MONDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2023

US Court Set to Release

Gives CSU 12pm deadline to comply Sets expedited schedule for discovery

Deposition of varsity designee must be completed by 5pm tomorrow

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has ordered Chicago State University

(CSU) to release the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to Nigeria’s former Vice President and the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, unfailingly, by mid-day today, October 2. The court ordered that deposition of the university must be completed by tomorrow, Tuesday, October 3.

The order followed Hon. Nancy Maldonado’s overruling of Tinubu's objection to the release of his academic records at CSU to Atiku. Maldonado's order, which came

after nearly two months of fierce legal fireworks in the US over the authenticity of the Diploma certificate paraded by Nigeria's president, was expected to resolve

all controversies over Tinubu's educational qualifications, which had been raging for nearly three

Continued on page 6

BUA Slashes Cement Price to N3,500, Promises Further Reduction Next Year...Page 10

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Soludo Renames Anambra Airport after Literary

Tinubu Leads Shettima, Others to Mark Nigeria's 63rd Independence Anniversary

Governors optimistic about nation's future Country doesn't need to suffer current hardship, says PDP

After Meeting with FG, Labour Calls Emergency NEC to Reconsider Planned Nationwide Strike

Tinubu announces N35,000 provisional wage increment for all federal workers Labour's request for higher wage to be presented to president for further consideration

Deji Elumoye and Onyebuchi

Ezigbo in Abuja

The meeting between top officials of the federal government and the organised labour yesterday, to address the planned indefinite strike action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) appeared to have yielded result as the trade union centres may not afterall go ahead with the proposed industrial action following fruitful deliberations from the meeting yesterday.

An indication to this effect was given at the end of the four-hour meeting held at the State House, Abuja, as government delegation led by Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, reeled out some steps being taken by government to mitigate the effect of fuel subsidy removal which the leadership of both the NLC

TINUBU LEADS SHETTIMA, OTHERS TO MARK NIGERIA'S 63RD INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, pleaded with Nigerians to be patient with her husband, saying he is not a magician.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, appealed to Nigerians to moderate their expectations, because solutions to complex problems confronting the country could never be instant.

But Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the 63rd Independence Day address by President Bola Tinubu was empty, bereft of ideas, and merely aspirational in the wrong direction, especially, in the face of the agonising experiences of citizens under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations.

However, APC said it remained committed to the restoration of true greatness and prosperity of the country.

The national event, which commenced about 10am, featured symbolic displays and performances by both military and civilian troupes.

Tinubu, who was the special guest of honour at the Abuja event, was ushered into the Forecourt, venue of the occasion, at 10:15am by a 14-man Scots-dressed Presidential Pipers. He immediately took the national salute after which he inspected the abridged guards on parade mounted by members of the country's armed forces.

The highpoint of the event was the performance of some ceremonial tasks, including signing of the anniversary register, cutting the cake, and releasing white pigeons into the open air, by Tinubu, who was clad in agbada with the national colours of green and white.

Another significant event of the day was the ceremonial Change of Guards, a piece of political symbolism expressing the handover of state control from the British colonial authorities to indigenous Nigerian rule on October 1, 1960.

Other top government officials at the ceremony included President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen; Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola; National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; ministers; and National Assembly members.

There were also diplomats from various countries, including United Kingdom (UK), Morocco, India, Turkey, Burundi, Ireland, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Argentina, Poland, South Africa, and Kenya.

Yesterday’s ceremony at the State House was the first Independence Day celebration under the leadership of Tinubu.

The event at the Forecourt replaced the regular full military parade, drills, and other supporting performances, which used to hold at the popular Eagle Square in Abuja.

After October 1, 2010, when the anniversary celebration was disrupted by bomb blasts at the Eagle Square, then President Goodluck Jonathan had marked all subsequent anniversaries under his administration at the Forecourt in the Presidential Villa.

But immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari had broken the jinx by marking the 58th independence anniversary at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

My Husband is No Magic Worker, Says

Oluremi Tinubu

First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, pleaded with Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu, saying he is not a magician.

She made the appeal yesterday in her remarks as Special Guest of Honour at Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary Interdenominational church service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

The first lady said while the administration was not blaming any other government, its primary purpose was to fix what had been damaged.

She stated, “We just came back from UNGA ‘78, it was really successful for us as a nation. The world awaits Nigeria and investors in our team. We came back with good news and all we inherited are things that have happened many

years ago. We are not here to put blame on any administration but to fix what is damaged.

“My husband is not a magician, he is going to work brick by brick and I believe and hope that you will have faith in this administration. The best is yet to come for us.”

Mrs Tinubu expressed gratitude to God for allowing her to celebrate the country’s Independence Day at the National Christian Centre as First lady, saying it is something no one would have ever imagined.

Describing the occasion as a testimony on its own, she said, “I bring you warm greetings from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Today, as we gather to praise and worship God, let us remember God’s faithfulness and love to us.

“These words remind us that hope is not just a phrase but a spirit that resides in each and every one of us. It is hope that transcends many challenges and uncertainties of the present.

“A hope that is deeply rooted in love and sacrifice. This is all what the love of Christ signifies. As a nation, we need to recognise that Christ, being in us, would only be exemplified by his nature or embodied in the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith and neatness, against such there is no law.

“The Nigeria of abundance has begun. If we do not have hope, how do we become part of this greatness that God has started in our nation? The Bible says it is not what we see, but when we see how we hope for it.

“Our hopes and expectations will not be cut short, in Jesus name. My prayer for Nigeria is that Nigeria will rise out of the ashes of despair and despondency, in Jesus name.”

SGF: No Instant Solutions to Nation’s Complex Problems

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, appealed to Nigerians to moderate their expectations, saying solutions to complex problems confronting the country at this time can never be instant.

Akume’s remarks were a riposte to a comments by the guest minister at the independence anniversary inter-denominational church service, President of Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Israel Akanji, that Nigerians were tired of past unfulfilled promises being rehashed again by the present administration.

Akume said Tinubu had only done four months of the 48 months mandate given to him by Nigerians on May 29, 2023 to transform the country and should be given enough time to implement his “Renewed Hope” agenda.

The SGF said, “I have listened to the very inspiring statement by the Rev Dr Israel Akanji. However, I want to observe one thing. I believe most of you listened to the broadcast of Mr President this morning. The statement of hope, not only that the major inputs in place were spelt out in that statement.

“This government was sworn in on May 29 2023. Nigerians gave President Bola Tinubu 48 months to transform Nigeria. He has done only four months. Solutions to complex problems can never be as instant and promptly in this time.”

Akume stated that the federal government was considering mass funding of vehicles that could use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), while reforms were being made to yield greater results in the financial sector to ensure the growth of the economy on a scale that had never been known before.

He said, “The former president said it about President Tinubu, when he was then candidate. He did it in Lagos and believed very strongly that he will do it across the country. He has started and by the time the report of the CBN is out that is when Nigerians will know why we are where we are today.”

Fubara Assures Rivers People of Welfare, Security Rivers State Governor, Mr

Siminalayi Fubara, assured the people of the state that his administration would not renege on its promises, particularly in terms of security of lives and the people's welfare.

Fubara commended the security agencies for their relentless efforts in fighting crime, quelling acts that threatened the sovereignty of the country. He assured them of continued support, particularly those in Rivers State, so that they could deliver on their mandates.

The governor spoke yesterday at St Paul's Cathedral Church, Diobu, Port Harcourt, during an interdenominational church service to mark Nigeria's 63rd independence anniversary.

Congratulating Nigerians on their resilience in the face of odds and challenges on the journey to nationhood, Fubara said Nigerians had refused to be discouraged, but remained bonded as a nation.

Despite the various challenges, he said the country had recorded significant breakthroughs in its journey, particularly in sustaining the democratic process.

The governor charged traditional rulers to remain fathers to everybody, while exposing criminal elements in their domains as their contribution towards achieving the goal of protection of lives and property of residents of the state.

Bago: My Leadership Will Create New Niger State

Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago said his leadership would bring about a new Niger State that prioritised empowerment of the youth and women.

In a broadcast to mark the country’s independence anniversary, Bago said his administration "is already developing the critical sectors of the state’s economy. We are building a new Niger State through renewed security strategies to ensure safety of lives and property

"Our ambitious multi-billion naira investments in urban renewal, state-of-the-art facilities for improved healthcare and education, as well as our intent to take advantage of the abundant value chain in the agricultural sector means that we are set to empower our youths and women groups for the needed development of our state.

"Our new leadership style in Niger State is a sure way to achieving our dream of a new Niger before soliciting for the support of the public for the realisation of the objectives.”

Bago reiterated the commitment of the administration to ensuring "lasting peace returns to all troubled parts of the state".

He said the people should remain vigilant and report to the appropriate authorities any suspicious persons or movements.

Uzodimma: Nigeria’ll Become One of World's Strongest Governor

Hope Uzodimma of Imo State predicted that Nigeria would soon rise to become one of the strongest nations in the world.

Uzodimma called on Nigerians to persevere, strive to love the country more, and make it work for everyone.

The message was contained in the governor’s Independence Day anniversary speech delivered at the Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, Owerri.

The governor stated, "The least we can do as Nigerians is to invest our faith in our country and pray fervently for her progress.

"Therefore, as we celebrate this year's independence anniversary, we should renew faith in Nigeria. We must remain confident that this blessed country will ultimately become a great nation. I foresee a Nigeria that will sooner rather than later rise above the challenges that currently impede her march to a virile and prosperous nation.

"I see in the nearest future a new Nigeria that is the bastion of democracy, where the expectations of the majority will be met, where justice and equity shall reign, and where sustainable development shall be taken for granted.

“Yes, I am convinced that Nigeria will surely rise to become one of the strongest nations in the world. I call on all Nigerians to remain optimistic that it shall be well with our country."

Alia Appeals to NLC, TUC to Reconsider Strike

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, appealed to the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to reconsider their actions for a planned nationwide industrial action, now suspended, by exercising more patience, as the government was working round the clock to meet their demands.

Alia said although his administration did not consider regular payment of pensions, gratuity, and public workers’ salaries as achievement, it was more determined to sustain the practice, stabilising the welfare package of the workforce. He said his administration would not deploy propaganda and political blackmail in governance, but instead, allow its achievements in office speak.

The governor stated that the government under his watch had left the door open for innovative ideas and constructive criticisms, adding that corruption and nepotism are already being relegated, especially as the administration is poised to foist the flags of merit, equity, equality, justice and fairness in all its dealings.

Appreciating the people of the state for believing and standing by him to deliver good governance, the governor equally saluted the people, who made the country’s independence possible, thanking God for keeping the country together, despite some events that have threatened peaceful coexistence.

Otti Blames Leaders for Nigeria's Slow March to Devt

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, blamed the country’s leaders for Nigeria's inability to reach the height expected of it at independence 63 years ago.

Speaking at the Independence Day parade held at Government House, Umuahia, Otti said he was of the opinion that the journey to development had been slow. He added that aside from the leadership issue, many other factors had also combined to weigh the country down and slow the pace of development

The governor stated, "The desperation for power, unending pillaging of public resources and the worrisome refusal to see the bigger picture boils down to greed and the ungodly urge to think only of ourselves.

"Corruption and the abuse of resources that have combined to cripple several state institutions in the country are manifest products of greed, which, for me, represent an unhealthy desire to acquire everything for oneself without minding what happens afterwards to other people."

Otti said despite the drawbacks that Nigeria had experienced since independence, the situation was not "completely irredeemable," saying the country can still make a fresh start.

He said October 1, 2023 represented "a great day to begin on a new path towards national rebirth.

"At any rate, we must refuse to be misled into thinking that change can just happen by merely wishing. A desire for change must match with appropriate commitment, a clear sense of responsibility and an understanding of the quantum of sacrifice required to turn things around."

Mohammed Urges Nigerians to Re-dedicate Selves to Development

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, appealed to Nigerians to re-dedicate themselves to the development of the country by being patriotic and praying to God to shower His mercy and blessings on the country in order for peace to thrive.

According to Mohammed, in his independence address in Bauchi, "The 63rd Independence anniversary should be used to reflect on the

struggle and sacrifice of the founding fathers of this great country and also strive to ensure that their labour shall not be in vain. It is gratifying to note that 63 years after independence, we have belied the scepticism on our ability to govern ourselves.

"Today, we have shown to the world that, against all odds, we are not only able to govern ourselves, but are able to understand our differences, respect each other’s values and unite towards developing our country, despite our diverse cultures.

"Like many other countries, however, Nigeria has in the process of its growth experienced a lot of turbulence in its 63 years of existence as an independent country. We suffered serious setbacks in the political arena, which seriously affected our political and economic growth. The long period of military involvement in the political spectrum of our country had seriously retarded the evolution of democracy and its inherent benefits.”

The governor added, "It is, however, gladdening that today democracy has found its roots in the country. The dividends of democracy are manifest and the citizens are happy. We, in Bauchi State, have taken a multi-dimensional approach to all the developmental projects, which resulted in success all round, particularly in infrastructural development.

“Having been granted another mandate by the good people of Bauchi State to run the affairs of the state for another four years, I want to assure you that we will redouble our effort and work harder to provide more dividends of democracy than we did during our first term."

Obaseki Applauds Edo’s Resilience Amid Hardship

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, commended the “resilience and indefatigable” spirit of the people of the state and Nigerians, who in the face of the current economic realities in the country, had continued to keep hope alive as they struggled to earn a living daily.

Obaseki, in a statement to commemorate Nigeria's 63rd Independence anniversary, urged the people to continue to pray and work in unity to overcome the country’s present economic challenges.

The governor stated, “My dear good people of Edo State, today is a day of reflection; a moment to pause and ponder on our collective journey as a people and nation, celebrate our achievements, acknowledge our challenges, and reaffirm our commitment towards ensuring a more united, progressive and prosperous Nigeria.

“Ours is a story of courage, resilience, sacrifice, and the indomitable spirit of a people. Our founding fathers, driven by a vision of unity and shared prosperity, fought tirelessly to lay the foundation of our dear nation, liberating us from the shackles of colonialism and instituting our long march to nationhood and greatness.

“Despite the successes so far recorded in these past 63 years, we yet grapple with multiple challenges occasioned by economic, security, political and ethnic pressures. However, our enduring faith and belief in the unity and progress of our country have endured, keeping us together as one nation.

“I must commend the dogged and indefatigable spirit of our people, who in the face of many daunting difficulties continue to slug it out daily to earn a living, especially amid the current economic realities.”

Sule Reviews Civil Servants' Vehicle Loan to N50m

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, yesterday, approved an upward review of the vehicle and furniture revolving loan to civil servants in the state from N10 million to N50 million.

The upward review of the revolving loan, according to the governor, "is in order to allow for wider participation and to enhance the purchasing power of the beneficiaries".

Sule made the assertions in his address on Sunday to mark Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary and Nasarawa's 27th anniversary.

The governor added that his administration had recently absorbed and issued permanent and pensionable appointments to about 1,000 workers, who had been engaged on casual basis since creation of the state.

He stated, "In our determination to improve the living standard of our people, government restored the 100 per cent payment of monthly pension to the state retirees. This course of action has transformed the living condition of our retirees in the state.

"Government also addressed the percentage payment of pension and salaries of local government employees. As at today, we have stabilised the payment of salaries of workers and pension of local government retirees at 100 per cent."

Akeredolu, APC Seek Concerted Effort to Rebuild Nigeria

Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), and the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) called on Nigerians to unite with the country's leadership in the task of rebuilding the country towards peace, progress, and development.

Akeredolu, in his 63rd Independence Anniversary message, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, stressed that now was the time for Nigerians to demonstrate their dedication to national development and nation-building. He described the country's diversity as a strength, saying Nigeria must purposefully leverage its diversity for growth and development.

The governor expressed confidence in Nigeria’s ability to overcome the current socio-economic difficulties and emerge more prosperous and stronger. He pointed that the challenges stemming from the removal of the fuel subsidy should not erode the country's collective trust, but reinforce the people's belief in Nigeria's promising future.

Akeredolu emphasised the importance of consciously upholding the principles of national unity and nation-building as a pathway to peace and prosperity.

He stated, "Despite today's challenges, our hope and trust must remain unshaken. Our journey towards a prosperous and secure future has just begun. We must continually interrogate every issue that hinders the development and greatness of our beloved nation.

“We will persist in our efforts to foster true federalism. We must be dedicated to addressing the root causes of our national issues. The welfare of our people should accelerate our resolve for development."

APC in the state, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaiye, urged Nigerians to be optimistic about the future of the country, saying the current economic situation would soon end in joy.

Adeleke Calls For Prayer, Unity

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, called on Nigerians to pray for the continuous peace and prosperity of the country.

Adeleke, while acknowledging the unfavourable prevailing economic and security situation across the country, urged all political, religious, traditional and business leaders to unite purposely to find lasting solutions in line with the vision of the past heroes, who fought hard for national independence.

The governor said, in his independence speech, “We are currently in a difficult situation. The precarious economic situation is affecting everyone. This is our reality, and we must face it. As leaders, we must collaborate to find lasting solutions, irrespective of our cultural, religious, political, and social affiliations.

Holds valedictory court session for late Justice Nweze

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, would on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, swear-in 23 new Judges of the Federal High Court.

The CJN would administer the oath of office on the judges at the main courtroom of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja, at 11am, a statement by the Court's Director of Press and Information, Dr. Festus Akande, disclosed yesterday.

The new Judges are: Dipeolu

Deinde Isaac from Ogun State; Ogundare Kehinde Olayiwola from Ekiti State; Agbaje Olufunmilola Adetutu from Lagos State; Musa Kakaki from Kaduna State; Abdullahi Muhammad Dan-Ige from Sokoto State; and Sharon Tanko Ishaya from Kebbi State.

Others are Salim Olasupo Ibrahim from Ogun State; Yilwa Hauwa Joseph from Gombe State; WigweOreh Chituru Joy from Rivers State; Owoeye Alexander Oluseyi from Kogi State; Anyalewa Onoja-Alapa from Benue State; Amina Aliyu Mohammad

from Katsina State; Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi from Kwara State; Hauwa Buhari from Federal Capital Territory; and Aishatu Auta Ibrahim from Borno State.

The rest are Hussaini Dadan-Garba from Bauchi State; Ibrahim Ahmad Kala from Gombe State; Mashkur Salisu from Zamfara State; Onah Chigozie Sergius from Enugu State; Egbe Raphael Joshua from Bayelsa State; Ariwoola Olukayode Jnr. from Oyo State; Ekerete Udofot Akpan from Akwa Ibom State; and Ogazi Friday Nkemakonam from Ebonyi State.

Meanwhile, a valedictory Court session would be held on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in honour of the late Justice Chima Centus Nweze at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court at 10am.

As customary, the Chief Justice of Nigeria would preside over the session which would among other things, feature the presentation of tributes by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and President of the Nigerian Bar Association, in

honour of the departed Jurist.

Justice Nweze died on Saturday July 29, 2023, in Abuja after a brief illness at the age of 64 years.

He was sworn-in as Justice of Supreme Court on October 29, 2014. He was born in Obollo, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State on September 25, 1958.

He attended St. John Cross Seminary, Nsukka from 1972 to 1977, emerging with a Distinction in the West African School Certificate Examination.

He gained admission into University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus in 1979

where he graduated with a Degree in Law in 1983.

In the same year, he represented the Law Faculty and, indeed, all Nigerian Law Faculties, at the Philip Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington DC, as the Chief Oraclist.

Justice Nweze did his NYSC between 1984 and 1985 in Bauchi, after being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984.

AFTER MEETING WITH FG, LABOUR CALLS EMERGENCY NEC TO RECONSIDER PLANNED NATIONWIDE STRIKE

and TUC said they would table before their respective organs for consideration today.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris, who was part of government team at the meeting in a statement issued yesterday, summarised the outcome of the meeting. It stated that the federal government met with the leadership of the NLC and TUC on measures to address the dispute arising from the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

It revealed that the two parties noted the following:

"The federal government has announced N35,000 only as provisional wage increment for all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months.

"The federal government is committed to fast-tracking the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to ease public transportation difficulties associated

with the removal of PMS subsidy.

"The federal government commits to the provision of funds for micro and small-scale enterprises.

"VAT on diesel will be waived for next six months.

"The federal government will commence payment of N75,000 to 15 million households at N25,000 per month, for a three-month period from October-December 2023."

Furthermore, it noted that the federal government delegation and the Labour team after elaborate deliberations thereafter resolved that, "the issues in dispute can only be resolved when workers are at work and not when they are on strike.

"Labour Unions argued for higher wage award and the federal government team promised to present Labour’s request to President Bola Tinubu for further consideration.

"A sub-committee to be constituted to work out the details of implementation of all items for

consideration regarding government interventions to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

"The lingering matter of Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State needs to be addressed urgently and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who participated virtually, pledged to resolve the matter.

"NLC and TUC will consider the offers by the federal government with a view to suspending the planned strike to allow for further consultations on the implementation of the resolutions above.

"Governor Abdulrazak Abdulrahman of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, participated virtually in the meeting, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

"Also in attendance were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating

US COURT SET TO RELEASE TINUBU’S ACADEMIC RECORDS TODAY

decades.

Maldonado, in her court judgement delivered on September 30, emphasised, "That it is expressing no view on the merits of Mr. Abubakar’s claims regarding President Tinubu’s graduation from CSU, or on the validity of the Nigerian election. Nor is the court taking any position on what any of the documents or testimony from CSU may or may not ultimately show.

"These are all matters for the Nigerian courts to resolve under Nigerian law, and it is not appropriate for this U.S. court to opine on such issues or attempt to predict how foreign courts might ultimately rule if and when they are presented with any evidence from CSU."

The court, in its judgement on Tinubu's objection to the release of his CSU records to Atiku, held that Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert was right in granting Atiku's application for discovery.

While pointing out that Atiku met the statutory requirements and the discretionary factors supported granting the application, Maldonado held, "This court will not obstruct the flow of discovery solely within the possession of a U.S. institution on a matter of such importance, when the respondent stands ready and willing to provide it."

Besides, Maldonado agreed with the lower court that Atiku's interest in the discovery outweighed Tinubu’s privacy interests, adding that the court needs not concern itself with any burden to CSU in making the production.

"The court finds the final discretionary factor weighs in favour of granting the application," the judge stated.

Gilbert had on September 19, while delivering judgement in Atiku's application for discovery, directed CSU, to produce and release within 48 hours certain documents and testimony related to Tinubu, which the institution claimed graduated in 1979.

Dissatisfied with the order, Tinubu had on the eve of the expiration of the order on CSU, approached the

district court to temporarily halt the discharge of the order for discovery till September 25, when he would file his appeal against the order.

Among others, he had submitted before the district court that Gilbert erred in making the order and claimed that the lower court went beyond its mandatory duty of recommending to the district court to give a final judgement.

He also pleaded protection and privacy laws regarding the release of academic records in the US. In urging the district court to rescind the order of the magistrate court, he said the documents Atiku sought from the court were for mere expedition purposes, which could not be used at the apex court in Nigeria.

Tinubu, however, pleaded that if the district court was inclined to upholding the judgement of Gilbert, it should be limited to the Diploma certificate he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

But delivering judgement on Saturday, Maldonado upheld and adopted the judgement of Gilbert.

The judge noted that Atiku’s case had merit, adding that the order cannot be limited to the Diploma certificate Tinubu submitted to INEC.

The judge held, "With three factors weighing in favour, and one neutral, the court finds on balance the discretionary factors support granting Atiku's application.

“President Tinubu did not specifically object to Judge Gilbert’s rulings with respect to the scope of the discovery requests, other than to generally state they are too broad.

"But even if he had, the court independently finds the requests are appropriately tailored to seek relevant information. Atiku did not object to the portion of Judge Gilbert’s ruling limiting the scope of his request for production four mentioned above, and at any rate, the court agrees that asking CSU to conduct electronic discovery is neither justified nor feasible at this time.

"The court, therefore, adopts Judge Gilbert’s ruling on the scope of the discovery requests. CSU must respond to Requests

Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, the Minister of State, Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.”

The labour delegation was led by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, the Deputy President, TUC, Dr. Tommy Etim Okon, NLC General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, among others.

Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the President and leader of the government team, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, announced that Tinubu

had accepted the organised labours demand that the wage award should be across board.

He said, "We've been at a closed door meeting with labor and government side since three o'clock. So, it's been about four-hour meeting.

"A lot of issues were addressed. Issues that concern the Nigerian worker, the average Nigerian worker. I can't begin to reel them out here. But I am happy to say that after four hours, we have reached certain agreements that is for the benefit of the Nigerian worker.

"Agreements on wage bill, agreements on committees on salary increment, CNG buses, on several other things, I believe, both TUC Labour and government side?

"Hopefully, we expect that Labour will call a meeting of their various branches and executive tomorrow to present the agreements that have been reached, and we pray and we believe and we hope that the strike will be called off on Tuesday.

of low-income workers only falling into the category of the wage bill.

“They spotted that and we communicated that to Mr. President and he quickly say and agreed that all categories of workers will be given the wage bill. There’s nothing like low-income, mid-income or high-income. I think that’s worthy of clarification tonight."

Also speaking, Ajaero said, "I don’t have much to say than what the Chief of Staff has said. We’ve been meeting and we’ve looked at almost all the issues, all the promissory notes from the government and we’ll look at how to translate them to workable reality.

“Then we’re going to take those promises to our organs, of course you know these people here cannot just wake up and review and call off action.

"So like he (Gbajabiamila) said, we’re hopeful that our organs will have a look at them and give us a fresh mandate on what next to do. So it’s a simple one."

for Production Nos. 1 through 4, though CSU need not respond to the portion of Request No. 4 that seeks ‘all communications to or from CSU concerning the certification of such documents by Jamar C. Orr, Esq., during the period of August 1, 2022 to August 1, 2023.’ (Dkt. 40 at 28.)

“As for the deposition, CSU must produce a witness that can address all five topics identified in the subpoena.”

The district court explained that the issue presented before it was much more limited, and stated that under the applicable U.S. law and the federal rules of discovery, Atiku was entitled to the production of documents and testimony that he was seeking from the CSU.

The judge ruled on Atiku’s entitlement to the sought documents, "The court finds that he is. This decision is in line with the underlying purpose of 28 U.S.C. § 1782 to promote judicial assistance to foreign courts and comports with the liberal discovery standards under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which encourage disclosure of potentially relevant information."

She disclosed that in arriving at its conclusion, the court held that the magistrate court, contrary to Tinubu’s claim, did not give a final ruling, but only a “report and recommendation” subject to de novo review for any objected-to portions.

On Tinubu's claim that Atiku could not use the academic records in his appeal at the Supreme Court, the district stated that it "cannot and will not speculate as to Nigerian law and procedure. What the court has before it is a sworn affidavit, which President Tinubu did not contest before Judge Gilbert, that the Supreme Court of Nigeria can consider new evidence under ‘exceptional circumstances’.

"In other words, it is undisputed that there is a mechanism by which Atiku could potentially inject the requested discovery into the foreign proceedings. Whether the Supreme Court of Nigeria will ultimately allow Atiku to use the documents, or whether it will consider them in its decision, are not questions for

the court to resolve.

"The potential means for Atiku to use the discovery in the foreign proceedings is sufficient, and this court goes too far if it requires Atiku to show that his use must be successful.”

While overruling Tinubu's objection, the court stated that Atiku "does not just question the authenticity of one diploma, but also questions whether President Tinubu actually attended and received any undergraduate degree from CSU at all, notwithstanding the fact that CSU has stated that President Tinubu did attend and receive a degree on June 22, 1979.

"In other words, while Atiku's challenge to the election results is tied to the submission of an allegedly fraudulent diploma, he has raised other broader claims in the same proceedings before the Court of Appeal about President Tinubu’s identity and graduation, as well as the authenticity and origin of other CSU documents that were obtained and produced as part of other Nigerian proceedings."

While adding that Atiku's case was not limited solely to the authenticity of a single document, but rather generally raised questions about Tinubu’s (and CSU’s) assertions about his attendance and graduation, the court held that discovery on other documents from CSU related to the president’s attendance and graduation were relevant to his claims, and properly considered to be “for use in” the foreign proceedings.

The judge ruled, "The court, therefore, finds that the ‘for use in’ statutory requirement under section 1782 is satisfied. The court reiterates, as mentioned at the outset, that in reaching this finding the court is not taking a position on the merits of any of Atiku's underlying claims as to the authenticity of the diploma submitted to the INEC, President Tinubu’s education and graduation, or the truth of what is or is not shown in any other CSU documents that have been produced in the Nigerian proceedings.

“Nor should the court’s opinion

Continued on page 33

"So, I want to once again, thank labour for taking time out on a good Sunday like this one when they should be with their families to come and discuss in the interest of the workers. Thank you very much.

"There was a lot of chatter on Twitter about the issue of low income workers only falling into the category of the provisional wage increase. And we did communicate with the president and he quickly did say and agreed that all categories of workers will be given the wage bill there is nothing like low income, median income or high income. I think that it was worthy of clarification tonight."

Making clarification on the N25, 000 provisional wage increment, the CoS said, "There was a lot of chatter on Twitter about the issue

On his part, Okon, said, "Let me on behalf of the TUC also point out to the fact that we’ve had series of conversations surrounding the issue raised and we do hope that by tomorrow we are going to get across to our organs so that we can also look at it and cross-fertilise ideas and see the way forward. I’m sure we’re coming back again tomorrow for that".

Earlier yesterday, the NLC and TUC had rejected the N25,000 wage award announced by Tinubu in his Independence anniversary speech and had described it as insufficient. Toro who reacted the government's proposal in a telephone chat with THISDAY, before they went to the meeting with the federal government delegation, had faulted the wage award.

“We must also seek divine intervention from God, I believe in prayer, so, I will always urge us to continue to pray.

“We must look back to find the purpose behind the vision of our founding fathers, who fought for our independence. The leaders must be committed to the progress of our society, and the followers must be responsible to hold the leaders accountable. We must all play our roles for the sake of prosperity.

“As the governor of the people, I have enshrined the culture of transparency and accountability in the governance of the affairs of Osun State. I have assembled a strong team of professionals from different fields.

“In fulfilment of my open governance agenda, I will be hosting the first edition of IPADE IMOLE in the coming days."

Yusuf: Nigeria Ought to Be Better, Urges Sobriety

Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf described the country's independence as a period for sober reflection to reconnect with history, assess the present, and make plans for the future and better Nigeria.

Speaking at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Yusuf saluted the resilience

of the country's past leaders, who vigorously fought for independence, saying Nigeria ought to be better than it currently is.

He said though, since independence, Nigeria had recorded significant progress, it ought to have done much better, considering the effort of its founding fathers, who laid a solid foundation on the principles of fairness, equity, justice and progress.

Yusuf stated, "At this moment of reflection, we must recognise and salute the efforts of all our previous leaders that contributed their quota in keeping our country united and catalysing our development to where we are today. It is only rational to also recognise that arising from some policy choices of some of our past leaders, our development and growth ought to have gone beyond where we are today.

"Our cohesion and unity ought to have been stronger than what it is today. Our security and stability ought to have been better than what it is today."

The governor urged the three tiers of government to provide a level playing ground for the youth, who made up more than half of the

Continued on page 10

63RD INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION...

NDPHC Decries Prohibitive Electricity Gas Pricing, Wants Local Transactions in Naira

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Limited has decried what it described as the ‘prohibitive’ pricing of gas used in generating thermal-based electricity nationwide.

Managing Director of the company, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, who spoke at the 2023 Nigeria Energy Summit (NES) which held in Lagos, said the cost of gas remains overly priced in Nigeria.

A statement by the organisation yesterday noted that Ugbo, therefore advocated for a rethink in the current practice of pricing domestically produced natural gas in foreign currency.

“I understand that producers have their own arguments, but unfortunately this is Nigeria and if Nigeria has over 200 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) of proven gas reserves, why is it so difficult to get gas?

“Maybe there has to be investment in technology that can bring out this gas cheaper. A big question is: why is gas denominated in US dollars? Before the unification of the exchange rates, we were buying gas at official rate of around N440/$ but now that is floated, are you going to pass the pass-through cost to consumers?

“Are you going to push over 100 per cent increase to consumers? That

will be difficult, and it emphasises the availability question,” he contended.

Although he admitted that renewables may be the future of energy supply globally, the NDPHC boss noted that as of now, Nigeria needs natural gas to power its heavy industries.

In his view, some industries like those in the steel sector and some other heavy power consumers cannot transit immediately to solar energy, explaining that they will still need natural gas.

“As such, we still have a lot of opportunities especially in power generation to ensure the consumption of gas as we transit to renewables. There are also opportunities in homes for the use of natural gas in cooking and such other uses.

“However, for gas to play an effective role as a transition fuel, certain challenges have to be dealt with.

“In the power sector, we have serious problems with availability of gas. For example, NDPHC has over 2,000 megawatts (mw) available generation capacity on the Western axis of the Niger, all the way from Delta State to Ogun State.

“ And we need at least 600 million Standard Cubic Feet of Gas (SCF) to power them. Incidentally, I just managed to get between 100

million and 120 million SCF of gas. It is that bad. So, availability is a major challenge,” he reiterated.

The NDPHC boss therefore advised that regulators in the electricity as well as oil and gas sectors should intervene to provide succour and ensure generation of enough electricity for Nigerians.

“If we can find a means to reduce cost of gas at least for domestic consumption, that

would help a lot. Gas should not be denominated in US dollars and then exposed to the vagaries of the forex market.

“As electricity producers, we need gas to fire our power plants. We should find a reasonable means to supply gas for domestic consumption. International Oil Companies (IOCs) have gas but they are unwilling to reserve gas for the domestic market.

“ I understand their position about illiquidity of the domestic market, but there needs to be a good handshake between the gas regulator and electricity regulator for us to harmonise interests,“ Ugbo argued.

He, however assured that nonetheless the challenges in the sector, the NDPHC will continue to strive to ensure that Nigerians get electricity supply in their homes

and workplaces. Nigeria, a nation of over 200 million people mostly depends on between 3,500mw and 4,500mw supply of electricity. Gas-generated power is about 80 per cent of current grid electricity. Although it is the 9th largest gas producer in the world, many power generation plants in the country suffer incessant shortages of the commodity.

FG to Reconstruct Collapsed Enugu Bridge after Minister’s Visit

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has said that the new Artisan Bridge located at kilometres 0+800 Enugu - Port Harcourt Expressway, which collapsed earlier in the week will be totally demolished, redesigned and reconstructed to avert future occurrences as well as loss of lives.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, who spoke when he visited the site of the collapsed bridge, said the recommendation was given by the engineers.

“Consequently, a team of engineers was deployed to the affected bridge location so as to collate relevant data, and investigate possible cause of the

collapse and come up with solution to restore the failed bridge.

“The minister visited the site to assess the extent of damage and to also proffer immediate solution to quickly assuage the suffering of both motorists and commuters plying the bridge,” a statement from the works ministry said.

Speaking on the development, Umahi said he had to immediately visit because he knew the collapsed bridge had been of critical use to the socio-economic growth of the entire South-east region, particularly those commuters within and outside Enugu.

Umahi assured the people that the federal government was doing everything humanly possible to reconstruct the bridge with better

Oil Communities Call for Forensic Audit of Niger Delta Ministry, Seek Increased Funding for NDDC

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta region have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to institute a forensic team to audit activities of the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry since its inception some 12 years ago.

In a resolution reached at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, over the weekend, the mineral producing communities reiterated that it would be to the best interest of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the ministry to either be scrapped or relocated to the Niger Delta region for maximum productivity.

“The President should institute and empaneled a forensic audit of

the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in order for him to have firsthand the issues that have militated against the optimal performance of the Ministry since its creation twelve years ago,” the communities said.

Speaking further on the development, the Convener of South-South Reawakening Group and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Oil and Gas Communities Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas, Joseph Ambakederimo, said the Ministry had not been useful and was yet to meet the aspirations of the people of the oil producing areas since it was established.

“We need the Honourable Minister to bring forth verifiable list of projects undertaken by his

Ministry for the past twelve years that the Ministry has existed either ongoing, completed or abandoned.

“We must verify these projects to corroborate our position that we have held before now. l will challenge the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Development to a debate on National Television so that we can better appreciate the position we have held that the Ministry does not need to exist a day longer than necessary.”

Ambakederimo said the Ministry was created to assuage the agitation of a people who were not actually sure of what the region really wanted.

“If you ask me what we have gained in the region with all the duplication of agencies with overlapping functions, my response

and that of many of our people would be nothing whatsoever.

“We have also identified that the Ministry is a distraction on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The NDDC decline started about three years after the Ministry was created and it became worse when the then Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, now the President of the Senate took charge.

“The obsession that was brought to bear on the NDDC was suspect and of course our fears were confirmed.”

He said the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye committee that listed the Ministry of Niger Delta Development amongst others to be scrapped was the most ideal recommendations given by that committee.

quality local content materials. He confirmed that the materials had been tested and would withstand long period of usage and could have a longevity of up to 50 years with no maintenance, especially with the use of concrete technology. According to him, this was already being pioneered in the construction of the Apapa-Oshodi road and the Lekki-Ajah Free Trade Zone area in Lagos state as well as in Ebonyi where he was governor and recently in Cross River state by the Governor Bassey Otu

Earlier, the Governor of Enugu state, Peter Mba, expressed appreciation to the federal government for the immediate response, with the visit of the minister.

The 50-year-old overhead bridge across the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway at the New Artisan Market in Enugu State, collapsed on September 27, without human casualty.

The incident which occurred at about 12 noon, left commuters stranded, creating heavy gridlock around the New Haven and Independence Layout area.

Tinubu Congratulates House Speaker, Abbas on His 58th Birthday

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has rejoiced with Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, as he clocked 58 years yesterday.

The president, according to a statement issued yesterday, by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, shared in the joy of Nigerians and well-wishers from around the world as they celebrated the humble Prince of Zazzau Emirate on his special day, particularly in view of his landmark contributions to the nation's House of Representatives as the legislator who sponsored the highest number of bills in the 8th Assembly between 2015 and 2019, before sponsoring a record-breaking 74 bills, out of which 21 were signed into law, in the 9th Assembly between 2019 and 2023.

Tinubu, noted that the Iyan Zazzau had equally served in numerous Committees in the House, such as Commerce, Finance, Special Duties, Defence, Public Procurement, amongst others, before emerging as the House Speaker through an election which recorded the greatest winning coalition vote in Nigerian Speakership election history with an overwhelming majority of 353 votes out of 359 votes cast.

The president prayed that God Almighty would continue to grant the respected academician greater wisdom and strength as the Speaker successfully sustains the worthy legacy of stable and productive leadership in the House of Representatives from the hallowed seat in determined pursuit of the actualization of the Renewed Hope agenda of the governing All Progressives' Congress-led administration of the President.

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

L–R: Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Vice President Kashim Shettima; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Speaker of House of Representative, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and Chief Judge of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola, cutting the cake to mark the 63rd. Independence Day celebration at the fore court of the Presidential Villa, Abuja ...yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI.

COURTESY VISIT TO EMIR OF KANO...

L-R: Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola; Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero and Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Umar Danbatta,

the palace of His Royal Highness ahead of the NCC’s annul Judges Workshop held in Kano ... recently

BUA Slashes Cement Price to N3,500, Promises Further Reduction Next Year

Dike Onwuamaeze

BUA Cement Plc has slashed its ex-factory price for a bag of cement to N3,500, from about N5,000 previously.

The new price, which was announced yesterday, by the management of BUA Cement in a statement titled, “Reduction in Prices of BUA Cement,” would take effect all over the country from today.

The management also pledged to cut down the price of the product further by first quarter of 2024, when it would have increased its production capacity to 17 trillion metric tonnes per annum.

BUA Cement added that all pending undelivered orders, which had been paid for at the old prices, would be reviewed downwards to N3,500 per bag in line with the new pricing from October 2, 2023.

The company explained:

“We refer to our previous pronouncement regarding out intent to reduce cement prices upon

the completion of our new lines at the end of the year in order to spur development in the building materials and infrastructure sector.

“As per the commitment made to reduce prices and following a periodic review of our operations for efficiency, the management of BUA Cement Plc wishes to announce and inform our esteemed customers, stakeholders and the public that effective October 2, 2023, we have decided to bring the price reduction forward.

“As a result, BUA Cement would now be sold at an ex-factory price of N3,500 per bag so that Nigerians can begin to enjoy the benefits of the price reduction before the completion of our plants.”

The management of BUA Cement also stated that, “upon completion of the ongoing construction of our new plants, which would increase our production volumes to 17 million metric tonnes per annum, BUA Cement Plc intends to review these prices further in line with our earlier pronouncements by the first quarter of 2024.”

Edo Govt to Review Workers' N40,000 Minimum Wage

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, said his administration had begun to review the N40,000 minimum wage to workers in the state.

This he said was with a view to further increase the minimum wage as part of measures to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal policy by the federal government.

Edo State government presently pays the highest minimum wage in the country.

The governor disclosed these in his 2023 Independence Day Anniversary Broadcast, in Benin City. He said his administration was taking steps within the limits of the resources available to the state by initiating and implementing policies and programmes to respond to the negative impact of recent fuel subsidy removal policy by the federal government.

Obaseki noted, “We have introduced free transport service for passengers on all routes operated by the state-owned Edo City Transport Service (ECTS), among many support programmes that the Edo State Government has put in place to reduce the challenge,

sufferings and exorbitant cost of living faced by Edo people.

“We are glad with the salutary impact of this initiative which covers 13 intra-city routes and several intercity city routes daily, covering towns and villages within the state’s three senatorial districts.

“Over 3,000 residents have benefited from the scheme in the first two weeks of the palliative programme, while over 1,500,000 residents are projected to benefit in the initial two months of the free transport initiative. We have placed new orders for additional CNG-run buses to increase the fleet."

He stated, “We also launched a 24-hour free Wi-Fi service in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other public places in the State to provide unlimited internet access to workers and other residents to enable them work effectively and efficiently from selected public spaces.”

According to him, “We have begun reviewing the minimum wage of our workers which is currently N40,000 (the highest in the country), with a view to increasing it as soon as the federal government revises the Revenue Allocation Formula.

It added that, “all pending, undelivered orders which had been paid for at the old prices will be reviewed downwards to N3,500 per bag in line with the new pricing from October 2, 2023.

“Our licenced dealers are also enjoined to ensure that end-users benefit from this reduction in exfactory prices as we will monitor field sales to ensure compliance.”

The Chairman of the BUA Group, Mr. Abdul Samad Rabiu, hinted recently that Nigeria might experience a significant drop in the price of cement in the short term.

Rabiu had said: “I appreciate where the government is coming from that the price of cement in Nigeria is high at almost N5,000 per bag.

“What do I intend to do? What

I told my shareholders is that we will engage with the government because we know that the price of cement cannot be cheaper if we are to import cement today.

“We have two lines that are coming on stream by the end of the year: The Line 3 and Sokoto Line 5, which will give us the combined capacity of six million metric tonnes (mmts). And by the time we have those two lines we will be having about 17 million metric tonnes per year.

“So, what we want to do is to support the government by sitting down with the minister to see how we can bring down the price of cement once we have these two lines up and running by the end of the year.

“I am happy to support the

government and we are going to reduce the cost of cement once these two lines are up and running. It is true that the price of cement is high now but that may simply be because of the devaluation (of the naira) and all the issues that we having now in the country.

“We are going to bring down the price of cement. This is a promise. Our ex-factory price of cement currently is about N4,000 or N4,300 per bag. The target is to reduce that substantially. We will do that. And we are not doing this because we are worried or concerned that government will allow importation of cement because we know that import is not going to be any cheaper.

“The reason we have to wait until the two lines come on stream

by the end of the year is simply to have additional volumes so that we can reduce the price, and even if others have not agreed to reduce the price, the market will compel them to come down because if you do not have enough volumes and you reduce the price the market may not take it.”

“But if you have the volume and you reduce your price with the huge volume that you have price must come down. Even if others are not ready to support the government they will be compelled because if they do not reduce they won’t be able to sell. That is why we want to wait till the end of the year when these two new lines are on stream. I will discuss with the minister and see how we can do this.”

TINUBU LEADS SHETTIMA, OTHERS TO MARK NIGERIA'S 63RD INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY

population.

Jonathan: It’s Time for Reflection, Commends Nigerians

Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, commended Nigerians for their steadfastness and loyalty to the country, in the face of the modest successes recorded and the development challenges the country had faced since independence.

In statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan encouraged Nigerians not to despair but remain committed to the task of charting a more progressive path for a greater tomorrow.

While noting that the anniversary offered citizens and leaders of the country an opportunity to reflect on the journey to nationhood since independence, Jonathan said, “It is now 63 years since our dear country got her independence from Britain.

"This commemoration offers us the opportunity to reflect on Nigeria’s great journey of nationhood; acclaim our modest strides, reassess the odds we survived, chart a path out of present challenges, and renew our hopes for a greater tomorrow.

“Our country has seen progress as well as setbacks. Patriotic Nigerians, believing in their country, have always stood firm, sharing in the glory of successes and feeling the pain of missed opportunities.”

Kingibe Commends Nigerians’ Resilience

The senator for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Ireti Kingibe, celebrated Nigerians for their ability

to whether the storms of adversity in the journey of nationhood.

Kingibe noted in her Independence Day message that only a few nations could withstand the kind of pressures, crises, and challenges Nigeria had faced since 1960 and still remain one corporate entity.

She said it was remarkable that despite a regrettable civil war, which raged for over three years, and a plethora of religious communal and conflicts, successive generations of Nigerians had ensured that the dream of the country’s founding fathers to bequeath to posterity one nation bound together by the ideals of unity, peace, tolerance and respect for law and due process, remained on course.

Kingibe stated, “Over the course of the last six decades, we have had challenges that would have splintered or perhaps even obliterated other nations. Indeed, we are witnesses to the fact that many nations, which thrived at the turn of the 20th century, have disappeared off the map of the world to be replaced by small and less cohesive entities.”

APC: We’re Committed to Restoring Nation's Greatness

The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) said it remained committed to the restoration of the country’s true greatness and prosperity.

National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, in a statement, commended the heroism of the founding fathers, who fought valiantly for the independence of

the great country. The party also paid tribute to members of the armed forces for their many sacrifices in defence of the unity and territorial integrity of the country.

The statement said, "We proudly celebrate 63 years of patriotism, bold strides, and resilience of our people, who have continued to achieve remarkable excellence in all spheres of human endeavour at home and abroad.

"In spite of apparent challenges and missed opportunities, our dear country continues to soldier on and remains a beacon of hope of the black race. We urge all Nigerians to join hands with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as it continues to deepen our democracy, harness our abundant human and natural resources, and unleash our transformative potential.

"As espoused in President Tinubu's 63rd Independence Day address to Nigerians, our commitment to the welfare and safety of citizens as well as the development of the country is resolute. The bold and determined reforms that are now underway will inure to the improvement of the living conditions of all Nigerians and reaffirm our pride of place in the comity of nations.

“Nigerians deserve the good life, and we remain committed to the restoration of our true greatness and prosperity as a nation."

PDP: Nigerians Need Not Pass Through This

Hardship Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),

yesterday, asserted that the 63rd Independence Day address by President Bola Tinubu was empty and merely aspirational in the wrong direction, despite the “harrowing and life-discounting experiences” of Nigerians under the APC administration.

In a statement by National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party said Tinubu’s admission in his speech that his administration was responsible for the current excruciating hardship in the country validated PDP’s position that his government lacked the competence, capacity, required skills and humaneness to effectively run the affairs of the country.

PDP insisted that Nigerians did not need to pass through agonising hardship, as being excused by Tinubu, if the country was run by a government that had the required vision and skills to harness and manage the abundant economic potential, national comparative advantage, and expanded value chain that abound in the country’s vast but dormant productive sector.

The party stated, "The expectation of Nigerians on a day like this was for a presidential speech that will provide concrete solution to critical challenges of the nation, including security as well as the crisis in the electricity and petroleum sectors. Indeed, any serious government with requisite capacity and vision will set a Marshall Plan on every critical sector, which have capacity to galvanise and stimulate the economy through job creation.

during a courtesy visit to

63RD INDEPENDENCE CHURCH SERVICE...

FG Directs Mandatory Employees’ Contributions to NSITF Scheme

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government has issued a circular for the commencement of the mandatory contributions of one per cent of the emoluments of all public servants to the Employees’ Compensation Scheme of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)

A statement by NSITF’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Nwachukwu Godson, noted that the federal government gave the directive through a circular dated September 22, 2023, which was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief George Akume.

He said the circular was copied to all arms of the federal government and agencies under them.

Nwachukwu, said the directive was sequel to an earlier decision taken at the Extraordinary Session of Federal Executive Council under President Buhari had on Monday, May 15, 2023, where approval was given for statutory

one per cent e-deduction from the total emoluments of the federal public servants as employee compensation contributions, with effect from January 2023.

According to Godson, the circular stated that the Minister of Finance was directed to, “deduct the contributions from source and remit same to the NSITF for the payment of claims and compensations to deserving beneficiaries for death, injury, disease or disability sustained in the course of duty as provided in the Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010, Act No. 13. “It further directed all ministries, departments and agencies to “ensure strict compliance with the circular.”

The Managing Director of the NSITF, Maureen Allagoa, hailed the bold decision of the federal government, saying the Fund had further been energised to deliver on its responsibilities to the Nigerian workers.

While on an official visit to the new office, housing the Abuja Region and FCT Branch of the Fund in the Maitama area,

Allagoa said: “we received a circular from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, making it compulsory for one per cent contribution from the total emoluments of public servants to be compulsorily remitted to the NSITF in view of the Employees’ Compensation Act.

“This is a giant plus to our charge as the nation’s core social security agency as it will give a big push to the momentum of our operations in their ramifications. There shall be no excuses on our own part in fully keying into the Renewed Hope Agenda of the federal government. The effort is collective and we shall not rest on our oars until we reach out to all Nigerian workers whether in the formal or informal sector.”

She also stated that the fact that the current government had taken the, “bold and great step means we are moving in the right direction.” Observing that the urgency given to securing a new office for the Abuja region and the FCT branch was in line with

her commitment to decent work, Allagoa re-assured the workers of, “rights at work, human dignity, social protection and dialogue in line with the Decent Work Agenda of the International Labour Organisation.”

“We have gone round and observed some challenges which will be tackled forthwith. Staff should feel comfortable, your welfare is key because once we get the staff welfare correct, everything falls in place in terms of performance.

“Earlier in the year, some buses were procured and sent to offices in each region to ease operations. And recently, we received another batch of ten buses for distribution while the rest will come at the end of the year.

“To further boost morale, management is putting together a reward package for those staff who personally and collectively distinguish themselves in the performance of duty. The measure will spur others on.

“Besides, we are working out a new three-tier structure

Soludo Renames Anambra Airport after Literary Icon, Chinua Achebe

Says: my govt firing from all cylinder to develop Anambra

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has announced the renaming of the Anambra International Airport after late Prof. Chinua Achebe.

Soludo, revealed this during the Independence Day celebration at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital.

The governor also stated that his government was firing from all cylinders, to ensure the development of the state, saying that the state would swim out of the troubled waters it finds itself.

Speaking on the renaming of the airport, Soludo said it was heartwarming that a good number of those who contributed to the independence of Nigeria in 1960, have had varying degrees of projects named after them.

He however, noted that almost all projects that had been named after persons were named after public office holders. He said his government would break away from the norm to recognise Achebe by naming the Anambra Airport after him.

"We must signal that you don’t have to hold political position to contribute to the advancement of our civilisation.

"Henceforth, we shall be deliberate in fishing out and celebrating our largely unsung heroes, as motivation to our children and youths in terms of what matters, including distinguished teachers, medical and other professionals, persons of honesty and integrity, philanthropists with known sources of wealth, entrepreneurs/ job creators, community leaders/

developers, clergy with great devotion, etc.

"An example of Africa’s unsung hero is late Professor Albert Chinualumogu Achebe.

"Achebe was not a President or Governor or Minister. He did not build bridges or roads or airports. But he will outlive most presidents, governors or ministers.

"Achebe gave the African literature an identity and a voice. In a way, he rightly reconstructed and redefined who we are and we will never forget. Indeed, he was not an Anambra hero, nor a Nigerian hero. He was an African and global hero, and yet largely unsung at home.

"Consequently, we will rename the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Umueri, to Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri. Yes, it has to be

an international airport, and we hope to work with the federal government to give full effect to its international status," Soludo said.

Speaking on his achievements in less than two years, Soludo said: "Here in Anambra, we are deliberately executing the five pillars of the Soludo Solution Manifesto (Security, law and Order; Infrastructure and Economic Transformation; Human Capital and Social Agenda; Governance and Value System; and an agenda for clean, green, planned and sustainable communities, markets and cities).

"We are firing from all cylinders in our haste to lay the foundations for a livable and prosperous homeland. In March 2024, we shall present our two-year comprehensive report card to Ndi Anambra."

for MPR. First is the monthly online engagement with branch and regional managers to keep track of their performance, then the quarterly regional MPR –

where two or three regions will be brought together at a centre with delegates sent from the head office and finally, the biannual MPR.”

Abiodun Hails Tribunal’s

Verdicts, Dedicates Victory to

God, Ogun People

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo

Abiodun has dedicated his victory at the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, to God Almighty and the people of the state for their unwavering support, pledging to rededicate himself towards serving them better.

Abiodun, who spoke at a reception at Abeokuta, described the 11 hours judgement as another first in the anal of the history of the state and country, commending the three tribunal judges for not just ensuring justice, but doing so in a meticulous, diligent and transparent manner.

Abiodun, maintained that he had never entertained any doubt that his hard-earned victory would be affirmed as he had prayed and trusted in the Almighty God having worked the hardest and taken his campaigned to every nooks and crannies of the State.

"We earned it, we deserved it, you are all a testimony of our triumph, tenacity, resolved and determination. I want to thank all the good people of Ogun State that voted me in and all other wellwishers for your prayers, good wishes and support throughout this period.

"We were never in doubt that our hard-earned victory will be affirmed as we placed our trust in God, having worked the hardest campaigning in every nook and cranny of Ogun State.

“We won fair and square, we earned it and deserved it. You are all a testimony of our triumph of tenacity and of our resolve and determination.

"Want to appreciate the judiciary, particularly the three tribunal judges led by Justice Kunaza for not just dispensing justice but doing so transparently, diligently and thoroughly," Abiodun said.

The governor thanked his legal team whom he described

as, "very experienced, learned and respected lawyers" for their professionalism, as well as the APC leaders and party members for their unwavering support and for believing in him.

While extending hands of fellowship to the oppositions and the petitioners, Abiodun called on them to join hands with his government to develop the state, emphasising that having exercised their fundamental human rights at the tribunal, it was time to leave the past and work for the betterment of the people.

"This is a victory for democracy, victory for rule of law and judiciary, a victory for our great party APC and victory for Ogun State.

"We hope the petitioners/ distractors having failed to buy the election and failed to buy judgement in pretense of exercising their fundamental rights and lost will now in the spirit of patriotism congratulate and join hands with us in implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda," he said.

The governor promised to work for the betterment of the state, even as he reiterated the irrevocable commitment of his government to spread development to all parts of the state.

He said: "We are committed to the irrevocable implementation of our vision through our ISEYA mantra for the wholesome development of our state. I will remain fair, just, equitable and inclusive.

"I again reiterate that no part of this state will be developed at the expense of another. I will be Governor of all. We have three years and eight months left to fulfill all our electoral promises made in the course of campaign."

Earlier in his remarks, the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Yemi Sanusi, said the victory would propel the governor to work more to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

L-R: Wife of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun; IGP, Kayode Egbetokun; Wife of the Chief of Army Staff, Mariya Lagbaja: Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja; Wife of Chief of Defence Staff, Lilian Musa and Her husband, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, during the interdenominational Church Service to mark 63rd Nigeria's Independence Anniversary in Abuja yesterday ENOCK REUBEN

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION IN AWKA…

Adelabu: FG Will Tackle Challenges in Power Sector

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The federal government has assured that the current challenges facing the nation's power sector would be tackled

headlong.

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu gave the assurance yesterday, while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the nation's 63rd Independence

UBA Charts Course for Sustained Profitability in H2

Following the positive performance in the first half (H1) of the 2023 financial year, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has said it was firmly committed to achieving sustained profitability by the end of second half (H2) of the year.

The bank’s management assured its stakeholders including shareholders, local and foreign investors as well as its teeming customers of its pledge to customercentric values with the aim of building upon its successes to drive further growth by the end of the current financial year.

According to a statement, UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who addressed participants at the H1 2023 Investor Conference Call Presentation, explained that the bank's impressive performance was characterised by robust revenue generation, prudent cost management, and strategic capital allocation.

According to him, these achievements have provided the bank with a solid foundation upon which to further enhance its position as a leading financial institution in Africa and beyond.

In its first half results ended June 30, 2023, UBA showcased its financial resilience and strength, surpassing expectation with remarkable performance as it reported a profit before tax of N404 billion, representing a rise by 371 per cent, compared to N85.75 billion recorded in the first half of 2022. With that performance, UBA became the most profitable financial institution in Nigeria.

The result also showed that its operating income grew by 206.6 per cent to N783.96 billion in June

2023; higher than N255.67 billion reported a year earlier, just as it delivered a 164 per cent growth in its gross earnings which rose to N981.78 billion as at June 2023, up from N372.36 billion recorded last year in June 2022.

Alawuba said, “These figures reflect our ability to finance future growth and help individual customers, families, businesses and non-profit organisations to carry out their projects. At UBA, we remain focused on our Customer First philosophy and growing our share in the various markets we operate.”

Continuing, he said, “Thanks to our scale, geographic footprint and business diversification, we have numerous opportunities to grow, which should allow us to remain our customers' first choice and to make the most of those opportunities, our focus is on implementing plans that enhance the existing network across all the countries and businesses, and improving the profitability of our core businesses through disciplined capital allocation.”

He further promised that notwithstanding the accomplishments in the first half of the year, the bank was committed to rendering excellent services to its customers and staying focused on its strategy and corporate objectives.

Just last week, the bank announced the rolling out of a special financing initiative aimed at powering the growth of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) all over Africa. In partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat, UBA is to inject up to $6 billion into eligible SMEs across Africa over the next three years.

Anniversary at the State House, Abuja.

The minister, who explained that the people have suffered enough from the pains of the prevailing economic realities, called for patience with the assurance of better days ahead especially in the power sector.

According to him: "We are committed to making sure that we tackle this problem in the energy sector headlong. From all the segments, from generation to transmission to distribution, to ensure that we bring electricity to the door step of every household, every business, every institution and every industry.

"It is true that we have abundance of human resources, we are also blessed with abundance of natural mineral resources. All these can never be harnessed, can never be realised if there’s no energy. So we must focus on generating enough energy to ensure we

turn the country’s fortunes around."

On how soon stable electricity would be delivered to Nigerians, Adelabu said: "Let me be very frank with you, it will be premature of me, after five weeks in the office to come out and make some commitment, which are really not backed by any fact.

“What we’re doing now, what we’re trying to conclude is actually the diagnosis of the problem in my own sector. What are the causes? How do we move forward? What are the solutions that are workable?

“Not just any solution; realistic solutions that can actually give back to Nigerians dividends of democracy within the shortest possible time.

"What I can tell you is that before the end of this administration, Nigerians will start feeling the impact of this government. That’s the commitment I can make

for now."

Commenting specifically on the independence anniversary, the Minister said "Beyond the ceremonies, my take is that it calls for sober reflections. It’s not really so much about gaining independence, not so much of marking the 63rd Independence Anniversary ceremony, but how much have we been able to achieve in the past 63 years after independence.

"How much has every Nigerian been able to feel the impact of government in terms of socioeconomic growth of the country, what is the standard of living of a typical Nigerian? What is the cost of living? Are we really feeling like an independent country? Those are the questions that we need to ask ourselves after 63 years of independence.

"My consolation, however, is the fact that this administration is committed to improving the life of the average Nigerian,

in terms of us benefiting from the dividends of democracy.

“The President is doing a lot and he has actually charged cabinet members to do everything possible in their respective sectors to ensure that the country is able to achieve its desired economic growth and industrial development so that all the sectors can live up to expectations.

"I’m using this opportunity of the anniversary to appeal to Nigerians to exercise some level of patience and understanding. We can feel their pains, they have suffered for too long, they have not felt the impact of government for too long, but this administration is committed to changing the course for good and I’m promising that for my own part, from the Federal Ministry of Power, we’re committed to ensuring that Nigerians are saved from the years energy poverty they have suffered."

Katsina Records 655 Suspected Cases of Diphtheria

Vaccinates 400,000 Children To establish additional treatment centres

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Shamsudeen Yahaya, has revealed that the state has recorded 655 suspected cases of diphtheria in 33 out of the 34 Local Government Areas of the state.

Yahaya, in a chat with THISDAY, identified Katsina, Charanchi, Dutsinma, Ingawa, Kaita, Kusada, Mai’Adua, Musawa and Zango, as the worst hit local government areas in the state.

He, however, said the state government had so far vaccinated over 400,000 children against the contiguous disease in nine out of the 33 affected local governments.

He, further, explained that the vaccination campaign, which targets children between six weeks to 14 years, would be extended to the remaining affected local governments in no distant time.

Yahaya, explained that Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, had approved the procurement and distribution of drugs and other commodities worth millions of naira to prevent and control the outbreak.

He said the state government was supporting the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina with diphtheria antitoxin, adding that plans had been concluded to establish additional treatment centres in Funtua and Daura senatorial zones.

With support from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control

(NCDC), Yahaya said the state government had perfected plans to optimise its laboratory to make preliminary diagnosis instead of taking samples to Abuja for confirmation.

He said: "The SPHCA has conducted vaccination in 9 LGAs that are worse affected and is planning to conduct another outbreak response vaccination in the next few days. We have about 655 suspected cases with some deaths recorded.

"Our Emergency Operation Centre in SPHCA is coordinating the response and meets daily to review the situation and reports to the Hon Commissioner, state ministry of health who chairs the Emergency Preparedness and response committee.

"We are supporting the

Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina with diphtheria antitoxin (a very scarce drug for treatment) and we planned to open another treatment centre in Funtua and Daura."

Yahaya, added that the government also supported the training of primary healthcare workers on management of diphtheria, active case search and contact tracing, sensitisation and awareness creation about the disease.

He said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO), National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and other development partners were providing technical and logistics support to tame the outbreak in the state.

L-R: Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and former Minister of Labour and Employment and former Governor of the Stat e, Dr. Chris Ngige, at the Alex Ekwueme Square, during the independence day celebration in Awka…yesterday

As Kaduna Petitions Tribunal Judgement Affirms Uba Sani’s Election...

John

on

Governor

Confusion trailed last Thursday’s judgement of the Kaduna governorship election petition tribunal following the misinterpretation of an aspect of the judgment.

The misinterpretation of the judgement led to the embarrassing conflicting reports about the decision of the tribunal.

Both supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the city were agog with celebration of victory.

By the time a clearer picture of things began to emerge, it dawned on the people especially supporters of the PDP that their candidate had lost.

The confusion arose when the tribunal said the PDP petition could have succeeded based on its merit, but it was dismissed because the pre-hearing trial was abandoned.

On the merit of the case, the tribunal held that if the petition had not been dismissed on technical grounds, it would have ordered a supplementary election in 22 polling units within 90 days.

This explanation is in accordance with previous Supreme Court judgments that tribunals must determine the merit of a case even if the case would be dismissed on technical grounds.

This is so as to avoid starting petition trial afresh in case the apex court eventually dismisses the technical grounds on appeal.

In the past, when tribunal had any reason to dismiss a case on technical ground, it did it without bothering itself to look into the content of the case, to see wether it had merit or not.

It was more like a case of throwing away the baby with the bath water.

Many people wrongly interpreted the explanation of the tribunal to mean that the tribunal declared the election inconclusive and ordered for a rerun.

The three-man panel, led by Justice Victor Oviawie, delivered the judgment via Zoom, affirming Uba Sani’s victory.

The PDP and its candidate, Isah Ashiru, had challenged the declaration of Uba Sani, candidate of the All

Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had declared Sani as the winner of the election, having secured 730, 001 votes against his closest rival Ashiru who garnered 719, 196 votes.

Mohammed Lawal, one of the counsels of the PDP, admitted that the opposition party filed its pre-hearing suit late.

One of the PDP lawyers, Mohammed Lawal, while shedding more light on the judgment of the tribunal said, “What actually happened was that APC raised an objection about our pre-hearing petition that we filed out of time.

“But the position of the Electoral Act is that the tribunal must go into the nitty gritty.

“Now they found that there is the need for rerun in 22 polling units in four LGAs.

“We cannot activate that as inconclusive unless we appeal against that decision that declared our petition abandoned.

“The final decision of the court has two arms, that is what confused people.

“One declared our petition as abandoned, the second deci-

sion declared the election inconclusive but, that inconclusive decision cannot be activated unless the decision declaring the petition abandoned, is appealed against and set aside.

“So technically the tribunal declared the petition abandoned and dismissed it.”

The Kaduna governor, while reacting to the judgment affirming his election, said the judgment was an “unequivocal affirmation of the popular mandate given to him by the people”.

“I am extremely delighted and humbled by the ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal affirming my victory in the 2023 Kaduna State Governorship Elections. I commend the tribunal for their thoroughness and lucidity. “They have enriched our jurisprudence and practice of electoral democracy.”

He commended his opponent for approaching the court to ventilate his grievances.

“I also commend my dear brother, Hon. Isah Ashiru Kudan for approaching the Tribunal to ventilate his grievances. This is a clear demonstration of his belief in the principles of democracy and the imperative of civility in the conduct of political actors”, Sani said.

The governor called on Isah and members of the opposition parties in Kaduna State to join hands with his administration as it strive to move the state forward.

Also reacting to the Tribunal’s

The misinterpretation of the judgement led to the embarrassing conflicting reports about the decision of the tribunal. Both supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the city were agog with celebration of victory. By the time a clearer picture of things began to emerge, it dawned on the people especially supporters of the PDP that their candidate had lost. The confusion arose when the tribunal said the PDP petition could have succeeded based on its merit, but it was dismissed because the pre-hearing trial was abandoned.

judgement, Ashiru, however, said the ruling would be appealed and urged his supporters to remain law-abiding.

In a statement, he assured the people of Kaduna that he would pursue the mandate they gave him to its logical conclusion.

“Given the ruling of the Kaduna state election tribunal, it has become necessary to share with our teaming supporters, the true position of the ruling,” the statement reads.

“On the preliminary objection, the tribunal, based on the majority of 2:1 judges upheld the preliminary objection of the respondent to the effect that the application for pre-hearing was done prematurely i.e. before the service of the last set of petitioners’ reply to the 2nd respondent’s reply to the petition was served.

“However, the law enjoins the tribunal, as a trial court, to proceed to pronounce on the merit of the substantive suit so that in the event the court of appeal finds that the trial tribunal was wrong in its decision on the preliminary objection, it would have the benefit of pronouncing on the decision of the tribunal in the substantive matter.

“Accordingly, the trial tribunal finds merit in the aspect of the petitioner’s case relative to the margin of win between the two leading candidates.

“The tribunal by a split decision of 2:1 accordingly, nullified the election of the governor of Kaduna state, ordered that the Certificate of Return be retrieved and fresh elections be conducted in some polling units in four LGAs and the outcome thereof be reckoned with before the declaration of the winner of the governorship election in Kaduna state.

“I want to again thank the people of the state while urging them all to remain law abiding while we pursue the appeal process.”

Now that the first legal battle has been settled, it is time for Sani to focus on fulfilling its promises to the people. Kaduna citizens expects much from him. They are in dire need of good roads, good hospitals as well as tackling the growing insecurity in the state.

Shiklam writes

how the recent judgement of Kaduna Elections Petitions tribunal which affirmed the election of

Uba Sani was misinterpreted by some individuals.

Sani Ashiru

www.thisdaylive.com opinion@thisdaylive.com

THE LAGOS EXCEPTIONAL IGR

Lagos is on path of sustainable growth, writes ADE OGUNDE

COMMUNICATING THE PRESIDENT

See page 18

NGX IN THE THROES OF BOOBY TRAP

SOLA ONI argues that NGX should not be allowed to lose its original identity

I was opportune to serve in the Olusegun Obasanjo/Atiku Abubakar administration at the beginning of our Fourth Republic. Obasanjo was a rather controversial personality. The media had stereotyped him as unfriendly and adversarial over time. The very fact that he opted for a medical doctor in broadened the hiatus between Obasanjo and the press. Okupe cut his dentition as National Publicity Secretary of the defunct one of the two political parties established

the actualization of Nigeria’s botched Third Republic. He was a good communicator of Obasanjo’s appointees were tested and respected journalists who added steel and spine to presidential communication in the nation’s nascent democracy.

See page 18

university scholar and proprietor of the rested Ad’Obe Obe who succeeded Ugochukwu loop. Younger elements like Steve Itugbu and yours sincerely contributed to making up for observed lacunae in the management and communication of the voice of the president. Tunji Oseni and Remi Oyo both accomplished Okupe’s position at various times during the presidential communication.

The preceding parade of presidential

EDITORIAL

THE GROWING THREAT OF DIPHTHERIA

hitherto referred to as “Chief Press Secretary”

was spokesman for the defunct National

He was succeeded by Charles Igoh who upon the ascent of President Shehu Shagari

Muhammadu Buhari became military ruler in 1984.

Babangida. Sola Atere who retired a few years

Shonekan as Head of the Interim National federal parliamentarian who also had editorial variously was appointed to the position

the 11-month transitional rule of Abdulsalami Abubakar as Head of State. newspapers before becoming spokesman

umbrella body of Nigeria’s topmost media professionals.

the foregoing trajectory to properly situate

desires to be seen as very pan-Nigerian in the

He also wants to be portrayed as a believer in the capacity of the youth as important contributors to the Nigerian project. These

attorneys may be assigned to administer

lot more. It is neither for greenhorns nor for apprentices. The output of the current holder randomly unprofessional and notably unpresidential. The margins of error in this job are thin and minimal.

played the ultimate propagandist. He dished out false narratives and had the unpleasant task of doing a recant on both Tinubu’s engagements with the authorities subsisting visa ban on Nigerians travelling country put out a disclaimer. About a week

bell in New York. This again turned out a Tanzania rang the NASDAQ closing bell in by information technology.

Presidential communication is beyond press statements which seem to be Ngelale’s forte. His releases are wordy and characteristically riddled with grammatical errors. Sentences wriggle and wind around and about in vocation guided by strict rules and regulations.

facts without unnecessary embellishments writers and essayists. I should know having spokesman at various times. Not forgetting words. There must be symmetry between the sound and semantics of the written word.

endorsement is unacceptable and dangerous. the fawning aides around him opening his

to information dissemination at the highest levels.

Ngelale comes from the background of the electronic segment of the media. He team of Buhari in 2019 and was rewarded with an appointment as a presidential aide Tinubu presidential organisation which culminated in his current recognition.

Olusunle, PhD, poet, journalist, scholar and author is a Member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, (NGE)

TUNDE OLUSUNLE reckons that Presidential communication is not impressive

THE LAGOS EXCEPTIONAL IGR

Lagos is the heartbeat of Nigeria. A subnational entity that bears a large chunk of the burden of the country. It is the first state to solely shoulder the responsibility of financing a light rail. The Lagos Blue Light Rail was recently commissioned with excitement from Lagosians and other Nigerians in general. The feat was not a mere achievement by any standard. Lagos set the record as the first subnational entity to successfully undertake and deliver such a capital intensive project. The Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration that has been breaking new frontiers in infrastructure development also assured Lagosians that the much expected

because we are going in the right direction and, hopefully, we can continue to build on that to attract the right investments and funding to be able to solo-fund our budgets and our projects.”

He added: “We have a huge informal sector and we hope to tap into it to get the benefits therein. It is something the state is very keen to exploit. We have the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, which helps the small and medium enterprises with loans and grants, and we will continue to build on that. The SME’s are integral parts of our economy. This is why this consultative forum is important – we hear from the people what they need and we act on it because we are better informed. And when the people know what they are getting, they comply more with paying their taxes and levies promptly.

Special adviser to the governor on Economic Planning and Budget, Olalekan Balogun, said the “2024 budget is geared towards the development of the state and its residents through the provision of improved welfare packages that will be commensurate to the present economic landscape, which will focus on adequate and proper distribution of wealth and critical infrastructural development of each division of the state for a more sustainable living.”

SOLA ONI argues that NGX should not be allowed to lose its original identity

NGX IN THE THROES OF BOOBY TRAP

It used to be a great privilege and status up till 2010, before the palace coup at the board sent virtually all of us in the management sympathy for the system remains absolute. except internal restructuring that occasionally

later upscaled to Directorates, but the heads

It is heartwarming and commendable that was initiated during our administration, became operational in March 2021, under

wholly-owned subsidiaries: Nigerian Exchange

Red Line Rail is 95 percent completed. He said it will be ready for commissioning by December, 2023.

The massive strides of Lagos in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, human capital development, amongst others could not have been possible without a solid financial framework instituted by the government. The credit for the current impressive financial outlook of Lagos is that of the former governor of the state, now President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the builder of modern Lagos. When he became governor in 1999, Lagos State was earning N600 Million as Internally Generated Revenue. Asiwaju Tinubu reformed the finance structures of Lagos, and re-engineered the tax collection system, leveraging technology. The reforms yielded expected results and the revenue of the state grew to over N6 billion per month when he left office as the governor of Lagos State in 2007.

The solid financial foundation laid by the Bola Tinubu administration in Lagos was what the successive administrations have been building on. Babajide Raji Fashola pushed the IGR higher, Governor Ambode did his best and Babajide Sanwo-Olu expanded the tax net without adding to the burden of Lagosians.

Today, the IGR has increased significantly. In the first half of the year 2023, the state earned a whopping N400 billion as Internally Generated Revenue. This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ope George. He said: “We have a good credit rating and good IGR which can help us attract the right set of investment and funding. So, we have to be very creative with our funding by ensuring it’s a mix of IGR and all the funding mechanisms. We’re looking at PPP’s, and being able to get nice concessions at the right rates. So I think we’re fortunate

It is very certain that the trajectory of development in Lagos will be sustained with the new crop of professionals assembled by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as commissioners and special advisers. They are distinguished men and women who have excelled in their previous careers.

Those who served in the first tenure of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the new members of the cabinet came into the job with impressive curriculum vitae and wealth of experience. Professor Akin Abayomi, who manned the Health ministry was a champion during the challenging period of COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the Incident Commander, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Health Commissioner worked creditably well in containing the plaque of Coronavirus.

Gbenga Omotosho, an accomplished journalist and newspaper editor of repute also demonstrated unusual capacity in the management of the public communication and perception management for the government. Lagosians, and other stakeholders are regularly kept informed about the plans and the activities of the government.

Tokunbo Wahaab, the then special adviser on Education, who is now in charge of Environment also delivered. Abisola Olusanya, a young lady in her mid-30’s also performed well when she held sway at the Ministry of Agriculture, the same ministry she got re-appointed. Tunbosun Alake also proved his mettle, ditto for many others who served.

The last lap of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu government will be greater than the former. He started with the commissioning of the Blue Light Rail. Lagosians can only hope for the best under the dynamic leadership of Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his team.

Ade Ogunde writes from Lagos

mode of operation, the organisation is supposed to be attractive to the future drivers of the

the last two years suggests that all is not well in the market. Since demutualisation is just two years old, one can argue that it is too early to assess the relevance or otherwise of the new group structure of the Exchange. However, if morning shows the day, there is a need to examine what is fast becoming an underbelly of the group structure, the implications on the Exchange that promises to be the Nigerian investment gateway and the way forward.

operate in silos with individual Board and

I do not think his successor will automatically come from within as the job will likely be have to compete with the external applicants, an indication of lack of succession plan in an organisation whose business is highly technical.

may be making money through listing and trading charges but are the other subsidiaries

Stock Exchange demutualised in 2007 and operates a comfortable group structure. In a group structure which is practised by some leading companies in Nigeria, technically on secondment to the subsidiary

emerge from the CEO of any subsidiary as leading a subsidiary is a tutelage to lead the entire group. appears strange and therefore esoteric. It is at variance with all-known models in this

various Boards and Management of each entity to address the ugly situation . It’s or deliberately created to weaken the system and make it attractive to corporate raiders. Corporate raiders are always on the prowl.

many shareholders, especially institutional ones at premium through a crossed- deal without infringing on the easy-to- breach information disclosure. FMDQ is already poised to execute the hatchet job. For a valid peer review, FMDQ’s silver spoon background should be discounted from some of the key drivers of the Nigerian Nigeria where one can be a judge in his own court. After some initial resistance from the shareholders, FMDQ had in June this year snapped up 16.61% holdings of Artemis Limited and 5% stake of Leadway Insurance, totaling 21.61 % in CSCS through NASD PLC. FMDQ shot into fame with trading in debt instruments when it came on board.

will agree that trading in debt instruments Exchange during its formative years. It was more popular than equity when uncle Olutola Mobolurin and his peers were actively engaged in manual trading. But at a point, the infectious share purchase through the activities of shareholders’ associations overshadowed trading in debt instruments and the market became top-heavy in equity trading . FMDQ took advantage of the niche market. Currently , the bankers are the ones mainly reaping the dividends of the debt and currency market to the exclusion of the reverse the trend.

have been achieved about two years ago but for the Otunba Abimbola Ogunbanjoled Board that strenuously resisted all the moves by FMDQ during his tenure as the President of the mutual NSE . As a seasoned corporate lawyer, he knew the implications on the future existence of the Exchange. His voluntary resignation as the Chairman to douse the raging tension ahead of the

is nothing wrong with a group structure if it is properly managed. Singapore Exchange

income, currency and Commodity. But the divisions do not operate in silos. Brazilian

Lagos is on path of sustainable growth, writes ADE OGUNDE

Nigeria@63: Renewed Hope Mantra and Present Day Realities

As Nigeria celebrates its 63rd independence anniversary this October 1, Sunday Ehigiator writes that as against the 'Renewed Hope' campaign mantra of the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, the present day realities for the common Nigerian look 'bleak'

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria achieved its long-sought independence from colonial rule, marking a historic milestone in the struggle for freedom, autonomy, and sovereignty.

Since gaining independence, Nigeria has made significant progress in various fields, including education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and economic growth, and has emerged as a leading force in Africa.

The country's independence day serves as a reminder of the importance of unity, diversity, and the pursuit of a brighter future for all citizens, regardless of their background, and encourages us to work collectively to address the challenges that lie ahead.

This year's independence day celebration came at the wake of a keenly contested election year, where Nigerians, especially those who had once lost hope in their country, threw more support for the candidate that promised them 'renewed hope'.

When President Bola Ahmed Ahmed who eventually emerged as their current president of country, they truly are undeserving of the seemingly 'renewed suffering' they are currently faced with.

Present Realities

In the twilight of the arguably unpopular administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the travails of the nation do not seem to be abating.

In the weeks before the election, the country faced the multiple crises of fuel scarcity, a massive spike in the cost of living and a cash scarcity.

Nigeria was also already experiencing extensive national security threats. These affect almost all of the country in different ways. There is a banditry crisis in the north-west and north-central regions.

Separatist violence and associated criminal opportunism affect the south-east.

Some parts of the south are controlled by gangs and ritual brigands whilst others are affected by piracy and oil theft. In the wider northern Nigeria jihadist terrorism was rampant.

The state of the nation in the past seven and a half years of Buhari’s ad-

ministration has been precarious. His government appeared to be unable to protect the country from its multiple governance and development woes.

This perhaps formed the background to a 'renewed hope' promise to Nigerian's by President Tinubu and the rulling all progressive party which ironically is the same party that brought to power, the former President Buhari's administration which drowned Nigerian's into the hopelessness they found themselves in the first place.

Unfortunately, despite the promise, nothing seems to be improving but rather looking worse with hopelessness looking renewed daily instead of hope.

Within the last five months of President Tinubu's tenure as president, a dollar is officially valued at N1,050, while a Pound is valued at N1200. A litre of diesel is now sold as high as N1,050, a Kilogram of cooking gas sold at N850, and a still subsidised litre of petrol is sold at N620.

All of these increase continues to win the day while the nation minimum wage remains at N30,000.

Some Nigerians are not being paid their salary on time or not even getting paid at all by their employers within the past five months in view due to difficulties in funding operational cost which is heavily under threats by the removal of fuel subsidy and subsequent increase in the price of Petrol which followed.

Even those that are paid are faced with inflation rate which currently stands at 31 per cent, and has thereby adversely affected the cost of living; including the cost of feeding, transportation and socialisation; indeed, welcome to 'renewed Hopelessness'.

Dim Hope for Survival

The hope of survival for many is dimming as the days go by. The situation has become so alarming that even the rich are beginning to feel the heat.

When the World Bank released a report towards the end of last month that about four million Nigerians have been thrown into the poverty class between January and June this year, and even warned that another 7.1 million were expected to join the league if the subsidy removal was not properly managed, many did not take it seriously.

Many Nigerians, particularly those sympathetic to the fuel subsidy removal, dismissed the report with a wave of the hand.

Today, the reality of the World Bank’s warning has dawned on Nigerians as the effect of the subsidy removal on fuel is spreading agony and pain across all sectors of the country’s national life.

In fact, the belief in some quarters is that the people’s lives do not matter as long as the elite and the political class are comfortable.

Nigerian's Pulse

To better understand how Nigerian's are fairing despite the independence, THISDAY spoke to some Nigerians across the country.

A journalist, Stanley Ugagbe, said, "At 63, the average Nigerian cannot breathe because of the gross effects of the drowning

dollar and subsidy removal.

"I have become a true economist, just to be able to keep myself afloat due to the skyrocketing prices of everything in Nigeria. Except it's very important, I don't leave my house anymore because the bills are suffocating!

"I really don't know how long we can sustain this hardship without people exploding. At 63, this is not where we should be. The leaders are holding us hostage. Nigerian leaders, let my people go."

Also speaking, Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba-Ikeja, Lagos, Tolulope Ojemuyiwa, said, "Nothing much to celebrate again.

"Gone are the days when we all pray to see and participate in October 1st Independence activities but other activities have made many people to lose focus on that because what is major in people's lives now is how to survive the economic hardships, no time to waste time.

"Everybody wants to make judicious use of their time. The last time I would say people enjoyed Independence day was before annulment of June 12, 1993 election."

In his remarks,a student, Daniel Ojo said, "Independence now feels like the regular. Education is on the fence.

"Its 23 years of Democracy, 63 years of Independence, yet, Nigerian government has noting to offer to it citizens other than empty promises, lack of food security, making means of living too harsh on the citizens, murdering of our democracy , and undermining of it citizen's right as individuals."

A trader identified as Janet Odia asked, "How much did you hear fuel price will hit in a few days in your area? Yet Nigeria will be turning 63. There's absolutely nothing to celebrate. The country is literally suffering and smiling."

A business man, Austin Ayeri said, "In our homes we aren't safe. In our Office we are not safe. You went out you thinking to come back safe without been kidnapped.

"Our community is not safe. In schools, student are not safe. On road you aren't safe. Market square you aren't safe. No Independence Day, we aren't safe."

If hope assured must be renewed, the visible evidence rather be faster for all to see without too long explanations.

It is 23 years of Democracy, 63 years of Independence, yet, Nigerian government has noting to offer to it citizens other than empty promises, lack of food security, making means of living too harsh on the citizens… and undermining the citizen's right as individuals

The Nigerian flag

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

EDITORIAL

THE GROWING THREAT OF DIPHTHERIA

There is urgent need for mass vaccination against the disease

The federal government disclosure that Diphtheria has killed 453 persons, infected 7,202, and spread to 18 states across the country, is rather disturbing.

A joint statement from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) stated last week of about 11,590 suspected cases of the disease in 105 local government areas, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This is another public health emergency that is preventable. And it is a shame that Nigerians are burdened with it, especially at this period.

Diphtheria is a serious and highly contagious bacterial infection previously known to be endemic only in the Caribbean and Spanish throat and nose and breathing, heart rhythm problems, lungs, kidney issues, and ultimately death. Like many other African countries that do not take pre-emptive measures against looming diseases, Nigeria’s poor vaccination for Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus outbreaks of the disease in the country since 2011.

A renowned epidemiologist and Professor of Virology, Oyewale Tomori said recently that only 60 per cent of Nigerians have so far been vaccinated against that many of those registered to have been vaccinated could be only on paper as the possibility of having according to Tomori, the number of unvaccinated people in our country could be as high as 87 million. Unfortunately, most of the victims of this disease are to withstand the associated illnesses for diphtheria.

The chief factors for the diphtheria scourge are transportation, inadequate disease and laboratory

OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S D AY 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, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE 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

Letters to the Editor

surveillance. Poor response system, and the citizens’ low awareness on vaccination against diphtheria are other factors putting the entire country at risk. The greater danger is that health authorities in Nigeria are not doing enough to tackle the problem. Yet, evidence has shown that the disease has the potential to snowball into a widespread outbreak with the capacity to kill hundreds of thousands of people and belabour the fragile health system just like was the case with COVID-19.

To halt the current spread of the disease and prevent future outbreaks in the country, government at all levels must take urgent coordinated steps, including mass vaccination of Nigerians. Relevant authorities must also prioritise treatment for infected persons, as well as set up mass awareness programmes on the need for Nigerians to embrace the vaccines and immunisation process. Infected persons should be hospitalised as against the current situation in which most persons are given medications while they remain in their homes. Health facilities, especially primary health centres, should be equipped enough to manage cases where secondary and tertiary health facilities are not available. Contact tracing should travel advisory should be publicised especially against states with high infection, among other solutions.

To prevent future outbreaks of the disease, there must be collaboration between education and health authorities to ensure that vaccination against DPT becomes requirement for primary and school admissions or for continuous learning. They should also borrow a leaf from many countries free from diphtheria that require people already vaccinated against the disease to take booster shots after being vaccinated for a considerable number of years.

As late in the day as it may seem, government at all levels should isolate infected persons and commence mass vaccination. Diphtheria outbreak is a threat to Nigeria’s health security.

Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 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 (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

LETTERS

WHY NIGERIAN CEOS NEED TO UNDERSTAND AI

The world has changed and it is not going to remain the same. Since the 1940s, a lot of work has been done to increase computational speed and abilities around the world. In fact I tell people, it dates back to the 1800s with the Jacquard loom machine. These further advancements moon and doing other great innovations. In the 1990s Arin 1996 that the world Chess champion Gary Kasparov was beaten by a computer that learnt how he plays his intelligence are endless and I have to say emphatically it would change the business terrain forever. It would be the driving force for how decisions are made and how actions are taken and these changes are dynamic. with a lot of disruption and there is going to be a backlash. In fact when machine was introduced to industries in the 1700s, workers in England revolted and started a

Luddite movement but this did not stop the growth of the machines. So business leaders ought to embrace AI because it has come to stay and it would improve how businesses are done.

Company executives need to understand AI because it

products and delivery service can be greatly improved by AI. Just imagine as a CEO you have access to the number of bad roads on your delivery route and you can use that to plan for your delivery man. This totally changes the face of your business and gives a competitive edge. The understanding of AI and proper analytics would change the face of your business permanently. AI would also help companies make decisions devoid of sentiment. It is shocking that a lot of our business decisions are still based on our sentimental outplay but with AI you can see the true picture and change what is not working.

ly to increase the understanding of human interaction, be-

challenges. In fact with various softwares like CRM softmake appropriate character training. It can also help defor improvement.

employ better. There are softwares that identify characscreen candidates masking various undesirable traits. AI has helped to predict medical conditions better than doctors. So it could help a great deal in the recruitment process. Its non-sentimental and bias nature is a true testament to its immense capacity in the work space. It is time to embrace AI.

Let’s talk today to know more. Send a mail.

-

Rufai Oseni, rufai @rufai.com.ng

To prevent future outbreaks of the disease, there must be collaboration between education and health authorities to ensure that vaccination against DPT becomes requirement for primary and school admissions

This Week In Tech

Tech Top 5 News

GOOGLE LAUNCHES ₦75M HUSTLE ACADEMY FUND TO BOOST NIGERIAN SMBS

In a bid to bolster the entrepreneurial spirit and ambitions of Nigerian small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Google has officially announced the opening of applications for the Hustle Academy SMB Fund. This dedicated equity-free fund amounts to 75 million and aims to boost Nigerian SMBs financially.

Small and medium-sized businesses are vital contributors to Nigeria’s economy; however, they often face considerable challenges, with funding being a significant obstacle. According to the World Bank, African SMBs encounter a staggering financial gap of $330 billion. In Africa, only 25 per cent of SMBs have access to bank loans, a figure lower than the 50 per cent observed in developed economies.

The Hustle Academy, introduced by Google in 2022, offers SMEs business and management education, mentorship, and networking opportunities. The focus is on preparing these businesses to effectively present their ventures and secure the necessary capital for growth. The program has already graduated over 4,000 SMBs in Nigeria, with an impressive 74 per cent reporting significant business growth within the first year.

Expanding on the success of the Hustle Academy, the Hustle Academy Fund allocates N75 million exclusively for Nigeria to support 15 investor-ready SMBs through non-dilutive funding. This financial commitment is accompanied by personalized mentorship, ensuring these businesses are well-prepared for success.

Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Head of Brand and Reputation, sub-Saharan Africa at Google, emphasized the resilience and innovation of Nigerian small businesses, stating that the Hustle Academy Fund is a testament to their role as the backbone of the nation’s economy. Aderemi-Makinde hoped the fund would empower these businesses, driving economic growth and generating employment opportunities for all Nigerians.

Echoing this sentiment, Product Marketing Manager and the Hustle Academy Program Lead at Google, Sinmisola Nojimu-Yusuf, highlighted that the fund provides SMBs with essential resources and support to thrive. With equity-free funding, mentorship, and enhanced visibility and networking opportunities, Google is committed to fostering the growth and prosperity of Nigerian SMBs. The application window for the Hustle Academy Fund is open from September 28 to October 12, 2023, allowing eligible businesses to apply for this transformative initiative.

NITDA LAUNCHES MISSION TO ENHANCE DIGITAL LITERACY, EQUALITY

In a significant stride towards advancing digital literacy and promoting equitable access to technology, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has embarked on a mission to empower all Nigerians through digitalisation.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdulahi, reaffirmed this commitment during a recent Stakeholders Engagement and Ecosystem Development Programme.

Represented by Babajide Ajayi, Kashifu Abdulahi underscored the significance of inclusivity in the digitalisation journey, emphasising that the true measure of digital success is the progress achieved by all segments of society.

He reiterated NITDA’s mandate, stating, “NITDA is committed to bridging the digital divide, enhancing digital literacy, and ensuring equitable access to technology.”

Abdullahi also highlighted specific initiatives NITDA is actively pursuing to achieve these goals. Among them, the agency is drafting the National Digital Equality Strategy for Women (NDESW) to ensure equitable access and opportunities in the digital environment, focusing on empowering women to participate fully in the digital economy. Furthermore, NITDA is developing the National Digital Skills Strategy (NDSS), a strategic roadmap to promote digital literacy and talent development in Nigeria.

Abdullahi emphasised that digitalisation is transforming the way businesses operate and how people live their lives. He invited partnerships to bring this vision to fruition, recognising that collaborative efforts drive digital progress.

As part of the programme’s objectives, NITDA aims to create a platform for stakeholders in the state ICT ecosystem to voice their views and opinions on matters related to the agency’s mandate.

NITDA’s mission to enhance digital literacy and

TECH PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK

FirstCheck: Paving Way As Africa’s Premier Female-first Fund

This week’s tech luminary is Eloho Omame, recognised as the cofounder of FirstCheck Africa. FirstCheck, an innovative venture capital fund in Africa, is paving the way as the continent’s premier female-first fund, dedicated to investing in technology ventures spearheaded by women and diverse founders. Their mission focuses on empowering Africa’s vibrant community of underestimated and ambitious women in the tech realm, reshaping narratives, advocating for representation, and fostering inclusivity among startup founders, operators, and investors.

FirstCheck Africa was established to create a robust network, empowering female angel investors and women entrepreneurs throughout Africa, including tech executives and venture capitalists. The angel investors within the network possess diverse professional backgrounds and span various industries.

Omame, an early-stage investor and a passionate advocate for gender equality and inclusion within the African tech and entrepreneurship sphere, takes pride in co-founding FirstCheck Africa in 2021. She has always been a fervent believer in the untapped potential of Africa’s emerging female founders.

In 2018, Omame initiated Endeavor Nigeria, an entrepreneurship network tailored for high-impact founders leading high-growth technology companies in the scaling-up stage. In collaboration with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund in 2017, she conceptualised, built, and launched Lagos Innovates, a distinctive portfolio of startup support programmes—a groundbreaking endeavour by a sub-national African government.

With a solid background of over 15 years in finance roles spanning investment banking and growth private equity across the UK, European, and African markets, Omame boasts expertise in capital structuring and fundraising for companies at all stages, including startups.

bridge the digital divide is poised to bring about transformative changes in Nigeria’s digital landscape, fostering inclusivity and equal opportunities for all citizens in the digital era.

CHATGPT EQUIPPED WITH REAL-TIME INTERNET ACCESS FOR SUBSCRIBERS

ChatGPT, the versatile chatbot renowned for aiding users in various tasks, from writing and coding to vacation planning, has overcome significant limitations since its inception. The long-standing flaw has been rectified, albeit for a price.

In a recent announcement via X, OpenAI unveiled a game-changing update: ChatGPT now possesses the capability to access the internet in real time, furnishing direct links to its sources. This enhanced functionality will exclusively be available to ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise subscribers.

This monumental development signifies that paying customers will no longer encounter the previous limitation of ChatGPT being confined to pre-2021 information. This breakthrough widens the possibilities and significantly augments the chatbot’s reliability.

Powered by Microsoft’s Bing web browser, ChatGPT can seamlessly tap into the vast expanse of the internet, broadening its horizons and staying up-to-date with the latest information. Previously, ChatGPT’s training data only extended up to September 2021.

With this update, premium users can now pose questions to ChatGPT concerning current affairs and gain access to real-time news—a remarkable enhancement to the chatbot’s capabilities.

OpenAI has assured that this feature will soon extend to all users, democratizing access to real-time information through ChatGPT. Additionally, OpenAI teased another

forthcoming advancement: the chatbot’s ability to engage in voice conversations with users, further underlining its continuous evolution and innovation.

AWS STUDY PREDICTS N30.2TN ECONOMIC

BOOST IN CLOUD ADOPTION

A recent study by Amazon Web Services (AWS) has shed light on the immense potential of cloud computing adoption for Nigeria, projecting an additional economic value of N30.2 trillion by 2033.

AWS General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Amrote Abdella, revealed the study’s findings, which analysed the potential impact of cloud adoption in Nigeria over the next decade, from 2023 to 2033.

Commissioned by AWS, the study sought to quantify the correlation between adopting public cloud computing, national productivity, and economic growth in Nigeria. It underscored the remarkable potential cloud adoption carries for Nigeria and the broader SSA region.

Abdella emphasised that the projected economic yield of N30.2 trillion represents around 0.36 per cent of Nigeria’s cumulative gross domestic product (GDP). This staggering figure could be achieved through a strategic acceleration in adopting cloud technologies.

As outlined by Abdella, cloud adoption offers enterprises an opportunity to enhance the scalability of internet-based database capabilities while concurrently reducing operational costs and mitigating risks. It involves utilising remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage, and process critical data, presenting businesses with enhanced flexibility and operational efficiency.

Amrote Abdella further elaborated on the substantial potential for economic growth through harnessing cloud computing. She suggested that by augmenting the current average cloud penetration rates, the region

could unlock even more economic value, paving the way for a significant transformation in Nigeria’s economic landscape and beyond.

NIGERIA’S DATA CENTRE MARKET TO SURGE, EXCEED $288.8M BY 2027

According to a report titled ‘Nigeria Data Centre Market Outlook to 2027’ by Research and Markets, the data centre market in Nigeria is projected to reach a valuation of $288.8 million by 2027. This indicates a remarkable growth of approximately 220 per cent from its estimated value of $131.6 million in 2022.

The findings suggest a significant expansion for the Nigerian data centre market. Notably, major data companies are proactively establishing their presence in the country in anticipation of this surge. The report attributes this substantial growth to several factors, including the advent of 5G technology in Nigeria. The continuous emergence of new technologies and the implementation of 5G are expected to fuel increased data consumption, digital output, and productivity, consequently driving up the demand for data centres.

Another notable factor contributing to this surge in demand for data centres is the rising internet penetration in Nigeria. The report underlines that the burgeoning fintech sector and the overall startup ecosystem greatly influence the impressive growth of the Nigerian data centre market. It acknowledges a shift in the trend, as many Nigerian companies are now inclined towards hosting their data within the country.

Nigeria’s thriving fintech and startup ecosystem are instrumental in fuelling the demand for dynamic data centres. Previously, reliability and scalability concerns led many companies to host their data offshore. However, with international data centre operators focusing on Nigeria, the sector has witnessed increased resilience and reliance on local hosting, as highlighted in the report.

RATES AS AT SEPTEMBER 29,2023

11 Banks’ Non-performing Loans Hit

N1.67tn on Write-offs, Restructuring, GSI

Kayode

Tokede

Following write-offs, restructuring of facilities, Global Standing Instruction (GSI) and credit risk management as a result of economic challenges, a total of 11 banks recorded N1.67 trillion nonperforming loans (NPL) during the first half (H1) of 2023, an increase of 37 per cent from N1.22 trillion reported in the full year ended December 31, 2022.

The banks include; Zenith Bank Plc, Access Holdings Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Holding Plc (GTCO), FBN Holdings Plc

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), and United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA).

Other are: FCMB Group Plc, Wema Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Sterling Financial Holdings and Fidelity Bank Plc. In the period under review, the dollar trended weaker from the historic highs witnessed in 2022 sending ripples through currency markets around the world. For most African Countries, currency depreciation contributed to higher inflation and public debt figures as well as a deteriorated loan position. Central Banks around the world,

including Africa continued to hike interest rates in a bid to effectively manage inflation as most of the African economies investigated by THISDAY continued to experience monetary tightening in reaction to persistent inflation.

THISDAY analysis of the banks’ results revealed that FCMB Group, Wema Bank and ETI reported NPL ratio above five per cent regulatory requirement of the CBN, while GTCO declared 4.60 per cent NPL ratio in H1 2023 from 5.19 per cent reported in 2022 full year. According to CBN, the industry NPLs had improved from 5.1

per cent as of June 2022 to 4.1 per cent in June 2023, and was below the five per cent supervisory requirement.

ETI, a an-African financial institution reported 5.5 per cent NPL ratio in H1 2023 from 5.20 per cent in 2022, bringing its NPL by value to N512.12 billion as of June 30, 2023 from N299.7 billion reported in 2022.

ETI’s net loans & advances to customers stood at N9.31 trillion as of June 2023, an increase of 62 per cent from N5.76 trillion in 2022FY.

According to ETI, its NPLs

of $612million were one per cent lower Year-on-Year (YoY) (increased 44 per cent at CC), and an NPL ratio of 5.5 per cent.

With about 4.3 per cent NPL ratio and N5.26 trillion gross loans & advances, FBN Holdings reported N226.24 billion NPL in H1 2023 from N204.29billion reported in 2022. FBN Holdings is the second highest financial institution with NPL by value after ETI.

The oldest financial institution declared 5.4 per cent NPL ratio and N3.79 trillion gross loans & advances in the 2022 financial year.

Other Tier-1 financial institutions: Access Holdings, Zenith Bank, UBA and GTCO closed June 2023 with N218.9 billion, N209.86billion, N154.53 billion and N115.29 billion NPL by value respectively. According to UBA, its asset quality remained strong and resilient, as the total non-credit impaired facilities i e Stages 1& 2 accounted for 96.7 per cent of the Group’s total loan portfolio as of H1 2023 from 96.9 per cent in 2022 financial year.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

EU, Proparco, Supports FCMB With €325,000 Technical Assistance Programme Financing

Ugo Aliogo

Proparco and the European Union (EU), have stated that they have supported First City Monument Bank Ltd (FCMB), through the financing of a €325,000 technical assistance (TA) programme.

The programme, Proparco said, will enable the bank develop its non-financial services offer, aimed at improving the financial inclusion of local Very Small and Medium Enterprises (VSEs) and women entrepreneurs in their entrepreneurial

process.

Speaking in Lagos during a media visit to A4&T Power and Ventures Platform supporting Traction Apps, Proparco’s Chief Executive Officer, Françoise Lombard, said in 2022, Proparco announced a $20 million Trade Finance Guarantee Facility for Coronation Merchant Bank adding that this would enable the bank to establish and deepen partnerships with correspondent banks, thereby increasing access to trade finance in Nigeria.

She also stated that Africa holds

the answers to many of the major challenges of the 21st century, “and unlocking its entrepreneurial dynamism is at the core of our strategy for the next five years.”

She averred that as Proparco mark an important milestone in Nigeria, it is committed to supporting the African private sector more effectively by enabling entrepreneurs to unleash their potential.

She remarked that in 2022, Proparco made a $5 mmillion equity investment into Ventures Platform; a seed fund for Africa designed to

fill structural gaps by connecting underrepresented communities while improving livelihoods in Africa.

She noted that 50 innovative startups would be supported, specifically in the development of IT services (in the logistics, financial, e-commerce, education, transport and health sectors).

According to her, “In 2021, Proparco supported the Nigerian bank FCMB to strengthen its commitment to high-impact SMEs and climate projects. The operation consisted of a $35 million loan and

a EURIZ portfolio guarantee of N5 billion (EUR 10 million equivalent) to support FCMB strategy to serve high-impact SMEs and for climate finance. As a result, FCMB’s client A4&T Power installed 1.5MWp of renewable capacity across mini-grids and customized systems for schools, health facilities, businesses, banks and communities impacting more than 100,000 people and creating 75 direct and indirect jobs.

“In 2021, Proparco, through the Digital Africa Bridge Fund, funded Metro Africa Xpress Inc. (“MAX”)

MARKET DATA AS AT FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

- the largest vehicle subscription platform for low-to-zero emission vehicles in Africa. This was part of the $31 million of new capital injected in the first close of a Series B funding round. In 2021, Proparco allocated a portfolio guarantee to United Bank for Africa (UBA) to facilitate access to loans for Nigerian SMEs. Proparco’s operation will specifically contribute to financing SMEs in the education sector and SMEs set up by women.

The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

NGX to Lose N8.69bn in Market Cap as Capital Hotels Delists

Kayode Tokede

The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) will see its market capitalisation depreciate by N8.69billion as Capital Hotel Plc announced its delisting from the bourse.

The company announced its voluntary delisting from the Exchange as recommended by the board of directors.

The stock price of Capital Hotels, closed September 25, 2023 at N2.75 per share. The company has 3,160,775,510.00 outstanding shares, representing N8.69billion in market capitalisation.

The company in a statement obtained by THISDAY said the Exchange approved the delisting application subject to Capital Hotels evidence of opening an escrow account in the Registrar’s name and evidence that shareholders who have accepted to exit have been paid.

The Hotels/Lodging company listed on the mainboard of the NGX in a statement stated that it has opened an escrow account with CardinalStone Registrars Limited and provided sufficient funds to shareholders, who as of August 17, 2023, have accepted the exit consideration

of N5 per share which is more than the highest price at which the company traded in the last six months preceding the date of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) where the resolution to delist was passed in line with NGX guidelines.

The company added that the delisting provides the opportunity to strategize for better performance, minimize costs, and stay competitive within its industry.

“The cash consideration will be settled by way of electronic transfer to the respective bank accounts of Shareholders,” the statement added.

Renew Importation Licences to Crash Cement Prices, Delta Monarch Urges Tinubu

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Ovie of Idjerhe kingdom, His Royal Majesty Monday Obukohwo Whiskey has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently renew import licences to Cement New Entrants Forum of Nigeria (CNEFN) as part of measures to bring down the price and make the commodity available to Nigerians. He attributed the spiralling prices of cement across the country to the non-renewal of the licences for the importation of

the product, since 2008, 2009, to compliment the local production of the commodity.

The monarch made the appeal while conducting journalists round the abandoned multi- billion-naira Madewell Portland Cement located in his kingdom that was rotting away after huge investment by an indigene, Prince David Iweta, the President of CNEFN. He lamented that if the importation of cement had been sustained as espoused by previous governments, most of the members

Fiduciary Role of PFAs under Contributory Pension Scheme

of Cement New Entrants Forum of Nigeria would have been engaged in local production of cement by now and would have helped in lowering the prices as being experienced now.

He was particularly saddened that Madewell Portland Cement company, which provided over 2,000 direct jobs for his subjects and 10,000 indirect jobs for Nigerians, when it was established was now lying fallow because of inconsistent policy of the previous administrations.

Learn Africa to Reward Shareholders with 25 kobo Dividend

Oluchi Chibuzor

The shareholders of the Learn Africa Plc, has approved the payment of a total dividend of N192.86 million at 25 kobo per 50 kobo ordinary share.

The shareholders gave their approval at the company’s 50th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

Speaking at the AGM, the Chairman of Board of Directors, Emeke Iwerebon, said intellectual property theft, including book

piracy remains a concern for book publishing in the country.

He highlighted the widespread of unauthorised distribution and counterfeiting copies negatively impacted the viability and profitability of legitimate publishers like Learn Africa.

He assured shareholders that they remain committed to vigilant monitoring, enforcement of copyright protection and leveraging technologies to secure its content, hence the success in the financial report compared

to previous year. According to him, “In keeping with our corporate culture of delivering consistent value to our esteemed shareholders, the Board of Directors has proposed, for the consideration and approval of shareholders at this meeting a dividend of 25 kobo per ordinary share of 50 Kobo, a 25 percent increase over the previous year. This translates to N192.86 million which is subject to the appropriate statutory deductions.”

The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) is often described as fully-funded due to the individual Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) where monthly pension contributions are remitted. The individual RSAs opened with a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) are pooled into a Fund and managed as investments in various allowable instruments.

Pension fund investments seek to ensure timely payment of benefits to employees upon retirement. Consequently, the overriding philosophy guiding investments is the maintenance of safety and fair returns.

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has issued the Regulation on Investment of Pension Fund Assets (the Investment Regulation) to regulate all pension fund investments. While the PFA is responsible for taking investment decisions and ensuring safety and fair returns for the benefit of contributors, the Pension Fund Custodian (PFC) ensures safe custody of the assets.

continuous accumulation of pension fund assets to over N17.07 trillion as at 31 July 2023. The large quantum of pension assets clearly shows the huge burden on the PFAs as they conduct this onerous fiduciary responsibility on behalf of contributors.

Travelstart

Creates First AI Assistance for Africa

Travelstart has created the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) travel assistant in Africa to meet travellers’ needs across Africa.

The Artificial Intelligence assistant system was introduced when Travelstart opened its Nigeria airport store at the state-of-the-art domestic terminal, Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2), Lagos, to deepen its reach in Nigeria.

Speaking during the launch of the store, Head of Marketing, Travelstart, Alex Olafare, said

the AI travel assistant can chat in Pidgin English, can create personalized and custom itineraries, make budget-friendly recommendations, and give global travel advice.

Olafare said travellers can type whatever they need and will receive a response immediately, adding that flights can be booked directly from the AI travel assistant.

“The AI travel assistant can list prices of tickets for you and everything will be transparent. No matter where you are, the AI travel assistant will always help with

responses to inquiries,” he said.

Head of Operations, Travelstart, Modupe Ola Thompson-Ehime said, “Travelstart has continued to introduce innovation to meet the needs of travellers. One of such innovations is the technology that helps travellers speak with an agent on WhatsApp.”

She said the WhatsApp channel is an easily accessible, stress free and convenient way to speak with a live agent. You can chat with Lucy, your automated travel assistant, make a new booking and view deals for the day through this channel.”

NDA Confers Doctorate Degree on Onyema at 33rd Convocation

The Chairman of Air Peace, Barrister Allen Onyema, has been conferred with a Doctor of Management Science by the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.

Onyema received the honorary academic degree at the 33rd Convocation Ceremony of the Academy on September 28, 2023.

According to the Commandant of the institution, Major General JO Ochai, the Doctorate Degree

is in recognition of Onyema’s achievements in business, administration, education and outstanding service to the nation and humanity in general.

Ochai added: “It is against this backdrop that the Chief of Defence Staff approved your nomination for the award of Doctor of Management Science(Honoris Causa) at the Convocation Ceremony of Cadets of 70 Regular Course and postgraduate students”.

In his acceptance speech, the

Air Peace boss recounted how he wanted to attend the Academy after his secondary school education and expressed delight that he was being honoured with a Doctorate Degree by the same institution.

“I thank the Commandant and the Chairman of Council of NDA for bringing me back to ‘my alma mater’. My joy knows no bounds. The call to serve your nation is a privilege. It is a thing of pride for you to be called to serve in the military. In the Nigerian army.

Guided by the Investment Regulation, all investment decisions are taken by the PFA on trust, as a fiduciary duty on behalf of pension contributors. The pension funds are also segregated from the assets of a PFA, and all incomes earned are exclusively for the benefit of pension contributors.

Section 86 of the PRA 2014 has outlined the allowable investment outlets for pension fund investments. These include bonds, treasury bills and other securities issued by the Federal Government and State Government Bonds. Pension funds are allowed to be invested in bonds, debentures, redeemable shares and other debt instruments issued by corporate entities and listed on a Stock Exchange under the Investment and Securities Act and ordinary shares of public limited companies listed on a Stock Exchange, under the Investment and Securities Act. In addition, pension funds may also be invested in bank deposits and securities; real estate development investments; specialist investment funds and other financial instruments as enshrined in the Investment Regulation.

The PRA 2014, reinforced by the Investment Regulation, made provisions to guard against conflict of interest in the investment of pension funds. The diligent implementation of the PRA 2014 by PenCom has resulted in the

The provisions of Section 69 (b) of PRA 2014 stipulate that the PFA and PFC shall take reasonable care that the management or custody of the pension funds is carried out in the best interest of the RSA holders. Therefore, all investments made by licensed PFAs in eligible securities and corporate entities are “ring-fenced” and belong to the RSA holders and other pension beneficiaries.

Furthermore, Section 6.1(iii) of the Investment Regulation dealing with conflict of interest stipulates that “The PFA or any of its agents are prohibited from investing Pension Fund Assets in the shares or any other securities, issued through public or private placement arrangements, by related party/person of any shareholder of the PFA”. Related persons/party as defined in Section 1.10 of the Investment Regulation “includes natural persons related by blood, adoption or marriage; legal entities one of which has control or significant influence over the other, or both of which are controlled by some other person or entity; a corporate entity where any of the aforementioned holds 5% or more beneficial interest; and any other relationship that can be reasonably construed as related persons or parties”.

In line with the foregoing, PenCom closely monitors the PFAs to ensure that all investments are in line with the Investment Regulation. The PFAs are required to submit a daily valuation report on pension fund investments through which PenCom ensures strict adherence to the Investment Regulation.

Chinedu Eze

PENCOM DG, Aisha Dahir-Umar

With N403.65bn PBT, UBA Makes History as Most Profitable Bank In Nigeria

Reaping bountiful from the Central Bank of Nigeria

(CBN) unification of foreign exchange, United Bank

for Africa (UBA) Plc in half year ended made history as the most profitable financial institution in Nigeria, ahead of Zenith Bank plc, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) and Access Holdings Plc. Kayode Tokede writes on what contributed to UBA’s outstanding H1 2023 results and 2023 outlook.

UBA reported N403.65 billion Profit

Before Tax (PBT) in half year ended June 31, 2023, representing an increase of 370.7 per cent from N85.75 billion reported in the corresponding period of 2022, while profit for the period stood at N378.24 billion in H1 2023, an increase of 438 per cent from N70.34 billion reported in H1 2022.

The reported N403.65 billion PBT is the highest declared by UBA in its history, making the PanAfrican financial institution most profitable and ahead of its competitors in the banking sector.

Zenith Bank before now was the most profitable bank in Nigeria, followed by GTCO.

However, Zenith Bank in H1 2023 declared N350.36billlion, an increase of 169.5 per cent from N130.01 billion in H1 2022, while GTCO announced N327.4billion PBT in H1 2023, a growth of 217 per cent from N103.2billion reported in H1 2022.

In addition, Access Holdings in the period under review announced N167.6 billion PBT as against N97.79 billion reported in corresponding period of 2022. This is an increase of 71.4 per cent growth in Access Holdings’ profit before tax.

UBA in 2022 full financial year declared N200.88 billion PBT from N153.07 billion in 2021, and it was behind Zenith Bank, and GTCO that announced N284.65 billion and N214.15 billion in 2022 financial year, respectively.

UBA over the years has maintained a trajectory in profit, and effective management that has impacted on shareholders’ return on Investment (ROI) and stock price appreciation on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

The group recorded double and triple-digit growth across its major income lines, as it continued to show substantial progress in increasing the contribution and market share from its subsidiaries in Africa and globally.

Specifically, at the end of the first two quarters of the year, and despite the tough global macroeconomic backdrop and geo-political challenges in Africa.

The annualised Return on Average Equity (RoE) of UBA, thus, increased to 57.7 per cent in H1 2023, ahead of Zenith Bank that closed H1 2023 att 36.9 per cent, but behind GTCO with RoE of 61.4 per cent in H1 2023. With the growth in profit, UBA joined Zenith Bank, GTCO to declare interim dividend of 50k per share UBA’s interim dividend when compared to 20k last year represents an annualized interim dividend yield of 7.2 per cent.

The strong contributions to Group profit is the operations in 20 African countries, UBA America, UBA UK, UBA UAE, UBA France. Demonstrating once again the effectiveness of UBA’s global strategy and positioning as the financial intermediary for Africa and the rest of the World – delivering on the Elumelu strategy.

WHAT MADE UBA OUTSTANDING

Whilst the Group recorded strong double-digit growth in profit before tax and profit from its operations, the result also reflects the effect of sizeable revaluation gains, arising from the harmonization of currency exchange rates by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

UBA show its Net trading and foreign exchange gain at N418.3billion in H1 2023 from N9.15billion reported in H1 2022.

The local currency found a new exchange level at about N756 to dollar as of June 30, 2023, compared to N465 at the beginning of the year.

The Group’s gross earnings sttod at N981.8billion in H1 2023, representing an increase of 163.7 per cent from N372.34 billion reported in H1 2022. The reported N981.8 billion gross earnings of UBA is higher than that of Zenith bank and GTCO.

THISDAY analysis revealed that Zenith bank declared N967.26 billion gross earnings in H1 2023 from N404.76 billion in H1 2022, while GTCO reported N672.6 billion gross earnings in H1 2023, an increase of 181 per cent from N239.3 billion in H1 2022. For Access Holdings, its gross earnings stood at N940.31 billion, representing an increase of 59 per cent from N5911.8billion in H1 2022.

In addition to UBA’s profit & loss figures, it recorded N428.29billion interest income in H1 2023, an increase of 66.4 per cent from N257.36billion in H1 2022 primarily driven by the elevated yield in the fixed income market and increase in key earning assets.

Thus, income from investment securities grew

by 80.5 per cent to N190.48 billion in H1 2023 from N105.51 billion in H1 2022 while income from loans and advances improved by 35.6per cent to N178.59 billion in H1 2023. The Group’s interest expenses grew by 88 per cent to N150.18 billion in H1 2023 from N79.9 billion in H1 2022 following the increase in costs across the group’s funding base - deposits from banks grew by 237.2 per cent to N22.28 billion in H1 2023 from N6.61 billion in H1 2022, while interest expenses on Deposits from customers stood at N98.93 billion in H1 2023 from N54.96 billion reported in H1 2022. The group’s non-interest income grew markedly by 544.2 per cent to N505.85 billion in H1 2023 from N78.21 billion in H1 2022, driven by the higher income generated from foreign exchange foreign exchange revaluation gains that rose significantly by 1303.6 per cent to N29.24 billion induced by the naira devaluation; net fees and commission that gained 30.7 per cent to N78.30 billion, and investment securities trading that appreciated by 79.3 per cent to N25.44 billion. In addition, the group recorded a substantial gain in its other operating income of about N357.71 billion in h1 2023 from N13.15 billion loss in H1 2022, triggered primarily by the N348.43 billion net fair value gain generated on the group’s derivatives holdings relative to the N22.61 billion loss recorded in H1 2022.

CUSTOMER DEPOSIT CONTRIBUTES TO TOTAL ASSETS

UBA’s total assets stood at N15.38 trillion as of June 30, 2023, an increase of 41.7 per cent from N10.86 trillion in 2022 full financial year, driven by significant increase in net loans and customer deposits. The group’s customer deposits rose by 42.4 per cent to N11.14 trillion as of June 30, 2023 from N7.82 trillion in 2022 FY, while net loans hits N4.68 trillion as of June 30, 2023, an increase of 36.1 per cent from N3.44trillion reported in 2022FY.

Customer deposits contributed 72.4 per cent of the group’s total assets as of June

30, 2023 from72.1 per cent in 2022FY.

In addition, the financial institution shareholders’ funds moved to N1.7 trillion as of June 30, 2023, an increase of 85.7 per cent from N922.1billion reported in 2022FY.

In terms ratios, UBA’s Non-performing Loan ratio increased to 3.3 per cent as of June 30, 2023 from 3.1 per cent reported in 2022FY, while Return on average equity (RoAE) increased to 57.7 per cent as of June 30, 2023 from 17.1 per cent reported in 2022FY.

ANALYSTS VIEW

According to analysts at Cordros Research, the group’s H1 2023 result mirrored the earnings growth across its tier 1 peers, supported primarily by the foreign exchange liberalisation implemented during the period.

“We envisage this strong earnings growth to remain by year-end, driven by the combined impact of the elevated interest rates and naira devaluation in the period,” the firm added.

The Chief Executive Officer, Highcap Securities Limited, Mr. David Adnori said UBA, among other Tier-1 were the major buyer and seller of foreign exchange when the CBN suspended BDC operators.

According to him, “Most Nigerian banks have excess foreign exchange currency and when the CBN unified the market in early June, automatically their savings appreciated and it resulted in extraordinary foreign exchange gain in the half year ended June 30, 2023. The unification of foreign exchange by CBN crystallized and it was in the favour of UBA, among other banks.”

Adnori noted that the H1 2023 performance of these banks cannot be sustained, stressing that it was extraordinary earnings due to naira revalued.

He noted that the market has been normalized and Nigeria has seen the true value of the naira.

He added, “Nigeria economy has adjusted and these banks’ performance is not sustainable. However, because of

the increase in net asset value, it has increased their working capital to scale up business and they can also absorb any shock.”

The Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, UBA, Mr. Oliver Alawuba in a statement said, “Whilst the Group recorded strong double-digit growth in revenues and profits from its operations, the result also reflects the effect of sizeable revaluation gains, arising from the harmonization of currency exchange rates in Nigeria.

“Our reporting currency found a new exchange level at about N756 to $1 as of 30 June 2023, compared to N465 at the beginning of the year. The results again demonstrate the benefits of our long-held diversification strategy across Africa and globally. UBA is a genuinely Pan-African business. The growth of our international business, most recently in the UAE, only reinforces this earnings quality.

“Our business is on a steady growth trajectory, as we further strengthen our risk management architecture and make technology investments to deliver premium service to our customers. We have also continued to finance landmark projects in critical sectors of the economies where we operate across Africa, facilitate intra-Africa trade with our valuable offerings and provide a versatile last-mile distribution network for Africa-bound donor and multilateral agency funds.

“The three core geographical pillars of our business (Nigeria, Rest of Africa and Rest of the World) are making strong contributions to the Group profit, further justifying our global strategy and business positioning across Africa, UAE, France, UK and USA, and demonstrating the benefits of positioning UBA as the financial intermediary for Africa and the rest of the world.”

He added that, “Our Board has approved an interim dividend of 50k per share, which represents an over 150per cent increase over prior year. As we approach the last quarter of the year, the Group remains strategically positioned to sustain the strong performance, consolidating on H1 2023 results, to deliver superior returns to our esteemed shareholders.”

Connecting Physical and Digital Worlds

Meta is a global technology giant that is building innovative ways to help people feel closer to each

Obinna Chima who attended the company’s ‘Connect’ conference held at its Menlo Park head

other.

California, United States, last week, writes on the innovative technologies that were unveiled at the forum

One of the consequences of the pandemic which hit the world about two years ago is the blurring of the lines between the physical and digital worlds. The past few months have seen companies aggressively push innovative technologies in the race to drive digital reality as well as ensure greater connection between the physical and digital worlds.

One of such companies is Meta, which last week unveiled new Artificial Intelligence (AI) products for consumers as well as bots, and an updated virtualreality headset.

Speaking during the tech giant’s ‘Connect Developers’ conference at his company’s Menlo Park headquarters in California, the United States, the Chief Executive Officer of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, noted that over the last few decades, the global technology industry has been building an incredible digital world.

Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and Thread, has long had a big research team of computer scientists devoted to advancing AI technology. The tech giant is in the midst of a corporate transformation that it said would take years to complete. It wants to evolve from a provider of social platforms to a dominant power in a nascent virtualreality world, called the metaverse – sort of the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D.

Artificial intelligence is central to that vision. In July, Meta released the next generation of its AI large language model and made the technology, known as Llama 2, free for research and commercial use.

“A lot of this effort around chatbots and stories and other ways just to keep engagement going [like] AI-driven personalisation and stuff like that, that’s the overarching challenge for the company,” he said.

Zuckerberg stressed that Meta remains focused on building the future of human connection and painted a near-future where people interact with hologram versions of their friends or coworkers and with AI bots built to assist them.

Standing on the podium, Zuckerberg told his audience made up of developers, employees and journalists that, “One of lives greatest joy is getting to go out, be active and enjoy. But at same time, over the last few decades, our industry has been building this incredible digital world. It is funny when people say the digital world is not the real world. Increasingly, the real world is the combination of the physical world that we have and the digital world that we are building.

“I think one of the most interesting question for our industry over the coming decades is going to be how do we unify these experiences – the physical that we have with this vibrant digital world to have something better than what we have today? Not too far from now, you are going to walk into a room and there would be many holograms of digital things as well as physical objects.

“So, this is a quick glimpse of the future of how this idea of the physical and the digital coming together to create the idea

Zuckerberg that is called the metaverse.

“Mixed reality allows you bring digital objects into the physical world; advances in artificial intelligence (AI) allows us to create different AIs that help us to accomplish different things and smart glasses eventually allow us to bring all of these together. Now, the big part of these innovations is about making sure that these technologies are accessible to everyone.

“Sometimes, we innovate and release some of the things that have never been seen, but sometimes, we innovate by taking something that is awesome and super-expensive and make it affordable for everyone or even free. Innovations that bring the future to millions and billions of people is a big part of what we do.”

At the conference, Zuckerberg announced the launch of the tech giant’s new AI products for consumers, including smart glasses that can answer questions and stream directly on Facebook, as well as bots that create photo-realistic images and an updated virtual-reality headset, the Quest 3. The Quest 3 cost $499 and shipping of the product begins from October 10. The AI personal assistant can interact with people using any of Meta’s messaging apps – along with a smattering of AI characters he called “a bit more fun”, such as

“Max the sous chef”, who can help come up with ideas for dinner, or Lily, a “personal editor and writing partner.”

The Meta’s Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses allow people record videos or take photos, livestream, listen to music and interact with the Meta AI assistant.

It also unveiled an AI image generator named Emu, which creates images based on prompts from users.

He pointed out that the Quest 3, offers improved performance, immersive new mixed-reality features and a sleeker, more comfortable design.

Meta by contrast, has wholeheartedly embraced gaming as the most popular activity on its Quest VR headsets. The company even built its own game publishing arm, which has helped finance hundreds of VR games. Meta’s bet is that gaming could be a kind of gateway for other spatial computing use cases, including fitness, creativity, and even work—much like consumers embraced their mobile phones as cameras and music players first, only to use them additionally for work tasks as well.

“We are incredibly proud to introduce Quest 3, the first mainstream mixed reality headset. Quest 3 is the most powerful headset that we have ever shipped and it allows you to blend the

digital and the physical worlds together. You can navigate it with your hands or with brand new precision control designed for work or games. It completely stands alone with battery pack and nothing that can break your head. When you put on Quest 3, you will see the physical room around you and then you can bring your digital object into the world. Quest 3 understands your space and so you can play with the world around you or even when they are far away.

“These experiences are possible because Quest 3 shows your digital space with ten times more pixels than what we had on Quest 2. We are just scratching the surface on what is to be possible in trying to bring virtual objects into your physical space,” he explained.

On the Smart glasses, he said: “Smart glasses are the ideal form factor for you to let an AI assistant see what you are seeing and hear what you are hearing. The glasses will launch on October 17 and cost $299.”

The founder of Meta described the products as bringing together virtual and real worlds and underscored that part of what Meta offers was low-cost or free AI that could be integrated into daily routines.

“These are just a few we have trained. There are a lot more coming,” he said.

Speaking further, he told participants at the conference: “We have a whole lot of new experience. We have been on it for a while and I am really very excited to show you what we have been building. At Meta, we are focused on building the future of human connections.

“What that means is that we build products to help people connect with friends, colleagues, families and people we care about, anywhere in the world we actually are. We do this because we believe that strengthens our relationship, helps us bond together, improves our learning, gives us more opportunity.

In his contribution, Meta’s Chief Technical Officer, Andrew Bosworth, said he was excited to see the future taking shape.

“We are going to bring these technologies to the mass market in a way that nobody has done. Now for the Quest 3, we can’t talk about Quest 3 without recognising what made it happen – Quest 2. In 2020, Quest 2 was announced and it was a game-changer for the industry. It set the standard for what a modern headset should be.

“It introduced virtual reality to the mainstream and help thousands of people to have their first experience of the future. Now, three years later, Quest 3 is the beginning of the next wave. It built on all the things that people love about Quest 2, but also brings things new to the mass market – mixed reality,” Bosworth added.

According to him, “A bit of a cliche in our industry is that you only get the technology right in the third generation”.

Smart glasses like those just released by the company help Meta understand and solve problems around comfort and durability even before AR glasses technology is mass-market-ready, he argued: “There’s no substitute for getting those [first-generation devices] out and building from there.”

AfCFTA and Quest to Capture Africa’s Mattress Market

The Dolidol Group, a Moroccobased foam mattress giant, is poised to make the most of the opportunities that is offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. In this regard, the group has established its presence in the African foam market with manufacturing plants in West, East and North Africa. One of its major expansion strategies across the continent is acquisition of existing firms. In 2021, it initiated a strategic move in Nigeria that culminated in the acquisition of Mouka, one of the market leaders in Nigerian mattresses, pillows, and beddings sector. Dolidol believed that a foothold in Africa’s largest economy and its most populous country with more than 200 million people, Nigeria would offer the group a huge market size that could propel its growth.

This was highlighted recently by a partner at Development Partners International (DPI), Mrs. Sofiane Lahmar, who commented on Mouka’s membership of the Dolidol Group.

Lahmar said: “As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria shares many of the same trends as the rest of the continent, including positive demographics, a fast-growing middle class, and rising consumer-spend. We remain confident in the future of the business and look forward to working with both management teams to execute the company’s ambitious strategy and vision.”

Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of Mouka Limited, Mr. Femi Fapohunda, expressed the hope that as a member of the Dolidol Group, with stateof-the-art infrastructure and technological innovation, Mouka would continually evolve the culture of innovating and renovating its products portfolio to adequately cater to the needs of various demographics segments it is serving.

Mouka is one of the most admired mattress, pillows, and bedding manufacturing firm in Nigeria and it was no surprise that it went into bed with Dolidol, an aggressive foam mattress giant that is based in Morocco.

Dolidol’s stake in Mouka no doubt is a significant boost to the realisation of its expansion bid and quest to capture the African foam mattress industry, sustain its market leadership position in the continent and also diversify into other operations within the sector’s value chain.

Stakeholders in the mattress industry believe that Mouka’s marriage with the Dalidol Group would enable it to retain, if not surpass, its performance in the foam and mattress industry given its pragmatic marketing approach that gave it an unassailable competitive edge above its closest industry rival, an effort that has grown the Mouka brand and earned it a leadership status in the bedding and mattress industry in Nigeria.

Having been involved in propagating healthy sleep among Nigerians with products of ergonomic and global standards for more than six decades, Mouka’s sleep solutions have been certified by health experts like the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) and the National Association of Orthopaedic Manual Therapists (NAOMT).

These bodies acknowledged that, “the production protocols and finished products of Mouka has met international standard in line with best practices. The durability, quality, and ergonomic compliance are satisfactory and we are confident they are perfect for good sleep which improves perfect well-being and healthy future because of the reliable quality the company has

Harti

exhibited since its inception.”

Among the products being promoted by Mouka are brands such as the Wellbeing Topper and Well-being Hybrid mattresses, Well-being orthopaedic mattress, Royal luxury pillow top mattress, Mondeo plus Spring mattress, Eco-Comfy Fibre mattress, and the Dreamtime Baby mattress.

Its topnotch quality pillow brands are the Crown Anti-Allergy Pillow, the Bio Pillow, made with groundbreaking biocrystal technology and the Royal Memory Foam Pillow for consumers’ well-being.

Prior to its acquisition of Mouka, the Dolidol Group has made significant progress in its bid to capture the African foam mattress industry, sustain its market leadership position, and diversify into other operations.

Speaking recently about this in a report that was monitored on Cable News Network (CNN), the Managing Director of Dolidol Group, Mr. Jaafar Harti, affirmed that the company was poised to provide unique brands as a pacesetter in mattress manufacturing sector for consumers’ satisfaction.

Harti said: “We are firm believers in Africa’s ability and the capacity to grow at a very large pace than the continent was doing over the last years. The best is about to come and happen as we are leaders in all the businesses we operate.”

He pointed out that Dolidol is presently operating three different complementary activities, the first is the foam mattress business; the second

is its carpentry operations in Morocco, which is providing doors and kitchen closets to customers, as well as its large infrastructure projects for educational institutions, and clinics, among others, that are also exported to Sub-Sahara African countries. The third activity, according to Harti, is the recycling business which Dolidol entered into in 2022.

According to the CNN report, the Morocco market was serving the mattress giant well with a sound ambition of spreading across the African continent, an operation Harti explained was around $250 million and $300 million, but not necessarily large enough, hence its expansion drive to grow as a PanAfrican brand.

The Dolidol’s boss said the inclination to deepen the group’s presence across the continent was what paved the way for the establishment of its first plant outside Morocco, in Abidjan, Cote D’ Ivoire, in 2016, and the Mouka acquisition in May 2021. These strategic moves have given the group access to the largest African market where it has continued to thrive.

According to him, though there are challenges in the foam mattress industry, he is very confident that there are opportunities for the company, as it is well positioned in the manufacturing of high-quality products in the African continent and to maintain its leading market share.

Dolidol’s expansion has also extended into East Africa with its acquisition of a majority stake in a major operator

in Ethiopia, the continent’s second most populous market. Dolidol also has projects underway in Uganda, which would enable it to supply neighbouring countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. As part of its institutionalisation project, the Dalidol Group opened up its capital to the DPI investment fund in October 2018, which has enabled it to pursue its development ambitions in line with its African strategic vision.

The Dolidol Group’s inroad into the African market is marked with its supply of quality and innovative brands that have dictated the pace in the industry where it has a huge market share.

Harti affirmed that the trailblasing company is poised in providing unique brands as a pacesetter in its sector for consumers’ satisfaction.

Dolidol expansion drive in the African market is well aligned with the crave for market dominance and improved brand visibility on the global stage by firms. This has necessitated the expansion bid by organisations, whether in the fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG), telecom, healthcare, technology, and in the foam mattress sector, among others, through affiliation, partnership, subsidiaries, and other viable strategies for maximum benefits.

Besides, there are other factor propelling the Dolidol Group’s determined spreading of its tentacles across the length and breadth of Africa. One of them is that the global mattress market, which is valued at $32.83 billion in 2022, is expected to grow between 2023 and 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.0 per cent, thereby reaching a projected market value of $48.81 billion by 2028.

Another factor is the increase in the demand for high-quality mattress and pillow products mattresses due to the remarkable growth taking place in the hospitality industry that is propelled by the rapid expansion of five-star and seven-star hotels.

Also, the rising disposable incomes and the increasing demand in home ownership are also among the factors that are boosting the growing demand in the mattress market.

Furthermore, the rising disposable incomes of consumers have been projected to boost the mattress market demand over the forecast period, along with an increase in homeownership. The increasing demand from the real estate industry to serve the housing requirements has resulted in a rise in the sale of home furniture such as mattresses, pillowcases, and bed linen, thus, aiding in the market growth.

Moreover, the mattress market share is witnessing expansion in developed nations, driven by robust marketing strategies like discounts, offers, and sales, which are expected to bring further stability to the market. The availability of different mattress sizes and types, to suit the demands of the consumers is also driving the market growth further, a situation that is also evident in emerging market economies.

All these factors are believed to be making tremendous impact on the growth of the mattress industry in the African continent, an opportunity the Dolidol Group as a foam mattress giant is making remarkable progress to appropriate.

Founded in 1972 by the Berrada family in Morocco, the Dolidol Group has become a prominent leader in the mattress market in Morocco, with well-known brands. It is a benchmark brand with a strong reputation for high-quality products and excellent customer service.

Dolidol is working towards emerging as Africa’s giant mattress manufacturer with its acquisition of Mouka and expansion of its manufacturing operations in countries that are spread across East, West and North Africa, writes Dike Onwuamaeze

Adeduntan Calls for Collaborative Efforts to Combat Financial Crime

Nume Ekeghe

The Chief Executive Officer, FirstBank Group, Dr Adesola Adeduntan has for enhanced collaboration in the financial system ecosystem to combat financial crimes.

He stated this while speaking at the Association of Chief Compliance Officers of Banks in Nigeria (ACCOBIN), General meeting in Lagos where stakeholders converged to discuss, “Institutionalising Customer Due Diligence/Know Your Customer (KYC) in the Financial Services Sector.”

He said: “When the campaign for Compliance and Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)

started years back, many people saw it as an alien concept. But over the years, we have all come to see that it is a must-win war for the sustainability of our businesses and indeed, the continuous survival of humans. Little wonder ‘Countering Proliferation Financing (PF)’ has now been added to the global onslaught against financial crimes.

“In an era marked by progressive technological advancement and an increasingly interconnected global economy, it is imperative for professionals from the regulatory and operational organisations within each sub-system to come together to adopt robust and effective

measures to combat money laundering, terrorism, and proliferation financing, fraud, and other illicit activities.”

He added that FirstBank iscommitted to actively enhancing our Customer Due Diligence (CDD) practices because it recognises the critical role that CDD plays in maintaining the security of our operations and building trust with our clients.

He further reiterated that they have continued to harness the power of technology to implement comprehensive CDD measures and are steadfastly working towards ensuring a seamless and secure environment for our clients and other stakeholders.

Presco’s Shareholders Get N8.6bn Dividend for 2022

Shareholders of Presco Plc have approved payment of final dividend of 660 kobo per share, indicating N6.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022.

The Company had paid an interim dividend of 200 kobo per share, which amounted to N2 billion, bringing total dividend paid for the year to N8.6billion, amounting to 860 kobo per share.

Addressing shareholders at the company’s 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Obaretin Estate, Benin City, Edo State, Chairman of Presco Plc, Mr Jean Van Gysel explained that the dividend payment is an increase of 13.16 per cent over same period in 2021.

According to Van Gysel, the final dividend will be paid on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, to shareholders whose names appear on the register of members as at the close of business on Wednesday,

September 13, 2023.

Explaining further, the Chairman commended Shareholders and all stakeholders’ for their support.

He said: “On behalf of the board, I would again like to thank all of our amazing people and teams across the business for all their commitment and hard work during the year. I thank my fellow Directors very sincerely for the wonderful work they do for the company.”

Speaking in a similar vein, Managing Director of Presco Plc, Mr Felix Nwabuko assured Shareholders of improved performance in the years ahead.

Nwabuko also used the opportunity to advise Shareholders to identify their Registrars, fill necessary forms as part of measures to tackle reports of unclaimed dividends.

Speaking at the meeting, President of Capital Shareholders Association, Abuja, Ezechukwu Augustine commended

the Board and Management of the company for the outstanding performance in the year under review.

Within the period under review, the Chairman explained that revenue grew by 71 per cent from N47.43 billion in 2021 to N81.03billion in 2022 while Gross Profit grew by 57 per cent from N31.75 billion in 2021 to N49.97 billion in 2022.

Van Gysel explained that with the combination of Siat Nigeria Limited operations, Fresh fruit bunches harvest in 2022 was 302,050 tons compared to 233,253 tons in 2021 while Crude Palm Oil produced was 68,998 tons as against 53,775 tons in 2021.

Explaining further, he said Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Oil (RBDO) produced was 55,878 tons, compared to 46,327 tons in 2021 and Olein and Stearin produced was 19,420 tons, as against 17,912 tons in 2021.

Abbey Mortgage Bank Set to Restructure to Boost Performance

Nume Ekeghe

Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc is set to enhance its performance through robust restructuring efforts and a focus on revenue growth despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.

During the 31st extraordinary general meeting (EGM), shareholders unanimously approved a reduction in equity by N6.35 billion to offset retained losses on the company’s financial statements

as of December 31, 2022, pending court confirmation.

The MD/CEO of Abbey Mortgage Bank Mobolaji Adewumi noted that he is optimistic about delivering higher returns to shareholders through bumper dividends and share appreciation.

The bank said it achieved a 25.14% increase in pre-tax profit to N827 million in 2022, extending its impressive profitable streak for the third consecutive year.

“In the first half of 2023,

MARKET INDICATORS

the bank maintained its growth momentum, with gross earnings surging by 28.42 per cent to N3.16 billion compared to N2.46 billion in June 2022. Loans and advances to customers also showed significant growth, increasing by 106.12 per cent to N10.63 billion from the previous year, while customer deposits grew by 20.34 per cent to N33.24 billion in June 2023 from N27.62 billion in June 2022, “it stated.

Stanbic IBTC Insurance Launches Comprehensive Funeral Expenses Cover

Nume Ekeghe

Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited, has unveiled its latest insurance product, the Sunset Benefit Plan, to help customers celebrate a life well spent and provide comprehensive funeral expenses coverage and financial security during bereavement or loss of their loved ones.

In a statement, the Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited, Akinjide Orimolade, expressed his excitement about the Sunset Benefit Plan, emphasising its importance in financial planning.

He stated, “Having a comprehensive funeral

expenses cover is a crucial part of financial planning as it ensures that you are not caught unprepared when the unexpected happens. With The Sunset Benefit Plan, we are thrilled to introduce an insurance product that eases the burden of funeral expenses with the passing of a loved one. With this plan’s flexibility and customisation options, individuals can tailor their coverage to match their unique financial situations.”

Executive Director, Business Development at Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited, Titi Ogungbesan, highlighted the various additional benefits for policyholders. These additional benefits

Money

include cover for interment, grocery, catering, childcare, and a cashback benefit applicable to payment plans up to age 70. This cashback feature allows policyholders to receive a refund equivalent to 12-month premiums every five years, provided premiums are up-to-date and no claims have been made on the policy.

The plan, he said, allows for payment of the benefit on the death of loved ones who are covered under the plan.

“The policyholder will choose the benefit payable upon the occurrence of death. The plan also allows for waiver of premium where the policyholder passes on before the other beneficiaries, “he added.

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $97.48 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $97.08 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), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 29TH SEPTEMBER , 2023

L-.R: Director, Presco Plc, Jan Van Eykeren; Company Secretary, Patrick Uwadia, Chairman, Mr Jean Van Gysel and Managing Director, Felix Nwabuko during Presco’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Benin City...recently

Stock Market Exceeds Analysts’ Expectation, Gains N8.42tn in Nine Months

KayodeTokede

The Nigerian equities market has surpassed capital market analysts’ prediction this year, gaining about N8.42 trillion in market capitalisation backed by federal government foreign exchange unification and impressive corporate earnings by listed fundamental stocks.

On the backdrop of significant growth in the stocks of Dangote Cement Plc, MTN

Nigeria Communication Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, among others, the market capitalisation closed September 2023 at N36.381 trillion, gaining N8.42 trillion or 30.15 per cent from N27.915 trillion it opened for trading this year.

With an average year-to-date return of 29.52 per cent, the NGX All-Share Index joined other Exchanges in Africa to become top five best behind, Zimbabwe Stock Exchange

(540.18 per cent), Malawi Stock Exchange (90.90 per cent), Egyptian Exchange (38.19 per cent), and Ghana Stock Exchange (29.81 per cent).

Benchmark indices at the NGX closed September 2023 at 66,382.14 basis points from 51,251.06 basis points the stock market opened in 2023.

The benchmark index- which measures pricing trends at the stock market, had earlier exceeded its previous all-time

high set in March 2008 to set a new record.

The All Share Index (ASI)- a value-based common index that tracks all share prices at the NGX, is widely regarded as Nigeria’s sovereign equities index, a barometer of pricing trends and investors’ return at the nation’s stock market.

The sectorial performance revealed that NGX Oil & gas index gained 97.63 per cent YtD, becoming the highest

gainer, followed by NGX Consumer Goods Index that gained 92.28 per cent YtD.

The Banking Index and Insurance Index appreciated by 59.57 per cent and 62.31 per cent YtD, respectively.

In addition, the NGX 30-Index appreciated by 32.54 per cent YtD as NGX Industrial Goods Index gained 10.80 per cent.

Investors’ interest in Seplat Petroleum Plc, Conoil Plc, among

others contributed to NGX Oil & gas Index, as Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC Holding, among others drive the Banking Index.

In the nine months under review, the stock price of Seplat Energy gained 67per cent to N1,837 per share, while Conoil appreciated to N80.20 per share, an increase of 202.6 per cent from N26.5 per share it closed for trading in 2022.

PRICES FOR SECURITIES TRADED ASOF SEPTEMBER/28/23

INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY THANKSGIVING IN OWERRI…

Gen Z Baddie, Ilebaye Wins Big Brother Naija All Stars Season

Vanessa Obioha

In a nail-biting finale, Ilebaye, a former housemate from the Big Brother Naija Level Up season, was crowned the winner of the Big Brother Naija All Stars season yesterday. She outshone five other finalists, including the previous winner, Mercy Eke, to claim the astounding N120 million cash prize, along with various other rewards and the prestigious title of Big Naija All Stars winner. The climactic finale was an emotional rollercoaster and a showcase of gender empowerment. The male housemates, Cross,

Pere, and Adekunle, were the first to be evicted, leaving the final three: CeeC, Mercy, and Ilebaye. CeeC's expression turned from anticipation to shock and disappointment as she was announced as the fourth finalist to exit the game, ultimately leaving Mercy and Ilebaye as the top two contenders.

Moments before her victory was announced, the Big Brother Naija Studio resonated with chants of Ilebaye's name. Overwhelmed with emotion, she exclaimed, "I'm surprised, I can't believe I'm even here."

As soon as she was declared the winner, she dropped to her

knees and joyfully crawled around the studio, overwhelmed by her unexpected success. Ilebaye's journey on the show was defined by her unyielding determination, strategic acumen, and the controversies that made her a central figure of the season. The finale brought the curtain down on an unforgettable season of Big Brother Naija All Stars, which commenced in July with 20 housemates. Throughout the season, the game was spiced up with the addition of four fake housemates. Unique features of the season included the "black envelope immunity game" and the

Global Fund, ACOMIN Urge FG to Tackle Deficiency in Healthcare Data

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Global Fund and the Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN) have urged the federal government to urgently find solution to the problem of unavailability of accurate data in the country's healthcare system.

ACOMIN which engages in advocacy and monitoring of malaria Elimination programmes in 13 states in Nigeria, also said there was need for more resources, especially from local sources to be invested in antimalaria campaign.

Speaking during the ACOMIN's National Advocacy

Focused Media quarterly meeting in Abuja the Acting Executive Secretary of Global

Fund-Nigeria, Ibrahim Tajudeen, said lack of appropriate data had been a major challenge in the effort to achieve targets set for the health sector.

He said: "We need to underscore the fact that data speaks volumes when it comes to challenges facing the healthcare system in Nigeria. We may provide more resources and try to get the governance right, but when it comes to data and population, the challenges that have been experienced over the years are huge.

"We always have issues when it comes to practicalisation and programme are not well integrated, it is difficult when we are planning with the little resources that available and then to get the best value from that

resources," he added.

Tajudeen said there was need to urgently address what he called the porous data system in the country.

"In fact, if there is anything we can consider urgently is to declare a state of emergency on our data system. He said that all the efforts to make more funds available to the healthcare sector may not yield the expected result, if we don't work with accurate data.

"For example you advocate and get government and other private sector donors to allocate more resources to a malaria programme, but when you don't have quality data to how many people that are having malaria in the last one week, then you don't have real-time data.

"Over the years, we have been confusing aggregate data with quality data and that prevents us from using available data to guide an informed decisionmaking. The quantity of malaria drug required in Nigeria today is clear. This is why we have relied on estimates for our planning," he said.

Tajudeen said in the last six months, the National Malaria Elimination Programme could not authoritatively say what the number of fever cases presented at hospitals in the country were.

According to him, ACOMIN has shown through its advocacy how communities had played significant role both in terms of contribution, supporting facilities and in service delivery.

"parrot," which added unexpected twists and turns to the show.

Ilebaye, now joins the ranks of Mercy Eke and Phyna as the third

female winner of the reality TV show, following their victories in the fourth and seventh seasons, respectively.

Wanted Kingpin, Chadian, Grandpa Arrested for Londonbound Drug Shipment

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A suspected drug kingpin wanted for alleged attempts to ship illicit drug consignments to the United Kingdom tops the list of arrests made by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) through interdiction operations that led to the seizure of four tons of illicit substances in the past week.

According to a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, yesterday, Obiorah Chigozie had been on the wanted list of the NDLEA since 15th September 2023 when a consignment of 1.5 kilogrammes skunk concealed in flour going to London, UK was intercepted at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, during which his freight agent, Nworah Adaugo was arrested.

Babafemi, said Obiorah convinced that the 1.5 kilogrammes consignment had sailed through, walked into the agency’s dragnet last Thursday, when he personally brought another tranche of two kilogrammes concealed in cartons to the airport for shipment to the UK. He noted that during interrogation, Obiorah claimed he was into shoes sales in Lagos before venturing into the illicit drug business.

He said operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Command of the

Leke Oshunniyi Elected King's College Old Boys' Association President

King's College Old Boys' Association (KCOBA) has announced Dr. Leke Oshunniyi as its new President.

The election was held during the association's Annual General Meeting (AGM), marking the culmination of a week-long activities to celebrate the 114th anniversary of the College.

Oshunniyi, is a private medical practitioner and Health Administrator, who would be bringing his wealth of experience

and a strong commitment to the role.

He has been serving as a Director of the Royal Cross Medical Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, since 1990. He is also a member of the American College of Physician Executives and the National Association of Managed Care Physicians in the USA. His track record includes an appointment as Deputy Managing Director of Multishield Limited in June 2010, followed

by his subsequent promotion to Managing Director in July 2012. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN). He is Fellow of the Institute of Health Insurance and Managed Care of Nigeria (FIHIMN).

Oshunniyi, a distinguished Mobil Scholar, graduated from the University of Ibadan Medical School in 1982. In addition to his medical qualifications, he holds a diploma

in Finance from Harvard University, showcasing his multidisciplinary expertise.

The new President is joined by a team of prominent members of the executive committee.

Mr. Etigwa Uwa, a lawyer and former Abia State gubernatorial aspirant, assumed the position of General Secretary and Mr. Wole Ekperokun, an accomplished Architect, would serve as the Social Secretary. Also, Mr. Moses Nasamu,

an Energy and Sustainability expert takes on the role of Assistant General Secretary.

This transition followed the end of the tenure of the immediate past President, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim Imam, who led the association for six years from 2017 to 2023.

Imam's tenure was marked by significant achievements, and left a legacy that the new leadership aims to build upon.

agency last Friday intercepted a container truck with registration number BD G41 XM coming from Lagos to Kano at the Gwagwalada area of the FCT, revealing that no less than 1,188 kilogrammes of skunk loaded at Owo, Ondo state and hidden under cartons of toothpaste were recovered from the truck and its driver, Amafan Fattison, 28, arrested.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers in Bayelsa state last Wednesday, seized 432 kilogrammes of the same substance from an abandoned J5 bus along Saipem road, Opolo, Yenagoa. The vehicle was equally recovered from the scene for further investigation.

“In Kano, a septuagenarian grandpa, Ado Mai Unguwa, was arrested last Saturday with 143.2 kilogrammes skunk in Dindere village, Tofa local government area, while operatives in Enugu same day recovered 110.6 kilogrammes of same substance from a lockedup shop at Aria new market,” the statement added.

Babafemi, revealed that, “operatives in Lagos on Saturday stormed the notorious Idi-Oro drug enclave in Mushin where they seized 212.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa belonging to a wanted drug lord.

“This is even as NDLEA officers in Kwara state recovered 104 kilogrammes of skunk from a Toyota Camry car in Offa area of the state, while a Chadian, Mohammed Ibrahim, 25, was nabbed at Mafa check point, Borno state with 11.8 kilogrammes of same substance last Monday.”

He said in Plateau, “the state police command in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration transferred four suspects: Yusuf Akim; Frank Gah; Jackson Ejeh and Joseph Utsu, and 1,978 kilogrammes cannabis recovered from them to the state command of NDLEA, while in Cross River, operatives last Monday seized 40,000 ampules of pentazocine injection from two suspects: Fajulugbe Adeshola, 35, and Nnaorji Agwe, 54, at Mobil by MCC road, Calabar.”

L-R: Rev. Fr. Patrick Mbarah; Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma and wife, Chioma, during the 63rd Independence Day anniversary thanksgiving at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral Church in Owerri... Sunday

Ilebaye

TANKER EXPLOSION AT SAPELE-WARRI-BENIN EXPRESSWAY...

Scores Dead, Vehicles Burnt Following Tanker Explosion in Warri – Benin Highway Due to Deplorable State of Roads

Delta Gov, CP commiserate with victims’ families

Sylvester Idowu in Warri and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Scores of people were reportedly killed and several vehicles burnt following a tanker explosion at Koko junction along Sapele-Warri-Benin expressway in Warri North local government area of Delta State which has the highest oil production in the country. The state of the road has been a major source of concern to the people of the area.

However, Delta State Police Command spokesman, Mr. Bright Dafe, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), said five persons died while "eight buses of different makes, two tankers, five trailers (trucks), two motorcycles, one Sienna space bus and one 'C' Class (brand of) Mercedes Benz car" got burnt.

The incident, THISDAY learnt, occurred in the early hours of yesterday, when the fuel tanker fell and exploded into huge flames, spilling its dangerous inflammable contents into the surroundings.

Koko junction and neighbouring Ologbo, both border towns between Edo and Delta, have been a nightmare for motorists because of the deplorable state of the expressway.

Vehicles, particularly articulated

be read as taking any position on any of the broader claims as to the validity of the election or what the documents and discovery from CSU might or might not show.

"The court simply finds that Mr. Abubakar has cleared the relatively low hurdle of showing that the documents he seeks could be relevant to his claims (either proving them or disproving them) and could potentially be presented to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

"For the foregoing reasons, the court overrules President Tinubu’s objections to Magistrate Judge Gilbert’s recommended ruling, and therefore adopts the ruling in full. Atiku's Application is therefore granted.

“In light of the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, represented to the court as October 5, 2023, and based on CSU’s representations that it is ready to comply with the discovery requests and produce a witness, the court sets an expedited schedule for completion of discovery.

"Respondent CSU is directed to produce all relevant and nonprivileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. 1

ones, fall freely on daily basis as a result of deep craters that most times consume smaller cars. Motorists spend hours, trapped in the usual traffic gridlock that characterised the areas

One of the sources, who witnessed late Saturday incident, said he counted at least 20 charred bodies of victims of the explosion resulting from a spark from a faulty vehicle while the victims were scooping fuel that spilled from the fallen tanker.

He disclosed that, among the dead, were a pregnant woman, children, and some elderly persons.

"The tanker fell and spilled its contents on the road and some persons rushed to scoop fuel despite being warned by drivers and security men who had stormed the scene after they learnt the tanker had fallen. We tried to prevent them but the youths threatened to beat us up telling us it’s their community. They came in their numbers carrying all sorts of containers and when the explosion happened around 12:15 am this morning we all fled. You can see dead bodies on the ground, some of them ran into the forest. As I speak, some dead bodies have been removed, I counted over 20 bodies,” the eye witness said.

When THISDAY visited the scene,

through 4 (as narrowed by Judge Gilbert and adopted here) in Atiku's subpoena, by 12:00 p.m. (noon) CDT, on Monday, October 2, 2023.

"The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Given the October 5, 2023, filing deadline before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Court will not extend or modify these deadlines.”

Atiku and PDP, which came second in the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria with 6,984,520 votes, is seeking the nullification of Tinubu's presidency on the grounds of substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws, massive irregularities, and corrupt practices, among others.

The former vice president also claimed that Tinubu ought not to have contested the February 25 presidential election over alleged criminal offences bordering on forgery, perjury and possession of double citizenship.

However, a five-member panel of the presidential election tribunal, in their unanimous judgement delivered on September 6, dismissed Atiku and PDP's petition for lacking

some dead bodies burnt beyond recognition were seen on the ground, with several burnt vehicles including the exploded tanker.

Meanwhile, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Abass, have commiserated with the families of the persons who lost their lives in the tragic incident.

According to the Delta State Police Command spokesman, Mr. Bright Dafe (a deputy superintendent of police, DSP), who gave the human and vehicular casualty figures yesterday evening, the police could not immediately make out the different registration numbers of the burnt vehicles due to the severity of the fire.

"Due to the fire, the registration numbers of all these affected vehicles were not clearly visible", Dafe said.

Oborevwori's condolence message, which was conveyed in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Festus Ahon, also said: "The State Emergency Management Agency led by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Ejiro Terry, were already at the scene to provide help and support for the victims."

However, Edafe confirmed that the "bodies of the five victims were

in merit.

While the tribunal held that the petitioners did not prove allegations made against the conduct of the presidential poll, it refused to consider and determine the allegations of certificate forgery and perjury against Tinubu on the grounds that they failed to list the allegations in their main petition.

Bent on proving the allegations, Atiku, who was vice president between 1999 and 2007, approached the US court for additional evidence, which he hoped to tender before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, where he had already filed an appeal against what he claimed was a "perverse" judgement of the presidential tribunal.

He predicated his application on Order 2 of the Supreme Court Rule, which stipulates, "A party who wishes the court to receive the evidence of witnesses (whether they were or were not called at the trial) or to order the production of any document, exhibit or other thing connected with the proceedings in accordance with the provisions of Section 33 of the Act, shall apply for leave on notice of motion prior to the date set down for the hearing

evacuated to Oghara General Hospital mortuary", through combined efforts of policemen from Oghara Police Station, men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and officials from the Ethiope West Local Government Area, who arrived the scene earlier.

The officers and men were also making frantic efforts to clear the road of obstructions due to the complicated chaos created by the many burnt vehicles, just to ensure reasonable flow of traffic on the failed portion of the Warri-Benin Road at the boundary between Delta and Edo states, he said.

Nevertheless, Governor Oborevwori, while warning people to refrain from rushing to scoop petroleum products at scenes of fallen tankers, blamed the Federal Government for the tragedy, saying the state government and wellmeaning citizens have been appealing for long for Federal Government to fix the Warri-Benin Road and other badly run down federal government (Trunk 'A') roads across the state. He said that citizens of the state and commuters encounter harrowing experiences navigating the road and called on the authorities to as a matter of utmost importance and urgency

of the appeal.

"The application shall be supported by affidavit of the fact on which the party relies for making it and of the nature of the evidence or the document concerned.

"It shall not be necessary for the other party to answer the additional evidence intended to be called but if leave is granted the other party shall be entitled to a reasonable opportunity to give his own evidence in reply if he so wishes."

In the application filed on August 2, Atiku had requested for an order of mandamus compelling the CSU to release information regarding Tinubu's record. He argued that Section 137 (1)(j) of the Nigerian constitution (amended in 2010) specifically stated that no one would be legitimately elected president of Nigeria if the person “has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission”.

Tinubu had on June 17, 2022 submitted a certificate to INEC that was purportedly issued in 1979 and signed by Elnora Daniel. But Daniel only arrived at CSU in 1998, from Hampton University, 19 years after

fix the road to avoid further incidents like this.

The governor said: "On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I commiserate with families of the victims who lost their lives to the inferno.

"This sad and unfortunate incident would have been avoided if the Federal Government had lived up to their responsibility of maintaining their roads.

"While I mourn the deceased, I use this medium to reiterate my earlier call on the Federal Government to save the lives of our people from these harrowing experiences.

"I also use this medium to advise our people to refrain from the dangerous act of scooping fuel from a fallen tanker because of the highly inflammable nature of the product".

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Abass, while consoling the bereaved families, also cautioned against the dangerous practice of people scooping spilled fuel at accident scenes.

"CP Abass stated that it is sad that we never learn from past occurences, since this isn’t the first time such incident has happened. Nonetheless, he appeals that Nigerians should do

Tinubu was said to have graduated. She left the school in 2008, following a financial mismanagement scandal, or 14 years before June 2022, when CSU issued yet a fresh certificate in Tinubu’s name under subpoena from a Nigerian lawyer who had inquired about Tinubu’s education there.

The irregularities prompted Atiku to file the suit to compel CSU to produce records relating to Tinubu and make its top officials available for deposition to certify the produced records, according to the Nigerian opposition leader’s lawyers.

He had specifically requested for four document, seeking true and correct copies of: (1) an example of a CSU diploma for a Bachelor of Science degree issued in 1979; (2) President Tinubu’s diploma issued in 1979; (3) any examples of a CSU diploma that “contains the same font, seal, signatures, and wording (other than the name of the recipient and the specific degree awarded)” as the copy of the diploma that was purportedly issued to President Tinubu on or about June 22, 1979; and (4) certain other CSU documents that were apparently certified and

away with greed and avoid scenes where there is an occurence of oil spillages as it pose a serious threat to their lives and the lives of others", the police spokesman said.

In another development, Governor Oborevwori has stated that his administration remained committed to rural-urban integration, assuring that the government will construct more roads to open the rural areas across the state.

He also urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country, saying that Nigeria remained the pride of other African countries where democracy was being sustained despite the challenges.

The governor was speaking in Asaba at the 63rd Independence anniversary of Nigeria, which also afforded an interdenominational thanksgiving service for his triple victory at the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba.

The tribunal on Friday reaffirmed INEC's declaration of Oborevwori as the winner of the March 18, 2023 election and duly returning him as Governor, dismissing the separate petitions from Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC, Kenneth Gbagi of the SDP and Ken Pela of the Labour Party.

produced by Jamar Orr (an associate general counsel at CSU) in other Nigerian proceedings, as well as communications relating to these documents (the “Orr Documents”).

In addition, Atiku sought for a deposition by CSU pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 30(b)(6), seeking to explore five topics through deposition: (1) the authenticity of the documents produced by CSU in response to the application and how and where CSU located the documents; (2) CSU’s position on the authenticity of other CSU documents related to Tinubu purportedly produced by CSU in another Nigerian proceeding (“Enahoro-Ebah v. Tinubu”); (3) the contents of an affidavit from CSU’s registrar Caleb Westberg; (4) CSU’s position on the authenticity of a letter from Westberg (the “Westberg Letter”) on CSU letterhead regarding Tinubu, including who requested the letter, who prepared the letter, and to whom it was sent; and (5) CSU’s position on the authenticity of the Orr Documents and other facts regarding why the documents were certified, if Mr. Orr was authorised to do so, who requested the documents, and to whom they were sent.

Scene of the tanker explosion at Koko junction along Sapele-Warri-Benin expressway in Warri North local government area of Delta State… yesterday

US COURT SET TO RELEASE TINUBU’S ACADEMIC RECORDS TODAY

working in this sector think if you change your name from PHCN to Genco or Disco, you are a very important corporation, or a company with a lot of know-how. You no longer call yourself NEPA or PHCN. You call yourself Disco…

This is how these engineers deceive our leaders. Our power sector was doing fine until 1972, with ECN [Electricity Corporation of Nigeria] having its thermal power stations in every major town in the country while NDA [Niger Dams Authority] was doing well with its Kainji and Jebba dams. Some people went and whispered into the ears of General Yakubu Gowon and he merged ECN with NDA to form NEPA. That was how our problems in that sector began. Primary school pupils in Nigeria were soon saying that the acronym NEPA stood for No Electricity Power Available.

Even NEPA, up until the 1990s, we used to see its ubiquitous Volkswagen Kombi maintenance vans, with its maintenance men fiddling with transformers, climbing poles and often seen hanging precariously on high-tension cables. Every now and then in the 1970s and 1980s, there were reports in the newspapers of NEPA electricians getting electrocuted while working on high-tension cables. It is a sign of Discos’ growing inefficiency these days that none of their staff was electrocuted in the last decade.

Sometime in 1977, a huge bomb-like device was seen lying in the bush at Kaduna city’s Kawo area. The entire city panicked as news spread that there was a huge bomb waiting to explode. The Army One Division’s spokesman compounded people’s fears when he told reporters after

inspecting it that “we have no such bomb in the armoury of the Nigeria Army.” At least he told the truth there. The following day, a NEPA maintenance van arrived at the scene, pushed through the cordon of soldiers guarding the “bomb” and carried it away, saying it was their forgotten fuse. In the same way that people misled General Gowon, the same people misled General Muhammadu Buhari in 1984. We were doing well with our Post and Telegraph [P&T], which controlled both the Post Office and our telephones. The old Post Office was so good that its postal vans were to be seen plying all roads. In our village in those days, we had no Post Office but there was a Postal Agency, manned by a clerk. Every afternoon when he closed from work, the Postal Agency Clerk rode his bicycle to our house and delivered my grandfather’s letters directly to him.

Up until the mid-1970s, telephones in most Nigerian towns were very few and they operated like the office intercoms. You must first dial for the Operator, and ask him to connect you to a number. Still, we were doing fine, until General Buhari appeared on television one night in 1984 and said he was merging P&T and its highly profitable external telecom arm NET [Nigeria External Communications], then split them into NITEL and NIPOST. Where did that name change take us? When MTN and ECONET arrived on the scene in 2001, NITEL suddenly looked like a dinosaur and soon disappeared. NIPOST is only just ambling along. When Buhari came back 30 years later, why didn’t he change their names again?

If P&T had not changed its name to

NITEL, it would have held its own against MTN, Glo and Zain. Even Nigeria’s first mobile telecom operator Econet which changed its name to V-Mobile and then to Zain, did it become a greater telecom company?

It is these incessant changes of name that are responsible for this country’s potholed roads, broken bridges and bridges without railings. It was because the old Public Works Department, PWD, had its name changed to Ministry of Works. In the days of PWD, whoever saw potholes on paved roads, even if the paved roads were few? In those days there were no contractors, because PWD’s men did everything by direct labour. Only the biggest projects such as bridges and secretariat buildings were done by Julius Berger, Costain, Taylor Woodrow, D’Alberto & Bogialla, G Cappa and Dharal Handsah.

When last did you hear of the Government Printer? Up until the 1980s, Federal Government Printer and its state counterparts dutifully printed and widely distributed the Constitution, maps, pamphlets, government information brochures, gazettes, decrees, budgets and development plans. Its decline started after independence when its name was changed from Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

Even Nigeria Police Force, has it been doing better since when its name was changed from Royal West African Constabulary? In those days of the RWAC, were there highway robbers, 419ners, oil bunkerers, black marketers, drug adulterators or even any “bandits”? Last month a saw a Mobile Police patrol van drive by in Abuja when two men were fighting. During my primary school days,

NIGERIA@63: RESOLVING DIVERSITY ISSUES

created unintended problems. For instance, creating the Federal Character Principle to give access to opportunities to people from various ethnic backgrounds became counterproductive when meritocracy and value were sacrificed on the altar of equal access in Nigeria. The death of meritocracy in Nigeria due to clannishness, nepotism, and irredentist tendencies has stopped Nigeria from harnessing its best resources for socio-political and economic growth. Unfortunately, 63 years from Independence, we have yet to make a significant improvement in managing our diversity well, much more in harnessing it to our advantage. Today, we are still dealing with the issues of dismantling ethnic nationality loyalties and subjecting all allegiances to the Nigerian state. We are brutally confronted with diversity challenges daily in politics, social existence, communal relations, and religious differences. Any little issues of national importance are seen by many from the narrow prism of ethnicity and religion. We are a nation silently at war with ourselves based on ethnic and religious loyalties. The last national elections exemplify this. I must acknowledge that some progress has been made, but recent events show an erosion of this progress. Recent calls for secession, banditry, terrorism activities, farmer-herder crises and communal crises are a few examples of worsening tensions in the union. Prof. Anya, a distinguished Nigerian merit Laureate, has this to say, "We can no longer say with certainty that we have a nation". Niger Delta leaders, South-Eastern leaders, Middle-Belt leaders, and Northern Elders Forum have not remained quiet.

The key driver of the challenge of managing our diversity is limited economic opportunities and politics of exclusion. Lack of opportunities or unequal access to opportunities exacerbates feelings of exclusion and anger, especially in a struggling economy. Poverty and greed of the elite combine to divide the nation. Poverty creates an atmosphere of shame and blame and quickly pushes people to resort to divisive ethnic and religious sentiments. And over 130 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor. Besides, ignorance and illiteracy promote conflict and hinder inclusion. Our greedy elite are comfortable with fantastical corruption that leads to a few siphoning our common

Tinubu

patrimony for themselves and their cronies. Any plans to manage our diversity and create inclusion must address poverty and corruption that leads to unequal or no access to opportunities.

Therefore, we must develop more ways of celebrating our ethnic and cultural diversity. All must resist any tendency to promote cultural superiority. Promoting religious tolerance and understanding is crucial to maintaining peace. Although English is our official language, we must keep the local languages alive. We must ensure that education is accessible to all, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic background. We must promote workplace diversity, inclusion, equal opportunities, and fair employee treatment.

Government must be the critical driver of promoting diversity and inclusion through legislation and policies. Political leaders must

aim for equitable representation of diverse groups in government and public institutions and that no one group dominates the rest in government. This has direct political consequences - political leaders must be deliberate in the equitable distribution of infrastructure, resources, political offices, and accommodation of different cultural expressions in our country. Our political leaders need to focus on building trust and creating a culture where everyone feels free to aspire to the best Nigeria can offer them. They play a critical role in managing ethnocultural divisions, gender biases, and most recently, youth bulge. They have a responsibility to create and sustain an inclusive environment for all. Our recent experience shows that the country suffers many mishaps if the political leadership does not manage our diversity and create an inclusive environment.

if two men were fighting and the bulky Native Authority policeman Danbaki saw them, he dropped everything, arrested them and took them straight to guard room.

Even the Nigeria Army, has it benefitted from serial changes in name? When it was called King’s African Rifles and still later Royal West African Frontier Force [WAFF], it serially crushed all the great armies of the Sokoto Caliphate. How come that an army that captured the Sokoto Caliphate’s capital in 90 minutes took several weeks to capture Tom Polo’s Camp 5?

This country’s civilian administrators all lost efficiency due to name changes. Our Native Authorities were very efficient in the way they run schools, markets, motor parks, forests, rivers, health centres, veterinary clinics and police forces but once their names were changed in 1976 to Local Governments, everything fell apart. The Local Government Chairmen of today, do they have 1% dedication of the old District Officers [DOs]? Even state governors should revert to their old names of Residents. They will then start going on rural tours on horseback, donkeys and on foot instead of running around in jeeps and blaring sirens as they do these days.

Even this country’s Oga Kpatakpata, the President, should revert to his old title of Governor General. He should resume wearing white uniforms, gloves and brass helmets. All the people who are threatening to go on “total and indefinite” strike in two days’ time, would they have done so if a Governor General emerges from under Aso Rock and speaks through a bullhorn?

Civil society organisations and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) must play a vital role in advocating for diversity and inclusiveness and monitoring and holding the government and private sector accountable for their commitments. And all stakeholders must support initiatives to promote cultural understanding, tolerance, and acceptance to bridge divides. Managing diversity and promoting inclusiveness in Nigeria is an ongoing and multifaceted challenge. It requires concerted efforts from the government, civil society, the private sector, and individuals to ensure that all Nigerians, regardless of their background, can participate fully in the country's social, economic, and political life. Embracing diversity and inclusiveness is a moral imperative and a pathway to a more prosperous and harmonious Nigeria.

PHILANTHROPY…

L-R: Assistant Head Teacher, Isheri Primary School, Mrs. Iyabo Sarigbe; Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA), Mr. Ogunyemi Babatunde; President, Rotary Club of Omole Golden, Veronica Isijola; Head Teacher, Isheri Primary school, Mrs. Funke Olarewaju; pupils of Isheri Primary school, Elizabeth Berna, and Goodluck Emmanuel, during the donation of school bags and water bottles to Isheri Primary school and UACC Primary school in Lagos… recently ETOP UKUTT

Senator Cries Out for Help as Bandits Run Riot in Niger

Laleye Dipo in Minna

As bandits continue to kill and kidnap people in the Niger East senatorial district of Niger State, the Senator representing the district, Alhaji Sani Musa, has made a clarion call to the federal government to come to the rescue of his people.

In the recent week, not less than 30 villagers have been

kidnapped-most of them women, while an unconfirmed source said five of them were killed with one man maimed having been shot in the leg.

An entire community, according to reports from an area in Munya Local Government Area, has also been taken over by the bandits who have reportedly turned the place into their camp.

‘Japa’ Not only Path to Success, Says Nexford Varsity CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of Nexford University (NXU), Lagos, Fadl Al Tarzi, at the weekend cautioned Nigerian graduates against travelling out of the country to seek greener pastures.

He added however that Africa has the potential to become the largest supplier of global workforce in nearest future.

Tarzi, who made this known at the Nexford University graduation ceremony in Lagos, expressed confidence in Nigerian

Senator Musa described the latest development in his district as “unacceptable”, and asked the federal government

and the security agencies to do the needful by rescuing “my people from the hands of these blood-thirsty marauders.”

Musa lamented that the heightened insecurity in the Munya LGA just like in four other local government areas

has rendered the villagers jobless as they could no longer access their farms and other means of livelihood.

Guber Election: PDP, Diri in for Rude Shock in Bayelsa, Says Nabena

Adedayo Akinwale inAbuja

Ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa state, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

students, hailing their resilience and commitment to research.

According to him, “Take control of your destinies and forge your paths with determination and creativity.

Remember, ‘Japa’ is not the only path to success. In this era of remote work, jobs are transcending geographical boundaries, and Africa with its youthful population is also poised to be the cradle of tomorrow’s global workforce. There is an undeniable truth that Africa is where tomorrow’s workforce will come from.”

FG Urged to Increase Intervention Funds for Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs has urged the federal government and donor agencies to consider the state as a special case in allocating intervention funds.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roseline Uranta, made the call when a delegation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja Cares Coordinating Programme paid a courtesy visit to her in her office in Port Harcourt.

The commissioner said: “I am informed that your visit is based on the fact that the State Care Coordinating Unit is doing well in service delivery hence the visit.”

She further said the state government under the leadership of the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, “is committed to the welfare need of our people, and is shown in his first 100 days in office.”

Uranta also said the state, being the ‘treasure base of the country’ would continue to be hospitable to visitors at all times.

Lagos NAJUC Elects New Exco Members

Wale Igbintade

The National Association of Judicial Correspondents (NAJUC), Lagos Branch, has elected a new set of executive officers to run the affairs of the Association for the next three years. The new executive council is led by Olugbenga Soyele of Leadership newspaper as Chairman, Babajide Leigh of Silverbird Television as Vice Chairman, Robert Egbe of the Nation newspaper as the General Secretary, among others.

They were unanimously elected by all the members present during the election, and were consequently sworn in by the Chairman of the association’s electoral committee, Wale Igbintade of the ThisDay newspaper.

Speaking on behalf of the newly elected officials, Soyele thanked members for finding them worthy to serve the association for the next three years. He assured them that the new exco will work hard to take the association to greater heights.

and its candidate, Duoye Diri are in for a rude shock.

The National Chairman of the ruling party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, had on Friday inaugurated the national campaign team with a task to mobilise, study all the guidelines and deliver the party’s candidate, Timipre Sylva.

The APC chieftain noted that if Duoye’s abysmal performance in the state was anything to go by, the outcome of the forthcoming election is already known to all.

Nabena, while addressing a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, said as far as he was concerned, the people of Bayelsa have seen that

the Diri has done nothing because he was never prepared.

On the recent mass defection to APC and the denial by the state government, the party chieftain said the governor and his party were afraid of what would become of their fate soon, adding that already there is confusion in the PDP’s camp.

Kogi CP Warns Politicians to Desist from Violence, Heating Up Polity

Ibrahim Oyewale inLokoja

The Kogi State Commissioner of Police ,Bethrand Onuoha, has once again warned all the political parties in the state and their supporters to play by the rules, stop heating up polity in the State This was contained in statement

by the Command Police Public Relation Officer, SP William Aya, copy of which was made available to the newsmen yesterday Lokoja. The command vowed to resist all forms of political violence in the state. Onuoha urged them to desist from all forms of violence as anyone caught disrupting the prevailing

peaceful environment in the State will be made to face the full wrath of the Law

The CP made this appeal after the Command received a report of alleged attack on the SDP Campaign at Koton-Karfe where some persons were said to have been injured in the process through political violence.

Onuoha ,who sympathised with all victims of political violence, condemning in strong terms, some politicians whose stock-in-trade is violence and who have taken it upon themselves to cause mayhem and heat up the State through their unguarded utterances and unregulated activities.

36 State Govs Sued, Asked to Account for N72bn Subsidy Palliative

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused the 36 state governors of failing to account for the spending of N72 billion palliative collected from the federal government.

In a statement yesterday, the group’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said it has filed a lawsuit against the governors, saying they also failed to include the details of the beneficiaries and the reliefs provided with the money.

Recently, the Federal

Government disbursed N2 billion out of the N5 billion palliative package to each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.

In the suit number FHC/L/ CS/1943/2023 filed last Friday

at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel each of the 36 state governors to account for the spending of the N2 billion palliative collected by the governors from the Federal Government.”

South-east Region Needs a Devt Commission Urgently, Say Ohaneze

Sunday Okobi

The leaders of the Southeast region under the auspices of Ohaneze Ndigbo have called for the setting up of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to manifestly operationalise

ideas for the development of the region. They stated that the formation of such agency would bring speedy progress to the Igbo nation through actions for results, not jaded rhetoric.

At the summit, former

Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and a foremost development scholar, Prof Sam Amadi, in his lead paper delivered at the summit titled: ‘Roadmap to Accelerated Economic Transformation of the South

East’c insisted that there was a need for coordinated efforts in the desire to achieve the development of the South East Zone intentionally with a mandate for action to move, work and deliver results, adding that the time is urgently now.

Emerging Africa Capital’s CP Programme Records 106% Subscription

Tracy Amusa

Emerging Africa Capital Advisory Limited, a prominent investment banking group operating in the African market, announced the successful completion of its Commercial

Paper(CP) issuances, recording a subscription level of 106 per cent.

According to the company, the robust level of subscription underscores the unwavering confidence that investors place in the its distinguished profile and the outstanding capabilities

of its management team.

Emerging Africa Capital Limited approached the market to raise N5 billion through its Series V (181 days) and Series VI (269 days) CP issuances, which are part of its registered N15 billion

programme with the FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited. The company said these issuances received overwhelming interest from qualified institutional investors, including esteemed asset managers, trustees, and insurance companies.

Bauchi Monarch Tasks Traditional Title Holders on Uprightness, Diligence

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu, has called on all the traditional title holders in the state to remain upright and diligent in the discharge of their duties.

The Emir made the call in Bauchi yesterday during the official turbaning and

installation of a business tycoon, Alhaji Yakubu Ibrahim as the Santuraki Bauchi.

According to him, this would help in upholding the sacred nature of the Bauchi Emirate Council and enhance its mutual trust and reverence of the good people of Bauchi state.

He also urged the newly

installed traditional title holder to always thread the footprint of his late father, Alh. Yakubu Lame, who held the title with absolute dignity, patience and fear of God.

“Your late father had been a good ambassador of the emirate whose enormous contributions to the upliftment of the living standard of the

people of the state and the emirate in particular were unquantifiable, especially as regards to their livelihood,” said the Emir.

Speaking shortly after his installation, Ibrahim appreciated the Emir for finding him worthy of wearing his late father’s shoes at the Emirate Council.

Funmi Ogundare

MISSILE

Adebanjo to Federal Govt

“Welosttheballwhenthemilitaryseizedcontrolandchangedtheconstitution.They imposedaconstitutiononus,whichisthecauseoftheproblemtoday.So,togoback towherewewere,weshouldchangethisconstitution;that'sthebottomlineofour problem.Alltheproblemswearehavingarebasedandembeddedinthefraudulent constitutionimposedonusbythemilitary.Youcannotrulethiscountryunderaunitary systemofgovernment"–AfenifereLeader,ChiefAyoAdebanjo,callingNigeriatojettison the1999Constitution,toendmostoftheproblemsstuntingthecountry's growth.

VIEW FROM THE GALLERY

While waiting in a small corner room to go in for ultrasound at a Cairo hospital at the weekend, I chanced upon a social media story, of one Nigerian [pseudo] economist advocating that the name of our currency, the naira, should be changed. This he said, should be part of an alleged Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] plan to redenominate our currency by early next year. Quite alright, I had earlier read a social media story saying that CBN will undertake what then CBN Governor Professor Charles Soludo wanted to do in 2008, i.e., remove two zeroes from the value of every naira note.

Soludo’s plan collapsed because he went at the time to “notify” President Umaru Yar’adua and the Federal Executive Council of his plan, claiming that he had the power to do so. But Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa discovered a provision in the law which reserved for the President the power to approve any currency change. We never heard of the plan after that fiasco.

The story saying CBN will undertake currency redenomination did not quote any authority, so I thought our pseudo-

economist was putting, not just the cart, but several wagons before the horse when he advocated for a change of naira’s name along with the alleged reform plans. I had wanted to ignore it, but then, there is the danger that some CBN people may be flying a kite ahead of naira’s renaming. Well, they can rename the naira if they like but let me remind them here what serial change of names of institutions has done to Nigeria since 1960.

It reminds me of an episode that took place in the Kenyan Parliament in 1978. President Daniel arap Moi’s cantankerous Attorney General, Charles Mugane Njonjo, was delivering a long speech in parliament but in the middle of it, he suddenly veered off into the University of Kenya, where the Head of the Literature Department, James Ngugi, had just changed his name to Ngugi wa Thiong’o out of sheer African nationalism.

Njonjo said, “Concerning the Department of English [sic], I will like the Assistant Minister who is present here today to ensure that only people with the right qualification are appointed to teach in

See What Name Changes Did DAKUKU PETERSIDE

it. Some people who are teaching in this Faculty think if you call yourself Kamau wa Njoroge, you are a very important person, or you are a lecturer with a lot of know-how. You no longer call yourself James Kamau. You call yourself Kamau wa Njoroge...”

Concerning our national currency, the naira, I will like the new Governor of the Central Bank Mr. Cardoso to ensure that only economists with the right qualifications are allowed to post their opinions on social media. Some people who are commenting on the currency’s free fall in relation to the US dollar think if you change its name to pound, it is a very important currency, or a currency with a lot of exchange power. You no longer call if naira. You call if pound… Look here, concerning Nigeria’s power sector, I would like the Minister of Power who could right now be touring a burnt TCN station to ensure that only engineers with the right qualification are appointed to work in it. Some engineers who are

Nigeria@63: Resolving Diversity Issues

The Economist Intelligence Unit 2009 ranked Nigeria in the world’s top five most diverse countries. It simultaneously ranked the country as the 45th of 47 countries sustaining national diversity. Diversity management and inclusiveness are essential and contentious issues in Nigeria today as it was in 1960. As acknowledged by President Tinubu in a recent foreign trip, our diversity ought to be an asset for nation-building and development. Promoting diversity and inclusion is crucial for social cohesion, economic development, and the nation'swell-being.

This great country is an intricate assemblage of cultures, faiths, and languages. With a populace that surpasses 220 million, Nigeria prides itself on an impressiveness of over 250 ethnic groups, with over 500 languages lending voice to its diverse populace. Managing and celebrating this diversity is essential for national unity.

Our incredible diversity is a doubleedged sword; it made us a great nation, a melting pot of rich diversity that, if properly harnessed, will make Nigeria one of the best countries to live and work in.

Harnessing positive cultural traits brings great rewards to all. You see this in our culinary expressions, music, and arts. It is little wonder Nigeria dominates all other African countries in these aspects. Our food, music and arts are synonymous with African food, music, and art. The second side of the sword is the challenges our diversity has created in making Nigeria a cohesive and united state. People from many of the ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria place their identity and loyalty first to their ethnic nationality before contemplating their Nigerian identity. It is little wonder some have described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression devoid of the bond of nationhood that makes a great state. Historically, the unholy union of many ethnic nationalities into one dominant protectorate (Northern and Southern protectorates, respectively) for administrative ease by Britain without due consultation with the nationalities or due consideration to their historical engagements created tensions that revibrate to our time. Rival and enemy ethnic nationalities were lumped together and expected to coexist peacefully without correcting the historical malice,

stereotypes, and innuendos that had existed for hundreds or thousands of years before colonisation. As if this was not enough, in 1914, the British colonialists performed the unholy marriage of the Northern and Southern protectorates to create Nigeria. This marriage was clearly for administrative ease and not any well-thought-out plan for creating a nation-state.

The post-1914 Nigeria saw many activities geared towards making a 'Nigeria' out of the dominant ethnic nationalities. Several constitutions were made, and several state institutions were created to exert the influence of a state. There was also a uniting vision of getting Nigeria to become an independent country, a rallying ideology for all leaders of the major ethnic nationalities.

Apart from these uniting tendencies, a chequered history of mistrust, hatred, and suspicion led to pogroms, ethnic clashes, and wanton destruction of lives and properties. The 1960 independence happened under this context of fear and distrust among the ethnic nationalities. Little wonder Nigeria's civil war killed millions a few years after Independence.

Since the end of the civil war in 1970, Nigeria has been battling to create a cohesive nation-state with blurred ethnic lines. The Nigerian state has tried to fight nepotism, tribalism, and lack of access to opportunities based on ethnicity. Some of the measures, although created with good intentions,

There was no clear evidence that the first experiment of bundling the ethnic nationalities into protectorates brought them together other than for administrative benefits. Each ethnic nationality maintained its identity and never wholly surrendered to the new identity. Scaling up forced union by the amalgamation of 1914 without giving proper attention to making ethnic nationalities bond together created a Nigeria of many ethnic nationalities that were suspicious of each other. This suspicion and sometimes outright hatred among ethnic nationalities served the British colonisers' divide-and-rule approach well. In 1914, we had a nation-state made up of ethnic nationalities that were neither not interested in it nor suspicious of everything about it to place complete loyalty to Nigeria. Continued on page 35

Cardoso