FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2021

PDP Makes U-turn, Zones National Chair to North, Secretary to South All incumbent NWC members lose seat Decision subject to NEC approval Atiku, Saraki, Tambuwal’s presidential bids intact as ticket is thrown open Chuks Okocha in Abuja Apparently yielding to pressure and paying attention to the mood of the nation,

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National zoning committee, yesterday, made a u-turn on the zoning of offices of the National Working

Committee (NWC) of the party and moved the chairmanship seat to the northern region.

From the outcome of the committee meeting, it has

also been decided that all the current NWC members of the party would lose their seats in view of the decision, even though the resolutions are still

subject to the approval of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

A major twist to this development, however, is

that it has not affected the presidential aspirations of northerners in the party like Continued on page 10

C o u r t C l e a r s Wa y f o r C B N ' s e N a i r a L a u n c h . . .

Page 5

Friday 1 October, 2021 Vol 26. No 9671. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

BUHARI IN INDEPENDENCE MESSAGE:

Let’s Settle Grievances Without Bloodshed

Says reckless utterances responsible for violence, loss of lives Insists nation’s unity not negotiable Charges media on responsible reporting Hints security closing in on sponsors of separatist agitators, fingers N'Assembly member Orders conditional lifting of twitter suspension Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja In a tone heavily reflective of the mood of the nation and a seeming renewal of spirit, President Muhammadu Buhari, this morning, during a nationwide address marking

Nigeria's 61st independence anniversary celebration, appealed to all Nigerians with legitimate grievances to embrace amicable settlement without spilling anyone’s blood.

Continued on page 10

...A Troubled Nation Marks 61, Leaders Express Hope, Call For Rebirth US lauds Nigeria’s regional leadership, India, France hail progress so far Our Correspondents Buffeted on all sides by growing insecurity, economic challenges and increasing corruption, Nigeria, today celebrates her 61st

independence anniversary, amid despair and genuine misgivings, even though some prominent leaders from different walks of life have Continued on page 11

OGUN BANS OPEN GRAZING...

L-R: Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo; Governor Dapo Abiodun; and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Gbolahan Adeniran, during the signing the Anti-open Grazing Bill into law by the governor at Abeokuta…yesterday

WTO: Okonjo-Iweala Didn’t Threaten to Resign...

Page 10

2

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

3

4

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

5

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 08033506821, 08097777322

UNVEILING WORLD LARGEST PICTORIAL BOOK...

L-R: Former Vice President,Namadi Sambo; Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN; President Muhammadu Buhari; Author of Discover Nigeria, Bayo Omoboriowo, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar; Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the president, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, during the president's unveiling of the largest pictorial book in the world as certified by Guiness Book of World Records, 60 Sqm in size, at the State House banquet centre, Abuja...yesterday TOLANI ALLI

Court Clears Way for CBN's eNaira Launch Northern group backs apex bank’s policies on FX, agriculture, chides detractors James Emejo and Sonia Mayomi in Abuja The Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday okayed the take-off of the Central Bank of Nigeria Digital Currency (CBDC) also known as the eNaira.

This emerged just as a civil society group, Partnership for Peace and Community Development (PPCD), yesterday threw its weight behind current efforts by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to "eliminate shady deals, sharp practices and corruption" which had been the hallmark of the country's foreign exchange (FX) system.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Taiwo Obayomi Taiwo, while ruling on the ENaira Payment Solutions Limited v. Central Bank of Nigeria (FHC/ABJ/ CS/113/2021) matter in which the plaintiff had urged the court to stop the proposed launch of the digital currency over an alleged trademark infringement, ordered that the unveiling should proceed in the national interest and economic advancement.

The CBN's Principal Counsel, D. D. Dodo (SAN) who led the team for the defendant had urged the court to strike out the Plaintiff's Motion Exparte seeking to restrain the launch of the Defendant's digital currency in view of its significance to the nation's economic advancement.

Although the court was not disposed to striking out the plaintiff's Motion Exparte but was of the view that the launch of the digital currency should go ahead in the nation's interest and the economic advancement of the country, especially given that the company could be adequately compensated in damages.

The matter was however adjourned to October 11, 2021 for further hearing.

The plaintiff had instituted a suit before the court against the apex bank over the adoption of the name “eNaira" after the CBN announced that it would launch the pilot scheme of its digital currency this month, to also commemorate the country's 61st independent celebration.

The CBN had in August stated that the proposed eNaira will be treated as a national critical infrastructure to protect it from operational and cybersecurity risks.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said the digital currency would bring about increased cross-border trade, accelerate financial inclusion, cheaper and faster remittance inflows.

He also said the digital money would lead to easier targeted social interventions, as well as improvements in monetary policy effectiveness, payment systems efficiency, and tax collection.

Emefiele said: "Digital currency is what central banks all over the world are providing as alternative to the current money arrangement."

Providing further clarification on the eNaira project, Emefiele said: "You have some naira in your account and you chose to convert part of your naira into a digital wallet by way of a digital currency. We will support that.

"If for instance, you have N10 million in your account.

Of course, when this starts, the CBN will move some of the balances of banks with CBN to those banks in digital currency.

So, you go to your bank, you have N10 million and you sat you want to N2 million out of your N10 million into a digital currency.

"They'll debit your account and move it to your wallet of N2 million digital currency which you can spend across countries."

He said: "So we think that this is a noble idea and we are not the first...many other central banks are at advanced stages if revealing their own digital currency.

"And our own digital currency which is tagged eNaira will certainly come into operation by the special grace of God by October and we are working very hard for this."

The CBN added, "We believe that transactions will be cheaper and more efficient as there'll be less...to complete.

On digital economy, the Nigerian economy just like the rest of the world is going digital and cash cannot play in that space.

"Therefore, eNaira which will represent the digital equivalent of cash will be used as the fiat currency to effect transactions.

"And in terms of financial inclusion we believe that with over 30 per cent of bankable adults still outside the financial

system, the ability to have offline payment through our eNaira initiative will bring most of them into the formal financial sector."

According to him," The use of cash is declining everywhere in the world just as in Nigeria and with the advent of digital commerce which is booming in the country, more and more people are adopting the use of electronic money to facilitate digital commerce.

"So our eNaira is a digital representation of cash which means as a fiat currency, it is a fiat currency that will be just as acceptable as the physical or analogue naira. We recognise the need for wide stakeholder engagement and education to be able to create awareness for the use of eNaira as alternative to cash to further drive towards a cashless society."

Meanwhile, speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the convener of PPCD, Mr. Muhammad Abbah Sada, said the group was out to address some pressing issues raised by some faceless individuals and groups who are bent on maligning, distracting and discrediting the hard earned reputation of the CBN governor.

Sada addressed journalists alongside the leadership of

the Arewa Youth Council (AYC), Mallam Aliyu Saminu; Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Yusuf Yahuza; Northern Women Emancipation, Hon. Sule Zainab; Arewa Youth Parliament, Usman Baba Kankia and Arewa Youth Federation, Adamu Kabir Matazu.

The group however said as a CSO mindful of its responsibilities to the public, "We cannot fold our arms and watch few unscrupulous individuals hold the rest of the country to ransom, which has succeeded in alienating the vast majority of our compatriots from benefitting from our God given potentials as a country.

"That is why we are here to lend our support to the CBN policies and the leadership dexterity of Godwin Emefiele."

The group said it condemned in totality the attempt to blackmail or intimidate the CBN governor into resigning his position It said the CBN governor had proved his competence in managing the central bank noting that he performed credibly in his first term, pulling the country out of recession in record time, a rare feat which earned him a reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sada said: Another important point to note is the fact that the new policies of the CBN had breasted the tape of challenges associated with the old opaque policies and this has caused a stir from the enemies of Nigeria go don't want to see change and progress because of their perfidious desire and self-centered material aggrandisement."

The group noted that the great feat achieved under Emefiele's leadership was in spite of the economic recession caused by the global pandemic.

"The CBN governor has remained true to course by sanitizing the apex bank and addressing commercial banks' issues in order to protect the interest of Nigerians," Sada said, warning groups and politicians who specialise in blackmail to extort money from agencies and parastatals of government by appealing to the emotions of Nigerians to desist from their ungodly practices.

Furthermore, Sada called on all patriots to support the CBN governor in the crusade of freeing Nigerians from shackles of economic saboteurs and unpatriotic Nigerians who are out to drag the country backwards.

MAN Lauds FG’s Move to Enhance Domestic Production of Goods, Services Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The National President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Engr. Mansur Ahmed, yesterday commended efforts by the federal government to enhance production of goods and services in the country.

He also pointed that recent directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to end the supply of foreign exchange (forex) to Bureau De Change (BDCs) would see the regulator channel more forex to the productive sector.

Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara State, during the 7th Annual General Meeting of MAN, Ahmed noted that: "It is intended to allow those that are producing goods and services to

bring in the necessary materials and equipment required to produce those goods and services at affordable prices.

That is highly commendable and would assist the locally producing manufacturers to increase their productivity."

According to him, "The decision by the CBN to withdraw supply of forex to BDCs is one that the manufacturing sector is fully in support of. The art of getting forex in the market to me does not make sense.

“We do not see how that will help the economy. Certainly, if the forex is made available to our manufacturing companies, more young people will be employed and the companies will operate at higher capacity and more industries will be

created while lots of the raw materials needed to make run will be readily available.

"So, if you have to sell forex to traders in the market as if it is a commodity, you are denying the manufacturing sector these vital resources."

Speaking further, Ahmed said: "According to CBN report, the numbers of BDCs exploded from 2005 to 2011, from 74 from over 6,000. Assuming you are giving $20,000 to BDCs weekly, this will amount to over $600 million of forex weekly going into the market instead of going into industries to produce goods and services and create employment.

Clearly, that action of the CBN on forex is most welcome and we commend the federal government on that."

He also called for the public interest in the development of manufacturing industries through provision of necessary facilities such as loans, roads, electricity, security, among others, so as to enhance the growth of businesses in the country.

Ahmed who lauded the giant stride of the Kwara branch of association advised them not to relent in their bid to enhance the growth of businesses in the state.

Also speaking, the Kwara /Kogi State branch of MAN, Alhaji Bioku Rahmon, expressed concern over the fast-rising debt profile of the country, saying the development has weakened the government capacity to build the infrastructure required by local industries.

He also said the rising level

of insecurity in the country has continued to diminish both foreign- direct and foreignportfolio investment into the country.

Rahmon also listed some challenges to economic growth in the country to include reluctance of the government to check the alleged gross violation and operational excesses of the electricity distribution companies, multiple taxation, especially from the state and local governments, shrinking access to loan opportunities as well as the very high interest rates in the country.

He, therefore said the association would continue to work with various agencies of the government to accelerate economic development.

6

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

7

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

8

NEWS

+60O DIASPORA ICONS...

L-R: Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa; Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; and Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora, Hon Tolu Akande-Shadipe, during a courtesy call on the Speaker for presentation of a compendium, +60O Diaspora Icons, in Abuja...yesterday

OPEC: Nigeria, Other Members Lost $240bn to Collapse in Oil Demand in 2020 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) lost over $240 billion last year, following the collapse in demand and prices due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the cartel’s Annual Statistical Bulletin (ASB) 2021, released yesterday showed.

The total value of OPEC’s petroleum exports plummeted to $321 billion in 2020, compared to $562 billion in 2019, according to the data, as demand as well as prices took a hit and countries began to embark on lockdowns and place travel restrictions.

Shipments fell by 12.4 per

cent even as OPEC members’ petroleum exports, which include crude oil and oil products, dropped significantly, decreasing by 42.9 per cent in 2020.

OPEC member countries in 2020 exported an average of 19.70 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, marking a sharp decline of 2.78 million bpd, by 12.4 per cent from 2019, while all member countries exported less crude except for Equatorial Guinea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where they increased marginally.

According to the OPEC document, the cartels reference basket averaged $41.47 a barrel in

Forensic Auditors Pledge Support to Recover FG's Unremitted N2.7tn Funds Folalumi Alaran in Abuja The Chartered Institute of Forensic and Certified Fraud Examiners of Nigeria (CIFCFEN) has offered to collaborate with other private and public sector organisations to assist the federal government to recover the N2.7 trillion government unremitted revenue as disclosed by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

CIFCFEN President, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki made the pledge, yesterday in Abuja, at the institute's second direct membership training and induction ceremony, where Fatima Muhammadu Buhari, a daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari was inducted as a member of its board of trustees.

While presenting the 2019 audit report, the Executive Secretary, NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, had on Tuesday revealed that about 77 oil and gas companies in Nigeria are indebted to the federal government to the tune of N2.659 trillion.

The debt arises from the failure to remit petroleum profit tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT) Education Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT), withholding

tax, royalty and concession on rentals.

To this end, Gashinbaki explained that the recovery plan would not only bring down the frightening level of borrowing to finance budgets, but also boost the nation's economy.

He said: "We are at a time where the budget is being financed through loans. Every dime is important to the federal government.

"We are going to support the federal government in the recovery of about N2.7 trillion as reported in the NEITI audit of oil and gas 2019.

"We will provide professional support for the Minister of Petroleum Resources to work with the covered entities to make sure that monies are fully recovered.

"And beyond that also, we have pledged to engage and work with sub-national governments in trying to support them in terms of revenue profiling and recovery and remittance of what actually should have gotten to the federal government."

He explained that the institute has the capacity to help state governments, adding that there was no point fighting over Value Added Tax (VAT).

nominal terms during 2020, down from $64.04 per barrel in 2019, which was a massive decrease of $22.57 a barrel, or 35.2 per cent, while the volatility level was $12.55 a barrel, or 30.3 per cent, relative to the yearly average.

As a result, the value of OPEC’s oil exports, the main, and in many cases indispensable, part of OPEC members’ government revenues dramatically fell last year compared to 2019.

Crude oil export volumes also slumped to an average of 19.70 million bpd in 2020, a sharp decrease of 12.4 percent compared to 2019, the fourth consecutive annual decline in OPEC’s crude oil exports.

However, as in previous years, most of OPEC’s crude oil, roughly 73.2 per cent of exports, went to Asia, particularly China and India.

The ASB offers detailed and comprehensive data on several aspects of the global petroleum industry, including production, demand, imports and exports,

as well as exploration and transportation activities and contains key statistical data on oil and natural gas activities in each of OPEC’s 13 member countries.

In total, the statistical bulletin showed that world crude oil production declined in 2020 by 6.15 million barrels/day or 8.2 per cent, as compared to 2019, to average 69.09 mb/d, marking a historical year on-year drop after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, OPEC crude oil production declined sharply yearon year by 3.72 mb/d, or 12.7 per cent, while crude production by non OPEC countries fell by 2.43 mb/d, or 5.3 per cent.

“With an average of 90.73 mb/d in 2020, world oil demand was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and fell by a historic 9.30 mb/d y-o-y, while demand in OPEC member countries was sluggish in 2020, losing 8.2 per cent y-o-y.

Distillates and gasoline accounted for around 55.1 per cent of 2020 world oil demand with a steep downward trend amid Covid-19 containment measures, according to the document.

Member countries exported an average of 19.70 mb/d of crude oil in the month under review, a sharp decrease of about 2.78 mb/d, or 12.4 per cent, compared to 2019.

Following the pattern in previous years, the bulk of crude oil from OPEC member countries' 14.43 mb/d or 73.2 per cent was exported to Asia, particularly to China and India.

The ASB indicated that exports of petroleum products from OPEC member countries averaged 3.48 mb/d during 2020, down by around 0.40 mb/d, or 10.4 per cent, compared to 2019 imports of petroleum products by OPEC member countries averaged at 1.52 mb/d in 2020, roughly 0.17 mb/d, or 9.8 per cent, lower than in 2019.

But world proven crude oil reserves stood at 1.549 trillion barrels at the end of 2020, increasing by 0.2 per cent from the level of 1.546 billion recorded at the end of 2019.

In the same vein proven crude oil reserves in OPEC member countries increased by 0.3 per cent to 1.237 at the end of 2020, following a firm increase during 2019.

Also, world refinery capacity shrank by 0.3 million barrels to stand at 101.1 mb/cd during 2020, but China and other Asia and the Middle East, recorded refining capacity additions.

Speaking at the launch, OPEC Secretary General, Dr Sanusi Barkindo, noted that data will continue to stay at the core of OPEC’s ongoing activities in the global energy markets as the organisation continues to make highly responsible and effective decisions based predominantly on accurate, timely and transparent data and statistics.

Abubakar: Military Expected More from Civilian Leadership Says lack of equity, justice, fairness responsible for secessionist agitations Laleye Dipo in Minna A former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, yesterday, expressed concern over the state of the nation and said the military expected more from the civilian leadership, when it handed over power and returned the nation to civil rule in 1999.

He also said the clamour for secession was being driven by lack of equity, justice and fairplay in the distribution of the nation's resources and appointments.

Abubakar, who stated this when he fielded questions from newsmen in Minna, Niger State,declared that, "When the military handed over, it (Military) expected a more united country,where the concern of our leaders would be the welfare of their people and progress of the nation.

"We expected that there should be no bitterness in politics but unfortunately, we find out that now, for one reason or the other, there are a lot of agitations from

the states for one thing or the other.

"The perception of being excluded from the sphere of things has brought an idea that the best thing to do is to stay away from where you are not wanted. Now, the brains behind these calls for secession have the feelings, one way or the other, that they are being excluded from the scheme of things. Rightly or wrongly, this is what they feel and they think the best thing to do is to opt out,” he said.

He, however, suggested that, "The only way to stop this secession bid is to ensure that there must be equity and justice and there must be an effort to carry everybody along in the governance, development, provision of infrastructure and again in appointment of people to fill existing vacancies, meaning that there must be equal representation. I think if this is done, we will kill this agitations," Abubakar said.

The retired general noted

that, there had been unity in the country with Nigerians living in peace with each other, stressing that there had also been a lot of interactions, intermarriages between Nigerians "until the incoming of the incessant banditry and kidnappings.

"It is true that within a couple of years, the peace within the country had been destabilised,first with the advent of Boko Haram and later on with all these miscreants, who are staging atrocities in the country by kidnapping, demanding for ransom, destroying government properties and invading and destroying farmers farms.

“Certainly, these are issues of concern but gladly, despite these shortcomings, the overstretchness of the security forces as much as possible, they are doing the best they can under the circumstances."

The former Head of state said the country could do better in the area of security "by strengthening our Security Forces by way of

recruitment and equipping them adequately so that they could face the challenges of securing the lives and properties of the country."

He also admonished the citizens to as much as possible work hand-in-hand with the Security Agencies by giving them intelligence on where and how these miscreants are operating,because "they live among us; we know where they are and so, let us expose and give information adequately to the security forces so that they can go after these bandits and other terrorists bedevilling the country."

On the nation's huge local and international debts, Abubakar said the volume of the "rising debts are cause for concern" but pointed out, however, that "The man who is wearing the shoes knows where it is pinching most.

"Certainly, the rising debt are cause for concern but let us pray that whatever loan acquired are channelled towards the real purpose they are meant for."

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

9

10

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE TEN

WTO: Okonjo-Iweala Didn’t Threaten to Resign Dike Onwuamaeze A source in Zurich, Switzerland, yesterday clarified that the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, did not at any time threaten to resign her appointment at global trade body as being speculated by some media reports.

The source, however, stated that Okonjo-Iweala, the first

female and first African to head the WTO, was feeling frustrated on the job.

Responding to a question on whether the director general threatened to resign her appointment, the source who pleaded to remain anonymous said: “She did not threaten.

She did express quite a lot of frustration. I will tell you … she is an extraordinary person but at a very difficult job.

“I do not think it is easy to explain to someone how difficult the job actually is. There are only a handful of people that sat in that seat. I have seen closely a lot of director generals and any time you think you have a difficult job, just think about the director general of WTO.” Also, Okonjo-Iweala was quoted to have told Bloomberg that: “I just got here, I’m enjoying what I am doing. It is a very

exciting job and I am trying to have some success here.”

The apparent lack of consensus on intellectual property right, which has been hindering the transfer of technology to third world countries to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines as well as the thorny fishery subsidy negation were reportedly pilling up frustration on Okonjo-Iweala.

It was reported that the tone

of negotiation at the WTO yesterday was marked with raised tampers but the source stated that what was needed currently at the WTO was how to build a convergence of opinion among members on the body of text already agreed upon the fisheries subsidies.

“Nobody pointed to any proposal and said because of them things are going backward.

What they were saying is that

any proposal at this stage that cannot lead to consensus is not healthy. We have text now.

Putting things in there that will make it imbalance is not helpful,” source said.

The source added that the Okonjo-Iweala basically laid it on the table that not building a consensus to complete the fisheries subsidies negotiation should not be considered as an option by anyone.

Cohesion, Registration, Physical presence and Representation; Fair Taxation, Dispute Resolution; and Local Content.

He further said, "As we embrace the digital economy in Nigeria, we are fully aware of the prospects and the perils.

Our policies have been developed to enable Nigerians to take advantage of the prospects and avoid the perils of digital technologies. Social media is a very useful platform that has enabled millions of Nigerians to connect with loved ones, promote their businesses, socialise, and access news and other information.

"However, recent events have shown that the platform is not just an innocuous platform for information dissemination.

Rather, some users have misused the platform to organise, coordinate, and execute criminal activities, propagate fake news, and promote ethnic and religious sentiments.

“To address these negative trends, the Federal Government of Nigeria suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria on June 5, 2021 to allow the government put measures in place to address these challenges. Following the extensive engagements, the issues are being addressed and I have directed that the suspension be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow our citizens continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.

“As a country, we are committed to ensuring that digital companies use their platform to enhance the lives of our citizens, respect Nigeria's sovereignty, cultural values and promote online safety."

Buhari, who chided his critics on the issue of performance, said they misdiagnose incremental progress as stagnation, noting that, despite having meagre resources, his government has achieved a lot in the last six years on many fronts such as infrastructure, social care, governance, Nigeria’s image and influence in Africa and the international community.

His said, "It is with full gratitude to God that today, we celebrate Nigeria’s sixty first Independence Anniversary. For 1st of October 1960 to happen, all hands were on deck. East, West, North – all came together to celebrate freedom. Today, should not only serve as a reminder of the day the British handed over the reins of power to Nigerians, but also unified Nigerians from all ethnic groups, religions and regions.

“Today, despite the challenges we face, most Nigerians still maintain the spirit of 1st October.

That positive outlook and determination to make Nigeria a peaceful and prosperous nation.

It is due to this collective attitude that Nigeria doggedly continues to remain a united and indivisible nation.

"Fellow Nigerians, the past eighteen months have been some

of the most difficult periods in the history of Nigeria. Since the civil war, I doubt whether we have seen a period of more heightened challenges than what we have witnessed in this period. As we begin to celebrate our sixty one years as a nation, we need to be conscious that Nigeria does not start and end with the federal government.

“This country is a great collective, where government at all arms and levels as well as the private sector, and more importantly individuals, have a role to play. In particular, security is a bottom to top undertaking.

Joining hands and hearts together would enable us to secure ourselves and our country.

"I fully understand the anxiety of many Nigerians on the inability of this country to go beyond a never-ending potential for becoming a great nation to an actually great one. A lot has been achieved in the last six years on many fronts: in infrastructure, social care, governance, Nigeria’s image and influence in Africa and the international community.

“But critics misdiagnose incremental progress as stagnation.

Since coming to power, this administration has tackled our problems head-on in spite of the meagre resources. No government since 1999 has done what we have done in six years to put Nigeria back on track. We shall continue to serve the country, listen to all and protect our democracy and country."

LET’S SETTLE GRIEVANCES WITHOUT BLOODSHED The president, who identified the reckless utterances of some people as the trigger for the increasing violence and loss of lives, insisted that the unity of the country was not negotiable, regardless of the misgivings of secessionists.

Buhari’s whose independence broadcast was hinged on unity and peace, however, charged the media to be responsible in their reportage and be mindful of the kind of people they give voice.

But in a sense, which showed the president was not taking any prisoners as far as separatist agitations were concerned, Buhari revealed that security operatives were already closing in on some of the sponsors of secessionist agitators, including a current member of the National Assembly, whom he claimed security has identified as funding Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu.

Relatedly, the president has ordered a conditional lifting of the suspension of Twitter, a micro-blogging giant, banned some months ago after it deleted a tweet by the president under circumstances considered impudent to the person and office of the president.

His words: "As a Government, we are ready to arrest and prosecute all persons inciting violence through words or action.

Our resolve for a peaceful, united and one Nigeria remains resolute and unwavering. That said, our hope is not to fight for peace. We can always settle our grievances peacefully without spilling any blood.

"I will therefore take this opportunity, on this special day that symbolises the unity and oneness of our great nation, to ask all Nigerians to embrace peace and dialogue, whatever your grievances. The seeds of violence are planted in people’s heads through words. Reckless utterances of a few have led to losses of many innocent lives and destruction of properties.”

The president further appealed to Nigerians across the country to maintain a positive outlook, unified front and embrace peace and dialogue, to express legitimate grievances in the spirit of the nation's independence celebrations.

In the lengthy anniversary speech, Buhari, who spoke on several issues bordering on insecurity, economy and COVID-19, among others, expressed his government's readiness to take decisive actions against secessionist agitators and their sponsors, who threaten national security.

He described the discoveries by security as a clear example of how people abandon their national leadership positions for their selfish gains, saying, instead of preaching unity, they were funding and misleading the youth to conduct criminal acts that sometime led to unfortunate and unnecessary loss of lives and property.

According to him, the seeds of violence were planted in people’s heads through words and reckless utterances, leading to loss of many innocent lives and destruction of properties, adding that the so-called leaders run abroad to hide, while the innocent youths

were misled and left in the streets to fight for their senseless and destructive causes.

“Such unfiltered and unsubstantiated lies and hate speeches by a few evil persons must be stopped. Our media houses and commentators must move away from just reporting irresponsible remarks to investigating the truth behind all statements and presenting the facts to readers.

"We must all come out and speak against the lies being peddled. At this point, I would want to sincerely appreciate the large number of our Traditional, Religious and Community leaders as well as other well-meaning Nigerians, who in their various for a, are openly spreading the message of peaceful co-existence and conflict settlement through dialogue in their respective communities.

"Nigeria is for all of us. Its unity is not negotiable. And its ultimate success can only be achieved if we all come together with a common goal of having peace and prosperity for our nation.

We shall continue to work on dialogue-based solutions to address legitimate grievances.

But we remain ready to take decisive actions against secessionist agitators and their sponsors, who threaten our national security.

"The recent arrests of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo, and the ongoing investigations being conducted have revealed certain high-profile financiers behind these individuals. We are vigorously pursuing these financiers including one identified as a serving member of the National Assembly," he said.

Buhari claimed his administration was gradually winning the war against insecurity, had noted that in the North East region alone, over 8,000 Boko Haram terrorists had laid down their arms.

He expressed optimism that acquired fighter jets, which have started to arrive in Nigeria, would positively impact the security operations in all parts of the country, stressing that his government would continue, in collaboration with international partners, to improve the security architecture, reduce enabling environment for criminality to thrive and eliminate opportunities for terrorism financing.

"As our economy continues to open after the COVID-19 related lockdowns, we have also seen the resurgence of insecurity in certain parts of the country. In the last four months, the gallant men and women of the military and security agencies have made tremendous progress in addressing these new security challenges.

We are taking the fight to our enemies from all angles and we are winning. In the North East region alone, over eight thousand Boko Haram terrorists have surrendered.

"To support our surge approach to fighting banditry, the Nigerian Armed Forces have recruited over 17,000 personnel across all ranks.

Furthermore, I have also approved for the Nigerian Police Force to recruit 10,000 police officers annually over the next six years.

I am also pleased to note that

most of the Air Force platforms we acquired over the past three years have started to arrive in Nigeria. These will positively impact our security operations in all parts of the country.

"That said, our hope is not to fight for peace. We can always settle our grievances peacefully without spilling any blood. We must all come out and speak against the lies being peddled.

At this point, I would want to sincerely appreciate the large number of our Traditional, Religious and Community leaders as well as other well-meaning Nigerians who, in their various fora are openly spreading the message of peaceful co-existence and conflict settlement through dialogue in their respective communities.

“Nigeria is for all of us. Its unity is not negotiable. And its ultimate success can only be achieved if we all come together with a common goal of having peace and prosperity for our nation," he said.

On the controversial ban of Twitter, the President disclosed that he has directed that the ban be conditionally lifted.

He said following the suspension of Twitter operations, Twitter Inc. had reached out to the Federal Government of Nigeria to resolve the impasse.

Buhari explained that the presidential committee set up to interface with Twitter had addressed a number of key issues, including National Security and

PDP MAKES U-TURN, ZONES NATIONAL CHAIR TO NORTH, SECRETARY TO SOUTH former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, as the ticket, by implications, has not be thrown open.

The committee had last Thursday zoned the office of the National Chairman to South, where 32 members spoke in favour of retaining the national chairman to the south, while 25 members spoke in favour of the national chairman to the north.

The meeting adjourned till Thursday this week, where the issue was revisited.

First, at a Wednesday meeting, the PDP governors voted 8 to 4 members to zone the office of the National Chairman to the north.

At the meeting, which took place at the Akwa Ibom Governor's lodge, Abuja, three northern governors — Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Adamu Fintiri (Adamawa) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba) — voted for the chairmanship to be zoned to the south.

But Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue), voted for the chairmanship to be in the north. Tambuwal, who is the chairman of the PDP governors forum, did not vote, because he presided over the meeting.

Other PDP governors, who voted in favour of northern chairmanship were Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Godwin Obaseki (Edo),

Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), and Douye Diri (Bayelsa).

The meeting immediately resolved to pass the resolution of the governors to the zoning committee of the national convention.

Reaffirming the decision of the PDP governors, the 48-man national zoning committee headed by the Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, announced the swapping of the offices in the north to the south and offices in the south to the north.

Reading the communique of the meeting, Ugwuanyi said, "At the end of the deliberations of the PDP National Zoning Committee, it was resolved as follows: "The National Zoning Committee of the PDP was given the mandate to zone National offices to be contested by all PDP Members of the Party at the PDP National Convention of the Party scheduled for October 30/31 2021 by the National Executive Committee of the Party.

"That the mandate of the Committee does not include zoning of the offices of the President, Vice President and other Executive and Legislative offices of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

And the decision of the Committee to zone the party

offices does not in any way affect the executive and legislative offices in Nigeria.

"That zoning of offices on PDP has traditionally been between the North and South of Nigeria.

"The decision of the PDP Zoning Committee is in line with the Constitution of the party on zoning and rotation of party and national offices in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.

“Consequently, the current offices being held by officers in the Southern zones of the country, namely, South West, South East and South South zones, should swap places with the offices currently in the northern zones of Nigeria, namely, North West, North East and North Central zones.

"We want to thank the party, especially the National Executive Committee that set up this Committee on September 9, 2021 for finding us worthy to serve the party in the capacity as zoning committee members.

"We shall pass on our recommendations to the National Executive Committee of the Party through the National Working Committee of the party."

Ugwuanyi signed the communique as chairman, while Ortom signed as Deputy Chairman. The deputy governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed, signed as secretary of the committee.

In the same manner, office

of the national treasurer of PDP has been taken to the north as well as that of the National Youth Leader.

Also, by implications, the office of the National Publicity Secretary, would be in the south, while the office of national organising secretary held by Col Austin Akobundu would be taken north. The office of the national secretary held by Senator Umaru Tsuari has been sent to the south, while the national woman leader was zoned to the south. The next national legal adviser is going to be northerner.

The zoning as announced was a clean sweep of all incumbent members of the PDP NWC. Another implication of the zoning is that the presidential ambitions of Abubakar Saraki, Tambuwal, the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed might not have been affected, because according to an insider, what happened at the zoning committee was an indication that the presidential ticket of the party might be thrown open.

The source, therefore, said all the northern presidential hopefuls were free to contest at the presidential convention.

He said the zoning committee discussed the report of the Mohammed committee, which threw the presidential ticket open, but decided to play it down till further notice, when it would be appropriate to discuss it.

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

11

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

A Troubled Nation Marks 61, Leaders Express Hope, Call For Rebirth US lauds Nigeria’s regional leadership, India, France hail progress so far provoke our growth and development.

"We should face the challenge and contribute to national growth and development for us to collectively achieve our target of a better Nigeria," he said.

expressed hope in a better and stronger nation.

Characteristically, the diplomatic community has also identified with Nigeria on the occasion of her anniversary celebration, commending the progress made so far in the onerous effort to place the country on better footing.

But generally, despite the obnoxious state of things in almost every facet of the political economy, leaders across the board, have continued to express hope in the country to remain a viable and one indivisible nation.

Mark, Omo-Agege, Nnamani, Obanikoro Preach Peace, Unity

Be Optimistic, Jonathan Charges Citizens Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has urged Nigerians to be optimistic about the future of the country, despite the challenges currently being faced by citizens.

Jonathan, who stated this in his goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of the nation’s 61st Independence anniversary, stressed that the nation held abundant promises for the citizens and that Nigeria had what it would take to overcome today’s threats and trials.

Jonathan, encouraged the nation’s leaders and the citizens to rededicate ourselves to the virtues of equity, justice and tolerance and strive to give their best for the good of the nation.

“I join all citizens to celebrate the 61st Independence Anniversary of our great nation, Nigeria. As we mark this day of freedom, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on our progress, celebrate our humble attainments and ponder over those dreams that are yet to be fulfilled.

“We may have hiccups along the way and challenging times that might be stretching our resolve and determination to forge ahead, but we should not relent nor succumb to fear, discouraging trials and threats of today. We will never lose hope in our country and in our indomitable spirit and capacity to overcome difficult times, seize the moment and conquer.

“The journey of nationhood is a marathon, which requires patience, resilience, tolerance and determination. The uncertainties of this time cannot be compared to the limitless promises that this nation holds for us all. This time offers us a new opportunity to renew our drive towards attaining greater heights and secure our shared dreams and common vision.

“As we celebrate, let us aggregate the successes, challenges and lessons of the last six decades and apply them towards a more prosperous future for us and upcoming generations. Ours is a country blessed with numerous opportunities and prospects as well as great citizens, engaging diversity and versatility.

“I urge all of us, leaders and citizens, to recharge our patriotism and rededicate ourselves to the virtues of equity, justice and tolerance and strive to give our best for the good of our dear nation.

Let us remain optimistic, for the challenges of this time will redound to a glorious fortune for us and generations yet to come,” he said

Atiku Urges Nigerians to Remain Calm Despite Challenges A former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, urges Nigerians to remain united despite their current existential challenges and struggles for economic survival.

He also called on governments at all levels to enunciate policies that would lead to improved standards of living for the average Nigerian even as he assured that the future would be brighter and better.

In his goodwill message on the occasion of Nigeria's 61st independence anniversary, contained in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku expressed concern at the level of disunity, intolerance and bigotry in the country, which results in conflicts with its attendant losses of human lives and property.

According to him, “disunity doesn't help Nigerians, because it makes it impossible for them to unite for a mutually beneficial common cause.

"I believe that our common interests are greater than those things that divide us. If we spend our energies on division rather than fighting for our common interests, it would be more difficult to bring about positive change to assuage the situation", Atiku said.

The Waziri Adamawa regretted that, despite the nation’s vast oil resources, extreme poverty and joblessness had remained persistent, adding that, “there is no excuse that 61 years after independence, extreme poverty still stares the ordinary citizen in the face.”

He advocated for bipartisan initiatives by political leaders to address the spate of insecurity compounded by joblessness and poor living conditions.

“Insurgent activities have sprung up as a result of unemployment and joblessness of our able young men and women; frustration sets in and this encourages them to be involved in activities

Buhari that are detrimental to our collective peace and security,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu Admonishes Courage, Political Will The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has advised Nigerians to summon the courage, energy and political will to face problems confronting the country head-on and address them squarely.

He said many of the present challenges the country was grappling with including secessionist calls, among others, were products of complex and complicated past, noting that Nigeria’s political, leadership tussle and trajectory were by no means unique and therefore urged secessionists to retreat.

Speaking at the 83rd anniversary of Ikoyi Club 1938, on Wednesday while presenting a paper titled: "Present, Past and Future", held at the club’s Secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos, Sanwo-Olu said critical stakeholders must learn from the experience of other countries to guide the present and create a future that was even better than what Nigerians envisaged.

While reflecting on the political, socioeconomic and political trajectories of the country at 61, Sanwo-Olu concluded that religious and ethnic jingoism should be completely removed from the nation’s lexical items.

Talking about the 61sy anniversary, the governor said, "It will be another opportunity to reflect on our past, our present and our future. A complex and complicated past, like many other countries; a challenging present, again like many others and a future that we all look forward to with hope and optimism.

"Most countries of the world face deep-seated questions about ethnic, racial and religious diversity, and that Nigeria’s seemingly intractable past and present challenges are not unique to us. What is important is that we must constantly summon the energy and political will to face our problems head-on and address them squarely. We cannot continue to throw our hands up in despair or retreat into the tempting ghettoes of sectionalism and ethnic and religious bigotry.

“We must learn from the past of others to guide our present and create a future that is even better than what we envisaged. That is yet another important link between past, present and future; the ability to assess deeply, learn, and adapt in light of that learning,” he said.

He said building on the legacies of the past for the present and future was very vital, noting that the artistic greats of yesteryears have helped set standards that continue to inspire the present and will no doubt inspire the future.

Oyetola: We’re Challenged But Not Stagnant

Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, speaking on independence celebration, said while Nigeria was still challenged, the country was not stagnant.

Oyetola, who stated this Thursday during an interaction with journalists in Abuja to mark his 67th birthday, said the country might not have attained the level it ought to be, however, insisted that progress had been recorded.

He stated: "I think by every standard, we have moved. We may not have achieved the level that we are thinking of as a nation, I think we are moving. Comparing us with other nations that had attained the same independence as ours may not necessarily be too good enough, because you are not too sure of what they have."

He added that the country could have done better given the level it has attained now, particularly the efforts that have been put into running the affairs of the country under the administration of President Muhamadu Buhari.

"We are not stagnant. We are challenged.

For instance, the issue of security is a big challenge but that is not peculiar to Nigeria, we have the challenges in other parts of the world. But what is important is for you not to give up. I believe we are making progress, we may not be at the level we are expecting as a nation, but we are not stagnant. Nigeria is moving forward," he said.

Buni: Our Years Together, Strong Source of Unity, Strength Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has said Nigeria's 61 years of Independence, provided a strong source of unity and strength.

Buni, in a statement by his Director General of Press and Media Affairs, Mr. Mamman Mohammed, said though Nigeria might not have reached where it wanted to be after 61 years of independence, yet, there was cause to celebrate its existence as a country.

He said the long history of integration among the various ethnic, and socio-cultural groups should be a source of unity in diversity for the country.

"At 61 years, Nigerians should concentrate on issues that unite the country rather than divisive tendencies. We may have some challenges but we still remain a united country with lots of hope to prosper and attain greatness as a united country.

"We should remember that every country including the developed nations have their challenges, ours should not be an exception to contest our existence as a country and

A former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, the incumbent Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and a former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, have canvassed for peace and unity among the citizenry as Nigeria marks 61st Independence Anniversary today.

The trio in separate messages asked Nigerians to forget the mistakes of the past and move on with one united nation.

Mark, in his message, took stock of the nation’s chequered socio-economic and political history and called on citizens to bury old prejudices to religion, tribe or ethnic leanings believed to be antithetical to development.

He listed the misfortunes occasioned by the 30-month’s old Nigeria/Biafra civil war, several ethno-religious conflicts and agitations in some parts of the country as unfortunate incidents hindering developments.

To this end, he tasked governments at all levels to do all that is necessary to restore hope and rebuild citizens’ trust and confidence in leadership to actualize the project Nigeria.

“Nigeria has all it takes to overcome the challenges but government must live up to its responsibilities in order to earn the trust and confidence of the people. The journey has been torturous though eventful in many respects. There is strength in our diversity. Our government, religious and traditional leaders must continue to preach the message of hope and reignite the can-do spirit of Nigerians,” he said.

On his part, Omo-Agege called for oneness and renewed patriotism from all Nigerians, saying Nigerians must unite behind the national flag, set aside the narrative of division, violence and hate, and replace them with the narrative of peace and unity.

The Deputy President of the Senate stressed that the country would surmount its present challenges and emerge stronger.

"Independence anniversary not only offers us opportunity to give thanks to God for preserving us despite the challenges but also a time to reflect on how we, as citizens and leaders, can contribute to strengthening our country, uphold peace and harmony and embrace the common humanity that shines so brilliantly through our diversity.

“Although we are passing through a myriad of challenges, nothing is insurmountable if we set our minds to it. With our never-say-never attitude, we can surmount our present challenges.

I call on all Nigerians to renew faith with Nigeria as we commemorate another Independence anniversary," he said.

In his message, Nnamani declared that an egalitarian society, where every citizen felt a sense of brotherhood was feasible if justice, equity and fairness to all were the cardinal principles and hallmarks of governance in Nigeria.

According to him, the uncertainties in the socio-economic and political life of our country, agitations in some quarters as well as violent crimes in parts of the country could be curtailed if citizens felt a sense of belonging and accommodation in the Nigerian equation.

“We need to review our approach with a view to fashioning out a workable solution to the intractable crises,” he said, pointing out that it did not require rocket science to address challenges facing the nation but a simple and honest application of administrative and psychological strategies to address the vexed issues of marginalisation, inequality, impunity and disregard for the rule of law.

He dismissed as false the notion that Nigeria was a complex society to administer and contended that those who resorted to the emotional fault lines of ethnicity, tribe or religion to gain advantage over others were only myopic or incompetent.

He believed that Nigeria could be redeemed from the present state of uncertainties if leaders at all levels showed the light through adherence to the principle of the rule of law, equity and justice for all irrespective of status in the society.

Also, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has urged Nigerians to continue to acknowledge, respect and tolerate their diversities, which said was enshrined in their unity, justice and equity.

He, therefore, enjoined everyone “to work hand-in-hand for the growth, development, and advancement of our dear nation and its people.”

Nigeria Will Never Fail, Says PDP Continued on page 71

12

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERVIEW GEN. ABDULSALAMI:

Only Way to Stop Separatist Agitations is Through Justice and Good Governance With what is playing out in the country, do you think there is anything to cheer about Nigeria 61 years after independence?

Yes. We have come a long way. Nation-building is not so easy, especially where you have more than 250 ethnic groups, with each group yearning for a place in governance. When you look back 60 years ago, my generation grew up under colonial masters, and we have seen how our colonial masters siphoned our treasury and other things out of the country. Even the rail and road systems they constructed were to cart away whatsoever they could into the seaport and export them, but now, Nigerians are now in charge. There is unity in diversity. Until the incoming of the incessant banditry and kidnappings, Nigerians were living in peace with each other, and there had been a lot of interactions, intermarriages between Nigerians, so I think it is a thing worth celebrating.

It is true that within a couple of years, the peace within the country has been destabilised, first with the advent of Boko Haram and later on with all these miscreants who are staging atrocities in the country by kidnapping, demanding ransom, destroying government properties, and invading and destroying farmers farms. Certainly, these are issues of concern but gladly, despite these shortcomings, the overstretching of the security forces as much as possible, they are doing the best they can under the circumstances.

However, we could do more by strengthening our security forces by way of recruitment and equipping them adequately so that they could face the challenges by securing the life and properties of the country. Also, the citizens should as much as possible work hand in hand with the security agencies by giving them intelligence on where and how these miscreants are operating because they live among us, we know where they are, and so let us expose and give information adequately to the security forces so that they can go after these bandits and other terrorists bedevilling the country.

Nigeria at 61; what is your assessment?

This is a milestone that deserves celebration.

I want to use this opportunity to extend my felicitation to Nigeria and Nigerians. I wish us well. May the good Lord look after Nigeria.

May all these problems, challenges we are facing today be surmounted so that together we can build a formidable nation that Nigerians are yearning for.

Where did we get it wrong as a nation, and did the military actually destroy the country?

As a retired military officer, I will say the military has not in any way destroyed the country but rather fought to keep the country together, and you could see that during the military rule, there were many infrastructures that the military had put in place. As much as possible, they tried to give a direction of Nationalism so that we all look at Nigeria as our country.

Where did we then get it wrong as a nation?

Before the discovery of oil, agriculture was the main revenue earner for this country, but fortunately or unfortunately, we discovered oil, and we forgot farming. I think that was the first turning point for this country. After the military handed over to the civilians, instead of talking for Nigeria, every Nigerian will speak either for his village, local government, or about his state.

Hardly will somebody wake up and start talking of Nigeria, and I think that is where we made another wrong turning. As Nigerians, we should be talking about the unity of the country and, of course, to be able to do that. There must be equity and justice so that everybody is carried along.

When the military handed over to a civilian administration, is this what you expected?

No. We expected a more united country where the concern of our leaders would be the welfare of their people and the progress of the nation.

We expected that there should be no bitterness in politics, but unfortunately, we find out that now, for one reason or the other, there are a lot of agitations from the states for one thing or the other. If really peoples’ agitation is that many are being left out of the scheme is anything to go by, then the government should look into this issue and ensure that equity and justice are applied. However, my appeal to all Nigerians

Twenty-two years ago, Nigeria’s ex-military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, set Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, on the path to a return to democracy in the shadows of coups, aborted republic, death of the winner (MKO Abiola) of the 1993 presidential election, and demise of a sitting head of state (Gen. Sani Abacha). Against all odds, Gen. Abdulsalami expressed enduring hope and trust in democracy and handed power back to a civilian government after decades of the country being under the jackboot.

He talks to journalists about nationhood, transfer of power as Nigeria marks its 61st independence anniversary. Laleye Dipo presents the excerpts: is that we should all give peace a chance because, without peace, nothing works, you don’t have a country, no work, and everything will be at a standstill.

To the government, both at the federal and state levels, they should ensure peace, equity, and justice where every citizen of the country will be given equal right to be part and parcel of the union.

There are many agitations from different states, regions, groups of people and even individuals across the country more than before. What do you think are the causes of these agitations especially calls for secession?

I think the perception of being excluded from the sphere of things has brought an idea that the best thing to do is to stay away from where you are not wanted. Now, the brains behind these calls for secession have the feelings one way or the other that they are being excluded from the scheme of things.

Rightly or wrongly, this is what they feel, and they think the best thing to do is to opt out. The only way to stop this secession bid is to ensure that there must be equity and justice, and there must be an effort to carry everybody along in the governance, development, provision of infrastructures and again in the appointment of people to fill existing vacancies meaning that there must be equal representation. I think if this is done, we will kill these agitations.

The total debt of Nigeria today is said to be in the region of N57 trillion, both local and foreign. Do you think the country can repay the huge debts?

The man who is wearing the shoes knows where it is pinching him most. Certainly, the rising debts are cause for concern but let us pray that whatever loans acquired are

channelled towards the real purpose they are meant for.

Nigerians, especially the government, have not been celebrating our founding fathers, at least to spur younger Nigerians towards contributing to the country’s development.

Don’t you think this is contributing to the lack of patriotism by Nigerians?

I will blame you, the media -- both print and electronic -- for the lack of celebration of our past leaders because all you read or hear from the Media are stories of war.

You castigate everybody; you put everybody in the same basket and accuse them of so many things, yet some of these allegations are unfounded, and so, in order to celebrate our heroes, there must be fair reporting on the past and present heroes. Any leader in any country is a human being, and they are not perfect. There is no leader who will purposely come out to be wicked or destroy the people he is leading. We should see the media eulogising the past leaders.

I am not saying you should not criticise because it is part of your job, but you should also provide solutions to the problems. The media is always talking about our past leaders like Awolowo, Sardauna, Akintola, Azikiwe and others. Are we saying that after these leaders, Nigeria does not have other leaders worth celebrating? I believe we have. Unless you educate people on what they have done, certainly there will be nobody to celebrate.

It is not easy for a military ruler to hand over power to a civilian government, but you did it in record time. Were you pressurised to hand over to a democratically-elected government? Are you satisfied with taking that step?

Yes. I am satisfied because we did the right

thing by handing over to a democratically elected government. When I took over, the country was at a crossroads because politicians were against the military and yearning for democracy. The military was a victim of itself when professionalism in the army was being eroded and where discipline was also eroded. The military, as of that time, instead of talking for Nigeria, started talking about their villages or states, and this was a serious and sensitive issue because politics started rearing its head in the military. These were part of the factors we looked into and made our transition to be as short as possible so that we could restore the unity of the country and also bring professionalism back into the military. Based on these factors, I will not say I was pressurised to hand over power to the civilians.

On the contrary, people, especially the politicians, were asking me to prolong my stay in office because at first, when I said we were going to hand over, nobody believed the military was going judging from the past experiences.

When they now saw the genuineness in us, they now came back and pleaded for me to extend our tenure to enable them (politicians) to prepare fully and key into the democracy programme. But I resisted all these temptations and worked towards my handing over. Honestly, I am fulfilled that we handed over because, as it is, democracy is growing in the country.

Though some people will say, this is not the democracy we were yearning for. But again, nation-building is a continuous process. I want to believe that as we go on, our politics will change because, from all indications, our electorate are now better informed. I also pray and hope that in the next election, they will not sell their voter cards and thereby selling their dignity and losing the future. On the whole, I think democracy in Nigeria is on course despite the problems confronting the nation.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

13

14

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021

COMMENT

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

REFLECTIONS ON U.S.- NIGERIAN ENGAGEMENT The U.S. is focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic processes and institutions, writes Mary Beth Leonard

A

s Nigeria celebrates its national day, we celebrate our enduring bilateral partnership with the continent’s regional, political, and economic powerhouse.

We appreciate Nigeria’s leadership in the region, standing up for the integrity of democratic nations in West Africa. Nigeria was among the first to condemn the recent coup in Guinea, regularly recognizes the need for presidential term limits, and supports its best and brightest to serve in the highest ranks of international organizations – most recently demonstrated by Chikwe Ihekweazu’s recent appointment to Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us all that global challenges require global solutions. Our mission team partnered with Nigeria to tackle COVID-19 to save lives, promote economic recovery, and develop resilience as our experts worked side-by-side with the Presidential Task Force, Ministry of Health, and Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

We provided more than four million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Nigeria and contributed more than $84.2 million in COVID-related equipment and technical assistance including a mobile field hospital, 200 ventilators, and personal protective equipment. Additional vaccine donations are in the works. We conducted epidemiological COVID detection surveys, provided rapid response teams, trained over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures, and transferred technology for virtual training.

Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), supporting Nigeria since 2004, the U.S. government now is providing lifesaving treatment to over 1.5 million of Nigeria’s estimated 1.8 million people living with HIV and remains committed to closing the gap to reaching HIV epidemic control by 2023.

We also recognize that security and economic concerns weigh on the minds of all Nigerians. We work in solidarity with the Nigerian government to address those challenges together. Diplomacy, development, public health, and defense have long been pillars that provide the foundation for promoting and protecting U.S. national security interests abroad.

Our bilateral relationship is strong and based on such mutual interests. We share the Nigerian government’s recognition that, indeed, military aid will not be the exclusive tool to end insecurity in the country. A “whole of government” approach is required to protect citizens and stabilize the country. And indeed, all Nigerians have a role to play in improving security.

NIGERIA’S POTENTIAL IS ENORMOUS. WITH NIGERIA’S VIBRANT AND INNOVATIVE YOUTH, WE KNOW THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME FOR THIS GREAT NATION

We have a long-standing partnership with the Nigerian military and the Nigerian police that consists of advising, training, exercises, education, and military systems and equipment, all of which are encompassed in the historic A-29 Super Tucano sale. These engagements emphasize the skills and processes that are critical to shaping effective militaries.

The United States supports Nigeria’s economic growth and its mutually beneficial trade with the U.S. through both private sector engagement and government-supported initiatives – such as the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Prosper Africa, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the Foreign Commercial Service. The U.S. is proud to be the largest humanitarian donor in Nigeria, providing $1.45 billion since 2015, and supporting an estimated two million conflictaffected households in the north. The U.S. is looking forward to expanding on these economic relationships in the future.

We commend Nigeria on its efforts to encourage dialogue and transparency at all levels of governance and continue to partner with Nigeria on efforts to improve its governing capacity. We are focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic processes and institutions and encouraging freedom of information, including efforts to enforce accountability through credible and transparent elections. USAID’s partnerships with the federal and state governments, 200 civil society organizations, and the private sector are fulfilling these goals – by improving the electoral process, strengthening civil society advocacy for a more transparent government, reinforcing the role of local peace committees to resolve conflict, and supporting transparency and service delivery improvements.

The Mission takes pride in its extensive people-to-people engagement fostering bridges between our two nations. Last year the Migration Policy Institute noted that Nigerians in the U.S. are the most highly educated immigrant population in the United States, with 61 percent holding at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 31 percent of the total foreign-born population. Further, more than half of Nigerian immigrants (54 percent) occupy management positions, compared with 32 percent of the total foreign-born population and 39 percent of the U.S.-born population. In addition, ties are deepening in the art, film, fashion, and music spaces.

Nigeria’s potential is enormous. With Nigeria’s vibrant and innovative youth, we know that the best is yet to come for this great nation. As proud partners, we will continue to stand by Nigeria and work towards a more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria.

Leonard is U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria

NORTHERN GOVERNORS AND THE QUEST FOR POWER ROTATION Zoning and rotation are enforcement tools for political equity, argues Bolaji Adebiyi

A

t the end of its meeting last Monday, the Northern States Governors’ Forum issued an 11-point communique on several issues of national interest. Yet only two or so made the headlines of national newspapers and broadcast networks: Rotation of presidency and the appropriate collecting agency for Value Added Tax. This is understandable because the two have been on the front burner of national discourse in the last few months. Both have been expressly pronounced upon by the Southern Governors’ Forum, which argues for the rotation of the nation’s presidency to the South, the North having occupied it in the last six years, and pushes for states’ collection and utilisation of VAT. The southern governors’ persistence on these apparently drew a response from their northern colleagues who took more measured positions that are essentially tactical as well as strategic.

Expectedly, reactions to the northern governors’ positions from southern political interest groups have been swift and searing, manifesting the increasingly sharp divide in the country. Obviously based on an uncritical interpretation of the communique of the northern governors, the southern critics warned of the potential negative consequences of their presumed positions. But what is the position of the northern governors on power rotation for instance?

“The forum observed that some northern states governors had earlier expressed views for a power-shift to three geo-political zones in the South with a view to promoting unity and peace in the nation. Notwithstanding their comments, the forum unanimously condemned the statement by the Southern Governors’ Forum that the presidency must go to the South. The statement is quite

contradictory with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended…” (Emphasis mine).

In many ways the media must accept responsibility for the backlash that the northern governors have received from their position. For it was the media that gave the interpretation that gave the impression that the states’ helmsmen from above the Niger are opposed to power rotation. “2023: North rejects Southern govs’ demand for power shift,” the Daily Trust headline read on Tuesday.

Both Leadership and Blue Print had similar headlines. THISDAY was more temperate, “Northerner Governors: Power Shift Not in Constitution.”

Apparently based on these headlines the critics berated the northern governors, charging them with insensitivity to the yearnings of southerners who want power shift. “They are entitled to their opinion,” Rotimi Akeredolu, a senior advocate of Nigeria and SGF’s chairman, replied. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide was less diplomatic. “Attempts to jettison the rotational presidency in 2023 will be unfavourable… it will favour the declaration of Oduduwa and Biafra nations by 2024,” it said in a statement by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, warning: “If another northerner succeeds President Buhari in 2023, he or she might not be able to superintend over the affairs of the country as Nigeria may face brutal challenges from secessionist groups.” More diatribes and threats have been hurled and many DUH LQ WKH RI¿QJ But as Nasir el-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, has correctly pointed out, the media headlines did not accurately convey the spirit of his forum’s position, and the reactions to it, therefore, misconceived. What the northern governors condemned was the use of the word “must” and not the quest for rotation. To say must, is to seek to impose rather than persuade, in a charged polity that no one wants to be bullied

or seen to be weak. And the reference to the contradiction between rotation principle and the threshold for the declaration of a president as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution as amended, does not necessarily amount to a foreclosure of the application of the principle that is essentially a moral rather than a legal tool for political persuasion. After all, rotation is a corollary of zoning, another principle that is founded on the constitutional mandate of federal character, which is engendered to promote adequate and equitable representation of every part of the country in its governance structure. The principle of federal FKDUDFWHU ZDV ¿UVW LQVHUWHG LQWR WKH &RQVWLWXtion. And it stipulates that no part of the country should be dominated by the other. So important to the management of the diversity of the country is this principle that it was not only retained in the 1999 Constitution as amended but a commission was also established by the supreme law to enforce it.

So, to the extent that the constitution requires that no part of the country should be excluded from the decision-making and governance processes of the country, it is inconceivable that anybody, particularly those sworn to protect the grundnorm, would oppose any applicable principles enunciated to achieve equity. The president and the governors, LQFOXGLQJ WKHLU GHSXWLHV DQG DOO RI¿FLDOV RI government at all levels are, therefore, especially enjoined by the constitution to ensure equity in the governance of the country. If that is the case, how can the requirement of equity be met if the highest RI¿FH LQ WKH FRXQWU\ LV GRPLQDWHG RU DFFHVVHG E\ only one section?

It is perhaps in an attempt to restrain the domination of the commanding heights of the SROLWLFDO VSDFH WKDW SROLWLFDO SDUWLHV VLQFH have adopted the principles of zoning and rotation in the selection of their candidates for elective positions. While some, like the Peoples

Democratic Party, formed in 1998, enshrined them in their constitution, even those who did not apply them in their leadership selection process. This H[SODLQV ZK\ LQ ZKHQ 3UHVLGHQW 2OXVHJXQ Obasanjo was exiting after his second term, the PDP sourced its presidential candidate from the North and was eventually succeeded by President 8PDUX <DU¶$GXD ZKR HYHQWXDOO\ GLHG LQ RI¿FH In compliance with zoning and rotation Obasanjo’s deputy came from the North while Yar’Adua’s deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, came from the South. When Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua, his deputy, Namadi Sambo, came from the North.

When Jonathan lost the election in 2015, the party made a decision in 2019 to apply the rotation principle in zoning the presidency to the North while the vice-presidency was allotted to the South.

Even in the All Progressives Congress that does not have these principles enshrined in its constitution, they have, however, been diligently applied.

This was why its presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, was paired with Yemi Osinbajo, a southerner. If those principles were not at play and enforceable, why did Buhari not pick his deputy from Kaduna State, another northern enclave? And why is it that there is the clamour for a southern presidency in the party even by northern governors, including el-Rufai and Borno State’s Babagana Zulum, if the rotation principle is perceived as unlawful policy?

The bottom line is that zoning and rotation are essentially political principles used to enforce the reversed discriminatory policy of federal character that is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended. No one in the political space can seriRXVO\ VHHN WR UHSXGLDWH WKHP ZLWKRXW VLJQL¿FDQW political consequences, positive or negative.

Adebiyi, managing editor of THISDAY Newspapers, wrote from bolaji.adebiyi@ thisdaylive.com

15

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021

EDITORIAL

NIGERIA: 61 YEARS OF NATIONHOOD Nigeria has not made it good as a nation. It should make better use of its potential

W

hatever may be the misgivings of some citizens either over the amalgamation of the country in 1914 or the distortion of our federal system by the military, Nigeria has come a long way as a nation. As we therefore mark the 61st anniversary today, the task before critical stakeholders at all levels is to mobilise and give practical expressions to the forces of integration. Emphasis should be placed on being Nigerian while those who claim to speak for the various religious, ethnic, and regional groups should do so with every sense of responsibility.

With over 250 ethnic groups, two dominant religions that historically view each other with suspicion, social and political classes that engender disaffection and disillusionment, and a political leadership that appears doomed to mediocrity at all levels, we concede that there are serious challenges. But so are opportunities. To start THE POTENTIAL FOR with, our diversity STRENGTHENING THE should be a veritable STRUCTURAL DESIGN FOR tool for intellectual GOOD GOVERNANCE AND and cultural strength – two indispensable HUMAN DEVELOPMENT prerequisites for IN NIGERIA IS A SOUND societal development IDEA THAT SHOULD and growth.

BE SUBJECTED TO A Even the enemies NATIONAL CONVERSATION of Nigeria do not deny its social and economic potential, despite the generations of waste and abuse it has so far experienced. Home to about one out of every four black persons on earth, its abundance of human resources has never been in doubt. But there is a structural challenge that holds us back. After surviving a three-year civil war and many other security and political challenges, Nigeria is yet to put its house in order. The glaring failings are embedded in the ever-increasing questions on its

Letters to the Editor

nationhood through threats of secession from various groups.

I

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

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

t is unfortunate that after 61 years the country is yet to ‘melt’ the union into one as loyalty to primordial interest, even at the level of national leadership, still wins the day. We can see that in the debate about the 2023 general election on where the president should come from, rather than in what he or she can deliver to the people. To worsen matters, the economy has been in doldrums for decades, occasioned by lamentably slow growth and persistent high unemployment. This has brought hardship on a scale unimaginable. The widespread economic suffering can be measured easily: the once wealthy country has become a basket case, harbouring more than 100 million people living below the poverty line, and unable to provide basic services. The impact of all this on the ordinary Nigerian has been dreadful.

As we have argued on different occasions, the nation should be freed from stifling centralism which has aided conflict-ridden competition for power and resources. The potential for strengthening the structural design for good governance and human development in Nigeria is a sound idea that should be subjected to a national conversation. But for such a conversation to be meaningful, the present fallacies and prejudices must be dealt with. The two largest religions in the country – Christianity and Islam – both originated from the Middle East and were only transmitted here. They should not continue to be used as divisive instruments. As for ethnicity, the nations that are linguistically homogeneous are very few. But those who imagine and propose the dissolution of the nation along ethnic or regional lines as a solution to what ails us are not correct. There is no guarantee that acrimony and differences would disappear in the unlikely event of cultural homogeneity.

Overall, Nigerians must look beyond primordial considerations and artificial differences. There is a lot to gain from harmonious living.

We wish Nigeria Happy 61st Anniversary.

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

NIGERIA: 61 YEARS OF PATCHY NATIONHOOD

A

s Nigeria celebrates its 61st independence anniversary, it appears that the country has made little noticeable progress over the years, while taking long strides towards an obnoxious obsession with retrogression.

Like the subject of child no one really wants at a meeting of estranged couples, whenever Nigeria is dialed into any discourse, nerves fray and tempers flare. At the mention of Nigeria, there is always the palpable sense of a stand-off between the camps of those who want Nigeria to continue as one undivided entity and those who want the country divided into different parts.

The arguments for and against Nigeria`s continuation as a single entity are as numerous as they are ferocious. Proponents of one Nigeria point to the diversity. They say that the different ethnic groups that make up the country are able to bring their different diverse gifts to the table to ensure that Nigeria can always throw a banquet.

The opponents of Nigeria`s continuation as a single entity point to what they call a famine of progress since Nigeria attained independence in 1960.They say that for all its many gifts, Nigeria has remained painfully poor.

As Nigeria celebrates its 61st independence anniversary, it is an opportunity to reflect on what has gone wrong with Nigeria and what could be done to redeem its battered image. It was always going to be difficult. Perhaps, Lord Lugard, the much-vilified arrowhead of Nigeria`s amalgamation did not envision the stormy waters the country would sink into not long after his seemingly historic masterstroke.

If he did, he was most mischievous to have ignored the warning signs.

If he did not, then he betrayed remarkably poor vision.

In any case, so many years down the line, Lord`s Lugard`s vision of one united Nigeria has badly faltered leaving fault lines that stretch

from Sokoto to Sapele, fault lines which now threaten to break up the country. While sections of the country feel marginalized, other sections feel threatened by the agitations spewing from other sections like a deadly volcano. The net effect is a country on pins and needles where ethnic and religious loyalties trump the trappings of patriotism.

Ask many Nigerians what the problem is and they will tell you it is a leadership problem. It is hard to debate that because from the lowly councilor in the remotest ward in Nigeria`s farthest state to the presidency in Abuja, Nigerians feel a sense of abandonment by the leadership of the country. There has been the lingering feeling that Nigeria`s electoral system is too compromised to allow the right people assume the mantle of leadership.

Many Nigerians are passive about Nigeria and its affairs. Many Nigerians do not believe that anything good can come out of the entity called Nigeria. As a result, apathy ensues and endures, fueled in no small part by the recurring unwillingness of successive Nigerian administrations to arrest the country`s slide into obscurity.

As Nigeria celebrates a 61st, what can be done to redeem the country and its image? It is a difficult ask and a difficult task because the country is long gone in slump. However, baby steps could be taken, more in hope than in expectation.

For starters, the sectional agitations threatening to rip the country apart must be addressed with urgency. The most serious agitation seems to be coming from Nigeria`s southeast where the echoes of the Nigerian Civil War resound in IPOB`s frantic efforts to attain an independent country of Biafra.

The IPOB`s agitation for independence gained fresh impetus after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015.The agitations have not been helped by the iron fist with which his administration

has so far treated the issue. It remains to be seen whether the sledge hammer successfully kill the fly.

Agitations for secession has also roiled into Nigeria`s south-west, helped in no small part by the insistence of the Yoruba people that the country should be properly restructured. The long running grievances of the long-suffering people of the Niger Delta are also well documented. The peace that now pervades the Niger Delta is a peace of the graveyard.

Then there is the Nigeria`s north which is going up in flames. Boko Haram terrorists and savage bandits have joined forces to ensure that children there cannot freely go to school without fear of abduction.

The government`s response has been tepid to say the least, an oscillation between nonchalance and incompetence. Then there is the painful phenomenon of corruption, long recognized as Nigeria`s Achilles heel. Corruption like a malignant cancer has eaten deep into the Nigerian system leaving in its wake a devastating failure of public infrastructure and public confidence in the government.

The situation has become so bad that every Nigerian is assumed and expected to be corrupt. A culture of kickbacks and sharp corners has been ingrained into the Nigerian system to such an extent that it has become an accepted way of life. The result is the chilling state of comatose development that has befallen the country.

As Nigeria celebrates its 61st Independence anniversary, Nigerians dream of the heady days when they can stand shoulder to shoulder on the world stage with citizens of countries where things work.

Until then, those in positions of authority must put their noses to the grinding stone for the sake of the country. It is only by doing that the country can attain the heights its lowliest citizens so desperately crave.

Kene Obiezu, Abuja

16

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

17

18

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

19

20

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

21

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021

22

POLITICS

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

Nigeria at 61, Greatness Still Within Reach Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress conveys his convictions on Nigeria’s bright future

O

n October 1, 1960, the Union Jack flag of the British Empire was lowered and replaced with the Green and White flag, designed

by Taiwo Akinwumi at Independence Square in Lagos. Princess Alexandra of Kent, the official representative of Queen Elizabeth of England handed over Nigeria’s symbol of independence to the nation’s first Indigenous speaker of Parliament, Jaja Nwachukwu.

Though since 1955, Indigenous leaders had governed the three regional governments of Nigeria, leading to greater economic and social transformation than almost a century of colonial rule delivered, it was on October 1, 1960 that power was transferred at the centre to an indigenously composed Parliament.

The hope and optimism of that season was eloquently captured by the first elected Prime Minister of Nigeria, Tafawa Balewa who spoke better English than most British, “I promise you we shall not fail for want of determination and we come to this task better equipped than many,” Tafawa Balewa’s velvet voice rang.

The Prime Minister’s speech was not an empty boast. Within five years of limited self-government, the black Indigenous rulers of Nigeria had built more educational institutions, hospitals, industries; created jobs than the British rulers did in about 100 years of colonial rule. Production of vaccines to cope with outbreak of diseases was not a challenge for them as they continued to maintain the Yaba Vaccine Production Centre that not only served Nigeria but many African countries as well. Nigeria had a prosperous economy diversified and comparable to her peers, like Malaysia and Thailand, as well as a comparable Per Capital Income.

All those momentum of greatness were punctured by a tragic military coup in January 1966 led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. Balewa and other leaders were killed leading to two counter coups, lacking in political management skills, the military in government succeeded in plunging the country into a civil war, distorted the country’s federalism and mismanaged the economy in its adventure in politics which, save for five years of civil rule (between 1979 and 1983) lasted till 1999.

Since the return to democracy, the nation has struggled to shake off the ruinous effects of prolonged military rule that temporarily suspended the momentum of development recorded from 1955-1966.

The telecommunications sector has expanded but the country has seen the near death of industrialization. A highly educated Nigerian di-

aspora community of the nation has emerged, which contributed over USD26 billion in 2019 in remittances, one billion US dollars more than

Yari, a Compelling Choice for APC Chairmanship Administrative skills of a former governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, is one quality that stands him out for the job of APC national Chairmanship, writes Ahmad Dan-Wudil

M

any persons might be wondering why I am all out campaigning for Dr. Abdulaziz Yari. The reasons are not far fetched.

I have no option than to go for one with a proven track record. An aspirant that has demonstrated over time that perfection is not just a word. In simple terms, Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar is the most prepared candidate. He has the most recent experience and the most passion.

Talking about preparedness, there is no gain saying the fact that Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar is way ahead of others. He has pledged to serve his party (ANPP) as it was then in 1999 than to go for executive or representative position. Do you know why? Because he wants to ensure his party functions effectively first.

Dr. Yari is one of the founding Fathers Of All progressive Congress (APC). The History of APC wouldn’t Be Complete without a mention his name. If we need to get it right, then we have no other option than to support Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar.

Also, Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar has the most Vast experience when it comes to party affairs. He’s one time party secretary, party chairman and party national financial secretary.

There is no gain saying the fact that the Nigerian Governor’s Forum came into prominence during his time as chairman.

Nigerian Governor’s Forum owned It’s office at Maitama Abuja during his time, Before him NGF Was renting an office At Asokoro Abuja. In fact, he transformed the NGF to the point that everybody wants to associate with it. Apart from this, Nigerian Governor’s Forum became one during his time. He was all the time seen moving round the country to ensure that Nigerian governors are united to the extent that they could all sit and work together for the benefit of Nigerians without considering

their political differences.

Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar was the best governor Zamfara State ever had.

Zamfara State under His watch, performed creditably well economically. He left over N14billion in the state treasury when he left office! APC surely needs this sort of experience that is why Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar is the right choice.

Furthermore, the passion of Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar for APC activities is so infectious. There is hardly any APC occasion that Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar is not part of. People who work with him testify to the fact that he is so caring, social, his door is always open. This can be extended to the APC. In conclusion, I make bold to say that APC needs Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar at this time. Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar can bring back the lost glory through his well known passion, recent experience and preparedness. I enjoin all members of APC to join in changing the narrative by voting for Dr. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar as the APC National Chairman.

receipt from oil, Nigeria’s major export.

While the country’s citizens abroad are becoming increasingly more educated, there is growing illiteracy at home to an extent the country is recording up to 10 million out-of-school children according to UNICEF figures.

At the security front, Nigeria is facing new challenges proving tough for a country that has once been a helper to sister African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Congo in achieving stability and peace.

The challenges of the country are surmountable. The nation’s polity needs to reconnect to the ideological and moral rectitude that galvanised development between 1955-1966, updating them based on modern precepts and new realities.

Politics has to be driven by developmental issues of economics, access to health and education, plans for industrialization, security, jobs, reform of decaying ethical and social values, political accountability as well as inclusiveness.

Greater patriotism, tolerance maturity and political accommodation are necessary such as exhibited by political leaders of the Independence era, who despite relatively youthful ages were able to resolve complex divisive issues in the national interest by working out political compromises.

The promise of Nigeria’s greatness is within reach, it is still the nation with the biggest economy in Africa, a 2015 PWC forecast based on GDP projection predicts Nigeria could be the 14th largest economy in the world by 2050 ahead of Spain, Canada, Italy, Portugal and many European nations. We can surpass the projection if we quickly overcome our internal divisions, fix electricity distribution, the weakest link in the electricity sector, focus more on industrialization and emerging cyber market where Nigeria has the advantage of being the 6th largest user (country) of internet users in the world and participate more as content creator. We can make regulations of infrastructure investment more investor-friendly. We can afford a bit more decentralisation in policing to states and local government as well as other areas of control over economic activities that can galvanise production, resolve quickly divisive issues such as who should collect VAT and how it should be shared. Our nation’s future is more brighter than bleak, we just need to get some things under control; right now.

-Olawepo-Hashim is a businessman and former presidential candidate

23

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

A Dashed Dream at 61 Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, President, Igbo Youth Movement laments flourishing incidence of bad governance and mismanaged opportunities that have stunted Nigeria’s growth

W

e had the population, the manpower and the zeal to build a great country in 1960.

We still have the population and all we need to excel, even today.

What went wrong?

The policy of assimilation applied studiously by France, left our Francophone neighbours with a heavy sociocultural hangover, we didn’t suffer from.

Belgium’s King Leopold’s vicious and mindless rape of the Congo, the CIA’s murder of Patrice Lumumba and the enthroning of clueless Mobutu Sese Seko, inspired a rudderless future for that nation. We were luckier, so why are we still floundering?

The caucasian colonial overlords didn’t fall in love enough with our climate conditions, therefore, we didn’t go through the brutal suppression and repression some of our brethren, like Kenya, (the Mau Mau uprising), Zimbabwe (reluctance to grant them independence, because of their beautiful weather), South Africa (land they fell in love with and refused to leave).

The excitement over the lowering of the Union Jack and the raising up of our Green and White, evaporated just a few years later. Why? The inter tribal struggle for central power that led to a brutal internecine fatricide, didn’t seem to have taught any useful lessons.

The post civil war era, unfortunately turned into an inglorious period of profligacy, mismanagement and bad governance. Regrettably, we seem reluctant to accept the truth and seek solutions.

Sad point is, there hasn’t been a frank attempt at soul searching, a sincere effort at ascertaining the problems hindering our growth and courageously desiring the convening of a genuine truth and reconciliation commission that would answer the questions of how we got here.

How do we rebuild and rejuvenate our nation? And the most important of all: How do we live together?

The social, economic and political problems ravaging our country today are all intertwined, interwoven, intermingled and inseparable from the intra ethnic struggle for dominance that reared its head immediately after independence and weakened the cohesion that was badly needed to build a new nation.

Bitter struggle for control of central power inspired regional politics built on religious and ethnic affinity.

The patriotic nationalism that grew the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) and the agitation for selff-overnment and independence, slowly transformed into regional movements immediately after the demise of the venerable Herbert Macaulay in 1946.

The emergence of the very colourful and cerebral Nnamdi Azikiwe, as the successor to Herbert Macaulay, as leader of the strongest, bigger and better known political party at the time, the NCNC, definitely didn’t go down well with everyone.

It is reasonable to imagine that the formation of the Action Group (AG) three years later, in 1949, wouldn’t have taken the life and tempo it did, had a Yoruba man succeeded Macaulay at his death.

It is also safe to assume that the birth of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) in 1949, probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the support it had all over the North, had a Northerner replaced Macaulay as the leader of the well known NCNC in 1946.

The emergence of political parties with regional identities, three years after the demise of Macaulay in 1946, signposted politics of regional struggle for central power.

The Ibadan cross carpeting six years later, in 1952, confirmed the new template of party politics in the emerging nation.

The unchecked bitter rivalry, amongst the regions, each controlled by a different political party, the fallout between Chief

Obafemi Awolowo and his deputy Chief Ladoke Akintola, the trial and imprisonment of Awolowo and the

brutal suppression of the Tiv rioters, all inspired the crisis that led to the first coup detat.

Biden’s Legacy and Deportation of Haitians The inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants in the United States is condemnable, writes Chido Nwangwu

A

s at today, October 1, 2021, and within a space of only 13 days, the U.S. government led by President Joe Biden would have expelled/deported almost 4,000 Haitian migrants — without allowing them to seek asylum. Most of those are women and traumatized families with children.

That is part of the crises and images at the United States borders.

On the other hand, while Biden spoke so eloquently, on Tuesday September 21, 2021 on the grand and powerful stage at the United Nations General Assembly, meeting in New York, those “horrific” videos were awash across the social media. Especially, too, the powerful picture by photographer Paul Ratje which showed a border agent on horseback rough-handling and grabbing one of the migrants on Sunday September 19, 2021.

Those images had gone viral, globally.

They compelled to set a context. There and immediately, the videos and photographs countered President Biden’s important vision — whereby, at best, he delivered a made-for-diplomacy, saccharine speech; and worse, he merely engaged in another routine delivery of target audience-tested verbosity and humanitarian philosophies that meant little “on ground” Sadly, the more I watched the video and pictures of the handling of distraught and desperate migrants, mostly Haitians at the Texas’ Del Rio border, President Biden’s very well-crafted first speech at this United Nations encountered very difficult contrasts for me and millions of other Americans.

“Our security, our prosperity and our

very freedoms are interconnected, in my view as never before,” were the lofty words spoken by Biden as factual affirmations of our world.

Watching the dedicated public servant, Biden, who I recently characterized in my USAfricaonline.com and THISDAY weekly columns as “a decent man” speak and not have the gumption at his UN speech, the will and the empathy to say to those mostly Haitian Africans who had travelled and risked everything through the valleys and rivers and roads for a very long time, and set foot inside America, against all odds, that you deserve wellknown American empathy and have earned the initial privilege of being under the protection and care of these United States… No such words of embrace and succor from Biden.

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

And of course, the attendant pogrom and the counter coup, led to the very bloody war. Fifty one years after that war, our leaders have continued to resist every attempt to resolve the structural problems and deficiencies that feed almost all our problems as a people.

Certain influential and powerful forces in the land commitedly refuse and ignore suggestions for a reconstruction of the inadequate and unhelpful unitary structure, that is largely responsible for our problems as a country.

The deliberate pretence that our challenges are unconnected with the unitary structure upon which the country is being run, is unhelpful.

The deceptive narrative that the fallouts and symptoms of the resultant pressure and inadequacies of our unitary format, are the big issues, is misleading.

Global challenges, such as, corruption, poverty, unemployment, bad leadership, weak institutions, infrastructural deficiency and insecurity, which are more prevalent in poorer and vulnerable countries, are enlarged and made difficult to manage, by our structural deficiencies.

Our ever-growing population, our cultural and ethnic diversity and the economic and political realities of today, simply makes it difficult for us to survive as a nation on the the current 1999 unitary constitution.

Our mono-source economy would inevitably suffer a massive blow in a decade or so, as the world’s dependence on fossil fuel wanes and oil prices dip.

There would be no money to share amongst the three tiers of Government anymore.

Our reluctance to restructure and diversify will hit us real hard. Our indolent attitude to production of wealth, will negatively impact on our future.

Regularly regaling ourselves with all Government has been doing over the years addressing the symptoms of the disease, whilst obstinately refusing to address the root cause of our ailments, is unhelpful.

All the diseases afflicting our land today, can be traced to the suffocating unitary system, that enabled the political culture, that threw up all our problems.

Nepotism, impunity, inability of the ill prepared centralized police force to stem the frightening insecurity that has crippled the country, the gross unemployment that feeds the rising crime rate, the oppression and dichotomy that drives the loss of faith, which in turn, inspire the agitation all over the land, the poverty ravaging the land and all other issues, such as corruption, hunger and infrastructural deficits, all are enabled by the unhelpful unitary structure.

The over-excitement of the oil boom years, especially the poor leadership and bad governance of the military era, inspired the Nigerian cultural identity, that paints us variously as a big for nothing black hope, a failed project and a huge disappointment to the African people.

The costly mistakes of yesterday, the reluctance to admit those errors and the refusal to seek the path of truth, brings us to the place of introspection. A dashed dream at 61.

Unless we accept our folly, resolve to depart from it, commit to building a better tomorrow, accept the harsh realities and endeavour to strive collectively, making sacrifices, as one big family in order to succeed as a unit, we may still wallow directionlessly for a little while more.

Worse still we may arrogantly and unwittingly slip off the drop off. God forbid.

All the issues that trouble our souls today, are all manifestations of a expected signs and fallouts of a deeper malaise.

Symptoms of a disease if you will.

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

24

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021

25

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

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

08056356325

S E P T E M B E R

S & P INDEX

3 0 , 2 0 2 1

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OBB

9.00%

CALL

4%

INDEX LEVEL

564.02%

1/4 TO DATE

5.82%

N413.03/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

10.75%

1-MONTH

6%

1-DAY

–0.17%

YEAR TO DATE

– 15.85%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.19%

Foreign Investors’ Exit, Higher Money Market Instrument Yield Depress Stock Market by N107.66bn in Nine Months

Darasimi Adebisi The stock market of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) in nine months of 2021 has dropped by N107.66billion, attributable to foreign investors exit, double-digit inflation rate and movement of liquidity to money market instruments.

Analysis of the stock market performance during the period revealed that the NGX Limited market capitalization lost a total of

N107.66 billion or 0.51 per cent to close as at September 30, 2021 at N20.956trillion from N21.063trillion at the commencement of trading this year.

The market capitalization had lost a total of N1.297 trillion in the first half (H1) of 2021 to N19.760 trillion as investors moved to fixed income instrument, leading to foreign investors foreign investors outflow outpacing inflow between January and August of 2021.

Specifically, foreign investors inflow between January and August 2021 was N123.46billion compared with N139.39billion outflow in the months under review.

Capital market analysts had stated that January was another great month as the nation’s stock market started the 2021 on a bullish note, extending the sharp market recovery and bull ascendance, driven by positive sentiment, inflow of funds from the fixed income market, oscillating oil

price, among other factors.

Also, the NSE All Share Index, which tracks the general market movement of all listed stocks shed 0.21 per cent to close September 30 at 40,221.17 basis points from 40,270.72 basis points at which it opened trading for 2021.

Expect for Banking, Consumer Goods and Insurance indices that recorded 5.6 per cent and 1.07 per cent and 8.68 per cent decline respectively, other indices recorded modest growth

in nine months sectoral performance.

On the other hand, NSE Industrial, Lotus II, NSE 30, Pension, Premium and Oil/Gas indices recorded a yearto-date gain of 1.8 per cent, 2.07per cent, 2.1 per cent, 11.8 per cent, 17.27 per cent and 62/4 per cent respectively as at September 30, 2021.

The stock market in January had started on a positive note having gained N8 trillion in 2020, and appreciated by N1.124 trillion in January.

However, the positive sentiments that pervaded the stock market between January and February was cut short-lived over the anticipated reversal in the yields on fixed income (FI) instruments that weaken investors’ appetite for stocks in months that followed.

They, however, hinted that the stock market performance in nine months of 2021 witnessed movement of investors Continued on page 26

How Security Operatives Use Threats, Delays to Extort Money from Passengers at Lagos Airport Chinedu Eze After a reduction in extortion by security agencies at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos (MMIA), following measures introduced by the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo that reduced passengers’ interface with security officials, extortion of travellers at MMIA has returned with full vigour, THISDAY investigation has revealed In 2018, the federal government

introduced seamless check in process whereby passengers luggage were not physically searched at the departure hall but done by x-ray machines at the designated security screening centre.

When THISDAY visited the international terminal of the Lagos airport, it noticed that beside the x-ray machine which screens all passengers luggage at the entrance of the terminal, officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),

the Department of State Service (DSS), Quarantine and Aviation Security (AVSEC) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) located themselves in a booth where they direct passengers to bring their luggage for physical search immediately it comes out of the x-ray machine.

The development forced the passengers to queue in disorderly manner and form a crowd at the entrance of the terminal while the security operatives took coniderable time to search

every bag.

It was learnt that the security operatives were carrying out the same old routine of forcing passengers to pay money or have their luggage seized.

The passengers who were obviously in a hurry were paying so as to be allowed to go to the airlines processing counter to check in.

THISDAY investigation also revealed that most of the things they threaten to seize are materials and articles that are

allowed to be checked in but when the officials are given money passengers are allowed to go with their bags and travel with them.

THISDAY cornered an official of NDLEA (name withheld) who introduced himself as member of the task force official team deployed by the agency to the airport.

He justified the search at the entrance gate, saying that the x-ray machine at that entrance was deficient and does not expose

many of the prohibited goods, adding that security officials had discovered guns and cutlasses in passengers’ bags at that entrance.

When THISDAY reminded him that those bags would still be thoroughly screened before they were checked into the aircraft, he said not all of them would be screened again, but THISDAY confirmed from AVSEC official that all the bags Continued on page 26

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 FGN BONDS DESCRIPTION 12.175 FGNSB 10-OCT-2021 11.244 FGNSB 16-OCT-2021 10.296 FGNSB 13-NOV-2021 13.390 FGNSB 14-NOV-2021 9.091 FGNSB 11-DEC-2021

Price

Yield

BILLS Change (%)

MATURITY

OTC FX F U T U R E S

Discount Yield

Change (%)

100.23

3.76

0.00

NTB 14-Oct-21

3.76

3.77

0.00

100.32

3.82

0.00

NTB 28-Oct-21

3.88

3.89

0.00

100.74

4.06

0.00

NTB 11-Nov-21

4.00

4.02

0.00

101.13

4.07

0.00

NTB 25-Nov-21

4.12

4.14

0.00

NTB 13-Jan-22

4.53

4.59

100.93

4.32

CONTRACT TENOR (MONTH) 1

Contract

Current Rate ($/₦)

NGUS OCT 27 2021 420.93

2

NGUS NOV 24 2021 422.38

3

NGUS DEC 29 2021 423.83

0.00

4

NGUS JAN 26 2022 425.28

0.00

5

NGUS FEB 23 2022 426.73

C Ps MATURITY

Discount Yield

Change (%)

CMBL CP XV 11-OCT-21 UBNP CP VIII 18-OCT-21 CMBL CP XII 31-OCT-21 CMBL CP XVII 15-NOV-21 FSDH CP III 16NOV-21

7.16

7.18

0.00

8.78

8.82

0.00

4.97

4.99

-0.01

5.94

5.99

0.00

7.30

7.37

0.00

26

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

HOW SECURITY OPERATIVES USE THREATS, DELAYS TO EXTORT MONEY FROM PASSENGERS AT LAGOS AIRPORT would be screened before they were taken to the aircraft and passengers prohibited goods were found in their bags are called out by the airline security team and those prohibited goods are dropped and in some cases the passengers are stopped from travelling.

However, he acknowledged that the US in 2017 donated Smith Detection Body Scan and other security equipment to NDLEA and would in the next few weeks donate more to the agency.

THISDAY also saw a group of quarantine officials on the floor of the departure hall randomly stopping passengers and searching their luggage and some of them were asked to “settle” them or remove certain consumables from their bags.

A FAAN official who craved anonymity told THISDAY that quarantine officials and other security officials were not supposed to be searching passengers luggage in the hall because there is a place designated for such while hand luggage are searched at the x-ray machines along with the passengers as they pass through central search to the airside to board their flights.

Aviation security experts and

the CEO of Centurion Securities Limited, Group Captain John Ojikutu who was former Commandant at the airport, told THISDAY that the problem of extortion has been there in the last 30 years and security is compromised when security officials receive inducement from travellers.

“Until we comply with the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) requirements in Annex 17 to establish a national aviation security committee and also establish an autonomous security agency for the airports that would have all the multiple government security agencies under its control, the situation will remain same. How would the NCASP (the National Civil Aviation Security Programme) give security coordination of all government security agencies to FAAN that was established primarily for airports development and management not for security?

“During my time, I brought all the agencies together and drew roaster that put the head of each agencies including FAAN airport manager in control of the rest for one week. We started this before the US found out they had similar problems and the Al Gore

commission recommended the establishment of the TSA (Transport Security Administration) that put all the government security agencies in the US airports under the TSA. That is what for many years I have been asking every minister of aviation to do; I have also advised against the arming of the FAAN security until a unified airport security agency is established.

“We don’t need more than two checkpoints: one for immigration and the other for carryon with a screening machine, which all the agencies can monitor remotely.

A machine was bought for the Customs and the NDLEA joint usage in 1991, for whatever reasons it was never used and they prefer to work separately. Government must develop a policy for the establishment of unified control agency for the aviation security, “he said.

In her reaction, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said that FAAN made two numbers available for passengers to call whenever airport officials demand for gratification, adding, “There’s provision for Quarantine officials to use, I wonder why they have chosen to use the floor of the

Pa n e l O r d e r s I N T E L S t o Pa y Entitlements of 624 Sacked Dockworkers Ugo Aliogo and Loveth Chinagorom The Industrial Arbitration Panel, (IAP) has ordered Integrated Logistics Services Limited (INTELS) and Associated Maritime Services (AMS) to pay the full entitlements including gratuities and terminal benefits of the 624 Dockworkers they sacked.

The workers were said to have been sacked by INTELS and its subsidiary, AMS between November 2020 and June 2021.

A statement by the PresidentGeneral of the Maritime Workers

Union of Nigeria, (MWUN), Adewale Adeyanju, disclosed that the panel also indicted INTEL and AMS for sacking the affected workers, while the case INTELS instituted against the workers and their Union subsisted, describing the action as unfair labour practices.

Adeyanju quoted a letter dated September 13, by the Director, Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, Mrs. Omoabie Akpan, on behalf of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

According to the letter, “The IAP in accordance with the provision of

Section 13(2) of the Trade Dispute Act CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, after looking into the dispute, and making about eight findings ruled that all the contract staff/ employees seconded by the 3rd party (AMS) to the 2nd party (INTELS) under their labour management contract namely; 599 contract staff affected by redundancy exercise conducted on November 30th 2020, 8 contract staff affected by redundancy exercise conducted on 2nd February, 2021, and 17 contract staff affected by the redundancy exercise conducted on June 15,

2021, are employees of the 2nd party; Intels Nig. Limited.

“All the contract staff employees seconded by the 3rd party under their labour management contract namely; 599 contract staff affected by the redundancy exercise conducted on November 30th 2020, contract staff affected by redundancy exercise conducted on 2nd, April, 2021 and 17 contract staff affected by redundancy exercise conducted on June 15, 2021 by 2nd and 3rd parties, are each entitled to be paid extra gratuity in addition to their terminal benefits by the 2rd party through the 3rd party; forthwith.

“The mode of calculation of extra gratuity to be paid by the 2nd party through the third party shall be: a. N300, 000.00 (three hundred thousand naira) for each completed year of service to redundant workers who have completed five (5) years of service and above; N1, 500,000 (one million five hundred thousand naira) lump - sum to redundant staff/workers who have completed 1-4 years of service; forthwith.

“Redundant workers with less than one year, but have spent a minimum of six months in service shall be paid on prorated basis, forthwith. The contractual

relationship between the 2nd and 3rd parties still subsists in all matters relating to, and concerning this Award in the proceedings.

“The practice where an employer obtains a restraining order against strike by its workers and proceeds, during the subsistence of the restraining order, to declare the restrained workers redundant and terminated is nothing but an unfair labour practice. The 2nd and 3rd parties thus in the conduct of redundancy exercises of 2nd April, 2021, and 15th June, 2021 engaged in unfair labour practice, “the panel ruled.

NIMASA Reaffirms Commitment to Seafarers’ Development, Welfare Gilbert Unwugbe

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has restated its commitment to supporting Nigerian seafarers, assuring that Nigerian seafarers and their international counterparts will continue to remain at the core of all its policy and decision-making in all matters of shipping.

The Director General, NIMASA,

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Aviation Editor Chinedu Eze Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy) Ugo Aliogo (Development)

Bashir Jamoh stated this while speaking at the 2021 World Maritime Day, held in Lagos, stated that NIMASA will continue to pay priority attention to the capacity development and employment of seafarers.

According to him, the harmonious working relationship that exists between the agency and seafarers union has translated into a peaceful and crisis-free maritime industry.

He however stated that efforts of the agency in securing the nation’s maritime domain, especially with the Deep Blue Project and the SPOMO Act, are yielding results with the recently released IMB report for the 2nd Quarter of 2021 showing a drastic decline in incidences of attacks on Nigeria’s waters and in the Gulf of Guinea.

“Seafarers can do their jobs without fear of being attacked or kidnapped. Today, as we join the rest

of the world to mark World Maritime Day we salute the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for keeping these brave men and women of the seas at the top of the global maritime agenda reminding all of us that we are nothing without them; we will ever be indebted to them for their sacrifices and contributions.”

He noted that NIMASA on its part has continued to march in lockstep with IMO on all matters concerning seafarers since the outbreak of COVID-19.

“We were the first in declaring Seafarers as essential workers; we were also the first in the continent to issue Marine Notice regarding Crew Change. We recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic had placed extraordinary demands on seafarers, with hundreds of thousands of men and women stranded on ships for months beyond their original contracts, unable to be repatriated

due to national travel restrictions. A similar number of seafarers were unable to join ships and earn a living. This crew change crisis was becoming a humanitarian emergency that threatened the safety of shipping, so we as a Maritime Administration acted accordingly,” he boasted.

He added that the World Maritime theme also put the spotlight on other issues related to the human element of shipping, including the safety and security of life on board ships, seafarers’ well-being, and the importance of ensuring an appropriately trained and qualified workforce, ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation and automation.

“On this special occasion, therefore, we have every reason to celebrate the seafarers for their contributions to Nigeria’s economy.

We have every reason to celebrate the seafarers because they make life more meaningful to the individual citizens by playing a significant role in the delivery of essentials for our collective survival,” he said.

He pointed out that the recent official flag-off of the National wrecks removal exercise with the first phase along Badagry creeks from Tin-can Island to Navy town, is geared towards making its waterways safe and navigable for seafarers and vessels.

“Our role as a regulatory agency is to ensure that Nigerian Seafarers are treated fairly by the Shipowners and employers through the implementation of approved conditions of service and agreed-on collective bargaining agreements,” he stressed.

He added that the agency has also initiated the Seafarers Identity Document (SID) registration

portal, and other e-platforms for Dockworkers, and their employers to ease the verification and registration process in line with international best practices while stakeholders have already been sensitised for its smooth take off.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani stated that the theme for this year’s World Maritime Day celebration “Seafarers: at the core of shipping future” seeks to increase the visibility of seafarers by drawing attention to the invaluable roles they play now and continue to play in the future.

She said it is worthy to note that shipping industry is the most efficient mode of transportation facilitated by the efforts of seafarers without which the world’s economy would not be able to function appropriately.

FOREIGN INVESTORS’ EXIT, HIGHER MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENT YIELD DEPRESS STOCK MARKET BY N107.66BN IN NINE MONTHS to money market instruments and exit of foreign investors over foreign exchange scarcity.

In a chat with THISDAY, the Vice Chairman, Highcap Securities Limited, Mr. David Adnori attributed stock market decline performance to higher yields in money market instrument, stressing that the stock market in the fourth quarter is expected to appreciate.

According to him: “The stock market decline because of movement of assets to money market instruments.. However, impressive result of listed companies attracted

investors to stock market between July and August.

“The rebound in the stock market was sustained because of steady increase in global oil prices. The recovery of the stock market could have been better but insecurity in the nation’s led to hike in inflation rate and investors have to react negatively.”

On his part, stockbroker and capital market analyst, Mr. Rotimi Fakayejo expressed optimism that the stock market in 2021 might close positive despite numerous challenges.

According to him: “In my option, the stock market has performed better

despite all odds. In the same period, Dangote cement with N280 as at September has reached one-year high. I think securities listed on NGX have maintained stability, resilient and impressive earnings. There is likely hood that the stock market might close positive.”

On outlook for H2, 2021, Analysts at Cordros Capital said, “Despite the yield retracement in the FI market, we do not think investors should give up on the possibility of a market rally in the second half of the year as we still see scope for positive market performance.

“Our view is underpinned by prospects of improved macroeconomic conditions which will enhance corporate earnings; the possible return of FPIs, who have been net sellers of Nigerian equities thus far; interim dividends that accompany the Q2 earnings season, and stock-specific events such as GTB’s implementation of a holding company structure and the likelihood of a second tranche of share buy-back by Dangote Cement.”

Cordros Capital had explained that, “Despite the yield retracement in the FI market, we do not think investors should give up on the possibility of

a market rally in the second half of the year as we still see scope for positive market performance.

“Our view is underpinned by prospects of improved macroeconomic conditions which will enhance corporate earnings; the possible return of FPIs, who have been net sellers of Nigerian equities thus far; interim dividends that accompany the Q2 earnings season, and stock-specific events such as GTB’s implementation of a holding company structure and the likelihood of a second tranche of share buy-back

by Dangote Cement.”

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021

27

BUSINESSWORLD

AIR WATCH

Ethiopian Airlines Retains Position as Best Aircraft Maintenance Facility in Africa Chinedu Eze The aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility owned by Ethiopian Airlines has been adjudged the best in Africa..

The facility enjoys the approval of European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), most Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) of many countries in the world and also the certification of top aircraft manufacturing companies, including Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier.

This was disclosed by the acting General Manager, MRO Sales and Marketing, Mr. Henok Haile who said besides maintaining most of its 127 fleet, the facility conducts checks for airlines from many other countries up to D-check.

It has the certification to maintain most Boeing aircraft types, including Boeing 737 classics and Next Generation fleet, Boeing B767, 757, 777 and others. It also conducts checks on Bombardier Dash 8 and also advancing in maintaining Airbus aircraft types.

“We conduct checks on almost all aircraft in our fleet and we have B777 and A350 aircraft. We also have B737 and B787 hangar. We also have

a paint hangar. We paint aircraft here, as you can see, there is an Arikaircraft that is being painted currently.

“We have capability of repairing airframe, engine and components of the aircraft. We repair Bombardier Q400, Boeing 777, 787, A350, We have base maintenance and line maintenance capability. For the engine, we have engine used for B787 and B737, we have an overall capability for these aircraft. We also have an overall capability for Q400. We have an overall capability for GTCP 131 and 331. On the component side, we have more than 200 components. We have a repair and overall capacity in our MRO. Our MRO is approved by IATA, and our local civil aviation.

We have approval from different Africa regulatory body, Middle East, Europe and America. We can perform any maintenance on our facility. We perform maintenance for Arik Air. We have the capability,” He said that Ethiopian MRO conducts checks on third party aircraft; that is, the ones owned by other airlines from different parts of the world.

“We have a lot. As you can see in that hangar, we are maintaining the B777 aircraft of Saudi, we have an Arik. We have a lot of aircraft from

other countries that are maintained in our facility. We currently have Tag Angola aircraft and Cameroon’s national carrier aircraft. Camair-Co in our hangar. We also performed a C-check on the aircraft.”

“We have Nigerian airlines bringing their aircraft for maintenance in our facility. We had maintained Medviewaircraft. We are still receiving orders and in the process to maintain more airlines from Nigeria and other countries. So we are working.”

On the impact of COVID-19 on Ethiopian MRO operations, Haile said it affected all the business sectors, noting that most customers are unable to come to the MRO facility because of the lockdown in various countries.

“We were working through the situation. We had aircraft in the hangar for maintenance before the lockdown. We did not face any delays. We have creative management systems. So, what we did was that we received aircraft, maintained it and sent it back by using different mechanism but the pandemic affected our business. We are the first choice for maintenance of African airlines.

We are Africans, we have to grow one another and support each other.

Ethiopian Airlines is the pride of Africa. So every African carrier should come to Ethiopia,” he said.

Severance Benefits: Unions Warns against Meddlesomeness on Arik Personnel Aviation Unions have issued a stern warning to the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) over comments aimed at halting the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issuance to NG Eagle an independent entity being floated by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

This is just as the unions, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) described the other two unions as busy bodies and interlopers, orchestrating the sole aim of disrupting negotiations on-going over severance benefits of staff of Arik before the new entity comes on-board.

The unions in a rally and press conference held Tuesdayinside the Arik Headquarters in Lagos

said they were taken aback by the call of the two unions, which are not domesticated in Arik and wondered why they have turned debt collectors.

According to the General Secretary of NUATE, Ocheme Aba,right now the workers in Arik do not need distractions especially as it was close to negotiating the severance of Arikworkers. ”By the time NG Eagle will be taking off, there will not be any staff of Arik Air who has not been properly severed, that is our mandate. Our purpose, we stated clearly we did not say they should not been given AOCs but we said we will not let them fly until the status of Arik Staff with regards NG Eagle has been properly established.

“If their years of service to Arik have been compensated they can

go to NG Eagle and pick up new employment.

He further explained that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would not reduce its level and professionalism to be dictated to on whom they can give AOCs to stressing that the AOC process followed certain laid down procedures.

He also clarified that since AMCON took over that it was not indebted to anyone but the debt question was a legacy debt.

Also speaking during the rally, Chairman NUATE Arikbranch, Olalekan Ogunlesi who also called on the NCAA to disregard ANAP and NUP, said both unions had no stake, legal or moral right to meddle into the affairs of Arik as they have no members in the airline and begging the question on whose interest are they acting.

Emirates SkyCargo Moves 400m Pharma Kilos in Global Milestone Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo subsidiary of Emirates Airlines and the global leader in the air transport of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, has moved over 400 million kilos of phamas, marking an important operational milestone.

The airline said five years ago, Emirates SkyCargoraised the bar in the air cargo industry for the safe and efficient transport of pharmaceuticals by launching its dedicated GDP certified pharma handling facility at Dubai International Airport and at the same time unveiling its three-tiered specialised product - Emirates Pharma.

Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo, Nabil Sultan said: “ After extensive planning and significant investment to our infrastructure, processes and people, we introduced our 360 degree transportation solution backed by state of the art GDP certified

Dubai handling facility for our pharma customers in September 2016.

“The response from the market was overwhelmingly positive and we managed to very quickly transform the perception that Dubai was a destination to be avoided for pharma cargo in the summer to that of Dubai being a reliable hub for pharma customers all year round.”

Hub Dubai Emirates SkyCargo has over 20,000 sq. metres of GDP compliant storage and handling space at its hub in Dubai processing close to 200,000 kilos (200 tonnes) of pharmaceuticals every single day comprising vaccines, biologics, medicines for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and a range of other medical treatments.

Emirates said it has one of the world’s largest fleet of Cool Dollys which help maintain cargo at a stable temperature between aircraft and terminal.

Close to 50 of these Cool Dollys are dedicated for pharmaceutical cargo. Emirates SkyCargo also works with a number of specialised container providers in order to offer customers a better choice and fit for their shipping needs.

“The establishment of a world class transportation hub for pharmaceuticals at Dubai by Emirates SkyCargo has facilitated the rapid and secure transport of pharmaceutical products from manufacturing locations to end destinations.

Over the years, the carrier has been able to connect increasing volumes of pharma cargo between markets spread across six continents including India, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, UK, Russia, United States, Brazil, Australia, Korea, Japan, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Nearly one third of the total pharma cargo exported on Emirates SkyCargo every year originates from India,” it also said.

Maximising Profitability with Modern Aircraft

Chinedu Eze One of the key factors identified by airline experts is that the equipment an airline uses for particular routes determines whether it would make profits or losses on that route.

The distance of the route and the market in the route to a large extent determine how profitable and successful that route would be to the airline.

Airline operators and managers who have garnered experience over the years in the industry have learnt from their own mistakes and that of others that many Nigerian airlines failed to compete and operate profitably in the past because of their choice of aircraft.

As noted recently by the former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Richard Aisuebeogun, many Nigerian airlines failed to compete effectively in the West Coast, which they dominated for years because they had a predilection for Boeing 737 aircraft, which they deployed at the wrong routes, where smaller body aircraft could have been profitable.

With average of 50 minutes for most of the routes in local Nigerian destinations, some industry experts argued that dominant aircraft in the fleet of Nigerian airlines should have been short haul aircraft like Embraer 145, Bombardier CRJ 900,turboprops like ATR and Dash 8 aircraft and Boeing 737 and similar aircraft of their size on routes of high passenger traffic.

The experts however expressed optimism that Nigerian airlines are now learning to use the right aircraft for the right routes and that would enhance their profitability, noting that in the past, airlines yielded to passengers’ penchant for big aircraft that takes than above the clouds without considering the economic implication for the airlines.

This matter came to the fore recently when Air Peace received its fourth brand new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft at the Nnamdi AzikiweInternational Airport, Abuja, where the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu noted that Nigerian airlines are now getting the right aircraft for the routes they operate and they are also getting new aircraft, which is more economical because it saves fuel cost and maintenance cost and also has improved technology on safety.

“It gladdens my heart that Nigerian airlines are not only getting new aircraft but are getting the right aircraft. The connectivity in Nigeria has improved and it is getting better. These new aircraft have low maintenance and operational costs and are environmental friendly. This is the way to go. I believe with time Air Peace will change all it’s fleet to newer aircraft,” he said.

The Director General also said that with less maintenance cost on new aircraft,

airfares would become affordable and more people would prefer to travel by air and noted that before the Coronavirus pandemic, more Nigerians travelled and the industry contributed more to the nation’s GDP. “Pre-covid-19, 10 to 12 million passengers passed through the country’s airports, which amounts to 10 per cent of the country’s population. Airlines need to connect different parts of the country for trade, thereby contributing to the country’s GDP. The airline industry is growing and those surviving are expanding their fleet. I congratulate the Chairman of Air Peace,” he said.

Throwing more light on the new aircraft and why Air Peace decided to go for new equipment, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyemaexplained, “Sometimes, four years ago we decided as part of our business plan that at this time and season starting from 2018, that Air Peace must start acquiring brand new planes. And it is not because the old planes are not safe, but it is because of the economics of the game. The newer plans will save you more monies on fuel and maintenance.

But the older one are equally very, very safe top notch, no airplane goes into the air except it is top-notch. An aircraft can fly even while it is 50 years old. Nigeria aviation, when people criticize us and say we are using old planes, no. Nigerian airlines have some of the youngest fleet in the world because of the 22 years Cap. If you go to America, they fly aircraft that are up to 50 years. Some of those plans are older than many of us here but they are still flying.

“So the oldest plane that is flying in Nigeria might be only 30 years. But it is not about the age; it is about the maintenance.

However, the brand-new plane maybe takes safety to another level that is true. But the most important thing is the economics of the game and comfort. With this aircraft you have a lot of comfort. This is an aircraft that is supposed to carry 148 passengers, but Air Peace decided to make our own 124 in order to give passengers the kind of comfort they deserve,” he said.

Former airline manager and Managing Director of Flight Logistics Solutions Limited, Amos Akpan remarked that Nigerians need more airtravel options.

“We have to increase flight frequencies to most secondary airports: Kebbi, Bauchi, Akure, Osubi, Asaba, Eket, Ibadan, Makurdi, Minna, Kaduna, Jos, Ilorin, Calabar, Sokoto. Travel by road is no longer the preferred choice and won’t be for a long time in Nigeria. What operators need is to design operational module to suit the environment. Choice of aircraft type, route network and size of operations is key to viability,” he said.

28

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

BANKING

How Sterling Bank is Supporting Trade, Transportation Oluchi Chibuzo examines Sterling Bank’s business decision to provide financial products and services that would have significant positive social and environmental impacts on the communities where it operates here are several financial institutions facilitating the exports and imports of goods and services in Nigeria, but one that unarguably stands out is Sterling Bank Plc. As part of its strategic vision to play a leading role in Nigeria’s economic growth and development, Sterling Bank took a major business decision in 2017 to provide financial products and services that would have significant positive social and environmental impacts on the communities where it operates by unveiling a programme known as the H.E.A.R.T. sectors.

The programme had the overriding objective of concentrating investments in the Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Addressing participants at the Aviation and Cargo Conference held in Lagos recently, Mr. Olusoji Akintola, Sector Lead, Transport & Maritime with Sterling Bank, said the bank decided to support the transport sector because of its belief that an efficient transport system optimizes the value chain in any economy and has a significant impact on all other sectors.

“Besides, we have realized the urgent need for the private sector’s intervention in key areas of the economy for meaningful impact as government alone cannot shoulder the huge responsibility, especially due to the dwindling income from oil, the country’s major source of revenue,” Akintola said.

He said the transport sector has however not been able to contribute maximally to the country’s economic development due to factors beyond the control of players in the industry. For instance, the sector is not adequately structured and remains largely informal. Also, the sector is not supported with the right capital (funding) by the various levels of government and there are issues arising from the inability of operators to collect fares efficiently, which gives room for pilferage.

He noted that these factors discourage a lot of individuals from investing in the sector while financial institutions also shy away from financing the sector. He added that Sterling Bank, through its involvement in the industry, wants to finance efficient mass transportation systems that will link rural areas with cities to facilitate trade and investment. According to him, the bank has successfully achieved this in Lagos with the financing of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses, a development which is being replicated in other states.

He said Sterling Bank’s interventions in the transportation sector also aims to establish effective fare collection systems across the sub-sectors as the current modality does not allow for accountability, thereby leading to loss of revenue. He, however, noted that the FAREPAY card, an electronic fare collection initiative introduced by the bank in Lagos, has taken care of this. The bank is also providing technology based bespoke solutions for top players in the logistics space and contributing to the Green Campaign by financing carbon free buses like electric and gas-powered vehicles to reduce carbon emissions as well as position the bank to be the go-to bank for transport finance.

The Transport and Maritime Sectors Lead said, “The intervention of the bank in Nigeria’s transport sector has helped in accelerating the desired transformation in the sector, starting with the bank’s investment in the BRT and LAGBUS initiatives of the Lagos State Government.”

He disclosed that the bank, in 2016, financed the acquisition of more than 400 BRT buses plying various routes on Lagos roads and is already expanding the experience beyond Lagos as discussions are on-going with various state governments on the deployment of mass transit systems.

He said with more than 500,000 commuters plying BRT routes in Lagos daily, it is now possible for Lagosians to get to their offices on time because of the dedicated lanes allocated to the BRT buses.

T

Akintola Akintola noted that in a bid to reduce pressure on road transportation, the bank is currently engaging operators and regulators in the water transportation sub-sector to see how it could finance more boats for their operations.

He observed that the aviation and cargo sub-sector has done well, especially in the transportation of goods by air and movement of express shipments consisting of air mail, air freight and air express in Nigeria and globally.

He added that as a financial institution that is committed to the growth of the sub-sector, Sterling Bank will continue to support the industry along the value chain with special focus on suppliers, manufacturers, wet leasing airports, airline operators, maintenance, regulators and users and safety.

Akintola remarked that in order to ensure the steady growth in the sector so that it can compete globally, operators and regulators in the sector must address the challenges of poor storage system, improve on the turn-around time for shipment from sterile holding areas to some major destinations and develop capacity for local handling of maintenance of the cargo planes to check the drain on foreign exchange.

He said the sector must also work with state governments on how to build cargo airports to assist in the delivery of food items to warehouses, especially in states where there are no cargo airports. Efforts must also be made to impress on the federal government the need to reduce taxes and concession charges on ground handling companies, he said.

In his presentation, Head of Export Trade Finance with Sterling Bank, Mr. Chuks Aghaunor, said the need to diversify the revenue base of the economy and increase contribution from non-oil export has taken a frontal focus in the face of dwindling oil revenue, which explains why successive governments have embarked on some measures such as removal of export duty, establishment of Export Expansion Grant, Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate and creation of Export Free Zones to further drive export business in Nigeria.

He said the measures were taken in a bid to drive business initiative and to offer services to their existing customers who have businesses in some of the West African countries or wish to take advantage with the advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative.

According to statistics from the World Bank, the non-oil sector contributed 91.84 percent to Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of N152.32 trillion compared to 91.22 percent achieved in 2019. Of this, transportation accounted for N209.788.41 billion

while trade, which is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services, was reported at 25.4 percent.

Aghaunor listed the benefits of AfCFTA to include quick access to funds by the customer to meet working capital needs as part of the export value chain, quick access to financial services and other professional advice from the bank, protection of customers’ integrity in

dealing with their suppliers and opportunity for growth by meeting customers’ demands.

He said Sterling Bank’s market and product focus are on ECOWAS and the rest of Africa for manufactured and semi-processed goods; EU and UK for agro commodities; Asia for solid minerals and USA for other petroleum oil products and services. He added that there is a need to understand the export life cycle which involves export readiness, inspection by buyer’s agent, Customs inspection agents, stuffing and sealing of containers and export account credited.

The Head of Export Trade said Sterling Bank will provide end to end solutions for all its customers export finance needs which will enable them to procure and aggregate all commodities for processing, manufacturing and export, provide a secure warehouse for goods and raw materials, process and package the goods, ship the goods to the buyers, provide all related logistics purposes, meet other operating costs of the business and working capital needs and execute more export contracts.

He listed trade finance that the customers can access from Sterling Bank as pre-shipment finance, post-shipment finance and CBN Intervention funds, which are non-oil stimulation facility and NEXIM Refinancing and Rediscounting facility.

Aghaunor said for prospective customers to benefit from the funds, such a customer must be a registered exporter with the Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC) for non-oil exports and with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for oil exports, provide security, repatriation and domiciliation of export proceeds, provide evidence of verifiable contract agreement or memorandum of understanding (MoU), acceptable risk rating and insurance policy.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021

29

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Why NG Eagle is Yet to Commence Operations Chinedu Eze Anew airline, NG Eagle being floated by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) is yet to obtain Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to start operation because one of the aircraft needed to secure minimum number of equipment that would qualify it for certification is not ready.

The aircraft, a Boeing B737-700 originally owned by Arik Air but

taken by AMCON to NG Eagle is waiting for livery change at Ethiopia Airlines Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Addis Ababa.

It was learnt that the aircraft has been in the MRO facility for weeks after a C- check (maintenance) had been conducted on the aircraft.

When painted, the aircraft would now be ready to be ferried to Nigeria to complete the process of obtaining AOC from the Nigerian

Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Informed source from Arik Air told THISDAY that the aircraft might be leased to the start up airline, which is scheduled to commence operations before the end of the fourth quarter of 2021.

The source also said that the delay in the completion of the transformation process might be due to funds, which the MRO is waiting for AMCON to pay.

However the MRO management

in Addis Ababa declined to comment on the issue, but confirmed that apart from the airline, other Nigerian carriers bring their aircraft for maintenance and repainting in its facilities.

Arik Air has been under the receivership of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria since February 2017.

Some of Arik Air’s aircraft have been rebranded in the colours of NG Eagle, as AMCON explained

earlier that floating a new carrier would be a way it would recoup the huge debts allegedly owed it

by Arik Air. The aircraft, which showed the logo of eagle emblazoned on its engine and painted in green colour, was said to have highlighted the seriousness of AMCON to start a new airline from the fleet of Arik Air. THISDAY learnt that AMCON was in the last stage of acquiring an Air Operators’ certificate from

NCAA, which would make it commence scheduled services.

Recently, Director General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu confirmed to aviation journalists that NG Eagle was among the impending new airlines currently undergoing AOC acquisition.

About two months ago there were expectations that the new airline would start operation, but lack of minimum number of aircraft has continued to delay it.

‘Nigeria Operates Port System High Interest Rates Bane of Rapid Growth in Aviation Sector That Negates Growth’ Chinedu Eze

Oluchi Chibuzor The President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero has said the nation operates a port system that is negative to growth.

This, according to him is because the various charges and rates paid across ports in the country remain highest in the world as governments do not sell their port or concession it to private entities.

He maintained that the various government agencies in the maritime industry like, Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) must begin to carried out their core mandates in line with the various laws establishing them in the country rather than been a revenue inclined agencies which continues to give neighbouring countries advantage in the industry.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos on

the sideline of activities to mark his 68th birthday, the astute technocrat noted that Nigeria is fast losing its position in the industry to Cameroon, Benin, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire who are deliberately positioning themselves to take the advantage of the lack of favourable maritime business activities in the sub region.

Having helped to formulate maritime policies in the country while serving in about 168 government committees, Presidential panels, Emiwero regretted that due to political indifference, the country had abandoned various conventions it signed that ought to facilitate trade and secure global trade.

“In regulation, the economy and the nation’s interest is not taken into cognizance. If you look at the rates we are paying in the ports you do not pay that anywhere in the world.

If you look at the days you spend in the ports you do not do that anywhere in the world. So you have a system that is negative to growth and a port

system that is negative to growth.

“There is no regulation in Nigerian ports, nobody regulates; so the economic interest is not covered. It is the importers and agents that are paying the cost and if you look at the cost in Nigeria it is quite high and huge, everyday you see it goes up which is because of the kind of system we operate within the port, “he said. Commenting on various government agencies like NPA, he advocates that the body should be restructured in line with the mandates to carry out maritime services, while noting that there are four elements in port structure and they have to do with regulation, port operations and land law. “The land law takes care of marine; the regulation is supposed to be done by either NPA or the NSC. The government gave NSC but there is no law to prove this, so you have a port operation that is tilted to the terminal operators without the law but with a contract, which is actually not in line with the principle.

The failure of government to adopt specific policy that will extend credit facilities to investors in the aviation sector from government owned financial institutions is one of the factors that stagnated growth in the aviation industry, stakeholders in the industry have said.

The stakeholders noted that as a capital intensive business, which is catalyst to nation’s economic growth and known to create thousands of jobs, the industry ought to be supported with low interest, long term loans to help airlines and other related businesses in the industry to grow. They identified lack of support from financial institutions, absence of economic development, policy summersaults and lack of expertise as some of the major obstacles confronting the growth of the sector in Nigeria.

At a one day virtual workshop organised by Aviation Round Table (ART) in Lagos with the theme: “Financing Aviation Infrastructure Deficit in Nigeria Using Private

Capital: Challenges & Prospects,” they emphasised that for the sector to experience rapid growth and be able to address some of the infrastructure challenges, private sector and government collaboration was necessary.

Speaking, Founder, International Partners for Aviation Development, Innovation and Sustainability (IPADIS), Dr. Bernard Aliu, declared that there was the need for injection of private capital to tackle the myriad of infrastructure gaps noticed in the African aviation system.

Aliu said it was wrong for players in the sector to confuse ownership with the source of financing, adding that investors should also be able to differentiate management from corporate governance.

He also called for immediate economic development for African aviation, clear civil aviation policy and master plan, vibrant liberalised aviation market, socio-political and economic stability, creation of enabling institutional legal and regulatory framework and robust ethics, accountability by private organisations to grow the sector.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Quorum Aviation Services, Mr. Abiola Lawal, said that Nigeria is faced with three major challenges: economics/financial, legal framework and political/policy.

According to him, none of the banks in Nigeria was ready to finance aviation business, while various government interventions had failed due to high single digit interest rates.

Lawal argued that high interest rates of between 20 and 22 per cent for investors in the sector would only make players and organisations in the industry bankrupt.

He added that the intervention funds by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at nine per cent interest loan rate was too high to sustain business in the sector, adding that in the other climes, investors access loans at maximum of two per cent.

The CEO, TAL Helicopters, Olufemi Adeniji stated that train and road transport had failed in Nigeria because of high insecurity in the country, but regretted that aviation industry was yet to fully tap into the opportunities.

30

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

31

32

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

33

34

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

35

36

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

37

38

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

39

40

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

41

42

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

43

44

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

45

46

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

47

48

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

49

50

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

51

52

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

53

54

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

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

NIGERIA @61

Rufus Oba: Celebrating Extraordinary Nigerian Women

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ, ͰͮͰͯ

56

COVER

NIGERIA @61

Rufus Oba: Celebrating Extraordinary Nigerian Women As Nigeria celebrates its 61st Independence today, Rufus Oba, an environmentalist, motivational speaker, pastor and author, says Nigerian women deserve a whole lot of accolades and also more opportunities to lead, as they have held the nation together and propelled development in every sphere of life against all odds. To this end, Oba is celebrating extraordinary Nigerian women in a book titled, “Choose To Lead… Outstanding Women in Nigeria”.

He tells MARY NNAH in this interview that the book is about 52 outstanding women who have impacted lives not only in their immediate environment but nationally improving on the society with their positions Nigeria is marking its 61st independence anniversary today. How will you describe the stage at which Nigeria is today, politically and economically? he state of Nigeria’s economy is not encouraging; it’s not a thing to celebrate about. In just three months, the electricity tariff has tripled and I pay three times more than I did at the beginning of this year; same with foodstuffs in the markets. Low income per capita is in its lowest ebb - hyper two digit inflation - we now use 80 per cent of the budget to service loans.

This government from 2015 till date has owed more than all the governments put together since independence.

Nigeria is more corrupt now than ever according to Transparency International. Politically, the atmosphere is toxic; the country is more divided across regional and religious lines, with more agitations and protests, demonstrations and violence from different sections to break away.

There is an absence of ideology to drive the political space which is why politicians cross carpet almost on a daily basis and their sins forgiven (corrupt practices) True federalism is on the top burner.

Constitutional amendment and review of the electoral act seem to be a mirage.

God himself knew there was no way Genesis 1 verse 28, could have been actualised, to fulfil, multiply and replenish the world, so he formed the woman to be the ‘Help Meet’ and the child bearer. Women are caregivers; they are loving and peaceful by nature.

About half the population of Nigeria is female but women occupy only about two per cent of managerial positions. There have been only few women deputy governors, no woman sits as Senate president or vice president and I asked myself if it’s okay to trust a woman to cook, clean and sort advice from? Is there a calculated system of prejudice that lies unspoken behind men?

Why is it acceptable for women to be secretaries, librarians and teachers but totally unacceptable for them to be managers, administrators, chairwoman of NNPC, governors? Why are women being discriminated against?

In the political world, even when they attend the same schools, churches, markets etc with men, taught with the same curriculum and tested with the same examination and same professional degree with women coming tops, firsts in various fields of studies, they are still discriminated against. It is for this reason that I wrote the book “Choose to Lead… to highlight the progress, achievements, and contributions of women in our society.

I would like to know, is there a different law in our constitution for women alone, if not why is there an unspoken assumption that women are different? Are our existing laws not adequate to secure equal rights for women even as God created them both male and female equal? Sufficient proof of this is the concentration of women in lower paying menial, unrewarding jobs, and their incredible scarcity in the upper level jobs.

It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men have and women that do not confirm to the system who try to break out of the accepted patterns are stigmatised as odd and unfeminine, but the fact is that a woman who aspires to be chairman of a board or member of the house, governor does so for exactly the same reasons as any man basically because she thinks she can do the job and she wants to try.

T

How is your book, “Choose To Lead…

Outstanding Women In Nigeria”, going to help solve the present situation?

The world was not complete until the woman came. Imagine a world without women; men would probably still be living in caves with unkempt beards and hairs, eating raw meats. Women play a very important part in the wellbeing and existence of all men dead or alive today.

Nations were made through women and nations have been brought down by women, which is why it is often said that if you train one woman you trained a whole nation. Heroines are found everywhere, even in our neighbourhoods, women who have distinguished themselves in all fields of human endeavours, be it in medicine, business, politics, athletics, etc. some of them coming up firsts in their field of endeavour against all odds and in a male dominated world. This book therefore is to encourage women to do more and in the long run take Nigerian to her well-deserved destination.

“Choose To Lead… Outstanding Women In Nigeria”, is about 52 outstanding women who have impacted lives not only in their immediate families but nationally and has improved, developed our society by their positions, offices, influences and in so many other ways by giving back to the society, by way of scholarships, offsetting medical bills, providing jobs, or even adopting and taking care of foster children etc.

Their stories are inspiring, motivational, educational and worthy to be emulated as role models for youths, others to copy, especially as the nation celebrates another Independence Day. This book is a must read if you want to improve your life and make a mark on the earth; if you have to read just one book this year, you should own and read this classic life transforming book.

What roles, in your view, have women played to bring the nation to the stage she is at today and what more can they do to put the country on a better pedestal?

Women are the bedrock of every home and society.

In the beginning God created them both male and female, running the country Nigeria without women is like using only one of your kidneys. God did not make a mistake when he formed the woman as an Help Meet, using one kidney alone to do the job of two kidneys would put the other one under undue pressure and weight which will in turn wear it down faster and weaken its capability which is the case with Nigeria where women are subjected to the kitchen and other menial jobs, not to be seen or heard in the open. Women have not been properly accepted or given the rightful opportunities as their male counterparts. Suffice it to say that in all or nearly all of the offices and positions or establishments run by women they had excelled and come out tops. So why not give

Choose To Lead… book cover them adequate opportunities to excel more.

For instance, out of the 52 women who have been selected for this book, three of them are Chairman of the leading banks in this country and they are being run effectively and efficiently, there are others who are leading politicians amongst the list who are pushing for better representation of their various constituencies, formulating laws and policies that will improving our society. Because women are emotional, more caring and loving they are setting up more nongovernmental agencies to cater for the wellbeing of the less privileged and most vulnerable in the country. Take a good look at our society, do a research and you will be amazed that over 90 per cent of women occupy or as directors had set up these NGOs giving assistance, rendering help, giving hope to the downtrodden in our society.

There are women on the list who had given employment, supported small and medium scale

industries thereby creating a living for millions of families. If you take away the contributions of these 52 women, you invariably would render millions of Nigerians displaced, disorganised and disoriented. Our list of women have largely influenced, impacted and improved lives and developing our country. These women have children, some adopted, foster children etc they are training, sound and productive people to follow in their stead. The problem with Nigeria is that the men are overworking themselves thinking they could do without the women as their Help Meet. No, we cannot make good progress without women.

What informed your decision to write a book that focuses basically on women?

Growing up in a Christian home and raised by a single mother and two female cousins I understood the pains and gains of having women as mothers, sisters, friends, wives.

Heroines are found everywhere even in our villages and neighbourhoods, but I have selected some inspiring stories of investors, athletes, politicians and etc who have put everything into solving important problems nationally or achieving an unseemly impossible goal; women who have by their commitments, dedication, determination are great inspiration; women who took heroic stand to change history

What do you hope to achieve with this crusade?

I am determined that we should get to the bottom of this matter and that the truth should be fully brought out no matter who was involved.

Yes, I’m a man but the truth is we are created by the same God. We have the same amount and colour of blood in our bodies. If you prick a woman with a pin or sharp object will she bleed and what will be the colour? Is it any different from that of the man? Why then should men think they are superior?

Enough of the discrimination and marginalisation let Justice be pursued fairly, fully and impartially.

Let women aspire to any position, office of their choice without intimidation, blackmail, or unfair criticism or violence but on an equal levelling field. I want to be able to tell men as well as the women that there is no job that is too small or reserved for any specific gender, there is no person who is too small, everybody, male or female, has something to do and if he or she does it well, then the country will run well.

There is an ancient saying that women are the home and the home is the basis of society. It is as we build our homes that we can build our country, if the home is inadequate - either inadequate in material goods and necessities or inadequate in the sort of friendly, loving atmosphere that every child needs to grow and develop, then that country cannot have harmony and no country which does not have harmony can grow in any direction at all; this why women’s education is almost more important than the education of boys and men.

Train a woman and you have trained not just a person but a nation.

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

57

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ, ͰͮͰͯ

Winners Emerge at All On Hub-sponsored Incubation Programme Stories by Mary Nnah The 2021 winners of the annual Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC) Embryo Incubation Programme (EIP), sponsored by the All On Hub have emerged.

The winners, who were announced on Monday, after a Demo Day pitch event held in Ajah, Lagos, include Dalsman Tech, D’Suon Limited, SiriusX Energy, Think Electric, Vectar Energy, WakaGen, YOWIF and Zimaj Craft Enterprise.

Twenty clean energy startups, from over 400 original applications successfully completed a 6-month incubation programme run by the NCIC. All On, an off-grid energy impact investment firm funded and supported the programme via its technical support facility, the Rockefeller Foundation, which funded All On Hub. CEO of NCIC, Bankole Oloruntoba, affirmed that the businesses have gotten more tangible over the years with more market-ready products and teams, adding that this

has been made possible with the All On partnership, which has been a strong backbone for NCIC’s incubation success.

“This year we are adding another eight ventures to our grantees list which makes 16 early-stage ventures granted $10,000. We are pleased to support the investment pipeline currently building up in the emerging Nigeria Green Economy.”

The ventures presented their ideas during the Pitch Day event held at the Pan Atlantic University to a diverse experienced panel of judges.

According to one of the judges, Kunle Odebunmi, CEO of AllBase Energy, “Almost all the participants had innovative solutions and ideas that would radicalise Nigeria’s green economy. I’m very proud of what NCIC with All On’s support has achieved with the Embryo Incubation finalists. They are all winners in their own right.”

The participants received training and support in a variety of areas aimed at developing their business knowledge and commercial

skills including strategy and planning, product development, regulatory environment, marketing, finance and fundraising.

Believe Obafaiye, founder of YOWIF (Young Women

in Farming) and one of the $10,000 grant winners, commended the EIP for the breadth of its support. “We look forward to achieving positive impact and our desired goals towards organizational

improvement,” she added.

All On Hub Manager, Sele Inegbedion commended this year’s cohort of entrepreneurs, adding that, “These emerging ventures have demonstrated the commitment and enter-

prise needed to succeed over time, and scale innovations that will extend the delivery of electrification to unserved communities and ultimately, improve livelihoods and local economies.”

Facilitators with participants at the All on Hub-sponsored Incubation Programme

Lilvera Group Wins Notable Industry Awards An upwardly mobile techcentric , digital, creative, branding and experiential agency, Lilvera Group, has proven its worth in the industry dominated by top players by consistently scooping awards and top industry honours off the renowned players in the west Africa integrated marketing communication sector.

This is evident as the group recently picked up the digital marketing agency of the year award at the recently held 10th Marketing World Awards (MWA) in Accra, Ghana amid pomp and glitz.

Besides the recent accolade, a press release made available to THISDAY, revealed that

Founder Marketing World Awards, Akin Naphtal, (left) presenting Digital Agency of the year awards to CEO Lilvera Group, Buchi Johnson at the 10th MWA in Accra Ghana recently the young agency had in the recent past scooped Africa Finance Awards 2020 for Most

Customers Focused Experiential Marketing Company of

the Year (Customer Service Category, Diamond Award), while its Chief Idea Officer, Buchi Johnson had won The Industry Awards Young IMC CEOAward 2020 and the Lagos Nigerian Institute of Public Relations LaPRICA award.

At the awards ceremony in Accra, Ghana, the founder/convener MWA, Akin Naphtal stated that Lilvera Group was overwhelmingly picked by the panel for the digital marketing solution it provided for its clients during the 2020 year, which posed as the most difficult years due to COVID-19 pandemic.

“The award is special because

it is related to how organisations innovate to still keep clients- brand services in touch with consumers and customers during the lockdown year. As you are aware, 2020 was very challenging but this agency was able to render services that keep its clients in business yet over consumers’ options,” Naphtal said.

Responding, Johnson said, “How we project ourselves is important to our productivity. That is why we take first impressions seriously. First impressions we understand, often set the tone of the relationship that follows hence making a great first impression is essential in our business dealings.

“We like you to feel comfortable with us from the moment we meet, assuring you that you have come to the right place; the right partners to take you and your business to the next level,” he said.

On value creation and addition, the Lilvera Group CIO stated that “We are one of Nigeria’s most valuable and admired multi-businesses with a diversified portfolio of businesses spanning Marketing and Advertising, Agriculture and Mineral Resources, Investment Portfolio and Business Supply.

Our products and services distinguish themselves on the basis of quality and customer service that can be trusted.`

Catch up Concert Set to Light up Akwa Ibom The highly anticipated Catch Up Concert, which is poised to deliver the best of art and music from Akwa-Ibom, featuring the highly talented musician FreeLance alongside ingenuity laden indigenous artists, will hold on November 19, 2020 at the Emerald Events Centre, Uyo. No doubt, music has proven to be a powerful medium that effectively entertains, consoles the broken hearted, inspires. It is therapeutic and can be a fiery weapon used in addressing societal and political ills. Its unparalleled ability to easily reach and touch lives irrespec-

tive of nationality, tribe, culture, religion or gender, makes it a formidable platform.

The Catch Up concert is deploying this vital asset to touch lives. The trio of MMAC Entertainment, Akwa-Ibom Recording Artiste Association (AIRAA) and Uwi Nation, have partnered to bring a culturally music themed concert to celebrate, foster the growth of music and art in the state and invariably connect meaningfully with the Youths.

CEO of MMAC Entertainment, Mike Essiet, reputed for Afro-centric event brands,

said his team is thrilled to bring this event back to the Land of Promise.

“Our homegrown talents have proven to have what it takes to excel in the Art and music spheres. What they need are opportunities to showcase their talents. The Catch up concert draws inspiration from one of our top rated artists, FreeLance’s latest single, which is making waves globally. Bringing FreeLance, top rated artists alongside our indigenous ones, will indeed be a spectacular show to behold”, he said.

Quite a number of members of the Akwa- Ibom Recording ArtistesAssociation have benefited immensely from the influence of the association on their career via the promotion of their music as well as projecting them into the mainstream Industry.

This stems from the resilience, dedication, and requisite skills in audio production/audio engineering acquired and injected into it by its founder and President, Precious Ewa, an alumnus of the SAE Institute Middle Sex University, London.

Ewa, whose stage name is Supersonic blaze, said, “We are

pleased to be part of this iconic music concert. Our locally based talented artists will also leverage this platform to showcase what they have. We are all for building artists’ brands, talents, skills, collaborations and career exposure.

As the Creative Director for Catch Up concert, it behooves me to ensure that nothing but the best is witnessed on the day of the event.”

The Catch Up Concert will not only light up the state with music, fun and dance but will also rekindle hope and confi- Catch up concert top dence in youths in pursuit of rated artiste, FreeLance their dreams.

Three-day Rites to Precede Late Apostle Joseph Agboli’s Burial Activities preceding the burial of late Apostle Joseph Dominic Agboli, General Overseer of the Victorious Army Church, will kick-start on Friday, November 26, 2021.

This was disclosed by the elders of the church represented by Elder Alex Okereke

during a press briefing held recently at the church’s headquarters in Lagos. He revealed further that the late Apostle would be laid to rest at the church premises in Lagos, Nigeria.

“We are currently preparing for the burial service which

will start from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th, November 2021 in honour of Apostle Agboli’s life and legacy.

“The three days burial ceremony will kick off with a Service of Songs and Praise Night on Friday 26th, while the funeral service/interment

will be held on Saturday 27th and thanksgiving service on Sunday 27th November,2021”, he noted.

Okereke did not disclose the cause of Apostle Agboli`s death but noted that he died on August 25, 2021 in Lagos contrary to the widespread

rumours that he died in a London hospital.

The elders assured members that leadership crisis being experienced by other churches after the founder’s death will not occur in the ministry because of its organised structure, adding that

the thanksgiving service is slated to hold in November to enable church members all over the world, including the children, who are in the diaspora, attend in order pay their final respect to their father and founder of the church.

58

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ, ͰͮͰͯ

E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Nigeria, Through the Eyes of Music Amazons Vanessa Obioha and Iyke Bede chronicle songs by female artists from the 80s to present that address national and ethnic issues ixty-one years after Nigeria shelved her ethnic differences to celebrate unity and independence as a country, there is still dissonance in the air.

The atmosphere in the country today is a far cry from the jubilant sounds of freedom that reverberated around the country on October 1, 1960. Even the tenets of the national anthem ‘Arise O Compatriots’ adopted 43 years ago are observed in the breach.

Instead of songs of love and peace, leaders of the different ethnic groups are chorusing “Let My People Go” like the Israelis of yore to their taskmasters in Egypt.

The sense of belonging Nigerians once had started to erode shortly after independence.

The first crisis to tear the fabric of national unity was the 30-month Nigerian Civil War between 1967 and 1970. Music genres like Highlife captured the mood of the country.

As the country’s problem continued to magnify, musicians headed to the studio to record songs that not only addressed the socio-economic issues but preached love and unity. Female acts of the 80s were among the leading voices.

Musicians like Onyeka Onwenu owe her successful career to songs strewn with lyrics of national values. ‘One Love’, a classic smash hit released in 1986 from the album of the same name garnered her national reverence. The Jean-Paul Maunick penned disco-themed track highlights the vital role love plays towards achieving national peace and harmony.

She replicated this success with her 1991 hit track ‘Peace Song’. During that same period, another Nigerian vocalist Funmi Adams who prides herself as a true Nigerian singing in different Nigerian languages released the iconic ‘Nigeria My Beloved Country’, and to date, has continued to serve its purpose as the unofficial national anthem. Nigeria’s Lady of Songs, Christy Essien-Igbokwe of blessed memory who identified as a Nigerian in every sense of her diversity reminded the people

S

Onyeka Onwenu, Waje and Simi

why they should stay united in her song ‘Teta Nu Nu Ula’.

While the songs of these music icons focused on the agency of the citizenry, artists like Veno Marioghae took a different route with her 1984 emphatic ‘Nigeria Go Survive’, where

she delved into the travails of the average Nigerian, but reckoned with their undaunted spirit while encouraging them to stride in good faith.

Away from socio-political and economic instabilities, Reggae act Evi Edna rose to the

occasion stylishly. In her song ‘One Kilometre’, she briskly flipped through the pages of ethnic diversities that form the eclectic identity of Nigerian culture marked by a Babel of languages.

A new breed of female artists emerged post-autocratic rule. Although the country had just witnessed a change of rulership style from autocracy to democracy, yet, the new era ushered in fresh episodes of interethnic violence.

Likewise, the sounds of contemporary musicians changed from disco-punk and reggae to embracing RnB and soul sounds that dominated early 2000. Music group KUSH, comprising two female vocalists Lara George and TY Bello; rapper Emem Ema, and male vocalist Dapo Torimiro gained mainstream popularity with the poignant ‘Let Us Live Together’ in 2003, which addressed ethnic violence Years after their split, Bello and George continued wielding the torch of hope, lighting the path for Nigerians through their songs. In 2007, Bello released her debut album ‘Greenland’ that spawned the successful single ‘Greenland’. She repeated the effect with her 2012’s ‘The Future is Here’ that captures the resilience of the youth demographic.

Fellow bandmate George raised similar points on ‘Chibuzo (Get Up)’.

This resiliency would later be explored for female empowerment through the likes of Waje’s ‘Mountain’ to break the norm of what’s expected of women in society.

Simi, another songstress of this generation brought out the colours of our diversity in her 2017 single ‘Love Don’t Care’.

From promoting peace, highlighting struggles, cajoling the citizenry to placing women on the pedestal, these songs are indeed indicators of the power of music in sensitising the people to embrace unity. Even as the drumbeats of division get louder, music that projects unity and holds leaders accountable can help bring the people together.

Nostalgic Unveiling of Gulder Ultimate Search Contestants Vanessa Obioha In more than one way, the unveiling of the Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) contestants at Eko Hotels Convention Centre recently brought back memories of pre-pandemic times when people left their homes to attend events instead of watching via Zoom or Youtube. From the huge Galea helmet — symbolic of the Gulder brand — perched on the well-combed lawn, the artworks that donned the walls of the hallway, to the number of people who turned up at the venue with their stylish attires and masks, the ambience screamed pre-Covid era.

Taking the magic a step further, the organisers set up a mini-museum with memorabilia of previous editions close to the revolving doors of the Convention Centre. From the famous chest to the helmets, attendees had the opportunity to relive memories of the show that last aired in 2014.

The adventure however began once one

A dancer at the GUS unveiling

stepped into the hall. The jungle look was captured through pots of plants lined up at the entrance. It was complemented by other

accessories such as full suits of armour and a sculpted lion. But this jungle came with photo booths and a bar where guests enjoyed the newly filtered Gulder beer.

The night served as a double unveiling of the new Gulder beer and the contestants who would be fighting all manner of obstacles for three months to clinch the coveted grand prize of N50 million. Hosted by actor Gideon Okeke, guests were treated to music, dance and a sumptuous dinner. Past winner Dominic Mudabai and previous taskmaster, veteran actor Bob ManuelUdokwu were also present to talk about their reflections on the show. While the dance group Dance Na the Main Thing entertained guests with their energetic dance moves, the highlight of the night was the sheer joy of contestants who made it through the final screening process.

More than 20,000 entries were received by the organisers, out of which 20 learnt their fate at the event. At the end of the night, only 16 scaled through successfully. The remaining

four were given a last chance through public voting. A voting link was open for 24 hours for fans to vote back two contestants. At the end of the day, Osasere Agbonile and Odudu Otu gathered more votes than Samson Abah and Omoikhudu Emmanuel. They join Damola Johnson, Mfon Esin, Iniabasi Umoren, Tosin Eniola, Gerald Odeka, Samuel Ishmael, Tobechukwu Okoye, Emmanuel Nnebe, Jennifer Okorie, Chidinma Okeibe, Omokhafe Bello, Esitima Edem, Godswill Oboh, Olayinka Omoya, Damilola Odedina and Solomon Yankari for the survival reality TV show.

To spread the acceptability and appeal of the show across Africa, GUS organisers, Nigerian Breweries Plc, partnered with Africa’s leading entertainment company, MultiChoice Nigeria, for the broadcast of the reality series.

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

A Glamorous Farewell to Martin Mabutho Vanessa Obioha Friends, colleagues and families of the late top executive of MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, gathered one last time to bid farewell to the deceased at a well-deserved glamorous event at Landmark Centre, Oniru. The evening was marked with memories and reflections of Mabutho’s life shared by many who encountered him during his lifetime.

The event tagged ‘Memories of Martin’ was hosted by Chigul and Dotun, and had in attendance industry leaders, dignitaries and public figures including the Chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria, Adewunmi Ogunsanya (SAN); CEO of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe; the Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to Nigeria, Pule Mphothwe; popular comedian, Basketmouth; TV personalities Ebuka

Obi-Uchendu and Toke Makinwa, all of who attested to Mabutho’s impact in his short but very full life. Ugbe who worked very closely with Mabutho said, “When I went to see Thato, I said ‘it’s you and I’. Martin was my brother and this is tough. It’s very strange to be talking about Martin in past tense. But, if there’s one thing that gives me joy it is that Martin lived a lot of lives. It’s really strange that he’s just 48. He lived a life that will take people several lifetimes to live and that’s why everyone has much to say about him.”

Shumani Gereda, a close friend of Martin’s and a colleague at MultiChoice also had many great things to say about Martin, calling him an ‘eternal optimist’.

“Martin was full of energy, full of life. Just an all-round very happy person. Looking at the life he lived, we can all agree that Martin was indeed a good man. The family he raised, the

love he gave freely and received in abundance from his family and friends. His was clearly a life worthy of a celebration of this magnitude.

It was not an ordinary life.”

Mabutho died on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, in Cape Town, South Africa following a brief illness. He would have turned 48 years old this month. In a career that spanned more than 20 years at MultiChoice, Martin kick-started his journey in the company in 1999 and was later appointed Brand Manager at MNet in 2003. He led the Marketing and Sales effort for DStv Mobile in Sub-Saharan Africa before being appointed MultiChoice Nigeria’s General Manager, Sales and Marketing in 2013. In 2018 he was appointed Chief Customer Officer, responsible for driving the MultiChoice Nigeria customer group strategy covering customer value management, sales, marketing, customer experience and care.

Thato and Malik Mabutho

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

59

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ, ͰͮͰͯ

ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Author Shares Optimism for Nigeria at 61 in New Book Edith Ekeoma Akwu-ude, the author of ‘The Words of Edith’ argues that for true national transformation to be achieved, personal development and family values are simply non-negotiable. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

T

he author, Edith EkeomaAkwu-ude is one of the shrinking numbers of Nigerians who believe that a better Nigeria is possible. Before she wrote her book titled, “The Words of Edith,’’ she had worked in the non-profit sector for over a decade. Eventually, she set up a business in holistic Nutrition 243 Diet and worked with Federal Ministry of Agriculture to promote Nutrition Education through interviews on Channels TV and NTA International and in different communities. Her work in Nutrition led her to Ebonyi State and the Governor offered her a political appointment as one of his Advisers on Food Security and Nutrition.

Her career trajectory in nutrition education and advocacy led her to different offices in search of partners and collaborators.

“Sometimes, some offices you got to do not show interest. A lot of people have given up on Nigeria. They don’t care anymore. Some of them are even leaders and directors or government agencies. Sometimes, they look at you and say, ha, you are naïve. You still think things can be better. And that’s the problem because these are the people who are supposed to approve projects and deliver those projects. If you are a parent and you are already thinking that way in your office, what about the staff working with you in the office? You will pass down the same attitude. The change begins with one person but such negativity is contagious as well. It takes one person to change,’’ she explained. And that became the genesis of her motivation to write the book. Akwu-ude’s focus in the book ‘The Words of Edith’ is to address this challenge of self-development. Compiling short stories from her life and practical lessons gleaned from them, she creates a handy book- a practical guide that can provoke behavioral change.

“But when your natural inclination is to be critical and judgmental, those are things you can’t control, you can begin to manage and improve upon yourself to become a better person. If you are a positive person, you look at the bright side all the time; you’d influence the next person. We are over 200million people

Book cover

but when you begin to think right, act right, anyone around you would imitate that. It would bring about a lot of change.”

The Accounting graduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka had grown to become a well sought-after speaker. In 2019, she was invited to speak at the National Peace Committee during the last general elections. She is currently studying for a Masters’ degree in Divinity. For her, developing herself has led her to developing the nation. She had observed that many youths often blame the government for everything.

“I look forward to a situation where people or the youths don’t blame others for their problems but tackle situations as they come,’’ she continued. Though from a humble background, she was determined to be a change maker.

“I got an idea on how to promote Food Security and participated at the World Bank Youth Summit and it was recognised as one of the most innovative solutions to addressing food and nutrition insecurity. This led me to Kaduna State Government and I was asked to implement this idea with them

through a partnership. It involves an African Competition for every one of African descent living anywhere in the World. This work has led me partner with different Nigerian Missions through the help of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we are presently working on this; beginning at the United Kingdom as they have a diverse African Diaspora population. There is latest research which shows that the slow development of Africa is tied to the dominant personality type among Africans. Based on this research, it has become paramount to do a thorough clean-up exercise in various key organizations, government agencies, religious organizations among others. The leadership of these groups need to take the first step into addressing this development and then pass along the message all the way down to the family level,’’ Akwu-ude revealed. Now on Amazon, she began writing ‘The Words of Edith’ in 2016 and remained consistent in documenting her truths. She wasn’t keen on publishing it at first.

However, the feedback from friends who have read some of the short stories became so overwhelming that she had to compile the stories.

Her target is the youths or anyone between ages 18 and 50 to build a value system that can give strong roots to national development. “Nutrition education can play a big role in national development. Churchill once said the greatest assess of a nation is a healthy citizen,’’ she said.

In her view, subsistence farming can contribute in curbing food shortage in Nigeria. The same beautiful pots that are used to plant flowers can be used to plant vegetables that can feed the family.

“The body need about 91 nutrients every day. Some people are so busy that they don’t a lot so when they eat once, they over eat,’’ she explained. While fielding questions about the dominant personality type inAfrica that accounts for the slow development, Akwu-ude suggests the establishment of a mentoring system where people who have thrived in life and businesses can guide others.

“We need to read more in Nigeria and understand where people are coming from. We are always in a hurry to impose our own opinions on people without understanding their point of view,’’ she remarked.

Climate Change Solutions Meet Arts as Exhibition Looms Yinka Olatunbosun The plein-air painting outside the venue, United Nations Information Centre of Nigeria (UNIC) in Ikoyi, set the tone for the press conference to announce a looming exhibition on October 7 in Lagos. The show will be one-of-a-kind, what with the support from the diplomatic community upon which it thrives.

In anticipation of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) which takes place in Glasgow from November 1 to 12, 2021, the British Deputy High Commission; the Consulate General, Federal Republic of Germany, Robert Bosch, as well as UNIC have partnered with the Creative Youth Community Development initiative (CYCDI)-Solution17 for Climate Action to promote this special show tagged Climate Adaptation Solutions and Climate Art Exhibition.

On Tuesday, September 21, the pre-COP26 press conference was hosted by UNIC Lagos to announce the partnerships. The conference has heads of the collaborative organisationsthe British Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones; the German Consul-General, Dr. Bernd Von Munchow-Pohl and the Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Nigeria, Mr Ronald D. Kayanja who was host but represented by Dr. Seyi Soremekun, the UNIC Head of Communication and Ms. Michael, CEO/Project Director, CYCDI-Solution 17 Global.

Featuring the Climate Art solutions initiative, which presented 34 finalists who emerged from the call for solutions across Nigeria launched earlier this year on June 7, it was

L-R German Consul-General, Dr. Bernd Von Munchow-Pohl; Ms. Foluke Michael, CEO/Project Director, CYCDI-Solution 17 Global and British Deputy High Commissioner, Ben LlewellynJones at the press briefing in Lagos

a good opportunity to have that first-hand experience of artists engaging in this non-verbal communication on climate change.

The finalists were drawn from over 400 participants from across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. They will be admitted to Naija Climate Now Innovation Hub in November to co-create sustainable solutions for social impact and profit. Later in the year, the project will showcase Nigerian-made solutions and technologies to address climate change as a special COP26Summit and Art exhibition.

Four Climate Change Artists- Anjola Olanrewaju, Victory Ashaka, Oluchi Nwaokorie and Tobi Titiloye staged live drawing and painting session on canvasses mounted on easels in the open courtyard of the UNIC office in Ikoyi.

The paintings executed by the four Climate Change Now art ambassadors depicted their various interpretations of the theme; reflecting subject matters such as renewable energy, waste-to wealth, climate-smart agriculture, biodiversity protection, sustainable fashion and others.

“The intersection of arts, culture and the environment in Nigeria is undeniable; from our agricultural systems to the industries that dominate our societies,’’ stated Ms. Michael.

“It is therefore important to explore climate change through art as a means of bringing about behavioural change and fully addressing the climate emergency.”

The show which holds on October 7, 2021 at

the residence of the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos has as theme “Naija Climate Now-Race to Zero on 17 Canvasses.’ This will be followed by a global exhibition slated for October 18. It will showcase sustainable art aimed at provoking innovative responses on enhancing climate, resilience, green economic recovery and low-carbon development for Nigeria.

“We are running out of time to protect the planet; everyone must act to prevent the looming climate crisis. Naija Climate Now presents an opportunity for all stakeholders within the environmental space, including government non-governmental, private sectors education and research institutions and international entities, to reflect on Nigeria’s issues and proposed solutions towards climate adaptation on the Race to Zero,’’ Ms. Michael.

The British Deputy High Commissioner, Llewellyn-Jones applauded the initiative, the Naija Climate Now Project, while expressing his eagerness to work with the generation of innovators on ideas that address the climate emergency and to explore climate change through art as a means of bringing about behavioural change.

“The global climate crisis is arguably the greatest challenge for the 21st century. It is an issue is arguably the greatest challenge for the 21st century,’’ he said with reference to the devastating effects of climate change nationwide. “If we want to halt this trajectory, we need to work together to implement our moist innovative ideas and approaches to address these climate challenges and you may be wondering what the role of art is in the global climate change movement.

60

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ, ͰͮͰͯ

Creating Content that Resonates with African Audiences Solafunmi Sosanya

W

hen we hear the word ‘content’ within normal everyday conversations, it brings to mind the feeling of satisfaction and peace, being content with oneself.

Then, switching our lens and looking at it from a media brand perspective, the word ‘content’ means creation and generation of ideas, presented in an interesting way, weather written or in visual format, with the end goal of appealing to buyers persona, encouraging them to take the desired action.

The confluence of both definitions points to a known fact - good content brings success, a sense of peace and achieves a marketing objective.

Content is an indispensable part of our everyday lives. That quick google search to find the meaning of a new word, the results that show are all content created by someone else. The pictures, videos, memes and GIFs on your Instagram feed are content. Tutorial videos for that new course you just signed up for are all content.

We consciously or unconsciously are daily consumers of content. It answers our questions, entertains us, educates us, keeps us informed and guides our decisions.

As a media and television platform, content helps us attract and engage your potential customers, ultimately generating revenue for the business. Content remains king and is a key pillar that drives business growth in a multi-channel and multi-platform environment. In this digital age, where most brands relate directly with their audience virtually, good content is especially effective for growing audience engagement, answering their questions, building trust, improving conversions, generating leads and developing a strong brand presence.

An important element to achieving success with your content is creating for the right audience, as creating great content that isn’t tailored to the right audience is a waste of time and resources. Identifying the right audience gives room for a complete understanding of their purchase path and pain points, this guides in creating effective content for them.

A proven guide in narrowing down the right target audience is through market research. The benefits that come from in-depth market research cannot be overemphasised.

It provides valuable data on what already exists in the market, room for growth and opportunities to learn from the experience of predecessors or competition. Useful

Sosanya

data can be collated through a SWOT analysis - a business’s strengths and weaknesses, along with opportunities and threats. This market research can further distil information on location, demographics (gender, age, income level), psychographics (lifestyle, values,

hobbies, behaviour), industry, market trends, economic shifts, motivations, buying habits, persona (pain points) and competition. Insight on all these factors contribute immensely in helping to identify the right target audience.

NickMusic, a newly launched series

by ViacomCBS Networks Africa comes to mind as a content platform properly leveraging insights to create content for its audiences. NickMusic is a local first for African kids on the Nickelodeon channel, Nicktoons. This locally produced show is a fun-filled family friendly show playing fan favourites and fun tunes that Kids and Parents can enjoy after school. The show features music from African and international artists from all over the world and is hosted by the young talented social changemaker Lerai Rakoditsoe, who has made history as the first African face for the channel.

Over time, research has shown there are noticeable changes in listening habits.

Africans want representation and inclusivity, especially in the media; they want their stories told authentically. We identified this need early through research and solidified our commitment to grow local relevance and content through various TV shows.

Leaning on this data from market research, we are solidifying our commitment by tapping into music as a passion point for our local viewers with the introduction of a family-friendly local music show and Lerai Rakoditsoe is a symbol of representation and inclusivity for African youths all over the continent. This has been so far embraced by great success as Africans not only feel represented and included but also serves as a motivation that anything is possible.

The best part is the showcase of African talents to the world. Seeing how African stars such as Burna Boy and Wizkid are dazzling globally, Nickmusic is creating room for the birth and growth of more young and local talents.

Additionally, the newly launched reality TV series Inside Life with Erica on MTV Base, which details the private life of actress and former Big Brother Naija housemate Erica Nlewedim, has so far proved to be a viewers favourite as reality TV fans love the new series. Through research, we were able to explore the changing nature of audience participation and active viewership when it comes to Reality TV. Guided by this data, we created Inside Life with Erica, a show that is pushes the boundaries of this participatory culture. This smartly marries our drive to provide our viewers with premium local entertainment and original non-scripted shows. By doing this, we created the right content for the right audience and achieved success.

It is imperative that brands pay more attention not just to creating content but creating for the right audience. This will have ripple effects in positioning brands for sustainability and will get the desired results from the audience. t4PTBOZB JT UIF 4FOJPS $IBOOFMT .BOBHFS 7JBDPN$#4 /FUXPSLT "GSJDB

Schneider Electric Announces Release of 3-Phase UPS Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation, energy management and automation, has announced the launch of its Galaxy™ VL 200-500 kW (400V/480V) 3-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for industrial applications. Available worldwide, the newest addition to the Galaxy family offers a highly efficient and ruggedised, compact UPS, with up to 99-percent efficiency in patented ECOnversion™ mode, offering a full return on investment within two years (model dependent) for critical applications within industrial facilities.

Schneider Electric will be unveiling this new Galaxy VL for industrial applications at staggered times across the globe.

With Galaxy VL, Schneider Electric introduces ‘Live Swap’, a pioneering feature which delivers a touch-safe design throughout the process of adding

or replacing the power modules while the UPS is online and fully operational, which offers enhanced business continuity and no unscheduled downtime.

Additionally, Live Swap’s touch safe design offers increased protection for employees who no longer have to transfer the UPS to maintenance bypass or battery operation during the insertion or removal of the power modules.

“The Galaxy VL was built to reduce voltage stress on the PN junction which is what causes system failure for most UPS. Typically, this equipment (UPS) is resilient to a fault. It doesn’t breakdown easily,” said Morris Nmor, Entreprise Manager, Schneider Electric.

“You can maximize availability, reliability and Uptime for power continuity through the Galaxy VL UPS in your data center.

You can scale as you grow from 50kilowatt power module up to 500 kilowatts

per unit, therefore; You can pay as you grow and reduce your total cost of ownership said Nmor. He further said that with the VL UPS, you can do a live swap with no Scheduled downtime, you can add or swap power modules while keeping Your UPS online and your staff protected.

The average market footprint is 1.6m2 while Galaxy VL footprint is 0.8m2 therefore maximizing space for all data centers. The Galaxy VL was designed with large data centers and collocation providers in mind. The Galaxy VL can work with the Lithium Ion batteries further reducing footprint and total load on the data center facility.

The operational efficiency that the customer gets is 99%+, he said. “What this does is that it saves energy and eventually cost for the client.”

The new VL UPS can guarantee return on investment in two years or less,

by bring down operational cost which means more business, especially for big companies with big data center facilities, said Nmor.

According to Schneider Electric, the key benefits of the new Galaxy VL include maximized space for critical production equipment. Galaxy VL is the most compact UPS in its class, 50-percent more compact than the market average at .8 m2, meeting the demand for uninterruptible power in spaceconstrained industrial environments. Additionally, Galaxy Lithium-Ion Battery Cabinets deliver total space savings of up to 70-percent compared with VRLA battery solutions.

It has a rugged design for harsh environments - high operating temperatures of up to 40°C, dust filters, conformal coating on critical PCBA boards, and seismicready system protection; saves money. Galaxy VL’s modular, scalable platform

enables you to pay-as-yougrow, reducing CapEx investment, operating costs, energy consumption, and TCO. One can scale power instantly in 50 kW increments from 200 to 500 kW with no extra footprint.

The new Galaxy also reaches sustainability goals. Up to 99-percent efficient in ECOnversion mode for a full return on investment within two years in energy savings (€26,280 EUR annual electricity savings)2. As a Schneider Electric Green Premium product, it includes the option for long-lasting Lithium-Ion batteries.

Another benefit is that it has increased reliability through EcoStruxure: by connecting Galaxy VL to EcoStruxure— Schneider Electric’s open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform— industrial operators can benefit from EcoStruxure™ IT software and services.

These EcoStruxure offer-

ings enable customers to monitor, manage, and model their IT infrastructure and get service support 24/7 anywhere, anytime.

The Galaxy VL is available worldwide and can be purchased directly from Schneider Electric.

Determined to ensure that power is provided at constant, acceptable voltage, current, and frequency, Schneider Electric had in May, announced that it has added new features to three of its existing UPS, to enrich customers’ experience.

These features vital to the Nigerian consumers as interrupted power supply remain a common problem in Nigeria. Also common is power surge, a temporary increase in voltage on a power line, usually 10 percent to 35 percent above normal voltage and can last between a few milliseconds to several minutes; and spikes, a dramatic increase in Voltage lasting less than 3 nanoseconds.

61

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ, ͰͮͰͯ

POLSCOPE Zoning: The North as Feudal Lords?

áÓÞÒ ÎÎã ÎÓàáÜÓ ÏÎÎã˛ÙÎÓàáÜÓ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט ͸΀͸ͽ ͻ͸; ΁ͻͽ;

Canticles….

NYSC as Marketing Officer for Bandits?

I

s it true that the quest for extra income and not to over depend on government is forcing some government agencies to look inward?

What does that mean?

Are you a stranger in Nigeria? It is trying to do as the Police do. Have you not been stopped at Police check points and the Policemen begin to beg for money to buy fuel into their patrol van? Don’t you hear them say the DPO did not and does not give them money to fuel or maintain the patrol vans? So, they mount the road blocks to see how much they can garner from motorists so the Patrol vans can keep running? That’s the looking inward I am referring to.

So how does that apply to other government agencies?

Did you not hear the recent effort by the authorities of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to possibly look inward in sourcing for extra funds to run the agency? Did you not hear they are owing their vendors--- those supplying the uniforms and other kits?

Gov Solomon Lalong

A

lmost as an electoral routine, the running issue of zoning of election offices comes up anytime election is drawing near. It doesn’t matter whatever the agreement had been. Some politicians revel in creating and escalating confusion in the polity.

Last Tuesday, the 19 northern governors did just that. They rejected a political arrangement that will see the southern part of the country producing the next president in 2023. It is a contra response to the position of the Southern Governors Forum which has met a couple of times in recent months, insisting that the next president has to come from the South.

According to the argument of the northern governors, the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria does not recognize zoning. They also argue that even if there is zoning arrangement, the north still has some years to even up with the number of years the south has presided over the country as president, since the dawn of the 4th republic.

They argue that the turn of the north was cut short following the unfortunate death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in 2010 while serving his first term in office. His then Vice, Goodluck Jonathan succeeded him, completed that term and went ahead to win the presidential election in 2011 and governed till 2015.

So, the northern governors are being clever by half by claiming that the constitution does not recognize zoning. Yes, technically, the constitution does not make provision for zoning, yet the political parties have always had that understanding among its members. But even then, the constitution provides for federal character in such a way that no one part of the country is seen to be over-dominating the affairs of the country either in appointments or electoral process.

If the northern governors argue that the constitution does not recognize zoning, so what explains the fact that both the president and his Vice do not usually come from the same zone? Has the arrangement not been that if the north produces the president, the South will produce the Vice President and vice versa? This arrangement holds sway, even in military governments, as history records have shown. In fact, beside geographical balance, there is also the usual consideration of religious balance. The only probable time this understanding would have been altered was in the June 12, 1993 presidential election when the late Chief MKO Abiola had chosen a fellow Muslim, Babagana Kingibe to be his Deputy. As fate would have it, the arrangement was not only botched, it threw up a political malaise, from which the country has not fully recovered, 28 years after.

In a straight logical reasoning, devoid of the needless complexity politicians revel in, it would be assumed that having served full two terms of eight years by May 29,2023, the sitting President Mohammadu Buhari, from the northern part of the country, should be succeeded by somebody from the Southern part of the country.

But the northern governors, claiming that they will not play second fiddle, argue that the years of presidential rule by a northerner are yet less than that of a southerner. The argument is not only warped, it is as mendacious as it misleading.

Would the northern agitators have imagined that a northerner, who was not then elected into

I don’t understand? government be nominated to continue from where Yar’adua stopped? Would that not have been a great affront on the provisions of the constitution?

Even before Yar’Adua died, was it not even a northerner (then Senator) Bala Mohammed, who moved the motion for Doctrine of Necessity, for then Vice President Goodluc k Jonathan to fill the void left by Yar’adua? Bala Mohammed is now the governor of Bauchi State and surprisingly, one of the governors who endorsed that wonky logic from the northern governors.

It is also puerile and deceptive to argue that the north needs another term to balance up the length of time a southerner has governed as president. There is no way the north will produce a president now and such a president will not insist on doing two terms. If that happens, it means that perpetually, the north will unduly be in a dominant rule of the nation, even in a democracy. They must be guided by the fact that Yar’Adua’s death was an act of God. It is unfortunate that the north perceives itself as the God-ordained leader of the country. Thus, it considers political domination as a birth right and a matter of fait accompli.

Little wonder it echoes the tired cliché of not wanting to play second fiddle. So, whose portion is it to always play second fiddle? Did the dog not say, when I fall for you, and you fall for me, that’s when the play will be real fun? Perhaps, the north should be told they do not own Nigeria. They cannot always dictate the content and character of our collective interest as a people. Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians. And there are no second class citizens. Everybody is a full and free born.

The arrogant claims of people like Hakeem Baba Ahmed—the spokesman of Northern Elders Forum (NEF)-- saying the north has enough votes to produce the next president is as preposterous and misleading as it is divisive. Such careless utterances deepen the fault lines of the country. Many of us do not have any other country unlike the Baba Ahmeds of this world who can claim a heritage even in far away Mauritania. Baba Ahmed, like the butterfly, thinks itself a bird. Does he need to be told that the constitution provides that whoever will be a president must win votes in at least 25 states of the federation? Does he also need to be told that the illusion of a one homogenous north is no longer there? The Middle Belters have become more assertive and politically independent than they were in years of yore. They are no longer political appendages of the northern oligarchy.

So, Baba Ahmed should be roused up from his outdated ancient illusion.

The 19 northern governors fed by their narrow interests have refused to see the bigger picture of a united Nigeria. They are carried away by the blights of divisive and selfish politics. They are not bothered about all the troubles of banditry, killings, kidnappings, a shrinking and collapsing economy, and general unrest in the land, especially in the northern part of the country, as to warrant a solution summit, but they all had to congregate to push a warped argument of how they must dominate the political scene. They must wean themselves of this fixation of dominance. At 61 today, the unhelpful practices of politics of self and deceit in Nigeria, must begin to give way to the politics that promotes greater good for the greater majority.

You seem to be behind in many national developments. Are you not aware that the NYSC , in its service booklet to intending 2021 Batch B corps members stated in section 65 (e) (pages 58 and 59) that intending corps members should ensure their parents or guardians give them enough money as reserve, possibly for ransom payment, if and when they are kidnapped during the service year?

You didn’t hear that?

Haaaa, that’s despicable sacrilege. I heard it, but I dismissed it, although they said it is a mere advisory.

What stupid advisory? And how can you dismiss what is clearly written in black and white? It is not hear say. It is not a mere memo torn off a notice board. This is a carefully revised policy which is scripted out, given to the NYSC printer to add to the content of the NYSC service brochure, which must have been proof-read by somebody in the organization, approved same for printing and then got circulated/distributed to Corps members….. and you dismiss it? Don’t forget we are not talking about Onitsha market literature here My dismissing it is because it rankles. It is unthinkable that such reprehensible and offensive idea can come from and organisation that is supposed to mentor Nigerian youths.

If you like, speak all the grammar you want. Many people have rationalized it that the desperation in many government organisations is forcing them into untoward actions. Some have said the kidnap of Corps members is an organized crime between NYSC officials and bandits. Do we need any other evidence? That the NYSC is seeking to function as marketing officers, sourcing for business for the bandits, who in turn will have to “settle” them for their services.

Were it not so, how could it have entered the mind of whoever, to ask intending corps members to package ransom money as part of the things they have to bring to Orientation camp? Is it not a sacrilege? This is an organisation headed by a serving Army General. So what does the policy mean? The Nigerian Army has acquiesced and surrendered to bandits and kidnappers and raw brigands and has become business partners with Bandits? Deus avertat!

Well, I do not think the NYSC set out to do a marketing job for Bandits. When I read the other provisions of the security tips, you will see that the intent is right and pure. It may have just come out in a wrong way. But the overall intent is to ensure that Corps members are security conscious, do less travel, be vigilant and avoid putting their lives at risk given the avalanche of kidnappers all over the place.

DG NYSC, Brig Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim

So, why didn’t the so-called advisory end at that point? Why add that corps members should identify someone like family members, friends and colleagues who could be on hand to pay off whatever ransom that could be demanded. Isn’t that smelly and cowardly? In any case, how much is the recommended sum that must be packaged as ransom? Is that not defeatist?

You see, the NYSC is determined to ensure that Corps members are safe wherever they are serving. And that is why three special roads: Okene-Lokoja; Abuja-Kaduna and Aba-Port Harcourt are specially identified as hellish highways filled with kidnappers and evil men and that… (cuts in) But wait o, didn’t Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State boast that his state is one of the safest in the country?

How come the number one deadly routes are in his state? Isn’t that the road that has consumed many people in recent times including army generals?

Forget about what Governor Yahaya Bello said. He is a politician. He’s making bogus claims to brighten his CV for the illusionary presidential ticket he is looking for. Let us focus on the NYSC management. Any right thinking human being will know that they mean well. Their overall interest is the safety and protection of the Corps members, Q.E.D! Did you say they mean well? The question is : Have they done well or said well? Look, don’t put anything beyond these desperadoes in government agencies. They can do anything. Anybody who conceives the idea of having a fore plan for kidnappers is up to something sinister and mischievous.

That provision is not by accident. Trust me.

Take it is a clerical slip on the part of the NYSC authorities, even as they have vowed to investigate what happened. In the same vein, the members of the House of Representatives have also vowed to investigate the so-called clerical slip. Let us believe they will unearth everything about this needless scandal.

Clerical what? Look, it is an act of sabotage. It is a clear affront on the effort of the federal government to combat banditry and kidnapping. So, for any federal government agency to be inadvertently supporting and promoting the illicit business is a manifest and unacceptable act of sabotage.

So, please don’t water it down as clerical slip? Clerical my foot!

Ok. Let us wait for the outcome of the investigation both from the NYSC and the lawmakers.

Awwwwww, that’s the end of the matter.

Never expect to hear anything on this subject again. (stretching out his forefinger) Bet me!

Stop doubting the Nigerian system. For God’s sake, we are 61 today, but we are filled with skepticism for our nation. Let’s believe that things will work in Nigeria. We cannot remain with our pessimism 61 years after.

The story cannot remain the same.

Happy Independence anniversary!

62

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

63

64

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

IGR: Nami Tasks FG, States to Provide Value for Taxpayers James Emejo ËØÎ Sonia Mayomi ÓØ ÌßÔË The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami, has tasked all the tiers of government to ensure that tax-compliant citizens enjoyed value and benefits for the taxes they pay.

Nami said tax-compliant citizens legitimately expect leaders to provide them with necessary infrastructure and amenities to improve their living standards.

The FIRS boss spoke at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s seventh Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) Learning Event

in Abuja. He said, “Tax compliant citizens can legitimately expect their leaders to provide necessary amenities for a good life. This expectation is confirmed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) in section 16(b) where it provides that ‘the State shall, within the context of the ideals and objectives for which provisions are made in this Constitution, control the national economy in such manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.”

Nami said governments at various levels must imbibe

the culture of value-for-money and put in proper perspective value-for tax-money.

According to him, “The citizens should not just hear budget figures but must, within their immediate living quarters feel, see and experience effects of tax revenue.This, going forward, should be the norm and not an exception.”

The FIRS Chairman particularly advised state governors to look inwards and create alternative sources of revenue away from depending on revenue from oil sources, while also urging that they adopt the right tax policies to ensure funding for infrastructure in their states.

CBN Defers eNaira Launch to Mark Independence Anniversary James Emejo ÓØ ÌßÔË The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said the planned unveiling of the muchawaited Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), known as the eNaira, initially billed for October 1, 2021 had now been deferred due to other key activities lined up to commemorate the country’s 61st independence anniversary.

Spokesman of the apex bank, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, in a statement explained that the CBN took the decision to postpone the launch, earlier planned to coincide with the independence celebration, in deference to the mood of national rededication

to the collective dream of One Nigeria.

However assuring that there was no cause for alarm, he said the bank and other partners were working round the clock to ensure a seamless process that will be for the overall benefit of the customer, particularly those in the rural areas and the unbanked population.

Nwanisobi, while highlighting the benefits of the eNaira, stressed that Nigerians would be able to carry out peer-to-peer transfer to another person’s eNaira wallet as well as pay for goods and services at selected merchants.

He added that the eNaira would also help reduce the use

of cash and ensure stability of the Nigerian economy.

On the readiness of banks and other financial institutions in the financial ecosystem for the launch of the eNaira, he reiterated that eNaira was a journey, explaining that not all banks customers were expected to commence transaction on the day of the launch.

He, however, assured that financial institutions in Nigeria remained key actors and were a critical part of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

Nwanisobi also noted that the CBN was mindful of concerns expressed about the eNaira, being among the first CBDCs in the world.

CFM Empowers Nigerian Female Entrepreneurs to Participate in Global $42.94b Cake Business Dike Onwuamaeze The Crown Flour Mill (CFM) Limited, makers of the popular Mama Gold flour, has launched a gender upskilling initiative tagged ‘Crown Flour Angels’ (CFA), which is meant to accelerate women’s contribution to the economy, The initiative was launched recently to help more Nigerian women acquire baking skills or improve on their current baking skillset while strengthening their capacity to build successful baking business and become successful entrepreneurs.

The CFM also hosted the inaugural edition of the CFA by holding a three-day accelerated

bakers’ training in Lagos recently.

The training was facilitated by the International Cake Exploration Societé (ICES), a Cake and Fruit Expert, Ms. Afoke Osubor.

The training would help to position Nigerian women to participation in the global cake market size that was valued at $42.94 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $55.7 billion by 2027.

The CFM said that impressive annual growth trajectory of the global cake business provided an attractive proposition for entrepreneurial young women searching for a lucrative market amid tough global and national economic events.

The CFM upskilling initiative in

the cakebaking segment, therefore, provided a path for women in the country to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams while staking a claim to scaled economic participatory roles.

Speaking about the capacitybuilding initiative, the Managing Director of the CFM Limited, Mr. Ashish Pande, said: “Given that women constitute approximately half of the nation’s population and are the backbone of the family which is the bedrock and the foundation of the society, implementing a capacity development initiative in the lucrative cake baking segment will help us make a significant positive impact among that demographic.”

Nwadiri Makes Case for Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria A Lagos-based businesswoman, Diri Onyeani has called on more women to set up businesses, as the sky is only their beginning.

Onyeani made this call in Lagos in a chat with newsmen in Lagos said the business terrain in Nigeria is suitable for women to venture in as it is for men who currently dominate it.

The Entrepreneur who is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of DIRI STORES, which comprises of a popular Jewelry store called ACCESSORIES 4 U, a male,

female & children Jewelry and Accessory store.

According to her, Accessories 4 U jewelry brand has been part of the male/female & children everyday life style, Beauty pageantry, jewelry dress-ups events in Nigeria for many years now, including other confidence building product offerings.

Hair Heaven as a brand provides Human Hair sales/ solutions for ladies over the years without breaking the bank.

Diri as she is often popularly called, is presently contributing to

SMEs across Nigeria in partnership with factories abroad by providing them with Jewelries and human Hair Products at Wholesale supplies to enable them start a business and earn lucratively.

“It is a known fact that hair production companies from all over the world have recognized Africa as a thriving market for their businesses with large chunk of the buyers and users from Nigeria due to her huge population and fashion sense.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ Ͱͷ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $78.37 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $77.73 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey

65

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Investors Stake N598.12bn on Dangote Cement in 9 Months, Stock Hits 52-week High Darasimi Adebisi Domestic and foreign investors have invested N598.12 billion in the stock of Dangote Cement Plc on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) in the first 9 months of 2021.

With impressive earnings in half year ended June 30, 2021, the cement manufacturing company stock price on the NGX hits 52-week high yesterday.

This means the stock of the

cement manufacturing company has appreciated by 14.3 per cent to N280 (N4.77trillion) as at September 30, 2021 from N244.90 (N4.17trillion) it opened for trading this year.

Appreciation in Dangote Cement share price impacted positively on NGX Industrial index that gained nearly two per cent 2,089.38 basis points as at September 30, 2021 from 2,052.33 basis points it closed in 2020.

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

With a dividend of N272.65billion in 2020 financial year, Dangote Cement made the highest returns to investors on the NGX. The company’s unaudited result and accounts for half year ended June 30, 2021 (H1) showed impressive performance in revenue and modest performance in net finance that impacted positively on profit before tax and profit after tax.

The company’s double-

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

digit increase in revenue was largely driven by higher sales volumes, as well as improved cost management during the period, which drove margin expansion.

The cement manufacturing recorded increase in volume of both cement and clinker volumes to 14,550,000 tonnes in H1 2021 from 11,674,000 tonnes to drive revenue from sales of cement & clinker to N690.55billion in H1 2021 from

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

N476.84billion reported in H1 2020.

During the H1 2021 period, Dangote Cement revenue increased by 44.8 per cent to N690.5billionn from N476.85billion recorded in H1 2020, supported by a 26.1per cent surge in volumes sold to 15,277 metric tonnes in H1 2021 from 12,114 metric tonnes and 14.5 per cent increase in revenue-per-tonne to N45,133.66 which was

O F

attributed to lower rebates and price increment during the period.

The impressive growth was reflected in both the Nigerian and Pan-African market segments, as sales volumes were up by 33.2per cent and 15.5 per cent, respectively. With decline in finances, Profit Before Tax rose by 72.7 per cent to N281.3billion in H1 2021 from N162.85 billion in H1 2020.

3 0 / 0 9 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

66

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021• T H I S DAY

67

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 29Sept-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 161.22 162.58 -0.42% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 7.55% Nigeria International Debt Fund 318.54 318.54 -15.98% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 106.73 107.78 -3.68% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.27% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.34 3.50 -1.81% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 8.06% Anchoria Equity Fund 135.68 137.36 2.78% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.14 1.14 -14.01% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 19.83 20.43 9.36% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 435.55 448.69 8.79% ARM Ethical Fund 38.78 39.95 15.04% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 -1.09% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.98 0.98 -6.60% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.48% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 106.48 106.48 4.69% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,038.62 1,038.62 3.86% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.07 2.07 -5.28% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.07 2.11 -4.99% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.02 1.02 3.44% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.69% Paramount Equity Fund 16.67 16.98 4.24% Women's Investment Fund 138.16 139.76 3.82% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.53% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 120.61 121.40 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 107.77 107.77 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 7.57% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 5.77% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,162.28 1,180.56 0.95% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Bond Fund 1,423.01 1,423.01 11.65% FBN Balanced Fund 192.51 193.80 2.57% FBN Halal Fund 113.09 113.09 9.28% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.53% FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

127.09 159.97

127.09 3.79% 162.12 5.82% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.98 1.60 1.19

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 6.22% 3.98 2.78% 1.64 5.28% 1.19 4.75% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price N/A N/A N/A

Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.65% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.83 2.90 -0.75% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 153.57 153.85 -1.24% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.30 1.35 3.48% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.10 1.10 4.21% 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 1.45 1.47 6.25% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,157.41 1,157.41 6.53% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.55 11.58 10.17% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 9.18% 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 132.65 134.95 8.28% 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 1.06 1.06 10.07% 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 3,422.46 3,459.42 6.57% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 233.37 233.37 3.79% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.23 1.25 5.08% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 308.22 308.22 4.60% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 229.05 232.32 4.92% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.45% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,468.85 10,614.56 -0.26% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.28 1.28 4.05% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 115.82 115.82 4.27% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 104.13 104.13 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.31 1.33 2.41% United Capital Bond Fund 1.92 1.92 4.98% United Capital Equity Fund 0.88 0.90 10.46% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.40% United Capital Eurobond Fund 120.59 120.59 5.34% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.08 4.16% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.06 1.06 6.39% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.95 13.02 8.93% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.32 14.47 17.33% Zenith Income Fund 24.41 24.41 1.75% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.85%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 53.37

10.62% 5.66%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.63

13.73

3.11%

123.62 98.19 17.27 18.19

126.69 100.33 17.37 18.29

2.81% -1.04%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.84 5.64 17.66 1.00 19.97 157.62

3.88 5.72 17.76 1.00 20.17 159.62

1.77% -0.89% 8.77% 7.55% -2.65% -28.32%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

68

PERSPECTIVE

Reflections on 61 Years of US – Nigerian Engagement

Leonard Mary Beth Leonard As Nigeria celebrates its national day, we

celebrate our enduring bilateral partnership with the continent’s regional, political, and economic powerhouse.

We appreciate Nigeria’s leadership in the region, standing up for the integrity of democratic nations in West Africa. Nigeria was among the first to condemn the recent coup in Guinea, regularly recognizes the need for presidential term limits, and supports its best and brightest to serve in the highest ranks of international organizations – most recently demonstrated

by Chikwe Ihekweazu’s recent appointment to Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us all that global challenges require global solutions. Our mission team partnered with Nigeria to tackle COVID-19 to save lives, promote economic recovery, and develop resilience as our experts worked side-by-side with the Presidential Task Force, Ministry of Health, and Nigerian Centre for Disease Control. We provided more than four million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Nigeria and contributed more than $84.2 million in COVID-related equipment and technical assistance including a mobile field hospital, 200 ventilators, and personal protective equipment. Additional vaccine donations are in the works. We conducted epidemiological COVID detection

surveys, provided rapid response teams, trained over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures, and transferred technology for virtual training. Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), supporting Nigeria since 2004, the U.S. government now is providing lifesaving treatment to over 1.5 million of Nigeria's estimated 1.8 million people living with HIV and remains committed to closing the gap to reaching HIV epidemic control by 2023.

We also recognize that security and economic concerns weigh on the minds of all Nigerians. We work in solidarity with the Nigerian government to address those challenges together. Diplomacy, development, public health, and defense have long been pillars that provide the foundation for promoting and protecting U.S. national security interests abroad.

Our bilateral relationship is strong and based on such mutual interests.

We share the Nigerian government’s recognition that, indeed, military aid will not be the exclusive tool to end insecurity in the country. A "whole of government" approach is required to protect citizens and stabilize the country.

And indeed, all Nigerians have a role to play in improving security.

We have a long-standing partnership with the Nigerian military and the

Nigerian police that consists of advising, training, exercises, education, and military systems and equipment, all of which are encompassed in the historic A-29 Super Tucano sale. These engagements emphasize the skills and processes that are critical to shaping effective militaries.

The United States supports Nigeria’s economic growth and its mutually beneficial trade with the U.S. through both private sector engagement and government-supported initiatives – such as the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Prosper Africa, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the Foreign Commercial Service. The U.S. is proud to be the largest humanitarian donor in Nigeria, providing $1.45 billion since 2015, and supporting an estimated two million conflict-affected households in the north. The U.S. is looking forward to expanding on these economic relationships in the future.

We commend Nigeria on its efforts to encourage dialogue and transparency at all levels of governance and continue to partner with Nigeria on efforts to improve its governing capacity. We are focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic processes and institutions and encouraging freedom of information, including efforts to enforce accountability through credible and transparent elections. USAID’s partnerships with

the federal and state governments, 200 civil society organizations, and the private sector are fulfilling these goals – by improving the electoral process, strengthening civil society advocacy for a more transparent government, reinforcing the role of local peace committees to resolve conflict, and supporting transparency and service delivery improvements.

The Mission takes pride in its extensive people-to-people engagement fostering bridges between our two nations. Last year the Migration Policy Institute noted that Nigerians in the U.S. are the most highly educated immigrant population in the United States, with 61 percent holding at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 31 percent of the total foreign-born population. Further, more than half of Nigerian immigrants (54 percent) occupy management positions, compared with 32 percent of the total foreign-born population and 39 percent of the U.S.-born population.

In addition, ties are deepening in the art, film, fashion, and music spaces.

Nigeria’s potential is enormous. With Nigeria’s vibrant and innovative youth, we know that the best is yet to come for this great nation. As proud partners, we will continue to stand by Nigeria and work towards a more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria. r"NCBTTBEPS .BSZ #FUI -FPOBSE 6 4 "NCBTTBEPS UP /JHFSJB

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 • T H I S D AY

69

70

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

Wild Pigs Attack Shakira in Barcelona, Snatches Her Bag, Phone

P

op superstar Shakira says she was the victim of a random attack by a pair of wild boars while walking in a park in Barcelona with her eight-year-old son, according to BBC. The Colombian singer said the animals attacked her before seizing her bag and retreating with it into the woods.

She shared her bizarre tale in a series of Instagram stories on Wednesday.

Holding the now recovered but torn bag towards the camera, she said: “Look at how two wild boars which attacked me in the park have left my bag.”

“They were taking my bag to the woods with my mobile phone in it,” the singer continued. “They’ve destroyed everything.”

She then turned to her son, whose father is the Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué, and said: “Milan tell the truth. Say how your mummy stood up to the wild boar.”

Shakira is the latest victim of the increasingly aggressive hogs which have invaded the Catalan capital in recent years.

In 2016, Spanish police received 1,187 phone calls about wild hogs attacking dogs, plundering cat-feeders, holding up traffic and running into cars in the city.

In 2013, one city police officer attempted to take charge of the problem himself and shot at a boar with his service revolver, but missed and hit his partner instead.

Ex-France President Sarkozy Convicted of Illegal Campaign Financing

A court in France has sentenced former President Nicolas Sarkozy to one year in prison after finding him guilty of illegal campaign financing during his 2012 reelection campaign, VOA reports.

Prosecutors said Sarkozy spent nearly double the amount allowed under French law ahead of the election won by challenger Francois Hollande.

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007-2012, denied wrongdoing. His lawyer said he would appeal the

court’s decision.

The court said he could serve his sentence at home while wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.

In March, Sarkozy was found guilty of corruption in a separate trial and was sentenced to three years in prison with two years of the term suspended.

He has appealed that verdict.

After 116 Inmates Killed, Policemen Restore Calm to Ecuador Prison

Four hundred police officers have entered a prison in the Ecuadorean port city of Guayaquil, where at least 116 inmates have been killed in a gang war.

The brutal prison fight first broke out on Tuesday, and officials said that the jail was back under their control on Wednesday.

But early on Thursday, neighbours said they had heard explosions and gunshots.

Shortly afterwards, police said it was sending 400 officers back in to “maintain order.”

Ecuador’s police force posted a video on its Twitter account of officers moving back into the Guayas prison complex, also known as the Litoral Penitentiary.

US, China Hold 2-Day Talks Amid Strained Relations

Defence officials from China and the US have held two days of talks in a small sign of progress amid a continuing sharp downturn in relations.

The secure video conference held Tuesday and Wednesday was led by Maj. Gen. Huang Xueping, deputy direct of the People’s Liberation Army’s Office for International Military Cooperation, and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for China Michael Chase.

On Thursday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said the sides “exchanged in-depth views on relations between the two countries and the two militaries and issues of common concern.”

However, he blamed “continuous provocation and containment” of China by the US for the “considerable difficulties and challenges” between the two militaries. “Regarding the relationship between the two armed forces, we welcome communication, welcome cooperation, face differences and oppose coercion,” Wu said at a monthly briefing.

In a statement issued in Washington, Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners said the meeting was “an important component of the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing effort to responsibly manage the competition between the US and the PRC by maintaining open lines of communication with the PRC.” During the talks, he said the two sides held “a frank, in-depth, and open discussion on a range of issues.”

Belarus Blocks Access to News Website Amid KGB Officer’s Death

Belarusian authorities on Wednesday blocked access to another news site, the latest in a series of steps restricting independent media in the country after it was shaken by a wave of anti-government protests.

The Belarusian Ministry of Information blocked access to the Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus website, the Belarusian subsidiary of a popular Russian newspaper of the same name. The ministry didn’t provide any reasons to block the popular website, which is visited by some 20,000 users daily.

The access to it was restricted several hours after it ran a story about an alleged shootout in an apartment in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, during which two people — an opposition supporter and a KGB officer — were killed. The news outlet published a comment from the opposition supporter’s friend, who described him a positive light.

Belarusian authorities reported the incident on Tuesday night, alleging that “an especially dangerous criminal” opened fire on security officers after they showed up at his apartment looking for “individuals involved in terrorist activities.” Authorities said one of the KGB officers was killed, and the perpetrator was killed by “retaliatory fire.”

Footage aired by Belarusian state TV channels showed men in plainclothes, trying to break into an apartment.

The authorities haven’t revealed the name of the man that allegedly shot at the security officers but said his wife, who was in the apartment at the time, was arrested.

State news agency Belta reported that “members of an extremist group with ties to the opposition, supposedly, lived in the apartment.”

Russia ‘Declares’ Editor Wanted over Navalny Poisoning Story

The editor of a Russian news outlet that angered the Kremlin with its investigations, including into the poisoning of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, said the authorities had declared him a wanted man.

Roman Dobrokhotov, editor-in-chief of The Insider, told Reuters the authorities had accused him of illegally crossing the border to leave Russia.

He said he was currently outside Russia and did not want to disclose his location. He did not say how he had left Russia.

The Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. There was no other confirmation of Dobrokhotov’s status from the authorities.

Media outlets and journalists critical of the authorities faced mounting pressure before a parliamentary election this month, and the campaign against people the authorities deem as threats to political stability shows no signs of letting up. The Insider angered authorities

by helping identify state security officials it said were behind the poisoning of Navalny in August last year. The Kremlin denies any responsibility for Navalny falling ill.

On Thursday morning, police searched two Moscow apartments belonging to Dobrokhotov’s family and parents and seized mobile phones and computers, Dobrokhoyov said on Twitter. Police officers also took his wife in for questioning, The Insider reported.

His lawyer Yulia Kuznetsova told Reuters he had been declared a wanted man on September 23.

Nazi Woman Accused of Aiding Murder of 11,412 People Arrested

A former Nazi concentration camp secretary has been found in Germany after failing to appear in court for the beginning of her trial.

Irmgard Furchner is accused of assisting with the murder of 11,412 people when she was an 18-year-old typist at the Stutthof concentration camp in occupied Poland during World War II between 1943 and 1945.

Court spokesperson Frederike Milhoffer confirmed Thursday the 96-year-old Furchner had been found after leaving her home early and taking a taxi “to an unknown location.”

Milhoffer said an arrest warrant had been issued for Furchner and that a physician was assessing whether she was healthy enough for imprisonment.

Furchner’s trial could not begin in the far northern town of Itzehoe without her presence. Milhoffer said the next court hearing was scheduled for October 19.

About 65,000 people died in the concentration camp between 1939 and 1945 in the camp’s gas chamber or of starvation and disease. The victims were Jews caught up in the Nazi’s horrific extermination campaign and prisoners of war.

‘Missing’ Man Joins Search Party Looking for Him A missing man in Turkey accidentally joined his own search party for hours before realising he was the person they were looking for, local media reports.

Beyhan Mutlu had been drinking with friends on Tuesday when he wandered into a forest in Bursa province.

When he failed to return, his wife and friends alerted local authorities and a search party was sent out.

Mr Mutlu, 50, then stumbled across the search party and decided to join them, NTV reported.

But when members of the search party began calling out his name, he replied: “I am here.”

He was taken aside by one of the rescuer workers to give a statement.

“Don’t punish me too harshly, officer. My father will kill me,” he reportedly told them.

Police then drove Mr Mutlu home. It is not clear if he was given a fine.

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

71

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL A TROUBLED NATION MARKS 61, LEADERS EXPRESS HOPE, CALL FOR REBIRTH The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, reviewed Nigeria’s 61 years of nationhood and concluded that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has gone down in history as the worst in the annals of her national life.

It, however, said no matter what the situation might be, Nigeria would never fail.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said the push by this administration to sink the nation to the precipices was evident in the daily lives, the lies, injustices, violations, state-backed violence, impunity, nepotism, treasury looting, harsh economic policies and accommodation of terrorism, but claimed the nation has continued to survive by the resilient spirit of Nigerians.

"Our party, however, asserts that though the APC and its government have been pushing the nation to the brinks, Nigeria, as a nation, will never fail.

"It is painful that all the gains made by our nation since independence in 1960 and especially, during the 16 years of the PDP in office, including the entrenchment of national unity and cohesiveness, freedom and personal liberty of citizens, rule of law, credible elections, justice, equity, fairness and economic progress; the very elements of an independent state, have all been reversed by the APC and the Buhari Presidency."

The PDP said the Buhari Presidency and the APC have on all fronts taken the nation back to the pre-independence days with associated bondage mentality and frustration resulting in many losing faith in the system and leaving the country in droves within the last six years.

The PDP, therefore, asked: "Is it not an irony that our nation is celebrating independence in the face of subverted elections, brazen crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices as well as other suppressive acts including the muzzling of free speech as witnessed in the ban on Twitter in Nigeria?

"Is it not also an irony that as we celebrate independence, thousands of our compatriots are falling victims to extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and illegal detention in dehumanising cells; which underscore the horrible situation under President Buhari and the APC, as even profiled by reputable international organisations, including Amnesty International (AI) and US Department of State?

"How can we celebrate when the APC government has no answers to the murdering of our youths by security operatives as witnessed in the EndSARS protest killings of 2020 and, where those who demand for accountability in governance are being hounded, harassed and framed?

"Is it not painful that under President Buhari, our nation has been opened up to terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, who are wantonly killing our citizens while their known apologists are enjoying official cover with one of them even holding office as cabinet minister?

"How can we celebrate, when the APC has plunged our nation into economic slavery with over N33.1 trillion accumulated debt, a 33 per cent unemployment rate, collapse of productive sectors and a weakened naira from the N167 to a dollar handed over to President Buhari in 2015 to a dismal N576 to a dollar today?"

PDP said the incontrovertible truth was that there was no hope in sight under the APC and that was why there were no drums on the streets to celebrate Nigeria at 61.

"If anything, Nigerians are using the occasion of the 61st independence anniversary to further strengthen their resolve to take back their country from the stranglehold of the APC, come 2023," it said.

Diplomatic Community Celebrates Nigeria The diplomatic community has also enlisted as one of Nigeria’s critical development partners, and bore the need to be part of Nigeria’s independence anniversary celebration at 61.

U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard said, “As Nigeria celebrates its national day, we celebrate our enduring bilateral partnership with the continent’s regional, political, and economic powerhouse.

“We appreciate Nigeria’s leadership in the region, standing up for the integrity of democratic nations in West Africa. Nigeria was among the first to condemn the recent coup in Guinea, regularly recognises the need for presidential term limits, and supports its best and brightest to serve in the highest ranks of international organisations – most recently demonstrated by Chikwe Ihekweazu’s recent appointment to Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization.”

Also, President Ram Nath Kovind of India, while congratulating the government and people of Nigeria, said, “India and Nigeria have warm, friendly and deep rooted ties. Our multifaceted relations have further been expanded and strengthened by regular and cordial engagements at various levels.

“India and Nigeria have strong relations. Despite

right direction.

In a message to mark Nigeria at 61, both the Holy Father, Pope Francis and Catholic Bishops of Nigeria expressed sadness at the desperate situation in the country.

A statement signed by the National Director of Social Communications, CSN, Abuja, Padre Mike Nsikak Umoh, "Nigeria at 61 is definitely on a different course from where it should be. It is very unfortunate that since last year, when we celebrated our 60th, things have further deteriorated so much, such that life has become so cheap while suffering and hunger have multiplied in the land.

The church said it was saddening that Nigerians were still dying every day through very barbaric and senseless killings.

The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, therefore, added their voices to that of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, to appeal to those in government and those who have power, to desist from actions and policies that have continued to plunge the nation into violence and crisis.

The statement quoted Pope Francis and the bishops as appealing to those in government to take sincere and positive steps to deliver the people from their tormentors.

The Bishops further appealed to all Nigerians to respect human life and strive for peace in the country, that is based on justice and equity.

"To all victims of the violence and killings in the land, they send their prayers and condolences.

They call on all men and women of goodwill, irrespective of their religious affiliation, to pray ceaselessly for our nation. Finally, they dedicate Nigeria to the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of Nigeria," the statement stated.

Labour: Let’s Resume Our March to Greatness challenges during the pandemic, our economic relations have gained strength. Please, accept my best wishes for Your Excellency’s good health and well-being as well as for the continued prosperity and progress of the friendly people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

President of France, Emmanuel Macron, while felicitating with Nigerians, in a letter to President Buhari said, “On the occasion of the National Day of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I am pleased to extend to you, on my behalf and on behalf of the French people, my warmest congratulations, which also go to all Nigerian citizens.

“You know my personal attachment to the relationship between France and Nigeria, the continent’s leading economic and demographic power. I firmly believe that it is in the mutual interest of our two countries to strengthen this relationship on all fronts.

“Since my visit in July 2018, the ties between our two countries have continued to strengthen, especially, in the economic field. I was happy to welcome you in Paris on May 18th, on the occasion of your participation in the Summit on the financing of African economies. The creation of the Franco-Nigerian Business Council, which met last June at the Palace of Versailles, will, I hope, allow the birth of many structuring projects between French and Nigerian companies.

“The number of Nigerian students present in France has been increasing at a sustained rate over the past three years, and I am delighted that they can contribute to the growth of Nigeria and the development of ties between our two countries. Finally, the participation in a few days of young Nigerian artists, entrepreneurs and creators in the New Africa-France Summit in Montpellier will make it possible to intensify the exchanges between French and Nigerian civil society.

“We can do even more together, because France and Nigeria share many common interests, both on regional and security issues and on global issues. I, therefore, hope that our countries will intensify their exchanges on all subjects.”

CAN: Nigeria Will Recover from Challenges The Leadership of the Christian Association Nigeria (CAN) has expressed confidence that Nigeria would recover from the present challenges confronting her and return to a peaceful and prosperous nation.

In a statement by CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, CAN said bad and selfish leadership in the past years had largely contributed to the unfortunate state the country has found herself today.

He said these bad leaders did not plan for the country to grow adding if they did, they never made effort to implement the development plans.

"They embezzled the commonwealth of the nation. By their action, they threw the citizens into unnecessary sufferings and pains. Unemployed youths have taken to

criminalities.

"The situation, humanly speaking, appears bleak but knowing that God is not man and with him, all things are possible, this is the right time to believe that there shall be showers of blessings, because some people are praying for this country. There shall be showers of blessings because God shall judge the evil doers in the nation," he said.

He noted that as a result of years of bad governance, jobless youths had been trying frantically to run abroad in search for better life.

"Some in the process perished in the Mediterranean Sea or ended up being used as sex slaves. Some got themselves engaged in armed robbery and internet fraud,” expressing hope that the future was bright for the country.

"In the forthcoming 2023 election, no wicked leader shall be voted into power no matter how wealthy and powerful he or she may be in the name of Jesus Christ. On behalf of myself and Christian Association of Nigeria, I congratulate all Nigerians on this occasion of the 61st Independence Anniversary of Nigeria from colonial rule of the British," he said.

Gbajabiamila Calls for Peaceful Co-existence The Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has appealed to Nigerians to be more united for the common purpose of building a country that meets the best expectations of all Nigerians.

Gbajabiamila, in a message marking Nigeria's 61st Independence Anniversary, said Nigeria was Nigerians’ only country and its unity was priceless.

Though he recognised the fact that the country faced significant challenges, he said in the past 61 years, Nigeria had grown and developed beyond imagination.

While urging every Nigerian to drop their sentiments and work together for a better nation, Gbajabiamila said Nigerian leaders were doing their best to see an end to the challenges facing the country, especially, the insecurity across the country.

He noted that such efforts required the support of all citizens, irrespective of political affiliations.

The Speaker reassured Nigerians that the 9th Assembly would always give the necessary legislative interventions to other arms of government to smoothen the task of governance.

"As far as I am concerned, there is no country on earth like Nigeria, and I know every patriotic Nigerian holds this view.

Nigerians must all work together to fulfil the dream of a nation of peaceful coexistence and abundant prosperity," he said.

Nigeria Moving in Wrong Direction, Says Catholic Church The Catholic Church has said things in the country were no longer moving in the

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Organised Labour in Nigeria, has congratulated Nigerian workers, people and the government on the occasion of nation’s 61stIndependence Anniversary, saying the time to resume the march to greatness has come.

“This is indeed another remarkable milestone in the history of our country. There is no gainsaying the contribution of Nigeria’s working class to national development, peace and unity.

“On this commemoration of another independence anniversary, we recall and honour the selfless efforts of heroes and heroines past and present – Nigerian workers, our pensioners including ex-servicemen and women, members of the armed services, our women, our youths, and Nigerian children,” Labour stated in a statement by its president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba.

According to him, “Upon the attainment of independence sixty-one years ago, a lot was expected of the country that hosts the largest population of black people on the planet. It was on the strength of that hope that Nigeria shortly after Independence became the pilgrimage destination for many development minded world leaders including the famed Lee Kuan Yew of the Singapore phenomenal transformation.

“Sixty-one years ago, Nigeria was certainly on a march to greatness. In every part of the country, there was a manifest gush of hope, faith, energy and commitment in the stride of most Nigerians as our compatriots strove to prove a point that independence was not a fluke – that indeed we could do better than the white colonial administrators.

“Indeed, we sure made such a huge progress in those initial years of our national life. Those were the days of the famed groundnut pyramid in Kano, palm oil plantations in the Eastern region, the rubber estates in the Mid-West and the cocoa fields in Southwestern Nigeria. Life was indeed safe, secured and abundant!

“Then, politics happened. Instead of building on the zeal and energy of Nigerian workers and people to redeem the image of the black race, which was badly mauled by slave trade and colonisation, our political leaders shifted their eyes from the dreams of a great country and became fixated with the delusion of personal conquests through primitive accumulation of wealth aided by a deliberate divide and rule politics. Till today, after many successive governments, our country is yet to recover from the tsunami of ethno-religious politics, values disorientation, and the weakening of unifying institutions.”

He said it was time to own up to “the truth of our self-inflicted pains and examine closely, where we lost it as a nation. It is not too late to resume our paused march to greatness. We can still become that country that accords the pride of place to truth, productivity, hard work, excellence, integrity, patriotism, service and sacrifice.

“We can still create industries for our teeming youths to gain decent jobs. We can still provide the excellent infrastructure that inspires inclusive economic growth. We can still foster an atmosphere of rule of law, equity, social justice, peace, law and order as a sustainable cure for the deregulated crises of violence in many parts of Nigeria. We can still regain our humanity of love and care for workers and pensioners.”

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

72

NEWS

ABDULSALAMI ON CONDOLENCE VISIT...

L-R: Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade, former Military Head of State of Nigeria, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Wife, Hajia Fati Lami Abubakar during a condolence visit by the Ex Head of State to Cross River, over the death of Brig. Gen. Anthony Ukpo, one time military Administrator of Rivers State ... recently

Again, Bandits Strike Sabon Birni in Sokoto, Abduct 27 Resident burnt alive, many Policemen missing Military operations in Zamfara successful, Commissioner insists We've over 200 members with 150 AK-47 rifles, arrested kidnapper confesses Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto, John Shiklam in Kaduna and Francis Sardauna in Katsina It was another sad day for the people and residents of Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State as suspected armed bandits again attack the local government with no fewer than 27 people abducted from Gatawa, a community in the local government area.

This is just as in Zamfara, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ibrahim Dosara, yesterday insisted that the ongoing military operations against bandits and other criminals has recorded huge success, disclosing that the fleeing bandits whose source of food supply had been cut off, have resorted to eating raw food.

In a related development, a suspected kidnap kingpin who was arrested by the Katsina State Police Command, Surajo Mamman, alias Kutika, has confessed that he belongs to a kidnapping syndicate that has over 200 members with 150 AK-47 rifles.

In Gatawa community in Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State, a source who spoke with THISDAY confirmed that in the latest attack where no fewer than 27 persons were abducted, a resident of the town was said to have been burnt alive while many policemen have been unaccounted for after the attack which occurred on Wednesday.

It was in same Sabon Birnin that bandits had gunned down at least 17 security personnel earlier in the week.

A member of the State House of Assembly who represents Sabon Birni East Constituency, Sa’idu Ibrahim, who confirmed the development said the bandits now target security formations in the area.

“They are now looking for where security operatives are stationed because their morale was boosted by their recent attack on a military formation at Dama, where many soldiers, policemen and Civil Defence officers were killed.

“So they are now attacking places where they know military, police or other para-military camp.

“They shot two persons, including a woman and burnt three others who hid in a grain store. One of them died instantly while the other two are receiving treatment in the hospital,” he said.

According to the lawmaker, they invaded Gatawa because of the presence of “Operation Puff

Ader” camp in the area.

“As I am talking to you now, many policemen are still missing.

We don’t know whether they were abducted or ran away,” he said.

Meanwhile, all efforts to get the reaction of Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto State Command was not successful as at the time of filing this report. But when contacted by THISDAY, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Sanusi Abubakar, said he was in a meeting and promised to get back.

Military Operations in Zamfara Successful Also, the Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ibrahim Dosara, yesterday said the ongoing military operations against bandits in the state has recorded huge success.

Briefing journalists in Kaduna, Dosara also disclosed that over 2000 informants to the bandits had been arrested and were providing useful information about their operations and those involved.

According to him, the fleeing bandits have been going around farms, eating raw millet and okro as they have been cut off from those supplying foodstuffs to them.

Dosara said the military operations have recorded huge success as many of the bandits have fled the state while many others were neutralised by security forces.

He said the state government was considering restoring telecom services to Gusau, the state capital within the week.

“I am happy to announce to you that after a month of the military operations and imposing appropriate measures, we have greatly succeeded in so many respects.

“The bandits have fled Zamfara state for fear of being killed by security operatives. So many bandits fled Zamfara state to where they feel safe,” the Commissioner said.

“Just yesterday, the Sokoto state commissioner for security said 80 per cent of the bandits have relocated to Sokoto and the Sokoto state government is trying its best to push them out or neutralised them.

“According to him only 20 per cent of the bandits are in Zamfara and Katsina state and I am sure the Sokoto state government will not relent in efforts to make sure that the bandits are pushed out of their state,” Dosara said.

According to him the military operations was successful due to the cooperation of the Zamfara people who embraced the measures put in place to ensure lasting solutions to banditry.

He said, “The people cooperated with us and prayed for government and security to succeed. Government provided relief materials to the people following the hardship caused by the measures adopted to crush

the bandits.

“Rice, maize, beans and guinea corn was provided by to cushion the hardship faced by people during the period,” he said.

According to him, “Over 2000 informants who are the most serious problems of banditry in Zamfara state have been arrested and are providing vital information regarding their operations, the way they collaborate with the bandits and those involved in armed banditry, including highly placed personalities and they are making a lot of vital information available.”

Dosara said the state government also set up a situation room and constituted a committee where information, complaints and other vital data were being collected, “so that government will respond positively and as quickly as possible to such complaints, especially to where such communities are being attack by bandits or where the bandits are hiding.”

He added: “So many of the bandits have been forced to take raw food in farms such as millets and okro to survive because they have been cut off from the supplies they use to get from their collaborators in town in terms of drugs, food etc.

“Because of the hardship being faced by the bandits as a results of the stiffer measures taken by government the bandits have resorted to using camels

to perpetrate their heinous acts against communities.

“In a nutshell so many successes have been recorded and government is very happy about this and as a result government is considering opening up Gusau the state capital by restoring telecom services before the end of this week.”

The commissioner accused some politicians, who according to him, were not happy with the security measures and, “who do not wish Zamfara people well because they think that if Zamfara state is peaceful, they will not have the opportunity to rule the state and they decided to sponsor some sections of the media, particularly the social media to write fake news and inciting reports against the operations and against the military.”

We've over 200 Members with 150 AK-47 Rifles, Arrested Kidnapper Confesses Meanwhile, a suspected kidnap kingpin arrested by the Katsina State Police Command, Surajo Mamman alias Kutika, has confessed that he belongs to a kidnapping syndicate with over 200 members with 150 AK-47 rifles.

The 50-year-old Mamman, who claimed he had lost count of the number of innocent farmers and business tycoons he had killed and kidnapped for ransom in

Danmusa, Safana, Dutsin-ma and Batsari local government areas of the state, said he was into kidnapping to earn a living.

He told journalists in an interview at the state Police headquarters that he was an assistant commander of another suspected kidnap kingpin, Sani Muhidinge, who is on the wanted list of police in the state.

He said: “I belong to a kidnapping gang under the leadership of Sani Muhidinge.

We have over 200 members with at least 150 AK-47 rifles. I have lost count of the number of people we had killed and kidnapped for ransom but I am seeking Allah’s forgiveness.”

Parading the suspect alongside other suspected kidnappers, bandits and their informants, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah, explained that efforts were on to nab Mamman’s accomplices, including the gang commander (Muhidinge).

Isah, a superintendent of police, said: “On the September 16, 2021 at about 1300hrs, the Command succeeded in arresting one Surajo Mamman alias ‘KUTIKA’, aged 50yrs of Tulun Busawa village, a notorious kidnapper terrorizing the state.

“In the course of investigation, suspect confessed to be under the command of one Sani Muhidinge, a notorious, recalcitrant and unrepentant bandit leader hibernating in Rugu forest.

Military: 225 Terrorists, Bandits Killed in North-east, North-west 2,783 insurgents, families surrender 259 Assorted arms recovered 69 illegal refining sites deactivated in Niger Delta Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The military high command yesterday revealed that 225 terrorists and armed bandits were killed in the north-east and north-west in September.

It said 2, 783 insurgents and their families surrendered to troops in the north-east even as 259 assorted arms including bombs, grenades, AK47 rifles, magazines among others were recovered within the period under review.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the Acting Director, Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), BrigadierGeneral Bernard Onyeuko, said troops battled insurgents in

over 18 locations in Borno State.

He said dozens of insurgents were decimated by sustained air and ground offensives launched by the military.

"Cumulatively, a total of 85 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists were neutralised and 43 terrorists including their collaborators and logistics suppliers were arrested in the course of the various operations.

"Also, a total of 121 assorted weapons including SMG, HK21 guns, AK-47 and locally-made rifles with magazines, 3,372 rounds of 7.62mm NATO/ Special ammunition, locally made pistols and smooth body grenades, RPG-7 bombs as well

as 12,250 bags of fertilizers were recovered. Furthermore, a total of 2,783 terrorists and their families surrendered within the period under review," he said.

On the war against armed banditry, Onyeuko said troops conducted clearance operations on bandits’ enclaves at Falaliya, Yan Duwatsu, Kunkare, Jangeme, Mazarko and Kasala villages under Talata Mafara LGA in Zamfara State as well as Yarmariya village in Tudun Wada LGA of Kano State and cleared bandits’ camps. "During the period under review, a total of 240 armed bandits were neutralised, 125 assorted arms including AK-47 and FN riffles and dane guns as well as 1,166

rounds of 7.62mm special/NATO ammunition, 1,304 livestock and 54 motorcycles among other items were recovered within the period.

"Also, 47 armed bandits, informants and bandits’ collaborators were arrested within the period. In the same vein, the air component conducted air bombardments on criminal enclaves in different locations including Magami and Dansadau forests in Zamfara State,” he added.

On Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta region, he said the military continued to sustain the tempo in its anti-illegal oil operations to forestall economic saboteurs in the South-South zone.

Some of the operations, he said, recorded significant results at different locations in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States within the period in focus.

"In the course of these operations, troops discovered and deactivated a total of 69 illegal refining sites. The sites cumulatively had a total of 79 ovens, 77 cooking pots/boilers and 76 cooling systems, 48 large dugout pits and 246 storage tanks as well as drums and sacks.

"These were cumulatively laden with two million, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand litres of illegally refined AGO as well as 1,300 tons and 4,538 thousand litres of stolen crude oil", he said.

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

73

NEWS

UNVEILING ICAN'S NEW LOGO...

L-R: Registrar/Chief Executive, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Prof. Ahmed Madu Kumshe; Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; President, ICAN, Mrs. Comfort Olu Eyitayo; Chairman of the occasion, Mrs Agnes Adenike Adeniran and second deputy Vice President, ICAN, Mallam Haruna Yahaya, during the unveiling of ICAN new logo at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos ... yesterday

Appeal Court Joins Lagos in VAT Collection Tussle Alex Enumah in Abuja The Court of Appeal, Abuja, yesterday joined Lagos State as a respondent in the appeal challenging the judgment of a Federal High Court which faulted the federal government's collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Rivers State.

The appellate in a ruling in Lagos' application for joinder held that the applicant established beyond doubt that it has substantial and sufficient legal right and interest to protect in the revenue collection dispute.

A three member panel of the Court of Appeal had on September 16 reserved ruling in the application after taking submissions for and against the joinder application.

Lagos State in the application had argued that it would be affected adversely if it was not heard before decisions were made in the matter.

Justice Stephen Pam of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had in a judgment delivered on August 9, held that the Rivers State Government and not the FIRS, has the right to collect VAT and Personal Income Tax (PIT) in the state.

Justice Pam, in the judgment subsequently restrained the Attorney General of the Federation and FIRS (1st and 2nd defendants) from collecting VAT in Rivers and directed the Rivers State Government to take charge of the duty.

As a result of the court’s decision, the Lagos State government commenced move to stop the collection of VAT by the FIRS in Lagos State.

However, having failed to stay the judgment of the Federal High Court, the FIRS had approached the appellate court to challenge the judgment.

The service also applied for two orders; the first seeking to stay the execution of Justice Pam's Judgment and the second, an interlocutory injunction restraining Rivers from collecting VAT in the state.

But because of the request of Lagos, the two applications could not be taken as the court said priority should be given to the Lagos application for joinder.

Arguing the motion, Attorney General (AG) of Lagos State, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, had submitted that Lagos has vested interest in the VAT collection,

adding that the decision of the Court would affect it when delivered.

Onigbanjo noted that the FIRS in its appeal against the judgment of Justice Pam, made some allegations against it and that it would be in the interest of justice for it to be allowed to join in the appeal to ventilate its defense.

"From the contents of the appellants affidavit, Lagos

has been made a necessary party in the appeal by some references to it and for it to be bound by the final decision, it is in the interest that it should be allowed to make defense to allegations against It," he said.

Similarly, counsel to Rivers State, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe, in adopting his processes, aligned himself with the submission of Onigbanjo and urged the court to join Lagos as a party

in the appeal.

But, counsel to the appellant, Mr. Mahmoud Magaji, vehemently opposed the Lagos request claiming that the state has not shown how its interest would be jeopardised if not allowed in the matter.

Magaji further faulted the application on the grounds that it breached section 243 (1),(a), (b) of the 1999 Constitution, which forbids the

a respondent from challenging the judgment.

He subsequently urged the panel to dismiss the application for lacking in merit.

Delivering ruling in the joinder application, Justice Haruna Tsammani held that the application has merit and subsequently ordered that all processes filed in respect of the suit be served on Lagos as

a third respondent to enable it respond as required by law to the appeal filed by FIRS. While the court fixed October 7, for continuation of further hearing in the matter, said further proceedings would be at the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, adding that the application was taken in Abuja because of the Court's vacation which ended last week.

FG Unveils Policy for Local Manufacturing of Vaccines Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government has launched a new vaccine policy meant to enhance access and use of vaccines for protection of citizens from infectious diseases.

The government also unveiled the third edition of the national drug policy to ensure adequate supplies of drugs that are effective, affordable, safe and of good quality.

It said the new drug policy would ensure the rational use of drugs and stimulate increased local production of essential drugs.

Speaking at the launch of the maiden edition of the Nigeria Vaccine Policy and the third edition of the National Drug Policy held in Abuja, yesterday, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said the policy would create a supportive environment for access and use of vaccines to set the requirements and mandates for protection of citizens from internal and external harm.

He said there was need to resuscitate the local production of vaccines and intensify research and development.

He also said there was need to strengthen the legislation and regulatory agencies to support quality and safety of vaccines in Nigeria.

Ehanire said the federal government had in partnership with May and Baker Pharmaceutical established the Biovaccine Nigeria Limited, to encourage local vaccine manufacturing.

With the unveiling of the national policy on vaccine, the Minister said Biovaccine Nigeria Limited, other international key players and manufacturers were now expected to use appropriate technologies in modern vaccines production to boost local production of vaccines in Nigeria and make vaccines available to Nigerians

and the entire West Africa.

He said: "A Nigeria Vaccine Policy will reflect new realities and trends, including the provisions enumerated in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Health Act 2014, National Health Policy 2016 and PHC Under One Roof (PHCUOR). This will further ensure the development of strategies that will respond adequately to global health trends for emerging diseases and pandemic that impact on the Nigerian health system.

"Most importantly, the ongoing global efforts to develop COVID-19 vaccines further provide a strong justification for enacting a Nigeria Vaccine Policy in the interest of achieving Vaccine Security in Nigeria," he said.

Ehanire said it was worthy to note that the implementation strategies for achieving local vaccines’ production and ownership of its supply was achievable with the launch of the policy document.

He asked the governing council of the vaccine company to mobilise resources from governments across all levels, individuals, the international communities, donor agencies.

While expressing delight over the launch of the third edition of the national drug policy, Ehanire said the move came against the backdrop of the overall Health Sector Reform (HSR) Programme of the Ministry.

According to him, "no matter how vibrant a health policy, without availability of good quality and affordable medicines, that policy will be sterile".

He disclosed that the federal government has been paying special attention to the pharmaceutical sub-sector, adding that the Presidential Forum on the Pharmaceutical Sector held in November 2003, underscored the special focus.

He said the government has also taken a number of pragmatic steps towards boosting the local capacity for the manufacture of essential medicines.

"This is to ensure that the local pharmaceutical industry becomes a major actor in providing good quality essential medicines for our health care programmes.

"The 2005 Fiscal Policy is the most favourable ever, as far as the pharmaceutical sector is concerned. It provides very attractive incentives both to the existing players and prospective

investors in the production of life-saving essential medicines.

“It is my earnest hope that the launch of the third edition of the National Drug Policy will further increase the vibrancy of the pharmaceutical sector for the overall improvement of people’s health," he said.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, Mahmuda Mamman, said a National Vaccine policy was required to achieve an effective manufacture, storage, importation and distribution of safe, effective and good quality vaccines to the end users.

He said countries needed to have strong mechanisms that enable informed decision-making about immunisation priorities and the introduction of new programme strategies, vaccines and technologies.

Insurgency Stalling Construction of $150m North-east AfDB Water Project, Says Minister Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Hussein Adamu has revealed that the activities of the insurgents in the northeastern part of the country has stalled the African Development Bank (AfDB) assisted Rural Water Supply and Sanitation.

The minister made this known yesterday in Abuja, during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management.

He also lamented the lack of understanding of AfDB’s mode of operations at the outset especially at the states, was another constraint that stalled the project.

Hussein stated: "The insurgency in parts of Borno and Adamawa states made it difficult for service providers

as well as program staff to gain access to some LGAs and communities within the two states.

"This is expected to be improved owing to recent government decisions.

Finally, without any doubt, the advent of COVID-19 pandemic contributes gravely in delaying implementation of the programme."

The minister while making his presentation also revealed that the Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) component of the programme was being financed by a $150 million loan at both the federal and state levels.

He said, "The loan amounts for each of the project components are as follows: Federal Ministry of Water Resources - $5.9 million; Adamawa State Government - $33 million; Bauchi State

Government - $29 million; Borno State Government $38 million; Gombe State Government - $16 million -Taraba State Government - 16 million; Unallocated Amount - $12 million."

The minister noted that each state was directly responsible for the program implementation while the Ministry of Water Resources carries out oversight and quality assurance.

Hussein said the entire programme has the following three main components: Service Delivery, Economy Recovery and Institutional Strengthening.

He said the specific objective of the program was to improve the quality of life by increasing access of the poor and vulnerable to basic social services in water, sanitation, hygiene, health and education;

livelihood opportunities, food security and strengthened safety net system in affected states in the North -east.

The minister disclosed that, while implementation units at both states and federal level are striving hard, they were not able to achieve the expected planned objectives within the scheduled time due to constraints.

Hussein added, "The first disbursement of funds was made 18 months after the loan agreement was signed, which led to the delay in procurement activities."

The minister noted that the awards of contracts for the infrastructure provision commenced in 2020 across the participating states and the physical presence of the programme was becoming noticeable and yielding the desired results.

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

74

NEWS

Access Bank Issues Additional $500m Eurobond Obinna Chima Access Bank Plc yesterday announced that it has successful issued additional $500 million tier-1 Eurobond.

This comes less than two weeks after the bank issued a $500 million Eurobond.

The commercial bank with presence in 11 African countries, Europe, Middle East and Asia, announced the fresh capital raising in a statement that was signed by its Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, a copy of which was made available to THISDAY. It explained that the offering achieved a pricing of 9.125 per cent yield and coupon and was over subscribed by two times its order book which peaked at over $1 billion.

According to the bank, the additional tier 1 Eurobond which was issued under its medium term note programme was a, “Basel III compliant perpetual non-call 5.25-year subordinated Note to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.”

It added: “The Eurobond may be called anytime from October 7, 2026, subject to conditions including the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approval.”

Commenting on the transaction, the Group Managing Director of the bank, Dr. Herbert Wigwe stated: “At Access Bank, we remain fully committed to the execution of our vision to become the ‘World’s Most Respected African Bank.”

According to Wigwe, the success of the transaction, which he said was the first in

the Nigerian banking industry and the first of its kind in Africa outside of South Africa, would significantly enhance the bank’s tier 1 and total capital ratios ahead of Basel III implementation in Nigeria.

Additionally, the bank boss said the fresh capital would provide room for significant growth through ongoing

of our business.

“Our growth and diversification strategy is also underlined by the recent expansion of our regional footprint where we continue to monitor opportunities. “This additional tier 1 Eurobond issuance, following our recently concluded $500 million Senior Unsecured Eurobond,

underscores the formidable confidence of a diversified range of global and local investors in the bank’s strategy”.

Citigroup, JP Morgan, Mashreqbank and Renaissance Capital acted as Joint Bookrunners on the transaction; and Chapel Hill Denham and Coronation Merchant Bank acted as Financial Advisers and Joint

Bookrunners.

Wigwe had said across Africa, there are opportunities for the bank to expand to high-potential markets, leveraging the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA. He had said AfCFTA, among other benefits, would expand intra-Africa trade and provide real opportunities for Africa.

NIGERIAN BREWERIES VISITS SANWO-OLU...

L-R: Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Investment, Solape Hammond; Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Hans Essaadi; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Corporate Affairs Director, NB Plc, Sade Morgan and Secretary to Lagos state Government, Folashade Jaji, during a courtesy visit by the new management team to the Governor in Marina, Lagos...recently

Abiodun Signs Anti-open Grazing Bill into Law Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun yesterday signed into law the bill to regulate Animal Grazing and Establishment of Cattle Ranching in Ogun State.

Abiodun, who assented to the bill during a Security Council meeting at Abeokuta, called on the security agencies to swing immediately into action and enforce provisions of the law.

According to a statement, the governor said the legislation was a subject matter that had been discussed along the length and breadth of the country and which, "we southern governors have discussed and endorsed."

The statement noted that Ogun had enjoyed peace among various ethnic nationalities until the recent farmer- herder skirmishes.

Cattle rearers, according to Abiodun have a six- month period of grace before it becomes illegal in Ogun state for them to occupy unapproved public areas and private land with their livestock for grazing.

The law also prohibits the act of moving cattle around public places by herders.

A committee headed by the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, was set up to midwife the implementation and enforcement of the new law.

The signing of the anti-open grazing law by the Governor followed the decision of the Southern Governors’ Forum last August, setting the September deadline to pass the law across Member States.

There were pockets of crises witnessed in the State as a result of alleged open grazing in the Yewa axis of the State in April, necessitating the setting up of a peace committee headed by a former House of Representatives, Hon. Kayode Oladele.

The crises this year had pitched Hausa-Fulani settlers against their Yoruba host

execution of the bank’s strategic objectives.

“In particular, it follows our recently announced Group reorganisation which is aimed at capturing the strategic opportunities in payments, agency banking, and insurance across the continent which we expect will further enhance the growth profile and diversification

communities.

It was expected that the antiopen grazing law will prevent the spread of the menace across the State.

Abiodun said, “By implication, in six months, it will become unlawful to openly graze cattle or other livestock in the state” The Ogun State House of Assembly had on July 8, 2021, passed the bill.

Speaker Olakunle Oluomo subsequently transmitted a clean copy to the governor for assent.

The bill was passed after unanimous votes by the lawmakers at the sitting where the bill was read the third time.

After signing the bill into law, Gov Abiodun held a Security Council meeting with service chiefs on the way to implement the Anti-grazing law as passed.

It was also an opportunity to send forth the State Police Commissioner, Edward Ajogun who retired from service on October 1.

Describing the retiring officer, Abiodun said he was a dedicated and diligent m police officer and a child of destiny, capable, honest and trustworthy.

"CP Awolowo Ajogun has proven to be a consistent police officer; he is a dedicated police officer; he is very experienced by all accounts; he is very diligent, capable, honest and trustworthy police officer, as a matter of fact, he is a different police officer," he said.

The governor who also attributed the relative peace being enjoyed in the state to the collaboration of every member of the law enforcement architecture, added that the inter-agency cooperation and collaboration that existed among every member of the state law enforcement architecture wouldn't have existed if the outgoing commissioner of police wasn't cooperative.

Akunyili’s Murder Saddens Okonjo-Iweala Ngige expresses outrage over killings in Anambra Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday expressed sadness over the gruesome murder of a renowned medical practitioner and director of St. Leo’s Hospital, Enugu, Dr. Chike Akunyili.

In the same way, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige expressed sadness over Akunyili’s murder as well as that of other residents of Anambra State in recent time by yet to be identified gunmen.

The WTO boss wrote on her official Twitter handle: “It is with deep sadness that we hear of

the brutal killing of Dr. Chike Akunyili; eminent physician, beloved husband of Prof. Dora Akunyili – Nigerian icon.

“Heartfelt condolences to his children and family. He is with God and his wife. May his soul rest in peace.”

On his part, Ngige in a condolence message to the government and the people of Anambra State, issued by his Media Office, said the “murder of Dr. Akunyili and others in what has lately become a killing field is an anomie and an unmaking of the Igbo as a race beholden to an ultra-jealous credo of sanctity of life.”

He added: “While I stand

entirely with the awe and grief-stricken people of Anambra State basseted lately by incessant killings which distort whom we are, it is auspicious again to beckon on all of us to look inwards and reinvent our Igboness; for what is trending, is certainly uncharacteristic.

“This strange cavalcade of shootings, strangely becoming a fashion is diminishing our hearth, and quietly moving us to the exact spot that we must never be. And time is now to advise ourselves about ourselves and save ourselves from ourselves.

“The stray, dark-coloured goat is better tracked while the sun is bright over sky. Let’s use our

toes to find the tiny object in the pool, our ancestors would advise!”

The minister further called on security agencies to intensify efforts and fish out the killers of the late Akunyili as well as those behind other killings in the state.

“They should be brought to justice,” he said.

“While hand-wringing about our situation, I urge our people to also remain resilient and neither tank in, cave in nor be desensitized to the inherent virtues of the republican Igbo.

That which seeks to push us to a tragic nadir, must be avoided.”

World Bank: Poor Countries' Debt May Worsen Due to Volatility in Commodity Prices Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The World Bank President, David Malpass has warned that the debt situation for poor countries might worsen due to volatile commodity prices and higher interest rates, urging such countries to begin a gradual fiscal consolidation to maintain investor confidence.

He called for concrete steps to improve the transparency of debt contracts, increased accountability, and ensuring decisions draw on comprehensive information.

In a speech he presented yesterday, during a visit to Sudan ahead of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings mid-October, he said many developing countries had made extraordinary efforts to support their people and keep economic activity going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, as of mid2021, over half of the world's

poorest countries were in external debt distress, or at risk of it.

He reiterated his call for accelerated cooperation to implement a G-20 debt restructuring framework for poor countries, including from the private sector, which has so far failed to extend forbearance to sovereign borrowers.

The World Bank President stressed the need to pursue a gradual and people-oriented fiscal consolidation, and to restructure unsustainable debt.

Countries, Malpass stated, should also seek to re-profile their debt payments while international interest rates remain low, while eliminating wasteful spending.

Calling for increased scale of development efforts to help economies rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, he said: "To achieve impact, we need education, nutrition and vaccination programs that reach hundreds of millions of children.

"We need digital cash transfer programmes that can provide necessary resources to billions of people in the next crisis."

According to him, many countries have gone beyond what they could afford, especially as debt in developing economies was at record highs when the pandemic hit.

"As of mid-2021, over half of IDA (International Development Association) countries – the world’ poorest countries – are in external debt distress or at high risk of it. This situation could worsen if commodity prices are volatile, interest rates increase, or investors lose confidence in emerging markets.

"When the debt service suspension initiative – or DSSI – expires at the end of this year, low-income countries that resume debt service payments will see their fiscal space shrink, limiting their ability to purchase vaccines and finance other priority expenditures.

"It’s time to pursue a gradual and people-oriented fiscal consolidation, and restructure unsustainable debt. Enhanced and accelerated implementation of the Common Framework will be critical on this front.

"We need global cooperation, including private sector participation, to provide debt relief to the world’s poorest countries and fund growthenhancing investments. In Sudan, for example, global cooperation that included the U.S., France and the UK helped the country clear its arrears with the World Bank, IMF and other IFIs, making possible more than $50 billion in debt relief in what will be the largest HIPC initiative ever," he said.

The World Bank President noted that it was critical that countries eliminated wasteful public expenditures, make service delivery more efficient, and reallocate public resources to their most productive uses.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

75

NEWS

Buhari Approves New Salaries, Retirement Age for Teachers The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has said teachers will begin to enjoy the new salary structure promised by President Muhammadu Buhari from January 2022. They will also enjoy elongated years of service from 35 to 40.

Nwajiuba made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja at a symposium organised by the Ministry of Education.

The symposium is part of activities to mark the forthcoming 2021 World Teachers Day with the theme “Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery”.

The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Sonny Echono, noted that work was being concluded on the enhanced salary structure.

He further disclosed work was also being concluded on other incentives promised by the president during the 2020 World Teachers’ Day. He stressed that the other incentives ranged from allowances, housing, training, to elongated of service year from 35 to 40.

“The President has approved

the enhanced salary structure and we will finish it very soon.

“The president specifically approved that it should take effect from 2022.

“We are doing all to finish

it to ensure that by January 2022, teachers should get the remuneration they deserve.

“We are fast tracking the process of implementation to see that by the end of year

we will be able to tell Mr President that all the incentives he has approved are ready for implementation,”he said.

He further said: ” The President has taken the lead

by approving a far reaching and revitalising programme for the teaching profession in this country and there are many soft incentives in that.

“All that is required is for

other actors down the line like state governors, the National Assembly and others to key into this initiative and ensure that the implementation is seamless.

BOOSTING MAIZE CULTIVATION…

L-R: Head, Commercial, Golden Agri Inputs Limited (Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc), Mr. Shola Fashedemi; Chairman, Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Nasarawa Chapter, Dr. Dalhatu Mohammed; Deputy Director (Head, Maize Commodity Team), DFD, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Ihua Elenwor; Country Manager, Corteva Agriscience, Mr. Olumide Ibikunle, and Head of Sales, Golden Agri Inputs Limited, Mr. Uche Efuribe, during a visit to the hybrid maize seed multiplication project site in Nasarawa State… recently

Okowa Signs Anti-Open Gunmen Attack former PDP Governorship Grazing Bill into Law Aspirant in Anambra, Kill Driver Sylvester Idowu inWarri Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa ,yesterday signed into law the Delta State Livestock, Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation Bill, 2021 with a call on the federal government to assist interested farmers to establish ranches across the country.

Okowa made this known after assenting to two Bills passed by the State House of Assembly at Government House, Asaba.

The Bills, which were presented to governor Okowa for assent by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, who was accompanied by his Deputy, Chief Christopher Ochor and other principal officers, were the Delta State Urban and Regional Planning Bill 2020 and the Delta State Livestock, Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation Bill, 2021.

The Bill, which was passed by the State Assembly on September 21, 2021, after it went through

Public Hearings, received support from stakeholders.

He said the two laws were very important to the state, adding that the Delta State Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulations Law has taken a new life of its own in the country.

He recalled that the Southern Governors met and took certain decisions which they believed was in the best interest of the nation.

“Today is quite a remarkable day in the history of this state because we signed two important bills into law this morning.

“We believe that it is in the best interest of security, we believe that it is in the best interest of ensuring food security and that it will help us to ensure that we are able to cause people from across this nation who will find themselves outside their own states inhabiting in Delta State to live with Deltans in a peaceful and respectable manner with each other having respect for each other.

Reinstate 217 Sacked Polytechnic Workers, Court Orders Rivers Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt The Rivers State Government has been ordered to reinstates the 217 sacked workers of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state.

Justice Polycarp Hamman of the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt gave the order while ruling on the matter.

Justice Hamman said the state government did not follow due process in the sacking of the affected staff.

Amannah Peace and three others representing sacked workers from the Polytechnic

had dragged the Rivers State Government to court for unlawfully disengaging them.

The claimants who were employed in April 2015 during the Rotimi Amaechi administration as academic and non-academic staff of the institution claimed that they concluded their biometrics and had resumed work when they were informed that the entire employment exercise was cancelled by the Rivers State government led

by Governor Nyesom Wike.

However, Justice Hamman who ordered the reinstate of the workers, also mandated the authorities to pay all their outstanding salaries.

David-Chyddy Eleke inAwka Unidentified gunmen have allegedly attacked a former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, Hon Chris Azubogu.

Azubogu’s convoy was said to have been attacked in Nnewi, but he was not in any of the vehicles as at the time of the attack.

A source said the convoy was heading to Nnewi after attending a public function, when it was attacked.

A driver of one of the pilot vehicles in the convoy, whose

identity was not immediately ascertained, was killed in the attack, the source said.

THISDAY gathered that as at the time of the attack, Azubogu was being awaited in Awka, where he was to announce his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Also, a police station in Ajalli,

Orumba South Local Government Area of the state was yesterday attacked and burnt down by gunwielding men. It is not certain if there were casualties in the attack.

The Police Public Relations Officer of Anambra State Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga could not be reached on phone to confirm the incident.

#EndSARS Protest: Edo Judicial Panel Decries Non-implementation of Report Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Some members of the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality and other related matters have expressed worry that over two months after it submitted its report to Governor Godwin Obaseki, he is yet to begin

the implementation of its recommendations.

A letter by eight members of the panel dated 30th September and addressed to the governor while copying the Secretary to State Government (SSG) and the Chairperson of the panel, the members said the governor had promised that he would begin the implementation

of their recommendation not later than 14 days after its submission but they are surprised that till date no action has been taken on their recommendation.

The panel members who wrote the letter are: Osaro Culture Iyamu, Dr. Usiosefe Ereyimwen; Kelly Omokaro Osunbor; Kola Edokpayi; Ogidi

Eromosele Godwin; Pius Effam; Salami David and Imafidon Imadeyogie Stephen.

The letter titled, “Appeal for the mobilisation and implementation of the recommendations of the Edo State Judicial Panel of inquiry on police brutality and other related matters #EndSARS,” reads:

Kukah, Media Experts Kick against Regulation Michael Olugbode in Abuja The Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr. Matthew Hasan Kukah and some renowned media experts have asked that the media should be allowed to self-regulate, urging lawmakers to desist from enacting media regulation law.

Speaking in Abuja on the

topic: “The Media and the Defence of the Civic Space,” organised by the Kukah Centre in conjunction with OSIWA and the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, the panelists submitted that the media has enough mechanism to regulate itself and does not need any new law.

The team of panelists

include respected practitioners, Executive Director/CEO, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Motunrayo Alaka, former Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian and Fellow, Weatherhead Centre, Harvard University, Emeka Izeze, Managing Director, Arise News, Christian Ogodo; Head of Current Affairs, DAAR

Communications Plc, Amaechi Anakwue, Digital Media Strategist and International Speaker, JJ Omojuwa.

Izeze said Nigeria civil space predates government as we have been having civilize conversations in the country that make us Nigerians despite our social, cultural and religious dichotomy.

Afe Babalola: Ekiti, an Ailing State of a Dying Mother Nation Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti A foremost legal icon, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has said Ekiti State was still a toddler in view of the low development in all spheres over the last two decades.

Babalola, who spoke in commemoration of the state’s 25th anniversary, regretted that the past and present

governments had failed to achieve the lofty dreams envisaged by the founding fathers at its inception in October 1, 1996, under the military regime of the late Gen. Sanni Abacha.

Expressing reservations over the seeming parlous state of the state in the last two decades, Babalola, in a statement by the Director, Corporate Services,

Afe Babalola University, Tunde Olofintila, said the state needed a lot to be done before it could be regarded as really toeing the path of greatness.

“Today, October 1, in the year of our Lord, 2021, Ekiti State is 25 years old. We thank God for those of us, who are still alive to witness the 25th year after the creation of our dear state relishly called The

Fountain of Knowledge and the The Land of Honour.

“However, for me, there is nothing to celebrate by engaging in any social gathering. As one of the active founders of our state, I confirm that our hope was that the state would be nurtured to become the showpiece among the comity of states in Nigeria.

76

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Air Force Probes Air Strike in Yobe, Denies Killing 20 Fishermen in Lake Chad Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Military authorities yesterday denied that air strikes conducted in the Lake Chad area killed 20 fishermen.

But speaking at a virtual meeting with senior editors and media executives, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, said the probe into the air strikes that killed civilians in Yobe State was ongoing.

A statement issued in Abuja

by Defence Headquarters said the air strikes carried out on the fringes of Lake Chad was aimed at ISWAP elements and hit target.

It said air strikes at Kwatan Daban Masara general area on the fringes of the Lake Chad did not kill 20 fishermen as contained in some reports.

“For the records, it is pertinent to state that the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai on 26 September 26, 2021 acting on credible actionable intelligence on the activities of terrorists in an identified ISWAP Camp at the said

location, conducted air strikes on the target.

“This was after careful Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance missions revealed the activities of ISWAP elements in the location.

Consequently, the intelligence gathered was processed and carefully analysed between the period of 19 August and 23 September 2021”, it said.

It said persons wearing combat vests and uniforms identified as ISWAP-styled uniforms were seen within the camp.

“Furthermore, neither women nor children were noticed in or around the camp, just as no fishing activities were seen.

Instead, canoes loaded with unidentified items were seen parked but not engaged in any fishing activity, an indication that they were to be ferried to another location.

“Having carefully ascertained that nearby civilian settlements were not in the line of fire and a precision strike would disrupt ISWAP logistics movement and neutralise them, a decision was

made to conduct a strike on the ISWAP camp”, it said.

The statement signed by Brigadier-General Bernard Onyeuko, said: “Although

casualty figures could not be ascertained, the strike was verified to be successful in disrupting ISWAP logistics movement and foot soldiers.

It is important to state that the location is a well-known ISWAP enclave and there is an existing ban on fishing activities within the area. “Additionally,

the general area is known as a gateway for movement of logistics by ISWAP elements especially from Kirta and Wulgo locations”.

COURTESY VISIT…

Director General, Nigerian Army Resource Centre, retired Major General Garba Ayodeji Wahab (left), and the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro, during Wahab’s visit to Bogoro in Abuja…recently

‘For Nigeria to Remain One, Bauchi Miyetti Allah Association Presidency Should Go South’ Slams Northern Govs, Emirs

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos

A socio-political group, the Middle Belt Forum, yesterday warned that for the country to remain one, the presidency must go South.

The group took a swipe at the Northern Governors Forum that is opposed to power shift to the South saying they should hide their faces in shame.

Speaking on ARISE News Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY, President of the Forum, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, said with secessionist tendencies on the rise in the country, the wise decision would be to allow the presidency to go South.

“The Southern governors made

the statement believing that there was some body language here up north suggesting that this gentleman’s agreement, which is not constitutional, of course, was not going to be kept by people in the North.

“So, they met and said the body language of so many Northerners indicated that something is fishy. And for the north now to come and respond the way they did the governors and traditional rulers, to me, is unfortunate because if we want Nigeria to remain one at a time now that successionist tendencies are growing more and more than ever before, the better thing to do is to do the right thing and let the presidency go down south”,

Flooding: NEMA Supports 8,781 Farmers in Yobe, A’Ibom Michael Olugbode in Damaturu and Okon Bassey in Uyo A total of 6,573 farmers across 11 local government areas of Yobe State are expected to benefit from agricultural intervention by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to support those affected by flood.

Already, NEMA yesterday distributed agricultural inputs to 2, 208 farmers who were victims of the 2020 flood disaster in Akwa Ibom.

The intervention from the federal government’s agency in Yobe will be in form of pumping machines, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer.

Officials of NEMA, Yobe State Agricultural Intervention team in collaboration with relevant stakeholders have commenced the distribution of agricultural inputs under the Federal Government Emergency Agricultural Intervention Fund for Farmers affected by 2020 flood Disaster in Yobe state.

Plateau Commences Major Revenue Drive to Boost IGR

Chinedu Eze

The Plateau State Government has embarked on massive drive to improve the revenue base, create jobs and to enable government maximise the benefits of its massive land space.

This was disclosed by the Plateau State Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Town Planning, Yakubu Dati at the stakeholders’ engagement held in Jos. Dati identified four priority

areas, which include the enumeration of properties, recertification of titles, standardization of conversion of titles from customary to statutory and massive issuance of demand notice for payment of ground rent In a keynote address, the Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University Bokkos, Professor Yohana Izam who spoke on “Efficient Land Administration and Revenue” charged the Ministry to simplify access to titles as a lead way to improved.

Says you are insensitive towards the Fulani

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Association of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bauchi State branch, has condemned the recent meeting of the Northern Governors Forum for being ‘insensitive’ towards the plights of the Fulani tribe in the country.

The state Chairman of the association, Alhaji Muhammad

Hussaini, who spoke to journalists shortly after a meeting in Bauchi yesterday, said it was disheartening that the northern governors and emirs could sit to discuss issues affecting the region without recourse to the plights of Fulani people.

He said members of the association are concerned that the forum’s recent meeting in

Kaduna refused to take into cognizance the humiliation herders are being subjected to, particularly as it regards to grazing reserves in the southern parts of the country, by powers that are infringing on their rights of movements and association.

According to him, “The Fulani tribe, especially the herders, who roamed about in search of greener pastures

for their animals in the southern parts of the country are being humiliated, maimed and killed.

They are further restricted movement on their fatherland soil, contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

“We just finished a meeting of herdsmen in Bauchi to review the treatment being meted out on our kinsmen in the southern part of the country.”

Sit-at-home: All Flags Must Fly Very High in South-east, Umahi Declares The governors, who where there’s justice, equity and we believe in one, equitable

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Contrary to the directives of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) that all flags should be brought down in all Igbo land, the South-east Governors Forum has declared that all flags must be flying very high on October 1.

described the sit-at-home as deceit, noted that they were not against any peaceful agitation including agitations at homes.

The chairman of the forum and Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi, noted that the people of the region still believe in one and united Nigeria

and love.

He called on the people of the zone to understand that the sit-at-home and those who are orchestrating it were paid per hour to destabilize the region.

“All flags must be flying very high tomorrow, in fact, it should fly higher tomorrow

fair Nigeria and we will fair better in united Nigeria where there is justice, equity and love.

In fact, it should fly higher tomorrow and we believe in one, equitable fair Nigeria and we will fair better in united Nigeria where there is justice, equity and love”.

Insecurity: Ekiti Procures Drone to Tackle Bandits Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Strong indications emerged yesterday that the Ekiti State Government has finally procured a drone to monitor areas regarded as hot spots, where bandits use for kidnapping.

The government said the hardware security equipment was procured abroad, and

would soon be imported into the country.

The revelation was made yesterday in Ado Ekiti at a press conference addressed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Biodun Oyebanji, and the state Commissioner for Information, Hon. Akin Omole, heralding the third year of the state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s

administration and the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state.

Speaking about the security situation in the state, Oyebanji said: “The drone has been procured. One issue about security equipment’s procurement is that it takes long time. It has to be manufactured and you have to get the necessary certificates from the

federal agencies, and these are processes you can’t abridge.

“The drone is on its way to Nigeria. It had been procured.

We didn’t stop at that, the governor also procured two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), and will get to Ekiti State soon. We are taking massive safe-city measures across the borders and highways to make the state safe.”

House Backs Senate’s Call to Declare Bandits Terrorists Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives, Thursday, backed the Senate in calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits and their sponsors as terrorists.

The lawmakers’ backing followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the Chairman of the Committee on

Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson.

Moving the motion, Benson said it was important to support the position of the Senate on the issue in view of the current insecurity across the country.

He explained that declaring bandits as terrorists, will underline the determination of the federal government to combat the wave of criminality and murders conducted by bandits all over the country.

The lawmaker further said the declaration may also encourage other countries to do same and help create a global consensus around dealing with transnational factors that fed the domestic activities of such proscribed organisations and individuals.

“The Senate on Wednesday, 29th September, 2021 adopted a motion asking President Muhammadu Buhari to

declare bandits ravaging the northern part of the country terrorists and wage a total war on them. They also asked that the president declare all known leaders of bandits wanted and arrest them wherever they were found for speedy prosecution.

Such declaration to be done through a Proscription Order can be done pursuant to section 2 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011 (As Amended).

FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

77

NEWS XTRA

Sign Anti-open Grazing Bill into Law Now, IWA Urges Govs Fred Ojeh Worried by the damage caused by open grazing across Nigeria, a group, the Igbo World Assembly (IWA), has appealed to all southern governors to sign the anti-open grazing bill into law now in their respective states.

IWA is the umbrella organisation that represents the apex national Igbo organisations worldwide, and is the mouthpiece on Ndigbo’s affairs in Diaspora.

The chairman of the Diaspora group, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, in a virtual world press conference held yesterday, noted without mincing words that Nigerians are tired of watching the Fulani herders

and Meyitti Allah group grabbing land from indigenous Nigerians and giving them to their Fulani brethren from all West African countries while turning indigenous Nigerians into homeless people under the guise of open grazing.

According to him, “Nowhere else in the world-civilized or otherwise-are cattle allowed to parade the streets across towns and cities unchecked.”

While pushing for restructuring of the country with structured state policing, Anakwenze said: “It is time to rise up boldly against nefarious activities, indiscriminate killings, and land grabing disguised as open grazing. Ranching should be a private business;

the government can only give incentives for all farmers, not to a specific section of the country.

“We give kudos to the southern governors who understand the nefarious activities of the herdsmen in our home states and the devastating impacts of open grazing in our home soil and vegetation and the corresponding crimes and intimidation to our people.

“Those governors must understand that they serve at the pleasure of the electorate of their respective states. Again, we praise those South-west, South-south, and a few Southeast governors, who have put the interests of the people first and have chosen to sign the Anti-open Grazing Bill into law.”

Nigeria @ 61: Globacom Salutes Resilience of Nigerians Nigerian telecommunications giant, Globacom, has congratulated the government and the people of Nigeria on the country’s 61st Independence Day celebration.

In a statement issued by its head office in Lagos to mark the anniversary, the company commended the citizens at home and abroad for their unrelenting patriotism and industry, despite the challenges they may confront.

According to the statement, “There is every reason for the country to celebrate its independence anniversary, as the current challenges

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as AWATIF ABDALLAH AMIN now wish to be known and addressed as AWATIF ABDALLAH NAJJAR. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OLATINWO OYINDAMOLA MISTURA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AHMMED OYINDAMOLA MISTURA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as RUKAYAT BIDEMI ISIAKA now wish to be known and addressed as JIMOH RUKAYAT BIDEMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as HENRIETTA MMAOBONG ARCHIBONG now wish to be known and addressed as HENRIETTA MMAOBONG OBIDIKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as AGBO KELVIN CHUKWUNALU. now wish to be known and addressed as AGBO KEVIN CHUKWUNALU- PAUL. MY DATE OF BIRTHD: 1ST NOV 1980. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

This is to Notify The General Public that I, RAMATU ABDULLAHI also known as RAMATU ABDULLAHI AMBURSA, RAMATU IBRAHIM TAHIR and RAMATU ABDULLAHI MAKINDE wish to be known and addressed as RAMATU ABDULLAHI. The general public please take note.

I, TAIWO OLUWABUKUNMI RACHEAL, my name was wrongly written as TAIWO RACHAEL OLUWABUKUNMII, henceforth my correct name is TAIWO OLUWABUKUNMI RACHEAL. All former documents remain valid, the general public should take note.

facing us as a country are not insurmountable. With unity of purpose, commitment, sacrifice, and continued patriotism, we shall overcome.”

The network company, which recently celebrated 18 years of operations, called on all Nigerians to join hands with leaders across the political, economic, religious, and traditional spectrum to accelerate the sustainable development of the country for future generations.

“History has shown that many nations passed through even more tumultuous and difficult periods in their journey to greatness, but overcame them.

Nigeria won’t be an exception so long as we remain committed to building a prosperous nation where opportunities abound for all. On our part, we will continue to empower Nigerians with quality and affordable telecommunications solutions to enhance their progress,” the company added.

House Probes Alleged Police Brutality in Delta Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged killing in Obinomba community of Delta State by police officers, with a view to bringing the culprits to book.

The lawmakers’ resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai.

Moving the motion, Ossai recalled that following the #EndSARS protest, the United Nations and the European Union called for an end to police brutality in Nigeria.

He also recalled that at about 8:30 p.m. on September 24, 2021, men of the Nigeria Police Force, without any reason, allegedly shot sporadically into the air in Obinomba community of

Delta State before storming into a nearby hotel and murdered one Ojarikre Gift, who was celebrating his birthday in the hotel.

He said the alleged killing led to massive protests by women and youths of the community, who erected barricades at several spots on the Sapele-Agbor expressway.

Ossai added that the reported murder is one out of many cases of extrajudicial killings in the country, which violates the operational ethos of a modern police force. Adopting the motion, the lawmakers also mandated the committee to visit the bereaved family.

Also at the plenary, the lawmakers, while adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, mandated its Committee on Federal Capital Territory to investigate irregularities in the operational activities of Public Health Institutions in Abuja.

Matilda Omisore Passes On The Omisore family in Ibadan, Oyo State, has announced the passing unto glory of their beloved mother, sister, aunty, grandmother and great grandmother Madam Matilda Atinuke Omisore (JP), at the age of 99 years.Born on September 24, 1922, the late Madam Omisore was called unto glory on August 26, 2021.

According to a statement issued on behalf of the Omisore family

by Chief Adetunji Omiwole Omisore, there will be service of songs and Christian wake on Thursday, October 7, 2021 from 5pm to 6pm.

The statement also disclosed that the funeral service will be held at St. Anne’s Church, Molete in Ibadan, on Friday, October 8, 2021, at 12.00 noon while interment follows immediately after.

She was survived by Chief Adetunji and Chief Lola

Omisore; Olanrewaju Omisore; Adedeji Omisore; Oluseye and Rosemond Omisore; Bolanle Oniwinde and Taiwo Oniwinde; Wuraola Ojewale Funmilayo Malumi; Olaperi Onasanya and Bankole Onasanya; Adebayo and Olayemisi Oseni; Adenrele and Tomi Oseni; Abayomi and Tokubo Oseni; Olawale and Folashade Omisore, and Ibikunle and Cora Oseni.

Madam Matilda Atinuke Omisore (JP)

WORLD OF ISLAM

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

Spirituality without Religion?

By: Saima Mehboob/WhyIslam “I’m not a religious person. But I’m spiritual.”

F

ror 35 years, I could relate. I grew up in a very conservative Muslim home, with a heavy South Asian influence. Cultural traditions often blended into Islamic practices, and it was never clear to me where one began and the other ended. Prayer, a key pillar of Islamic worship, was an expected practice but the benefits were never explained well to me. For me, there was no understanding of why Muslims prayed, just that I had to. I believed in a single Creator but didn’t feel a personal connection to the acts of worship I had been taught, such as praying, reciting the Quran, or fasting.

But the concept of spirituality did keep me grounded in my faith. Like others that haven’t found their guiding light but knew it existed, I did believe that we were created for a purpose, the sense that there is something bigger than ourselves. Spirituality focuses on this belief and uses practices like mindfulness and meditation to connect the person’s mind and spirit to central themes of harmony with creation and attaining inner peace. And so, I researched and embraced guided meditation, learning to clear my mind, focusing on my breath, and letting everything go in an attempt to connect to the universe. But while I found calm in the stillness, the act in itself felt empty and left me without purpose. How could I find meaning through an exercise I found meaningless?

Untethered, practicing spirituality becomes subject to the fallacies of human logic and emotion. As we ponder on the purpose of life and try to connect with creation in a meaningful way, we come across questions we can’t answer. I’ve observed others offer gratitude to “mother nature” or the universe. But I struggled with this as well. How could I be grateful to creation instead of being grateful for it? Further, how could I be in awe of creation itself without contemplating the existence of its Creator? If we can accept that we are inherently constrained by the limits of our knowledge and feelings, then it is easier to accept that the answers to such cosmic questions cannot come from our intellect. To harness the power of spirituality, it needs a medium, a vessel to be channeled through. That vessel is a defined system of faith and worship: religion. Religion can serve as an anchor for the spiritual being, as long as the belief system harmonizes with creation and the human spirit.

Islam is this very anchor. It expects Muslims to mindfully remember the Creator even as we marvel at His creation: “Those who remember God while standing, and sitting, and on their sides; and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: ‘Our Lord, You did not create this in vain…” (Quran 3:191) Islam addresses the path of self-discovery that

occurs through deep contemplation and reflection.

In fact, it is expected of Muslims to use their intellect and reason vs. believing blindly without rationale.

God speaks to this in many places in the Quran where He describes a natural phenomenon and then challenges us to ponder on its existence: “And have you seen that seed which you sow? Is it you who makes it grow, or are We the grower?”

(Quran 56:63-64) “Do they not see the birds controlled in the atmosphere of the sky? None holds them up except God. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who believe.” (Quran 16:79) “On earth are signs for those who faith is certain.

And also in yourselves. Will you not then see?”

(Quran 51:20-21) Even before becoming a Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) spent a great deal of time meditating and thinking deeply about the meaning of life. He was disturbed by the polytheistic practices surrounding him, and would retreat to Mount Hira, seeking peace in solitude. It was one of these nights in a cave on the mountain where Muslims believe he received his first revelation from God, bought to him by the angel Gabriel. For the next 23 years, he bought Islam to life not just through his words and actions, but also through constant and intentional reflection.

What does spirituality in practice look like as a Muslim? In its simplest form, it’s our attempt to connect to our Creator. For some Muslims, it’s the sweetness tasted while offering late night prayers, which is a voluntary prayer that can be offered after the final night prayer (isha). During these moments of solitude, we express our awe of creation by praising His perfection, acknowledge our blessings by offering gratitude to Our Creator, and facing our flaws by seeking His forgiveness.

There are days where I didn’t perform all five obligatory prayers or I raced through them. Later, I would find myself awake at 3 a.m. Something called out deep inside me, beckoning me to listen.

It’s that restlessness, that eagerness you feel when you can’t wait to see your loved one after having spent time apart. I would turn over, pull the blanket over tighter and try to fall back asleep. Just like I had when I was younger. But my heart, my spirit, and my mind were all awake. Waiting for that moment of connection. Waiting to taste the sweetness that comes from pouring my heart out to Him, in the darkest hours of the night, when only He can hear me and understand me. That is spirituality personified.

“I am a spiritual person who has found my guiding light in Islam.”

If attaining a sense of inner peace and the connection to a bigger purpose is how we define spirituality, then Islam is its nucleus. Without it, its membranes are left to float aimlessly, unattached.

Spirituality finds its purpose in Islam.

God’s Love in the Quran By: WhyIslam

O

ften time there is a general misconception that the God of Islam is one of wrath and anger. There is a false image of God as being some Greek God of wrath seeking to hurt and harm those who disobey Him. This article will highlight the concept of God’s love in the Quran and Islamic tradition.

Every chapter in the Quran begins with “In the name of Allah the Rahman the Raheem” The terms Rahman and Raheem are often mistranslated as Merciful or Compassionate and these are not accurate translations. The problem with the term mercy is that it implies that one has the power to punish but withholds themselves. It implies that one has the power to harm but does not, and it is often used in the context of having mercy on one’s enemies.

The names Rahman and Raheem stem from the root letters r-h-m. These are the same root letters which the word rahim comes from. A rahim is a womb, and the names of God Rahman and Raheem connote a motherly love. No one would describe a mother’s love as mercy, but they would use terms like loving, caring, selfless, compassionate, and empathetic. Umar ibn al-Khattab relates once being with the Prophet with a group of women and children detained after a battle.

One woman among them was searching for her child. Whenever she saw her child, she took the child to her bosom and began breastfeeding it.

The Messenger asked his companions, “Do you think this woman would throw her child into the fire?” They said, “No, by Allah, unless she has no power otherwise.” He replied, “Allah has more rahmah (arham) for His servants than this woman for her child” (Muslim).

In another narration, the Prophet peace be upon him used to play with his grandchildren and then said: “O Allah, have rahmah for them (irhamhuma)

as I have rahmah for them (arhamuhuma).”

(Bukhari). A Bedouin in the time of the Prophet peace be upon him saw the Prophet kissing his grandchildren. In the patriarchal context of Arabia, the man said to the Prophet, “I have ten children and never kissed one of them” implying that it was not befitting of a man to show love. The Prophet replied, “What can I do for you if Allah removed rahmah from your heart?” (Bukhari).

The Quran mentions two kinds of love, one is rahma and the second is hub. Allah has rahma on everything and everyone: My rahma has encompassed everything (Quran 7:157). God has this level of love for all his creation. That is why He provides provision for everyone, even those who disbelieve in Him. Despite our sins, He gives us food, air, shelter, health, and life.

This is why the Quran often refers to rain as rahma. And were Allah to punish men for what they earn, He would not leave on the back of it any creature (Quran 35:45).

The second level of love is hub. This love is reserved for those who obey God. There is not a single place in the Quran that says Allah hates (yakrah) anyone. It only says that Allah does not have hub for certain types of people such as oppressors, arrogant people, and liars.

To attain this level of love one must obey God and follow His teachings. Say, ‘If you love God, follow me, and God will love you and forgive you your sins; God is most forgiving, most raheem.’

(Quran 3:31). The following verse reads Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger But if they turn away, then Allah does not have hub for those who disbelieve (Quran 3:32).

Allah is loving, compassionate, and gives people hope. He is not a God who is out to punish: Why should God make you suffer torment if you are thankful and believe in Him? God always rewards gratitude and He knows everything.

(Quran 4:147).

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

78

FRIDAYSPORTS

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

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Musa, Ekong, Iheanacho, 20 Others for Double CAR Games

Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has listed team Captain Ahmed Musa, Deputy Captain Wlliam Troost-Ekong and 21 others for Nigeria’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 double qualifying encounters against the Central African Republic in Lagos and Douala next week.

The Match-day 3 encounter will hold at the Teslim Balogun

Stadium, Lagos on Thursday, 7th October with the Match-day 4 match in Douala, Cameroon (presently the ‘home’ of Central African Republic national teams) on Sunday, 10th October.

With the maximum six points from their first two matches of the campaign (against Liberia in Lagos and against Cape Verde in Mindelo earlier this month),

the Eagles countenance another six points against the central Africans and Franco-German Rohr has largely kept faith with the troops that delivered in a September to remember.

Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi return, just as defenders William Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem,

Leon Balogun, Jamilu Collins, Olaoluwa Aina and Kenneth Omeruo.

Added to the rearguard now are Kevin Akpoguma, who missed the last games as a result of illness, and new call-up Calvin Ughelumba of Glasgow Rangers FC in Scotland.

With enforcers Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo out

injured, the lot falls on Frank Onyeka and Joseph AyodeleAribo to replicate their firm handling of things in the middle in Mindelo, when Central African Republic comes calling on Thursday and in Douala on Sunday.

Rohr has now listed Englandbased duo Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho in the

midfield.

Captain Musa leads the line at the fore, with in-form France-based Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, Chidera Ejike, Paul Onuachu and Samuel Kalu also called.

Victory in both games will all but guarantee the Super Eagles’ passage to the all-important knockout rounds scheduled for March 2022, which will produce Africa’s five flagbearers in Qatar.

THE FULL LIST Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands) Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Calvin Ughelumba (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany) Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Innocent Bonke (Malmo FF, Sweden); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England) Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Kalu (FC Bordeaux, France); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia)

...Injury Knocks out Etebo from AFCON 2022

Super Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa (second left) is leading the other invited players back to camp to complete the group phase double header outing against the Central African Republic next week

1994 Eagles Pay 'Thank You' Visits to Fashola, Dare over House Rewards Members of the Super Eagles squad of 1994, yesterday in Abuja, paid courtesy visits to two members of the Federal Executive Council - The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola and the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare in appreciation of the Federal Government's fulfillment of promises made to them for winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

In 1994, the Super Eagles made their maiden appearance at the FIFA senior World Cup finals in the United States of America after emerging African Champions a few months earlier in Tunisia.

In appreciation of their triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON), the Sani Abacha led Federal Government of the day promised house rewards for the players and officials of the team, a promise that had remained largely unfulfilled until now.

Represented by the stand in captain of the team Augustine Eguavoen, Alloy Agu, Victor Ikpeba, Benedict Iroha, physical trainer Edema Steven and Daniel Amokachi, the Special Adviser on Sports to President Buhari, the

former players expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for making good the promise made to them 27 years ago.

"Looking back at the promise made in 1994, which is twenty seven years ago and our reality today we cannot thank President Muhammadu Buhari enough," Eguavoen opened up during the visit, "we are also grateful to the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola and our boss, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare.

"We remember those of our colleagues who are no longer with us like our official Captain, Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, Wilfred Agbonibavre, Uche Okafor and Thompson Oliha and are happy that their children can now benefit from their fathers' labour.

"This will also send a message to those currently playing that Nigeria will not forget your labours, even if it is late, it will never be denied,” Eguavoen stressed.

In his own remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare said he will continue to push the welfare

of sports men and women to the front burner, promising to ensure that the policy he put in place to take care of active and retired athletes receives good attention.

For the Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola, the reward although

27 years behind schedule is confirmation of the will of the present administration never to forget past heroic and patriotic acts.

"Government may be a slow burner and the wheels may turn slowly but it will turn. President

Buhari takes the credit for this.

He is assuring us all that every patriotic work will be rewarded and all promises made kept.

This is not just in the area of sports but across all segments of our national life." Fashola concluded.

L-R: Austin Eguavoen, Daniel Amokachi, Alloy Agu, Victor Ikpeba and Ben Iroha all members of the 1994 Class of Super Eagles during the visit to Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola in Abuja...yesterday

Super Eagles and Watford midfielder, Oghenekaro Etebo, is expected to be out for between four and five months because of a leg injury.

Etebo, 25, tore a quad muscle in the Hornets' 1-1 draw against Newcastle, and the club announced yesterday that he would not return until the new year.

The Nigeria international, who is on loan from Stoke, is therefore set to miss the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, which begins on 9 January.

Watford, who are 12th in the Premier League, visit Leeds on Saturday.

Etebo has won 39 caps for Nigeria and was part of the squad that beat Liberia 2-0 in a 2022 World Cup qualifier in September before being forced to miss the next tie in Cape Verde due to the UK's coronavirus regulations.

The injury means he will miss Nigeria's next four World Cup qualifiers, a blow to Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr who sees Etebo as one of his most experienced and important players.

79

FRIDAY, ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

SPORTS

Osimhen’s Late Strike Not Enough to Earn Napoli Point tIn absence of Ndidi, Iheanacho,

Leicester beaten in Warsaw, Poland Nigerian international forward, Victor Osimhen, 22, continued his impressive scoring form for Napoli last night as the Italian Serie A leaders lost 3-2 at home against Russian side Spartak Moscow in a Europa League Group C clash.

Osimhen who started the game from the bench after replacing Andre Petagna in the 46th minute scored Napoli’s second goal deep into stoppage time. It was however not enough to let them have a share of the points at stake.

That goal is Osimhen’s third in two Europa appearances for Luciano Spalleti’s side this term.

In all, he has now scored seven goals in his last five matches for Napoli.

Interestingly, former Nigerian winger, Victor Moses played all

EUROPA 90 minutes for the Russian side without scoring a goal.

Elsewhere, Leicester's winless start to their Europa League campaign continued with a limp 1-0 defeat at Legia Warsaw, who collected a famous victory in Poland.

Brendan Rodgers' side were without their suspended midfield enforcer, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi ‘Senior Man’ Iheanacho who was stopped from entering Poland due to issues with his travel documents.

Like Napoli, the former English Premier League champions have just one point from their 2-2 draw with the Italian team so far from two

games.

Azerbaijan national Mahir Emreli scored the only goal in the 31st minute, outmuscling Daniel Amartey on the edge of the box before firing in a low finish via the foot of the post.

RESULTS Lyon 3-0 Brondby S’Prague 1-0 Rangers Sociedad 1-1 Monaco S’Graz 1-4 PSV L’Warsaw 1-0 Leicester Napoli 2-3 S’Moscow Fenerbahce 0-3 Olympiacos R’Antwerp 0-1 E’Frankfurt

Runsewe Elected Golf President, Akpata Heads New Cricket Board Igali, Tikon, Ocheho, Massari returned for new terms Olawale Ajimotokanin Abuja The Director-General National Council of Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe was yesterday elected unopposed as the President of Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) following the conclusion of the election by the national delegates of the federation from various geo-political zones.

The election held at the Indoor Hall of MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, also saw the emergence of Air Commodore Solomon as the Vice President.

Also a former Captain of Ikoyi Club 1938, Uyi Akpata emerged as the President of Nigeria Cricket Federation, while Mr Wale Obalola was elected the Vice President.

The election into the various national federations was held under heavy security which was provided by the army, police and members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

In the Nigeria Tennis Federation, (NTF), Mr Dayo Akindoju was handed a fresh mandate to continue with the administration of

NATIONAL FEDERATIONS the sport while Hon Abdulrahman Terab was elected as the Vice President.

Former Olympics Gold medalist, Daniel Igali also returned as president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation while Engineer Ishaku Tikon was returned as the president of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF).

Also Boye Oyerinde retained his position as the president of the Nigeria Squash Rackets Federation.

Chief Giadomenico Massari was returned as president of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria for another four years. Engr Massari was voted overwhelmingly by the 15 Board members accredited for the exercise.

The national delegates of the Nigerian Judo Federation (NJF) elected Dr Musa Oshodi as president, while Kelvin Ehizigie was elected as the president of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria.

The new President of the Nigeria Handball Federation of Nigeria is Sam Oche, while the

members of the Nigeria Rugby Federation elected Aliyu Abubakar as the federation president.

The Karate Federation of Nigeria elected a former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Silas Agara as the federation president, while Dr Bello Omolola emerged as the Vice President.

In his acceptance speech, Massari thanked the board members for the confidence reposed in him as he urged them to support his efforts by contributing their quota to making the sport one of the best in the country.

"Top of my priority is planning and training. To succeed we must plan our programmes and train not only our athletes but the officials.

"We must also relate with the international bodies to raise our standards, get courses for our Commissaires and coaches to improve the standard of the sport in Nigeria," Massari said.

The president who is doing his two term disclosed that the country has qualified for the first time for the World Championship in track, stressing that:"We have a Velodrome that is a blessing but it was grounded for a very long time."

Victor Osimhen’s late strike not enough as Napoli concede 2-3 defeat at home to Russian side Spartak Moscow in a Europa League group game...last night

Okowa, Sponsor Promise Continuity of Zenith/Delta Headmasters' Cup The Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has assured stakeholders of his administration's resolve to providing an enabling environment for youths and sports development in the state.

Governor Okowa gave the assurance in Asaba during the kick off ceremony for the 2021 edition of Zenith Bank/Delta Headmasters' Cup Football Competition.

The governor, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon. Festus Ovie Agas, said that Delta State has always remained sports destination in the country.

He said that the state government would mentor and

expose the players/pupils in such a way that they could compete with any other youths globally.

In his welcome address, the State Commissioner for Primary Education in Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Chika Ossai, described the Headmasters' Cup football competition as a good platform for the pupils to showcase their talents.

Ossai, who applauded the Zenith Bank for its effective collaboration with state government, especially in the area of the football competition, reaffirmed that talents discovered from the Headmasters' Cup Football Competition would be properly mentored in order for

them to add more value to their lives and the society in general.

Earlier, the representative of the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank PLC, Mr. Ijeoma Monday Okowa who is a senior manager with the bank, said that the 2021 competition was the maiden edition of the bank’s partnership with the state government in the Headmasters' Cup Football Competition.

He added that the competition would continue to be staged every year in the state In the kick off match, Nosiere Primary School 1 Agbor, defeated Uzoigwe Primary School, Asaba 5-2 in a highly entertaining opening match.

Obasanjo, Iya'Adura, Nwoko to Launch Chioma Ajunwa Sports Centre

Otunba Olusegun Runsewe (left) at a golf event with Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong. Runsewe was elected the new president of NGF...yesterday in Abuja

All is now set for the launching of the Chioma Ajunwa Sports and Youth Development Centre. The event is scheduled for October 8, 2021 at the MUSON Centre, Lagos is a bold attempt at kick starting private participation in grassroots sports development in Nigeria.

The event has been scheduled to kick off at 4pm.

Former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo has been listed as the Father of the Day. Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi a.k.a Iya'Adura will be chairperson

of the day, while sports philanthropist, Prince Ned Nwoko is the chief launcher of the event that will also mark the 25th Anniversary of Chioma Ajunwa winning the Olympic women's long jump gold at Atlanta in 1996.

The Sports and Youth Development Centre under the auspices of the Chioma Ajunwa Foundation when completed, will boast of modern sports and educational facilities and will be available for the grooming of grassroots athletes.

“The facility will give talented

youths the platform to excel in sports and academics,” said Ajunwa yesterday in Lagos.

“I took it upon myself as a challenge to establish a sports and youth development centre, having seen such in my many travels abroad. We need to develop our youths to prevent them from taking to vices.

“We are going to have a 250-bed hostel, a five-star hotel, a sports radio station, primary and secondary school as well as a vocational centre so that while training for sports, athletes can

have education and prepare themselves for life after sports.”

Also speaking at the event, Prince Henry Amike, who is director-general of the Chioma Ajunwa Foundation, said the sports and youth development centre will be an all embracing sports facility. He added that athletes can be trained all year round.

The centre is to be located in Owerri, Imo State where the government has donated 2.5 hectares of land in prime location for the project.

Friday October 1, 2021

TR

UT H

& RE A SO

N

Price: N250

MISSILE Abiodun to Herdsmen

“Cattle rearers have a six-month period of grace before it becomes illegal in Ogun State for cattle rearers to occupy unapproved public areas and private land with their livestock for grazing” – Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, warning herders against open grazing in the state

AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

Baba-Ahmed: Mandela Turns in His Grave

I

n 2013, an indignant Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed wrote of a moving encounter he had with the Madiba, President Nelson Mandela in 2007.

The subject matter of the encounter was appropriately Nigeria on which the two shared identical views. I will presently recall excerpts and lessons cited approvingly by Baba-Ahmed of what he correctly celebrated as a one in a lifetime opportunity. In the light of Baba-Ahmed’s present posturing on Nigerian politics, Mandela, for all his insights on mankind, would have deemed himself a victim of the human proclivity for duplicity.

Note, in particular, Mandela’s emphasis on the theme of education and poverty and what he expected Baba-Ahmed to do with it. If the former had any particular society in mind, the Northern region of Nigeria could not be far from top of the list. It was particularly reflective of the deepening crisis of underdevelopment syndrome ravaging Nigeria and the North in particular. Availed of a unique opportunity to address a demographic of young university students; to put to practice the lessons he had learnt at the feet of the master himself, what would the great man have expected his would be protege to make of the occasion? Mandela did not leave the anticipation to chance but gave a precise notion of what he expected-in his parting admonition to Baba-Ahmed.

His charge was “So if this audience has been useful, I am glad. But it will be more useful to me if you go back to Nigeria and work to give young Nigerians good education. Teach them the value of hard work and sacrifice, and discourage them from crimes which are destroying your image as a good people.Then you have to spend a lot of your resources for education.

Educate the children of the poor, so that they can get out of poverty. Poverty does not breed confidence. Only confident people can bring changes. The black people of the world need Nigeria to be great as a source of pride and confidence. Nigerians love freedom and hate oppression.Why do you do it to yourselves?”

Baba-Ahmed concluded the report of the encounter on a note of self-pity “If there is any comfort to draw from Mandela’s disappointment, it will be that he may not have observed our free-fall as a nation in the last five years”. Now, If, in his estimation, the years 2008-2013 represented five years of free fall of Nigeria how would he characterize the last five years of 2016 to 2021? Perhaps we can find an indication in the observation that the difference between the Baba-Ahmed of 2013 and 2021 is the difference between the Mandela disciple of 2013 and the raving ideologue of Northern backwardness of 2021. It is a degeneration that parallels Nigeria’s descent into the present abyss.

We are reminded of the parable of the sinner who believes he and his captive political community are victimized by universally applicable development ethics and moral precepts; who, like the defensive

Baba-Ahmed

radicalism of the Taliban ‘can live with their poverty’ rather than the accountability demands of modern civilization. Here he unveils the manifesto of poverty and political leadership from behind. “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before, whether we are President or Vice President, we will lead Nigeria.

We have the majority of the votes and the democracy says vote whom you want”, he stated. “Why should we accept second class position when we know we can buy form and contest for first class and we will win? We will surprise them in 2023 because we will vote for who we want, including the northerners, and nothing will happen. If we choose to vote for a northerner, the heavens will not fall. We will choose who we want in this country…

A northerner is a respectable Nigerian. We can live with our poverty, but we cannot live with a sense of disrespect and anybody who toys with our respect. We will fight them to the end. We inherited the North that determined where Nigeria went”.

I have always maintained that regardless of our current nightmare, the tragedy of Nigeria is not so much the challenges we presently grapple with.The real tragedy is what the present omens portend for the future; the projection of hopelessness on the future of Nigeria (as a functional society) inferrable from the mindset and actions of those who will determine that future. One of the veritable harbingers is Baba-Ahmed who speaks for the Northern Elders Forum, NEF- as the need arose to supplant the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, with a sharply defined irridentist voice of the far North. It cannot be a coincidence that the recession of the latter corresponds to the emergence of Mr Audu Ogbeh and Emmanuel Yaweh as chairman and publicity secretary of the ACF respectively. These gentlemen are christians from the middle belt who

belonged to the political periphery in what used to constitute the Northern region. From being deemed second class category in the political pecking order of the regional politics of the North, their status had degenerated into that of the alienated genocidal victims of their erstwhile principal. In the circumstance, it is logical that Ogbeh and Yawey would find it implausible to affect the hawkish ethno religious posturing that comes with the ACF package. Hence the need to fill the role vacuum with the calculated irridentist voice of the NEF. How implausible the incumbency of Audu Ogbeh can get is his rejection of the opaque Buhari orthodoxy of treating the so called repentant Boko Haram terrorists with kid gloves.

Here is the ACF chairman “We are currently witnessing large scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsorrists, rapists, and child snatchers. Do we have good reason to cheer and hope for an end to this decade-old insanity? Is “I am sorry” enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of dead and maimed?. What of those victims bombed in the churches, mosques, schools, and markets? What of all the men and women in uniform murdered by them? Who can count the thousands of widows and orphans they have created?” This definitely is not the stuff anyone would associate with the chairman of the ACF as we know it. The nuanced Ogbeh critique of the status quo was soon reinforced with a scathing no holds barred scrutiny of the North by the eminent veteran columnist, Dan Agbese.

In a thumbs down assessment he noted “Audu Ogbeh, immediate past minister of agriculture and chairman, ACF, was recently quoted as saying that politics is the only industry in Northern Nigeria. His statement intrigues me for two reasons.

One, I have often wondered why the North which has ruled the country longer than all the other regions put together is in dire straits. If it is only the industry, then it must be an industry that has failed disastrously. The difference between the northern states and the southern states in terms of resources and human development is clear. The south is soaring in modern development and the north is sinking in under-development. But however much we tend to shy away from it, there is no hiding the fact that politics as a northern industry is a failed industry. It has failed where it matters most: lifting the people from illiteracy, poverty and mind-boggling squalor”.

The truth of what Agbese said was so self-evident that I find it surprising that anyone could reflect on the same set of facts and return with a radically divergent judgement.The shrill defensive outburst that issued forth from Hakeem Baba-Ahmed ranks among the most obtuse and undignifying response to the underdevelopment crisis bedevilling Northern Nigeria and is a crude restatement

of Maitama Sule’s thesis of the divine right of the North to the leadership of Nigeria.

Above all it is outrageously inappropriate for an audience that is in dire need of twenty-first century mentorship in the age of competitive globalisation. It is a measure of Nigeria’s regression that a member of a much younger and supposedly more cosmopolitan and enlightened generation can actually outperform Maitama Sule in a primitive lapse into the dark ages. It was this kind of crude and opportunistic posturing that provoked the late Chief Richard Akinjide to remonstrate that “every stupid northerner, no matter how ill-prepared for leadership he may be, wants to be head of state. And this for no better reason than that he is a northerner and would always count on the full support of fellow northerners. No northerner I know disagrees with this provocative notion that his right to rule was given from above.”

In the knowledge that many of these guys are auditioning for the role of ideological successor to Buhari (in sheer bigotry and parochialism) there is the element of opportunistic posturing to Baba-Ahmed’s outburst-sort of being catholic than the pope and royalist than the king. Given the appalling standard of education in the North, what subject matter is better priotised and most appropriate to university students than a theme of education? Neither did he find utility in employing the occasion to draw up a list of positive role models (in which the North is not lacking) whom the students can emulate. On the contrary, he chose to misinform, miseducate and incite the students to double down on a self-destructive obsession with political power. He launched into a tirade of virulent ethnic chauvinism the likes of which are best reserved for a malevolent external aggressor not citizens of the same country. “We will fight them to the end”, he thundered. Why then are we still together as citizens of the same country if the end is to fight till death do us apart?

And in something of political perversion, at least to those familiar with the political history of Nigeria, he mouthed the similarly infernal refrain “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before..We inherited the North that determined where Nigeria went” Which begs the question of how the North has led Nigeria. Well, as the saying goes, the taste of the pudding is in the eating. So how about the toxic pudding with which Nigeria is being force fed by Buhari’s Northern presidency as sample?

John The Baptist It has now transpired that by design or default, Baba-Ahmed has played the role of John the baptist to the pronouncement by the Northern Governors Forum, NGF and the traditional rulers and opinion leaders of the North to the effect that Nigerians should perish the thought of power rotation to the South.

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com