THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 2021

Buhari Sends Delegation to Sani Dangote's Burial, Says Late Entrepreneur was Honest in Business, Exemplary Osinbajo mourns, declares deceased was part of their govt

Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, sent a delegation to

represent him in Kano at the burial of Alhaji Sani Dangote, younger brother of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote,

who died on November 14 in the United States after a protracted illness.

Buhari had earlier

commiserated with the Dangote family in Kano on the demise of Sani.

Presidential spokesman,

Garba Shehu, said in a release, that the body of the deceased was brought to Kano early yesterday.

The remains of Sani Dangote were laid to rest at the family Continued on page 10

Using N100m Social Media Challenge, Davido Tests His Celebrity Power...Page 17 Thursday 18 November, 2021 Vol 26. No 9719. Price: N250

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Kyari: Financing Major Impediment to Success of Global Energy Transition

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, yesterday said getting appropriate financing

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (L) commiserating with Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote on the death of his brother, Sani Dangote, whose remains were laid to rest in kano … yesterday

Continued on page 10

Nigerian Households Yet to Recover from COVID-19 Impact, Says World Bank Urges urgent steps Projects $589bn diaspora remittances to Nigeria, others Ndubuisi Francis and James Emejo in Abuja A new report by the World Bank yesterday declared that the COVID-19 has continued to threaten food security in Nigeria, saying households and firms were yet to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic.

The bank therefore called on governments at all levels to adopt urgent policy actions to curb the long-run impacts of the pandemic on the lives

and livelihoods in the country.

The report titled 'COVID-19 in Nigeria: Frontline Data and Pathways for Policy', stated that the pandemic had inflicted health and economic shocks on countries whose effects would be felt far into the future.

Also, in a separate report on its latest ‘Migration and Development Brief,’ released yesterday, the World Bank estimated that remittances to Nigeria and other low and Continued on page 10

EROTON GETS $750 MILLION AFREXIM SUPPORT...

Chairman of Eroton Exploration & Production Company Limited, Onajite Okoloko ( L) and Director & Global Head, Client Relations, Afreximbank, Mr. Rene Awambeng, during the deal signing of $750 million to finance the acquisition of 100 percent shares in two Spercial Purpose Vehicles Oil Mining Leases under a Senior Secured Reserve-Based lending facility and also to finance the prepayment of all EROTON’s outstanding exposures, at the ongoing 2021 Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban, South Africa…yesterday

Orjiako Steps Down as Seplat Chairman, to Exit May 2022 after AGM... Page 8

WE SHAR

L-R: Chairman/CEO, Immediate past Sen

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Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 08033506821, 08097777322, 08074010580

ROYAL RECEPTION...

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Ugochukwu Achebe; Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adebanji Alabi; and Member, House of Representatives (Ekiti central Constituency 1), Hon Olusola Fatoba, during the governor’s visit to the Obi’s palace in Onitsha, Anambra State…on Tuesday

Ports' Congestion: House Asks Customs to Implement Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business Udora Orizu in Abuja In a bid to eliminate challenges associated with clearing goods at the ports, the House of Representatives at plenary yesterday asked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to fully implement the Executive Order on the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

The lawmakers who made the call while adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Abbas Adigun, expressed concerns over the impacts of various challenges militating against clearance of cargoes at the port.

The House therefore mandated its Committee on Customs to investigate the alleged importing and clearing at the Nigeria Customs Service.

It also urged the Customs to ensure that import duties and levies for all categories of goods were clearly stated online and at all customs offices so that intending importers would simply use their bill of laden details to make payment and that the 24-hour cargo clearance stipulated by the service is implemented.

It further urged the federal government to ensure that all examining agencies, especially the NCS are connected to the National Single Window project to make the ports more effective.

Adigun had while moving the motion, expressed concern over the loss of revenue to the country, the closure of companies due to prolonged delay in clearing procedures at the ports and hike in the prices of goods across the country, among others.

He recalled that the

Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo had on May 18, 2016, signed an Executive Order on the ease of doing business in Nigeria, part of which was regulation of operations at the ports, which empowered the NCS to coordinate other examining agencies.

He lamented that despite the Executive Order, the level of delay in clearing procedure at the ports in

Nigeria is still alarming and has resulted in situations where importers and clearing agents are made to pay exorbitant charges for demurrage to shipping companies and terminal operators.

According to him, "The House is also concerned that the delay in clearing procedures has negatively impacted Nigeria’s economy as many companies have

closed down, thereby contributing to the rise in prices of goods.

“The House is further concerned that when cargoes are eventually cleared after a long delay, the importers tend to adjust prices of the goods to reflect the additional expenses, thus creating a situation that is perpetually reducing the purchasing power of the masses.

“The House is also aware that the National Single Window project was introduced in Nigeria to integrate all agencies involved in the clearance of cargoes at the ports to ease and hasten inspection, calculation and payment of all import duties, levies and other charges at the nation's ports.

"The House is disturbed by allegations of artificial

bottlenecks devised by customs officials to exploit importers, which has resulted in huge financial losses for importers and clearing agents.

“The House is cognisant that unless there is a reform of ports operations to reduce the number of Customs units involved in cargo cleaning, the turnaround time will continue to be impacted negatively."

NPA Exceeds Revenue Target, Remits over N89.9bn to CRF in Six Months Gilbert Ekugbe The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko, has revealed that the authority has exceeded its revenue target having remitted N89.9 billion into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

Koko, who disclosed this in documents presented to the House of Representatives Committee on Ports and Habours, said the NPA has also reduced its operating expenses by 20 per cent of its budget for this year.

The effort, he stated, was despite the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on global trade and supply chain logistics.

Koko in his presentation to the committee revealed that as at the end of September 2021, the Authority earned N256.28 billion as against the expected N214.65billion (approved estimate

N271.70billion) for the same period, representing a performance of 120 per cent or 95 per cent of its total annual budget for 2021.

“For operating expenses, as at the end of September 2021, actual spending stood at N55.10bn as against the budgeted figure of N65.49billion, comprising employees’ benefits, pension costs, towage services, supplies, repairs & maintenance and other administrative overheads.

“This indicates a “savings” of N10.39billion or 85 per cent performance of the approved budget of N87.32 billion.

“Furthermore, in compliance with the quarterly remittance of its operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and provisions of the Finance Act 2020, the Authority has remitted the sum of N62.66billion to CRF for the year 2021 as at October 31, 2021, while a cumulative sum of N89.9billion has been

transferred to the CRF in the last six months.

“At the current state of increased revenue drive, it is projected that the Authority will exceed its 2021 revenue projections and the projected transfer to the CRF for the year 2021 which is expected to be over N80billion, which would be the highest in the history of the authority, “he said.

Koko informed the House Committee that contrary to media reports insinuating that Nigerian ports were the most expensive in the sub-region, a study commissioned by the authority with the support of UKAid in 2019, indicated that it was cheaper for general and container vessels to berth in Nigeria than in Ghana or Togo.

He explained that a huge chunk of what shippers or cargo owners spend to clear their consignments include terminal and freight charges paid to terminal operators and shipping companies, payments for

customs duty, inspection services, haulage, insurance and other sundry trade levies and fees, which are outside the purview of the Authority.

“Aside the towage dues, which was reviewed in 2015, Port tariffs in Nigeria have remain same since 1993, “he said.

He added that he has taken deliberate steps to reposition the NPA to focus on cost-optimisation and quality service delivery, while maximising business value for port operators and users, on assumption of office in May this year.

“Accordingly, my management has focused on improving the overall efficiency of the country’s port industry. To support the economic diversification agenda of the federal government through the promotion of non-oil exports, the Authority has partnered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) for the establishment of third party dedicated export

terminals or export parks to be located in Lagos and Ogun states.

“The initiative is aimed at the processing, packaging and certification of exports under a one stop platform that houses all relevant agencies responsible for quality control and regulatory validation of exports before shipment.

The objective is to enhance and fast-track Nigerian export cargo for shipment at the export parks without any further port clearance protocol.

“A pilot project has been established at the Lillypond Container Terminal in Lagos, while 10 other exports terminals are in the process of being certified in order to begin operations by 1st quarter of 2022. The Authority is in the process of consolidating its various electronic platforms under a unified port community system. Currently, the NPA utilises the following technology platforms,” he said.

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FRESH FACES AT FHA...

L-R: Chairman, Board of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Senator Lawal Shuaibu; Executive Director, Project Implementation, Engr. Chinonso Sam Omoke; Executive Director, Housing Finance and Accounts, Mrs. Adama Kure; Managing Director/CEO, FHA, Senator Olugbenga Ashafa; Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Executive Director, Estate Services, Mrs Hauwa Mohammed Babakobi, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Housing, Mr. Babangida Hussaini, after the inauguration of the three new Executive Directors of the FHA in Abuja…recently

Airport Concession: Indigenous, Foreign Companies Express Interest Chinedu Eze Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) and Maevis Limited are some of the indigenous companies that have joined international companies to express interest in managing the terminal facilities of four major airports in the country that the federal government intends to concession.

The airports include the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, and the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.

THISDAY findings indicate that the federal government would review the prequalification requests and select the companies that would bid for the concession under the supervision of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

“We are at the review stage of the expression of interest.

This is the prequalification stage where companies have expressed their interest to bid for the concession of the airport facilities. After this evaluation, those who are qualified will bid for the concession.

“So it is the qualified companies that will bid and ICRC is supervising the whole process and the agency’s job will not come to an end until the job is completed,” the spokesman of the Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu told THISDAY. Last month the federal government had closed bidding for the airports and while announcing the closure of Request for Qualifications (RfQ) phase of the Nigeria Airport Concessions programme (NACP), the Ministry of Aviation had said the phase recorded a large expression of interest from reputable organisations worldwide.

The ministry had also said the RFQ stage would be followed with a Request for Proposal (RFP), which would be published and sent directly to qualified bidders for their respons Odaudu explained that qualified bidders would be announced once the bid opening committee has received, opened and reviewed each submission based on the detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) and RFQ guidelines contained in the RFQ bidders’ package.

Many industry stakeholders have been making case for Nigerian companies to win the concession bid.

The Chairman BASL, Dr. Wale Babalakin had made request for first right of refusal, as he had expressed interest to bid for the concession, insisting that BASL has both the technical and practical experience.

The Secretary General of Aviation Round Table and former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd), told THISDAY that he was in support of the concession going to an indigenous company.

“From the Bi-Courtney experience, am in support of the indigenous companies being given consideration for the airports concessions. We must however be planning to concession only the non-aeronautical services and we must know the value of the earnings from the services meant for the concession to be more than the current earnings.

“A comparison of the current earnings from the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), known as Terminal 1 and MMA2 nonaeronautical services will tell you that the passengers may be higher at GAT, the earnings are much higher at MMA2 and

that explains why they have no much complaints about or from MMA2 as you hear about GAT and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

“You don't hear complaints of the MMA2 passengers terminal air-conditioning, toilets, conveyors belts, etc as you hear from the other terminals managed by FAAN,” Ojikutu said.

But industry consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe had said: “Indigenous companies may have the financial wherewithal but they may not have technical competence. For example, the Asaba airport was given to an indigenous company

but it has technical partner in a global company, Menzies Aviation, which is managing many airports in Mexico. It will be a joke to concession the airports to indigenous companies.”

Speaking in the same vein, Managing Partner, Aglow Aviation Support Services Limited, Tayo Ojuri told THISDAY that the desire to have the right company to manage the airports should be bereft of sentiments so the company that has the capacity and the managerial capability should be chosen.

“You cannot engage indigenous company to manage Nigeria’s frontline airports. It is not a matter

of indigene. That is sentimental.

It is a matter of capacity, financial capability. The company that will win the bid should have the capability of expanding the airport and increase its capacity to three to five per cent annually.

“But an indigenous company can have international technical partner. When the concession of Heathrow Airport started in 1986, the Margret Thatcher administration gave it to a Spanish company, Ferrovial. What was important was the ability of the company to effectively manage the airport. The company has to deliver the needed competences,” he said.

Orjiako Steps Down as Seplat Chairman, to Exit May 2022 after AGM Eromosele Abiodun Seplat Energy Plc yesterday announced the decision of its Chairman, Dr. A.B.C. Orjiako to step down as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company.

The company in a statement stated that in order to facilitate an orderly transition, Orjiako would remain as Chairman until the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May 2022, when an Independent Chairperson would take over.

According to the statement, “Dr A.B.C. Orjiako is the co-founder and pioneer of Seplat Energy. Since

2009, as Chairman of the Seplat Energy Group, Orjiako has taken the Company through a number of acquisitions and was the driving force behind Seplat Energy becoming the first and only Nigerian corporate to dual list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Main Board of the London Stock Exchange in 2014.

“The Board of Seplat Energy thanked its Chairman for his strategic vision, drive and limitless energy to create Nigeria’s leading indigenous independent energy company.”

The statement also quoted the outgoing Seplat Energy Chairman to

have said: “The past twelve years at Seplat Energy have been exhilarating for me. As Chairman, I am proud that the Board, Management and entire Staff of Seplat Energy were able to achieve several enviable milestones and exceptional successes, notably the acquisition of eight oil and gas assets, expansion of the Oben and development of the ANOH gas plants and the dual listing on both the Nigerian and London Stock Exchanges - a first by a Nigerian company.”

“While there were challenges along the way, we overcame these by the special grace of God, the

outstanding performance and professionalism of each member of the board and management, and the sterling efforts of our staff.

“I will continue to give my utmost energy and commitment to the Company until I step down from the Board at the next AGM,” he said.

Also, a Senior Independent Director of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Basil Omiyi commented: “On behalf of all members of the Board, I would like to thank Dr A.B.C. Orjiako for his immense contribution as a co-founder and Chair of Seplat Energy since inception.”

“He has been Chairman during both exciting and challenging times, and his dedication has been constant throughout. The Board and Management look forward to working with him during the transition period and we will miss his insight, expertise and leadership when he finally steps down in May,” Omiyi said.

Seplat Energy in the statement added that its Chairman’s decision to step down and be replaced by an Independent Chairperson was a testament to the strong corporate governance and best practices he instilled in the Board.

17 Days after Ikoyi Building Collapse, Senate Passes Bill to Regulate Real Estate Business Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday passed a bill to establish the Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria.

The passage of the bill came 17 days after a 21-storey building at Ikoyi, Lagos, collapsed on November 1, 2021 which claimed over 40 lives and several others injured.

According to the Senate, the Council when established would among others, curb fraudulent practices and ensure that the real estate business aligns with the National Building Code in Nigeria.

The bill which scaled third reading during plenary is

tagged: ‘The Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2021.’

Sponsored by Senator Aliyu Wamakko and read for the first time on April 28, 2021, while it scaled second reading on June 22, 2021.

The passage of the bill was sequel to the consideration of a report on the bill by the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.

The report was laid during plenary by the Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, who presented the report on behalf of the Committee

Chairman, Ibrahim Shekarau, said the establishment of the Real Estate Council of Nigeria would provide efficient, effective and transparent administration of the business of real estate development in the country.

According to him, the Council would be responsible for prescribing minimum standards for the conduct of the businesses of real estate development across the country.

He recalled that the bill seeking to establish the Real Estate Council of Nigeria was passed by both chambers of the eighth National Assembly, but was not assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lawmaker said the president’s refusal to withhold assent to the bill was not unconnected with certain observations raised by stakeholders at the time.

According to him: “Those observations have been taken care of in this report by the Committee following the engagement with stakeholders to ensure that real estate business in Nigeria confirms with the Money Laundering Act 2011 (as amended) and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit Act 2018 in terms of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing due diligence compliance”.

He stressed that when established, the Council would standardise the business of real estate by regulating the conduct of transactions; and provide enabling environment and transparency in the business of real estate development in Nigeria.

The legislator stated that the Council would also curb fraudulent practices to ensure that the real estate business confirms with the National Building Code in Nigeria; as well as create an innovative and sustainable environment to promote Nigeria as a real estate investment destination in Africa and the world.

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PAGE TEN BUHARI SENDS DELEGATION TO SANI DANGOTE'S BURIAL, SAYS LATE ENTREPRENEUR WAS HONEST IN BUSINESS, EXEMPLARY cemetery in Koki quarters of Kano Metrolink after a funeral prayer at the palace of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.

In a message to Alhaji Aminu Dantata, the patriarch of the Dantata family, and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko, Buhari paid tribute to the deceased, describing him as a business leader with a reputation for honesty and integrity.

The vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, also condoled with Aliko over Sani’s passing, calling the deceased not only a brother and friend, but also a part of the Buhari administration.

Captains of industry, governors, ministers, past and present National Assembly members, and heads of parastatals were among prominent Nigerians and friends of the Dangotes, who converged on Kano to mourn the deceased. Some of those who attended the burial, included Senate President Ahmed Lawan; former Senate President Bukola Saraki; House Leader, Mr Alhassan Ado Doguwa; Governor of Borno State Babagana Zulum; former Cross Rvier State Governor, Donald Duke, Chairman/ CEO of

THISDAY Newspapers/ ARISE News channel, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia; and businessman Femi Otedola. etc.

Other dignitaries at the burial ceremony included Senator Barau Jibrin of Kano North; Alhaji Abdulsaman Rabiu of BUA; former Governor of Nasarawa State, Mr Abdullahi Adamu; Ahmad Adamu Muazu; and Kashim Imam.

The president, in a letter sent through the delegation led by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, described the late Sani as “an exemplary person who, along with his brother, Aliko, demonstrated the power of human spirit and determination.”

He thanked the Dangotes for spreading happiness and giving the country an appreciable identity before the world and also prayed Allah to grant fortitude to the Dantata and Dangote families over the loss.

The delegation met Hajiya Mariya Sunusi Dantata, mother of the Dangotes, and also consoled the Emir, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the Emirate Council, and the people

of Kano.

Kano State Governor Abdullaahi Umar Ganduje also received the delegation and thanked the president for sending such a powerful delegation to the burial.

In his condolence message, Ganduje said, "We received the information about the passing away of this gentleman, Alhaji Sani Dangote, with shock. Kano State, our dear country, Nigeria, and the business community have lost an illustrious son.

"But to all of us, particularly those from Kano State, we lost a rare gem in the business community. It is, therefore, on behalf of the government and good people of Kano State that I am sending our heartfelt condolences to the immediate families of Alhaji Sani Dangote and to his brother Alhaji Aliko Dangote over his death."

President of Dangote Group, Aliko, and his uncle, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, expressed appreciation to the president and prayed for his good health and the success of the administration.

The presidential delegation

included Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi; Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Mahmud Mohammed; Minister of Power, Engineer Abubakar Aliyu; Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

On his part, Osinbajo said the late entrepreneur played a key role in some of the decisions taken by the present administration, especially, in the agricultural sector.

He spoke yesterday in Kano during a condolence visit to the families of Dangote and Dantata.

Commiserating with the two families, the Kano Emirate, and the people of the state at large, Osinbajo said the demise of the businessman was a loss not just to his family and Kano State alone, but also to the entire nation.

Speaking at the family house, where he met Aliko, the deceased’s wife, Aisha, and other members of the family, Osinbajo said, “We are here to commiserate with you, the federal government already sent a delegation, they just left,

but Sani was a good friend of mine, somebody I considered a collaborator.

“He was very instrumental in drawing up our tomato policy and there are several other agricultural policies that he was part of. He has left behind an excellent legacy; a man, who was committed to his country, to his family, and committed to his people.”

Osinbajo added, “It was a big shock for us that he had passed on. I want to extend my own personal condolence to you and other members of the family. This is a very sad event but I know that the Almighty God will comfort the family.”

Responding on behalf of the family, Aliko thanked the vice president for coming and noted that his kind words and prayers consoled the family.

While receiving Osinbajo at his palace, the Emir of Kano said his visit was yet another indication of his love for the state.

The emir stated, “Sani's death is not only a loss to Kano State but a loss to all Nigerians, especially, the vice president, who has a

long-standing relationship with the late Sani.

“I am sending my condolence to the family of late Alhaji and to the people of Kano State as a whole.

The fact that the vice president is here shows his relationship and his love for the people of Kano.

You know your good friends in bad times and in good times."

The emir thanked both the federal and state governments for their efforts at improving the lives of the people through various development projects and pledged his support for the actualisation of more laudable programmes.

Sani, who was the vice president of Dangote Group, died at a hospital in Miami, United States of America. He had investments in manufacturing, agriculture, banking, and oil services. He also sat on the Board of several other companies, including Nigerian Textile Mills Plc, NutraSweet Limited, Gum Arabic Limited, Dangote Textile Mills Limited, Alsan Insurance Brokers, DanHydro Company Limited, Dansa Food Processing Company Limited, and Dangote Farms Limited.

averaged 8 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, down from 8.9 per cent in 2020.

It added that although intra-regional migration makes up more than 70 per cent of cross-border migration, costs are high due to small quantities of formal flows and utilisation of black-market exchange rates.

The report stated that factors contributing to the strong growth in remittance were migrants’ determination to support their families in times of need, aided by economic recovery in Europe and the United States which in turn was supported by the fiscal stimulus and employment support programmes.

It stated that remittances registered strong growth in most regions as flows increased by 21.6 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 9.7 per cent in Middle East and North Africa, 8 per cent in South Asia, 6.2 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 5.3 per cent in Europe and Central Asia.

In East Asia and the Pacific, remittances fell by 4 per cent - though excluding China, remittances registered a gain of 1.4 per cent in the region.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, growth was exceptionally strong due to economic recovery in the United States and additional factors, including migrants’ responses to natural disasters

in their countries of origin and remittances sent from home countries to migrants in transit.

However, according to the World Bank’s Remittance Prices Worldwide Database, cost of sending $200 across international borders continued to be too high, averaging 6.4 per cent of the amount transferred in the first quarter of 2021.

This is more than double the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 3 per cent by 2030.

It stated that," It is most expensive to send money to Sub-Saharan Africa (8 per cent) and lowest in South Asia (4.6 per cent). Data reveal that costs tend to be higher when remittances are sent through banks than through digital channels or through money transmitters offering cash-to-cash services."

Lead Author of the Brief and Head of KNOMAD, Dilip Ratha, said, “The immediate impact of the crisis on remittance flows was very deep. The surprising pace of recovery is welcome news. To keep remittances flowing, especially through digital channels, providing access to bank accounts for migrants and remittance service providers remains a key requirement.

"Policy responses also must continue to be inclusive of migrants especially in the areas of access to vaccines and protection from underpayment."

conference, he stated that ADIPEC had brought everyone on the table to realise that the entire industry needs to work together to achieve net-zero by 2050 or “shortly after that.”

Meanwhile, the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, Mr. AbdulKabir Ahmed, has said the implementation of the PIA has opened more opportunities for investors in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

Speaking on a panel at the same event, on the theme '‘Building the Energy Company of the Future: New Business Models and Investment Flows”, Ahmed emphasised that since the PIA became law, many opportunities had been made available to investors, especially in the area of gas.

“We have seen some kind of opportunities as far as the law is concerned. We have seen

several bottlenecks that have been removed and those who wish to invest are encouraged to come and invest and it is everybody’s destination for now and those who have investments they want to make are welcome,” he said.

He attributed the rising gas prices to certain uncertainties brought about by production and supply challenges coupled with the climate change issue.

“There are a lot of uncertainties, not only in terms of production and supply, but we also have nature itself playing its own role and we can look at it from this perspective.

“When you look at the climate change, the winter, the direction of the timing whether it is prolonged or shortened, it now gives you this kind of energy demand. Then, you cannot determine when the winter will begin and that can spur volatility,” he stressed.

NIGERIAN HOUSEHOLDS YET TO RECOVER FROM COVID-19 IMPACT, SAYS WORLD BANK middle income countries may increase by 7.3 per cent to $589 billion in 2021.

Continuing, on the effects of COVID-19, the multilateral institution noted that in countries such as Nigeria, the pandemic has continued to affect health outcomes, human-capital accumulation, household poverty and coping strategies, as well as labourmarket dynamics.

The report showed both the extent of such impacts on Nigerians and promising policy options that could accelerate the nation’s recovery.

It also drew on innovative sources of high-frequency data, including the Nigeria COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey (NLPS), to inform the choices that Nigerian leaders now face.

“The COVID-19 crisis has provided a wake-up call to address the long-standing structural challenges that could constrain the government’s ambition to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty,” World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri said.

“There is no time like the present for the country to prepare for future climate and conflict shocks and seize the promise of its young population to lay strong foundations for inclusive growth.

"While many schools have

reopened across Nigeria, learning that was lost during the COVID-19 crisis still needs to be recouped and some children have not returned to school.

“Even though many Nigerians have returned to work, the jobs to which they have shifted – mainly in small-scale non-farm enterprises – may not offer income security, making it difficult for households to escape poverty.

“With the COVID-19 crisis ushering in associated shocks – especially to food prices – and social protection remaining rare, households’ food security and their welfare at large is under serious threat,” it added.

The findings underscored the urgency of far-reaching reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s economy and development outcomes.

Commenting on the report, Chaudhuri added: “The COVID-19 crisis has provided a wake-up call to address the long-standing structural challenges that could constrain the government’s ambition to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

“There is no time like the present for the country to prepare for future climate and conflict shocks and seize the promise of its young population to lay strong foundations for inclusive growth.”

The report suggested rolling out vaccines quickly and equitably to reduce the direct

health threat posed by the virus.

It added that it would be essential to help children remediate the learning losses incurred during the pandemic – by getting them back to school or by finding low-tech remote solutions that work for the poor; as well as an expansion of the social protection which could provide short-term relief for the welfare losses currently faced

by Nigerian households.

Meanwhile, the bank's Migration and Development Brief revealed that growth in remittances beat earlier forecast and was an evidence of the resilience of flows in 2020, when remittances declined by only 1.7 per cent despite severe global recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the remittances report, for a second consecutive year, capital flows to developing countries (excluding China) are expected to surpass the sum of foreign direct investment (FDI) and overseas development assistance (ODA).

The development reflected the importance of remittances in providing a critical lifeline by supporting household spending on essential items including food, health, and education during periods of economic hardship in migrants’ countries of origin, the bank added.

Remittance inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa returned to growth in 2021, increasing

by 6.2 per cent to $45 billion.

Nigeria, the region’s largest recipient, is experiencing a moderate rebound in remittance flows, in part due to the increasing influence of policies intended to channel inflows through the banking system.

The report, however, tipped the Gambia 33.8 per cent, Lesotho 23.5 per cent, Cabo Verde 15.6 per cent and Comoros 12.3 per cent as countries where the value of remittance inflows as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was significant.

It further stated that in 2022, remittance inflows were projected to grow by 5.5 per cent due to continued economic recovery in Europe and the United States.

World Bank Global Director for Social Protection and Jobs, Michal Rutkowski said: “Remittance flows from migrants have greatly complemented government cash transfer programs to support families suffering economic hardships during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Facilitating the flow of remittances to provide relief to strained household budgets should be a key component of government policies to support a global recovery from the pandemic."

In terms of remittance costs, the report observed that costs

KYARI: FINANCING MAJOR IMPEDIMENT TO SUCCESS OF GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION for major projects remains key challenge in the global transition to renewable sources of energy.

Kyari, who spoke on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference (ADIPEC) in the United Arab Emirates, insisted that no nation should be stampeded into abandoning fossil fuels because each country has its peculiar energy history.

The NNPC GMD noted that with the commencement of the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), investors were beginning to pour into the country especially to invest in the deep-water segment of the oil and gas industry.

According to the NNPC helmsman, Artificial Intelligence (AI) remained the future of the strategic application of technology in the industry, explaining that although Nigeria is still at the very basic stage, it also has the advantage to procure the most

modern carbon-free systems.

Kyari argued that the Nigerian oil industry had become more competitive with the new PIA, maintaining that the country now has a clearer fiscal environment and a stronger regulatory ecosystem.

“We are at the threshold of history. Our country has changed and our industry has changed because we have a new legislation that has brought clarity in the way we do our business. We have a much more competitive fiscal environment and much more modern regulatory environment and we are seeing the outcome of all these coming up.

“Our partners are coming up to invest, especially in the deepwater and also a lot of efforts are going on to bring back all of the production that we have lost and we are very excited for our country.

“I think the key challenge of

the energy transition is financing what we need to do today, to produce gas and consume gas in the best possible manner and you can’t produce hydrogen without properly doing it. The key challenges is financing and also realising that different countries have different circumstances, that jurisdictions are different and that we can’t move at the same pace,” he stated.

He urged proponents of the energy transition to appreciate the basic fact that the circumstances of every nation is peculiar and take it into consideration.

“Countries have different exposures and the handling (of the transition) must be in different manners and I am not sure this is properly appreciated,” he stated.

On the application of technology in the transition process, he added: “Artificial intelligence is the way to go in the future. We saw this coming,

but currently we are at the basic level , but we are making efforts to ensure that we automate our systems and our processes.

“We will make use of the best technology that is available. But Good enough for our country, we are starting from almost ground zero in sub-Saharan Africa and so carbon production petroleum systems will now be based on the basis of current technology that is available and clearly the emissions will be quite low in this circumstances,” he added.

He stated that although climate change is real, there are real problems in the world, noting that for this reason, every stakeholder must work together.

“We should work towards net-zero by 2050, for some countries 2060, but obviously it’s a step we must take and I think it’s a good development,” Kyari stressed.

On the importance of the

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COMMENT

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

BETWEEN BANDITRY AND TERRORISM Muhammadu Kudu Ibrahim argues that labelling is meaningless if the state is incapable of containing the crimes

“The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to work”- Albert Einstein n the past several weeks there has been stringent calls for the labelling of the marauding bandits in the Northwest and Northcentral parts of the country as terrorists. In the past the call was restricted to some politicians in the Southeast who felt the labelling of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as terrorists was hasty and unjustified. In recent times, however, it has spread to their counterparts in the north including other notable Nigerians.

The list includes all the 36 Speakers from the State Houses of Assembly, governors of Gombe and Katsina, along with their Kaduna State counterpart Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who not only backed the call but also urged the National Assembly (NASS) to compel the federal government to declare a state of emergency on the security situation in the country. Both houses of the NASS have since issued their separate resolutions calling for the classification of the bandits as terrorists.

The media, too, were not left out of the fray. In their separate editorials The Guardian, Vanguard and The Punch newspapers in particular were bullish in making the same call. In its editorial published on 21st October The Punch asserted that the federal government may be constrained in its reluctance to ‘officially designate’ the bandits as terrorists because of America’s insistence that the Super Tucano warplanes recently delivered to Nigeria should only be used against the Boko Haram terrorist group, and not what the paper called the “the so-called bandits entrenched in the forests and ungoverned areas of the North-West and North-Central regions”.

The renowned Femi Falana SAN who, as expected, also joined the debate and quoted generously from the extant provisions of the Nigeria Terrorism Prevention Act in making the same call. With due respect to Falana, however, almost all the sections of the Act he cited, like the perspectives of the governors and the NASS, merely focused on the impact of the various violent acts loosely classified as “terrorism” but not the causal or motivational factors behind them which could have enhanced the quality of the debate one way or the other.

Falana and the other parties may also not be aware that although the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) published the National Security Strategy (NSS) of the administration in 2019, Nigeria still has no National Security Policy (NSP) on which any robust strategy to tackle our security challenges should been predicated. Indeed, we have never had one since our independence.

That serious flaw in our national security architecture was apparently lost on all the parties – including the NASS - who have expressed their outrage on the alarming security situation in the country. They have instead opted to snipe at the symptoms of the obvious dissonance in the nation’s security system which are manifested in the frequent embarrassing security breaches have experienced nationwide.

The adoption of NSP is fundamental and should have preceded the NSS for the following reasons. When properly conceived, the policy is expected to encapsulate the basic visioning and scope of the security threats confronting the nation along with various forms of the kinetic or non-kinetic actions required to counter them. It will also allow for the common ownership of the nation’s security threats along with their probable solutions. It confirms the often-cited cliché that a nation’s security is the collective responsibility of all its citizens. But I digress, somewhat.

I also read the opinions of some scholars and religious organizations which were often laced with unhelpful bigotry and partisanship. Some drew parallels between the secessionist agitations in the Southeast and the Southwest to allege bias on the part of the federal government in its handling of the secessionist agitation of IPOB. Some even went further to include the agitations in the South-south which are driven mainly by

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WHY DISSIPATE SO MUCH VALUABLE TIME AND ENERGY DEBATING ON WHETHER TO CALL BANDITS TERRORISTS OR VAMPIRES? BEYOND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL COMFORT IT WILL PROVIDE FOR THE BIGOTS AND PARTISAN TROLLS IN OUR MIDST, THE NAME CHANGE WILL BE MERELY COSMETIC IN TERMS OF ITS EFFECT

economic deprivation into the narrative to prove the same allegation.

It never mattered that while the militancy in the South-south resulted in a peace deal – as imperfect as it may be to some stakeholders from the region; in the case of IPOB, it remains either Biafra or burst!

Also, unlike the militants in the South-south, the violence unleashed

by IPOB, including the establishment of its military wing, has grown in intensity in a manner that openly challenges the legitimacy of the federal government and its capacity to guarantee the security of all Nigerians in their sphere of operations.

Regardless, the intensity of the calls was such that the federal government has found itself on the defensive. In his response to the relentless barrage, the Defence Minister has claimed the bandits were yet to be classified as terrorists because of the need to comply with due process without elaborating on what the process actually entails.

That has tended to add to the confusion a trite. But either way, they all have my sympathy.

The controversial question of who can be classified as a “terrorist” and what constitutes acts of “terrorism” have been subjects of intensive debate among criminologists, scholars and politicians globally in the past several decades.

As of 2006, there were no fewer than 109 different definitions of terrorism, while every attempt to adopt a universally accepted definition of both terms have always ended in a bewildering cul-de-sac for a variety of reasons.

For instance, in the wake of the massacre of athletes during a siege on the Munich Olympics Games Village in 1972, the United Nations (UN) unsuccessfully attempted to conjure a universal agreement for both terms but was unsuccessful because many nations from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, disagreed with the pejorative aspects of the label.

In their considered opinion, the West too had committed similar activities to the one perpetrated by the Palestinian group responsible for the Munich Massacre. One man’s terrorist, as it is often said, could be another man’s freedom fighter, depending on the context and geo-political dynamics of the contending issues in the conflict.

Like I earlier hinted, at the core of the controversy is the contentious issue of legitimacy in the use of violence for multiple ends. The same is true for both the state and non-state actors of terrorism which all the commentators in their hasty prognosis failed to take into account. But that is a story for another day.

In the absence of a consensus among its members on what constitutes terrorism, the UN adopted 12 piecemeal conventions and protocols with the principal goal of ‘criminalizing’ certain acts of violence only to the extent that they are effective in the various counter-terrorism initiatives of its members states. The UN General Assembly resolution 49/60 on the subject was adopted on the 9th of December, 1994.

In 2007, the UN drifted towards a more academically agreeable concept and interpretation of both terms which emphasized the combination of violence, politics, sociology and psychology among the traits which are largely consistent with the provisions of the Nigerian Anti-Terrorism Act referred to by Femi Falana.

The first trait recognizes terrorism as a violent act that leads directly to or produces widespread disproportionate emotional reactions such as fear and anxiety which impacts or influences attitudes or the patterns of behavior of the victims. This is abundantly obvious from the changes in the travel plans of Nigerians including the impact on farming and rural communities where the bandits are mainly domiciled.

Ibrahim is the President/CEO, Niger Valley Resources Ltd.

ZANZIBAR ON FIRE FOR EAST AFRICA Abdulrazak Gunhar’s Prize for Literature is a notable addition to Africa’s Nobel Laureates, writes Okello Oculi

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n 1964, a political convulsion in Zanzibar created ripples of change which rolled into giving Eastern and Southern Africa their Second female president. Following the death in office of John Magufuli, his Vice-President Samia Hassan Suluhu became the first female President of Tanzania.

Several months later, Sweden’s Nobel Committee announced Abdulrazak Gunhar as 2021 winner of its Prize for Literature. Tanzania matched Nigeria and South Africa in producing a Laureate.

In 1964, a group trained in Cuba removed from power a Persian/Arab clove plantocracy in Zanzibar and Pemba islands. As a front for the revolution they used an immigrant carpenter, John Okello, from Uganda. Presidents Jomo Kenyatta (of Kenya), Milton Obote (of Uganda) and Julius Nyerere (of Tanzania) quickly lured him out.

NATO’s diplomatic pressure urged Nyerere to swallow Zanzibar into a political union and block the risk of Zanzibar becoming a military base for Cuba and: Communist Soviet Union. Tanzania (a combination of Tanganyika and Zanzibar) was born.

Half a century later, its ruling party: ‘’Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Party of Revolution’) elected Zanzibarborn Suluhu as Vice President.

At the age of 18 years Gunhar migrated to Britain, earned a doctorate degree and a professorship of

Post-Colonial African Literature at Kent University.

Although he travelled to Tanzania and saw his father, the old man died before his son’s moment of literary heroism to a region which once drenched its soil with the blood of his kin.

His Tanzanian identity has a tradition of literature sung in Swahili language; while Mwalimu Nyerere translated into Swahili Shakespeare’s ‘’JULIUS CEASER’’ and ‘’MERCHANT OF VENICE’’. The works are to warn Tanzanians against leaders engaging in violent treason; and becoming greedy exploiters. Swahili is spoken countrywide.

Ugandan writer Okot p’Bitek pioneered literary work in vernacular with ‘’LAK TAR’’(White Teeth of a prostitute, in ACHOLI). His subsequent research for a doctoral degree from Oxford University gave birth to ‘’SONG OF LAWINO’’. It gained a storm of popularity; challenging the perception of ‘’POETRY’’ as a literary form created only in written form.

SONGS by women all across Africa are literary works of poetry.

While President Jomo Kenyatta awarded Okot a prize for his work ‘’SONG OF PRISONER’’, the novelist, James Ngugi (later transformed into Ngugu Wa Thiongo, rubbed Kenyatta the wrong way with celebrating heroes of MAU MAU guerrilla war to win back land from colonial oppressors. Daniel arap Moi, as Kenyatta’s minister of security, later carried

into his presidency the habit of hunting Ngugi into exile and vicious imprisonment.

During President Mwai Kibaki’s rule, officials physically attacked Ngugi and his second wife inside a Nairobi hotel. This was surpassed under Idi AMIN when a female dramatist, ELVANIYA NAMUKWAYA ZIRIMU, was appointed Ambassador to Ghana but murdered as she toured Uganda before travelling out. Her husband, Pio Zirimu, had staged a play critical of dictators at FESYCA 1976.

Ngugi wa Thiongo earned hostility among Kenya’s British immigrant community by successfully campaigning for the University of Nairobi to change the ‘’Department of ENGLISH’ into the ‘’Department of LITERATURE’’, thereby, including literary works by Caribbean, African-American, West African, Japanese and Russian writers.

This ‘’DECOLONISATION’’ of Literature integrated ‘MARXISM’’ into his novels notably: ‘’Devil on the Cross’’; and ‘’WIZARD of the Crow’’ . Moi’s regime was alarmed by his working jointly with a local community to develop the text of drama plays and acting them to the communities.

The approach brought up criticism by peasants of local and national leaders. These ‘’Community Theatre’ projects were considered to be artistic ‘’SUBVERSION and treason’’.

From villagers using their Kikuyu language for

drama, Ngugi evolved into an advocate for literature written and sung in African languages of local communities. His first wife translated his writing from English into KIKUYU. He wrote brilliant essays linking mental freedom to thinking and writing in ‘’MOTHER TONGUES’’, and teaching Africa’s children and youth with those weapons.

In 1962 Chinua Achebe attended a Conference on African Literature at MAKERERE University College where Ngugi was a student in the Department of English. He became Ngugi’s hero. It took over six decades to turn Achebe around to embracing Ngugi’s campaign for AFRICAN LITERATURE written in AFRICAN LANGUAGES. Despite his rich record of struggle and creative investments in promoting Literature, Ngugi lost in the lobbying that goes on around the Nobel Prize for Literature. As professors of African Literature in England and the United States of America, respectively, Ngugi and Gunhar had powerful academic voices to lobby NOBEL’S referees for the prize.

Moreover, in 2014, Dangote Foundation announced a plan to distribute Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s novels to schools all across Africa. Perhaps the entry of Marxism into his rich struggle and fecundity for literary culture splashed faces of NOBEL’S Committee members without melodies from waves on Indian Ocean waters.

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EDITORIAL STATES AND CONTRIBUTORY PENSION All employers of labour should pay more attention to issues of pension and retirees’ benefits

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recent report by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) that no fewer than 20 states are yet to commence the payment of pensions to retirees after opting to join the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) calls for concern. Titled, ‘Level of Implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme by states as of June 2021’, the report revealed that 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had enacted laws to join the scheme. Only four states – Lagos, Osun, Kaduna, Delta and the FCT are paying pensions to retirees under the CPS and funding the accrued rights (benefits under the old pension scheme that the retirees are also entitled to). Anambra, Abia, Taraba, Imo, Sokoto, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Enugu and Oyo States are yet to establish pension bureau, a prerequisite to commence the scheme, despite enacting their CPS laws. Seven states, including Kwara, Plateau, Cross River, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi and Katsina are at the ALTHOUGH REMARKABLE bill formation stage GROWTH AND to enable them to ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE migrate from the old BEEN RECORDED IN THE scheme to the CPS. PENSION INDUSTRY, IT IS Jigawa, Kano, Yobe, STILL FRAUGHT WITH MANY Gombe and Zamfara CHALLENGES have opted for other pension schemes.

The CPS was established under the Pension Reform Act of 2004, later repealed and replaced in 2014 to provide a sustainable system of pension payment and correct abnormalities in the pay-as-you-go Defined Pension Scheme under which retirees were subjected to untold hardship, with many dying without getting their entitlements. One of the objectives of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 is to “ensure that every person who worked in either the Public Service of the Federation, Federal Capital Territory, States, and Local Governments or the Private Sector receives his retirement benefits as and when due.”

Letters to the Editor

However, with the low coverage of the CPS in the public sector bolstered by lack of political will, especially by state governments, it is clear that this objective is far from being realised.

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

T H I S 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, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

lthough remarkable growth and achievements have been recorded in the pension industry, it is still fraught with many challenges. It beggars belief that almost 20 years after the reform, only Lagos and the FCT have fully complied with its spirit and letters while only four states, and the FCT are paying pensions to retirees under the CPS and funding the accrued rights. Yet, despite the failure of most states to make the interest of pensioners in their states a priority, the 36 states have been making frantic efforts to borrow about N2 trillion from a pool of N13 trillion pension assets in the country.

While the governors’ move to draw from the pension assets has been roundly condemned from many quarters, the current economic downturn does not in any way provide a plausible alibi for the failure of most states to comply with the Pension Reform Act. The federal government is also complicit in the current challenges facing the CPS. It has been accused of inadequate funding of the Redemption Fund against the annual projected pension liability, arising from voluntary and mandatory retirements, death of employees in service and the right of pensioners to pension review in line with Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Indeed, since the advent of the CPS scheme, the failure of the federal and some state governments that have keyed into the scheme to transfer to PenCom the accrued rights of government workers for onward transfer to the various Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) has contributed to delays in the prompt payment of workers’ lump sum benefits. It is therefore high time the federal and state governments, and indeed all employers of labour in the public and private sectors took the issue of pension and retirees’ benefits more seriously.

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

ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, AND YORUBALAND Continued from the backpage

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imon cited several examples to buttress the spirit of accommodation that have for decades defined political interactions in Yorubaland, including the emergence in 1999 of a certain Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). Although Simon concluded quite correctly that the Afenifere leaders who were predominantly Christians supported Tinubu, a Muslim, against Funsho Williams, a Christian, there is an important detail he missed.

Five persons decided that outcome and by implication the governorship of Lagos in 1999. They were Abraham Adesanya, Solanke Onasanya, Olanihun Ajayi, Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu (all now of blessed memory) and Ayo Adebanjo. As it would happen, Dawodu, the only Muslim among them, was the one who backed Williams while the ‘Ijebu Mafia’ quartet (all Christians) supported Tinubu!

I do not mind a healthy debate on the place of religion in Yorubaland and it is an issue that many scholars have interrogated. One of Nigeria’s foremost historians, the late Professor Isaac Akinjogbin, once argued that religion never defined Yoruba ethnic identity and inter-personal relationships essentially because there is no family tree that is purely Christian or Muslim.

In his 2015 Nigeria National Order of Merit (NNOM) lecture, ‘Bonds, Boundaries, and Bondage of Faith’, Harvard Professor, Jacob Olupona explored what he described as

apparent contradiction in the Nigerian faith traditions, using the Yoruba worldview to explain his thesis. Son of an Anglican priest, Olupona told a story that only Yoruba people can relate with. “In the early 1960s in my father’s church, the entire local community rejoiced and celebrated when the first Imam made the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), because it was considered an honour to have the first ‘Alhaji’ in their community. The Imam’s extended family, mainly Christians, wanted to have a thanksgiving service in the Anglican church in celebration of this community honour. While this may seem incongruous to modern Nigerian sensibilities, this culturally pluralistic community—and indeed this was the case in many other locales in Yorubaland—saw the various religious systems as alternative traditions, to the extent that a devotee of one felt free to consult another. The traditions engaged each other in meaningful, intellectual conversation and practical exchange, underscoring the cultural capital they represent for us.”

When Olupona and I spoke on phone yesterday and I told him what I was writing on, he said he had followed the debate but does not think it merits the attention many people give it. “I would have been very worried if some of what I read were coming from highly respected Yoruba Muslim scholars like Prof Isaq Oloyede, Deremi Abubakar or Amidu Sani. That would have disturbed me greatly. But I am not worried about MURIC.” But I am worried about MURIC. Prof. Akintola presents himself as the voice of Islam in Yorubaland, at least within

the public/intellectual space. It cannot be an accident that we only began to hear of him after the death of the former Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr AbdulLateef Oladimeji Adegbite.

If that is the vacuum Akintola wants to fill, then he needs to be more broad-minded. The legacy of the Seriki Musulumi and Baba Adini of Egbaland was a lifetime of promoting peace and harmony in Yorubaland and across Nigeria while standing for his faith. When Adegbite died in October 2012, I dedicated my column to him.

As I wrote in that piece, even when he had no hesitancy in proclaiming his Islamic faith for which he had no apology, Adegbite was not a man who would engage in loud professions of superior righteousness. “But he earned the respect of many, including Christians like me, because he was honest, honourable and respected the rights of other people. This is being attested to by those who served with him in the inter religious council. The late Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs was a man of strong convictions. Yet he did not make merchandise of his religion, and his public interventions were usually devoid of the hypocrisy so commonly resorted to by many charlatans who play the politics of religion to command attention in our country.”

That piece will serve Prof Akintola and others who think like him in Yorubaland—whether they profess Christianity or Islam.

Olusegun Adeniyi, Abuja

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TRIBUTE

Wole Olanipekun: Breathing, Thi nki ng , Liv in g L aw at 7 0 Raheem Akingbolu

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y whatever parameters or benchmark one chooses to measure his journey through life, Chief Wole Olanipekun, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), an elder statesman, national interventionist and advocate-extraordinaire, is success personified.

As the clocks 70 today, a peep into his past easily reveals three major things that have consistently worked in his favour: brilliance, hard work and God’s grace.

Since his first day as a lawyer, Olanipekun, a former Nigerian Bar Association’s president, has not left anybody in doubt that excellence is his watchword. In his 45 years post-call to the Bar, the Ikere-Ekiti-born Legal icon has consistently stood out. For instance, he led a team of lawyers in the popular case of Inakoju v. Adeleke. For the first time in Nigeria, the court agreed that the impeachment of a governor could be looked at and overturned if it failed to comply with the law regarding procedure strictly. Former Governor Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja was a beneficiary of that legal breakthrough. He also led a team of lawyers who retrieved the mandate of ex-Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Olusegun Mimiko. He led a legal team for three presidential election petitions and won all.

In 2007, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo unilaterally announced the sacking of the ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Olanipekun challenged what he called a coup against the Constitution and got the Supreme Court to nullify the arbitrary Obasanjo’s executive fiat. He also saved Atiku, like many others, in the hands of the Code of Conduct Bureau in what appeared like mere persecution and victimisation. Olanipekun has many appellations in court: the Big Masquerade, The Oracle, Cicero of Law and Legal Wizard.

Olanipekun is so unique in style that he listens to younger ones who can offer useful suggestions in the prosecution of any case, and once the idea is good, he tells you, “don’t worry, you will see what I will do with that point.”

Long before corporate social responsibility became an intrinsic part of corporate philosophy in Nigeria, Olanipekun had been at the forefront of humanitarian services. He has consistently invested in humanity within and outside his Ikere Ekiti country home through interventional projects in education, health, information technology, and law. Besides this, it doesn’t take anyone who encountered him a long time to know that his family, the body of Christ and the Ekiti project are dear to his heart.

Christianity was at the heart of his late father; the fear of not losing him, Olanipekun to cultism almost made his staunch Anglican father stand against his decision to study Law. While in Amoye Grammar School in Ikere Ekiti, young Olanipekun was extremely close to one of his seniors, Prof. Niyi Osundare, an internationally acclaimed poet. Before and during his days at Ilesa Grammar School, where he did his A-Level, Olanipekun’s only ambition was to study English like Osundare. On Osundare’s resumption at the Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti, where he had just been posted after bagging his first degree in English from the University of Ibadan, young Olanipekun was one of the first visitors from Ikere to visit him in Ado Ekiti. His mission was clear: to tell the young teacher of his determination to follow his (Osundare’s) career path. Osundare had hardly allowed Olanipekun to finish his rhetoric before telling him frankly that the future belonged to the professionals. The mentor thus advised his mentee to study Law. Reluctantly, Olanipekun agreed. After settling down in Ikere, where his father was already waiting, he relayed the news of his mentor’s preference for Law. His father kicked against it.

He believed one must belong to a secret society to excel in Law. Olanipekun later settled for Mass Communication and attempted to pursue it at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka or Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In his first attempt, he passed the examination, got admission, but providence outsmarted him as he missed the admission letter.

The following year, he was offered Law at the University of Lagos but quickly approached the school on his decision to change in deference to his father’s wish. In changing the course, he came across a senior management staff of UNILAG who was an old student of Ilesa Grammar School, where Olanipekun did A-Level. The man didn’t only advise him against changing from Law to Mass Communication. He sent him to his father

Olanipekun in Ikere that Olanipekun had got the best opportunity with Law admission. Case closed.

This background is necessary to establish the bond between Olanipekun and the Anglican Communion, which his late father was committed. Before and after his call to the Bar, Olanipekun hasn’t only kept to his promise to always stand with Christ. He has remained steadfast in his determination to keep up the tempo in the Anglican family like his father. The first seed he sowed in this direction was at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ikere, in 2012: Olanipekun built, furnished and donated a modern vicarage named after his father, Pa Isaac Olanipekun. In March 2014, in continuation and furtherance of his philanthropic initiatives and gestures, he built and donated to the NBA, Ikere Branch, a 350-capacity Bar Centre. Last year, he was back in the same church when he led the incumbent Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the then Primate and Archbishop Metropolitan of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Revd. (Dr.) Nicholas Okoh and six governors to the inauguration and handover of an ultramodern church auditorium, with world-class facilities that can accommodate at least 1,700 worshipers, to complement the existing structure in the church.

Earlier, in 2015, this legal luminary had built, equipped and donated to the State Specialist Hospital, Ikere, in November 2015, an ultra-modern and state-of-the-art Amenity Ward (the Iya Aafin Bosede Olanipekun Amenity Ward), in memory of his beloved late mother, Bosede Olanipekun. He also procured for the Amenity Ward, a modern and fully-equipped ambulance. Beyond the church, Olanipekun has, in the last 13 years, intervened and contributed to Ikere Ekiti development through various other legacy projects, including New Cruise 92.7 FM, an ICT centre within the premises of Amoye Grammar School, built to mark the school’s 50th anniversary in 2009.

In 1996, he instituted the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme to award scholarships to brilliant but indigent students. The scheme has produced talented beneficiaries in doctors, lawyers, engineers, pharmacists, accountants, educationists and professionals in other fields.

As pro-chancellor and chairman of the council of the University of Ibadan, he initiated and established another scholarship scheme to assist five students per session from each of the faculties of Law, Technology (Computer) and the College of Medicine.

As part of his contributions to providing an enabling environment for learning, he

built, equipped, furnished and donated a 420-seater auditorium to the Faculty of Law of the University of Ibadan. In July 2011, he initiated an endowment fund for junior lawyers, particularly in the Lagos and Ilorin branches of the NBA. Seven junior lawyers from the NBA, Ilorin branch, were beneficiaries of cars given to them from the endowment proceeds. At the same time, over 100 young lawyers from the Lagos branch were beneficiaries of laptops and flash drives.

In Oyo, Olanipekun and his wife, Princess Omolara, built, furnished and donated an ultra-modern Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge at Ajayi Crowther University. Also, on August 20, 2019, he donated a 16-seater brand new Nissan bus to the Ikere branch of the NBA. As the pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council of Ajayi Crowther University, he paid in September 2019 the full tuition/fees of 15 seminarians from affiliate seminaries of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) to pursue postgraduate studies.

Olanipekun, through his foundation (Wole Olanipekun Foundation), at the occasion of its maiden award ceremony on April 24, 2021, financially empowered 100 widows/ aged persons (Widows and Aged Empowerment Programme) and 100 youths (SMEs/ Youth Empowerment Programme) at his hometown, Ikere. At the second edition of the Wole Olanipekun Foundation Award Ceremony, on October 9, 2021, Olanipekun, again, financially empowered 100 widows/ aged persons and 100 youths at his nativity, Ikere. Four hundred beneficiaries have so far benefited from the foundation.

He was the pro-chancellor and chairman of the council at UI between 2009 and 2013, and during which time he also doubled as the chairman of the Court of Governors of the College of Medicine, UI. He made available funds to provide scholarships to students. In November 2014, the proprietor of Ajayi Crowther University, comprising all the bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in the Supra Diocesan Board West, unanimously called upon Olanipekun to “come to the Anglican Church’s Macedonia”.

He was invited to assume the office of the pro-chancellor and chairman of the council of the 16-year old Anglican university, with a charge that he should replicate the milestones previously achieved at UI. In February 2021, Olanipekun was appointed as the pioneer chancellor of the newly established Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere, in recognition of his noteworthy contributions to the advancement

of education in Nigeria.

Olanipekun was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1976. He became a notary public in 1987 and attained the rank of SAN in July 1991 in recognition of his forensic contributions to the advancement of law in Nigeria. Between 1992 and 1993, he served as the attorney general and commissioner for justice in the old Ondo State. He was elected the 20th president of the NBA in August 2002. His tenure as the NBA president was associated with remarkable success and adjudged one of the best in the annals of things in the NBA. In March 2021, he was elected as the vice-chairman of the Body of Benchers. At different times, he has served as a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), Council of Legal Education, Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, General Counsel of the Bar and the Ondo State Judicial Service Commission. He was also the acting chairman of the Council of Legal Education.

He became a life member of the Body of Benchers in 2004 and the National Executive Committee of the NBA. While still an active member of the International Bar Association (IBA), Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA), Pan African Lawyers’ Union (PALU), and West African Bar Association (WABA), he was, between 2002 and 2005, a member of the council of each of the international law bodies.

On October 28, 2016, Olanipekun was appointed the chairman of the visitation panel of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso, to look into the university’s affairs and recommend solutions to the problems which engulfed the university and crippled its academic activities. The panel’s all-encompassing report and recommendations led to the immediate reopening of the university after its closure for more than a session.

Olanipekun is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb.), the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC), the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (FNIALS) and the College of Education, Ikere (FCEI). He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa (LL.D) by UI in November 2014. On November 4, 2021, he was conferred with Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)

by Redeemers University, Ede, Osun. He holds the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR).

He has, at different times, been conferred with the distinguished alumnus award of Amoye Grammar School, Ikere; Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa; and the University of Lagos. When the federal government, under President Goodluck Jonathan, attempted to change the name of UNILAG in 2012, he not only led a team of SANs and other lawyers to challenge the action.

The step was challenged at the Ikeja Division of the Federal High Court. Substantially funds were also made available to prosecute the cases filed by both the alumni association and students of the institution. The legal team obtained an injunction against the Federal Government, restraining it from implementing the name change.

A stickler for excellence, Olanipekun is the Principal Partner of the Law Firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co., with offices in Lagos and Abuja; covering diverse areas and fields, both nationally and internationally, including but not limited to land, criminal, constitutional, labour, maritime, admiralty, banking, insurance, electoral, aviation, telecommunications, chieftaincy and intellectual property laws as well as arbitration and dispute resolution.

Olanipekun, within and outside Nigeria, has mentored hundreds of lawyers who see him as a teacher, counsellor, role model, father and shepherd. Several lawyers have also passed through his chambers, starting from 1982 to date, and a good number of them at the Bar, Bench, in politics and the corporate world. Ten distinguished learned colleagues who cut their legal teeth under him, including his two sons, Dr. Dapo Olanipekun and Bode Olanipekun, have attained the prestigious rank of SAN. This legal potentate and respected Nigerian is happily married to Princess Omolara Olanipekun (Erelu), and the marriage is blessed with four children (two boys and two girls): all lawyers.

They are happily married too.

On his 70th birthday, one can only say, dismay, not this legal icon, Olanipekun, in whom we are well pleased: a blessing to his generation.

THURSDAY, ͹΀˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

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SOCIAL MEDA

Using N100m Social Media Challenge, Davido Tests His Celebrity Power Rakes in N140 million at press time Vanessa Obioha One of Nigeria’s A-list hip-hop acts, David Adeleke, who goes by the stage name, Davido, yesterday, set the social media ablaze with a N100 million challenge to mark his birthday this year, but ended up surprising himself with a sweeping response, which not only saw him surpassing his initial target but setting a new one in the region of N200 million.

As at last night, what had started like a familiar and casual social media challenge, when he asked his friends and supporters across the board to “bless him with N1million each”, would later turn into a wild competition on the social space as celebrities and socialites competed to bless Davido to the tune of N140 million, monies paid into his Wema Bank account.

THISDAY checks revealed that the singer had raked in N140 million and was gunning for N200 million, a new target set in the wake of surpassing the first one.

Soon, after the challenge had gathered momentum and taken the number one spot in practically all the known social apps, Wema Bank reportedly invited Davido for a chat as announced on his verified Twitter page.

Although the outcome of the meeting was not made public, what was the talk of the town was the influence the singer wielded to have elicited such a quick response from friends, fans, families and colleagues.

Prominent businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Femi Otedola, was among those that participated in the challenge; His Royal Majesty, Oba Elegushi, Obi Iyiegbu better known as Obi Cubana; Fuji maestro, Pasuma; Larry Gaaga, Patoranking, Don Jazzy, Zlatan and even MC Galaxy, the young man who gained the spotlight through a dance competition organised by the singer, also sent in their donations.

Big Brother Naija reality TV stars, Nengi and Dorathy, also jumped into the challenge, when they sent their own one million naira to the singer.

Davido didn't limit the campaign to his friends in the industry alone, he included brands and international artistes he had worked with and tasked them to make their contributions too.

For each donation made, Davido posted a thank you note and followed it up with a call to others, who were yet to send in theirs. One of the trending videos from his posts was that of a young man he met in a Dubai mall that immediately gave him the requested amount.

Perhaps, for transparency, Davido further posted the alerts on his Instastory, which showed how the numbers kept multiplying as it is in an electronic raffle machine.

Davido, who has a combined following of over 30 million people on Instagram and Twitter, started the challenge by writing on his Instastory that, he had always been lifting others and wanted them to return the favour. initial post read: “If you know I’ve given you a hit song…send me money… una know una selves ooo.”

He later added that the aim was to raise N100 million to clear his Rolls Royce from the port.

Given his musical success since he stormed the industry, combined with his family wealth, it was inconceivable that the well-heeled singer would depend on people's kindness to clear his vehicle. Even with this knowledge, it didn't stop the big shots from donating to his account.

Whatever reservations anyone might have about the Davido challenge, it cannot take away the influence and power that the singer wields.

Davido is an exemplary young man for

today's youths, and even though he was born with a silver spoon, the young man, who is a few days away from his 29th birthday, didn't allow such illuminating effects to blind his vision for humanity.

The youngest of his five siblings, Davido was born in the United States but held his secondary school education in Nigeria. He returned to the US at 16 to study business administration but his love for music got in the way. He dropped out of school, relocated to London to pursue his music. However, by 2011, when he returned to Nigeria, he went

back to school, this time Babcock University and graduated with a degree in music.

Although from a wealthy home, Davido strived to carve out a career for himself and plunged into the music industry with grit and determination, which later paid off with the release of his club-banging hit 'Dami Duro' from his 2012 album Omo Baba Olowo, which loosely translates to ‘son of a rich man’ in Yoruba.

Today, he is among the most sought-after Nigerian artists, touring different parts of the world and collaborating with international stars.

While many had questioned the singer's

plan with the donation, it is evident that the campaign was a brilliant and strategic business move that would, in subsequent days, yield returns for him and Wema Bank.

The bank, from all indications, has begun to leverage the campaign to promote its image as a friendly and youthful bank.

It is also most likely that the monies received would be given back to the society through takeaways. And knowing Davido, he just might surprise a devoted fan in a big way on his birthday. But first, the race now is to meet his new N200 million target.

Davido

NEWSXTRA

NYSC: Rate of Drug Abuse by Corps Members Alarming Fidelis David in Akure The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), has expressed concern over the rate at which corps members were getting involved in drug abuse.

The Ondo State NYSC coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Ani, disclosed this yesterday, at the 2021 corps employers’ workshop in Akure, the state capital, while calling for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders in

addressing the situation.

She urged employers to assist in rehabilitating them rather than rejecting such corps members.

Stakeholders who attended the workshop had complained that many corps members deployed in their establishments for places of primary assignment engaged in various acts of drug abuse and smoking of weeds.

Reacting, Ani said: “For the corps members that take weeds, I need to let you know that NYSC

is doing so much. Many of our children (corps members) are drug addicts. I am talking out of experience.

“When we go to camp, we start from day one to tell them that if they were into it, it was an opportunity for them to drop such habits.

“At our very last orientation, we had one that was suffering from withdrawal syndrome. We were managing this boy and he was eagerly wanting to take more.

“As a matter of fact, when we are going to the orientation camp, we take so many collaborative agencies including NDLEA, counsellors, people who talk to the ones that are really into this( drug addicts).”

Continuing, she said: “I never knew that TomTom, when you put it inside coca cola, it will make you high. I never knew that when they hold Lacaserra, you will think it is Lacaserra.

Even known seasoning cubes

that you and I use in cooking, these children will put it inside the drink and they are high.

“In the scheme, we counsel them, keep talking to them every morning.

“Another female corps member brought over one hundred tablets of Diazepam drugs to the camp.

So, the issue of drug abuse is getting alarming. Some will wake up in the midnight and be shouting, they will refuse to close their mouths till daybreak,

disturbing others.

“We keep telling them that if they are into drugs, they should drop it outside before entering orientation camp within three weeks and once they could achieve that, they could live a normal life.

“So when you have such in your employment, please, let them become your children, help them because so many of them are into drugs, that is the truth", Ani added.

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T H I S D AY ˾THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021

POLITICS

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

Okaba: Restiveness Over Buhari’s Refusal to Inaugurate NDDC Board is Becoming Difficult to Manage President Muhammadu Buhari, on June 24, 2021, while receiving the leadership of Ijaw National Congress, promised to inaugurate the board of NDDC upon receipt of the Commission’s forensic audit report. But two months after receipt of the report on September 2, 2021, from Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the President is yet to fulfil his promise, abide by the law establishing NDDC, and hearken to the legitimate demands of the Niger Delta stakeholders, leading to agitations and heightened tension in the region. In an interview on ARISE News, monitored in Lagos, Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of Ijaw National Congress (INC); and also President of Conference of Presidents-General of Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities (CPGNDEN), which met in Yenagoa over the weekend and roundly condemned the continued running of NDDC with a Sole Administrator, in breach of NDDC Act, expresses the position of aggrieved Ijaws and CPGNDEN on these and other issues.

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ets even talk about the NDDC. Would you say it has done enough in the development of the Niger Delta region, given the back and forth that has happened recently, whats the position of the Ijaw people?

We also have said it severally that we are not impressed going by the quantum of resources, though not enough, that have been allocated to the region, to the NDDC as a Commission to address some of the issues you have raised.

But we thought that when the issue of a forensic audit was initiated by the Federal Government as a way of doing a total evaluation of how far we have gone, and what is wrong and how do we move forward, people applauded the forensic audit, though we were against the fact that it shouldn’t be a reason why the Commission should now be kept in the hands of a single man to be run as a family matter. But our complaints fell on deaf ears, and we said, okay, if forensic audit is the reason why you will put the inauguration of the board on hold, lets see how it goes.

Forensic audit report has been submitted since several months ago, the President’s statement that immediately after the forensic audit, he is going to inaugurate the NDDC Board has not yet been honoured.

The government has not honoured it, the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio will say he has done his bit. We are witnesses to several abandoned projects, we are witnesses to NDDC becoming a conduit pipe for people who are not from the region. In fact as I speak to you, the major contractors to NDDC are not even from the region. Appointments to NDDC is not even influenced by people from the region.

Now the NDDC is still being manned by one person, denying the other NDDC states from having representation into a board that should decide what goes where. Right now the NDDC is just at the mercy of an individual and his family, that we all know, who decides what to do. As we speak monies are spent, as we speak, people are being employed, as we speak so many things are going on.

We are also saying that Mr. President should inaugurate the (NDDC) Board because the restiveness arising from his delay (to inaugurate NDDC Board) is what we are managing, and we are managing to a point where it is now becoming difficult.

Now we are hearing rumours that NDDC is to be merged with Niger Delta Ministry, the next rumour is that it is going to be scrapped. Our position is that resource control is our ultimate objective. But going forward, inaugurate the NDDC board which should work towards ameliorating and bringing succour to the people of Niger Delta. It should be properly managed, monies accruing to it should be provided as at when due, and that we don’t accept bringing in states that do not have any contiguous relationship with the Niger Delta into Niger Delta to further bastardise the very essence and concept of a people, who from the time of colonial masters have been recognised as having a peculiar and challenging environment

them, but that should not qualify them as Niger Deltans Will you say Anambra is not part of the Niger Delta? And even Lagos is asking for a special status.

Anambra is not. Anybody can ask.

For instance, we have the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

We have not said we are against it. But recognise ours, and treat ours as distinct.

Its not about oil. I have said it. It was the concept, the idea of having a special development project or programme for the Niger Delta was recognised in precolonial times, and those problems that were identified still remain, in fact they are even worsening by the several years of neglect and marginalisation we have suffered in the Nigerian state. So give them their Commission but don’t make them Niger Delta, they are not. Niger Delta is a creation of nature, its not the creation of man. You don’t change the creation of nature and try to smuggle in names and bastardise the whole essence.

It is evil against the people.

The Niger Delta map was drawn since pre-colonial times. So when you want to politicise a map for purposes of ethnic injustice upon a people, the originalities are there. So its not about anybody coming to do any interpretation. When you say map of Nigeria, map of Nigeria remains map of Nigeria unless there is an official boundary adjustment Prof. Okaba, President, Ijaw National Congress

that requires special development attention.

What’s the basis of the objection by the Ijaw National Congress and the region to the proposed inclusion of other oil bearing communities under the auspices of the Niger Delta Development Commission? Is this about geography?

Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the first instance has a clear geographical definition and characterisation. It is not all about oil-bearing. To understand all of this we need to go back far into history, maybe from when the report of the Willinks Commission that recognised the peculiarities of the region, the major challenges,

and therefore recommended the establishment of a board that will allay the fears of the people and act as a special development agency for the rapid development of the people of the region. At this time when this Act was passed, or this recommendation was made there was no oil. Oil was struck in 1958 and then exported in commercial quantity. Several boards were now put in place up till the point when we now had OMPADEC to cater for areas that are oil producing, then we now had NDDC in 2000 with a special mandate of developing the Niger Delta region. The point we are making is that if oil is found in Anambra, Lagos, and other places, of course there is a law that says for oil producing areas, 13% is given to

NDDC is still being manned by one person, denying the other NDDC states from having representation into a board that should decide what goes where.

Right now the NDDC is just at the mercy of an individual and his family, that we all know, who decides what to do. As we speak monies are spent, as we speak, people are being employed, as we speak so many things are going on

What are you recommending to the National Assembly? The Bill has already passed second reading in the Senate First and foremost we are recommending that the Niger Delta Development Commission, the manner it is constituted should remain. Let these other states that are new oil producing, they should be given their 13% as provided for by law and not by necessarily becoming Niger Delta, you don’t need to be a Niger Delta state to produce oil and benefit from oil production. Let them provide a body that can accommodate them, and even accommodate more. Our prayer is that every part of this country should be oil producing, so let us all have a feeling of the brutality we have faced as a people.

As we speak there is pipeline explosion in Nembe, and other parts of Southern Ijaw for seven days, and nothing has happened and the eco-system is damaged. As we speak, no remediation, no compensation, no clean-up, seven days, and its ongoing. We want every part of Nigeria to experience this.

On the issue of what we are doing, in fact the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta met on Saturday in Yenagoa and took certain positions.

Those positions will be unveiled much later because we are not going to sit on our oars. We are going to push this as much as possible within the constitutional boundaries. We are going to talk to our people, we are going to do everything possible to make sure that they don’t bastardise this Commission (NDDC), that they don’t whittle down the little benefit that we get from NDDC.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021

POLITICS

Utazi: How Vested Interest Almost Frustrated the NFIU Senator Chukwuka Utazi represents Enugu North Senatorial district in the National Assembly. The lawmaker was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Corruption in the 8th National Assembly. The People’s Democratic Party lawmaker was instrumental to the drafting of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency (NFIU) bill which made that unit, independent of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. In this interview with journalists including Nseobong Okon-Ekong, Senator Utazi reminisced on the uncertain days of the suspension of Nigeria by the the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units for its bureaucratic footdragging in granting autonomy to the country FIUs. The Egmont Group, a global financial intelligence gathering body made up of 156 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) representing 156 countries is a platform for members to share expertise and financial intelligence to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

As Chairman of the Presidential Ad-hoc Committee to reposition the NFIU, he recalled how Nigeria was saved from international embarrassment through the passage of the NFIU and the suspension lifted. Excerpts:

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hen would you say you cut your teeth in politics?

I was Class Representative through out the university days. I also played politics.

Those days I started at Awka College of Education.

It was in affiliation with University of Nigeria Nsukka, they were doing degree programme at Awka. I was doing Government Education then.

From Class Representative I ran for a Student Union election. I was the Vice President of the Student Union. Initially, I was running for Commissioner for Transport but when the women suddenly realized their voting strength and then fielded a female candidate, I had to change from running for Commissioner for Transport and then went for the Vice President. That election was tough, but I won it.

I took all the risk then because all the people that I asked to, my friends and relation to fund my election they were not forthcoming but I saw an opportunity, you know, so I tried to ask everybody they said go and mind your studies.

You know, I tried to go to friends working in the banks, all of them said, “Utazi mind your studies what are you doing with politics,” but I felt that I just had to express myself.

I took the biggest risk of my life then to use my school fees to run an election. I felt that I will somehow get money to pay back and pay my school fees with. I had to print my posters and all that. I took that risk, you know, and won the election. Of course, you don’t even need to go home and tell them that you are doing politics from the kind of home I came from you don’t go and talk about that.

Nobody wants to hear anything about it. But that’s my life. I spent that money at the end of the day through friends and colleagues in school, I was able to get the money back and I paid the school fees.

I had to write exam, I had to go to the Bursary

Utazi Department and pleaded with them that I ran election and I spent money, so they must find a way to cover me to write exams and they did. They covered me to write exam and after the exams I managed to pay back my school fees. When they carried it on the radio that the College of Education conducted election and one Utazi Chukwuka won and is Vice President Student’s Union, I didn’t know that it was going to that length.

I was going on weekend to Onitsha I had to face a tribunal in the family. You ran for election? How did you do that? They just allowed me and it was late in the night after eating and all that. And when we were to go the bed they said there was an outstanding issue and when they tell you there is an outstanding issue, you know there is trouble. So you are now a politician to the extent of running election in the College, becoming a Vice President, where did you

get the money to do that? How on earth?

I had to beg for my head and I explained that I was just interested and I felt that it was an opportunity.

I won that election for almost one year plus before we moved to Nsukka finally when that affiliation was stopped so all the students on affiliation moved to Nsukka. At Nsukka, I ran for House of Representatives.

I continued with my politics. I went for House of Reps and won it and went to the Student Parliamment. I wanted to become Speaker but it was an issue. The issue was that you had to join a cult. I couldn’t fathom it so I just surrendered. Every effort made, you are a big boy but I said big boy yes, but not to the cult. I knew what my family will never want to hear that I was involved in it. It was a red line I couldn’t cross it. I became a power broker in the Parliamment determining whatever happened without holding an office. That’s how politics and I have been all these while.

Then election came when Babangida banned all the politicians and asked for the new breed, I saw an opportunity. First of all the Local Government Chairman from my town wanted me to be his Political Adviser.

Along the way he changed his mind. He didn’t want me again and I moved on.

So when the opportunity for House of Assembly came, I said I wanted to try under the Social Democratic Party so I registered and they discouraged me so much. My Local Government Chairman said how can he come from the same town and another person from the same town will want to become member of House of Assembly? I said we have two Constituencies. He said no, that they will attack him, they will say he was sponsoring me. I said tell them, you were not sponsoring me. He said no it was

going to be a problem.

The Local Government Chairman of the party wanted to give that position to his people. I said no trouble the only thing I want to do is, allow me to go to the primaries. if I win fine, if I don’t win, is it not my money that I was spending? He said no. And that brought me to the direct primaries because if not direct primaries I couldn’t have won’t that election because the Chairman of my Local Government said you are not going, how can you go? Or the Chairman of the party said you are not going, how can you go? But because it was direct primaries, you appeal to the people.

Who did the SDP Chairman bring? One old man who was a tailor in Enugu with Standard Six. I said, I know the job and I can do it better when I get to the House of Assembly, allow me.

They couldn’t stop me so I went to the Party and bought my forms and returned and told them that the game has started.

I went to the bank to collect money, the Bank Manager called me for over two hours nobody could process my cheque. The Manager asked me why are you collecting money? You’ve never written this type of cheque before what are you doing? I said that I’m running for election. He said are you crazy? A young man like you who is making money everybody will watch you open accounts here and I have seen how you progressed within so short a time and you now want to plunge this money into politics? So why don’t you continue with your business. I said please, Manager thank you for your opinion but I want my money. I want to run an election, if you don’t I will close the account, and go to another branch. He saw the desperation and said let me give you the money even premium that day because of the campaign.

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

Bode George: Respect the Zoning Formula in the Interest of Peace Prior to the Peoples Democratic Party convention that brought in Senator Iyochia Ayu as the consensus national chairman of the party, former deputy national chairman, Chief Bode George spoke to Segun James on how the leadership of the party should emerge

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enough to say time out.

et’s start with the congress in Lagos that didn’t take place. What happened?

First, it is internal dynamics. They raised the stake so high that even some of those people who call themselves old members, they came, they joined the normal discussion, and the way I was brought up and the way I know civilized human beings behave, when you are at a meeting, if you have any objection, you raise it there or forever keep quiet. The consensus is also part of our party culture.

All the contestants appeared before the apex, from chairman to secretary in the state. I have the record, if you don’t agree, say it there.

The beauty of democracy is you listen to the best debates, robust discussions with biases.

I think they went from here and got another group and aligned to those people.

What is your view on the convention?

You know the convention is a carnival, it is a celebration for the party. In most of the positions now being allocated and zoned, many people have won automatic turns because there are no competitors. In the few areas that there is friction, we are asking them please calm down. I did the same when I contested for the chairman, I know how much money I spent. We went all over this country; it was like a presidential campaign. And you saw my campaign headquarters in Abuja. But a day

George before I saw the shenanigans going on.

If you love this party, you don’t want a crisis. I knew what my colleagues were telling me in the north, but I said no, for me it is not a matter of life and death. I am a general, if you cross the red line, whatever point you find yourself, that is your headache. You must be bold

What do you think the party should focus on ahead of 2023?

I have said one thing before, the founding fathers laid out a system, and I will struggle as part of my last contribution to this party before I head out. The oral history should be now written. The culture of the party, the zoning system must now be there in writing. Not everybody translating it to soothe their purpose. Those who sat and said they zoned chairman to the north and said presidency can now come from anywhere, how? Why are you thinking you are half smart? It is our future you are toying around with.

Call a spade a spade when you are inside that house discussing your party, no half measures. The way the founding fathers set it out to avoid the crisis we had in the 60s, where the majority will always have their way, minorities will only be seen and be told to shut up. That led to the crisis of the first coupe, both north and south.

But now when they now congregated led by Dr Alex Ekweme, he brought this idea, it is not new in the world. That is what happens in Switzerland, where you have the Germans, French and the Italians, they also rotate. Now they came up and said okay, they should divide

Nigeria into six geo-political zones, this is coming from our founding fathers. That is not in our constitution and our own it is just in our head; it is not written in black and white so that there will be no misinterpretation. Six geo-political zones, six top positions in the land, president, vice president, senate president, speaker, secretary to the government, national chairman of the party. Every zone will go home with one of these. So that sense of belonging will be enhanced. Now after every 8 years, the three at the top will come to the south, the three at the bottom will go to the north.

There can be no reason, no corruption, that the national chairman and the presidency will come from the same zone or side. If the presidency goes up, the Vice President goes down. The Senate presidency goes up, the speaker comes down. The secretary to the government goes up, the national chairman comes south. So how can that be? So, you see, rather than face the problem and resolve it now they are kicking the can down the road. If you say everybody can contest the presidency, what are you trying to do? Throwing the whole party under the bus? Now they said okay if it now comes from the north, then they will now suddenly say okay, you people produce chairman.

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

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FEATURES

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

Beaming Searchlight on 'My Mother's Daughter' Chief Mrs. Taiwo Taiwo is the Chairman, Lexham Investment- Owners of Shonny Investment and Property Company Ltd. With over 45 years of experience both in and outside of Nigeria, covering the commercial and residential markets, she is also the founding andimmediatepastChairmanoftheacclaimedsecondaryschool,AtlanticHall,aco-educationalnon-profitsecondaryschoolaswell as the Founding Chairman and trustee of Lagos Millennium Group on the Environment. In this interview she speaks extensively on her recently launched book – My Mother’s Daughter – which beams on her childhood experience and lessons learnt from an exceptional mother who shaped her character. Nume Ekeghe and Chiamaka Ozulumba bring excerpts Firstly, why did you write the book? Also, can you share some of your childhood memories on how your mother shaped you into being such a business-minded person? How did she prepare you for the rigorous path of owning and running a business empire? have always wanted to write a book about my mother because she has had such a tremendous impact on my life. Her husband, my late father, Chief Shonibare was a great businessman, an intuitive and forward-looking entrepreneur, he was also one of the Seven founder members of the Action Group, and acknowledged to have been one of the financial brains behind the myriad of businesses established by the group. My parents were partners in the family businesses they established, but she always played a backseat role in the running of the businesses. He died at the age of 44 in a University College hospital in the UK., from Kidney disease, the complications of his high blood pressure. My mum was only 41 at the time. My mother was a remarkable businesswoman, she carved out the Maryland Guest from her expansive home, the Maryland Villa, within the 50 acres Maryland Estate, the first privately owned mixed residential estate in Nigeria.

After repaying the loan that had been secured from Barclays Bank DCO, to finance the construction of Maryland Estate, she acquired an interest in the Iconic, Elephant House, with its unique Brazilian influenced architecture. which was owned by the Pearce Family of Brazilian Descent.

She had a vision of building a high rise but the town planning laws were pretty strict at that time- she had to step back 50 feet in the front and 50 feet by the side and what was left was pretty small, so she acquired three more plots to make up the Elephant House and it took her 10 years in her pursuit to acquire Elephant House. By that time, I had graduated, she wanted me to take over, the running of the Maryland Guesthouse, so I had to go back and get a degree in Hotel Management to manage Maryland Hotel.

Once the final approval was obtained, she said to me 'Taiwo, I have done my bit, you have to go and raise the money and it was that sheer confidence she had in me that pushed me.

During her lifetime, I used to interview her and take down notes. I always wanted to write a book about her but while writing I discovered that my life story had intertwined with hers.

It was my story but she was a backdrop to my story because she led me to become what I am today.

I

With over 45 years under your belt as a Real Estate Developer, what were the challenges you faced in a largely maledominated field at that time?

The person that taught me my life lessons in property development was Allan Shalley.

He took me as his mentee when we went to Elephant House. The lessons I learnt from him are very much valid with huge lessons people still need to learn today on the principle of Real Estate development. The first thing he said was ‘why do you want to build an 18 storey office block’ and this was after we had gotten the approval and design to build. It would make smarter sense to build say a 10 story office block.!

With his help we were able to put in the car lift, the first of its kind in Africa, 40 years ago, giving us more floors to let out. I remember looking at the property market some years ago and seeing that there was going to be a crash in the Nigerian market because everyone was running to build high rises in Ikoyi without adequate market research, on the quantum of office blocks, and residents being built at the same time. It was clear to me that supply would soon exceed demand, and that the inevitable crash would come. It did, and at a time there were 15, 000 square metres of empty office spaces in Central Lagos.

Was there ever a time you felt overwhelmed by the amount of work and properties under you and how were you able to remain sane amidst the chaos of work-life?

It's my nature, I am very dogged and very focused. If I have to do a job, I look at the result

and my focus has to be, ‘I must not fail’, even if I have to work all night to make it work. We approached Insurance companies for loans and that's how we were able to raise the long-term funds.

You recounted in the book that you had withdrawal syndrome for five years after completing the Elephant House Project.

What led to it and how were you able to snap out of it?

It's not many people that have such a huge project in their hands at that age and I was used to being busy. So, for the first year, I always believed that everybody must develop their different faculties, I strove to develop 80 per cent of my faculties and I think I have done a good job.

I joined the African Book Group Review where we came together and reviewed books and not too long after that was how Atlantic Hall came about. It was founded in my house with a group of five women and later 10 in the pursuit of a remarkable school for our children. The journey towards Atlantic Hall was filled with pitfalls and obstacles but it has become a huge school sitting on 40 hectares with 650 students. I was never again scared of huge projects after Elephant House.

I understand there has been a partnership of some sort with First Bank, can you tell us more. And also, as a female business owner, can you speak on some of the ways First Bank has supported you through the years?

Ironically, in raising the funds for Elephant House, FirstBank was the lead bank and the custodian bank, so at that time, the managing director and I had the advantage of working with the first crop of managers in corporate finance, who were in tune to consumer lending. This project had to be funded not just by one bank but a consortium of banks and it was one of the first in the market. It was exciting for all of them and exciting for us as we were doing something innovative, new, and cutting edge.

There is a perception that Elephant House is owned by First Bank of Nigeria Limited but in reading the book, I got

to know that you built Elephant House, was there an agreement between you and FirstBank as the name is well aligned with the bank’s identity and logo?

Honestly, we never minded people thinking that Elephant House was owned by FirstBank.

As one of the conditions of the sale to us was that any development must retain the name 'Elephant House'.

What made you fearless despite all the naysayers, especially in the early years of your life?

My mother led me to my becoming. She was the most fearless, courageous person I have ever met. I used to be terrified that something would happen to her because she was so courageous. Compared to me, she didn't think I was fearless and she always knew when to stop and say, 'this is a waste of time, let's move on'.

Looking back at all the efforts made in the early 80's to make Lagos the 'Venice of Africa' and how the city is now, any regrets?

By the time LIMGE was set up, there was no single tenant in Elephant House, you had to go to the old UTC before you saw anybody, it was desiccated and undoubtedly, we changed the trajectory. I was the only one in the building and I would come to work and it was a gangland. I witnessed a squabble over diesel that left two people dead. I felt it was an important lesson to show the business community that we cannot just ignore the community that we lived in as it was our duty to get involved and I often say this, if we want to live in the Nigeria of our dreams, if we want to have the kind of future we hope for in Nigeria, we must involve ourselves in our communities, it is not an option but an obligation.

It took 10 years for me to get the kind of support to get LIMGE going, 10 of convincing the corporate organisation that we cannot just be evacuating our neighborhoods, we left Surulere, now evacuating to Lagos Island and has the dirt and craziness not met up with them? It will follow you till you get to Ondo.

I do regret that after building Ajele Fire

My mother led me to my becoming. She was the most fearless, courageous person I have ever met. I used to be terrified that something would happen to her because she was so courageous. Compared to me, she didn't think I was fearless and she always knew when to stop and say, 'this is a waste of time, let's move on'

Station, which could have become a world heritage example, I got frustrated that I was not getting enough support from the other members. The First Bank, Union Bank, and Shell were core members of LIMGE but we did not have enough sustainability.

Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the then Governor of Lagos Island embraced the vision of LIMGE, as articulated in the workshop we organised in LIMGE 2007. We sent the document, a result of a two-day workshop which included all the major stakeholders of Lagos Island, to the governors of all the 32 states in Nigeria and the presidency Governor Tinubu incorporated many of the visions of our Vision 2007 project in the Lagos Island rehabilitation project, and implemented them. The paving of broad streets and Marina, street lights, and the installation of monitored CCTV cameras ( a first) on broad street and Marina. My red-letter day was the building of the ultra-modern Ajele Fire Station, fully equipped, with 100 carefully selected firemen, who were trained by top officials of the New York Fire Department, fully equipped and kitted to put out any fire in a building that was up to 12 storeys high, and handing over this 2 million dollar project, which had been financed by our LIMFE member Shell to Lagos State.

What was your drive alongside the nine other women to set up Atlantic Hall and the experience in the educational sector?

Every one of these achievements comes with a lot of struggle and nobody should ever undermine that. But nobody can overrate the tremendous sense of joy, well-being, and pride that one feels that wow, we did it. This is not for profit; we don't share any money from it.

In your book, you referred to an incident in high school where the headteacher referred to you as a 'Dunce', did that word make you strive to change her narrative?

My publisher told me, this book is so honest, you're the only person I know as a writer that can write that I repeated Form 1 and that you were called a 'Dunce' because most people would always say, 'I came first' but I have an inbuilt self-confidence to say otherwise. My father was enraged with the school that he took all eight of us out of the school to England to finish our studies.

So after your studied abroad, how was the cultural shock of being in England for so long and coming back to Nigeria?

I came back to Nigeria because I was really hungry to come back. I recognised that it was going to be a cultural shock and it was because I had not been to school with anybody in the University of Lagos, they all had cliques plus the fact that I didn't stay on the campus coupled with the fact that I had a car which was unheard of.

But I made sure I was very friendly because people thought I would be a snub; I was determined to make it work.

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#THISISNIGERIA –_Rachael Eni

Policing Without Accountability: Understanding the Issues

Source: Google

O

ctober 20, 2021 made it one year since the brutal event that claimed the lives of young Nigerians protesting police brutality and the many cases of harassment perpetuated by security agencies. While the Nigerian government has on many occasions denied that youths were shot at Lekki Toll Gate, the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry in its report on the Lekki shootings confirmed that the Lekki Massacre wasn’t a figment of our imagination. It was a massacre that claimed the lives of innocent youths.

One thing however is absolutely certain, no lesson has been learnt so far by the Nigeria police. The change of name from Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team was only to diffuse an already tense situation.

In actuality, there has been no changes since the protests happened. The Nigeria police continue to display the high-handedness and human right abuses that spurred the protests in the first instance, affirming the validity of the protests.

Only recently, a video of popular comedian and actor, Debo Adedayo, popularly known as Mr. Macaroni surfaced online. In the video, police officers said to be attached to the Ogudu Police Station allegedly extorted a youth. Mr Macaroni, who was reportedly driving when he observed the situation, stopped, disembarked from his vehicle and confronted the cops, questioning the reason behind the extortion. He instructed a man at the scene to capture the face of the cop alleged to have collected the money.

The video which has been shared across diverse platforms have led to a barrage of

comments from young Nigerians who have forcefully parted with money after being threatened by the Police, who ironically are tasked with the responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of Nigerians.

The Lagos State Police Command has promised to investigate the allegation of extortion levelled against some men of the command, emphasising that the police has zero tolerance for corruption.

But we know that is hogwash. It is almost certain that even as you read this article, an innocent Nigerian somewhere is currently being extorted.

Unlike before when officers’ accounts were unchallenged and complaints were unprocessed, there has been, in recent times, well-documented instances of police officers extorting money from youths. Across Nigeria, police violence continues to traumatise the marginalised and innocent, while repeatedly turning a blind eye to the powerful. In most cases, it remains unaddressed until the abuse is illuminated to the public. Even then, it is still uncertain if justice will eventually prevail and therein lies the problem — brutality simply persists because weak systems of police accountability offer impunity, even to repeat offenders.

Like Abba Kyari, a decorated and revered police officer who was accused by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of being an accomplice of arrested Nigerian fraudster, Mr. Igbadode Rahman popularly known as Hushpuppi; like CSP James Nwafor, who allegedly supervised multiple extra-judicial killings in Anambra State, the Nigeria Police Force continues to show time and time again that it will

continue to protect rather than prosecute erring police officers.

Several studies commissioned by the Nigerian government over the course of 15 years have consistently highlighted these weaknesses and emphasised the country's need to create stronger external and internal mechanisms to hold these abusive officers accountable. The National Human Rights Commission, for one, at the request of the Acting President, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, constituted a Panel on the Reform of the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) on August 15, 2018, following the wide public outcry against the alleged human rights abuses by officers of SARS across the country.

As with most panels constituted, some key recommendations of the panel included a significant improvement in the funding, kitting and facilities of the Nigeria Police Force; strengthening Information and Communication Technology of the Force; and institutionalising a Special Investigation Panel to annually hear and determine complaints on alleged human rights violations against operations of the Nigeria Police Force. The problem, however, has been the unwillingness of successive governments to muster the will to implement these critical changes.

What then is the solution to this cantankerous problem of police impunity and brutality that continues to plague Nigerians?

The Nigerian government must put in the work to improve the relationship between the police and the people and communities where they work. If the damage of abuse, especially from specialised

units like the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is to be repaired, the government must go beyond paying lip service to ending police brutality and impunity.

There is an urgent need to address the systemic abuse of civil and political rights by the police and other government agencies. All law enforcement officers need to undergo intensive human rights training and should be regularly appraised on their human rights compliance. Reports of violence, extrajudicial killings, and torture must not be treated with kid gloves but with the severity it deserves. Such reports must be duly investigated through transparent means such as public inquiries, and erring officers must be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.

The government must ensure that the police are free from any political interference. It is also important to ensure that the police are not allowed to interfere with or monopolise investigations of crime and misconduct by their officers. This is all to ensure that cases of police misconduct are not overlooked because of political interference, or the expectation of it. This measure needs to be complemented by an external accountability mechanism from the National Human Rights Commission, the courts, the Police Service Commission and other state and federal officials. Every one of these organisations/commissions needs to take shared responsibility for making the police more accountable.

Until all of these are done, we are only postponing doomsday. The #EndSARS protest was a wake up call that needs to be heeded. t3BDIBFM &OJ JT BO FEJUPSJBM BOBMZTU based in Lagos

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 •T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

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REPO

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

08056356325

N O V E M B E R

S & P INDEX

1 7 , 2 0 2 1

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EXCHANGE RATE

OBB

14.00%

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4%

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565.29%

1/4 TO DATE

6.06%

N412.08/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

14.50%

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6%

1-DAY

–0.11%

YEAR TO DATE

– 15.66%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.41%

Nigerians Revert to Charcoal, Firewood as LPG Price Increase by 100% Nationwide

Raheem Akingbolu in Lagos, James Sowole in Abeokuta, Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti As a result of the unbridled increase in Price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from average price of N4000 to N8000 across major cities in the federation, Nigerian consumers are beginning to experience hardship following the ripple effect on daily consumption.

According to random sampling carried out by THISDAY, the increase accounts averagely for 100 per cent within a timeframe of 12 months,

causing profound distortion in household budgets across all strata of the population.

These are revealed in the spreadsheet analysis of 12.5kg cooking gas prices collected between October 18 and 22 in no fewer than 40 major cities in all states of the federation.

Mrs Salamat Adeyemi, a local food vendor in Abeokuta, lamented that the high cost of gas had forced her to go back to the use of charcoal and firewood.

According to Mrs Adeyemi, the high cost of cooking has increased her cost of production and her customers

always complain if she passes the cost on to the quantity and quality of her food.

However, the woman lamented that using firewood and charcoal was already having effects on her health because of the carbon she was breathing in every day.

She said, “I am now fixed because of the situation. Should I continue to save costs by using firewood and charcoal at the cost of my health?

Well I am still managing myself but it is not easy.”

Mrs Adeyemi therefore, called on the federal government to look into

the issue of cooking gas, which an average household must use.

For Mrs Uche Obiageli, who reside in Enugu in South East, the high cost of cooking gas has begun to take a toll on the family budget on feeding.

According to Mrs Obiageli, buying a 12.5 kg gas at almost N9,000 is killing and already causing hardship as her husband had insisted that she must start using charcoal alternately.

“What I now do is that I use gas in the morning to prepare food for the children in the morning to go to school. In the evening, it is charcoal

that I now use. Even at that, the price of charcoal has also risen.”

In the South-west, the story is the same as 12.5kg cooking gas price increased by 122.2 per cent in Abeokuta, Ogun State; 110.5 per cent in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State; 132 per cent in Akure, Ondo State and 94.44 per cent in Osogbo, putting pressure on household budgets.

Meanwhile, THISDAY checks revealed that currently, Nigeria consumes about 1.2mmt of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas. However, the Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas (NLNG) can

only meet 450,000mt of the market requirements, leaving marketers to import the remaining 750,000mt.

Apparently, with the deficit of 750,000mt, the price of cooking gas has been on steady increase across all states of the federations since 2020 while the federal government has not been able to intervene decisively to cushion its effects on household budgets.

Apart from the deficit, the price disruption had been attributed to unavailability of foreign exchange Continued on page 26

NCS Faults INEC Process, Advocates E-voting to Eliminate Fraud, Reduce Cost by 95% Emma Okonji Amid threats by political parties to challenge the Anambra State gubernatorial election result, which produced Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), as winner, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has faulted the voting pattern used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that the pattern

is weak and vulnerable.

Analysing the conduct of the election, the President of NCS, Prof. Adesina Sodiya, called for the adoption of electronic voting (e-voting) system, which he said, would eliminate electoral fraud and reduce cost of conducting election by 95 per cent.

He said there were lots of discrepancies in the figures of registered voters and actual voters, including the rejected votes, which

he said, gave rise to suspicions, agitations and fraud, coupled with the perceived high cost of conducting the Anambra gubernatorial election.

Citing figures of registered and accredited voters, including rejected votes and rejected voters as released by INEC, Sodiya said many registered voters could not turn up for accreditation and voting, for fear of the tensed political climate that greeted the Anambra election.

He said the discrepancies in the

figures and the challenges would have been nipped in the bud if electronic voting system was used for the election, whereby people could freely vote from the comfort of their homes through mobile devices.

According to the figures released

by INEC, Soludo of APGA won the election with 112, 229 votes, and Mr. Valentine Ozigbo of PDP got 53, 807 votes; Senator Andy Uba of APC got 43, 285 votes; Senator Ifeanyi Uba of YPP got 21, 261 votes,

bringing the total votes cast to 249, 631, while rejected votes reached 8, 108, and accredited voters were 253,388 and the total rejected voters were 2,246,638.

Sodiya, who stressed the need of electronic voting system for all future elections across the country, said NCS and its interest groups would be ready to deliver the electronic voting system for Nigeria, if allowed to do so.

According to Sodiya, electronic

voting would eliminate fraud in electoral processes and also reduce the high cost of conducting elections by 95 per cent.

“NCS is determined to save Nigeria from electoral challenges and we are prepared to collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and we are willing to send a detailed proposal to President Muhammadu Buhari, including INEC chairman, Continued on page 26

D ATAA SA SATATW W D AY,N OAVUEGM US MM A RAKREKTE TD ATA E DENDENSEDSAY, B TE R1 11,7 2 , 022012 1 ONNDDSS FFGGNN BBO DESCRIPTION 11.668 FGNSB 10.296 15-AUG-2021 13-NOV-2021 10.301 FGNSB 13.390 16-AUG-2021 14-NOV-2021 11.150 FGNSB 9.091 FGNSB 11-SEP-2021 11-DEC-2021 12.364 FGNSB 13.402 12-SEP-2021 12-DEC-2021 12.175 FGNSB 7.144 FGNSB 10-OCT-2021 15-JAN-2022

BILLS

OTC FX F U T U R E S

100.09 100.06

3.16 3.00

Change Change (%) (%) 0.00 -0.22

100.10 100.11

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9-Sep-21 NTB 13-Jan-22

3.10 3.68

3.11 -0.07 0.00 3.70

100.67 100.48

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3.15 3.84

3.16 -0.03 0.00 3.87

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26-Aug-21 NTB 25-Nov-21

3.00 3.12

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Contract

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AUG 24 25 2021 420.93 NGUS NOV

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OCT26 272022 2021 423.83 NGUS JAN

3.26 0.00 0.00 4.04

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NOV23 242022 2021 425.28 NGUS FEB

3.37 0.03 0.00 4.21

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DEC 29 NGUS MAR 302021 2022 426.73

CCPs Ps MATURITY

Discount Discount Yield Yield Change Change(%) (%)

MREP CP CP XVII XXXI CMBL 13-AUG-21 15-NOV-21 UNCPCP CPIII III1627FSDH AUG-21 NOV-21 VAAG CP XIV I 27-25NBRP AUG-21 NOV-21 TTNGCP CPIA II 31PARP 26AUG-21 NOV-21 SIBP CP 2-SEPPARP CPIIB 2621 NOV-21

9.02 4.92

9.03 4.93

0.00 -0.21

4.26 6.30

4.27 6.31

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10.20 5.86

10.25 5.87 0.00 -0.19

4.59 8.60

4.60 8.63

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4.13 6.01

4.14 6.03

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

AJAOKUTA LNG PROJECT…

L-R:Mr. CEO, Axxela Limited, Bolaji Osunsanya; Group Executive Director, Finance & Chief Financial Officer, NNPC representing the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mallam Umar Isa Ajiya; Managing Director, Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC), HRM Justin Ezeala; Group Executive Director, Gas & Power, NNPC, Mallam Mohammed Abdulkabir Ahmed; and President, Phoenix Development Limited, Mr. Eric Liu, at the official Engineering, Procurement, Construction & Commissioning (EPCC) contract signing ceremony of the Ajaokuta small-scale LNG project between Transit Gas Nigeria Limited (TGNL), a subsidiary of Axxela Limited; Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) and Phoenix Development Limited at NNPC Towers in Abuja… recently

Onyeagwu Canvasses Collaboration with Nigerians in Diaspora to Stimulate Economic Growth Kayode Tokede The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, has called for increased collaboration of Nigerians in the diaspora for the nation to achieve its economic growth targets.

He made the call during the fourth edition of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit 2021 organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) yesterday.

The hybrid event which held at the State House Banquet Hall, Aso Villa Abuja and virtually had in attendance the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and State Governors.

Delivering his remarks on this year’s theme: “Partnership and Linkages for Post Covid Economic Growth,” Onyeagwu noted the aptness of the theme of the summit, saying it underscored Nigeria’s need for robust growth following the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered a severe macroeconomic shock.

Onyeagwu commended the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for leading with policies that create an enabling environment for investment in Nigeria, such as the “Naira 4 Dollar Scheme,” which contributed to boosting diaspora remittances by providing incentives for recipients of international money transfers.

In his view, this and other policies

encourage the senders and recipients to channel inflows through the official market, knowing that they will not be shortchanged.

Onyeagwu also highlighted Nigeria’s enormous investment potential, especially the nation’s huge market and youthful population, which is a veritable source of labour and a consuming population.

Highlighting the need for partnership and collaboration of Nigerians in the diaspora to achieve Nigeria’s economic growth targets, particularly during challenging times,

Onyeagwu pointed out that across the globe, the diaspora community plays a critical role in their home country’s economic growth and development. He noted that Nigeria has enormous potential to attract significant diaspora inflow, most of which is coming in through informal channels. These remittance inflows and investments, which are counter-cyclical, help in ameliorating foreign exchange challenges as the funds form a significant buffer for the country’s foreign reserves.

Onyeagwu identified the

healthcare sector as one area where diaspora investment and intervention were urgently required.

He explained: “By leveraging the expertise of our diaspora healthcare professionals in some of the emerging world-class health facilities in Nigeria, such as Evercare Hospital, Ibom Specialist Hospital and Base University Hospital, we can begin to curb the loss of foreign exchange to medical tourism.”

He, therefore, called on the various associations and groups of Nigerians in the diaspora to pull

resources together and identify viable investment opportunities in the homeland.

Whilst commending the untiring efforts of NIDCOM led by Abike Dabiri-Erewa in supporting the engagement of Nigerians in diaspora in the country’s policies, projects, and development programmes, Onyeagwu said the narrative should shift from diaspora remittance to Diaspora Direct Investment as advocated by Dabiri-Erewa and Mr. Emeka Offor, Acting Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigeria Investment

Promotion Commission (NIPC).

According to Onyeagwu, as a socially responsible organisation, Zenith Bank continues to play its part in promoting investment in Nigeria.

In the light of this, he said the bank was proud of its partnership with NiDCOM and the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), saying it remained committed to creating value for Nigerians in the diaspora through its unique products, services and quality service, including mortgage.

Sophos Threat Report Identifies Key Trends in Ransomware Attacks Emma Okonji Sophos, a global leader in nextgeneration cybersecurity, has released the Sophos 2022 Threat Report, which showed how the gravitational force of ransomware’s black hole is pulling in other cyberthreats to form one massive, interconnected ransomware delivery system, with significant implications for IT security.

The report, written by SophosLabs security researchers, Sophos Managed Threat Response threat hunters and rapid responders, and the Sophos Artificial Intelligence (AI) team, provides a unique multi-dimensional perspective on security threats and trends likely to face organisations in 2022.

According to the report, over the coming year, the ransomware landscape would become both more modular and more uniform, with attack ‘specialists’ offering different elements of an attack ‘as-a-service’ and providing playbooks with tools and techniques that enable different adversary groups to implement very similar attacks.

Sophos researchers said attacks by single ransomware groups, gave way to more ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) offerings during 2021, with specialist ransomware developers focused on hiring out malicious code and infrastructure to third-party affiliates.

Some of the most high profile ransomware attacks of the year

involved RaaS, including an attack against Colonial Pipeline in the US by a DarkSide affiliate, the report said, adding that an affiliate of Conti ransomware leaked the implementation guide provided by the operators, revealing the step-by-step tools and techniques that attackers could use to deploy the ransomware.

“Once they have the malware they need, RaaS affiliates and other ransomware operators can turn to Initial Access Brokers and malware delivery platforms to find and target potential victims. This is fueling the second big trend anticipated

by Sophos,” the report further said.

The report also highlighted that established cyberthreats would

continue to adapt to distribute and deliver ransomware. These, it said, include loaders, droppers and other commodity malware; increasingly advanced, humanoperated Initial Access Brokers; spam; and adware. In 2021, Sophos reported on Gootloader operating novel hybrid attacks that combined mass campaigns with careful filtering to pinpoint targets for specific malware bundles.

The report further highlighted the use of multiple forms of extortion by ransomware attackers to pressure victims into paying the ransom is expected to continue and increase in range and intensity. In 2021, Sophos incident responders catalogued 10 different types of

pressure tactics, from data theft and exposure, to threatening phone calls, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and more.

The report also said cryptocurrency would continue to fuel cybercrimes such as ransomware and malicious cryptomining, and that Sophos expects that the trend would continue until global cryptocurrencies were better regulated. During 2021, Sophos researchers uncovered cryptominers such as Lemon Duck and the less common, MrbMiner, taking advantage of the access provided by newly reported vulnerabilities and targets already breached by ransomware operators to install cryptominers on computers and servers.

NCS FAULTS INEC PROCESS, ADVOCATES E-VOTING TO ELIMINATE FRAUD, REDUCE COST BY 95%

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

the National Assembly, and State Government, and we hope they will listen to us,” Sodiya said, adding that it is time government allows Nigerian Information Technology (IT) professionals to solve Nigeria electoral challenges. It is time that government allows professionals to design and build systems that will solve Nigerian peculiar challenges

by Nigerians, he said.

Giving details of how technology can drive transparency and trust in any election, Sodiya said: “There

are now new technology platforms and infrastructure that will make election process transparent, cheaper, easy to audited, and acceptable for all. NCS hereby proposes a simple online voting system that uses the National Identification Number (NIN) to validate and accredit voters and use facial recognition to validate election. It means, eligible voters must have NIN and a unique phone number.”

He highlighted the many benefits of electronic voting system to include:

The ability of voters to vote from the comfort of their house, resulting in mass participation without fears; Election can be held over many days; Election process can be fully audited; Proof-of-life is established before voting can be done; Nigerians in Diaspora will be eligible to Vote; The cost of conducting election will be reduced by 95 per cent; Legal evidence can be generated and presented in court within minutes; and dashboard will be made available to all participants

and the press to see the live progress of election, thus eliminating doubts.

Other collateral benefits according to Sodiya, include: The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database will come alive and become active for secure transactions; Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOAMSAT) will be funded to provide satellite coverage for areas where telecoms operators do not have presence; and the ability to export the technology

to other countries and earn foreign exchange for Nigeria.

“What we need now as a nation is a major mind shift by the National Assembly members, INEC Officials, political parties and Nigerians generally. The Banks, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have shown everyone that electronic transaction is the way to go. Government must therefore embrace electronic voting and electronic transmission of election results,” Sodiya said.

NIGERIANS REVERT TO CHARCOAL, FIREWOOD AS LPG PRICE INCREASE BY 100% NATIONWIDE for importation, naira devaluation and rising inflation, excessive arbitrary charges by government agencies of the federal government and implementation of 7.5 per cent Valued Added Tax (VAT).

In Lagos metropolis, for instance, 12.5kg cooking gas prithat sold for N3,700 in most gas stations in October 2020, has risen to N8,500 as at October 2021, accounting for 109.7 per cent within one year.

Just as the case of Lagos metropolis, the same quantity of cooking gas that sold for N4,500 in Federal Capital Territory in October 2020, has surged to N8,500 to N9000, representing an increase of 88.89 per cent by October 2021.

Also, most gas stations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State sold 12.5 kg cooking gas at N3,500 in October 2020 while the value of the same quantity has increased to N7,800

in October 2021, representing an 122.85 per cent increase.

Concerned about the price trend across major cities in the federation, Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Association of LPG Marketers, Mr Bassey Essien blamed the federal government for the disruption in the prices of cooking gas in the last 12 months.

Essien explained frustration of the LPG marketers to access foreign

exchange and implementation of 7.5 percent VAT, among others, as the major rationales for the price escalation.

The executive secretary, therefore, noted that the federal government and people in authority, “are not sincere with the populace, hence the carefree attitude.”

In a statement by its General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development,

Eyono Fatayi-Williams and Head, Media Relations and Corporate Communications, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, the NLNG, claimed that it was inaccurate to state that NLNG produces 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of cooking gas.

The gas conglomerate clarified that it is primarily an export company that produces 22 mtpa MTPA of LNG and 5 mtpa of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs).

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BUSINESSWORLD

BRANDS & MARKETING

Sponsorship: A Brand Courageous Association of a Global Resonance Raheem Akingbolu takes a look at how sponsorship is redefining marketing through provision of an enable platform for brand visibility and leveraging opportunities, citing the example of the recent ‘Felabration’ which was maximally explored by Fearless and other brands

B

usinesses, the world over, adopt various strategies to achieve their marketing objectives, and sponsorship is one of them, as it often leads to the actualization of set goals.

It is a powerful marketing tool used by organizations in deepening brand penetration and leveraging opportunities that are open in sponsorship platforms, like the captive audience and exposure.

This vital marketing strategy allows big, medium, and small brands to develop a relationship that economically gratifies them and what they support.

However, some of the benefits of sponsorship include increased brand awareness and visibility: whether as a startup or a well-established company, it takes a brand to a broader target audience.

It helps increase sales, which is the ultimate goal for every product company, as getting to the top of the mind of new or existing customers increases awareness and profit margin.

It creates brand differentiation, particularly in a highly competitive and profit-shrinking market where a major player dominates the business where smaller organizations are struggling to survive or trying to carve a niche for their products, thereby offering the chance of standing out as a market leader.

Also, sponsorship as a popular marketing strategy leads to brand loyalty and increases an organization’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) reputation, as in the case of a charitable event that portrays an organization as caring to its consumers.

With the attendant benefits that accrue to sponsorship, companies have seen it as a means of outwitting competitors and entrenching their brand in the minds of consumers, and this prompted the case of the 2021 Felabration, sponsored by the premium Fearless energy drink brand, from the stables of Rite Foods, a world-class and proudly Nigerian Company.

The one-week annual event held from October 11-17 commemorates the life and times of the late Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for his distinctiveness, creativity, African ideology, and intentional music excellence that made the nation and Africa proud during his lifetime.

The event, conceived in 1998 by Fela’s eldest daughter, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, started with a symposium themed “ The National Question Evolution or Devolution” with the moderator/ chairman, Femi Falana, amongst other prominent speakers. Other exciting activities include an Arts competition, Afrobics dance competition, and schools’ debate on the topic “Covid 19 is

a Blessing,” among others.

The event’s highlight was the performance

by D’ Banj, a megastar in Nigeria’s musical industry, who thrilled the audience with one of his hit songs, “Top of the World,” while other artistes include Eda Oto and the Afrogenius Band, 2Scarce, Badman Q, Jody, John Dust, Chuddy K, Oberz, 2Slimmusic, Jaido P, Aramide, among others.

However, the most profound aspect of the event was the posthumous award bestowed on Fela by the Fearless energy drink, which claimed and based on its market performance and rating, shared the following attributes with Fela of being intentional, standing for quality, being daring, innovative, state of character, selflessness, and fearlessness.

The award, which was conceptualized by the innovative company, TPT International, known for its creative stunt and delivery, saw all the “A” Class celebrities in attendance, with the scion of the Fela Anikulapo-Kuti dynasty, including his eldest daughter, Yeni, and sons, like Femi and Kunle Anikulapo-Kuti.

With the highly-praised award being the major highlight of Felabration 2021, analysts described it as a well-thought marketing strategy by a future-forward brand that is exploring a strong association with a great musical icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, posthumously.

At the presentation event, which was the last day of Felabration, the Brand Manager of Fearless Energy Drink, Miss Boluwatife Adedugbe, cladded in what looks like an Egyptian goddess robe and escorted by two hefty men in pants with the symbols of the Fearless energy drink, walked majestically, as four sturdy drummers appeared on stage in a choreographic display, heralding the arrival of the goddess, which happened to be the Brand Manager of Fearless, who had an outstanding performance, eulogized the great African music star before presenting the larger than life Saxophone, Fela’s musical instrument, with a standing ovation from the crowd.

With a dramatic tone, Adedugbe extolled the Afrobeat king, “Though born and raised in a middle-class, elitist family, he chooses to associate with the masses, down-trodden, and society rejects, and abandoned by the authorities.”

She continued, but eloquently, “Today, we honour a man who came before his time, saw the future, fought collective battles most

times alone, but departed when needed most.

“Fearless Fela was the mouthpiece of the masses, fighting their battles, and more often than not, lost so many precious possessions, which includes his mother, the height of sacrifice for one’s country and fellow citizens.”

The high-spirited Brand Manager further remarked, “Although physically he’s gone, philosophically, ideologically, creatively, innovatively, and fundamentally, he lives not just in our lives, but, in our talents, and he continues to inspire us to be the best that we can be, without waiting for the approval of peers.”

“He fought anti-progressive forces and always stood fearlessly as an enigma, a musical icon, one of Africa’s greatest exports, musical and cultural ambassadors.”

On Fela’s home, which was a place for all, the charming Adedugbe affirmed, “His Kalakuta Residence and the Old Afrika Shrine were home to everyone. Fela was selfless, accommodating, and passionate about the cause of the ordinary Person. Abami-Eda’s songs resonate with the plight of most Africans and the blacks in the diaspora. So much so, we are unable to forget him. Today I am here, expressing our token of appreciation to a man who has left so much for us to thrive and remain Fearless.”

A thunderous applause with a standing ovation and Fela’s salutes by the crowd greeted the award presentation.

Receiving the award, Yeni Anikulapo Kuti, who was amazed and thrilled with the attractive symbol that signified his father’s greatness in his sphere of music genre and his giant stride in bringing about social change through it, expressed her joy for the important recognition of her father’s effort.

She eulogized the World-class company for refreshing participants at the event with its first-rate brands and the creativity introduced to make it more exciting.

Yeni praised the Fearless energy drink brand, stating that the award which would be placed at the Museum for public view and appreciation was the best thing that has ever happened since the inception of the Felabration.

She stated that the award is significant because it is from a leading brand that has been promoting human and economic development, especially in the entertainment industry, which is a burgeoning sector of

Nigeria’s economy.

Similarly, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, Fela’s eldest son, an Afrobeat musician, who expanded the genre’s reach to embrace punk, electro, and hip-hop, commended the Fearless energy drink brand for sponsoring this year’s Felabration as talented artistes energized by the leading brand came up with electrifying performances at the musical shows of the event.

According to an analyst, the concept of the award, the delivery, and the acceptance is a validation of the idea and relevance of the brand and consumers.

In marketing, sponsorship designed for consumer penetration must demonstrate strong brand affinity and emotional connection for brand influence derivable from such association.

The Fearless posthumous award initiative is still receiving applause from marketing experts and consumers, especially since the Felabration platform has just been taken over by the Rite Foods’ Fearless energy drink from a rival company, 7Up Bottling Company, who appeared not to have done much with the platform in terms of sponsorship exploitation until Rite Foods’ Fearless came on board and raised the bar this year.

The Fearless energy drink brand also added colour to the one-week event by re-inventing Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s bedroom at the Afrika Shrine, the popular venue for this year’s Felabration, and this attracted music lovers and lots of consumers to the bedroom, all taking different photographs with bottles of the premium Fearless energy drink.

The Fearless marketing stunt has been applauded by Mr. Olu Jaiyesimi for its authenticity and relevance, stating that it demonstrates the exceptional marketing concept of a world-class brand that has set the pace for others in its market segment and brand sponsorship with a credible platform like Felabration.

Though the annual event has come and gone, all that went into it, that made it very exciting, will linger forever, as not even the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), founded to guide, protect and promote the interests of musicians, had thought of such an honour to one of the country’s music legends, or even by any organization.

And Coming from Fearless energy drink, produced by a proudly Nigerian company, the memories will continue to linger and open other windows for the brand. It should be expected that the brand handlers would certainly explore these angles and as a credible platform.

Want to Become a No 1? Start Here

Akin Adeoya

THE SECRET OF BECOMING NO 1

I

did not say the secret of becoming a No 1 in what you do. Or the secret of becoming a No 1 in what you love to do. I didn’t say becoming a No 1 in what you were trained to do. Neither did I say becoming No 1 in what you think you were born to do.

In all those situations listed, you are in good company. In a large company, there are lots of people who are doing what you are doing, or what you love to do, or what you were trained to do or what you were born to do and I can assure you many of them are doing a good job of it. That is what keeps the world going. And yes, there are some chosen or lucky bulls at the top of the each pile. You can beat them. But the chances of success are very low and there too many rivers to cross.

Becoming a No 1 is hardly ever accidental. Oh there are a lucky minority who become No 1 because they were just born to a King or Emperor and fall effortlessly in the line of succession. Most of us aren’t that lucky are we?

If you were trained to do it and you were not the first or second or third set of people trained to do it then there would already be an existing

No 1,2,3,4 etc.

No 1s are notoriously difficult to dislodge. Not impossible. But difficult, costly, time consuming.

Why waste all that time and energy and you are still most likely to fail? What makes No 1 a number 1 is not just about the No 1 position or the power and privilege attached to the position.

It is also about the thousands or millions who accept her as No 1. It becomes a settled issue. Settled issues are difficult to contend against. Even when they are wrong. That the earth is flat was a settled issue. That the earth is in the middle of the solar system and that all the planets, including the sun, orbited around it was a settled issue.

For millenia, incest among royals was a settled issue. From Egypt to the cold heart of Europe, the belief that the bloodline must remain pure over the generations by the act of internal breeding among brothers, sisters and blood relatives, was enforced. No one doubted it, everyone concurred. Royals were born sick, malformed, inefficient humans. Yet they would be installed as natural rulers with the power of life and death over mortals. Nobody could point it out that incest seemed to produce mentally

and physically challenged individuals. Maybe they didn’t know. Maybe they dare not say it.

But there must have been a good reason why normal folk go far from family to procreate.

Such is the power of human belief. Trying to challenge a man’s conception of what constitutes No 1 is as good as challenging his pride. It actually creates a feeling of insecurity in most people. It is a deeply emotional matter. Pure logic is not enough.

Sometimes the No 1 does not even have to defend her position. Hordes of her followers will do the dirty job for her. You will think you are battling the No 1. You are fighting her believers instead. Winning takes a miracle.

Like if the No 1 personally commits suicide.

Organic death. Enter No 2. It’s a succession system guys.

A wise man named Michael Porter, author of Competitive Advantage and one of the most important business strategists of the modern era suggests a better way.

To become No 1, you must redefine the nature of the product (brand, person, service etc). You must reconfigure the rules. When you fight on your own turf, built by you, with your strengths and weaknesses taken

into consideration, how can you lose? And, by the way, lose to who?

First movers can only lose to themselves. And by the way that is a big danger! It happened to me once! But that is a story for another day.

First mover advantage is so formidable. In fact, Jack Ries believes the only way to predictably become No 1 is when you become a first mover on a new path that you personally cut through the forest.

Canon: Don’t fight to become No 1 in another person’s soccer field. He knows all the nooks and crannies. He will exhaust you with experience, resources and most importantly, the faith of the consumer, in him! The hordes on the stands will cheer him to victory even if he is really a bad Nero.

Go into the bush and build a new field for those who never played in the existing field. Men who never worshipped in the old shrines. This way, you succeed in becoming No 1 on the strength of your very own original ideas, the credibility of your products and the sheer vacancy at the top of this particular ladder.

Nature abhors a vacuum, they say. Go ye and occupy. You are No 1. t "LJO "EFPZB JT BO JNBHJOBUJWF TUSBUFHJTU BOE DPNNVOJDBUPS )F DBO CF SFBDIFE BU UIFMFUUFSNBDIJOF !HNBJM DPN

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Exploring Coca-Cola System’s Role in Empowering Nigerian Women Women empowerment serves as the bedrock for growth and prosperity in any society. Ugo Aliogo writes that by empowering women economically, Coca-Cola System is ensuring greater opportunity for economic diversification, productivity and income equality, among other positive outcomes – as indicated in a recent report by the United Nations

Alhaja Lawal Silifat at her outlet in Oregun, Ikeja

O

n most days, Lawal Silifat Tola, hawks her moin moin on the streets of Lagos with a smile on her face. Calm, soft-spoken and warm, her legion of customers, who were mostly artisans, knew the young Silifat as a happy-go-lucky woman unperturbed by life’s many troubles. But, in reality, her heart was a time-capsule bursting with images of fear about her future.

Her situation could have remained so until 32 years ago. She had visited a construction site on Ikosi Road to sell her steamed bean pudding to artisans that fateful day. There, she met a Coca-Cola delivery personnel who challenged her about the missing piece of her business puzzle.

“The man walked up to me that sunny afternoon and told me that something was missing from what I was selling. Upon enquiry, he told me I needed to include Coca-Cola products to what I was selling to people at the site,” Silifat began.

“I told him I had no money to procure the products, but he offered to give me two cases as samples – at no cost. It was a Friday. The following day, I had sold the two cases and ordered for more.”

Today, Silifat, who is fondly known as “Alhaja Coke” by her extensive network of customers, manages one of the biggest MDPs in the NBC’s stable. From building her own apartment to taking responsibility for her home, including funding her children’s overseas education, courtesy of the proceeds from her business, Alhaja Coke’s story remains a testament of hope amidst despair and re-echoes how a single opportunity can change the narrative for people and communities.

WHY WOMEN EMPOWERMENT MATTERS

Women empowerment serves as the bedrock for growth and prosperity in any society. By empowering women economically, there is a greater opportunity for economic diversification, productivity and income equality, among other positive outcomes – as indicated in a recent report by the United Nations. But beyond economic empowerment, providing women and girls with life-skills is critical for their wellbeing, and provides them an opportunity to thrive and have access to social protection.

Studies have shown that one major factor that inhibits women empowerment is poverty.

In developing countries like Nigeria, women and girls often fall into the minority categories, disproportionately affected by limited access to education, job opportunities, resources, and health care. More so, in such developing communities,

societal constructs and glass ceilings could further limit the capacity of women to take on roles that could allow them to pursue social and economic endeavors on the same basis as men. To this end, there are often great inequality margins between men and women – even in some developed societies – and this not only relegates them to subordinate positions but also predisposes them to gender-based discrimination and violence.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

While the developed world seemed to begin making strides with women empowerment - in line with the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals - the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic hit and made these inequalities more severe in developing regions. In Nigeria for example, women make up a majority of the informal economy, as they are mostly traders who rely on physical market structures to exchange their goods and services. As a result, they were the hardest hit when the lockdowns were enforced in the wake of the pandemic. Women in the informal economy scarcely ever have access to other forms of trainings or life skills that could be adopted in the case of a lack of access to markets, which contributed to a further decline in their financial standings.

As the economy begins to recover, albeit slowly, individuals, institutions, and corporate efforts have been seen to be beneficial in speeding up the process of establishing a more balanced society for women to thrive and experience economic inclusion. The Coca-Cola System, comprising the Nigerian Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria,

“Women empowerment serves as the bedrock for growth and prosperity in any society.

By empowering women economically, there is a greater opportunity for economic diversification, productivity and income equality, among other positive outcomes.”

has been at the forefront of empowerment campaigns geared towards women. For a company whose customer base is made up of a significant number of women, the Coca-Cola System recognizes the exigency of not leaving them out of the value chain, as they remain key contributors to success.

This is why over the course of its operations in 70 years, the organization has continued to roll out impactful initiatives to enrich the lives of underprivileged women in Nigeria to ensure that they have access to opportunities that can give them a level playing field in the society.

The System is addressing these priorities in diverse ways. For instance, the global Coca-Cola System, with its long history of refreshing lives, expanded its women empowerment ambitions in 2010 by rolling out an elaborate initiative called 5by20 programme, to empower 5 million women by 2020. The goal was to provide women - both aspiring and thriving entrepreneurs - with opportunities to kick start and manage their businesses through the linkage to its distribution system. The system continues to enable more and more women every year to start up their own enterprises as distributors or retailers of Coca-Cola products. These women entrepreneurs are then provided with the required support in the form of trade assets, business skills training, access to finance and mentoring to ensure that they can grow their businesses profitably to attain self-reliance and make positive contributions to their communities. In Nigeria, between 2015 to 2019, the program has successfully empowered over 38,000 women.

In what has been described as an ingenious approach to providing a head start to women, the Coca-Cola System also partnered with the Lady Mechanic Initiative to empower 100 vulnerable young women with vocational, entrepreneurial and life skills, and is currently the single largest corporate sponsor of this initiative. Through the Lady Mechanic Initiative, women have been equipped to become certified professional automobile mechanics after a 3-year intensive classroom and garage training that covered automobile diagnosis, repairs, and maintenance, capped off with a 3-month internship with Peugeot Automobile Nigeria. Also, in recognizing the lack of access to financial services by underprivileged women in Nigeria, the Coca-Cola system also recently partnered with the Lagos State Government

Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to train 1,000 women in Lagos state on financial literacy and communications skills.

SAFE BIRTH INITIATIVE

Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, accounting for 10 per cent of maternal deaths globally, according to UNICEF. The lack of access to affordable and quality healthcare for many women has combined to worsen the situation. To support government in mitigating birth-related deaths in Nigeria, the Coca-Cola System launched the Safe Birth Initiative in 2018 as a strategic golden triangle partnership involving Coca-Cola, the Government (the Federal Ministry of Health and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals) and an NGO – Medshare International Inc. Its focus areas also include infrastructure development, equipment donations and manpower training.

The initiative has impacted over 12,000 mothers and babies: 51,600 families and individuals as well as 500 health workers across 16 states of the federation and the FCT. “Women have always formed a critical mass of our distribution chain, and we are happy to support this important segment of the population,” said Matthieu Seguin, Managing Director of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited.

“Women are important to our future growth because of the multiplier effect of their contributions to the society. Our plan is to continue to expand their growth in our value chain by creating more opportunities that allow them thrive.”

Across the globe, the role of women in building sustainable societies is gradually taking center-stage in policy roundtables, corporate boardrooms, public debates, and social forums. As the rest of the world continues on the quest to transform the roles of women in the society by creating more gender-inclusive policies and enabling more opportunities for empowerment, the onus lies on the commitment of organisations, individuals, and the society at large, to combine efforts to break the numerous barriers holding women back.

This is not only crucial to building a thriving and balanced society but also represents one of the biggest accelerators of economic growth in the country. The Coca-Cola System’s inclusive framework has shown us what is possible, and that we can begin to lay a firm foundation for Nigeria’s sustainable future by empowering women to find their own voices and become multipliers of economic opportunities. The time is now.

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BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Turning Organisational Challenges into Strategic Opportunities for Sustainable Success in Volatile Times Caroline Lucas

W

e live in a world and times of many challenges that can be very hard for organisations to overcome. The unpredictability, uncertainty and ever-changing economic environment require more than just planning to sail through. Finding survival strategies and opportunities for sustainable success is one approach that every organisation must consider using. While it works, this approach is often easier said than done. However, putting it into practice is the real deal! So, what is the way out?

Well, organisational challenges are many, and the strategies that work for one organisation might not necessarily work for another. That is not all! The impact of different challenges, even the covariate ones, is not uniform. Bottom line? Every organisation needs its unique approach for dealing with any challenges that it faces in these volatile times. Learning from successful organisations worldwide, the secret that every leader or executive should know is how to turn challenges into opportunities.

Finding strategic opportunities means having the ability to design a unique plan in anticipation of volatile future scenarios, being agile and responsive to the external environment. It implies knowing how to leverage strengths while minimising any weaknesses.

While it might involve some risk, having a plan for turning challenges into strategic opportunities prepares you and your organisation to achieve goals.

But where do you begin and go about the process of achieving sustainable success? To help you find answers to these questions, TEXEM invites you to an upcoming programme titled “Turning Organisational Challenges into Strategic Opportunities for Sustainable

Success in Volatile Times,” scheduled to take place between December 1st and 2nd, 2021, at WheatBaker, 4 Lawrence Rd, Ikoyi, Lagos. Still, there is an option to attend it online.

TEXEM’s lead faculty for this programme will be the world-renowned and accomplished Professor Paul Griffith. He is a Professor of Practice at Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School and the world’s first Management Professor to lead a team that launched a rocket to space. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best speakers you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to hear from and interact with on matters of strategic opportunities.

As it has always done, TEXEM will use a participatory method during the programme.

It will not be about hearing from the speaker only. Instead, you will get a chance to participate in activities that make learning interesting and effective actively. The aim is to make sure that whatever strategies you learn and activities you participate in helps you develop strategies that will work for your organisation.

So, TEXEM’s methodology during the programme will include group and individual activities, peer-to-peer learning, games, observation practice, live sessions, and self-reflection. Without any doubt, this is a programme you do not want to miss. Whether you are running a growing organisation or in charge of a well-established one, this might be a programme that will help you lead your team to the goals you wish to achieve given the challenges and volatile times that we are experiencing.

The upcoming programme will be impactful in many positive ways. As an executive or

organisational leader, you will learn the art of turning challenges into stepping stones to success. Most importantly, you will have an experience that will change your mind-set, so you always see opportunities in any challenges you face. That’s one way to beat the ever-growing rivalry and stiff competition in your industry.

Nevertheless, that is not all that the programme has for you!

At the end of the sessions lined up, you will understand why some strategies work while others fail, even when challenges are not serious. You will also acquire analytical skills that will help you gauge your position in the industry and overcome challenges that impede your growth. Most importantly, you will be able to find ways of using competition as your inspiration to innovate.

TEXEM often attracts many interested individuals and organisations, but the slots available are limited. So, book your space before you are left out. Prof Paul Griffith said: “The operating context has never been as volatile and uncertain – we are all working in a fast paced environment and it will never be as slow as this again! Rather than just survive, for organisations with the right thinking and best practise, this creates a great opportunity for thriving. Leave the competition behind; build strong profitable growth and organisational core competence using the tools and techniques that we will share on this programme.

Importantly, the TEXEM’s approach of using a range of learning tools comprising discussion, role play, presentations, actionable short videos, and games improve; interpersonal skills, stakeholder

engagement credentials, decision-making capabilities, communication, leadership quotient and team spirit.

TEXEM’s tested and proven methodology comprising of case studies will be deployed during the programme to encourage participants to enhance their cognitive skills, improve their analytical rigour, evaluation skills, and assist them in managing ambiguity better.

Indeed, you would steepen your learning curve, enhance your social capital via networking and enhance your professional trajectory for enduring success”.

The cost of the programme is £1,500 (1,185,000 Naira), which covers; study materials, group picture and certificate)

THE HYBRID VERSION

There is an option to attend this programme online, and this hybrid version costs £950(N750,500) if payment is made by the 23rd of November.

The cost of the hybrid programme if payment is made after the 23rd of November is £1050 (N829,500).

TESTIMONIALS

“It’s the first time I’m doing a local programme in Nigeria, and it’s actually quite interesting. The first thing I liked about it was the diversity of the participants. I also like the edgy conversations we had with Christian and Alim. It’s quite thoughtprovoking”. Effiong Okon, Operations Director, Seplat “It’s very insightful and a good programme on Leadership and Executive Management. It has opened my eyes to understanding that to be an effective leader, you also have to be an effective follower. I need to surround myself with people better than me and learn from them”. Akeem Muriokunola, Lagos State, Head of Service.

OPAC Refineries, IPMAN Finalise Agreement to End Kerosene Scarcity Nationwide Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia The problem of kerosene scarcity may be nearing its end as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the management of OPAC Refineries, Kwale, Delta State

have signed agreement for the supply and distribution of the petroleum product across the country.

National President of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo said the agreement, which was sealed on Monday, would require OPAC Refineries to supply

UNDP Accelerator Labs, AfriLabs Partner to Advance African Innovation Policy Emma Okonji The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs and AfriLabs have partnered to promote innovation policy in Africa.

Both organisations recently held a hybrid and virtual event hosted

by AfriLabs as part of their 2021 Annual Gathering to formally announce their partnership and path forward.

AfriLabs Executive Director, Anna Ekeledo, and Senior Advisor and UNDP Nigeria Accelerator Lab Focal Point, William Tsuma, attended the in-person event at the ImpactCove Hub in Abuja, while the Assistant SecretaryGeneral and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, and the UNDP Accelerator Labs Team Leader, Gina Lucarelli, joined virtually.

The partnership is expected to focus on harnessing the knowledge of local innovators across the continent to close the gap towards the Sustainable Development Global Goals (SDGs).

According to the organisers, to date, Africa is only on track for Goal 14 (life below water), with a regression on Goals such as 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), which is why we urgently need to mobilise the collective intelligence of more than one billion Africans to accelerate progress toward these Goals.

“With our youth population

projected to be over 500 million over the next five years, the importance of job creation cannot be understated, and innovation hubs act as a platform that build systems and businesses that create these jobs. We see this partnership as a powerful collaboration that can multiply the effect of our goals and we look forward to recording measurable impact tailored to revolutionize the innovation ecosystem in Africa,” Ekeledo said.

Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, said: “Together, AfriLabs and the 35 UNDP Accelerator Labs in Africa will draw lessons from existing policies and develop a framework which will be shared as input for African leaders. This can shape inclusive innovation policies that will better address the complexity of current development challenges.”

UNDP Accelerator Labs Team Leader, Gina Lucarelli, said: “Bottom-up innovation plays a critical role if we want to accelerate progress towards the goals. We know there is power in the homegrown innovation happening across the continent and this partnership will help us tap into this potential. I am particularly excited about the upcoming national innovation policy dialogues we are coorganizing to surface what kind of innovation policies can unleash and enable all that power.”

Kerosene (DPK) to its members all over the country.

According to him, the partnership agreement was intended to bridge existing supply gaps thereby ameliorating the effects of shortage of kerosene in the country.

He noted that the impact of kerosene scarcity was already hurting most households, moreso as the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), Cooking Gas has continued to climb out of reach.

Okonkwo said that the agreement, which was signed on Monday, was expected to expected to come into effect immediately, adding that it

represents, “one of the many ways IPMAN intends to provide a workable solution to the scarcity and price volatility of Kerosene across Nigeria.”

After four years of finetuning its refining capacity, OPAC Refineries had in August this year completed the first phase of its production and refining process followed with the production of the first set of refined products in its refinery in Kwale, Delta State.

Managing Director of OPAC Refineries, Momoh Jimah Oyarekhua said that having completed the first production process, the firm, which is a leading indigenous refining company was able

to produce Diesel (AGO), Kerosene (DPKW, Fuel OilFO, and Naphtha – source of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

With this partnership and the successful test run of OPAC Refineries, it is expected that large volume of kerosene would be poured into the supply value chain to bridge the demand crisis nearing its peak.

It is also expected to cushion the effects of pre- Christmas season hike in demand and increase in prices of most commodities.

OPAC Refineries is build with the capacity to produce multiple primary products such as Diesel or Automotive

Gas Oil (AGO), Kerosene (DPK), Light Fuel Oil (LFO), and Naphtha – source for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

As the first-of-its-kind modular refinery located in Umuseti, Kwale in Delta State, OPAC Refineries is equipped with a refining capacity of 10,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with plans for expansions and spread to different regions in Nigeria.

The company is rated as a very promising local oil & gas production infrastructure and top amongst the first indigenous modular refineries to significantly provide locally refined products at affordable cost.

Tech Startup Secures $4.4m in Series ‘A’ Funding to Enhance Quality Drugs in Africa Emma Okonji Healthtech startup, DrugStoc has raised $4.4 million in Series ‘A’ funding to expand access to quality medicines while providing sustainable supply chain financing for healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa.

The funding round was led by Africa HealthCare Master Fund (AAIC) and other investors such as Chicago-based venture firm Vested World and the German Development Bank (DEG).

Announcing the breakthrough, the Director at AAIC, Nobuhiko Ichimiya, said: “We are very excited to be part of the Drugstoc journey.

The pharmaceutical market in Africa has enormous growth potential and we are glad to back a company well-positioned to be a key player in the sector’s growth in sub-Saharan Africa.”

DrugStoc’s co-founder and CEO, Chibuzor Opara, said: “We are committed to making an impact in the healthcare industry. This funding will enable us to expand and launch our tech-enabled products in more African countries where pharmaceuticals are critically

needed.

Launched in 2017, DrugStoc is a cloud-based platform that provides healthcare providers with the interface for easy access to pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. It ensures that patients get quality medicines at affordable prices. It boasts superior quality control systems with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification on Good Distribution Practice.

Having grown over the last three years with an almost 1500 per cent increase in monthly sales since January 2018, 14 million people currently have access to genuine healthcare products through hospitals and pharmacies covered by DrugStoc. With this funding round, the company is expected to grow coverage to about 100 million people. It plans to achieve this by expanding its supply chain infrastructure both digitally and physically.

Digital expansion will see DrugStoc build out its tech solutions to boost access and accommodate more partners as it extends coverage beyond Lagos. DrugStoc will also build

on its partnerships with financial institutions such as Sterling Bank, to increase access to sustainable supply chain financing, Opara said.

The company, founded by two professionals in the health sector, Chibuzo Opara and Adham Yehia, has powered over nine million prescriptions and projects 12 million by the end of 2021.

According to Opara said: “Fragile and resource-challenged healthcare systems require a radically transformative set of market-based strategies to expand access to healthcare. The DrugStoc way re-engineers the value chain digitally, improving and expanding access to healthcare at the same time.”

It is predicted that Africa’s pharmaceutical industry will be worth $56 billion to $70 billion by 2030, from just $5.5 billion in 2007. However, the broken supply chain and chaotic distribution channels on the continent still pose a significant challenge. It affects the delivery of quality medicines, affordability of pharmaceuticals and efficient healthcare delivery for health

workers. Innovation to solve supply chain challenges is a key opportunity in this growing market.

Based on estimates from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Africa imports about 94 per cent of its pharmaceutical and medicinal needs from outside the continent. Drugstoc is ensuring that more vital drugs, vaccines and health technologies are supplied safely, effectively and affordably to more people, Opara, said, while citing recent statistics about the global health sector.

A member of a group of individual Silicon Valley investors, Liam O’Connor, said: “DrugStoc has demonstrated impressive growth and the ability to improve healthcare providers’ access to pharmaceuticals in Nigeria.

I am excited to support DrugStoc’s innovative work building a reliable, resilient, and high-quality pharmaceutical supply chain across Africa. I am confident that DrugStoc will succeed in making a critical healthcare difference that will help save lives.”

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‘It is a Matter of Time Before I take Over the GTBank’

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Chairman of Innoson Group of Companies and proprietor of the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, has stated that he is looking forward to the day when he would take over the ownership and management of the Guarantee Trust Bank.

Chukwuma said this during an interactive session with journalists

where he disclosed that he used to have the best business relationship with the bank until the current managing director took over the leadership of the bank with ethnic bias and the relationship started going sour.

He said: “I am waiting for the time when the cumulative interest on the money GTB owes me would overwhelm it so that I will take over the bank. This is what I am

waiting for. That is why I no longer disturb them. But I am assuring all the customers of the GTB that when I take over the bank, I will manage it better. So, they should not entertain any fear. I have not done any business that failed. I will run the bank better than its current managers.”

He added: “I used to be the bank’s best customer in the Southeast when Tayo was alive. It is

Huawei, Arravo Sensitise Customers on New Technology Solutions Emma Okonji Huawei, a global technology company, in collaboration with Arravo, one of its partners in Nigeria, jointly organised a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos recently, where they raised customers’ awareness about new technology trends and solutions that would drive business growth and profitability, while reducing operational cost.

In his opening remarks at the forum, the CEO, Arravo, Mr. Ayo Adegboye, said the forum was organised to bring customers together to learn modern technology trends from Huawei.

“We are looking at new software solutions that will help drive customers businesses in a most profitable way. We are also looking at different layers of authentication to boost network security of customers, including wireless cloud, which is the new trend of business.

With Huawei Cloud technology, customers are relieved from all infrastructural challenges they had to pass through in building their own infrastructure, which is

capital intensive. So such cloud technology initiative from Huawei will help customers save more money and be able to concentrate on their core business of providing real-time service for customers.

Our customers cut across various sectors like telecommunication, oil and gas, industry, manufacturing, education, health, among others,” Adegboye said.

Giving an overview of Hiawei’s global operations, the its Channel Manager, Augustine Ukaa, said Huawei would continue to invest in Research and Development, with a view to developing new solutions that would drive business growth and resilience.

“Huawei has invested over $90 billion in Research and Development in the last ten years. Our revenue has steadily grown over the years and our plan is to have good presence in Nigeria in order to serve the Nigerian customers better, while working with our partners like Arravo,” Ukaa said.

Senior IP Product Manager at Huawei, Chinedu Omenkukwu, in his presentation, gave insight to

intelligent network management in an organisation, and explained how customers could take advantage of Huawei Cloud, to build a fully wireless and intelligent cloud campus network, in order to archive their digital transformation vision. He talked about the need for organisations to harmonise their operations into single network, with the support of Huawei Cloud solution.

According to him, organisations are moving their applications to the cloud and the Huawei Cloud solution would help in achieving this much faster, easier, and safer.

“Huawei has four major categories of solutions in the IP product line, which it deploys to ease access to Huawei Cloud, using four engines such as the Air Engine, which is a code name for the Huawei wireless product; the Net Engine, which is used for the router product lines; the Cloud Engine, which is used for campus switches and data centre switches; and the HiSec Engine, which handles the security product lines,” Omenkukwu said.

MainOne: Energy Efficiency Key to Sustainability of Data Centres Emma Okonji

Access to affordable, reliable and environmentally sustainable sources of electricity is a pressing issue for the growing number of Data Centre operators across Africa, MainOne, a data centre operator has said.

MainOne said in a statement that these facilities needed to ensure a high availability of power to mitigate downtime, but that many African countries face frequent power outages.

According to the statement, existing data centres have relied on diesel-fuelled generators to sustain operations during power outages, a practice that could exacerbate carbon emissions in the future. Indeed, the deployment of hyperscale Data Centre capacity is expected to increase emissions through further diesel-generator utilisation, the statement further said.

In a recently published focus report by Oxford Business Group titled “Data Centres in Africa”, the

CEO of MainOne, Funke Opeke explained that power distribution networks were facing frequent shortages, even when there is an adequate supply of electricity in the region’s national grids.

According to Opeke, “By strategically locating our Data Centres close to sources of power and partnering with local power distribution companies to build direct connections to the national grid, we ensure high power availability and reduce the utilisation of diesel-fuelled power generation at our facilities.”

She said MainOne had already increased the capacity of its Data Centres, which reached 5 MW in the key markets of Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, with services delivered to a total of 10 countries across West Africa. Its data centre subsidiary, MDXi, runs energy-efficient facilities by optimising airflow, using sensors and artificial intelligence to manage operations, and installing energyefficient hardware. Taken together, these actions go a long way towards

reducing the carbon footprint and improving energy efficiency for the sustainability of its Data Centres.

Following the launch of its Tier III Data Centre in Appolonia City in Accra, Ghana earlier in the year, MDXi has commenced the expansion of its Lekki data center in Lagos, Nigeria, with the goal of increasing its 600-rack facility to over 1200 racks by 2023. Further investments have also been directed towards the expansion for its Data Centre in Côte d’Ivoire.

Africa is experiencing some of the fastest growth in internet access seen around the world, largely due to its young population.

Opeke said as such, data consumption would continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

“This will fuel further investment in submarine cables and Data Centres to bring data closer to consumers.

However, without sustainable power strategies, the industry will continue to contribute to global warming in a region that can least afford the consequences,” Opeke further said.

NIPOST Clamps Down on Illegal Courier Operators in Benin City Emma Okonji Having sanitised the courier industry in Lagos and Abuja to a greater extent, in its ongoing clampdown operations, the Courier and Logistics Regulatory Department (CLRD) of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), has extended the exercise to Benin City, where it recently clamped down on 13 illegal courier operators and impounded their motorbikes.

They were clamped down for operating without legal courier operator’s licence, which constitutes an offense.

The clampdown team, which comprised of a special enforcement team from CLRD, and Police officers from the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence

Department (FCIID), Alagbon Lagos, with their counterpart from Benin Area Command Sapele Road in Benin City, was led by the Assistant General Manager in charge of Ethics, Complain and Strategy at CLRD, Mr. Worimegbe Banks.

Although some of the courier operators claimed they had obtained licence from Edo State government, including from the local government areas where they operate, they were however informed that the licence permit they obtained from the state and local government, was to allow them ride through the roads of the state, while serving the public.

Banks explained to them that aside the licence permit, they still need to obtain courier licence from the federal government, which must

be processed through NIPOST that regulates the courier industry.

Addressing the enforcement team before the commencement of the exercise, NIPOST Zonal Manager, Benin Zone, Mrs Lorreto Nwakama, who represented the Postmaster General of the federation Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi, applauded the relentless efforts of the General Manager of CLRD Mr. Shonde Gideon Oludotun, in sanitising the courier industry in Nigeria.

She emphasised the need for potential investors in the Postal/ Express business in Benin zone to register their operations with NIPOST, through the Courier and Logistic Regulatory Department in Benin City.

because of me that it opened a branch in Nnewi. But the managing director that succeeded him was more interested in tribal fights. I think that is why he is fighting me. But I have proved him wrong in everything he is doing. I have defeated him in all the courts that heard the case. What is remaining is for the bank to pay me what it owes me.

“The bank carelessly and

wrongfully deducted money from my accounts. When I discovered this I took the bank to court and won. But the bank has not paid me even though we had gone up to the Supreme Court. May be the managing director is waiting for Nigeria to change its laws because of him.

“But the beauty of the whole thing is that the money is attracting interest at the rate of 22 per cent. I

have no other choice than to take over the bank if it cannot pay me what it owes to me. The interest has been running at 22 percent for about 11 years now. And the bank management does not want to resolve it.”

Chukwuma added that the bank is wasting time change its name because he would return the bank to its original name when he would took over its management.

N I T DA : D i g i t a l Entrepreneurship, Innovation Key to Economic Growth Emma Okonji

The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has stressed the need for Nigeria to embrace digital entrepreneurship and innovation in order to remain relevant with the global digital transformation initiative.

Abdullahi gave the advice in Lagos, during the ICT Growth Conference and Awards 2021, organised recently by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), with the theme: ‘Harmonising ICT Sub Sectors Towards A Digitalised Nigeria’.

Abdullahi who was represented by the Head, South-west Zonal Office of NITDA, Mrs. Chioma Okee-Aguguo, said although digital entrepreneurship and innovation were relatively new concepts in developing countries, business owners were already implementing the new standards in order to stay competitive and increase product and service efficiency, which is required in order to keep up with the new norm and avoid becoming

obsolete.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented at the event by the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, said the thematic focus of the event: ‘Harmonising ICT sub-Sectors towards a Digitised Nigeria’, was quite timely and apt, as it provided NCC as the telecoms industry regulator to share thoughts on how it could collectively create synergy among the various subsectors of the ICT industry towards achieving accelerated growth of the industry.

“The various sub-sectors of the entire value chain of our ICT industry, including the telecoms, software, hardware, infrastructure, Value Added Services (VAS), fin-tech, innovation and technology startups, among others are witnessing various degrees of growth with the rapid evolution digital technologies. Each of these sub-sectors of the ICT industry is very critical to the sustainability of the growth and contribution of ICT industry to the

national economy,” Danbatta said.

In his goodwill message, the Executive Chairman of Tranter IT and IoT Africa Networks Limited, Mr. Lare Ayoola, said ultimately, the answer to a digitised Nigeria would be first of all to develop a clear understanding of the value that ICT brings to the nation. Secondly is the implementation of a comprehensive national ICT development plan that encompasses incentivised knowledge acquisition of the ICT leaders, decision makers, and management in the public and private sectors, relevant ICT manpower development subsidised by the ITF and other such organisations mandated to develop manpower in Nigeria.

Chairman of NITRA, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, said in line with efforts of the federal government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to digitalise the economy, there was need to harmonise policies and growth initiatives in different areas of the ICT sector to achieve desire growth and development.

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T H I S D AY ˾ , NOVEMBER 18, 2021

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

ÜÙßÚ ÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ Chiemelie Ezeobi ×ËÓÖ chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

How Stakeholders’Intervention Increased TB Patients Diagnosis to over 40,000 in Four Years As part of efforts to reduce the high prevalence of Tuberculosis in Nigeria, interventions by stakeholders appear to be yielding desired results with over 40,264 TB patients diagnosed within four years. Adedayo Akinwale writes

I

n 1988, the federal government established the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme Framework as part of plans to reduce the prevalence of tuberculosis and leprosy to a level at which they no longer constitute public health problems in the country.

Despite these proactive steps taken by the federal government, decades later, the country ranks first in terms of Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence in Africa and the 6th in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The problem of TB in Nigeria has been complicated by the emergence and spread of drug resistant TB and a high burden of HIV/ AIDS. People with HIV are more likely to develop active TB. The Federal Ministry of Health in its 2019 annual TB report said there had been a consistent increase in the number of TB cases in the country in the past four years. It said the increase recorded between 2018 and 2019 was the highest ever since the programme was established in 1989.

It added that Taraba state has the highest increase of 49 per cent. The increase in case notification in five of the states (Taraba-49 per cent, Cross River-45 per cent, Katsina — 42 per cent, Niger-40 per cent, Akwa Ibom 28 per cent and Bauchi-26 per cent), contributed to the national increase of 13 per cent.

Stakeholders’ TB Intervention Against this background, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria is implementing the Tuberculosis Local Organizations Network (TB-LON) Regions 1&2 projects and the Stop TB Partnership DATs project.

The projects funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing comprehensive TB care and treatment services across 14 states in Nigeria: Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Imo, Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba states.

The Executive Director of KNCV Nigeria, Dr. Bethrand Odume said different interventions introduced by the KNCV include Health Facility based active TB case finding; Tracing contacts of known cases of TB; Targeted active community case finding; Public Private Mix (PPM) which involves the engagement of the Private for Profit (PFP) and Patent Medicine Vendors (PMV) and Community Pharmacists in TB case finding and treatment within the communities.

Others are: Wellness on Wheels (WoW) Truck, mobile diagnostic vans; TB case finding among the nomadic populations in Bauchi State, while Delft Light Backpack (DLB), is a Digital x-ray with artificial intelligence for active case finding among the hard-to-reach population.

For instance in Kano state, Odume said Patent Medicine Vendors (PMV) were engaged and trained on how to identify TB signs and how to collect sputum or stool for further diagnosis. The use of informal private sector PMV was launched in Kano and 150 PMVs were engaged across five local government areas. Most of them (PMVs) are well-known communities when it comes to the provision of semi-formal health service.

He explained: “Once a client is screened and found to be presumptive TB, he/she is linked by the screening officer to the DOTS unit where details are entered into the presumptive TB register, the specimen examination form is filled and the sputum or stool (in the case of children who are not able to produce sputum) sample is collected and sent for GeneXpert analysis. When the result is retrieved, they are updated in the presumptive register and those positive for TB are contacted for counselling and treatment initiation.

“The delft-light Backpack known as DLB is a miniature or carry-on digital X-ray machine, equipped with CAD4TB artificial intelligence software used for on-the-spot screening and diagnostics services among contacts of TB patients right at their doorsteps. It has improved access to TB services by reducing the cost of x-rays, transportation time and money.”

Interventions in hard-to-reach Communities Odume emphasised that during Active Tuberculosis Case Finding (ACF), the DLB was first used to screen TB contacts and people at risk of TB within very hard-to-reach locations using the miniature x-ray with artificial intelligence.

It is presently in operation in high TB burden

Screening officers during a community outreach at Ituah IDPs camp in Benue State locations in Akwa Ibom state.

He noted, “The WoW truck from October 2017 to date, has screened 133,675 people, identified 18,362 TB presumptive, evaluated 16,000, diagnosed 2,397 and 2,176 placed on treatment.”

Odume said GeneXpert was the first line diagnostic option for TB in the country, however, the TB Lamp is a new technology for TB diagnosis. Both technologies are presently being used. The TB LAMP has been piloted in two states and further scaled up to an additional five states in Nigeria. Both use the same principles for TB diagnosis, being molecular based PCR tests.

He added that TB Lamp is user friendly which requires 2 - 3 days training and does not require a highly skilled cadre of staff for operation and as such can be used in peripheral facilities in very hard-to-reach locations where there is also a dearth of human resources.

Odume stressed, “The TB Lamp diagnoses more TB samples in a day; 56 to 70 tests per day while GeneXpert processes 12 to 20 tests per day. The sample processing time in TB Lamp is 55mins and 70 mins for GeneXpert ultra-cartridge and 2hrs for the regular cartridge.”

“From the start of the TB LON 1 & 2 project across 14 states, a total of 40,264 TB patients were diagnosed out of which 37,775 TB patients started on appropriate treatment among which 3,691 are children less than 15 years.”

However, funding has remained a key challenge to TB control in Nigeria. Odume said there was a need to drive States Domestic Resource Mobilisation activities across the 14

supported states to increase funding for TB control activities and integrate tuberculosis care into State Health Insurance Schemes minimum health benefit package.

He also lamented the huge funding gap for TB control in Nigeria. He said of the $384 million National TB budget for 2020, there was a 70 per cent funding gap, adding that out of the 30 per cent of the available funds for TB control, seven per cent was domestic and 23 per cent from international donor agencies, specifically USAID. Experience of Staff Implementing the Project KNCV Senior Program Officer in Bauchi, Dr. Simon Maju, said his experience implementing TB LON project in hard-to-reach communities of Bauchi state involves continuous engagement of leaders at all levels - the Ministry of Health, facility managers in the public and private sectors, as well as community leaders.

He said, “Community outreaches by local teams to key populations such as nomads and Internally Displaced Persons in host communities, to identify presumptive TB patients and link to diagnosis has led to increased TB case finding in the state despite the challenges of insecurity, poor access and difficult terrain. Also, the screening of all attendees at high burden facilities by TB screening officers has reduced missed opportunities and linked more patients to treatment.”

On his part, KNCV Senior Program Officer in Imo State, Dr. Golibe Ugochukwu said implementing the project in hard-to-reach communities was stressful, but it exposed the team to the realities of life in the hinterland

Community outreaches by local teams to key populations such as nomads and Internally Displaced Persons in host communities, to identify presumptive TB patients and link to diagnosis has led to increased TB case finding in the state despite the challenges of insecurity, poor access and difficult terrain

in Nigeria.

Testimony of Beneficiaries One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Sanusi Adamu was diagnosed with TB after a visit to Moh’d Habibu’s chemist shop (A PMV Vendor) located in Layin Fango Brigade Gawuna Area in Kano state.

Adamu, 45, had been coughing and feverish for over two months. He eventually visited Habibu who had been trained by a TB specialist named Ali DOT in Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano and by the KNCV team led

by Dr. Mamman Bajehson.

When he tested positive for Drug resistant TB he was immediately linked with the Nasarawa Local Government Tuberculosis and Leprosy Supervisor.

Routine contact investigation showed that his wife and eight children tested negative for TB. Adamu was enrolled for treatment at the Multi Drug Resistant TB treatment center at the infectious disease hospital Kano.

Adamu said, “I am still on admission, this is my third month. I am feeling much better, I have no side effects to the drugs. I am grateful to my wife and the Chemist who encouraged me to go to the hospital for treatment.”

Similarly, Mr. Munka Ila, said two weeks before he was diagnosed with TB, he was having catarrh and cough which he treated for one week, but had no relief. Munka and his wife were taken to the clinic where their Sputum was collected for testing and they tested positive for Tuberculosis.

His said, “When the nurse told me I had TB, I felt very bad because I have heard of it before and how it kills people. The nurse told me to try and bring my wife so they can start treatment and my children as well so they can also test them. They collected the sputum and stool of my little children for the test and all of them were positive for TB”.

Munka and his family were referred to PHC Yelwa East in Shendam where they were immediately placed on treatment.

It should be noted that SDGs Target 3.3 includes ending the TB epidemic by 2030, while the WHO with its “END TB” strategy has a vision to eliminate TB as a public health problem by 2050. While KNCV intervention is acknowledged, there is need to intensify efforts and strengthen programmes to further reduce the burden of TB in Nigeria.

“This story has been supported by Nigeria Health Watch through the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems, solutionsjournalism. org”

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NEWS

Verve Life 4.0 Closes Out in Grand Style To round off activities for Verve Life 4.0, Africa’s leading payment technology and card business, Verve, hosted thousands of fitness enthusiasts to a Verve Life grand finale event tagged, ‘Fit to Live’ .

Verve Life was designed to promote healthy living and wellness among Verve cardholders and Nigerians in general. This year’s event featured renowned fitness experts from across the continent, including Queenfitnass from South Africa, Alvin Lee from Kenya; as well as Nigeria’s Kemen, Enobong Ekpeyong, Ihuoma Nwigwe and Isoken Uwaifo among others.

Participants were treated to fun, engaging and stressrelieving sessions including fitness challenges and masterclasses on boxing, strength and conditioning, dance, yoga, zumba, martial arts. nutrition and much more.

Mavin Records singer and songwriter, Ayra Starr was also on ground to perform some of her hit singles including ‘Bloody Samaritan’ and ‘Away’ to the excitement of participants at the event. Africa’s premium band, Alternate Sound, also serenaded the participants with an electrifying

performance. The event was attended by other celebrities including celebrity dancer Kafayat Shafau aka Kaffy, and Nollywood stars; Odunlade Adekola and Sani Danja.

Speaking at the Verve Life fitness event grand finale, Cherry Eromosele, Group Chief Marketing and Communication Officer at Interswitch said “We are thrilled to have ended this year’s event on a high note.

As promised, the Verve Life 4.0 grand finale was nothing short of excellent.”

She said participants were engaged in fun and engaging activities that resonated with the theme of the year’s event, ‘Fit to Live’, as all lined-up activities were specifically tailored to address issues connected with fitness and good living.

Eromosele said “And with this, we would like to say a big thank you to all participants and our dedicated fitness instructors and partners who have made the Verve Life 4.0 fitness event a success. We hope that the Verve Life fitness event has impacted everyone who attended physically and virtually to see the need to keep fit and live a healthy lifestyle.”

She restated Verve’s unwavering commitment to meeting not only the lifestyle needs of customers but continuous provision of innovative payment solutions to cardholders and Nigerians.

The Verve Life grand finale followed a series of satellite events which held across cities in Nigeria including Asaba, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja and Lagos.

About Verve Verve is Interswitch Group’s innovative payment cards and digital tokens scheme, offering products and solutions that enable consumers to transact across Africa and international markets. We are proudly a pan-African payment scheme that provide EMV cards, cardless products and solutions to financial institutions, individuals, private organizations and government institutions across Africa.

Verve cards are accepted in 185 countries including 22 African countries, China, United Kingdom, United States and UAE. More information about Verve International can be found at www.myverveworld.com

FERTILITY

MALE INFERTILITY (Part 2)

L

ast week, we started a discussion on Male Infertility. We mentioned and explained some of the causes of Male Infertility. This week, we will continue on more causes and diagnosis of male infertility.

MORE CAUSES OF INFERTILITY Varicocele: These are swollen enlarged veins inside the scrotum. Varicocele looks like bunch of worms intertwined in the scrotum. Research studies suggest that 40% of men with infertility problems are due to the presence of varicocele.

These enlarged veins block blood drainage in the testicles making the testicles too hot for sperm growth Undescended Testicles: In some males, during fetal development one or both testicles fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that normally contains the testicles (scrotum).

Decreased fertility is more likely in men who have had this condition

L- R: Ekemini Ekerette aka Kemen, Verve Life fitness instructor; Cherry Eromosele, Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Interswitch Group; Ayra Starr, Singer / Songwriter and Mitchell Elegbe, Founder / Group Chief Executive Officer at Interswitch during the Verve Life 4.0 Grand Finale at The Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently

Braithwaite Urges FG to End Malaria-related Deaths Kasim Sumaina ÓØ ÌßÔË The federal government has been urged to take necessary measures to put an end to Malaria- related deaths and rid the country of the scourge.

Author of the new book, ‘”End Malaria in Nigeria, Mrs Funmilayo Braithwaite, who made the call in Abuja during the launch of her book, also urged government to take necessary steps to provide adequate funding for the health sector.

According to her, Malaria is having a very severe impact on the life and economy our people, adding that “in every two minutes, children die of malaria. So I want people to know the symptoms of malaria and proper measures we can

take to prevent it”.

Braithwaite said the need to educate children on proper hygiene method and also empower them with the requisite knowledge of the causes and preventive measures to take, necessitated her writing the book.

“I’m concerned about the number of people that had died from the scourge in Nigeria and Africa.I wrote the book, End Malaria, because I want to put an end to the number of people who have died from malaria.

“The book illustrates the causes, symptoms and preventive measures put in place to eliminate the disease”, she said.

In the same vein, the Chairman, Senate Committee

on Health, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said malaria has shortened the lives of a lot of people, especially children in the country.

He joined the call on government to provide adequate funding to the health sector.

Oloriegbe said there is need to invest more in pharmaceutical companies to manufacture malaria drugs to tackle the scourge.

“Malaria has taken a lot of lives. This is as a result of nonchalant attitude of the people. Our people show less concern about their environment.

“They believe in superstition and think it is spiritual without taking proper measures to eradicate the disease,” the lawmaker said.”

Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

Problems with Sexual Intercourse: These can include trouble keeping or maintaining an erection sufficient for sex (erectile dysfunction), premature ejaculation, painful intercourse, anatomical abnormalities such as having a urethral opening beneath the penis (hypospadias), or psychological or relationship problems that interfere with sex.

Genetic Factor: The gene that determines the male sex is called the Y-chromosome while the female sex is called the X-chromosome. Under normal conditions, the gene of a man is XY chromosome while a woman’s gene has the XX chromosome. In some cases of male infertility, irregular changes (mutations) may occur in the gene of the man. One condition of such irregularities is called the Klinefelter’s syndrome (XXY) in which the male gene tends to have an extra copy of the female-sex determining genes, that is, the X chromosome leading to abnormal sperm.

Tumors: Cancers and nonmalignant tumors can affect the male reproductive organs directly, through the glands that release hormones related to reproduction, such as the pituitary gland, or through unknown causes. In some cases, surgery, radiation or chemotherapy to treat tumors can affect male fertility.

Antibodies that attack sperm: Anti-sperm antibodies are immune system cells that mistakenly identify sperm as harmful invaders and attempt to eliminate them.

Infection: Some infections can interfere with sperm production or sperm health or can cause scarring that blocks the passage of sperm.

These include inflammation of the epididymis

(epididymitis) or testicles (orchitis) and some sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea or HIV. Although some infections can result in permanent testicular damage, most often sperm can still be retrieved.

Dietary deficiencies: Lack of vitamin C, folic acid or zinc can also affect sperm production.

DIAGNOSIS FOR MALE INFERTILITY Male infertility may be difficult to diagnose with just our eyes because the sperm cells are very tiny (microscopic) in nature. After the first 12months of trying to conceive, couples are advised to visit their fertility specialist. The clinician would first start with a full general history of your family traits to check if the case of infertility is an inherited condition and then a physical examination of your male reproductive organ. One or more of the diagnostic procedures would be recommended to identify the cause of infertility. These include: r Hormone testing: Your hormones play an important role in the sexual development of a man and his sperm production. Usually, the brain sends signals for the anterior pituitary gland to be stimulated to produce the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which induces sperm production and the luteinizing hormone (LH) which regulates testosterone that aids in male sexual development. Abnormalities in these hormones may also contribute to infertility. A blood test is used to measure the level of hormones in the body. r Semen Analysis: This is the most widely used routine lab test that helps to show the level of sperm produced and ascertain if the sperm is alive or can move. Semen is collected and analysis is done to determine the following: r Sperm volume: Amount of sperm per ejaculate. r pH: A measurement of acidity or basicity. r Sperm concentration: Number of sperm per millimeter of semen. r Total sperm count: Number of sperm in your whole ejaculate. r Linearity: How straight your sperm moves. r Morphology: Size and shape of your sperm. r Colour: abnormal colour may indicate underlying medical issues r Viscosity: How fast your semen liquefies r Velocity: How fast your sperm travels A low sperm number or no sperm in the semen test does not mean the man is permanently infertile because treatment may be possible using various advanced cutting edge technologies now available in the country Transrectal Ultrasound - this involves the use of ultrasound in the form of sound waves to get the picture of the organ. The probe of the ultrasound is placed in the rectum to see if the ejaculatory duct is blocked or the seminal vesicles are poorly formed.

TO BE CONTINUED

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T H I S D AY ˾ , NOVEMBER 18, 2021

NEWS

Stanbic IBTC provides N6.7b facility for BAZE University Teaching Hospital Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, has underscored its desire to help build robust education and health care systems in the country by providing funding for the building of BAZE University Private Teaching Hospital in Abuja.

At the commissioning of the teaching hospital, the Bank stated that the N6.7 billion facility provided to the university was a business decision that tied in with its commitment to help foster a robust educational sector and help build a sustainable health ecosystem that would enhance quality health services in the nation.

The 200-Bed private university teaching hospital building would help the institution produce world-class health professionals that would plug the manpower shortage in the sector as the hospital is set to provide approximately, 4,000 – 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.

According to the Bank, equally important is that the hospital would be a great addition to the health sector and help improve access to quality healthcare for thousands of Nigerians on a daily basis while also creating employment opportunities.

Stanbic IBTC also sponsored the BAZE University Cultural Day Ceremony, which formed part of the activities lined up to mark the institution’s 10th anniversary.

In an interview at the event, Dr Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, stated that the Bank

was delighted to have been given the opportunity not to only finance the building of the private teaching hospital but also to be accorded the honour to sponsor part of the school’s activities to mark the celebration of a remarkable decade-long journey.

“At Stanbic IBTC, we believe that education and health are pivotal to sustainable economic development. As such, it is our corporate duty to support the sectors whichever way we can. We are delighted that this prestigious university took advantage of our facility as well as included us to be part of its private hospital commissioning and its 10thanniversary celebrations. We hope it continues to strive to provide quality education and healthcare for Nigerians,” Sogunle said.

The commissioning of the BAZE University Private Teaching Hospital was held alongside the institution’s 7th and 8th convocation ceremonies, and its 10th year anniversary celebrations, which took place from 17-23 October. Dignitaries in attendance included Dr Demola Sogunle, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC and Remy Osuagwu, Executive Director, Business and Commercial Clients, Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, amongst others.

While delivering a speech at the ceremony, Professor Tahir Mamman, Vice-Chancellor of BAZE University, commended Stanbic IBTC for its contributions. According to the ViceChancellor, the kind support of Stanbic IBTC helped actualise

World Thrombosis Day: UBTH Creates Awareness on Blood Clot in Veins Rebecca Ejifoma Amid reports that blood clot within the veins remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in hospitals, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has embarked on a massive campaign to sensitise staff and patients on the deadly condition.

This campaign was part of activities to mark the 2021 World Thrombosis Day designed to increase global awareness on the causes, risk factors, signs, symptoms, prevention and treatment of thrombosis.

Speaking at the sensitisation rally organised for patients and staff in all departments, the CMD, Prof. Darlington

Obaseki, described thrombosis as an abnormal blood clot in the vessels and a potentially dangerous condition that could lead to heart failure, stroke and the commonest cause of death.

He called on caregivers, patients and the general public to seize the opportunity offered by the World Thrombosis Day events to learn about the condition and what to do to prevent unnecessary death currently being attributed to it.

A Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Dr. Stanley Okugbo, in a presentation at the rally said, “thrombosis which is also known as blood clot is the number one silent killer of patients admitted in hospitals”.

He noted that Venous Throm-

boembolism (VTE) is common and is associated with “significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalised medically ill and surgical cancer patients.”

According to Okugbo, 55 per cent to 60 per cent of VTE cases occur during or following hospitalisation adding that two in four people in the hospital would die from causes related to blood clots.

He said thrombosis usually forms in the hands and legs and is one of the causes of sudden deaths. “Knowledge of thrombosis can help in preventing it”.

The surgeon highlighted some symptoms including swelling in legs and arms that comes without warning, pains and soreness when walking or

standing, warm or hot sensations in the area that hurts. However, in many instances, there may be no symptoms at all.

Those at risk include the elderly, those with serious health issues, those on birth control pills, people suffering from obesity and those with high cholesterol levels.

Steps in the prevention of thrombosis include: to avoid sitting for too long or too much and engaging in regular exercises.

The events were rounded off with a webinar organised by the hospital for multi specialty participants from across the nation to exchange ideas towards better understanding of the condition in the country.

Paelon Memorial Hospital, OUTING IN GLASGOW IHS Nigeria Commission The Lagos State delegation, including the General Manager LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, at the just concluded 2021 COP26 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland led by Commissioner New Cylinder Gas Plant for Health, Prof Akin Abayom CHIEMELIE EZEOBI

Mary Nnah Undoubtedly, Medical oxygen is an essential medicine used to care for patients at all levels of the healthcare system, including in surgery, trauma, heart failure, asthma, and pneumonia and maternal and child care. Yet this effective and lifesaving treatment for critically ill patients has been scarce in many health facilities in countries.

It is for this reason that Africa’s leading multi-specialist hospital, Paelon Memorial Hospital in collaboration with IHS Nigeria, one of the largest independent owners, managers, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure in the world, recently commissioned a new Cylinder Gas plant.

It is obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated global oxygen demand and made the delivery of oxygen supplies more urgent. In low and middle-income communities, the lack of medical oxygen and supply shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused patients to face delays in receiving critical assistance. This is why it is pertinent to ensure a sufficient supply of medical oxygen for future purposes.

The commissioning which was held in compliance with COVID-19 protocols at Paelon’s Victoria Island branch where the gas plant is situated saw insightful discussions on the future of healthcare in Africa and what this infrastructural

progress means for qualitative healthcare in Nigeria.

Speaking at the commissioning event, the Managing Director of PAELON, Dr Ngozi Onyia, noted that “It has been three years of excellent relationship with IHS Towers and this project is a continuation of that partnership. “ The Oxygen generating plant will ensure PAELON doesn’t experience a shortage of Oxygen and in the event of a shortage in the state, Paelon can cater for other hospitals. This is our own quota to ensure there is Oxygen supply”.

Renowned for its novel ways of taking initiatives to make lives better for everyone, this achievement further proves that Paelon Memorial Hospital is committed to expanding its horizon for the greater good.

This partnership which seeks to improve the access to oxygen provision in the health ecosystem is a sustainability initiative by IHS Nigeria towards giving back to the community, providing positive social value, and contributing towards renewable energy in Nigeria.

IHS Nigeria is part of IHS Towers, one of the largest independent owners, managers, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure in the world. Over 16,000 of IHS’ 30,207 towers are in Nigeria. IHS’ Sustainability Strategy is underpinned by four strategic pillars– Education, People, Environment and Ethics – which guide its engagements with local communities.

Experts Recommend Integration of Mental Health into Primary, Secondary Healthcare Rebecca Ejifoma A renowned psychiatrist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry Department of Behavioural Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Prof. Ayodele Coker, has recommended that mental healthcare should be integrated into primary and secondary healthcare against mental illness in Nigeria.

He noted this in his remarks at a conference to mark this year’s World Mental Health Day with the theme: “Mental Health in an unequal world”, According to the expert and others, although the pandemic increased more awareness on mental illness Nigeria has failed to invest in mental health, making it impossible for over 75 percent of Nigerians with mental disorders to have access to treatment.

In his presentation on ‘Mental Health in a Changing World: Mental Health Initiative’ Coker said over 75 per cent of Nigerians with mental disorders have no access to treatment.

While imploring Nigerians to balance all the dimensions

of health to keep them happy, the associate professor harped on the need for physical, mental, spiritual health and social wellbeing to self-actualise and enjoy beauty and quality life.

Apart from improving our mental health, he prescribed, we must consciously seek meaning and purpose in life to make our lives joyful.” Coker lamented that mental illness affects the productivity and effectiveness of Nigerians as they adopt the learned helplessness model.

“COVID-19 pandemic will not go away soon; rates of mental illness associated with the pandemic may continue to rise. Policymakers should think of mental health surveillance and routine screening for common mental health disorders at the PHCs. “They should urgently train, engage and involve other health workers (nurses, social workers, community health workers, religious leaders, mental health NGOs, and life coaches in evidence-based counselling methods to assist manage the expected increase in mental health conditions,” he warned.

The expert, however,

advised that mental healthcare should be integrated into primary and secondary health care as soon as possible. While calling for more awareness, he disclosed that one in 10 persons suffer generalised anxiety like panic attacks, post-traumatic and stress disorder.

He cited: “Also, 350 million people suffer from depression, 46 million from bipolar, 20 million from schizophrenia, 970 million from drug addiction and one person takes to suicide every minute.”

While bemoaning the increased rate lf poverty and mental ill-health among Nigerians powered by the CEO of The Retreat, Dr Olufemi Oluwatayo, argued that COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented level of poverty around the world and the disparity between the rich and the poor has increased significantly.

He emphasised: “Inequalities and poverty have been associated with mental illhealth and impairments in psychological wellbeing for decades.”

And with the rate of mental disorders being generally higher in people of low

socio-economic background, he added that COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of both the rich and poor, thus increasing the burden of mental ill-health in Nigeria and the world at large.

He also noted acknowledged that many countries are investing more in mental health. “Where is the investment by our government and private investors? How can we meet the challenges of the increasing mental health burden on our nations? Where are the clever ideas and solutions?”

In his view, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Femi Olugbile, bemoaned the state of mental health services across the world, adding that “in Nigeria, the picture is as bleak as ever”.

Olugbile hinted that most episodes of mental illness in Nigeria go undiscovered and untreated, leaving an army of ‘walking wounded’ in the population carrying out the rituals of everyday life.

He said the issue of inequality, as described in the theme of the World Mental Health Day, was imperative, adding that nations, individuals, resources are not equitably distributed.

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T H I S D AY ˾ , NOVEMBER 18, 2021

FEATURES

Stakeholders Converge for Breast Cancer Awareness The premiere screening of Tufiakwa, a documentary movie by Lilly’s Women’s Health and Graphe Productions Ltd with support from the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture brought to a wrap the month-long breast cancer awareness campaign.Yinka Olatunbosun reports

O

ne of the most terrifying moments in a person’s life is when you await the result of a medical test for a disease that is potentially terminal.

Often, patients scrutinize the faces of the doctors for answers in sheer anticipation of their results. “For many, it is a death sentence.

Some even see it as a spiritual attack,’’ says Dr. Mojisola Richards in the movie titled ‘Tufiakwa.’

Over the years, she has mastered the art of not giving away results through her facial expression.

The fear of breast cancer in particular arises from its staggering statistics. Nigeria is the fourth country in the world with the highest mortality rate amongst persons living with breast cancer.

According to the World Health Organisation data published in 2018, Breast Cancer Deaths in Nigeria reached 15,790 per annum with age adjusted death rate set at 32 per 100,000.

Indeed, breast cancer is an epidemic and many experts say that the deaths of patients are preventable through early detention and proper management.

To champion this breast cancer awareness, a leading breast care and imaging centre in Nigeria, Lily Women’s Health in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture hosted a premiere of the documentary movie, ‘Tufiakwa’ at the Glover Hall, Lagos Island to mark the end of the month-long global breast cancer awareness campaign. The event which had as its compere, the comedian Gbenga Adeyinka was quite revealing.

‘Tufiakwa’ is a story of two women namely Jibola Sofolahan and Esther Oluwole who were diagnosed at different stages of the disease- one early, the other late.

Using the interview style of narration, views were sought from medical doctors, spiritual leaders, market women as well as beneficiaries of the free testing initiatives by Lily Women’s Health. One of the doctors in the documentary movie, Dr. Soji Adetona preaches the benefits of self-detection using the call ‘Know Your Breast.’

He also pointed out that a person may be in the high risk of breast cancer if it exists in the family history. For Dr. Fafemi, proper diagnosis is key. He observed that sometimes

Dr. Lilian Ebuoma, founder and medical director, Lily Women’s Health women may have harmless lumps in their breasts. Therefore, a biopsy and histology can help to ascertain the nature of such lumps.

The Medical Director and Founder, Lily Women’s Health, Dr. Lilian Ebuoma

observed that the title of the documentary movie stems from the culture of denial.

Rather than live in self-delusion or seek spiritual treatment for a condition that requires urgent medical intervention, Ebuoma advocates for early testing.

“In Nigeria, two out of every four women diagnosed of breast cancer die from it. Some would argue that it is three out of four within five years. Late detention and late treatment coupled with cultural attitudes and limited healthcare resources.

“In this documentary, we see the journey of two women with breast cancer detected- one early; one late. I look forward to the day that cancer ceases to exist in the human race. Until we wipe cancer out of human history, our strongest weapon remains early detection and treatment,’’ she said.

In addition, she urged the government on the creation of policies that promote good practices such as mammogram at certain ages and changing cultural attitudes that causes stigma, poor health seeking behavior and fatalism.

“Fatalism attitude means seeing breast cancer as a death sentence. This is propagated through the cultural attitudes and beliefs. This documentary shows what we at Lilly Women’s Health had been doing for the past three years and showcase what the current situation is as well as to bring about hope because all things are possible.

“My hope is that after this documentary we no longer say Tufiakwa, it is not my portion.

It is a negation cultural coping strategy that reinforces denial and leads to untimely death.

But rather, after watching this documentary, I will like us to boldly declare in unison Tufiakwa that we leave the current status quo of breast cancer in our country unchallenged.”

Dr. Olufunmilola Mojoyinola, representing the First lady of Lagos state, Dr. Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu corroborated what other experts said on early detection and encouraged stakeholders to support the awareness campaign.

“It behooves on every stakeholder to help in raising the bar of awareness which is one of the reasons why we are here today and also help in bringing down the cost of treatment.

I know for a fact that cancer is expensive to treat. “At the level of Lagos state government as we speak, the government is initiating a state wide free cancer screening and treatment for women to flatten the curve of cervical cancer.

The three preventable ones: breast, cervical and prostate for men can be prevented,’’ she said.

Nigerian Firm Launches Antibody Game-changer Test Kit in Fight against COVID-19 Mary Nnah An antibody test kit that promises to be a game changer in the fight against COVID-19 viral infection has been launched by a Lagos-based genetic testing company, Smart DNA. This innovation is capable of telling if one has any antibodies to help fight COVID-19 viral infection, either from having been infected with coronavirus in the past or from being vaccinated.

According to the company, it decided to introduce the Antibody test into the Nigerian market to empower individuals and their

physicians to make informed decisions about their risk of infection and of spreading the virus.

Speaking during the launch recently in Lagos, Smart DNA’s Head of Business Development, Bukola Ogunsanwo, asserted that with the launch of the antibody test, the firm hopes to provide individuals and healthcare providers with better insights on immunity to COVID-19, whether from the vaccine or a previous infection.

“Tracking your Immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels will give you an indication of your level of immunity to a SARS

CoV-2infection.

“This new and innovative laboratory antibody test is designed to give you peace of mind and unequalled assurance about the level of protection you have from either vaccination or natural exposure to the virus.

“It will potentially highlight those people who have poor immune response and therefore, need to take extra care”, Ogunsanwo said.

Speaking on how the kit works, she said, “If you order an antibody immunity test from Smart DNA, you will be sent an easy-to-use sample collection kit, to collect the blood spot sample

in the comfort and privacy of your own home and return to our laboratory for analysis. You can also have the sample taken at our Lagos office.’’

The tests, she said, will be processed at one of UK’s leading laboratories, AlphaBiolabs.

The COVID-19 antibody test will analyse a sample of patients’ blood to detect the presence of COVID-19 specific antibodies, including Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most common type of antibody.

Ogunsanwo explained further that the report will provide a quantitative result that relates to the level of COVID-19 antibodies

within a person’s sample and whether the level is low, medium, high or not detected.

In other climes, particularly in Europe, countries have rolled out antibody testing for a wide range of purposes. Some have made antibody testing a part of their official framework for determining whether someone has had the virus recently and recovered - and can therefore get a coronavirus passport or certificate. In Austria, for instance, people can take official COVID antibody tests to determine if they are deemed “recovered,” and can get that country’s health pass as a result.

While advising corporate Nigeria and individuals to embrace this innovation, Ogunsanwo added, “Of course, the detection of antibodies does not mean that you are immune to COVID-19 and does not mean that you cannot be infected.

“However, the presence of antibodies within a sample demonstrates that your body has staged an immune response to the virus either as a result of a previous infection or COVID-19 vaccination.

“It means that you should have some protection against a serious infection and should be less infectious towards others.”

CAPPA Calls for Action against Tobacco Industry’s Interference in Nigerian Policies Sunday Ehigiator The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on all relevant stakeholders to take stronger actions against tobacco industry in Nigeria, for what it tagged its unnecessary interference in tobacco control policies, and unlawfully embarked on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in clear contravention of Nigerian laws.

The group made this call recently at a press briefing, held to unveil the Nigeria Tobacco Industry Interference Index Report 2021, in Lagos.

According to the Executive Director, CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, “the tobacco industry in Nigeria has consistently in-

terfered unnecessarily in tobacco control policies and unlawfully embarked on corporate social responsibility activities in clear contravention of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019.

“In the index report survey supervised by Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) at the School of Global Studies in Thammasat University, the higher points a nation scores indicates heightened tobacco industry interference.

“A scoring system (0 – 5) is used where the higher score indicates the stronger tobacco industry interference. The indicators are 20.”

He said in 2020, Nigeria obtained 49 points, but unfortu-

nately, the outcome of this year’s survey was 53, which indicated that the tobacco industry was intensifying its subversive actions despite Nigeria’s tobacco control legislation.

While further breaking down the findings in the report, Oluwafemi said, the tobacco industry still participates in policy development in Nigeria.

According to him, “The tobacco industry was invited and participated in the meetings organised by the federal government, including a Public Hearing towards the passage of the National Tobacco Control Regulation 2019.

“The tobacco industry enjoys consistent invitations from the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to their meetings where

supposed classified resolutions on standards are discussed, and agreements are reached.

“The industry still engages in so-called CSR activities in various sectors in Nigeria. Many of such engagements are in the public domain and are even celebrated in the media and on social media, especially on Facebook and twitter.

“In 2021, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) even partnered with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) – a federal government youth scheme to supposedly empower young agriculture entrepreneurs financially.

“To qualify for the scheme, applicants must be young Nigerians with a viable agri-business model, and they must demonstrate strong

passion for agriculture.”

He said there was evidence of unnecessary interaction between the tobacco industry and Nigerian government, most especially in the agriculture sector. He likewise revealed that the industry was also part of some committees set up by the government which makes interactions with public officials plausible.

“The Federal government fixed June 23, 2021, as the take-off date for the policy on Pictorial Health Warnings on tobacco products packs in Nigeria.

“Disturbingly, after the supposed June 23 take-off date, there has been no sign that the policy is in force, no official communication from the government that the policy has

taken off or extension granted to the tobacco companies, yet no sanction for defaulting tobacco companies.”

Stating the group’s demands, Oluwafemi demanded for full implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019.

He also asked the government to provide information of its dealings, interactions, economic incentives, and benefits that the Tobacco industry receives from it.

“Reject non-binding agreements with the tobacco industry. Governments are often disadvantaged when they agree to cooperate with the tobacco industry. There should be no collaboration between governments and the tobacco industry.”

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ NOVEMBER 18, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Heifer Collaborates withNiDCOM to Strengthen Nigeria’s Diaspora Investments in Agribusiness Nume Ekeghe Heifer Nigeria, a global nonprofit institution working towards eradicating poverty and hunger is collaborating with the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to link diaspora investments to Nigerian agribusinesses in order to stimulate economic growth.

Featuring its initiatives at the fourth edition of the Nigerians Diaspora Summit held at Presidential Villa in Abuja, Country Director, Heifer Nigeria, Mr. Rufus Idris, said that the organization is implementing strategies to attract diaspora investments and innovations into Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Nigeria accounts for over a third of migrant remittance flows to Sub-Saharan Africa.

These flows amounted to $23.63 billion (2017: $22 billion) in

2018, and represented 6.1% of Nigeria’s GDP. The 2018 migrant remittances translate to 83% of the federal government budget in 2018 and 11 times the FDI flows in the same period. Over a 15-year period, it is expected that total remittance flows to Nigeria will grow by almost double in size from $18.37 billion in 2009 to $34.89 billion in 2023.

Idris said that his organization was working to bridge the investment gap in the agricultural sector with funds from Diaspora Nigerians.

He said, “For us we know that there’s a huge deficit in terms of investment in the agricultural sector. So, what we are doing is that, we are investing heavily in different aspects of the agricultural sector in the country.

“We also believe that remittances from Diaspora Nigerians

are also very huge. For instance, President Muhammadu Buhari once said that there’s about $25 billion remittances from Nigerians in Diaspora, that’s about 80 percent of Nigeria’s annual budget and about 6 percent of our GDP. “That’s a huge amount of money. So, what we are doing here is try to see how do we collaborate with other organizations that can help us channel Diaspora investment into the agricultural sector to address areas where we have problems and such investments can help unlock those areas.”

On the specific areas of agriculture in which Heifer wants to partner Diaspora investors, the Country Director said that his team was looking at different sub-sectors in the value-chain where Nigeria had comparative advantage.

Executive Chairman, Mars E & P Company Limited, a subsidiary AA&R Investment Group, Abdullahi Bashir and Executive Vice-President, Business Development and Corporate Banking at Afreximbank,. Amr Kamel at the signing of an agreement...recently

Ardova Completes 100% Acquisition of Enyo Retail & Supply Kayode Tokede Ardova Plc has announced the 100 per cent acquisition of Enyo Retail & Supply Limited at a signing ceremony held in Lagos.

The deal is the actualisation of Ardova’s initial notice in January 2021 of an agreement in principle with Enyo’s shareholders to acquire the business.

Ardova also concluded a dutifully carried out due diligence exercise and received the requisite regulatory approvals required to proceed. The acquisition makes Ardova Nigeria’s largest indigenous publicly listed downstream company, as it adds Enyo’s 95 retail stations to its existing 450 stations, growing the group’s portfolio to 545 stations nationwide. The Chairman, Ardova, AbdulWasiu Sowami in a statement highlighted the significance of the acquisition,

saying: “AP has an established heritage of being a fundamental part of Nigeria’s downstream energy infrastructure.

“In the past two years we have undertaken a transformation to an integrated energy company that is primed to be the market leader in meeting present fuels demands and future energy needs that will result from the imminent energy transition. By acquiring Enyo we are able to accelerate the pace of achieving these objectives.”

Commenting on the deal, Chief Executive Officer, Ardova , Olumide Adeosun said: “The addition of Enyo to the Ardova group fits into our expansion strategy to have the widest retail reach in the Nigerian downstream sector.

“The deal brings us closer to more customers and improves our capacity to distribute increased

product volume through company owned channels, thereby improving profitability in our supply chain. “It also provides the platform to increase our non-fuel revenue through the sales of products such as AP and Shell branded lubricants, LPG and renewable energy solutions that will be channelled through the group-owned retail outlets.”

Speaking on the impact of the deal on customers, Adeosun further added that “This is a deal that will be of utmost benefit to customers as the synergy of AP and Enyo’s shared principles of innovation, customer-centricity, and service excellence will be leveraged to build an unrivalled platform that layers Enyo’s customer focused digital technology expertise on AP’s strong supply backbone infrastructure in the delivery of star service in our forecourts.”

Mars E&P Secures $274M Facility from Afreximbank Mars Exploration & Production Company Limited has secured a $274 Million senior reservebased lending facility from Afreximbank.

Signed yesterday at the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair IATF in Durban, South Africa by its Founder and Executive Chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Bashir, Mars E & P is to utilize the proceeds of this financing towards the funding of growth and expansion opportunities as well as general corporate purposes.

The financing package will facilitate Mars E&P’s acquisition of 51% equity interest in OMLs

123, 124, 126 and 137. In addition, the financing package will help boost oil production for the country as it incorporates a $50m tranche to increase daily production from 25,000 barrels per day to 50,000barrels per day by 2023..

Its Executive Chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Bashir, who is also the Group Managing Director of the AA&R Investment Group, stated, “we are elated and proud to have secured this financing deal with Africa’s leading bank.. It will enable Mars E&P further strengthen its position as an emerging player in the

global E&P space through the enrichment of our upstream asset portfolio.”

In fulfillment of its commitment to support the next generation of African business leaders, Afreximbank affirmed that this was the largest deal signed with an African youth and the bank was extremely proud of Abdullahi’s landmark achievement.

As one of the energy subsidiaries under the AA & R Investment Group, Mars E & P Ltd commenced operations in 2019 and currently owns interests in two marginal oil field assets.

BaobabEmerges MSME Microfinance Bankof the Year Baobab Microfinance Bank has emerged winner of the MSME Microfinance Bank of the Year at the 2021 Banking and Financial Institutions Awards (BAFI) held over the weekend in Lagos.

Baobab MFB clinched the prize for its extremely successful ability to stand out from the competition in the areas of offering tailoredmade financial support to MSME in Nigeria.

In a well-attended ceremony comprising of Bank CEOs, captains of Financial Institutions, and Professional Bodies, Baobab MFB beat off stiff competitions from other microfinance banks in the award category.

BAFI Awards organized by Businessday Media has been running since 2002, is adjudged one of Nigeria’s most rigorous, prestigious, and transparent award ceremony for the Banking/ Financial sector.

Speaking on the award, Managing Director and CEO of Baobab Nigeria, Dr. Kazeem Olarenwaju said: “The strong demand for our products and services by MSME in Nigeria is being rewarded as we have invested heavily in making access to loans easy for the customers.

Our goal is to become the No 1 Microfinance Bank in Nigeria and Africa and that is why we are

constantly building our capacity, technology, and products to provide relevant and unique financial solutions for Micro and SME businesses.”

Kazeem, noted that it has taken the visionary leadership of the Board and Management of the bank and the dedication of the exceptional people, working across the organization, to deliver the successes for which Baobab Nigeria is now being rewarded. We are aware the expectation of the award is for us to do more, we are poised to unleash the potentials of all willing entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͵

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

45

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͶ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Ardova Raises N25.3bn Bonds Under its N60bn Debt Issuance Programme Kayode Tokede Ardova Plc has announced the successful completion of a N25.3 billion Series 1 fixed rate senior unsecured bond issue under itsN60 billion debt issuance programme.

The Bond Issue is the largest local currency bond issuance by an indigenous oil and gas company in the history of the Nigerian debt capital markets.

The Bond Issue was 143%

subscribed and comprised 7-year Tranche A and 10-year Tranche B bonds. The 7-year Tranche A bonds priced at 13.30% and the 10-year Tranche B bonds priced at 13.65%.

The Bond Issue attracted participation from a diverse range of institutional investors including pension funds and asset managers, supported by an A rating from DataPro and an A- rating from GCR. The strong level of oversub-

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R

DEALS

scription demonstrated investor confidence in Ardova’s niche position as a leading indigenous integrated energy company, its strong management team, business strategy and credit profile. Ardova will apply the proceeds of the Bond Issue to fund expansion projects and its working capital requirements.

Commenting on the landmark issuance, Chief Executive Officer, Ardova, Mr. Olumide Adeosun expressed delight

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

at the overwhelming success of the Bond Issue and thanked the Issuing Houses and other professional parties for working tirelessly to ensure the timely and successful completion of the Bond Issue.”

Adeosun also added: “We are humbled by the warm reception of our Series 1 (Tranche A and Tranche B) Bonds Issue by Nigeria’s ever growing institutional investor community.

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

“The 7-year and 10-year tranches provide Ardova with the much-needed flexibility to expand and diversify our operations as well as increase our footprint across the country. Our relationship with Nigeria’s debt capital markets commenced in December 2016 with the issuance of the Company’s debut bonds.

“This landmark transaction evidences our commitment to nurturing this relationship

O F

and adopting the debt capital markets as a fundamental part of our funding strategy on our journey towards being the largest supplier of energy in Nigeria.”

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Vetiva Capital Management Limited, Chuka Eseka said: “Vetiva is delighted to have provided Ardova with full-scope advisory and issuing house services on the Issue.

1 7 / 1 1 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

46

˾ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Thursday, November 18, 2021 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index fell 0.3% by 14bps The dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ϭϰďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index dipped 33bps to close at

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

at 1,674.89 1,859.96 points points duedue to to sell-pressure sell-pressure onon GTCO ZENITH (-Ϯ͘ϮйͿ͕ AC(-0.6%), WAPCO CESS (-Ϯ͘ϳйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ FBNH (-1.3%), and UBA (-1.6%)͘ dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ (-0.7%). These stocks cumula-

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϯ͘Ϯй͘ account for 14.1% of the index.

ASI The up Bears 11bps Resurface... as DANGCEM ASI down Gains0.2% 3.3%

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ sell pressure Yesterday, ƉƌŝĐĞ onƵƉƟĐŬ GTCO (-Ϯ͘ϮйͿ͕ ACCESS ŝŶ ,KEz&>KhZ (-Ϯ͘ϳйͿ͕ (+9.8%), and FBNH E' D (-1.6%) drove ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ the ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ďŽƵƌƐĞ ĂŶĚ & E, (+0.7%) ƐŽƵƚŚǁĂƌĚ͕ bolstered ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ E'y ůů-^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž the ĨĞůů local Ϭ͘Ϯй bourse ƚŽ as ϰϯ͕ϯϰϵ͘ϵϬ the AllShare points. ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƐŚĞĚ ʬϰϵ͘ϮďŶ index rose by

Ticker

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,859.96

-0.33%

910.00

0.0%

32.0%

74.50

0.0%

10.3%

-3.7%

26.30

-2.2%

7.2%

-18.7%

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 BUA Cement Plc 3 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC 5 Dangote Cement PLC 6 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC

to 11bps ʬϮϮ͘ϲƚŶ to 39,550.36 ǁŚŝůĞ zd points. ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ ϳ͘ϲй͘ zd ůŽƐƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ ŝŵͲ

8 Lafarge Africa PLC 9 Access Bank PLC

ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ĨĂůƚĞƌĞĚ ĂƐ proved to -1.8% volume while ŵĂƌŬĞƚ and value ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ traded fell 37.5% ƌŽƐĞ and ďLJ

10 United Bank for Africa PLC 11 FBN Holdings Plc

ϰϳ͘ϴй േϮϯ͘ϰďŶ ƚŽ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ േϮϬ͘ϲƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƚŽ Ϯϲϰ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ ʬ6.1bn.

FBNH ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ (68.6m units), ďLJ Ϯϭ͘ϲй INTBREW ƚŽ ϭϭϬ͘ϴŵ (36.7m ƵŶŝƚƐ units), ǁŚŝůĞ value and

Price Previous Current Change Price YTD Weighting Change

Current Price

12 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

3.5%

14.7%

5.2%

-3.7%

19.1%

11.2%

35.8x

6.7x

-18.7%

24.8%

3.9%

4.0x

1.0x

11.4%

25.1% 30.6%

-2.8%

-2.8%

20.9%

2.8%

3.3x

0.6x

12.2%

6.6%

14.3%

14.3%

40.4%

16.7%

13.9x

5.4x

5.9%

7.2%

190.00

0.0%

5.2%

11.8%

11.8%

179.2%

14.1%

13.7x

20.8x

5.5%

7.3%

1,390.00

0.0%

3.5%

-7.6%

-7.6%

106.8%

15.6%

27.0x

31.7x

4.4%

3.7%

25.50

0.0%

3.8%

21.1%

21.1%

11.6%

8.4%

9.5x

1.1x

3.9%

10.5%

9.10

-2.7%

2.9%

7.7%

7.7%

17.0%

1.4%

2.6x

0.4x

9.3%

39.2%

8.40

0.6%

2.5%

-2.9%

-2.9%

2.1x

0.4x

6.5%

47.4%

12.30

-1.6%

4.0%

72.0%

72.0%

3.7%

17.4%

52.50

0.0%

1.8%

-6.3%

39.00

0.0%

2.0%

3.3%

10.6%

1.0%

5.7x

0.6x

-6.3%

5.3%

1.9%

48.4x

2.5x

2.1%

2.1%

3.3%

15.4%

2.0%

9.0x

1.4x

10.5%

11.2%

-10.3%

-3.9% 4.6x

0.7x

5.5%

21.8%

721.20

0.0%

1.8%

79.3%

79.3%

TLE by volume (ʬ3.0bn), were FBNH dZ E^ KZW (ʬϴϱϲ͘ϮŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ GTCO ;ϭϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ (ʬ644.0m) & E, (11.1m led

16 SEPLAT Energy PLC 17 11 PLC 18 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 19 Fidelity Bank PLC

142.00

0.0%

by ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ value. ĂŶĚ K E K ;ϳ͘ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ E ^d> ;േϮ͘ϮďŶͿ͕

1.2%

56.0%

2.60

-2.3%

0.7%

3.2%

E' D ;േϭϰϱ͘ϬŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;േϭϯϰ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

20 Ecobank Transnational Inc 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

8.45

1.8%

0.9%

16.80

-1.2%

0.5%

Ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƐĞůů-ŽīƐ ŝŶ 'd K ;-Ϯ͘ϮйͿ͕ and D E^ Z (-Ϯ͘ϮйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬͲ ^^ (-Ϯ͘ϳйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ Z Ks ;-5.4%). ing indices fell by Ϭ͘Ϯй ĂŶĚ ϮďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůůŽīƐ ŝŶ K E K (-0.8%), E/d, (-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͘

34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Wema Bank PLC 36 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 37 Oando PLC

Investor ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ tĞĂŬĞŶƐ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶͲ er, up ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ 1.8% driven by ďLJ price Investor ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ appreciaďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ƟŽŶ in E' D (+3.3%). ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ǁĞĂŬĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϲdž ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘Ϭdž as 14

ƐƚŽĐŬƐ

ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ

ǁŚŝůĞ

Ϯϰ

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ clined. ABCTRANS (+10.0%), CHAMS

stocks

de-

(+4.5%), and

CUTIX (+3.1%) led gainers while JAPAULGOLD (-9.1%), /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ NEIMETH (-9.1%), ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ and UNITYBANK (-8.5%) led decliners. ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͕ ƐĞƩůŝŶŐ Ăƚ 1.6x In today’Ɛ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƉƌŽĮƚ-taking tostocks domĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϯdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ Ϯϰ inate the market, barring posiƟve MRS driver.(+9.9%), MAYadvanced while 15 stocksany declined.

1.9%

16.6x

0.6x

6.3%

6.0%

56.0%

38.8%

25.2%

9.7x

3.4x

5.2%

10.3%

3.2%

12.0%

1.1%

2.3x

0.3x

8.5%

43.5%

40.8%

40.8%

1.5%

0.1%

28.0x

0.4x

-4.5%

-4.5%

25.6%

12.1%

6.5x

1.5x

9.0%

15.4%

-100.0%

A B CTRA NS

3.6%

3.03

0.0%

0.5%

-9.0%

-9.0%

0.0%

0.3%

-26.0%

-26.0%

10.1%

0.9%

3.3x

0.3x

3.3%

14.15

0.0%

0.3%

-2.4%

-2.4%

20.7%

5.9%

13.3x

2.9x

2.8%

7.5%

0.99

2.1%

0.4%

10.0%

10.0%

-1.3%

-0.3%

0.6x

1.0%

-2.1%

2.1x

1.2%

-1.3%

-0.8%

1.2x

88.90

0.0%

0.3%

25.3%

25.3%

13.50

-7.5%

0.2%

-2.9%

-2.9%

5.80

-4.1%

0.2%

9.4%

9.4%

5.0% 30.5%

-1.1% 4.2%

9.80

1.6%

0.4%

108.1%

108.1%

2.2x

7.1%

36.50

0.0%

0.4%

92.1%

92.1%

8.1%

3.8%

13.0x

1.0x

1.3%

7.7%

7.65

0.0%

0.2%

30.8%

30.8%

24.7%

7.5%

3.8x

0.9x

7.1%

26.6%

7.2%

1.1%

309.5x

0.6x 1.8%

20.3%

1.30

0.0%

0.2%

15.0%

15.0%

216.80

0.0%

0.3%

66.8%

66.8%

24.80

0.0%

0.2%

40.7%

40.7%

18.3%

2.4%

4.3x

0.8x

1.6%

23.1%

0.87

2.4%

0.2%

26.1%

26.1%

13.7%

0.8%

4.1x

0.5x

4.6%

24.4%

-1.0%

0.0%

-100.0%

7.1%

0.8%

5.6x

0.6x

5.0%

0.6%

0.2%

32.4%

14.5%

2.6%

2.1x

0.3x

4.7x

0.6x

32.4%

0.3%

4.9x

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-38.7%

-9.5%

52.95

0.0%

0.1%

-4.4%

-4.4%

14.8%

10.1%

5.38

0.0%

0.0%

49.4%

49.4%

17.7% 47.4%

2.1x

-20.1% 2.0%

21.4%

0.9x T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s T ic k er

-10.4%

1.51

4.90

38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 39 Beta Glass PLC 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

1.0x

3.4%

0.0%

32 AIICO Insurance PLC 33 TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeri

2.8%

6.2%

-7.6%

ϯ͘ϴйͿ͕ E'^h' Z ;-ϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ &>KhZD/> ;-1.3%). Simiϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚ-ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ E ^d> (larly, and Oil & Gas indices declined 0.4% and 9.1%),the ĂŶŬŝŶŐ hE/> s Z (-3.5%), >/E< ^^hZ (-6.4%),

15.1%

0.2%

14.6%

30 Guinness Nigeria PLC 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance

2.0%

0.0%

-7.6%

sumer Goods indices dipped Ϭ͘ϴй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘ϳй ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵͲ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŝŶĚĞdž ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŽƉƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ ĂƌĞ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŽĮƚ-ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŽŶ D E &/d ;-ϳ͘ϰйͿ͕ >/E< ^^hZ ;er 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ Insurance indices, down 4.6% and

5.2%

24.10

14.6%

28 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 29 United Capital PLC

0.8x ot Applicable

280.00

1.4%

26 Presco PLC 27 Unilever Nigeria PLC

5.5x

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

15.0%

1.1%

was bearish as 4under indicesour lostcoverage, while theperformance Industrial Goods Across sectors was and AFRI-ICT ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ lost, ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ gained dŚĞ Insurance and Conbearish as 4 indices 1 index ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ &Z-/ d

P/BV

6.8%

-1.8%

WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ Bearish Sector Performance ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ

P/E

86.0%

-1.3%

22 FCMB Group Plc 23 Sterling Bank PLC 24 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

ROA

6.8%

5.50

Bearish Sector Performance

ROE

26.7%

29.80

GTCO ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ;Ϯϰ͘Ϯŵ ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ϴϴ͘ϱй ƚŽƉƉĞĚ ƚŽ േϯ͘ϭďŶ͘ ƚŚĞ ǀŽůƵŵĞ The most ĐŚĂƌƚ traded ǁŚŝůĞ stocks NES-

14 International Brew eries PLC 15 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

Price Change Index to Date

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

0.33

10.0%

FB NH

68.6

-1.6%

4.5%

IN T B R EW

36.7

-1.8%

CHA M S

0.23

C UT IX

3.35

3.1%

GT C O

24.2

-2.2%

WEM A B A N K

0.87

2.4%

UN IT YB N K

9.5

-8.5%

T R A N SC OR P

0.99

2.1%

A C C ESS

9.5

-2.7%

ET I

8.45

1.8%

NB

7.7

0.0%

UC A P

9.80

1.6%

Z EN IT H B A N K

7.6

0.2%

VIT A F OA M

19.00

1.1%

UB A

7.3

0.6%

GLA XOSM IT H

6.05

0.8%

T R A N SC OR P

7.2

2.1%

OA N D O

4.90

0.6%

F ID ELIT YB K

6.8

-2.3%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s

BAKER (+9.8%), and HONYFLOUR (+9.8%) led gainers T ic k er

while ABCTRANS (-8.3%), LASACO (-6.7%), and LIVESTOCK (-4.8%) led losers. Yesterday, we expect the market ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ŵŝdžĞĚ͕ ĂƐ earnings season gradually winds up.

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

2972.3

0.0%

J A P A ULGOLD

0.40

-9.1%

N EST LE

N EIM ET H

1.80

-9.1%

FB NH

856.2

-1.6%

UN IT YB N K

0.54

-8.5%

GT C O

644.0

-2.2%

C H IP LC

0.57

-8.1%

NB

401.8

0.0%

UN ILEVER

13.50

-7.5%

IN T B R EW

201.8

-1.8%

-7.4%

Z EN IT H B A N K

183.8

0.2%

2.61

-6.8%

A C C ESS

87.3

-2.7%

13.20

-5.4%

B UA C EM EN T

75.9

0.0%

63.3

0.0%

62.3

0.6%

M B EN EF IT C H A M P ION A R D OVA

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

P ric e

0.25

UP D C

1.48

-5.1%

SEP LA T

J A IZ B A N K

0.62

-4.6%

UB A

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com

Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Damilare Asimiyu| dasimiyu@afrinvest.com

47

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021• T H I S DAY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust): is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 16Nov-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 168.42 169.90 4.05% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 9.03% Nigeria International Debt Fund 321.14 321.14 -20.40% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 105.48 106.53 -4.68% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.68% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.44 3.61 1.28% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 8.70% Anchoria Equity Fund 141.38 143.17 6.29% info@anchoriaam.com Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.15 1.15 -13.81% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 20.71 21.34 14.21% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 456.93 470.71 14.13% ARM Ethical Fund 39.82 41.03 18.14% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 -0.98% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.99 0.99 -5.77% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.49% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 107.33 107.33 5.53% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,053.49 1,053.49 5.35% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.07 2.07 -4.30% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.25 2.30 4.27% mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.03 1.03 4.66% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.07% Paramount Equity Fund 17.59 17.91 9.98% Women's Investment Fund 142.52 144.17 7.09% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.50% Cordros Milestone Fund 133.41 134.26 13.63% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 109.84 109.84 5.35% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.01% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.26 1.28 5.24% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.42 1.42 -10.62% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-assetmanagement-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.27% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.03 1.03 2.92% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.12 Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 104.04 FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price FBN Bond Fund 1,372.96 FBN Balanced Fund 174.71 FBN Halal Fund 114.36 FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund

121.81 150.84 Bid Price 1.00 3.99 1.75 1.20

1.12 11.32% 104.04 4.00% invest@fbnquest.com Offer Price 1,372.96 176.01 114.36 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn 11.47% 4.84% 9.24% 8.72%

121.81 4.08% 152.90 13.96% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Offer Price 1.00 3.99 1.79 1.20

Yield / T-Rtn 6.96% 3.07% 15.03% 5.34%

FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.74% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.90 2.97 1.58% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 155.00 155.28 -0.32% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.28 1.32 1.70% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.06 1.06 3.76% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.49 1.51 9.03% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,148.51 1,148.51 7.66% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.91 11.98 13.82% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 10.01% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 100.94 100.95 7.46% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 8.47% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.58 1.61 13.17% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.06 11.07 -9.00% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 7.48% PACAM Equity Fund 1.46 1.48 -7.43% PACAM EuroBond Fund 112.50 112.67 1.66% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 135.52 137.88 11.73% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.07 1.07 10.01% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,402.96 3,431.38 5.83% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 234.60 234.60 4.34% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.27 1.29 8.47% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 310.65 310.65 5.43% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 240.19 243.88 10.08% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.50% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,168.90 11,330.94 6.44% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.28 1.28 4.73% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 116.39 116.39 4.78% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 105.31 105.31 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.35 1.37 5.48% United Capital Bond Fund 1.94 1.94 5.95% United Capital Equity Fund 0.93 0.96 16.90% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.99% United Capital Eurobond Fund 121.55 121.55 6.16% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.09 1.11 6.74% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.07 1.07 6.87% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 13.13 13.25 10.67% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 14.62 14.78 19.80% Zenith Income Fund 24.62 24.62 2.61% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.39%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 54.20

10.62% 7.24%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

15.46 132.41 105.49 17.92 21.77

15.56 135.71 107.81 18.02 21.87

16.94% 10.12% 6.33% 0.23% 19.42%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.92 5.62 18.16 1.00 21.87 157.62

4.02 5.72 18.36 1.00 22.07 159.62

4.55% -1.05% 12.05% 6.61% 6.55% -15.09%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.28

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

48

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 •T H I S D AY

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 • T H I S D AY

49

50

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 •T H I S D AY

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 • T H I S D AY

51

THURSDAY, ͹΀˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

52

NEWS

Police, DSS Beef Up Security at APC Secretariat over Planned Protest against Buni We acted on security report, explains Akpanudoedehe Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Men of the Nigeria Police and officers from the Department of State Services (DSS), yesterday, beefed up security at the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja over an alleged planned protest against the leadership of the party’s national chairman and Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Committee, and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.

National Secretary of the party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said the security personnel were invited to secure the party’s secretariat.

The APC leadership, however, said it would not join issues with a chieftain of the party, Senator Kabiru Marafa, or allow him drag the party to gutter.

The recent ward, local government and state congresses of the party had widened cracks in some state chapters, with this resonating in calls for the dissolution of the Buni-led caretaker committee.

Men of the police and DSS, who arrived the secretariat about 10am, were stationed at strategic locations around the building. The officers numbering about 25 came with six Hilux vehicles and barricaded the road before it was later relaxed to ease vehicular movement.

The combined team of officers were said to have mobilised in response to a security report over planned protest by aggrieved APC members against the party’s leadership.

Akpanudoedehe told

journalists in Abuja regarding the presence of the security personnel, "Nothing is happening. They have been there several times whenever we need to safeguard the secretariat. You are not in position to read security reports, so you cannot ask me. If something happens now, they will say what were they doing.

"There are so many things

that have to do with security that you are not aware of.

It's a routine thing; the police liaise with FCT minister, the IG and other people if they have any information."

Akpanudoedehe noted that the party acted on security report and decided to increase security at the secretariat.

He said, "We have the duty to protect the people, who work here. We read

Says party won’t join issues with Marafa

security reports and I'm sure you are fully aware we have every security agency in our secretariat. We are only acting on security reports. There is no cause for alarm."

However, on the Zamfara situation, Akpanudoedehe, while reacting to a statement credited to Marafa, said the committee would not be abusive to any member of the party.

He said, "We are not abusive to any member of our party; we are too mature to go into personal response. Our interest is in general public and then the party. We are not going to go back and forth with anybody.

"Any information that he's giving out, we are duty bound to respond by stating the fact as it is. I will not descend to the level, where Marafa talks,"

The national secretary noted that he had never been personal with anybody, stressing that, Marafa could abuse him, but his duty was to explain to the public.

He stated, "We are not going to enter into personal tirade of words. Nobody can drag me or the party to the gutter.

We are an institution. They are not dealing with an individual but an institution."

NETWORKING AROUND AFRICA...

Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa Plc and Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu (right) and President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema during Elumelu's visit to Hichilema at Lusaka, Zambia…recently

FEC Okays N27.4bn Contracts for FCT, Works/Housing Ministries Approves establishment of health sciences varsity in Oturkpo Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contracts

worth N27.4 billion for projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Works and Housing ministries.

Buhari Felicitates with Ex-NBA President, Olanipekun, at 70 Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun, as he marks his 70th birthday today.

The president in a statement issued yesterday by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, hailed a life dedicated to jurisprudence and service to the country, which has pedestaled Chief Olanipekun as a former Attorney General/ Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, one time NBA President, Vice President Pan African Lawyers Union, Life Bencher ,among others and is equally a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

Buhari commended the erudite lawyer for replicating himself in his four biological offspring, who are all lawyers, with two having attained the learned silk status of SAN. He also noted that numerous other lawyers have passed through his chambers, and doing exploits in the legal profession.

President Buhari, therefore, rejoiced with the entire Olanipekun family, their friends, associates, and the legal profession in general, urging all and sundry to emulate the commitment of the new octogenarian in using law to bring succor to innumerable people, and touching other lives through philanthropy.

He wished Chief Olanipekun longer life in good health, and greater service to God, and humanity.

It also okayed the establishment of a Federal University of Health Sciences, as well as draft of a bill for the enactment of the Civil Defense, Corrections, Fire, Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB).

Briefing journalists yesterday after the virtual FEC meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, Ministers of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; FCT, Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello; Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, gave breakdown of various contract approvals.

According to Bello, his ministry got an approval for the procurement of a light duty towing truck at the cost of N286,302,277.50, which he explained is expected to be made available with eight weeks.

“In today's council meeting, I presented a memo for the award of contract for

the procurement of a light duty towing truck, including a 10 tonnes crane attachment for the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, under the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

“This truck is meant to complement and add to the fleet of vehicles that that directory has so that it can enhance our activities of towing vehicles, I've seen of accidents also towing vehicles when they impounded.

“This contract has been awarded to a company called CIF Global Services Limited, at a total contract sum of N286,302,277.50, with a completion period of eight weeks,” he explained.

On his part, Fashola disclosed that his ministry presented two memoranda, both of which were approved by the council.

According to him, FEC approved the appointed of consultants to supervise the ongoing construction of the Bodo-Bonny Highway in Rivers State, as well as the construction of the IdahNsukka Road, linking Kogi

and Enugu states, putting the cost of both projects at N27.067 billion.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Works and Housing, I presented two memoranda to Council, the first was to appoint the consultant to undertake the supervision consultancy for the construction of the BodoBonny Road and bridge, which was previously awarded by Council. So, we now have a consultant helping to supervise what the contractor is doing.

“The supervision consultancy was awarded at the sum of N895,250,000 to a group called Pearl Consultants.

“The second memorandum was for the award of the contract for the rehabilitation of the Idah-Nsukka Road, an 84 kilometre road, linking Kogi and Enugu states, which Council approved for the sum of N26.172 billion, in favour of a joint venture of Messrs.

Sajeto Construction and RN Construction”, he said.

Also speaking,

Aregbesola, said FEC approved the repeal of the Immigration and Prison Services Board Act and got the approval for the enactment of the CDCFIB. He said: “On behalf of the Ministry of Interior, I presented a memo to the Federal Executive Council seeking approval for a bill on how to repeal the Immigration and Prison Services Board Act, Cap 12, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. I equally sought the approval for the enactment of the Civil Defence, Corrections, Fire, Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Bill 2021at today's FEC. And the two prayers were approved."

Adesina, announced the proposed establishment of a Health Sciences University in Oturkpo, Benue State, by the federal government.

His words: “I just like to announce that a draft bill for the establishment of a Federal University of Health Sciences was approved and is to be cited in Otukpo, Benue State”.

THURSDAY, ͹΀˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

53

NEWSXTRA

2021 CIBN INVESTITURE...

L-R: Cross River State Commissioner for Finance, Asuquo Ekpeyong; retired Director Special Insured Institutions, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Joshua Etopidiok, and General Manager/Group Head Business Development, BUA Group, Tajudeen Ahmed, at the 2021 Fellowship investiture of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, held in Lagos…recently

Osinbajo: Youth Entrepreneurship Can Solve Africa's Job, Security Crises Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has stressed the importance of entrepreneurship among youths in Africa, saying it would help address the challenge of unemployment in the continent.

The vice president made the call while delivering the keynote speech at the 2021 edition of the Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN) Youth Summit held virtually.

Osinbajo who was represented by the Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, said the strategy was a sure path to

economic prosperity and conflict resolution on the African continent.

According to him, GAIN focus areas align with those of the Nigerian government as well as other African government.

“Your key focused areas resonate with us in Nigeria and resonate in other climes across Africa.

The GAIN masterclass on Entrepreneurship is critical, The GAIN Youth Summit, a platform for engagement for conversation is critical; The GAIN Mentoring program is critical because we need to mentor our youths to prepare to take positions of leadership.

Shinkafi: Yari, Marafa Trying to Sabotage APC's Chances in 2023 Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, has accused a former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari and Senator Kabiru Marafa of trying to enact the similar senario of 2019 and sabotage the efforts of the party to win the 2023 general election.

He said the ward congresses conducted by the party at weekend in Zamafara State remainedvalid and that no court could set it aside as it conformed to all constitutional provisions.

Shinkafi urged the National leadership of the party to apply sanctions by expelling them from the party.

In a statement reacting to the boycott of the congresses

by Yari, Marafa and their supporters, Shinkafi said their protest was a non-issue as they

were not registered members of the party.

“Senator Kabiru Marafa and Abdul'aziz Yari, don't have any genuine reason to go to court,because they were not registered as members of APC during the last concluded APC revalidation/ registration exercise,” he said, claiming that after the defection of Governor Bello Mattawalle to APC, the duo refused to validate their membership of the party.

"You cannot build something on nothing; you cannot build a house without a concrete foundation? When you have not been duly registered as a member of APC, so, what locus standi do you have to challenge the exercise in court? Since they do not have membership cards as duly registered members of APC, they lack the locus to challenge any decision taken by the party.

“It is clear from the experience of Asia, that no country, no continent can fight its way out of unemployment when it comes to the youth, without deliberately towing the part of entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurship is critical and you can draw the linkage between entrepreneurship and MSMEs. Access to credit has been the bane of MSMEs, but yet they remain a disincentive to innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

“The question of illegal immigration, the issue of drug abuse, the issue of conflicts that we see can easily be traceable to the problem of youth unemployment. Is there a silver bullet? There is none, but are there opportunities, are there models and are there things we need to do on a consistent basis to start to bring down these numbers and to start to engage our youth? Yes there are, and I

think GAIN, organizations like Grand Africa Initiative- GAIN are on the right path with the right visions, right goals and objectives," he said.

In her opening speech, the Executive Director of GAIN, Chinwe Okoli, described the dire unemployment and limited economic opportunities situation facing African youths as an existential challenge to the continent and potent threat to the global efforts to curb illegal migration.

Okoli said: “The issues overwhelm a young person trying to get a head start in life. This results in their taking several actions which may further fuel insecurity or result in a desperate search for greener pastures abroad through illegal migration.

From what we see, it is no longer just Africa’s problem.

The world has a problem."

According to her, urgent attention was required to help reverse the trend and restore

hope to the young people in Africa and solving this problem means advancing our collective interest-a prosperous and safer world.

“We are grateful to our partners Afreximbank and Development Bank of Nigeria for their support towards ensuring that African youths have this opportunity to interact with key political and business leaders from across the continent.”

Other key speakers at the pan African Summit included the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing who was represented by the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones; Angola Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Januario Quibato Eustaquio; South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Thami Mseleku; Mrs Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, The CEO, Tony Elumelu Foundation; Babajide Sodipo, Senior Manager in the AU/AFCFTA Relations and

Trade Policy, Afrexim Bank; Professor Joseph Nnanna, Chief Economist, Development Bank of Nigeria Plc; Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Lead Faculty, Tekedia Institute, U.S.A; Oluwamuyemi Orimolade, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Microsoft philanthropies, Middle East & Africa & Philanthropies Lead for Nigeria, Microsoft among others.

The event attracted over 4,000 participants from 63 countries across the world.

Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN) is a youth-focused pan-African non-governmental organization which comprises young Africans between 15 and 35 years drawn from within and outside the continent, who are passionate about promoting entrepreneurship as a means to reduce conflict, promote peace and economic revival of the continent.

Bwacha: Nigeria’s Sovereignty Under Threat from Cameroun Deji Elumoye in Abuja A member of the National Assembly, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, has raised the alarm that Nigeria’s territorial sovereignty was under threat following the invasion of Manga community in Takum local government area by Ambazonia separatists from Southern Cameroon.

Coming under a point of order, the ranking Senator from Taraba South at Wednesday's plenary, bemoaned the killing

of the village head of Manga community and some residents.

He said the invasion of the community by the separatists from neighbouring Cameroon led to the sack of residents of Manga village.

Manga village is 20 kilometers away from Kashimbilla Dam, he said.

He, therefore, called on the military to immediately swing into action to prevent the eventual occupation of Manga community by the separatists.

His words: “I rise this morning to draw the attention of our country men and particularly, our security agencies to this unfortunate incident, which undermines our integrity and sovereignty as a nation.

“Takum local government houses the 23 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, and so Mr. President, it is my humble submission that the Nigerian Army should rise to the challenge and curb this wanton territorial expansion.

“Their (Separatists) motive is yet unknown, whether they want to expand territory or lay claim for Southwest Cameroun is not yet clear.

As I speak, a number of individuals have gone missing and their whereabouts are yet unknown. The village also is razed down.”

The Senate, thereafter, held a minute silence in honour of those killed by the Ambazonia separatists from Southern Cameroon in Manga community.

THURSDAY, ͹΀˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSXTRA

COURTESY VISIT...

R-L: Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Air Vice Marshal Ebenezer Alade; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun and Col. Mikairj Isah during a courtesy visit to the governor's office at Ibadan.... yesterday

#EndSARS Report: Let’s Restrain from Nullifying Intentions of Setting up the Panel, Says LASG Following the uproar that has trailed findings in its #EndSARS panel report since it was leaked on Monday, the Lagos State Government has called for restraint.

The Lagos State Commission for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made this

call in a statement yesterday.

The judicial panel led by Justice Doris Okuwobi (rtd) had submitted a 309-page report to the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, which indicted the army, police, and the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) for various crimes, ranging

from killing innocent protesters to trying to conceal evidence.

The federal and Lagos State governments had at various times maintained that there were no deaths at the Lekki tollgate, effectively absolving themselves of any blames in the October 20, 2020 incident.

PDP: Akeredolu Appointing His Son DG, Design to Empty Ondo’s Treasury Fidelis David in Akure The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State chapter, has faulted the recent appointment of Babajide Akeredolu, a biological son of the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, as the Director General of Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit (PPMIU), alleging, "It is a grand design to finally empty the treasury of the state before Akeredolu returns to Ibadan."

But the governor had immediately replied the opposition party and described its claim as unresourceful.

Akeredolu had on Tuesday nominated his son as the head of a government agency alongside 14 new commissioners-designate and seven special advisers.

However, not satisfied with the development, the opposition party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, described the appointment as "a flagrant abuse of office and affront on the people of Ondo State".

The statement stated: "The name Babajide Akeredolu became known in Ondo State, when the State's funds were used to procure a marriage for him in Colorado, USA, after the same marriage was consummated in Owo, his father's birthplace. He has since assumed authority as

part of the triad of the reign of father, wife and son.

"The appointment as DG of PPMIU for Babajide, a young man who carries on as though, he was the person voted for as governor is part of the grand design to finally empty the treasury of the state before Akeredolu returns to Ibadan.

"Last year, Babajide pocketed a princely N433m as Consultancy fee on N4.3b on the "secret account" with Zenith Bank for more than ten years. Up till this moment, the Ondo State government under Akeredolu has neither accounted for the money, nor the ten years accrued interest.

“Rather, it was Babajide, who addressed a press conference, referring to Ondo State House of Assembly members as "making un-necessary noise" over money he discovered.

"Babajide's conduct is reminiscent of the ignoble actions of Commodus, son and heir apparent of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who at age 12, upon finding out that his bath water was not sufficiently heated, ordered the servant to be thrown into the furnace".

The PDP noted that, "25% of all the Internally generated revenue in the state goes into the account of Canadian Systems Development Company (CSDC) under one Akin Oladimeji as

MD. CSDC is an Ibadan-based company that was brought to Ondo State by Babajide.

“The company was given office accommodation in the governor's office. They do not pay rents, neither do they pay taxes to the government. Every month, 15% of the over N2b that is collected as IGR goes into Babajide's personal account and the balance is wired to Lagos and Ibadan for the Consultant.

"Only last week, Babajide was reported to have brought another Consultant to take charge of forestry operations in the state. It thus appears that Mr Governor and his immediate family are bent on living fat on the lean resources of the people, when poverty has taken over the land, walking in all four legs.

"There is no further proof of Akeredolu's insensitivity to the plight of the people, when within two years of tenure, he organised three lavish weddings for his children, all in foreign lands: in Mauritius, Canada and Colorado, USA. Each of these weddings were bankrolled with Ondo State's funds.

“Officials of the State Government, family members and friends were in these countries to celebrate with Akeredolu and family. Yet, this level of opulence and wasteful life style only started, when he became governor.”

However, the panel of inquiry found out that 48 casualties were recorded at the tollgate, including 11 deaths, several missing persons, and many injured persons. It said 96 other corpses were presented to it by a Forensic Pathologist, Professor John Obafunwa. And this has continued to generate interest within and outside the country, with the United Nations (UN) and the United States (U.S.), among others calling on both the federal and Lagos State governments to ensure the implementation of the White Paper on the report.

But Omotoso in the first official statement of the government after the report was leaked, noted the various reactions that had trailed lowed the submission of the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters.

It added: “The Lagos State Government has noted the various reactions that have followed the submission of the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters. “There have been arguments in the public space

over the report. There is need for us to restrain ourselves from nullifying the good intentions of the government in setting up this Panel, which was well encouraged to do its job - a fact that was acknowledged by the panel.

“In accordance with the Tribunal of Inquiry Law 2015, a committee has been set up to bring up a White Paper on the report to determine the next line of action. At the appropriate time, the government will make known its views on all the issues raised by the panel through the release of a White Paper.

October Revenue Drops as FG, States, LGs Share N671.910bn Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared a total of N671.910 billion to the federal, state and local governments for the month of October.

The amount was N68.055 billion less than the N739.965 billion distributed the preceding month of September.

Although no explanation was given for the decline, a communique issued by FAAC after its meeting in Lagos yesterday, indicated that Companies Income Tax (CIT), Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), and Oil and Gas Royalties for the month in view decreased considerably, while Import and Excise Duty, increased marginally.

The FAAC meeting for October was held in Lagos at the end of the National Council on Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED).

A communique issued by the committee at the end of

the meeting showed that the N671.910 billion as federation allocation for the month of October comprised Value Added Tax (VAT), Augmentations, Exchange Gain and Non-Oil Mineral Revenue.

From the amount, the federal government received N284.292 billion, the states (N209.838 billion), and local government councils (N156.282 billion) while the oil producing states received N21.498 billion as 13 per cent derivation revenue.

Further analysis of the VAT for October showed a decline of N4.566 billion from N170.850 billion distributed in September to N166.284 billion in October.

The VAT distribution saw the federal government taking N23.227 billion, the states received N77.422 billion, local governments got N54.195 billion.

Transfers and refunds posted N4.789 and cost of collection got N6.651 billion.

Also, the Distributable Statutory Revenue of N407.864 billion received for the month

was lower than the N692.283 billion received for the previous month by N284.419 billion, from which the federal government received N180.551 billion, states got N91.578 billion, local governments got N70.603 billion, N21.118 billion was allocated as 13 per cent mineral revenue).

Cost of collection accounted for N17.940 billion while Transfers and Refunds got N26.075 billion.

The communiqué also indicated that ugmentations of N100 billion saw the federal government receiving N52.680 billion, states (N26.720 billion), local received N20.600 billion.

The sum of N50 billion from non-oil revenue was also shared with the federal government receiving N26.340 billion, state governments (N13.360 billion), and local governments N10.300 billion.

Companies Income Tax (CIT), Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), and Oil and Gas Royalties for the month in view decreased considerably, while Import and Excise Duty, increased marginally.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

India’s Air Pollution Crisis Forces Thermal Plants, Schools to Shut Down With the Indian capital enveloped in a haze of toxic smog, authorities ordered six thermal plants in the city’s vicinity to shut temporarily, closed schools and colleges indefinitely and imposed work-from-home restrictions to control pollution levels that turned severe on several days this month.

The federal environment ministry panel has also banned construction activity until the end of the week and barred trucks, except those carrying essential commodities, from entering the city as part of the series of emergency measures.

Environmentalists pointed out that these steps would only marginally mitigate the air pollution crisis that grips New Delhi every winter.

“The emergency action is not a magic bullet that will address the pollution crisis,” said Anumita Rowchowdhury, executive director research and advocacy at New Delhi’s Center for Science and Environment. “It only ensures that it will not worsen the pollution but it will not clean the air.”

The world’s most polluted capital city has recorded levels for dangerous particles known as PM 2.5 that settle deep inside lungs many times higher than the standards set by the World Health Organisation.

Dozens of Soldiers Missing as Armenia, Azerbaijan Fight over Border

Dozens of Armenian soldiers have been captured or gone missing following the latest clashes on the border with Azerbaijan, officials in Yerevan said on November 17.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry said on the morning of November 17 that seven of its soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded in renewed fighting on the shared border that erupted on November 16.

According to a statement by Armenia’s Defense Ministry, 13 Armenian soldiers were captured by Azerbaijani forces and another 24 Armenian servicemen have gone missing and that their fate remains unknown.

The statement added that one Armenian soldier was killed in the fighting, which Yerevan says has stopped following talks with Moscow.

Both sides blamed each other for starting the latest conflict amid tensions between the two former Soviet nations that have simmered since a six-week war last year over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Taliban Begs US to Unfreeze Afghan $9bn

The Taliban foreign minister Wednesday penned an “open letter” to the US Congress, warning of a mass refugee exodus from Afghanistan unless the United States unblocks more than $9 billion in Afghan central bank assets and ends other financial sanctions against the country.

Amir Khan Muttaqi wrote that the sanctions “have not only played havoc” with trade and business but also with humanitarian aid to millions of desperate Afghans. Muttaqi’s office in Kabul released

copies of the letter in several languages, including English.

Muttaqi maintained that his government has managed to bring political stability and security to Afghanistan since returning to power last August but growing economic troubles are worsening humanitarian challenges.

“Currently the fundamental challenge of our people is financial security and the roots of this concern lead back to the freezing of assets of our people by the American government,” said the Taliban’s chief diplomat.

Kenya: Blinken Pushes for End to Ethiopia War

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is in Kenya as part of efforts to pull Ethiopia back from the brink of civil war. The visit is the first stop on a three-country tour for Blinken.

Blinken met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi on Wednesday to discuss climate change, trade, the COVID-19 pandemic and most urgently, regional security.

At a news conference in Nairobi, Blinken said he and Kenyatta discussed the crisis in Ethiopia and the African effort to resolve it, led by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo.

“Our special envoy Jeffrey Feltman is working with high representative Obasanjo to press the parties to end hostilities immediately and without preconditions, to stop human rights abuses and violations, to provide humanitarian access for the millions in northern Ethiopia who are in dire need of life-saving supplies,” he said.

The Ethiopian government has been at war with the northern Tigray region for a year, and both sides are accused of committing widespread abuses against the population.

2 Protesters Killed at Sudan AntiCoup Rally Two demonstrators were shot dead in Sudan’s capital Wednesday at a protest over the military’s recent coup, according to a pro-democracy doctors’ group.

The Central Doctors’ Committee said dozens of other protesters sustained gunshot wounds.

The shootings occurred as protesters gathered across Khartoum and other cities to demonstrate against the October

25 military takeover.

Witnesses said security forces fired tear gas at protesters in several places.

They also said mobile phone lines in the country were cut during the demonstrations.

Protest organizers are calling for a full handover of power to civilian authorities and for the leaders of the military takeover to be tried in court.

The coup occurred after weeks of escalating tensions between military and civilian leaders over Sudan’s transition to democracy.

Migrants in Belarusian Border Camp Bussed away

Migrants in a makeshift camp on the western border of Belarus are being taken away by bus, a Polish government official was quoted as saying Wednesday.

Thousands of migrants, primarily from the Middle East, have been stuck in the camp since November 8. Most are escaping conflict and instability at home for opportunities in Germany or other countries in western Europe.

On Tuesday, Polish security forces along the border fired water cannons and tear gas at stone-throwing migrants after Poland accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s government of providing smoke grenades and other weapons to the migrants.

But on Wednesday, a Polish deputy interior minister, Maciej Wasik, reportedly said tensions had de-escalated and that the camp, which is now closed, had fewer people.

“I have received information that Lukashenko has provided the first buses which migrants are boarding and leaving,” Wasik said, according to The Associated Press. “The campsite near Kuznica is slowly emptying.”

The Associated Press reported Wasik’s information is hard to verify because of restrictions on journalists on both sides of the Belarusian-Polish border.

South Korea to Increase Boosters Amid COVID Spike

Officials in South Korea Wednesday reported 3,187 new COVID-19 cases, only the second time the daily rate has topped 3,000, less than three weeks after easing social distancing measures nationwide.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency also reported a record 522 people hospitalized with moderate to severe cases, breaking the record set just one day before.

The country’s death toll is now 3,158, after 21 deaths were reported on Wednesday, the 16th consecutive day of double-digit fatalities, including a record 32 on Saturday.

The latest surge comes just 17 days after the government began rolling back restrictions, allowing larger social gatherings and expanding indoor dining. The nation has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with just under 80% of the population fully vaccinated.

The Yonhap News Agency also reports the country is facing a shortage of hospital beds and health workers.

Sudan Journalists Protest Media Crackdown Since Coup

Sudanese journalists are pushing back against military leaders who seized power in a coup last month, calling on them to respect press freedoms and release several editors and reporters they have detained.

The nation’s media advocacy group says it has documented instances of excessive force used against reporters and media houses since the coup.

Journalists in Khartoum organized a silent protest on Tuesday. They held banners with slogans that read, “We need free press” and “Free detained journalists.”

Amru Shaban, the secretary-general of the Sudanese Journalists Network, said the military is holding six journalists in all. Among them is Mahir Abu Jukh, the editor-in-chief of the state-owned TV and radio network.

The network gathered information on more than 10 harassment incidents since the military coup on October 25, including threatening phone calls to journalists working for international media. Shaban told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus program.

“Authorities have also intentionally cut off internet services from journalists as part of the systematic crackdown on journalists who are supposed to document the ongoing crimes against Sudanese people,” Shaban said.

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: President, CFA Society Nigeria, Mrs. Ibukun Oyedeji; Chairman, JK Randle Professional Services, JK Randle, presenting the Microfinance Bank of the Year Award to the Head of Communications and Branding, LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited, Mr. Oluremi Akande; and Head of SME, Mrs. Paula Ikemsinchi Aniobi, at the 2021 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutes (BAFI) Awards in Lagos...recently

L-R: Former Senator representing Cross River Central senatorial district, John Owan-Enoh; his wife, Racheal; Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ivara Esu; state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Alphonsus Eba; and member of House of Assembly, Mr. Hilary Bisong, during a walk to mark the 2021 Diabetes Day organised by Owan-Enoh Diabetes’s Foundation in Calabar, Cross River State…recently

L-R: Wife of the awardee, Nkereuwem Okon Okon; Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) (the awardee), Mr. Okon Okon, receiving an Award of Excellence from Chairman, VKS Construction Limited, Oliver Ebong, at the 2021 International Accountants’ Day held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State...recently

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Dr. Lola Akande; Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji; state Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mrs. Toki Mabogunje; Special Adviser to the state governor on Commerce, Hon. Oladele Ajayi; and Deputy President, LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, during the closing ceremony of the 2021 edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha (left) and Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, during the 2021 Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit in Abuja...recently PHOTO: AYO AJAYI

L-R: Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Mrs. Folashade Jaji; state Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), after the presentation of the report of the state Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters, at the Lagos House, Ikeja...recently

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, Dr. Olalekan Makinde; Ex-Green Eagles player, Chief Segun Odegbami; wife of the Founder/Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, Mrs. Bola Obasanjo; former Director at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Toyin Jokosenumi; representative of the former Senate President, Alhaji Sola Gold; and immediate-past President, Abeokuta Sports Club, Deacon Atilade Abolarinwa, at the novelty match to flag off free diabetes screening for 10million Nigerians in Abeokuta, Ogun State…yesterday

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Again, Gunmen Raid Niger Villages, Kill One Person, Kidnap 63 Others Laleye Dipo in Minna Barely 48 hours after bandits raided some communities in the Munya Local Government Area of Niger State, some gunmen yesterday morning invaded Zagzaga community in the same LGA. Not less than 63 villagers were reportedly kidnapped in the latest attack, while one person was killed and many others injured by the gun-wielding criminals.

THISDAY learnt that among those kidnapped was the wife of the village head and sons of the councillor representing Zagzaga ward.

It was also learnt that two local vigilante and some youths who tried to repel the attack were also among those injured.

According to an eyewitness, the gunmen stormed the community at about 1 a.m. last Wednesday and started shooting indiscriminately thereby creating panic among the villagers and in the confusion, 63 villagers, including the wife of the village head, were abducted.

The eyewitness said the gunmen also looted items, breaking the houses of the villagers and making away with valuable items found in these houses.

He said the women among those kidnapped were forced to carry the looted items to a place where the bandits must have kept their vehicles.

It was learnt that men of

the local vigilante were unable to contain the assault by the gunmen because of their numerical strength and type of weapons used.

The eyewitness said an SOS

was sent to the security base at Sarkin-pawa, but there was no response from the security posts.

The local government authorities, THISDAY gathered,

went into an emergency security meeting in SarkinPawa yesterday morning to plan the way out to the incessant attacks in the area by bandits.

ARDOVA’S NEW ACQUISITION…

L-R: Independent Non-Executive Director, Ardova Plc, Mrs. Aniola Durosinmi – Etti; Chief Executive Officer, Enyo Retail and Supply Limited; ,Mr. Abayomi Awobokun; Chief Executive Officer, Ardova Plc, Mr. Olumide Adeosun; Chief Financial Officer, Ardova Plc, Mr. Moshood Olajide and independent Non-Executive Director, Ardova Plc, Mr. Olusola Adeeyo, during the signing ceremony for Ardova Plc’s full acquisition of Enyo Retail & Supply Limited in Lagos..recently ABIODUN

Police Rescue Mother, Eroton Seals $750m Financing Deal with Afreximbank Child from Kidnappers in Adamawa Daji Sani in Yola Operatives of the Adamawa State Police Command have rescued a nursing mother and her child from kidnappers.

The policemen also arrested three kidnappers.

This was revealed in a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Suleiman Nguroje.

The statement added that the mother and her baby were rescued on November 11 by the police attached to Gombi Division and professional hunters.

According to the statement, “The victims were rescued unharmed after a gun battle between the operatives and the kidnappers during which the suspects were wounded and escaped with bullet wounds.

“Similarly, the Command’s

frequent operation aimed at preventing and dislodging kidnappers from their operational spaces and denying them The space to regroup has recorded another breakthrough, as the operatives attached to State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and members of Miyetti Allah (MACBAN) in a joint operation recently vigorously pursued some kidnappers to their hideout in Balhoni Hills in Fufore Local Government Area and apprehended three of them.”

The statement further explained that the suspected kidnappers earlier abducted one Ali Yusuf of Kadarbu village in Fufore LGA, and demanded N2.5million ransom via a letter of threat attached with an ammunition to the relatives of the victims.

The Eroton Exploration and Production Company has secured a $750 million financing from the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank).

The deal which was signed yesterday at the ongoing 2021 Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban, South Africa, would enable Eroton to finance the acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares in two special purpose vehicles for oil mining lease (OML).

THISDAY learnt that the deal which was for a senior secured lending facility, would also enable the oil and gas company finance the repayment of all its outstanding exposures with its existing lender.

Chairman, Eroton, Onajite Okoloko signed on behalf of the company, while the Global Head of Clients Relations, Afreximbank, Rene Awambeng, signed on behalf of the bank.

Eroton was incorporated in

August 2013 as an independent indigenous oil and gas company.

The company commenced full operations in 2015. It is focused on the prolific Niger Delta Petroleum System in Nigeria.

Eroton acquired 45 per cent of OML 18 in a competitive bid round conducted by the Department of Petroleum Resources in 2015. OML 18 was previously owned by a consortium made up of Shell Petroleum Development

Company, Total Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited and Nigeria Agip Oil Company.

OML 18 is located in the Eastern Niger Delta and covers a total area of 1,035 SQKM in an onshore swamp terrain. There are seven oil flow-stations, one Non-Associated Gas (NAG) and three Associated Gas Gathering (AGG) facilities in OML 18.

Capacities range from 10 kbopd to 60 kbopd, and 120 MMscf/ day to 150mmscf/day.

Nigerians Warn against Padding of #EndSARS Panel Report Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie Following the recent release of the report of the Judicial Panel of Enquiry on the Lagos #EndSARS protest, which indicted the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police Force and the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Nigerians, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), have called on Lagos State

government not to tamper with the report..

They warned that any attempt by Lagos government to pad the report would further widen the gap of distrust that already exists between the people the government.

Reacting to the four-man committee constituted by the Lagos State government to further look into the report with a view to developing a

government whitepaper on the report, Nigerians said the committee members must not change the recommendations of the panel and must review the report line by line, without making additional recommendations.

This is just as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Femi Okunnu, has advised well-meaning Nigerians to exercise patience regarding the reports being

circulated.

The SAN, who spoke yesterday on the Morning Show of ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, called on everybody to wait for the official government copy duly signed by the chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi and the other members of the panel, noting that it will be the only authentic report of the panel.

Forum Urges Buhari to Sign Electoral Bill, Backs Direct Primaries Suspect Incriminates Security APC the National Assembly for their party leadership.

According to the group, “It is Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja courage and forthrightness in It noted that the stance of our firm conviction that whatever Operatives in Railway The Revive All Progressives upholding the direct primaries the group has never wavered is fundamental to our democracy, Congress (APC) has appealed option as a constitutional from the sanctity of the people’s takes its inherent shape from Installations Vandalism to President Muhammadu mandate of electing party true choices at all levels of party the characters of our political Laleye Dipo in Minna

A suspect presently in the custody of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ibrahim Jibrin 48, has implicated agents of two major security organisations in Nigeria in the vandalisation of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) installations.

Though Jibril did not say if the security operatives were physically involved in the vandalisation, he, however, explained that they (security operatives) provided escorts for the safe transportation of the vandalised items.

Jibrin was arrested by operatives of the NSCDC in Mokwa, Niger State, while

conveying truck load of vandalised 778 railway slippers from Benue State to Lagos.

The slippers were vandalised from Gboko and Makurdi in Benue State, and were loaded as scraps in a lorry with registration number: ESA960 XJ. The suspect said operatives of a particular security outfit in a Toyota Hillux van escorted his truck from Makurdi up to a point outside Benue State boundary before another group of security men led the truck to Aya in Abuja.

“They assured me that there will be no problem on the way,” Jibrin, who was paid N80,000 for the hiring of his vehicle, told journalists when he was paraded at the NSCDC office in Minna last Tuesday.

Buhani to, as a matter of national urgency, assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill recently passed by the National Assembly.

The Chairman of the group, Sen. Umar Tambuwal, in a statement issued yesterday commended the members of

leadership.

It said this singular act would be a major landmark towards oxygenating the essence of the country’s democracy, where representation of the people indeed reflects their true choices through their direct votes for

leadership, saying it believed it is the defining anchor of democracy and the bedrock of APC party politics.

The group said its mission was instructively tailored to revive, refocus and reposition the founding values of the party.

parties.”

This act, the group added, is a true representation of the cardinal vision of APC, where the interests and preferences of the majority are not hijacked by the ambitions and manipulations of a few.

Anambra Poll: Prepare to Meet Me in Court, Uba Tells APGA David-Chyddy ElekeinAwka

The Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in November 6 Governorship Election in Anambra State, Senator Andy Uba, has warned his opponents to stop demonising him over his plan to challenge the outcome of the election in court.

Uba said he decided to choose a civil means to recover his mandate,

while warning the victorious All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to rather prepare to meet him in court, instead of condemning his decision.

Uba disclosed this in a press statement issued by his Director of Media and Publicity, Hon. Afam Ogene, which was made available to THISDAY in Awka.

“We wondered why several days after the polls, Uba’s opponents,

especially members of the APGA, still find it fashionable to conjure all manner of falsehood in his name.

“The elections have come and gone and we are in the process of interrogating the sanctity of its outcome. But instead of gearing up for the expected judicial battle ahead, APGA as a party and its leaders are busy trolling my person, in the mistaken believe that their underhand tactics would make

me back out of my chosen course of action.

“I have only decided to take a civilised course of action, which is recourse to the judiciary in the face of daunting illegalities that trailed the conduct of the elections. How this is so discomfiting to some, leading to the sponsorship of several false stories about my person, beats the imagination of all reasonable members of society.”

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Justice Odili: Lawmakers Warn against Repeat of Attacks on Supreme Court Judges Udora Orizu in Abuja Members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Judiciary have warned that unnecessary attacks on judicial officers, especially the Supreme Court Justices, should never happen again.

This was as the National Judicial Council (NJC) lamented that the high exchange rate had become a challenge to them.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Onofiok Luke (PDP, Akwa Ibom) gave the warning during the 2022 budget defence of the National Judicial Council (NJC) with the lawmakers.

Luke said that such attacks would weaken the strength and morale of the judicial officers in their dispensation of justice to the public.

He condemned the recent attack on Justice Odili’s residence, recalled that such incidence had occurred in 2017, and should not be allowed to repeat itself.

He said: “Of great importance to this committee is the security of judicial officers. We have stated as a committee that we should create an enabling environment, not only a working environment,

not just good living conditions, but a secured environment for our judicial officials to operate without hindrance, without any fear of intimidation or harassment.

Whichever side of the divide we

find ourselves today, whether the privileged few today, someday along the line, we will appear before the courts.

“In this country, we have seen judicial officers appear

before courts when they do not think they will appear, we have seen governors, Rep members, senators, we have seen privileged people appear before court. So if we do have a good, impartial and

independent court, the day we have a day in court, we will be faced with the kind of court and judicial system we have prepared for ourselves. So, we should all rise in unison and condemn what

is condemnable, we should rise in unison to support our judicial officers, to be able to provide them security, good living working .condition so that they can discharge their duties.”

PROMOTING NIGERIAN PRODUCTS…

L-R: Board Member, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Alhaji Salisu Umar; Board Chairman, Senator Musa Ibrahim; Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, and Deputy National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers Of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and a Board Member, NEPC, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, at the Intra African Trade Fair in Durban South Africa…recently

145 Deaths, 364 Crashes 2023: Gov Aspirants from Northern Kwara Recorded in Ondo, Seek Royal Father’s Support Says FRSC Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Fidelis David in Akure The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Ondo State Command, has disclosed that no fewer than 364 cases of road traffic crashes and 145 deaths have been recorded between January and September 2021 across the state.

The state Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr. Ezekiel SonAllah, gave the statistics yesterday in Akure during a press conference to mark 2021 African Road Safety Day and World Day Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims with the theme: ‘Act For Low Speeds/Act for Low Speed Streets: Remember Support Act’.

SonAllah explained that the event was to commemorate with the families of victims of road crashes, those who lost their

lives, those who were injured and to also reflect on the living and what motorists could do to avoid crashes.

The sector commander, who said it had become imperative for motorists to see reasons to shun excess speed while on wheel, said crashes that occurred at low speed have chances of having lower severity.

He said: “Record shows that total number of 227 crashes and 91 deaths was recorded in 2020 while 364 crashes and 145 deaths were recorded in 2021.

“In the first quarter of 2020, a total number of crashes was 90 and deaths is 29 while in 2021, it’s 90 crashes and 53 deaths; in second quarter of 2020, 87 crashes, 18 deaths; while in 2021,185 crashes and 51 deaths.

Governorship aspirants in Kwara North senatorial district of Kwara State has called on the royal fathers and other stakeholders in the district to join hands with them to ensure that the power is shifted to the area in the next general election.

The aspirants specifically

demanded the governorship slot of the state in 2023.

The aspirants include Prof.

Mohammed Gana Yisa, Alhaji Yarmah Abdullahi, Alhaji Tajudeen Audu, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Issa Bio, Alhaji Zakari Mohammed, Hon. Ahman Aliyu Patigi , Hon Bawa Isa, and Abu Shamaki, The aspirants cut across the two major political parties (APC

and PDP).

They have been embarking on sensitisation programme across the five local government councils that make up the Kwara North senatorial district.

The affected local government areas are Edu, Patigi, Moro, Kaima and Baruten.

The spokesman of the aspirants, Prof. Mohammed Gana Yisa, who spoke at the

sensitisation programme during the tour of Moro LGA yesterday said: “We are committed to ensuring that the Kwara North senatorial district is not shortchanged in the next elections in Kwara State.

“We will make sure that the senatorial district is given the governorship slot so as to bring the much desired development to the zone.”

Zulum Gives N20m to Family of Slain Gen Zirkushu Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, yesterday led a delegation on condolence visit to the bereaved family of late Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkushu.

The governor met the family

at Ribadu Cantonment in Kaduna, during which he directed the immediate release of N20 million as support to the General’s family and the directive has been effected.

The support will be made to families of soldiers who died alongside General Zirkushu.

Zulum was received at the airport by Kaduna State’s

Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, and Garrison Commander of the Nigerian Army’s One Division, Brigadier General T. Opuene.

The Governor visited General Zirkushu’s family alongside Borno’s three Senators, Kashim Shettima, Mohammed Ali Ndume

and Abubakar Kyari. The State Chairman of APC, Ali Bukar Dalori, and two Members of House of the Representatives, Dr. Haruna Mshelia and Ahmad Jaha, who both represent constituencies that include Chibok where late General Zirkushu was commanding the 28 Task Force Brigade.

Detention of Alleged Youth Murderer Heightens Tension in Edo Kebbi First Lady Seeks The suspect was alleged to local vigilante service under his engaged a lawyer, Mr. Douglas Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Traditional Rulers’ Support have committed the offence in control.

Ogbankwa, to petition the Edo However, Yusuf has denied State Commissioner of Police and Youths and leaders of Ekiugbo company of others suspects now to Tackle Cervical Cancer community of Uhunwonde Local at large, which has heightened any involvement in the incident, Inspector General of Police.

Ismail Adebayo in Birnin Kebbi The wife of Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, has sought the support of traditional rulers in the country to tackle cervical cancer.

Bagudu, who is the founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, was at the palace of the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammed Mera, yesterday where she joined other stakeholders to garner support for the elimination of cervical cancer, which she said claimed the lives of over 500,000 women annually.

She was at the palaces of the Emir of Zuru, Emir of Gwandu and Emir of Yauri earlier in the week.

While being received by the Emir of Argungu, she called for the royal fathers’ support

to deal with cases of cervical cancer, which she said was the second most common cancer among women in Nigeria.

The first lady, who is also a board member of the Union for International Cancer Control, and the chairperson of First Ladies Against Cancer, said with the declaration of WHO’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer last year, with the ongoing awareness and support from traditional rulers, there is hope for the elimination of cervical cancer.

She said: “The irony about it is that despite its high statistics, its narrative can be changed.

We can eliminate cervical cancer by simply following what WHO says. We can vaccinate 90 percent of our girls; do regular screening and early treatment.

Government Area of Edo State, yesterday called on the police’s high command in the state and Abuja to carry out a thorough investigation over the killing of one Ikpomwonsa Omoruyi, who was allegedly led by one Mr. Justin Omoruyi now said to be held by Special Weapon and Tactics, (SWAT) team of the police in Abuja.

tension in the agrarian community of Ekiugbo and fueled fear of a breakdown of law and order in the area.

Members of the community has asked the Governor of Edo State, Mr.Godwin Obaseki to call to order his Senior Security Aide, Mr. Haruna Yusuf, who was accused of shielding the said suspects through the state

adding that he learnt that the shootout was caused by an APC chieftain that mobilised some fake vigilantes to the community.

He said: “I am too busy to have time for all that rubbish. The police in Edo and Abuja are handling the matter so anyone making any allegation is just wasting his time.”

Nevertheless, leaders of the troubled community had

Ogbankwa, in the petition titled “Petition of Murder, Attempted Murder, Waging Communal War, Illegal Possession of Firearms, Cultism, Violence and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace,” urged the police authority to bring the alleged culprit to book and protect the legal rights and safety of the inhabitants of Ekiugbo community.

Alleged Oil Spill: Court Strikes out N61bn Suit against Mobil Justice I. N. Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday struck out a N61 billion suit against Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited for being incompetent and lacking in merit.

The judge struck out the suit on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked the necessary requirements of the law to file the suit in the first instance.

The Registered Trustees

of AIBOM Oil Producing Community Development Network and four others had dragged Mobil to court seeking the sum of N41,278,502,064 as special damages and N20,000,000,000 as general damages for an oil spill that allegedly occurred in 2014.

However, the defendant filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit in the

first instance.

It hinged its case on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to initiate the suit, adding that plaintiffs did not show how they were affected by the alleged spill they were seeking to be compensated.

The AIBOM Oil Producing Community Development Network had filed the suit on behalf of 83 cooperative

organisations who claimed that they were affected by the oil spillage in 2014.

But in arguing Mobil’s objection on October 8, its lawyer, O. A. Okafor from Kenna Partners, urged the court to strike out the suit on the grounds that the plaintiffs did not meet the requirements for the commencement of the suit in a representative capacity.

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NDLEA Recommends Tests for Public Office Holders, Intending Couples Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Buba Marwa (rtd) has said that the agency has gone beyond seizure, arrest and prosecution of drug traffickers to recommending compulsory tests for public office holders, intending couples and others.

Marwa, who disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong after the passing out ceremony of newly trained officers in Jos, noted that, “The NDLEA has worked out strategies for not only stopping the acquisition and distribution of narcotic substances, but also engaged in massive education and enlightenment to get the entire society on board to fight the menace which is touching every segment of the society.”

He added: “It was for this reason that the agency has not only stopped at seizure, arrest and prosecution of drug traffickers, but also recommended compulsory tests for public office holders, intending couples and others in order to facilitate the rehabilitation and management of those who are already using

drugs.”

Lamenting the ravaging effects of drug abuse on the society, particularly in terms of violent crimes, Marwa said the menace of drug abuse is a nationwide problem which has fuelled violent crimes and

insecurity in many parts of Nigeria including Plateau State.

He commended Lalong for his efforts in assisting the NDLEA Training Academy Jos and Plateau State Command with logistics, infrastructure and collaboration in discharge

of their duties. He appealed for an allocation of land to enable the agency build its barracks which was approved

by President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2022 budget.

Responding, Lalong said he was excited to receive

Marwa whose pedigree for performance is widely known during his military career.

He added that the NDLEA has done a lot in Nigeria, and in particular in his state by arresting drug kingpins who were assumed to be

untouchable.

Lalong, however, appealed to the NDLEA chairman to intensify efforts in helping the state avoid being used as a transit place for narcotics, and also to handle the rehabilitation of those already affected.

COURTESY VISIT…

L-R: National President, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr. Williams Akporeha; Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, and National President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr. Festus Osifo, during their courtesy visit to the commission in Abuja… yesterday

NYSC to Sanction Employers 2023: Middle Belt Clerics Insist on United Nigeria, Restates Aiding Absenteeism of Call for Zone toBenue Produce Next President State business mogul, Mr. State; Imam Abubakar Musa - Bishops: Arch Bishop Edward .C. Chuks Okocha in Abuja Corps Members Moses Ayom, remained their best Plateau State; Imam Idris Musa Williams, Bishop David Usman, option as the next president.

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has declared that it would sanction employers found be aiding and abetting evasion of service and other misconducts among corps members posted to their organisation to carry out their primary assignment.

The Director General of NYSC Brig Gen Ibrahim Shuaibu gave the warning on Wednesday in Sokoto during the 2021 NYSC /Corps Employers Workshop aimed at fashioning collective improvement on welfare and productivity for corps members.

Shuaibu, who was represented by the Acting Director Procurement, Madam Ambekemo Eniola, said the scheme has increased the number of regular inspection

of corps members at their places of primary assignment (PPA) to ensure that absentee corps members are duly sanctioned.

He said: “In this regard, the scheme would not spare employers of corps members or other persons found liable in aiding and abetting absenteeism and absconding from service by corps members.”

Shuaibu further warned against rejection of corps members particularly government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The workshop with the theme: “Optimising the NYSC /Corps Employers Partnership for National Development in The Context of New Normal,” was held simultaneously across the 36 state of the federation and Federal Capital Territory.

Osun Election: PDP to Commence Sale of Forms November 22 Chuks Okocha in Abuja Ahead of the July 16, 2022 Osun State governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to commence the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms from Monday, November 22 to Friday, December 10, 2021.

Also, the National Working Committee (NWC) has approved the appointment of a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the Lagos State chapter of the party.

In statement by the National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu, the party said that under the revised timetable for activities leading to the primary election as approved

by the NWC, the last day for submission of forms has been fixed for Friday, December 17, 2021.

He said that the screening of aspirants is scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at the National Secretariat, while appeals on screening have been slated for Wednesday, January 26, 2022.

Also, the party said that ward congresses to elect three-man adhoc delegates have been fixed for from Wednesday, February 16 to Thursday, February 17, 2022 while Local Government Congress for election of one national delegate and one person living with disability per local government has been scheduled for Saturday, February 26, 2022.

Christians and Islamic clerics from the Middle Belt of Nigeria yesterday restated their belief in the continued unity of Nigeria as an indivisible nation, while reiterating their support for the zone to produce the next president.

The clerics also said that the

In a communique issued by the North Central Inter- Faith Clerics Council of Nigeria at their meeting held in Abuja yesterday and signed for the Islamic clerics

by Danladi Ibrahim - Niger State; Imam Yakubu Musa - Katsina

- Benue State; Imam Aliyu Rabiu Lawal - Nasarrawa State; Imam Ahmad Abdullah - Benue State; Imam Muhammed Salisu - Niger State and Imam Mallam Mai Umar - Borno State.

While the following signed for the council of Middle Belt

Bishop Emmanuel Jayeola, Bishop Olufemi Babalola, Dr. Prophet Sina Abimbola, Bishop Jeremiah Otubor, Bishop Festus Happiness Onyemachi, Bishop Dr. Emeka Theodore Nwizugbo, Bishop Timothy Cheren and Bishop Adams Abel Kings.

FCT Demolitions to Correct Infractions of Master Plan, Says Minister Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Mohammad Musa Bello, has pronounced that the sleuth of demolitions in Abuja is to correct infractions of the city’s master plan.

Bello summed up this position yesterday while interacting with reporters in relation to the

ongoing demolition exercises in the territory.

The minister, who thumped up the task team on city sanitation, however, ruled out compensation for owners of illegal structures.

He said that the FCT administration would pay compensation for any land or structure legally acquired by authorities to provide

infrastructure or public facilities.

He said that most of the infractions happened during COVID-19 lockdown, when the inability of the inspectorate staff to cover the city gave room for lot of people to start erecting illegal structures.

“The policies and guidelines for building in FCT is very clear and well documented, the laws are there. What we are doing is

basically to remove infringements on the issue of compensation will not arise because everything is illegal. For instance, people decide to build on the road corridors and in most cases some of this building you will see that the administration might have given many notices to them but they still went ahead to build the illegal structures, so we keep demolishing,” he vowed.

PHED Warns Electricity Vandals against Electrocution Blessing Ibunge in PortHarcourt Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc, Dr. Henry Ajagbawa, has warned vandals of electricity and electrical armored cables within its area of coverage against being electrocuted in the process of theft.

Ajagbawa also lauded youths of

Idung Udofa community in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State for apprehending two electricity vandals.

The suspects were alleged to have vandalised XLPS armored cables from the Udofia QIC Substation of the company in Eket.

According to the statement

by John Anonyai, Head of Corporate Communications,

PHED, yesterday, the two suspects, whose names are yet be disclosed are currently cooling off in the Police cell at the Eket Divisional Police Station awaiting prosecution, while the third vandal is at large.

Commending the youths further, Ajagbawa condemned the unlawful action of the vandals, and assured the state that those who vandalise public facilities will

always be dealt with according to the law.

He expressed displeasure at vandalism in “our franchise area despite public sensitisation and customer engagement of the company for the public to understand the destructive consequences of vandalism on the company, customers and the public.”

BON, APCON Synergize to Boost Revenue Generation, Media Industry Growth Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Chairman, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Mr. John Ugbe, has called for innovations that would aide to address various challenges militating against revenue generation and growth of the media and advertising industry in Nigeria.

Ugbe made the call in Abuja during a courtesy visit to the

Registrar/CEO of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, and commended the council for the introduction of some new policies.

He noted that the industry could not grow without advertising and expressed optimism that the policies would help resolve long problems of industry.

Declaring BON’s support to

Advertising Industry Standard of Operating Procedure (AISOP) policy, he added that the organisation is ready to partner with APCON on this and other policies to ensure its beneficial to all the parties.

He said: “I spoke about the debt of our advertising industry, and I don’t see how smaller African countries, some smaller than Nigeria will have a deeper advertising

industry than us here. And some of it may be due to this longstanding industry debt. Being an advertiser, I see another problem, I think some reaction to some of the policies you tried to put in place, shows that the problem has to be tackled from different perspectives. I think if these policies are well implemented, it will be very helpful to all the media organizations.

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Sultan Urges Buhari to Fulfill Agreements with ASUU

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to ensure that the federal government honour the agreement it reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) so as to prevent another strike.

The traditional ruler, who is also the Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, stated this yesterday in Ibadan at the grand finale of the convocation of the University which was also used to celebrate its 73rd Founder’s Day. Buhari, who is the Visitor to the university, was represented at the ceremony by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Administration, National Universities Commission, Chris Mayaki.

Speaking the sultan said: “I will like to request the visitor to please look into the requests

by ASUU. An ultimatum has been given to the government

by ASUU. I will like to call on government look into ASUU’s requests.

“Where agreements were reached, uphold such agreements. As Muslims, we know that almighty Allah do not say what he cannot do. It is terrible in the eyes of the Almighty to say what you cannot do.

“If the government has

entered into any agreement with ASUU, please redeem such agreement so that our universities can remain open and our children remain in school for the betterment of

our great country.”

He also appeal to government for improved funding to enhance research and physical development of the university.

The sultan also called on the new Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, to ensure genuine reconciliation with other contestants for the development of the university.

In his speech, the ProChancellor and the Chairman of the Governing Council of UI, John Odigie-Oyegun, said the university required a special intervention and hard work

to restore its respect among universities in the world.

On his part, Adebowale said the university was still facing the problem of power, as well as Internet connectivity.

EXPORT BUSINESS ON THEIR MINDS…

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Mr. Abba Abubakar Bello; Executive Director, Business Development, Hon. Stella Okotete; Executive Director, Corporate Services, Dr. Bala Bello at the Intra African Trade Fair IATF in Durban South Africa…recently

Gbajabiamila Seeks Renewed Four Dead, Others Injured as Another Building Collapses in Lagos Nigeria-Japan Bilateral Ties

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has called for the deepening of the existing bilateral relations between Nigeria and Japan.

Gbajabiamila made the call while receiving the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, during a courtesy visit to his office yesterday.

He noted that the House of Representatives was also desirous of sustaining the existing robust parliamentary engagements with the Japanese parliament.

The speaker noted that the relaxation of travel restrictions would allow the deployment of parliamentary diplomacy by the House through the Nigeria-Japan Parliamentary

Friendship Group (PFG).

He said: “Both countries had greatly benefitted from their 61 years of friendship in several areas of the economy, including technology, education. With our 61st years of relationships to me, it’s a rebirth of a new phase. Japan and Nigeria have longstanding ties, 61 years and counting as we lean on each other in many areas of the economy, technology and many others.

“We are now looking forward to that new phase and the PFG will be working closely with you.

Japan is a major player and we are a growing democracy and we will be working with you in so many areas and through our Parliamentary Diplomacy. we intend to take it to another level in a way it will benefit Nigeria and whoever we are in a parliamentary diplomatic relationship with.”

Osun 2022: Ex-Minister Decries Group’s Activities Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Former Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan has said that the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola lacks capacity to stall the wish of the people of the Osun State to re-elect Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for second term.

He said it is important to sensitise the public against the lies and misinformation of The Osun Progressive (TOP), a group backed by former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who according to him, are all out to tarnish the image of the current administration in the state.

According to him, the former Governor has been tolerated for so long by the present

administration for being silent on how they run the state which is giving his former aide the courage to be bragging about his failure in office.

Adesiyan took up the interior minister through a WhatsApp broadcast saying it is the time for the people of the state to know the truth.

Apparently referring to a recent radio interview of Senator Basiru Ajibola with respect to activities of The Osun Progressive (TOP) The ex-Minister said: ‘’This is what you should have been doing to sensitise the public, to expose his dubious behaviours while in office. If you have done so and call him for accountability he won’t have time for formation of TOP.

Four persons have died and five others rescued as a building under construction collapsed in the Badagry area of Lagos State yesterday The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the figures in an update.

“Nine Casualties who were construction workers were

recorded of which five adult males were rescued and taken to the hospital for medical treatment while four adult males were recovered dead from the rubbles and taken to Badagry General Hospital by Police Officers from Area K in the company of family members for documentation,” the agency posted on its social media handle.

Earlier, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had said that the victims, who were mainly construction workers, were rescued with varying degrees of injury but in stable condition and been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

“However, four adults male have been recovered (unconscious) thus far as the

Nigerian Police, Morogbo Division, and the community dwellers are complementing the efforts of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service,” the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said about the building located at Sunny Filled, Flour Mills, Estate, Magbon in Badagry.

Judge Cautions Lagos AG against Distortion of Facts Wale Igbintade Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal high court, sitting in Lagos has cautioned the AttorneyGeneral of Lagos state against distortion of facts in respect of a petition written against him to the Chief Judge.

Justice Osiagor stated this at the resumed hearing of a suit filed by Admiralty Fleet Limited

(BICS Garden), and Admiral Festus Porbeni (Rtd), against the Attorney General, Lagos State; National Inland Waterways Authority; and the Chairman, Lagos State Special Task Force.

When the matter came up for hearing, Justice Osiagor informed parties that following the petition written by the Attorney-General, Lagos State he would no longer like to preside over the matter

anymore.

“I will not want to continue with this matter. I will tell the Admin Judge that I would like to recuse myself. The Attorney General wrote his petition without looking at the record of the court.

Either he was misled by his counsel in his ministry or they want to be mischievous. The Attorney General has distorted the facts and I will not want

to continue with the matter.

Whenever the CJ writes, I will respond appropriately.”

Justice Osiagor stated that if the petitioner had taken time to look at the record of the court, he would have seen that the court refused an exparte application brought by the plaintiffs on the 12th October 2021 and ordered that the defendants should all be put on notice.

Motorcyclists Attack Police Station over Killing of Colleague Fidelis David in Akure

Commercial motorcyclists yesterday allegedly attacked the A Division Police Station in Akure, Ondo State, in a protest against the killing of their colleague by a policeman.

It was gathered that a driver had knocked down and killed one commercial motorcyclist and

a cocoa merchant at Arakale area of Akure, and both men died on the spot. This was said to have triggered the protest.

An eyewitness told THISDAY that a policeman attached to a filling station in the area fired shots in the air to scare the protesters away but one of the shot hit and killed a commercial motorcycle rider.

The policeman was said to have fled to the A Division Police State for refuge which led to the attack on the police station by the protesters.

The angry protesters broke into the gate and threw stones into the building while policemen and their families fled through the back gate, as some scaled the fence and ran

away.

Bonfires were set up at the police station, while they demanded to see the policeman who shot and killed one of their colleagues.

While reacting to incident, the Ondo Police spokesman, DSP Fumilayo Odunlami, said the situation has been put under control.

Orjiako Repaying Shebah Loans Bayo Akinloye Fresh facts have emerged about the involvement of the Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Dr. A.B.C. Orjiako in the Shebah loans obtained to carry out drilling campaign in OML 108.

Findings showed that contrary to the media reports, Orjiako has personally repaid a total of $143.3 million. A breakdown of the sum was $89.3 million and

$54 million repaid so far by him respectively.

Cases related to the loan had been in various courts between London and Nigeria since 2014, until the latest initiated by Zenith Bank in October 2021.

All the cases were in relation to the inconclusive drilling campaign in Ukpokiti oil field, offshore the Niger Delta.

Orjiako was merely the majority shareholder of Shebah

and guarantor of the facilities.

But findings revealed that he had repaid $89.3 million (out of a total principal of $150 million) including the $20 million paid this year to the consortium of AMCON/Afrexim/Access Bank toward the repayment efforts.

Also, it was gathered that he had made a proposal to the creditors to accommodate Zenith Bank in the distribution of the repayment, but they were yet

to accept the proposal, which would have prevented the Zenith Bank court action last month.

Similarly, in the case of Zenith Bank, Orjiako, it was gathered, has also paid back $54 million (including proceeds of forced sale of his family Seplat shares by Zenith Bank) out of the principal of $70 million and is currently engaging the bank to negotiate an out of court settlement.

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THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Gernot Rohr Under Intense Pressure to Quit Eagles Job

Defends his wards, insists qualifying for playoffs most important F S

G R

Bronckhorst Close to Becoming Balogun, Aribo’s Manager at Rangers Rangers are close to finalising a deal for Giovanni van Bronckhorst to become their new manager meaning Nigerian players led by Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo have life to live since the exit of former Manager, Steven Gerrard.

According to 90min who last week noted that the former Gers midfielder quickly made it known to the club that he was interested in replacing Gerrard, who departed for Aston Villa, as manager, as did fellow Rangers alumni Gennaro Gattuso - who has previously managed Milan and Napoli.

Rangers were quick off the mark in putting together a shortlist of candidates to succeed Gerrard through sporting director Ross Wilson, but it was immediately clear that Van Bronckhorst ticked a lot of the Scottish Premiership champions' boxes.

The Dutchman is currently a free agent after leaving his most recent job in China with Guangzhou R&F for family reasons, and was previously in charge of Feyenoord for four years - where he lifted the Eredivisie title and won two domestic cups.

The 46-year-old is now ready to get back into management and sees taking

over at Rangers as the ideal opportunity following initial talks last week.

Van Bronckhorst is understood to be in Glasgow finalising the details of his contract and is making plans for who he will appoint to his backroom staff.

At this stage, 90min understands that he is unlikely to be joined by his preferred number two, Jean-Paul van Gastel, who is currently head coach at Chinese Super League side

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Guangzhou City.

Sources close to the club have told 90min that Rangers are confident of naming Van Bronckhorst as their new boss before the weekend, and that despite talking to other targets, he was first choice among a number of the club's hierarchy.

During his three-year stint at Ibrox as a player, Van Bronckhorst made 117 appearances in all competitions before joining Arsenal for £8m in 2001.

After Super Eagles managed to escape into the final playoffs of the 2022 World Cup on Tuesday with a dismal 1-1 draw with Cape Verde, Head Coach of the senior Nigerian football team, Gernot Rohr, has come under intense pressure to step down from the post.

Nigeria topped Group C of the World Cup qualifiers with 13 points, just two above minnow Cape Verde.

The Island nation ranked 40 spots below Nigeria in FIFA standing, gave the three-time African champions a scare at home in Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

THISDAY checks revealed yesterday that moments after the less than satisfactory performance by Rohr’s wards, the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was divided on whether to allow the German gaffer to continue on the job.

A member of the board who did not want his name in print told THISDAY that Nigerians have had enough from Gernot Rohr and should be asked to go irrespective of what it entails to severe the contract renewed after leading Eagles to the World Cup in Russia in 2018.

“For how long are we to continue to put up with this kind of performance?

Did you see any input of a decent coach in what Eagles displayed in such a crucial World Cup qualifier,” observed the

football administrator.

When asked why Rohr’s contract was renewed when it was obvious the 68-year old coach was bereft of the quality desired by a team swarming with talents as Super Eagles, the board member insisted some of his colleagues did not support his return but the sentiment of the German winning the Russia 2018 ticket in a group that had Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia played a major role in giving him a second term.

“After seeing how he did not know what to do to tame Argentina when Eagles had the opportunity of cruising past the South Americans into the second round at Russia 2018, some of us said his contract should not be renewed. But majority members said his rebuilding process should not be interrupted. After five years now, where has this so-called rebuilding lead us to now,” fumed the official.

Given Rohr’s hefty $45,000 monthly wage, any attempt to sack him now is likely to attract a princely $2million fine which cash-strapped NFF is incapable of paying.

However, in a post match interview with reporters inside Teslim Balogun Stadium on Tuesday evening, Rohr defended his team, stressing that qualifying for the next stage was vital which Eagles did.

“First of all, a draw can be like a victory, for today (Tuesday) because

we wanted to qualify and knew that a draw means qualification. It was not an easy game because Cape Verde are a good technical team, and they scored at the moment. We believed we had the match in our hands,” he said.

Despite the Blue Sharks cancelling out Victor Osimhen’s first minute advantage four minutes later, Rohr praised his wards for holding on till the final whistle.

“I will stand with the team because they fought back to remain in contention for qualification which is the most important thing,” stressed the former Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso coach.

He admitted that his back line was slow in connecting with Eagles attack midfield and attack.

“It was most unfortunate that the defence line was slow at linking up with the attackers and thus put more pressure on the team in the vital area.”

Although Super Eagles scored nine goals and conceded three in all the six matches played, the home defeat inflicted on Nigeria

by Central African Republic was a blight on the team.

After this stage, all the teams that topped their groups (10 of them) will be paired one against the other to play home and away. The five winners of the playoffs are to represent Africa at the World Cup in Qatar next year.

FIFA Admits Reviewing S’Africa’s Appeal for Replay with Ghana FIFA confirmed yesterday that it is reviewing South Africa’s formal complaint to replay their Group G

World Cup qualifier 1-0 defeat against Ghana on Sunday.

SAFA CEO Tebogo Motlanthe confirmed they had made a “formal complaint” immediately after the match at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

In addition, former referee Ace Ncobo claimed that a staggering 89.3% of incorrect decisions from referee Maguette Ndiaye went against Bafana Bafana.

Ghana were awarded a controversial penalty in the 33rd minute after Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey was adjudged to have been fouled.

“Yes, I can confirm that we acted immediately by registering (a complaint) with the match commissioner last night,” Motlanthe told Kickoff.com.

“The penalty issue, from where I was seated,

it didn’t look legit. It is sad that referees decide the games at this level.

“Having seen what the team went through it is disheartening and we salute the Technical Team and the players for showing the fighting spirit despite the match officials’ conduct.”

FIFA confirmed in a statement that they were in the process of reviewing the official complaint by SAFA. “FIFA has received a complaint from the South African FA in relation to this matter and will review it. Please understand we cannot comment further at this stage.,” A FIFA official said.

Bafana were previously involved in a replay during a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Senegal after the referee was found guilty of match manipulation.

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Qualified Teams, Those in the Playoffs and Countries that Missed the Cut

L-R: England’s Harry Kane (Qualified); Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal (Playoff) and Germany’s Thomas Mueller (Qualified) were in battles as countries tried to book places in the 2022 World Cup to hold in Qatar next year

W

ith one year to go until the 2022 World Cup gets under way in Qatar, several nations have now booked their places – while others must face a nervous wait.

A dramatic final round of fixtures in European qualifying drew to a close on Tuesday, with reigning world champions France and Gareth Southgate’s England among those that secured their spots.

However, there will be some big names in Europe’s play-off deciders in March – plus there’s plenty still yet to be decided around the rest of the world.

Who has qualified from Europe?

European Championship runners-up England qualified for the 2022 World Cup as one of 10 group winners, sealing top spot in style by thrashing San Marino 10-0 in their final Group I game on Friday.

Also heading to the World Cup are 2018 winners France, while Belgium, Denmark and Germany all safely navigated their groups as well.

It was not all straightforward for Europe’s heavyweights, however.

There were some crucial top-of-the-table deciders in the final round of fixtures, with Serbia scoring a 90th-minute winner to pip Portugal to first place, and both Spain and Croatia netting late on to edge their respective closest challengers Sweden and Russia.

In a thrilling conclusion to qualifying, Switzerland also took full advantage of Italy’s draw against Northern Ireland to take Group C on Monday, while on Tuesday the Netherlands emerged victorious from a closely contested Group G.

Who is in play-offs, when are they and how do they work?

Joining those 10 group winners in Qatar will be three other European nations, who will come from the 10 runners-up and two Nations League teams in the play-offs.

Wales and Scotland must go via this route but they will be joined by some surprising names.

Scotland’s superb closing victory over Denmark ensured they will be one of the six seeded sides granted a home draw for the play-offs, which take place next March, while Wales earned a precious draw against the world’s number one ranked side Belgium to secure

Balogun, Ogbiyoyo Crowned National Chess Champions Femi Solaja Top Nigerian chess player, International Master Oluwafemi Balogun, has emerged as the new National Champion of chess in the country after dominating the rest of the pool at the just concluded National Chess Championship in Lagos.

Balogun, a three-time participant at the World Chess Olympiad, garnered seven points in a nine-round robin tournament.

For his efforts, the only unbeaten player in the tournament won for himself, N1.5m just as Abimbola Osunfuyi was runners up with six points and won the sum of N1m. Chukwunonso Oragwu was second runner up with five points and bagged N750,000.

“It’s a special moment for me and will want to continue with same tempo that helped me to achieved this feat.

“Combining chess with the reality of the country's economic situation has not been easy but residual knowledge and

personal ability have been the motivating factors for me,” Balogun remarked after collecting his prize.

Before this unique feat, Balogun two years ago was one the African representatives at the annual World Chess Championship in Russia where he was eliminated by number one player in the world, Magnus Carlsen in the opening match.

Woman FIDE Master, Ogbiyoyo Perpetual Eloho, also emerged as the winner in the women's section.

She won the championship having recorded a total score of 7 points out of the possible 9. Her only defeat was in the hands of Ofowino Toritsemuwa, who finished second in the championship.

Woman International Master (elect) Ofowino Toritsemuwa secured second spot, half a point behind the champion.

Enomah Emmanuella Trust finished third on the log with a total of 6 of the possible 9 points.

a home draw of their own.

European champions Italy and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal,as well as Sweden and Russia, join Scotland and Wales as the seeded play-off nations.

They could face Poland, who finished six points behind Euro 2020 finalists England, North Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine – who all sealed runners-up spots – plus the Czech Republic and Austria courtesy of their Nations League performances.

The play-offs will begin with six single-leg semi-final matches played between 24 and 25 March 2022.

The six semi-finals are split into three paths, leading to three play-off finals – also decided by a single match – which will take place between 28 and 29 March.

Who has qualified from the rest of the world?

Brazil became the first South American nation to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, doing so with six qualifiers to play following a 1-0 win over Colombia on Friday.

Brazil coach Tite’s side have dropped just two points from 12 games and are 10 points clear of second-placed Argentina, who they drew goalless with yesterday.

Meanwhile, Ecuador on 23 points are six points clear of Colombia and Peru after defeating Chile 2-0 yesterday. The Chileans are tied on same 16 points as Uruguay in the race to guarantee qualification with a top-four finish.

In the North American, Central American and the Caribbean region, Canada lead the pack on 16 points after defeating Mexico 2-1 yesterday to upstage USA. The Yankees are second on 15 points with Mexico and Panama tied on 14 points occupying the third and fourth spots. The Top Three teams have automatic

qualification to the World Cup in Qatar In Asia, where qualifying will resume in January, 16 points from a possible 18 ensure Saudi Arabia top a difficult Group B – which also includes Japan, in second, and third-placed Australia.

Over in Group A the top two have a significant margin with Iran, who have also dropped just two points, leading South Korea.

Meanwhile, Qatar automatically qualify as hosts.

Finally, in Africa, five qualification places will be decided by five two-legged play-off matches due to take place in March.

Mohamed Salah’s Egypt will be one of the sides involved, as will Algeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia.

-Culled from BBC Sports

COUNTRIES THAT HAVE QUALIFIED Belgium Croatia Denmark England France Germany Netherlands Serbia Spain Switzerland Brazil Argentina Qatar (hosts)

Messi Leads Albicelestein Show of Support for Aguero Argentina's players unfurled a giant banner in support of Sergio Aguero prior to their 2022 World Cup qualifier with Brazil on Tuesday night.

Barcelona striker Aguero has been advised to take three months out of football due to arrhythmia heart issues, which flared up against Alaves in LaLiga last month.

While Aguero has looked to squash talk he will need to retire, there has been lots of concern for the former Manchester City striker and Lionel Messi and Co wanted to pledge their support ahead of their crunch match with Brazil.

“We are all with you, Kun,” read the banner, which came accompanied with a photo of Aguero celebrating scoring for Argentina.

Aguero was taken off 41 minutes into his first Barcelona start last month against Alaves having complained with chest pains.

The 33-year-old has since been ordered to rest for three months and he said he would continue to wait before assessing the situation.

The Argentinian walked off the pitch before spending the next two days in hospital.

Barcelona then announced that Aguero would rest for three months while “the effectiveness of treatment is evaluated.”

The incident prompted an outpouring of support at City,

Aguero's former club.

“I spoke with his agent. It’s difficult news for him and his family,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.

“We wish him well from all our people. Our chairman, we wish him a safe recovery. Health and life more important than anything else.

“He is in good hands, he takes care of himself, we wish him a safe recovery and come back if he can – otherwise enjoy his life and what he has done. Be careful and be safe for the rest of his life.”

Aguero's former City teammate Kyle Walker, who was on the White Hart Lane pitch

when Fabrice Muamba’s suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup tie in 2012, added City’s players were in shock at the news.

“I played with Christian (Eriksen) and it happened at the Euros to him and you think about him and the family,” said Walker “I hope Sergio is OK, I spoke to Christian a couple of weeks ago on text message. It is a surprise, we are fit athletes and we train every day. His health is more important that football at the moment.

“I have seen it happen to a few people I have shared a dressing room with. Take

your time, as long as it takes.”

Earlier in November, Aguero released a video thanking the Barcelona supporters for the messages of support he has received.

Aguero said: “Hey Culers!

Sending you all a big hug!

“Thank you for all the messages of support. Now it's time to recover and wait for more news. Sending you all a big hug.”

Aguero had made five appearances in all competitions for Barcelona since arriving in Spain. He scored one goal, in the 2-1 defeat against fierce rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga.

Argentina players unfurled a giant banner in support of Sergio Aguero just before the Albiceleste played a goalless draw with Brazil early hours of yesterday

Thursday, November 18, 2021

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Price: N250

MISSILE Lucky Irabor to Nigerians “Whether it is a true report I can’t tell. But I’d like to indicate that the normal procedure is to have such a report submitted to the convening authority.

And then there will be a white paper, based on which one can make informed comments. But I can assure you that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is well disciplined and do not engage in the ignoble act”—Chief of Defence Staff, on the report of the Lagos panel on EndSARS

OLUSEGUNADENIYI The Bloodstains at Lekki Tollgate THE VERDICT

“When the army announced last week that beginning Tuesday it would commence ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’—not against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east but rather across the country “to identify, track, and counter negative propaganda in the social media and across cyberspace”—it was obvious to discerning Nigerians that EndSARS protesters were their target. It was also clear that the intervention would not end well. Crocodiles don’t smile. When the big reptile opens its mouth, it is not a friendly gesture; it is to kill and destroy.

And that was exactly what happened at the Lekki-Epe toll gate in Lagos on Tuesday night following what appeared to be a well-orchestrated attack under the cover of darkness. The exact number of lives lost in that tragic incident as well as in other cities (where criminals have hijacked the civil protests) in the past one week remain a matter of speculation. But no one will dispute the fact that what we are now experiencing is a national calamity. The irony to the Lekki tragedy is that you can be shot by soldiers while protesting extrajudicial killings by the police!”

—From EndSARS to Bloodbath, 22 October 2020 “That a blood-stained flag is being used to symbolize what happened at Lekki tollgate on the night of 20th October 2020 is a sad commentary on our country. The story behind it is that when soldiers arrived the scene, protesters took a knee, waved the Nigerian Flag, and began singing the National Anthem. The shots that reportedly followed stained the flag. In these days of alternative facts, nobody can be sure that exactly was what happened. But it really doesn’t matter. To feel safe and secure in your own country is a basic right. The EndSARS protests resulted from the denial of those rights by agents of state. To be shot by soldiers (with or without a flag) while protesting is a stain on the conscience of any nation.”

—Lekki and the Bloodstained Flag, 29 October 2020

I

n the wee hours of Wednesday, 21 October 2020, according to the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State Government to probe the EndSARS protest, “three trucks with brushes underneath were brought to the Lekki Toll Gate… to clean up the scene of bloodstains and other evidence.”

It was a futile exercise. Blood is a peculiar (some would say spiritual) fluid that often exacts revenge. Particularly when spilled unjustly.

That is perhaps the only way to explain why it would take a panel set up by government to return a verdict that indicts authorities and vindicates the claim by the protesters as to what transpired that fateful night.

We must commend the Lagos panel for staying the course. Two reports were submitted, one regarding police brutality cases and the other, findings on the investigation into the shooting incident at Lekki tollgate. The challenge now is for the Lagos State government to conclude the process to allow justice to be served for the victims and culprits. Chaired by Doris Okuwobi, a retired Judge of the Lagos State High Court, with Babajide Boye as Secretary, panel members include Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, Taiwo Lakanu, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Patience Patrick-Udoh, ‘Segun Awosanya, Oluwatoyin Odusanya, Lucas

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

the body bags, the scars inflicted in the hearts of many of our young people will be lasting.

This is a tragedy that goes even deeper than scars inflicted by bullets. And it is something we must deal with.

When in April this year an American police officer, Derek Chauvin was convicted for the murder of George Floyd, President Joe Biden described it as a ‘too rare’ step to deliver “basic accountability” for Black Americans who had for decades endured police brutality. “It was a murder in full light of day, and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see,” said Biden in a national broadcast. “This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America.”

There is a lesson the authorities in Nigeria can take from that tragic incident which also sparked national outrage, and this can be the moment. Aside from taking responsibility, the message Biden sent out was that a law enforcement badge should not insulate anybody from the repercussions of naked abuse of power

Sanwo-Olu Koyejo and Majekodunmi Oluwaseun. In all, 48 victims were identified by the panel. Eleven were confirmed dead, four said to be missing but presumed dead while 24 sustained gunshot injuries.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has constituted a White Paper committee and we await their conclusion on the shooting incident and several far-reaching recommendations made by the panel on extra-judicial killings and torture by the police. But the greater burden lies with the federal government. In the wake of the tragedy, a number of officials were fixated as to whether any shooting even occurred. That unfortunate debate has now been laid to rest. But as I also stated last year, even before the panel counted

that cheapens human life. The only culture permissible in a democracy is one that respects the freedom and rights of the citizenry. What we have been dealing with over the years is a tradition of abuse by agents of state that encouraged the excesses of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) whose personnel resembled licensed thugs. It was the resistance of our young people to that culture of abuse that led us to where we are.

It is sad that our collective psyche has become so numb that sanctity of life does not seem to mean much any longer in Nigeria.

To change that narrative, we must not accept cover-ups or half measures in dealing with these reports. Those found culpable for the shooting by soldiers at Lekki tollgate as well as human rights violations by the police should be apprehended, prosecuted, and made to face the full weight of the law. That is the only way to appease the memory of the victims and their surviving relations and to reassure Nigerians that this is a new day.

Adieu Sani Dangote At about 5am yesterday, I arrived Kano International Airport from Abuja with my chairman, Nduka Obaigbena, former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke and president of the King’s College (Lagos) Old Boys’ Association, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, to join several others, awaiting the arrival from Miami, Florida, of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who was performing a most painful chore: bringing for burial the remains of his younger brother, Sani. At 6.35am, three planes touched down, one of them carrying Ahaji Aliko, their mother, Hajiya Mariya, the widow, Aisha, as well as the eldest son of the deceased, Mohammed, among several other family members. The moment Dangote saw a close friend sobbing at the foot of the aircraft as he alighted, he

also could not hold his emotions.

Highly cerebral, Alhaji Sani was a man of ideas who enjoyed healthy debates on issues.

He brought that intellect to bear at his brother’s company where he was Group Vice President until his death. Although I didn’t relate as closely with him as I do with his senior brother, I found him very friendly, and I have heard many speak of his uncommon kindness and blunt disposition. That much was evident from the number of prominent personalities that congregated in Kano yesterday. Buried at the family’s historical Sarari Graveyard after prayers both at his residence and at the palace of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sani has played his part and now with his maker. May God comfort his family and grant him Aljannah Firdaus.

Islam, Christianity, and Yorubaland The claim by a young engineer, Sikiru Adebowale, that he was denied a job by the late promoter of the collapsed 21-storey building at Ikoyi, Femi Osibona on account of being a Muslim, has been weaponised by the Muslim Rights Council (MURIC) Director, Prof Ishaq Akintola. To him, it is evidence of “the sufferings of Yoruba Muslims under their overbearing and selfish Christian overlords who want all political offices, all civil service vacancies, all teaching jobs, all construction works, etc. for Christians and Christians alone.” Taking a cue from MURIC, other commentators have joined to denigrate the Yoruba people on what they consider religious intolerance, based on a false construct.

Yoruba people have never claimed exceptionalism when it comes to religious tolerance. Although I find the 2013 journal article, ‘The management of religious diversity in West Africa: The exceptionalism of the Wolof and Yoruba in the post-independence period’

by Dr Irene Osemeka of the University of Lagos, quite fascinating. The dominant view, which is true, is that in Yorubaland, religion is not a predisposing factor when it comes to politics, business, or social interactions

because there is hardly any family without adherents of both faiths. For instance, there is still a generation in my village who would not know me until somebody reminds them that I am ‘omo Muni’ (Munirat’s son) because that is my late mother’s birth name as a Muslim before she became Felicia after marrying my father.

Although Osibona is no longer here to defend himself, I do not doubt the ‘testimony’ of Adebowale on the rejection that saved him from death in the collapsed building. But context is also important. It is possible that as at the time the interaction took place, Osibona might be playing to an audience, especially since Adebowale did not disclose the people who witnessed the drama. But I am sure of one thing.

On that same day that Adebowale was denied the job, if Alhaji Femi Okunnu (or Osibona’s friend, the Oluwo of Iwo) had sent two engineers who were Muslims, they probably would have been employed, even if it meant sacking some Christians to accommodate them! That is the way our elites work.

This is not to say there is no tension or competition between Muslims and Christians

in Yorubaland. There are buried issues which explain the manner Adebowale was quickly absorbed by another company promoted by a Muslim. In recent years, there has been a controversy around the wearing of Hijab and some Islamic leaders have complained about Muslims being marginalised in terms of appointments in a particular Southwest state. I am also aware of the damage that might have been done to the psyche of Muslims who attended Christian Mission schools many decades ago and were conscripted into practices they considered alien to their own faith.

These are issues that we should not gloss over and we can have meaningful conversations around them to facilitate better accommodation in Yorubaland.

However, as Simon Kolawole rightly pointed out in his last Sunday column, ‘Yoruba Muslims and Fifth Columnists’, until the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) campaigned for a ‘Christian’ to succeed Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN in Lagos in 2015, the politics of religion was largely muffled. r/05& 5IJT QJFDF JT DPODMVEFE PO QBHF

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