set of leaders to lead the party into the 2023 general election

Group Kicks against Campaign Donations to Abia PDP’s Guber Candidate Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia A group from among the kinsmen of the Governor of Abia State, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has kicked against cash and material donations made to the governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Uche

Ikonne.

Some select members of PDP from Obingwa had on September 19, 2022, reportedly donated huge cash, vehicles and food stuff to assist Ikonne in his campaigns to win the 2023 governorship poll and succeed Ikpeazu, his godfather.

But a group from the governor’s local government under the banner

of Obingwa Concerned Citizens (OCC), has criticized the donations, saying that they were self-serving and smacked of insensitivity to the impoverished Abia masses.

The OCC explained that it frowned at the donations by Obingwa politicians, because they constituted “man’s inhumanity to man and misplaced priority all

in a bid to impose on the people another burden that would last for eight years.”

Among the contentious gifts allegedly donated to the PDP governorship flag bearer were N37 million cash, 100 bags of rice, a life cow, stock fish, campaign materials and two Toyata Sienna minivan valued at over N100 million.

Earmark 60 % of Agriculture Funds for Small-scale Farmers, Govt Told SegunAwofadejiinBauchi In view of the persistent poor access by many small- scale farmers to the various funds for agriculture development in the country, the Association of Small- Scale Agro Producers In Nigeria (ASSAPIN) has called on the federal and state governments to earmark at least

60 per cent of the agriculture investments in budgets as well as in any intervention facility created by these level of governments for small-scale farmers and small scale agriculture.

The association also urged the government at all levels to prioritise participatory and transparent sectoral budget process for accountability and

good governance for the small-scale farmers in the country.

The Executive Director,ASSAPIN (Bauchi), Hajiya Amina Bala Jibrin, who made the call during the official launching of the Influencing Strategy, Farmers Manifesto and Commitment Pledge held in Bauchi yesterday, described agriculture as the largest employer of labour in

the country that deserved better funding to attract more investors to create employment and ensure food security.

According to her, “Over 70 per cent of Nigerians are engaged in agriculture, and many of them don’t even have access to fertilizers and labour-saving equipment. The smallscale farmers are more vulnerable.

INEC List: House Deputy Minority Leader Distances Self from Labour Party Ticket

UdoraOrizuinAbuja

The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu has distanced himself from the list published on Tuesday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which included his name

as the Labour Party (LP) candidate.

The electoral body listed Okechukwu’s name as the LP’s candidate for Awgu/Oji-River/ Aninri Federal Constituency of Enugu state.

But in a statement he personally signed yesterday, the lawmaker said he would no longer contest for any

position in 2023 and will remain in the Peoples Democratic Party.

The statement read in part: “My attention has been drawn to the list of candidates for the 2023 general election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 20th September 2022 wherein my

name was published as the LP Candidate for Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Enugu State. I wish to state that I will not be contesting as the candidate of the LP or any other party in the said election. I remain a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Hoodlums Burgle Ekiti SDP’s Office, Cart away Tribunal-related Materials

VictorOgunjeinAdoEkiti

Hoodlums suspected to be political thugs have reportedly vandalised the Ekiti State Secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and carted away documents relevant to the prosecution of its governorship candidate’s case at the Election

Petition Tribunal.

The hoodlums attacked the Ado Ekiti Local Government Area office of the party located on Ilawe road in the state capital.

Segun Oni, who was the candidate of the party in the June 18 governorship election, is currently challenging the victory of

the Governor-elect, Biodun Oyebanji, at the tribunal.

The SDP Public Relations Officer, Gani Salau, addressed journalists about the development yesterday, saying the burglars, who invaded the office premises last Tuesday night, were said to have carted away property and important

documents being used in the ongoing tribunal process.

The PRO explained that the incident had been reported to the police, adding: “The office assistance, Joy, got to know this morning and informed us. We discovered that various items and documents were carted away.”

47

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

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

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Ekong: Eagles Target Against Algeria is Outright Victory I N T E R N AT I O N A L F R I E N D LY Duro Ikhazuagbe Deputy Captain of the Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong, has insisted that Nigeria’s target in Tuesday’s international friendly with the Fennec of Algeria in Oran is outright victory.

Speaking in an interview on NFF TV yesterday, the Watford defender in the English Championship who was part of the Super Eagles that lost in the semifinal of AFCON 2019 in Egypt to the Algerians, believes victory is achievable.

Ekong is excited about the fresh blood that have been injected into the team since Portuguese gaffer Jose Peseiro took charge.

“It has been good. We are very happy to see the boys back together and the staff.

“We have a game coming up against Algeria and spirit have been high, training has been good and we are just working hard to improve our team cohesion and be ready for the game.

“The secret to our team is that there’s togetherness. We have experienced a lot in the last year. For the new guys, they are welcomed and they will have to do the initiation and singing still but the most important thing is that they are comfortable with us

and they can show themselves on the pitch and contribute.

“We want to try and win all the games and improve on all areas.

We are playing against Algeria, one of the top teams in Africa. We have to show them respect but at the same time even though it’s a friendly game,we will try and win the game and prepare ourselves for the qualifiers that would be coming up next.“ Ekong stressed further that the game in Oran was an opportunity to try out the new players and what they were bringing to the table.

“It’s a great opportunity for the new players to show themselves and for all of us to blend together and understand what the coach expects from us.”

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles camp at the Marriott Constantine recorded 100 per cent pass mark with the arrival of goalkeeper Francis Uzoho and defender Ebube Duru.

Head Coach José Santos Peseiro has approved that the three-time African champions have a training game against Algeria’s ‘B’ squad on Saturday in order to see a number of new and returning players in action, ahead of the official game against the Fennecs (Algeria’s ‘A’ team) in Oran on Tuesday evening.

Osimhen Back to Napoli Training Injured Victor Osimhen returned to training with Napoli yesterday two weeks after he got injured in a UEFA Champions League clash against Liverpool.

The Nigerian forward who will miss Super Eagles clash with Algeria in Oran on Tuesday has

returned against early doctors’ fear he may be out until mid October.

In his absence, the Naples club have shot to the top of their Champions League group as well as the Italian Serie A. Osimhen has two goals in his Serie A so far before the injury.

Super Eagles players at training in Constantine, Algeria... yesterday

Irabor: Sports Competition Will Enhance Performance of Troops During Combat Operations Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Leo Irabor, has said that the inter-service sports competition will strengthen military ties, instill discipline and provide team work required for optimum performance of troops during combat operations.

Irabor spoke at the opening of the 2022 Armed Forces Inter-service Sports Competition (2022 AFISSC), at the Mogadishu Cantonment in Abuja.

He said troops required the agility to wade through difficult terrains during operations "To withstand any warfare and grueling experience, the troops need the ability to advance long distances with full combat gear through rugged terrains and to fight effectively requires strength, agility and stamina", he said.

Irabor, represented by Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal, Oladayo Amao, noted that the competition will provide both physiological and psychological benefits that

will reduce stress, illness and injuries especially during operations.

“The area of physical training especially through sports is one that requires much attention in order to better prepare for current and emerging challenges.

"The nature of insurgency and other internal security challenges which places huge demand on personnel combat readiness and thus necessitates the need to sustain high levels

of physical fitness and combat alertness", he said.

Irabor noted that the current engagements of troops in several operations across the country, required high level of physical fitness for operational successes.

According to the CDS, the Armed Forces Cross Country team will be selected from the competition to represent the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in the 58th World Military Cross

Country Competition slated to hold at Beja, Portugal next month.

The competition will feature athletes from the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, who would compete for laurels in five games which include basketball, cross country, football, taekwondo and volleyball during the competition.

The event, which featured a football match between Nigeria Army and Nigeria Air Force. The latter won 1-0.

All Set for South-south Kickboxing Championships All is now set for the 2022 Southsouth Kickboxing Championship holding from September 27 to October 2, 2022 at the Renew Empire Entertainment Sports and Tourism Centre, Port Harcourt, River State.

Tagged "Battle of Mangrove Season 5", the championship is in collaboration with the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria and is being sponsored by Engr. Gospel Obolo, the South-south representative on the executive board of the

KBFN and former Vice President of the federation.

The Championship is expected to attract Kickboxers from across the country based on available statistics according to Mr. Olalekan Faseesin, the Secretary General of Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria.

Faseesin further hinted that the federation will use the opportunity provided to honour the sponsor, Engr. Gospel Obolo with a distinguished award for

consistently sponsoring the Championship over the years.

A position which was affirmed by the President of the Federation, Mr. Okon Wilson Godwin who was recently elected as an Executive board member of the African Kickboxing Confederation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Faseesin has advised intending fighters to arrive Port Harcourt on September 27 ahead of the September 28 weigh-in to avoid disqualification as late entry will not be tolerated.

Osimhen

Akinwunmi, Yola, Emeruwa, Others for NFF Presidential Debate Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The NFF Presidential Debate organised by FCT SWAN and slated for today at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) Press Centre, Utako District, will parade many of the contestants in contention for the football top post.

Amomg those listed by the Secretary, FCT Chapter, SWAN, Chris Onokpegu as having confirmed their appearance include the outgoing 1st Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Seyi Akinwunmi, the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development and former Chairman of

Kano Pillars, Alhaji Abba Yola and FCT Football Association Chairman, Alhaji Adam Mouktar Mohammed..

Others are former General Secretary NFF, Musa Amadu and the current CAF and FIFA Security Chief, Dr. Christian Emeruwa.

The debate is to be televised live.

The Chairman of the FCT chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Bunmi Haruna, said the debate is the association's modest contribution as stakeholders in football development and to ensure only the best hand is elected as NFF President.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

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MISSILE

Jonah Jang to Iyorchia Ayu “For a national chairman to go and embrace Tambuwal, calling him the hero of the convention meant that there was a private arrangement that was done to shortchange other contestants, including Wike. Here was a referee, who helped one of the sides to score a goal and then blew the whistle. This is not what we formed the PDP to do for Nigerians. Therefore, we unequivocally ask that Ayu must step down”—former Plateau State Governor on the PDP crisis

OLUSEGUNADENIYI Widow, Son and the Auctioneers THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

O

nly someone devoid of humanity wouldn’t have been moved by the heartbreaking story of the 49-year-old widow, Dorothy Dike and her son, Osinachi Ndukwe.

Last week they wept profusely as their vehicle (and the family’s only means of livelihood) was publicly auctioned. The Lagos State Taskforce auctioned 134 confiscated vehicles at the event and defended their action by stating that 80 per cent of pedestrians knocked down by hit and run drivers on Lagos roads, especially in the morning hours, were victims of motorists who drove against traffic. According to the Chairman of the Task Force, Shola Jejeloye, “Some of the supposed victims who pleaded for their vehicles to be auctioned to them were serial and notorious one-way defaulters. One of them was the man who came with his mother (widow) to reclaim his vehicle. He was arrested sometime in May for driving against traffic all the way from Oshodi to Mile 2 and even assaulted the officers trying to arrest him by biting off the officer’s finger.

He was charged accordingly, and he spent three months in Badagry Correctional Facility and his vehicle impounded.” Jejeloye also listed cases of people who had been killed due to the recklessness of one-way drivers.

Notwithstanding the explanation, public opinion is swayed against the Lagos State government on this issue. Last Saturday, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general election, Olajide Adediran (popularly called Jandor), visited the family and gifted them an undisclosed amount of money as a relief gesture. Although Jandor can be accused of political opportunism, especially in this season, I am delighted that the poor widow received the assistance. Jandor also spoke well at the occasion by stating that he does not condone traffic offences. What he opposes are impunities; “A situation whereby markets were announced closed just because one individual or two committed a sin” and laws that take away peoples means of livelihood simply on account of traffic infractions.

For me, the real issue is not that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) is enforcing their law, however draconian it may seem. But rather that such an exercise is selective in Nigeria. I have seen the photograph of the confiscated vehicles put up for sale by the Task Force and can hazard a profile of those who own them. While I will never use Whataboutism to excuse infringement of the law or query the Lagos authority for doing their job, it is also a notorious fact that we have managed to create two jurisprudences in our country: one for the rich and connected and the other, for the poor. If you belong to the latter category, no matter how minor your infractions, you will be punished severely. On the other hand, the rich and the powerful who have the means to secure the services of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) are most likely to get away with any crime, however heinous.

No society advances with such dichotomy in the application of the law.

I dealt with this issue seven years ago in a two-part series titled, ‘Crimes and Punishment in Nigeria’. For the benefit of readers, I have merged the two pieces and abridged the text to illustrate the class character of the administration of justice in Nigeria.

I commend it to readers before I conclude

Dorothy and Osinachi with a few words. ================================== Because I would be driving to the airport by morning and I was not sure the fuel in my car would take me there, I decided to patronise the black market. I drove to the road linking Asokoro to Garki by Area 11 where many young “fuel merchants” were waiting. After much haggling, I eventually struck a bargain with three boys who agreed to accept N5,000 for a jerry can of 30 litres.

That would translate into around N167 per litre (as against the official N87 per litre at the time) but a fair deal in the circumstance.

To avoid policemen who were trailing them, the boys begged me to drive into a poorly lit corner of the road. Although a bit apprehensive, I nonetheless felt that the boys were mere hustlers and not necessarily criminals out to harm me, so I obliged their request. When they eventually appeared with their jerry cans of fuel, there was a sense of unease about them that worried me. “Why are you looking scared?” I asked. One of them responded: “The police people are always after us and they have arrested many of our people.” As they were speaking, a pick-up van drove in almost from nowhere as seven gun-wielding policemen jumped out of the vehicle to engage the boys in what became a hot pursuit in different directions. Inside the police vehicle, I saw no fewer than 30 jerry cans of different sizes, filled with petrol which I presumed were seized from ‘similar operations’.

I pondered on what I just witnessed.

Assuming what the boys were doing was criminal, how many of such people have been arraigned in court in Nigeria? Since many of them are arrested every day, it means that their cases usually end up in police stations where they either pay to regain freedom or are dumped there to swell the list of detained people. A corollary to that is the issue of the “exhibit”. What happens to the fuel usually seized from those boys? Do the police have the right to deploy “proceeds of crime” for their own use, if we assume that selling fuel at the black market is a crime in Nigeria?

That now brings me to the most important issue. As I watched the drama and waited, I expected to be accosted by the policemen. If

by selling fuel at black market the boys were committing a crime, the implication would be that the person also buying such product should be deemed to be committing a crime

also. But the policemen didn’t bother about me as they entered their vehicle to wait. After a while when it occurred to me that they would not leave, I had to drive off.

Now, as I reflect on that incident and the enthusiasm with which the policemen pursued those boys, I cannot but wonder about how we have come to a situation in which the laws (including the ones that may not be in any statutes book) are made only for the poor.

The message from the episode was simple: While those boys were pursued like common felons, I (as the big man in the scenario) was left alone because I was deemed to be above the law, even if the crime was an invented one. That unfortunately depicts the story of Nigeria. And the problem goes even beyond the police to the courts.

Indeed, nothing demonstrates this as graphically as two contrasting verdicts delivered within an interval of five days in January 2013—one in Abeokuta, Ogun State and the other in Abuja. In Abeokuta, a magistrate court sentenced a 49-year-old man by name Mustapha Adesina to two years in prison for stealing vegetables valued at N5,000.

Continued on page 25

A Majestic Exit I arrived the United States in the early hours of Monday to participate in the Nigerian International Economic Partnership Forum (jointly organized by the federal government and the African Business Roundtable) holding today. Despite the exhaustion of a long flight, I stayed awake throughout the burial ceremony of the late Queen Elizabeth II, beamed live on television networks. It was worth the trouble. While no one should discount the facts of history on our continent, especially regarding slavery, colonialism and the role that may have been played by the British monarchy, I confess to being an admirer of the late Queen.

Simply on account of her personal discipline, strength of character and fidelity to duty.

To be sure, Queen Elizabeth II was a ceremonial player in the leadership structure of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth which she headed. Yet for several decades, she remained one of the most powerful people in the world and an unparalleled icon of tradition and culture.

And she understood the power of symbolism.

In 1986, (36 years ago) in Sydney, Australia, at a ceremony to celebrate the restoration of ‘Queen Victoria Building’ named after her great-great grandmother, she wrote a sealed letter with an instruction and gave it to the Mayor of the city: “On a suitable day to be selected by you in the year 2085 AD, would you please open this envelope and convey to the citizens of Sydney my message to them.”

That letter remains sealed in a vault for the next 63 years. And with her death, the daily diary she kept throughout her reign would also not be opened for another 100 years! I don’t know a better way to preserve a legacy across different generations.

Since her passage two weeks ago, I have read numerous obituary tributes, but none captured her essence better than the one by Sarah Lyall in New York Times: “Queen Elizabeth II was an analog celebrity in a digital age, perhaps the

most famous, and famously inscrutable, woman in a world more inclined toward oversharing reality TV stars and internet influencers. Discreet, reserved, impassive of expression and reticent of manner, she embodied traditional British values and was as remarkable for the things she did not do — in service of her sense of duty and self-discipline — as for the things she did. Even before she became queen at the impossibly young age of 25 — the newly elevated King Charles III her son, is 73 — Elizabeth set the tone for her reign by declaring, in effect, that the job was bigger than the person. Most Britons — indeed, most people — have never lived in a world without Elizabeth. There are many who questioned or reviled the institution but still admired the queen.

She was a comforting figure, somehow both cozily maternal and majestically remote.”

On Tuesday, reports of her burial were the lead story in all the American national newspapers with several pages devoted to coverage and photographs. The New York Times headline says it all: “With sadness and uncertainty, Britons close an Elizabethan age”. To the Washington Post, she was a “seemingly timeless queen” while USA Today remembered her as “A woman who made history. A woman who—in dying at age 96 after 70 years on the throne—was history.”

Even though available reports indicate that Queen Elizabeth II played a role in planning her own burial, I doubt she envisaged it would be as grand. When you think of the genuine outpouring of grief not only in the United Kingdom but across the world, the sacrifices made by thousands of people from diverse backgrounds—David Beckham waited 13 hours in the queue at Westminster Hall—just to pass before her (closed) coffin as a mark of respect, and the number of leaders who congregated in London for the ceremonies on Monday, one can only conclude that the world may never witness a royal like Queen Elizabeth II again.

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