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Report: Food Scarcity Looms as Nation’s Reserves Decline Attacks on farmers, climate change, COVID-19 unleash devastating blow Tobi Soniyi A surge in attacks on Nigerian farmers is having a knock-on effect on the country's food reserves, Bloomberg has

reported.

Citing the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, the news agency said stocks had declined to less than 30,000 metric tons, a fraction of what

the country of 200 million people requires. President of the association, Kabir Ibrahim, said growing insecurity had made it difficult to augment those supplies.

Food growers are being attacked at least on three fronts. The latest attack took place on November 27, when suspected Islamist insurgents killed dozens of subsistence

rice farmers in the northeastern state of Borno, where an insurgency has raged for more than a decade.

United Nations last month warned that the violence had

compounded production challenges stemming from factors, such as climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, Continued on page 9

US Removes Visa Reciprocity Fees for Nigerian Applicants… Page 5 Sunday 6 December, 2020 Vol 25. No 9372

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Business Mogul and Politician, Harry Akande, Dies at 77 Family silent on cause of death as source alleges COVID-19 We've lost another great man, Makinde mourns Bayo Akinloye A renowned business tycoon and former presidential hopeful, Chief Harry Akande, has died. He was 77.

Akande, the Agba Oye of Ibadanland, Oyo State, who once vied for the country's presidency on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), reportedly,

died on Saturday after a brief illness.

Although, a statement released by the family yesterday did not state the cause of his death, a source

close to the family hinted that the late billionaire might have died of complications from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has

described the death of Akande as a great loss to the state and country.

The statement signed by Olumide Akande on behalf of the family said, “In the early

hours of Saturday December 5, 2020, our patriarch, Chief Harry Ayodele Akande, passed away following a Continued on page 8

NBA, NSE, NMA, ICAN, CIBN, 25 Others Lament Worsening Insecurity Demand overhaul of nation’s security apparatus, want community policing explored Buhari's govt now a liability, says Northern Coalition Emmanuel Addeh and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Thirty prominent elite and professional bodies, yesterday, urged the federal government to immediately begin the overhaul of the country’s security apparatus, lamenting that the security situation has deeply deteriorated in recent months.

Coming under the aegis of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), the organisations, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), among others, urged the government to consider multi-level policing, otherwise called community Continued on page 5

SMART ADEYEMI'S DAUGHTER WEDS...

L–R: Senator Smart Adeyemi; the couple, Mr. and Mrs. Olusola Awujoola; wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Mother of the groom, Mrs. Mary Awujoola, at the marriage solemnisation of Adeola and Olusola at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abuja... yesterday godwin omoigui

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US Removes Visa Reciprocity Fees for Nigerian Applicants Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Bayo Akinloye in Lagos United States has removed all visa reciprocity fees for Nigerians seeking entry visas into the country. The Donald Trump government had in August announced visa reciprocity fees against some countries seen to be charging high visa fees on Americans, including Nigeria.

But against the outcry of many Nigerians, the federal government responded by reducing visa fees for Americans traveling to Nigeria from $180 to $150 in response to the US Embassy’s introduction of a “reciprocity fee� for Nigerians.

The US Embassy had earlier claimed that the reciprocity fee, ranging from $80 to $303 and only to be paid for approved visas, were introduced to “eliminate that cost difference� between visa application fees for both countries. The embassy explained then that the move was in line with a Trump executive order in 2017 for the US Secretary of State to, among other things, adjust fee schedules “to match the treatment of United States

nationals� by other countries.

US Embassy claimed it had been in talks with Nigerian authorities for 18 months to align visa fees.

The Nigerian government, however, explained, after responded to the reciprocity decision by the US Embassy, that the decision to lower visa fees for American applicants was taken months before, but was not implemented because of the transition in government.

The US Embassy did not immediately reverse its decision.

But a statement on Saturday by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the reciprocity fees had been removed. The statement signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, said the United States government had removed all visa reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens seeking entry visas into that country.

The statement said, “The positive development is in line with the removal of excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for United States citizens applying for Nigerian visas by the Nigerian government.

“The United States government has, therefore, eliminated reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens with effect from December 3,

2020. Prospective Nigerian travellers to the United States are hereby advised to visit: www.travel.state.gov for details.

“There are no reciprocity fees remaining on any visa class for Nigerian nationals.

All non-immigrant visa applicants are still required to

pay the $160 non-refundable MRV fee at the time of application. Reciprocity fees paid prior to December 3, 2020 are not refundable.�

LAWAN ON CONDOLENCE VISIT TO NDOMA-EGBA...

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, signing the condolence register at the Abuja residence of former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, following his wife's demise... Friday

NBA, NSE, NMA, ICAN, CIBN, 25 OTHERS LAMENT WORSENING INSECURITY policing, as an option.

This is as Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), a pro-north movement, described the President Muhammadu Buhari government as somewhat of a liability, and urged Nigerians, especially Northerners, to mobilise for regulated self-protection.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, President of APBN and Chairman of Board and Council, Mr. Akin Oyegbola, asked the government to urgently and decisively curb the worsening insecurity of lives and property in Nigeria.

The body called for transparency in the conduct of the #EndSARS panels across the country, saying the demands of the protesters must be looked into dispassionately to assuage their grievances.

APBN stated, “The state of insecurity in the country is worsening and community policing should be explored to bolster the internal security of the country. There’s an urgent need for the complete overhaul of the security apparatus. “It’s the whole apparatus, not just the police or military, because intelligence is central to all of them. What happened a few days ago (killing of farmers in Borno) has even worsened it the more. We believe that this overhauling has to be wholesome. “Whatever should be done should take care of all aspects, not just looking at an aspect.

The worsening state of security is obvious and very apparent.�

The association acknowledged the sitting of judicial commissions of inquiry in various states of the country, but maintained that the Lekki Tollgate shooting must be

specially investigated.

It said, “What will unfold next around #EndSARS largely depends on the willingness of the federal government to investigate the Lekki Tollgate shootings at the #EndSARS protesters in an open and transparent manner and in good faith. “Concerted efforts by the federal government to address the concerns in the 7-point agenda submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari would also boost the trust in government of the #EndSARS protesters and the supportive Nigerian diaspora.�

APBN also addressed other national issues. It said the enforcement of stamp duty on house rent and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) should not be on the priority list of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) at a time the country was experiencing a housing deficit and millions of Nigerians were losing their jobs.

The group declared, “Till date, there are countries that are still giving out palliatives to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. Some countries, apart from giving out palliatives, also take responsibility for utility bills like power, water, data, etc. “APBN, therefore, calls on federal government to look into the policy and change it for the benefit of average Nigerians.�

It also called on all levels of government in the country to develop and improve the health sector, saying the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that various hospitals across the country need state-of-the-art equipment to manage health

crises.

The body maintained that the disbursement of loans by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should be made transparent in accordance with global best practices. “Much needed stimulus packages, grants, single digit interest loans and private investments should equally go to healthcare sector, food, technology, creative, tourism, logistics, education and manufacturing sectors, as these are critical to maintaining jobs, livelihoods and stability, in the midst of this crisis,� the professional bodies stressed, adding, “These are vulnerable industries that must also be supported by the CBN. In addition to financial support to professionals, service industry, banks should ensure that proper structure is put in place, where professionals can interface.�

Stressing the urgent need to revive the economy, APBN held that investment in real estate development by government and individual professionals would aid economic recovery.

The body also recommended the participation of professional groups in government’s economic decision-making, saying there is need for more input from professionals and their representatives before any policy decision by government.

Other members of the group include the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), and Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM).

Listed also as members are Nigerian Institute of Quantity

Surveyors (NIQS), Certified Institute of Shipping of Nigeria (CIS), Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (IPAN), and Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).

Members of APBN also include the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON), Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Certified Institute of Purchasing and Supply Administrators of Nigeria (CIPSAN), and Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN).

Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria (IMCON), National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), and Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) are equally members of APBN. On its part, CNG said its call for regulated self-protection had become imperative following pervasive insecurity across the North. It said the situation was made worse by the fact that the present crop of leaders in the region could neither be advised nor criticised.

Spokesperson of the group, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, spoke at a press conference yesterday in Abuja. He said following the recent massacre

of Zarbarmari rice farmers in Borno State, it was no longer in doubt that Buhari and his administration had failed in the basic constitutional duty of protecting the lives and property of citizens.

CNG said it found the callous and insensitive remarks by the president's aides and cabinet members on the plight of a region in distress not only immoral, but also abhorrent to their sensibilities. It described the comments as unacceptable and condemnable. The group stressed that Buhari's implied endorsement of the insensitive responses suggested that the federal government was not humbled by the enormity of the Borno killings. This attitude, the group maintained, also affirmed fears by many Nigerians about the administration’s willingness and capacity to improve the security infrastructure to make it more effective.

CNG said with no evidence of a willingness on the part of Buhari to honour his oath of office to provide security for Nigerians, it had resolved to convoke an all-Northern Nigeria Security Review in Kaduna on December 14 and 15.

The group stated, “We demand a thorough review and interrogation of the commercialisation of these conflicts by different actors, up and down the ranks and constituencies, defence corruption, as well as the persistent attitude of touting success in the face of failure. “In the light of the current general and pervasive insecurity being felt across the North with regularity of attacks, killings, kidnapping, insurgency, highway robberies and the

sacking of entire communities and the realisation that leaders, such as the ones we have, who cannot be advised or criticised, are a liability, have increased our conviction that the only remaining option is for the people to mobilise for a regulated self-protection. “We conclude by pointing out that the attention of the world was drawn by the Zabarmari killings, because the number was huge, and it all happened at the same place and hour. The truth is, these killings and kidnaps by audacious criminal gangs that roam freely are constant across all communities and highways in northern Nigeria. “This and the indisputable fact that the president and his government have abdicated their primary responsibility of securing every part of the land are clear justifications for the demand for concerted but regulated self-protection initiatives. “Instructively, when ISIS began invading the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Kurdish Peshmerga did not just surrender their hope and destiny to the Iraqi forces.

Instead, they composed regimented and volunteer forces, fully funded and backed by their regional authorities, fought in defence of their homes and families and they prevailed. “This can as well be successfully replicated in the North if all citizens cooperate to raise sufficient funds through individual donations, and mobilise the youth for coordinated action to achieve full cessation of hostilities, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration.�

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NEWS

Canadian Firm Alleges Defence Intelligence Agency Spying on Phones, Text Messages DSS warns against actions that threaten national security Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja A Canadian company, Citizen Lab, has said the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), allegedly, procured a spy system from Circles, a surveillance firm believed to exploit weaknesses in the global mobile phone system to snoop on calls, texts and the locations of phones around the globe.

The report also said some state chief executives in the country procured the spy equipment to monitor political opponents.

This is coming as DirectorGeneral of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Bichi, warned "unpatriotic elements" against actions that threatened national security. Bichi said the secret service agency would ensure that the unity and corporate existence of the country remained inviolable.

Circles, whose products work without hacking the phone itself, says it sells only to nation-states.

According to leaked documents, Circles customers can purchase a system that can be connected to their local telecommunications companies’ infrastructure, or use a separate system called the “Circles Cloud,� which interconnects with telecommunications companies around the world.

Citizen Lab listed 25 governments that were likely to be Circles customers, including Nigeria (Defence Intelligence Agency).

It stated, “We also identified 17 specific government branches that appear to be Circles customers, based on WHOIS (a registrar and seller of domain names) passive DNS, and historical scanning data from Check Point firewall IPs or their neighbours.

"Our scanning identified two Circles systems in Nigeria.

One system may be operated by the same entity as one of the Nigerian customers of the

FinFisher spyware that we detected in December 2014.

The firewall IPs are in the same /27 as the IP address of the FinFisher C&C server we detected in our 2014 scans (41.242.50.50).�

Citizen Lab affirmed, "The other client appears to be the Nigerian Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), as its firewall IPs are in AS37258, a block of IP addresses registered to ‘HQ Defence Intelligence Agency Asokoro, Nigeria, Abuja.’ "Client Name Possible Identity Seen in Scan Firewall IPs Nigeria Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) 2015/6/1 – 2017/4/25 196.1.133.7 – 9 Unknown FinFisher operator from December 2014. 2015/6/1 – Present 41.242.50.42 – 47."

The report said members of civil society organisations in Nigeria faced a wide range of digital threats. It said a recent report by Front Line Defenders alleged that the Nigerian government “has conducted mass surveillance of citizens’ telecommunications.�

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also reported multiple cases of the Nigerian government abusing phone surveillance, it said.

The group cited two state chief executives from the Southsouth that procured the same equipment.

Meanwhile, the DirectorGeneral of DSS expressed the readiness of the agency to prosecute its core mandate of detecting and preventing crimes against the state and government. Bichi called on individuals and groups to join hands with the DSS and other law enforcement agencies to sustain peace and order in the country.

The DSS boss spoke during the graduation ceremony for participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC 13), at the National

Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Abuja.

A total of 50 participants drawn from the security and intelligence sector, para-military and other agencies graduated from the 10-month course, which commenced at the NISS on February 10 this year.

Among the graduands, who were awarded Fellow, Security Institute (fsi), were two participants from Ghana and the Gambia.

In his address, Bichi enjoined the graduands to bring the knowledge acquired during the period of their study to bear on their various places of work, in a bid to enhance security and public safety.

He reminded those criticising

security agencies over the state of insecurity across the country that a few years ago, it was difficult to enter places of worship to pray, or relaxation centres, without apprehension of what might likely happen.

"We must not let selfish people with greedy interest destroy our collective heritage," he said.

The DSS director-general, warned, "We must not allow unpatriotic elements to bring our country down. So, let us unite individually and collectively to address our challenges, and build a better nation for ourselves, our children, and their generation.

"We all have one contribution to make in ensuring that Nigeria

becomes safe, peaceful and developed. The criticisms about the security agencies. People don't appreciate from where we were, and where we are now."

He assured, "Gone were the days that, when you enter a mosque or church and find a polythene bag, you are scared. In fact, you will never be comfortable praying with that bag around.

"That is now history, and it is through the combined efforts of the security agencies and other stakeholders that we were able to achieve that.�

Bichi also stated, "You go to a place of relaxation, and you are scared of explosives here and there. That, now, is history.

Those calling for dismantling

of this country are deliberately not being mindful of what is on their dining table.

Speaking also, a former Director-General of the agency, Mr. Afakirya Gadzama, expressed his optimism that the military and security agencies in the country had the capacity to deal with the security challenges besetting the nation. But Gadzama called on the authorities to ensure adequate equipment for the security sector, through improved funding.

Highlights of the occasion included presentation of graduands to the DirectorGeneral for conferment of the "fsi" award, award of certificates, as well as induction.

FASHOLA DELIVERS CONVOCATION LECTURE...

Minister of Works & Housing and Guest Lecturer, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (right), and Kwara State Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Wasiu Atitebi, shortly after he delivered the 10th Convocation Lecture of Al- Hikmah University on, " University Education, Entrepreneurship and Employment Prospects: Survival Imperatives in Post COVID-19," at the University Auditorium, Ilorin, Kwara State... Friday

BUSINESS MOGUL AND POLITICIAN, HARRY AKANDE, DIES AT 77 brief illness. “Chief Harry Akande was an astute businessman of international repute, whose legacy and influence cut across continents. “But by far his greatest passion was for a better Nigeria that guaranteed equity and justice for all. It is our fervent hope that this will be a reality in the not too distant future. “His passing is a huge shock to his immediate and extended family, friends and associates.

We are all grappling to make some sense of it. “As we seek the repose of his gentle soul, we ask you to in turn uphold us in your prayers while we pass through this very turbulent period of our lives occasioned by the loss of someone as dear as him.�

Makinde, in a condolence message to the Akande family, stated that by his passing, Ibadanland and Oyo State had lost another great man.

According to a statement signed by the governor’s chief press secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, Makinde prayed God to grant repose to Akande's soul and

grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Makinde noted that Akande's fame as a businessman and his decision to join Nigerian politics to make a difference were classic. He added that the late businessman’s conduct gave courage to the younger generation of businessmen, most of whom had gone ahead to emulate him and were making good their dreams.

"The news of the death of the Agba Oye of Ibadanland and internationally renowned businessman, Chief Harry Akande, came to me as a shock,� Makinde said in the statement, adding, “His death meant another great loss to Ibadanland, Oyo State and Nigeria. “Chief Harry Akande is renowned as an international businessman, who tried to make inroads into Nigerian politics to make a greater impact on society.

"He was, indeed, one of the pathfinders for businessmen in politics and his efforts in deepening democracy through participation in politics will

go into the annals of history, especially, his role in building formidable opposition politics.

"This is one death too many and we can only pray to God to halt these deaths and allow our elders make more impact on humanity.

"We cannot question God but we can pray, and that is what we will continue to do.

I pray that God will grant repose to Chief Akande's soul and also sustain his immediate and extended families. Rest in peace, Agbaoye."

Once known as one of Nigeria’s richest men, even though he lived many years abroad, Akande was chairman, Akande International Corporation (AIC), which has interest in healthcare, engineering, building construction, and power, among others.

Harry Akande was the richest Nigerian before Alhaji Aliko Dangote. In 2001, a list of looters and the richest Nigerians was released and Akande was way richer than the looters. The front page of The Punch (2001) reported that Chief Akande

earned a monthly income of $533 million.

Akande started his career in Nigeria, working as a financial consultant with KPMG Peat Marwick and Standard Oil Corporation, before establishing his own company in 1971, and becoming the president of New African Technical & Electrical Company (NAFTEC), a representative company of General Electric (GE) America.

The company executed major gas turbine electricity projects at Ughelli, ljora, and Delta II-IV. His company, in conjunction with Costain International, was involved in the Osogbo-Ede Water Scheme, which was then the largest water project in Africa at 35mgd capacity.

Other projects executed by his company included the Bauchi township water supply scheme in 1988, financed by the African Development Bank (ADB) to the tune of $70 million; and Benin City and Warri/Effurun 35mgd water supply projects in 1989, also financed by the AfDB to the tune of $120 million.

In 1991, Akande’s company was appointed to oversee the

complete rehabilitation and refurbishment of Nigeria’s National Art Theatre. It was in 1994 appointed consultants for the reconstruction of the Ibadan-Ilorin highway, a 136km four-lane dual carriageway financed by the AfDB. The firm also undertook the feasibility study for the Point-a-Pierre refinery in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Keffi-Akwanga, Doma, and Jos Bukurru water supply schemes were engineered and supervised by Akande's AIC in 1995.

The $200 million AIC/Hilton Hotel at Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was initiated in 1999. AIC/Hilton Abidjan – 500-room five-star hotel was valued at $120 million in 2000.

Between 2000 and 2001, Akande's firm provided engineering consulting services to the Oyo State government, for feasibility studies, engineering designs, and source of funds for Saki, New Iseyin, and environs water supply schemes in the Oke Ogun area of the state.

The project was valued at $250 million.

As a politician, Akande tried, unsuccessfully, to lead Nigeria.

He was a founding member of the All Peoples Party, which later became ANPP, one of the legacy parties in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He tried unsuccessfully to clinch the defunct ANPP’s presidential ticket.

He was said to be one of the brains behind the APP/ AD (Alliance for Democracy) coalition that produced Chief Olu Falae in the 1999 presidential election. In 2010, he partook in the merger of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the ANPP to present a common front against the Peoples Democratic Party.

Born on March 3, 1943, Akande attended Olivet Heights in Ibadan for his secondary education, before going to the United States, where he bagged his BSc in Accounts and Finance at Hampton University in 1967, and his MBA at the Northwestern University, Kellogg’s School of Management.

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Low Voter Turnout in Lagos as Abiru Leads by Wide Margin Bauchi PDP accuses APC of using federal might Segun James in Lagos and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Yesterday’s bye-elections in Lagos East senatorial district and Kosofe State Constituency II were typified by voter apathy, even though the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Lagos East senatorial poll, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, led by a wide margin.

As at press time he had recorded an impressive vote tally of 69,800 while his closest rival, Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP's) candidate, Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi was at a distant 8,391 votes.

However, in Bauchi State, the ruling PDP accused the opposition APC in the state of using federal might to harass and intimidate its members as part of moves to upturn Dass State Constituency election results.

Across the five divisions of the Lagos East district, the electorate simply went about their normal activities with complete disregard to the election or movement restrictions placed by the government.

Frustrated by the development, Lagos State Commissioner for Police, Hakeem Odumosu personally arrested over 30 vehicles that defied the no movement order along Mile 12 Ikorodu Expressway at about noon.

Odumosu and his men were miffed that citizens could not obey simple order of stay at home within the specified period that the bye-election was held.

PDP’s senatorial candidate, Gbadamosi, cast his vote at 9:40 am at his Isele 1, Ward A1, Booth 014, Ayangburen, Ikorodu, and expressed dissatisfaction over the low turn out of voters.

But while Gbadamosi voted easily, the situation was not the same for his APC opponent, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, who couldn't cast his vote.

Chairman of Abiru’s campaign

organisation, Chief Kaoli Olusanya, told some media men that his candidate would address the media after the election.

Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, who cast his vote at polling CAC junction of the Ikorodu, also commended the exercise, although expressed concern about the low turnout. “I arrived my polling booth at CAC Junction (043) to vote.

The process was smooth and seamless. Kudos to the INEC for a job well done, so far! Please, my people, let’s all come out to vote and remain peaceful throughout," he pleaded.

Similarly, the Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Senator Gbenga Ashafa, while casting his vote in Ibeju Lekki, appealed to the electorate to take the issue of voting seriously as something that has direct impact on their lives.

In like manner, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the bye-elections.

Hamzat, who cast his vote at Ward A4, Oke Balogun, Epe, around 11:20 am, also commended the electorate for their peaceful conduct.

He also commended the security agents for their vigilance and professional conducts in the Epe Division.

"This election is very smooth and peaceful. I commend our people for their determination.

I also commend our security agents for how they conducted themselves. They demonstrated high level of professionalism," he said.

Meanwhile, reports garnered across the state showed that Abiru led in practically all the polling units, with the PDP candidate trailing behind with abysmal margin.

Although INEC has not officially released any of the

results in the Lagos election, the unofficial results picked up from the various units and wards showed that the APC candidate led with huge margins.

In Bauchi, Adamu Haruna, one of the leaders of the PDP in Dass, who spoke to journalists at the Dass Police Division, alleged that the APC, knowing that it would not win the bye-election, resorted to using its members at the national level to truncate the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

He alleged that a list of prominent people in the Local Government Area, who are members of the PDP was drawn and handed over to security agents for arrest and incarceration under trumped up charges till the end of the exercise.

He cited the arrest of Adon Dalla Gin and Mrs. Yashi by

security operatives under the pretence of vote buying as one of the grand plans to frustrate the PDP. Corroborating the development, Council Chairman of Dass LGA, Mohammed Suleiman said, "Since yesterday (Friday) our members have been subjected to series of harassment and intimidation by security operatives, who stormed the area from Abuja.

"As you can see, we are here to secure the release of one of our party leaders, who was arrested for the allegation of vote buying while voting at the Social Welfare polling unit in Bundot ward of the LGA," he said.

The Council Chairman, however, added that, "Abdon Gin cast his vote, spoke to journalists and left the voting area. He was in his car about

leaving, when the security operatives including personnel of the EFCC accosted him, they searched and did not find anything incriminating on him but found some amount in the booth of his car. The money was meant for settlement of PDP agents and other field officials in the ward, where he belonged".

He expressed confidence that no amount of intimidation and harassment would stop the PDP from winning the election, because according to him, the party was ready for the exercise having campaigned across the LGA. Mohammed Suleiman also commended INEC for early distribution of election materials saying in areas where there were issues, the political stakeholders came together and amicably resolved the problem.

In a swift reaction to the allegation, State Chairman of APC, Uba Ahmed Nana asked: "Who is intimidating and harassing who? PDP is in power in Bauchi. It has everything in its power to do anything it wants.

Our members have witnessed one form of harassment and intimidation or the other in the last one year, yet, we have kept mute.

"What federal might do we have? We only have large followers and supporters across the state. All we want is a free and fair conduct of the election, which we are confident of winning."

The APC Chairman also commended INEC for what he described as excellent logistical arrangement, which has made the conduct of the election smooth.

KYARI AT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE MEETING...

R-L: Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Malam Mele Kyari with the Chairman of the Nigerian Fleet Implementation Committee, Mr Hassan Bello, during their meeting at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja... Friday

Nigeria Holds Top Source of African Students Studying in US as 19 Win $2.17M Scholarships Bennett Oghifo Nigeria has retained its top ranking as the number one source of African students studying in the United States, according to the latest Institute of International Education Open Doors Report.

The report, which was quoted in a statement by the Public Affairs Section (PAS), U.S. Consulate General, yesterday says about 13,762 Nigerians study at more than 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities.

Nigeria’s top position is solidified with the PAS’ statement which announced that 19 high achieving, low-income

students from southern Nigeria have received full scholarships totaling $2.17 million to attend American universities and colleges for the 2020/2021 academic session.

This feat was made possible through the Opportunity Funds Program of the United States Consulate General in Lagos, with support from Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, according to the statement.

During a reception held in Lagos in honour of the U.S.-bound students, United States Consul General Claire Pierangelo congratulated each of them on their successes. She urged the scholars to make the

most of their opportunity to get a top-notch education while gaining first-hand experience of American life and culture. “The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is pleased that our two major EducationUSA centers in Lagos and Abuja help brilliant, deserving and high achieving students defray the cost of applying to study in the U.S. You have successfully navigated the daunting U.S. college and university admissions process and we are so excited for your future. “During your time in the United States, please take full advantage of every opportunity you have not only to learn but to

expand your horizon. You have excelled in Nigeria and I have no doubt that you will continue on that path of academic excellence in the United States,� Consul General Pierangelo told the departing students.�

Izunna Okpala, one of the 2020 Opportunity Fund Program scholars, received full funding for a Ph.D. programme in Information Technology with concentration in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing at the University of Cincinnati. He described the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program as a “game changer� in his quest to receive an international education.

The 19 departing students —two undergraduates and 17 graduate students—will be studying a variety of majors including Infectious Diseases, Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, Chemistry, Climate Change and Climate Variability, Geology, and Political Science. Their impressive list of acceptances includes University of Massachusetts Boston, Purdue University, Duke University, Northwestern University, among others.

Now in its 11th year, the Opportunity Funds Program assists talented and determined, low-income students who are good candidates for financial assistance from U.S. colleges

and universities but lack the financial resources to cover the up-front cost of obtaining admission.

The statement said following a competitive selection process, the successful students received financial aid that covered expenses involved in the college application process such as payment for standardised tests, application fees, visa and SEVIS fees as well as air travel to the United States. EducationUSA advisers also worked closely with the students through regularly scheduled meetings and seminars to assist them throughout the application process.

Other countries on the list are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea, and Haiti. Also on the list are Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Statistics from FAO showed

that the rising cost of foods was not peculiar to Nigeria. Last Wednesday, the organisation stated that global food commodity prices rose sharply in November to their highest level in nearly six years, citing a benchmark released by the United Nations.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 105.0 points during the month, up 3.9 per cent from October and 6.5 per cent higher than its value a year earlier.

The monthly increase was the sharpest since July 2012, putting the index at its highest level since December 2014, FAO said.

FAO’s Food Price Index tracks changes in the international prices of the most globally traded food commodities.

REPORT: FOOD SCARCITY LOOMS AS NATION’S RESERVES DECLINE that placed northeastern Nigeria at risk of famine.

Parts of the population in northeast Nigeria are already facing “critical hunger,� the report said.

In addition to the Islamist attacks, food production is being destabilised by a long-running conflict between crop growers and northern cattle herders, who are being forced by desertification to seek grazing pasture further south. “This worrying trend poses food security risks to millions of Nigerians,� said Ibrahim, whose group represents most of the country's 12 million farmers.

According to him, “It is now exceedingly difficult to get the farmers to readily go to their

farms in several parts of the country.�

In grain-producing states like Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna, armed bandits extort so-called harvest fees from farmers before allowing them to reap their crops. Similar demands are being made on farmers in the states of Katsina and Kaduna, where they face being kidnapped if they failed to pay the ransoms that average about one million naira ($3,000) in cash or 40 per cent of their produce. “There are even places where they take over the farm,� said Alhaji Nuhu Dansadau, a farmer in Zamfara. “For instance if you have produced 200 bags of corn, they will instruct you to go and

sell 30 or 50 bags and bring the money to them.�

Bloomberg reported that the attacks were fueling food inflation.

Costs started increasing in 2019, when the government shut its borders to curb smuggling of rice and other products. Food prices rose 17.4 per cent in October from a year earlier, the biggest increase in three years. “The continued increase in food and core inflation was attributed to the persistence of insecurity across the country,� the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee said on November 24.

Consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to help Nigeria achieve food

self-sufficiency are also being undermined.

Since 2015, Buhari has implemented measures to promote local production, including increasing taxes on imported grains, blocking food importers’ requests for foreign currency, and establishing a N200 billion ($511-million) intervention fund for rice growers.

Nigeria is the world’s secondlargest importer of rice, after China, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has already listed Nigeria among the 45 countries that would need external assistance for foods.

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EDITORIAL

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

A NATION BESIEGED BY INSECURITY…(1) The security agencies need to move away from the model that has not served us well

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he gruesome massacre of dozens of rice farmers in Zabarmari, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents is yet another sad reminder of the danger posed to the majority of our citizens today by sundry criminal cartels. Irrespective of what part of the country people live in, there is a palpable fear that violent crime lurks around. Suddenly, blood-letting and serial loss of lives have become the new normal even in parts of Nigeria hitherto known for being peaceful and secure. The logical spillover effect has been the spread of small arms and all manner of armed vagrants, terrorist lone wolves and criminal herdsmen who partake freely in the thriving enterprises of transactional kidnapping, armed robbery and sundry abuses of captive persons.

From countless bombings to mass abductions, including of aid workers and school girls, Boko Haram has continued to terrorise the North-east states. And to underscore the bestial capacity of the insurgents—which the federal government repeatedly claimed has been ‘degraded’—they patiently took time to tie the Zabarmari farmers in their numbers, slit their throats and then destroyed their farms.

The decade-long encounter with Boko Haram has brought out the best and the worst in our defence and security institutions and capabilities. Equipment shortfalls have hindered operations just as inherent corruption among the force leadership has repeatedly reared its head. Limitations in force protection mechanisms have been aggravated by lapses in effective rapport with local civilian populations thereby exposing troops to avoidable harm. The situation is compounded by the elongated tenure of service chiefs

The possibility of an early end to this confrontation remains a matter for conjecture as military authorities continue to dispute among themselves the number of years it would take to end the brutal insurgency

Letters to the Editor

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- officers who are stretched and drained - and evidently have nothing new to offer.

While the expansionist appetite of Boko Haram has been substantially curbed in terms of territorial gains, the menace of the murderous terror group remains a recurrent nightmare. In the process, a huge humanitarian disaster has been created in the North-east. Millions of our citizens have lived in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps, dependent on international aid and domestic charity as their sources of livelihood have been permanently fractured or in some cases obliterated. The possibility of an early end to this confrontation remains a matter for conjecture as military authorities continue to dispute among themselves the number of years it would take to end the brutal insurgency.

W

S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS OLAWALE OLALEYE, TOBI SONIYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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

e believe that the Boko Haram insurgency war is winnable.

But the federal government has to insist that the command heights of our military need to straighten out its integrity and place professionalism above personal interest and political games. Recent speculative noises about the expediency of hiring mercenaries to help in this war must be quickly halted.

No nation with a fully funded military force has been known to go to war and win with a mercenary force. And even where such measures are adopted to compliment other efforts, they are not issues subjected to market-place debate. The challenge at hand requires more rigour.

On a daily basis, nationwide reports of violent attacks and disruptions of social and economic life accompanied by massive loss of lives dominate the media. In the urban centres, daylight robberies of banks and private establishments have become routine. In the rural areas which used to be havens of tranquility, incidents of cattle rustling, violent attacks on villages and settlements as well as torching of communities are now daily occurrences. Part of this new phenomenon in the rural areas, especially in the northern half of the country, is that these attacks on village communities are often carried out by anonymous squads and bands of itinerant violent brigands.

The causes of this new wave of rural terrorism range from unsettled inter communal disputes over land and traditional authority to long-standing sectarian animosities. In some cases, it has to do with unresolved settler versus migrant disputes. It is the responsibility of the relevant state authorities to institute permanent dispute resolution mechanisms for dealing with extant disputes. We therefore find it inexcusable that agencies like the Police and State Security Service (SSS) have failed to collect intelligence that should lead to early detection and prevention of these clashes and attacks.

To be concluded tomorrow.

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 (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

THE RICE FARMERS’ KILLINGS IN BORNO

ike home owners who apply for certificate of occupancy, in Nigeria farmers are expected to apply for what could be described as "farming permit". This is where we found ourselves.

The fact is that the government of the day has seen farming as an alternative window to diversify the nation's economy which is on a dangerous lane.

It has failed to guarantee the safety of these hunger fighters. You closed the nation's land borders to prevent inflow of foreign rice. The local farmers left for the farms to fill in the gaps; they are probably not doing

this to buy luxurious cars or build the tallest building, rather they are simply contributing to the food security.

Beside the ridges, their throats were slit, their lifeless bodies were given mass burial. They can't tell their offence but certainly they are victims of a failed system. I am yet to read or hear about a country where farmers or citizens apply for security clearance before farming. What happened to our right to live?

In Nigeria, 43 farmers, as reported, were killed in cold blood in Zabarmari, Borno State. Meanwhile, in its heartless comment, Garba Shehu, a

senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, described the massacre as senseless, barbaric, gruesome and cowardly. He posted on his verified Facebook page that "As we mourn all the lives lost in Zabarmari, the Armed Forces have been given the marching order to take the fight to the insurgents, not on a one-off, but on a continuous basis, until we root out the terrorists."

Garba added that those farmers didn't get military clearance to go to the fields. Clearance? The statement added more salt to our injury. Then, the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai replies

critics, saying terrorism may persist in Nigeria for 20 more years. Imagine, the number one among the military saying this. Who is feeding fat in this war? It could have been simply put as "killings will last for more 20 years. It means that the military has given up on its responsibilities.

Do we all need personal guns or we resort to self-help on securing ourselves? Also, the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, claimed that Boko Haram is badly degraded, saying it could only attack defenceless people. I hereby urge the president and the presidency to do all it takes in saving and securing the lives and property of Nigerians.

The government of a general

which has security as one of its themes is not finding easy.

Under it, bandits now move freely, go to market and purchase things and wait for their balance unchallenged, according to the Sultan of Sokoto.

Obviously, the clearance to be a farmer or to move to any part of this country presently is death warrant. A death warrant perhaps from officers of the law who have failed to protect us through their weapons but feel that a paper clearance could.

Secure the North and end malevolent.

––Usman Abdullahi Koli, Mass Communication Department, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi.

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NEWS

Acting News Editor Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com,08081986590 (sms only)

Amid Rising Insecurity, S’West Leaders Urge Buhari to Restructure Nigeria Gboyega Akinsanmi The leaders of Southwest in the AllProgressivesCongress(APC) have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, initiate the process of restructuring the country.

The leaders argued that restructuring would address structural imbalances fuelling agitation for a more accountable

and transparent system.

This request was the fallout of the meeting the leaders had with the president at Aso Rock, Abuja penultimate week.

At the meeting were a former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande; a former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; an APC leader in Lagos State, Prince Tajudeen Olusi and a renown medical practitioner,

Dr. Abayomi Finnih.

THISDAY, however, learnt that the Southwest leaders ceased the meeting to discuss some grievous challenges that placed the unity of the country under undue strain and urged the presidenttotakeappropriate actions.

It, was further learnt that the Southwest leaders discussed terrorism in the North-east,

banditry and kidnapping in the Northwest and North-central, secession movement in the South-east and kidnapping in the Southwest and South-south.

With the dynamics of the national security challenges, THISDAY gathered that the South-westpointedtheattention of the president to the need to reviewthecountry’sgovernance structuretoresolvetheproblems.

A NEW DAWN IN OWERRI...

L-R: The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Planet Project Limited, Mr. Biodun Otunola; Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma at the flag-off of Owerri junction improvement project at Owerri, Imo State ... recently.

Also, the leaders discussed the efforts of the APC to address these challenges with its decision to set up a Committee on True Federalism under the chairmanship of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

An APC leader, who was privy to the meeting, disclosed that the delegation “discussed devolution of power with the president. We pointed out to the president that devolution of power was part of the APC manifesto. “Under the Oyegun administration, the APC set up a committeeonrestructuring.The committee conducted surveys and stakeholders’ meetings across the federation. Sadly enough,thepresidencyhasfailed to take action on this document that the committee of the party produced.

“The committee, which was underthechairmanshipofNasir el Rufai, made far-reaching recommendations in favour of true federalism, fiscal federalism, resource control, state police, state court of appeal and independent candidacy, among others, which we have been clamouring for.

“In view of diverse challenges nationwide, we request the president to implement recommendations of the el-Rufai committee. We, also, request that the president approach the National Assembly with the report of the committee.”

THISDAY learnt that the

party chieftains advised the president to forward the report of the El-Rufai Committee on Restructuring to the National Assembly as federal legislators are set for another constitution amendment.

After the discussion, THISDAY learnt that the president agreed to look into some of the issues discussed at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

The report of the El-Rufai Committee, which was set up by the ruling party, had been submitted to the APC National Caucus and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Someofthekeyrecommendations are resource control, making local government an affair of states,constitutionalamendment to allow merger of states, state police, state court of appeal and independent candidacy.

According to its mandate, the committee was to distil the true intent and definition of true federalism as promised by the party during the last electioneering campaign, and to take a studied look at the report of the various national conferences, especially that of 2014; and come up with recommendations.

At the end of rigorous research, debates and deliberations, the committee came up with 24 items that Nigerians have indicated interest views that balance our federation.

African Court: Vagrancy Laws Incompatible with Human Rights Tobi Soniyi The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has held that countries in the continent are under obligation to repeal or amend their vagrancy laws to conform with the rights protected by the Charter, the Children’ Rights Charter and Women’s Rights Protocol.

The court, while rendering an advisory opinion following a request by the Pan African LawyersUnion(PALU)heldthat vagrancylawsviolatedtherights oftheAfricanpeopleandshould thereforebeabrogatedoramended to conform with human rights.

In its request for advisory opinion PALU submitted that many Member States of the Af-

rican Union (AU) retained laws which criminalised the status of individuals as being poor, homeless as opposed to specific reprehensible acts otherwise as ‘vagrancy laws.’

According to PALU, many Africancountriesabusevagrancy laws to arrest and detain people even when there is no proof of criminal conduct. The Open Society Justice Initiative among other organizations submitted amici curiae briefs.

In its opinion, the court first considered the compatibility of vagrancy laws with the African Charter,specificallywithArticles 2,3,5,6,712,and18oftheCharter andheldthattheselawsderogated from the articles.

Accordingtothecourt,vagrancylaws,bothintheirformulation as well as in their application, by, among other things, criminalising the status of an individual, enabling the discriminatory treatmentoftheunderprivileged and marginalized, and also by depriving individuals of their equality before the law were not compatible with Articles 2 and 3 of the Charter.

The court also found that arrests for vagrancy-related offences, “where they occur without a warrant, are not only a disproportionate response to socio-economic challenges but also discriminatory since they target individuals because of

their economic status.”

Italsofoundthattheapplication ofvagrancylawsoftendeprived theunderprivilegedandmarginalizedoftheirdignitybyunlawfullyinterferingwiththeirefforts to maintain or build a decent life or to enjoy a lifestyle of choice.

Consequently,thecourtfound that vagrancy laws were incompatiblewiththenotionofhuman dignityasprotectedunderArticle 5 of the Charter.

It also found that “arrests and detentions under vagrancy laws are incompatible with the arrestees’ right to liberty and the security of their person as guaranteedunderArticle6ofthe Charterandthisisinvariablythe case where the arrest is without

a warrant.“ The court further found that arresting individuals under vagrancy laws and soliciting statementsfromthemabouttheir possiblecriminalculpabilitywas atvariancewiththepresumption ofinnocenceand notcompatible with Article 7 of the Charter.

It concluded that the enforcementofvagrancylaws,generally, wasincompatiblewiththerightto freedomofmovementasguaranteedunderArticle12oftheCharter.

The court also found that forced relocation,permittedbyvagrancy laws in some African countries, wasalsoincompatiblewithArticle 12 of the Charter.

Thecourtheldthatarrestsand detentionsbasedonvagrancylaws

wereincompatiblewithArticle18 of the Charter.

Itheldthattheforciblerelocation of “vagrants” was incompatible withthepreservationofthesanctity of the family as a basic unit of society as guaranteed in Article 18 of the Charter.

The court also considered the compatibility of vagrancy laws with the Children’s Rights Charter and held that the enforcement of vagrancy-related laws, which results in the arrests, detention and sometimes forcible relocation of children from the areas of residence, was incompatiblewithchildren’sright tonon-discriminationasprotected under Article 3 of the Children’s Rights Charter.

Herdsmen, Villagers Fight for Grazing Land in Yobe

Robbers Raid Benin Market, Shoot Three

Michael Olugbode inDamaturu

Adibe Emenyonu inBeninCity

Herdsmen and villagers yesterday engaged in ugly fight over grazing land in Yobe State.

The ensuing battle led to the death of a herdsman and the burning of farms and razing downofabuildinginthetroubled village, according to the police.

A message from the Public Relations Officer of the Yobe Police Command, AbdulKarim Dungus said at about 0330hrs Fulani herders invaded the farm lands of Garin Malam village in JakuskoLocalGovernmentArea, Yobe State.

He said the herdsmen began

to graze their livestock on farm produce, which led to the villagers coming out to attack them.

He said the herdsman action “suddenly made the communitiesalongsidetheirvigilantetake action to stop the herders, as a result bow and arrows fighting ensued where one of the herders died.

“Consequently, the herders stormed the Garin Malam community and razed down a house and burnt down some farm produce belonging to the community.”

He howeversaid thesituation was brought under control by swift intervention of the police.

He said: “In a nick of time police rescued the situation, few people were arrested and hospitalizedthewoundedonesat NguruFederalMedicalCentre.”

He disclosed that the commissioner of police deployed a largenumberofpolicepersonnel to maintain peace and prevent furtherescalationofthesituation.

Dungus said: “As some of you will recall on 03/12/2020 the Commissioner of Police organized a stakeholders meetingofcommunitiesleadersfrom Geidam/Gujbalocalgovernment area to proactively tackle such pre-empted situation which is perennial.”

A group of armed robbers yesterday attacked New Benin market, Oredo Local Government Area (LGA), Edo State, shooting repeatedly into the air.

Consequently, three persons were killed during the raid that lasted for about 30 minutes.

According to eyewitness, the robbers had on arrival swooped on traders and market women and dispossessed them of cash and other valuables. Several shops and trading points were robbed

and looted in the ever busy commercial area. Most traders, whose shops were located along Mission road in the market, were not spared even as market women and roadside traders scampered for safety during the melee.

The heavily armed men who stormed the area in a commando style had opened fire to scare the people as they had a field day to operate in the area unchallenged.

However, some traders, who braved the tensed situation in conjunction with the police, gave the robbers a hot chase.

The fleeing robbers sensing

further danger opened fire on anybody on sight and killed two persons on the spot and left several others with injuries.

A middle-aged girl, who was also shot on the spot, was said to be on a danger list at an undisclosed hospital as at the time of this report.

The hoodlums were said to have escaped through the New Lagos road end of the market.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state Mr Chidi Nwabuzor could not be reached for comment as he refused to answer calls.

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OPINION

ENOUGH OF THE BLOODSHED Ayo Baje writes that leaders must live up to their promises

“As a governor I cannot keep quiet while six million people of Borno State are left to die or perish. It is a covenant between me and Almighty God that I should be truthful to my people” –-Prof. Babagana Zulum

Nigerians are desperately yearning for concrete actions,” the JNI said.

Re-echoing the palpable fear of millions of Nigerians who can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed, Aisha Yesufu, the human rights activist and #EndSARS campaigner raised the alarm on her twitter page: “Being good citizens will not stop the killings, neither will praising Buhari to high heavens. You must call him out and give him the incentive to go after those killing our citizens and also not kill us. We are all victims waiting to happen.” That is nothing but the bitter truth!

In fact, going by the recent statement credited to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, terrorism might persist in Nigeria for another 20 years! Why did President Muhammadu Buhari ask his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan to resign from the exalted office of the presidency back in 2013, on the basis of his inability to combat insecurity? Why did he make the security of the citizens as one of his cardinal campaign promises in 2014 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC)? It would be recalled that in an interview he granted the Daily Trust which was published on 22nd May 2013, he asked the then President Jonathan to resign, and “give way to competent hand to govern the country”. Words are cheap indeed!

But in an ironic twist of events the presidency blew ‘hot’ over the recent call by the Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe (of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanding Buhari’s resignation.

Abaribe, in his contribution to a motion sponsored by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, on national security, said: “Those who live on propaganda shall die by propaganda. Defeat is staring us in the face`. Nigerians did not elect the Chief of Staff, Nigerians did not

I

n another time and place, perhaps in saner climes where the sanctity of human life matters, the President would have declared at least a day of national mourning over the recent gruesome massacre of 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari, Borno State. The victims were defenceless citizens whose lives were wantonly wasted. Such a day or more would have served as a moment for sober reflection; for fervent prayers by concerned citizens of different religious persuasions, to call on God and the political leaders for an end to the senseless blood-letting across the country.

But not here in Nigeria! But why, one may ask? The answer is obvious or should be. As the series of preventable killings have proven over the years, the government, which is empowered by Section 14 sub-section 2(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to protect lives of the citizens and provide for their welfare has grossly failed in that regard. Curiously, however, the current Buhari-led administration must never be criticised by any one, as it does no wrong! There are listless excuses waiting to be given against any form of accusation, leveled at the doorstep of the country’s number one security chief!

Or, how else would one equate the unbecoming response by Garba Shehu, spokesman to the President in an interview to the BBC soon after the massacre? He stated that the farmers “did not get military clearance to be on the rice farms when the attack happened”. No empathy whatsoever. No recourse to the expected role of the government to defend the defenceless farmers! Though he has come up with contrary explanations, the harm has been done.

By that, the scary, sordid and saddening statement has been sent across to all Nigerians that no one is safe here anymore! According to the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam “nowhere is safe in the country now”. Going further, he stated: “We nevertheless, once again call on the federal government to rise up to its responsibilities and do well beyond the traditional condemnation, as lip service(s) on security matters should stop.

Political leadership is not about base sentiments but the capacity to deliver on promises made and in tandem with the wishes and the needs of the people

elect heads of security, Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and in 2019. As it is, we are facing the head of the Nigerian government and this is President Buhari. He should resign with immediate effect.”

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) spoke in similar vein.

They have asked President Buhari to resign, making the statement twice in two days. The NEF spokesman, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, stated this in a live television programme. He said: “Ordinarily, under a democratic system, a leader is supposed to deliver, he is supposed to do two things - he is supposed to secure citizens and he is supposed to facilitate their economic welfare.

He (Buhari) hasn't done the first and he is not doing the second.

So, explain to me on what basis President Buhari should continue to be our president?” Thought-provoking question to those who love this country.

In all honesty, political leadership is not about base sentiments but the capacity to deliver on promises made and in tandem with the wishes, aspirations and the needs of the people. The truth however, is that over the past five years Nigeria has been turned into Africa’s killing fields by the fully armed herdsmen, bandits, kidnappers and of course, Boko Haram terrorists most of whom have killed thousands of defenceless citizens.

The very idea of granting spurious amnesty to the so-called ‘repentant terrorists’, feeding them from our common purse and sending them overseas for education, while their victims are left to rot in hunger in the much-neglected IDP camps is antithetical to the course of justice. It is enough to trigger God’s anger. It means that their lives are more precious than that of the people they kill at will.

We are not animals that live on beastly instincts. Worrisome too is the fact that there is no value for all the stupendous sum of N4.62 trillion claimed to have been spent so far on combating insecurity in the country over the past five years! Nigeria has been turned into a Hobbesian state where might is right.

For the military to claim that foreign interests are responsible for their inability to discharge their duties to the nation is simply passing the buck. Only God knows why President Buhari has blatantly refused to sack the Service Chiefs. Governor Zulum has asked for mercenaries to combat insecurity in the state but who is listening to him? It is time for those who swore by the Holy Book to protect our lives to do so now or throw in the towel. Enough of the bloodshed!

What To Do About Cultism Truth, honesty and information are vital weapons of taming the menace, writes Adewale Kupoluyi

T

he importance of public relations to national development cannot be over-emphasised. Apart from the role of building and sustaining good image and rapport between an organisation and its stakeholders, this effective tool of communication is potent in security matter for the protection of lives and property. This position was confirmed at the just-concluded security summit and official launch of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), Ogun State Police Command, held in Abeokuta, the capital city of the Gateway State, organised by the state command of the Nigeria Police Force alongside the Ogun State Government.

The gathering offered another opportunity for security experts and Nigerians to examine security challenges facing the country.

The Chairman of the occasion was the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Prof.

Kolawale Salako, who enjoined youths that are prone to cultism and social vices, not to compromise their bright future for criminal activities. The vice-chancellor admonished youths to be mindful of the fact that they would face the consequences of their actions outside the four walls of their institutions. He stressed the need for youths to be intellectually-sound by reading good books that could make them better persons and avoid having a wrong mentality of get-rich-quick syndrome.

Prof. Salako called on adults to make it a point of duty to ensure that our youths are well guided and not misled due to wrong information that abounds in social media. He said not every information is genuine and hence, people should scrutinise the information they receive to avoid being gullible and easily manipulated. He recalled that in his university days, unionism was mainly based on ideology and principles unlike what is obtainable nowadays whereby many people engage only in ‘personalised unionism’ for selfish reasons, as he made case for mentoring to promote youth development in the country.

The vice-chancellor appreciated the state police command and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for putting together such an important programme that would foster policecommunity relations. He added that the police had been doing excellently well in assisting FUNAAB to curb anti-social behaviour within and outside campus while appealing to those engaging in posting wrong information about the police on social media to desist from such act. Salako, a Professor of Soil Physics and Fellow, Soil Science Society of Nigeria (FSSSN), agreed that POCACOV had

brought every stakeholder together with a view to resolving the issue of cultism and other vices, assuring his university would continue to partner with the police to engender a safe society.

The IGP, who was represented by the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Ajogun, lauded the IGP for the formation of POCACOV, which he said was the first of its kind and involves the active participation of relevant stakeholders.

“Some parts of the state are having challenges of cult-related issues, although the command has been on it, winning the fight and through POCACOV, it will be mitigated through stakeholders’ involvement and participation”, he added.

The police commissioner maintained that the country should entrust its future in the hands of youths by having the right values and orientation to take the country to greater heights of competitiveness, recognition, and respect among the comity of nations. He pointed out that if the country fails to reorient its citizenry, the youth could have a wrong attitude and values by engaging in gangsterism, secret rituals, and voodoo, which could ground the country to a halt, development-wise. CP Ajogun informed that his command had arrested no fewer than 432 cultists in the state in 2019, while over 100 were arrested this year, as he advised that cultism and other vices should be confronted with all seriousness.

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, represented by his Special Adviser on Security, AIG Olusola Subair (rtd), promised that the state government would continue to support the programme by ensuring that cultism and other vices were mitigated. The Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo also affirms that the summit and the launch of POCACOV would go a long way in setting children and young ones free, assuring that “The state government, through the ministry of education, will partner and work with POCACOV on the wonderful initiative of the Nigeria Police Force” while the Iyalode of Egbaland, Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson thanked IGP Adamu for the initiative, as she advised parents, caregivers, and guardians to properly monitor their children and wards to be of good behaviour.

During the well-attended event, which was graced by top state functionaries and sister security agencies, a retired Commissioner of Police and former Force Police Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Dr. Emmanuel Ojukwu presented a lecture titled; Cultism: A Growing Menace and Destructive Element in

the Socio-Economic Development of Nigeria. Dr. Ojukwu attributed the high rate of cultism and other vices in the country to corrupt practices, injustice and broken homes, pointing out that Nigeria had lost its cherished values of integrity, diligence, and hard work, resulting in youths seeking justice through cult involvement as well as the impunity shown by some public office holders as having negative effects on youths.

The former FPRO reiterated that the incidence of cultism and other vices can be tamed through the activities of POCACOV by discouraging young ones from getting involved in crimes. The official inauguration of the state chapter of the POCACOV/National Youth Service Corps Community Development Service (CDS) took place at the launch while the National Coordinator of POCACOV, CSP Ebere Amaraizu gave an overview of the programme. According to CSP Amaraizu, the campaign is a public relations tool of the NPF involving different stakeholders and entails value reorientation and engagement to offer strategic leadership direction through advocacy, awareness creation and sensitisation, mentoring and reorientation.

POCACOV, an initiative of the incumbent IGP, was borne out of the desire to curb crime through community policing.

It strives to counter the dangerous effects of cultism and other vices in society. The objectives of POCACOV include to sensitise members of the public on the dangers of belonging to cult groups; increase the security consciousness of members of the public; inculcate moral values in youths and reawaken that of adults; and educate relevant stakeholders such as traditional rulers, town union presidents, political class, youth leaders, market union leaders, and student leaders; among others.

It is only hoped that after the summit, all the stakeholders would do necessary follow-up as a requirement for achieving virile public relations, going by the prescription of Sam Black, a Professor of Public Relations at the University of Sterling in Scotland, who had argued that the establishment of two-way communication would help to resolve the conflict of interest by seeking common ground or areas of mutual interest and in the establishment of understanding based on truth, honesty, and full information, which are the hallmarks of effective public relations in taming cultism and social vices in the land.

––Kupoluyi wrote from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

15

LETTERS

LAGOS’ RENEWED DRIVE FOR WATER TRANSPORTATION

O

ver the last one and a half years, addressing the transportation and traffic challenges of Lagos State has been a major pre-occupation of the Sanwo-Olu administration.

In realization of the strategic role of transportation as a key driver of economic development, the Sanwo-Olu- led government made traffic management and transportation a foremost part of its T.H.E.M.E.S (acronyms for Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21ST Economy, Entertainment and Tourism and Governance and Security) developmental agenda.

Since his inauguration on May 29th, 2019, Governor Sanwo-Olu has made enhanced transportation system a major focus of his administration.

Consequently, roads are being expanded and rehabilitated across the state.

This led to intense road construction projects across the

Sanwo-Olu

state. Some of the critical highways and roads being constructed include the LagosBadagry Expressway, Ojota stretch of the Ikorodu Road, Motorways-Kudirat Abiola Way, Agric/Ishawo Road and Ijede Road in Ikorodu, and LekkiEpe Expressway from

Abraham Adesanya to Eleko Junction. Others are Cele-Ijesha Link Bridge, Ijesha-Lawanson Junction by Otun Oba Bus-Stop and Ishaga road by LUTH, Ondo Street, Ebute-Metta, Agbado road, IfakoIjaiye, to name a few.

Also, in response to the request of different

grassroots communities concerning road development, the government recently flagged-off 377 projects across all wards in the state. An integral part of the projects is the construction of 257 community roads and drainages. The commencement of the

NIMC AND THE CRISIS OF IDENTITY

T

he new National ID Card registration process has been ongoing for quite a long time. The registration has also been made mandatory. However, there are several problems that are currently hindering the smooth flow of the registration process.

One of such problems is the delay and unnecessary stress that individuals experience from day-to-day in their attempts to register for the ID card.

First, when a person arrives at the office of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), located in his or her Local Government Council Secretariat, where the registration process is usually carried out, there is often a crowd of people around the premises of the registration centre.

Then if one manages to gain access to any of the NIMC's officials and inquires about the requirements for registering for the new ID card, he is usually asked to go to a nearby business centre to get the registration form, or to visit a cyber cafe and download and print the registration/enrolment form from the NIMC's

website, fill the form, and bring back to the registration centre, usually on a specified date.

Regarding this practice, some questions arise: Is the NIMC registration centre ordinarily not supposed to be responsible for issuing the hard copy of the enrolment forms free-of-charge to those wishing to register for the new national ID card? Must those wishing to register have to go to a business centre or a cyber cafe to get the enrolment form, at their own expense? All these contribute to the stress and expense encountered by those seeking to register for the new national ID card.

Then, on returning to the registration centre with the completed forms and other necessary documentation, one is asked to queue up, usually among a crowd of people who have come for the same registration process. And usually, not everyone who spends precious time waiting on the queue is attended to eventually! People, including the elderly, can spend several hours waiting for their turn, or can even spend the whole day at the NIMC registration centre.

It has also been

observed that Bank Verification Number (BVN) is usually requested when submitting your enrolment form.

What about the people who do not have a bank account? Will they be automatically denied the opportunity of registering simply because they do not have or operate a bank account, and therefore have no Bank Verification Number (BVN)? There have been stories of people who have been turned back, refused to be attended to, because they did not have a BVN. All of these make the process of registration difficult, stressful and frustrating!

Also, in this period of the Coronavirus pandemic, many people are being exposed to unnecessary health risks as they attempt to register for the ID card, especially with the crowd that is almost always found around the registration centres. It is usually difficulty maintaining social distancing.

At times also, the registration centres experience some problems, such as electric power outage, problems with their generating sets, and even problems with their computer networks which sometimes make

it difficult for them to access the data associated with BVN numbers.

When these problems arise, it only adds to the stress and frustrations of the people who have come for the registration process!

Some, after they have waited on the queue, standing for several hours, are even later asked to go back home, with nothing accomplished. These include even the elderly, who also have to stand on queues for long periods of time.

Hours that should have been better utilized on more productive engagements have been wasted at the registration centres, and this may even have occurred on several days/ occasions.

In view of all the problems, challenges and frustrations currently being experienced in the process of registration, the concerned authorities should kindly look into these issues, and make necessary inputs/ adjustments, such as increasing the number of registration centres in order to ease the stress and suffering currently being experienced by the masses.

––Daniel Ighakpe,danny. ighakpe@gmail.com.

projects underscores the commitment of the Sanwo-Olu administration to ensuring better human and vehicular movements across the state.

Similarly, the government embarked on junction improvement works, which included removal of roundabouts, separation of streams of traffic through Traffic Signal Lights (TSL) and synchronisation of TSLs through intelligent traffic systems which will recognise the densities of traffic streams and give priorities accordingly.

However, the need to exploit alternative means of transportation mode cannot be overemphasized given the complex nature of the sector in the state. One of such other alternatives being exploited by the current administration with passion is water transportation.

In February, 2020, Sanwo-Olu formally kicked off commercial waterways’ transportation with the official launch of eight new modern speed boats.

Three of the boats have the capacity to carry 60 passengers, two were built to carry 50 passengers, while two others have capacities for 40 passengers.

Also, three others could convey 30 passengers, four will carry 25 passengers while two will carry 25 passengers.

The six routes the boats have been plying include Ikorodu to Falomo; Ikorodu to Ebute Ero and Marina; Ebute Ojo to Ijegun Egba, Apapa and Marina; Bayeku to Oke Ira Nla and Falomo; Mile 2 to Marina, and Badore to Ijede.

The launch of the speed boats, being operated by the Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), effectively marked the commencement of commercial operations in waterways transportation by LAGFERRY. With this renewed impetus, the narrative of transportation in Lagos is already chang-

ing for good. On 7th September, 2020, the Sanwo-Olu administration recorded a major milestone in its quest to deliver an effective and integrated inter-modal transportation as it celebrated its 100,000th passenger at the Ipakodo Terminal, Ikorodu, since the commissioning of new ferries.

This is coming on the heels of the celebration, in similar vein, of the 60,000th passenger, Mrs. Caroline Ateboh on the 30th of June, 2020 immediately after the resumption of services due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The milestone, is, no doubt, a good indicator that shows that Lagosians are beginning to appreciate and embrace water transportation.

However, the government is not resting on its oars as LAGFERRY has deployed more boats and increased daily trips in order to provide a safe, fast and reliable alternative mode of transportation to lessen the traffic congestion that are arising from the massive road rehabilitation and construction going on across the state.

The Sanwo-Olu administration is fully committed to exploring the capacity of the waterways to strengthen mass transportation in line with its transportation blueprint.

LAGFERRY has introduced additional routes for more residents to enjoy its services. Also, the agency’s boats are available for charter to host parties, annual general meetings (A.G.M) and for tourists.

Much emphasis is particularly being placed on safety of the waterways. This is why lots of channelization and dredging are being done in order to make the waterways safe and secure for all stakeholders.

–Omolara Otuyemi, Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Lagos.

Dog Gone News

O

ne of the big news items from last week was that Joe Biden has hurt his foot playing with his dog. Seemingly a trivial event but it does show a few positive matters, the next president is human, he likes animals as have most presidents and he is fallible and can admit it.

Someone once said "Don't trust a person that

doesn't like dogs" and the sentiment is still valid as many families involve a couple of people, a few children and then a few pets to complete the family. It is pleasing to see the Presidency returning to a more normal state and the future now looks rosier.

Woof, Woof! (Doggie for oops, sorry!).

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia.

16

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

ENGAGEMENTS

Harvest of Terror and Excuses

I

n a nation besieged on all sides by frightening insecurity and a frenzy of violent convulsions, diverse merchants of violence seem to be in a contest of supremacy. Boko Haram seems insistent on occupying the front row. With over a decade of expertise in hands-on terrorism, this untidy army of fanatical zealots has graduated from random deployment of suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices to more strategic targeting. It is no longer all about the dismemberment of limbs, scattering of torsos and entrails or drenching of markets and worship places in the blood of innocents.

Lately, it has narrowed its targets to three critical categories. First, through ambushes and direct attacks, it has been attacking soldiers as enemy combatants. In its choice theatre of Borno state, it has severally and repeatedly targeted the governor as its prime political competitor. And with the latest massacre of farmers in Zabarmari it is zeroing in on farmers as agents of Buhari’s favourite pursuit of food security through the empowerment of peasant farmers. An enemy with such strategic clarity of objectives cannot be dismissed as either inconsequential or “technically defeated”. It is even more delusional to dismiss Boko Haram as largely neutralized or ‘largely degraded’. Practical terrorism hardly obeys political language.

Boko Haram’s murder of farmers in the outskirts of Maiduguri last week may indeed be the ‘next level’ in the specter of insecurity and violent insurgency that has gripped the North Eastern extremity of the country. In a formally declared war, a casualty count of 100, either of combatants or ordinary defenseless civilians on either side of the battle line would warrant a closer look. The quality of military leadership that would allow this number of defenseless farmers to be murdered in one day alone deserves closer examination. The Nigerian military has admitted a death toll of 43. The United Nations puts the casualty figure at 110.

Mr. Sekau, the omnipotent undisputed leader of Boko Haram, says the kill count is 78. Some were beheaded, others were disemboweled while others were shot through. We may not know the exact figure. But it is better to find an average between the admission of the acknowledged killer and the UN which has satellite imaging devices overhead every inch of our earth. On this and many other issues of death count, not much light can come from the Nigerian military’s sense of numbers given its recent struggles with truth and basic numbers be they at Lekki Toll Gate or in the various theatres of engagement where their services have lately been enlisted.

There is national outrage and trepidation that daily blood letting and human sacrifice have become the new normal for Nigerians. In rural communities especially in the north, anonymous killer squads have routinely murdered hapless villagers and razed whole settlements. Groups of cattle rustlers have been freely helping themselves to livestock in the northern states. Kidnapping for ransom, abductions of high value citizens and other transactional criminal acts are common all over the country. Similarly, unresolved routine murders by casual killers as well as an all time high trade in babies and minors from so called ‘baby factories’ have escalated into thriving lines of trade.

Never in peace time Nigeria has the nation witnessed such a high degree of insecurity as we see today.

Even in war time Nigeria, thw parts of the country far away from the immediate theatre of war were relatively secure. In fact, as wars go, the Nigerian civil war was perhaps a relatively ‘civil’ conflict in these terms. It confined violence to the actual theatre of war in the enclave that opted to call itself Biafra for two and half years.

In large measure, most of the rest of war time Nigeria hardly needed battalions of combatant soldiers in battle fatigue in daily pitched battles with armed criminals sometimes in broad daylight. All over the country, there is certain a warlike atmosphere in which armed soldiers mount checkpoints sometimes taking time off to harass civilians and extort motorists. insecurity across the land has converted the entire national space into a virtual battle field. It is a war of the few against the many, one in which there are no rules of engagement. Innocent passengers in an interstate bus are often targets of criminal gangs. So are children being driven to or from school. It is an endless rehash of criminal formats.

Despite presiding over an ostensibly democratic society, Mr. Buhari has in the last five years institutionalized the domination of internal security operations by the military instead of equipping and increasing the size of the police. Understandably, the concept of joint security operations by combined teams of the military, police and civil defense corps can be understood in the context of an under policed society. But there ought to have been an phased programme of disengagement of

Buratai soldiers from these operations in the interest of democratic consolidation.

In the case of Boko Haram which is purely a military operation, the performance of our military has been less than impressive for a force that has residual battlefield memory and experience from home and foreign operations. The Nigerian military who are paid to check very dangerous trouble makers and chase off internal and external enemies are constantly caught off guard by a largely itinerant rabble of fanatical terrorists or plain common criminals. With each attack by the terrorists, the defence establishment is content with offering sometimes laughable political excuses. It is either a lament about lack of equipment or a non cooperative civilian population. At other times, they engage in fruitless arguments about the statistics of casualty figures.

After the mass murder of the Borno farmers, the army turned around to blame the farming community for not providing intelligence that could have led to their halting the terrorists. Yet the community is reported to have apprehended one of the menacing terrorists and handed him over to the military authorities. Yet when the killings took place, the soldiers who had advance information of the attack were nowhere in the vicinity. From far away Abuja, regime megaphones in the presidency shamelessly blamed the victims for daring to go to their farms without the permission of the army! Belatedly, the army spokesman has conveniently blamed the persistence of the insurgency on an international conspiracy against Nigeria!

On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, General Buratai, himself easily the most politicized army chief in recent Nigerian history, has kept shifting the goal post for the defeat of Boko Haram. Under his watch, the army has made endless claims about killing Mr. Shekau, the ubiquitous leaders of Boko Haram. But from most evidence, Mr. Shekau seems to be alive, well and active. In spite of numerous assurances to the nation’s political leadership that Boko Haram has been ‘technically defeated’ or virtually ‘degraded’, Mr. Buratai has in the aftermath of the farmers’ massacre done a volte face to assert, via a recent Facebook post, that it might take another 20 years to defeat Boko Haram because the war against this insurgency is an ‘unconventional’ war! I thought that every general worth his salt is trained to adapt his fighting methods to achieve his objectives with different iterations of enemy forces. The object of assuming a command is to fight and win either a conventional or an unconventional war. Excuses do not win a war. And yet this is the army chief that Mr. Buhari has inexplicably left as the head of the Nigerian army for much longer than is excusable. I understand that the records indicate he should have retired since 2018!

Public quest for solutions to the spate of insecurity across the nation has been a diverse stampede of chaotic suggestions. The search for security has united Nigerians acorss region, creed and party. Most people think that Mr. Buhari’s service chiefs have overstayed their usefulness. All four of them have since exhausted their career tours of duty and should have retired from service two years ago on the average. In their excess tenure, they are holding their subordinates who have fallen due for promotion and professional advancement to ransom. In the process, Mr. Buhari has unconsciously allowed some of the service chiefs to acquire political appetites. For instance, a great deal of the information

that emerges from the Defence Headquarters and especially from the army public relations unit is more political than technical and professional.

Above all, there is something to be gained from a sense of newness and novelty of perspectives and tactics from a gamut of officers with far better ideas than their present service chiefs. In military matters, high morale and the impetus to make a mark by achieving better results than your predecessor goes far. Mr. Buhari’s stubborn insistence on keeing the present crop of service chiefs is an impediment to the deployment of alternative strategies and new energy into an area that has become a bugbear of our present internal security burden.

Yet others have insisted that the lopsidedness and divisiveness inherent in the appointment of the service chiefs has become an albatross around the neck of the normally lethargic Mr. Buhari. He seems to place fidelity to his nativist provincial reflexes over and above competence in matters of grave national security interest. There are enough Nigerians who hold the view that the relative higher intensity of general violence and insecurity in the Northern half of the country is an indictment of Buhari’s lopsidedness in the appointment of defense and security chieftains. With all top defence and security positions in the country controlled by northerners as a matter of deliberate scheming, it is a tragic irony that the same North is today more insecure than it has ever been in the history of the country. As it were, Mr. Buhari has tempted people to come to unsavoury conclusions. It is either that the particular northerners he has emplaced at the top of national security represent a careful selection of the most incompetent people. It could also be that these individuals are oblivious the provincial sensitivities that drove the president to appoint them in the first place. In the eyes of the larger Nigerian public, what is at issue is the general insecurity of life and limbs in the whole of Nigeria. The nation is either secure or not. Since it is not, the president must be held fully accountable for the fulfillment of the most elementary item in his oath of office.

In all of this as in nearly all recent incidents of national grief and tragedy under his watch, Nigerians watch in consternation as President Buhari remains either aloof or curiously silent or helplessly watches as his incompetent security chiefs trifle with national security.

The greater consternation is that Mr. Buhari seems to be largely oblivious of the political cost of his disastrous record on matters of national security.

In the wake of more recent incidents of violent insecurity in the country, an increasing number of voices have risen to call out the president. Even the National Assembly, which in its current iteration is seen as a rubber stamp of the president and his party, has risen to insist that the president must address them on the state of national security. More significantly, the Northern Elders Forum, a body that played a significant role in the emergence of the Buhari presidency has demanded that the president resign his position for his abysmal failure to guarantee national security especially in the hitherto peaceful northern half of the country. These calls, coming a clear two and half years from the end of his tenure in May 2023 can only heighten the atmosphere of political instability in the country. Politicians may like it but it is a negative signal for the society and the economy which is already in dire straits with a second recession in five years.

The demand of the Northern Elders is of course borne of frustration in the embarrassing incompetence of a president that they all had backed to champion their geo strategic interests while ensuring a credible national leadership. The call for Buhari’s resignation may also be a high stakes political manoeuvre aimed at dissociatinf the political north from an ambassador wh has done an ugly job. Increasingly, it is beginning to look like Mr. Buhari is incapable of rising to either the occasion of an illustrious northern messiah or indeed a tolerable national leader in any area of national life. Under his watch, the North has degenerated into a Hobbesian hell while peace time Nigeria is witnessing a spate of insecurity far greater than under any previous administration in the nation’s history. Even Mr. Buhari’s most ardent disciples now find it hard to explain let alone defend the job performance of their principal as Nigeria now tops the list of nearly every global index of negativity.

Mr. Buhari may have put his best foot forward. It may not be good enough in the context of the issues and challenges that bestride today’s Nigeria. In a democratic context, I see some good in Buhari’s less than impressive outing so far. The fear of insecurity, grinding poverty and lack of direction under him will help Nigerians make the democratic decision in 2023.

One of the beauties of democracy is that a lack luster leadership is the greatest campaign for the next brilliant one. Or an even worse one!

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

17

BUSINESS All Eyes on CBN to Goose Growth Editor: Kunle Aderinokun

08033204315, 08111813084 Email:kunle.aderinoku@thisdaylive.com

Obinna Chima writes on recent measures adopted by the Central Bank of Nigeria to steer the economy out of recession

T

he biting economic recession in Nigeria is already impacting negatively households and firms and making it difficult for them to meet basic needs such as food, healthcare and shelter, in an economy that had been battling with high rate of poverty.

The situation followed the impact of the coronavirus as well as the slump in crude oil which once more exposed the underbelly of the Nigerian economy, which has also been grappling with structural difficulties, dwindling revenue, muted economic growth and rising inequality.

Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had shown that Nigeria’s real GDP contracted for the second consecutive quarter by 3.62 per cent in the third quarter of the year, compared to a growth of -6.10 per cent, which showed that the country had entered its second economic recession in five years.

Indeed, the spread of the disease caused

by COVID-19 saw the federal government adopting several measures which included a lockdown of Lagos, Ogun as well as the Federal Capital Territory, which disrupted the movement of goods and services as well as production, thereby sending the financial markets into a tailspin.

Owing to this, just like in 2016, all eyes are now on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to roll out ammunitions needed to combat the economic downturn in order return the economic to the path of growth.

The CBN had after the economy entered into a recession in 2016, introduced the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Fixing Mechanism (NAFEX), commonly known as the Investors and Exporters’ (I&E), aggressively intervened in the agriculture sector through its Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme and other development finance initiatives, as well as a raft of other measures to propel economic recovery.

And in line with its first-responder approach, just like in 2016, the CBN has been proactive in its efforts to steer the economy out of recession.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, recently assured Nigerians that just like policymakers did in 2016 when the economy slipped into recession, the fiscal and monetary policy managers would join forces to address the present economic challenge.

He expressed optimism that with measures to put in place to stimulate economic activities, the country would likely achieve a two per cent growth in 2021. “However, downside risks remain, as restoration of full economic activities, particularly in service-related sectors, remains uncertain until a COVID-19 vaccine is produced and made available to millions of people across the world. “Second, with the significant rise in cases in advanced markets and the imposition of lockdowns in parts of Europe, concerns remain on the impact this could have on growth in advanced economies, commodity prices and the financial markets. “We must therefore find ways to insulate our economy from the impact of these shocks through our diversification efforts, while also working to ensure that we adhere to safety protocols in order to prevent a surge in COVID-19 related cases, as this could further cripple economic activities,� he explained.

He noted that given the fact that the rise in inflation was not due to monetary factors, but rather the prevalence of structural rigidities and supply shocks, traditional tools of monetary policy may not be helpful in addressing current inflationary pressures.

Rather, he said a more useful policy would

A view of Central Business District, Lagos

be the supply-side measures implemented by the Bank.

Owing to this, Emefiele said emphasis would be placed on strengthening the development finance initiatives of the CBN in order to stimulate greater production and reduce unemployment. “We intend to increase our support for measures that will improve cultivation of local produce in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on improving our yield levels, as food inflation continues to remain the key driver of inflationary trends. “The banking sector therefore has a significant role to play as a facilitator of growth in the agriculture sector, through its intermediation function. “Some of the opportunities in the agriculture sector that banks should explore include ways to address some of the existing gaps in the agriculture value chains, such as storage centres, transport logistics, and technology platforms, which can enable rural farmers to sell their produce directly to the markets. “These measures would help to improve productivity of farmers, reduce post-harvest losses, increase access to finance for farmers and improve sourcing of local raw materials for processing by manufacturing and industrial firms. “It will also aid improved production of local goods, enable the creation of jobs, while supporting the growth of other sectors of our economy such as manufacturing, and transportation,� Emefiele said.

Raising COVID-19 Targeted Facility In order to reflate the economy, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) recently urged the CBN to raise its COVID-19-targeted facility to households and firms from N150 billion to N300 billion in order to accommodate more Nigerians.

The initiative is to cushion the impact of the pandemic that pushed the economy into reces-

sion, spur consumer spending and accelerate recovery from recession.

Furthermore, Emefiele said increasing the targeted credit facility will, by boosting consumer spending, stimulate output and ensure that all the six geopolitical zones benefitted from the palliative.

He said: “We have been advised or nudged on by the MPC that given that this had been very impactful positively, that the CBN should do more. “We have been told that we have to increase it not just from the N140 billion to N150 billion that it is now, but increase it to about N250 billion to N300 billion to accommodate more people that have not accessed this facility. “But we do insist that this must be done in a way that it goes round because we found out that some zones are more represented in the country than others. “But understand that a zone like Northcentral, where we have predominantly Abuja, or South-west, where you have predominantly Lagos, would certainly have a larger share. “The important thing is that we want to use this as an opportunity to see what can be done to boost consumer spending for our people and also see to it that output is stimulated positively for the good of our people.�

He, however, reinforced his call for diversifying the economy to end reliance on crude oil and save the country from exogenous shocks often arising from volatility in oil prices.

He said it was high time the country went back into agriculture for economic sustainability amidst current efforts to steer it out of the second recession.

According to him, the bank will continue to boost support for agriculture, industry and manufacturing to stimulate job creation as well as moderate inflationary pressure.

Boosting FX Liquidity In addition, the CBN recently unveiled a new

policy that grants unfettered access to foreign exchange (FX) from Diaspora and other money transfer remittances like Western Union and MoneyGram.

The bank also clarified transactions that were eligible under the policy in line with global best practices.

The policy became effective last Friday.

The policy allows beneficiaries of Diaspora remittances through International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) to henceforth receive such inflows in the original foreign currency through the designated bank of their choice.

The new regulation is part of efforts to liberalise, simplify and improve the receipt and administration of Diaspora remittances into Nigeria.

The central bank announced the new policy in a circular signed by its Director, Trade and Exchange Department, Dr. Ozoemena Nnaji.

With the new policy, recipients of remittances may have the option of receiving such funds in foreign currency cash (US Dollars) or into their ordinary domiciliary account. “These changes are necessary to deepen the foreign exchange market, provide more liquidity and create more transparency in the administration of Diaspora remittances into Nigeria,� the apex bank stated.

It explained that the changes would help finance a future stream of investment opportunities for Nigerians in the Diaspora, while also guaranteeing that the recipients of remittances would receive a market- reflective exchange rate for their inflows.

Owing to the new policy, the CBN last week directed all banks to close all naira ledger accounts opened for receiving International Monetary Transfer Operators’ (IMTOs’) proceeds.

Also during the week, the CBN introduced special bills to support economic recovery and deepen the financial market.

The 90-day special bills are expected to avail

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

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BUSINESS All Eyes on CBN to Goose Growth the monetary authority additional liquidity management tool.

The CBN stated in a circular addressed to all banks, dated December 1, 2020, signed by Hassan that the features of the special bills include tenor of 90 days, zero coupon, applicable yield at issuance to be determined by the CBN; the instrument will be tradable amongst banks, retail and institutional investors.

Also, it added that the instrument shall not be accepted for repurchase agreement transactions with the CBN and shall not be discountable at the CBN window. The instrument will also qualify as liquid assets in the computation of liquidity ratio for deposit money banks. “The CBN will continue to ensure optimal regulation of systemic liquidity and promote efficient financial markets in support of economic recovery and sustained growth,� it added.

Role of IMTOs Emefiele said following the announcement of the new policy measures, the apex bank, in an effort to enable smooth implementation had engaged with the commercial banks and the International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) to ensure recipients of remittance inflows are able to receive their funds in the designated foreign currency of their choice.

According to him, data on IMTO inflows into the country over the past year, and through central bank’s investigations discovered that some IMTOs, rather than compete on improving transaction volumes and create more efficient ways for Nigerians in the Diaspora to remit funds, resorted to engaging in arbitrage arrangements on the naira-dollar exchange rate.

This, he said, to a large extent resulted in a significant drop in flows into the country. It also encouraged the use of unsafe unofficial channels, which also supported diversion of remittance flows meant for Nigeria, thereby undermining foreign exchange management framework, he said.

Emefiele said the new policy would help in providing a more convenient channel for Nigerians in the Diaspora to remit funds to the country as well as ensure that the funds can contribute to the development of the economy.

According to him, the apex bank’s policy to allow for unfettered access to foreign exchange from the Diaspora and other money transfer remittances is to support improved remittance inflows into the country through official channels.

Emefiele said the current annual remittance inflow of about $24 billion could help in improving the balance of payment position, reduce dependence on external borrowing and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on forex inflows into the country.

He, however, said following up on the implementation of the new forex and Diaspora remittance policies, the CBN observed some pushback by some of the IMTOs, which he said were bent on continuing their nefarious activities of undermining the new policy by attempting to resist it.

He said: “This was the reason the CBN had to insist on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, that all DMBs must close all naira general ledgers through which the naira remittances were hitherto being carried out. “It also encouraged the use of unsafe unofficial channels, which also supported diversion of remittance flows meant for Nigeria, thereby undermining our foreign exchange management framework.�

He added that the new policies will be a major game-changer in remittance inflows into the country.

He said: “As a matter of fact, from the data that we have, the way the size of remittance is computed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) takes into consideration, not just the money that comes in directly as flows but also what we call the earnings of Nigerians in Diaspora in different parts of the world – because they believe and we believe as well that some portion of these monies actually flow back home to support members of their families. “But it is important for me to draw a parallel.

I am aware from data available that for instance, Pakistan even in the midst of COVID-19 receives $2 billion monthly from Pakistanis in Diaspora.

This is a country that I will say by geography, demography is about the same with Nigeria. “So we are hereby saying that if Nigeria is even able to receive even if it’s just $1 billion monthly or $2 billion monthly, I am certain that you all know what will happen to the exchange rate of Nigeria.�

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Ahmad

Obiora

He said he was certain that after some time, deposit money banks will not have any need to call on the central bank to provide dollar to fund their imports or commercial operations.

Emefiele also dispelled concerns that the new policies could support money laundering, adding that the institutions involved in money transfer have good reputation as well as a robust customer identification system in the country.

He said: “I want you to know that even from abroad, where these funds are coming, that is why we talk about institutions that are tested like Western Union, Ria and MoneyGram, which also in those countries where they are domiciled are properly licensed and regulated and I know for certain that countries, where they are domiciled, would not allow money laundering practices or remittance of funds from those countries into our country to be associated with money laundering.�

He said the CBN would ensure that most of those who would be receiving Diaspora remittances come with some forms of identity card, saying when the transfers started in 1996 with some forms of identification at that time, First Bank was able to ensure that people who were receiving funds were properly identified and could easily be traced talk less of even today where there is BVN. He stated that the measures would help finance a future stream of investment opportunities for Nigerians in the Diaspora while also guaranteeing that recipients of remittances will receive a market-reflective exchange rate for their inflows.

year and I believe that our ICT industry can make significant contributions to our export earnings,� Emefiele added.

According to him, the central bank recently issued payment service bank licences to three firms as part of efforts to drive financial inclusion and ensure that majority of Nigerian citizens are banked.

Emefiele said the payment service banks, along with mobile money operators and banks are expected to leverage ICT channels in improving penetration of digital financial services and products to Nigerians. He pointed out that driving sustainable growth in the economy would require that the banking industry support growth of ICT firms that are inclined to improve productivity across key sectors in the economy.

infrastructure, including but not limited to health, education and security, to help drive economic growth prospects. “The bank must support these fiscal efforts by sustaining its intervention policies particularly in the agricultural sector, which will be critical to strengthening output and curtail food inflation and COVID-19 monetary stimulus measures and other initiatives designed to channel credit to critical sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and small businesses,� she added.

She said there was a need to continue to push for the implementation of the minimum Loan to Deposit Ratio Policy (LDR); vigilance over the banking sector to preserve its strength, resilience and capacity to support the economy; and support for Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) to mitigate their exposure to adverse impacts of the pandemic.

On his part, the Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate, CBN, Mr. Edward Lametek Adamu, said COVID -19 had altered the way people live and conduct economic activity/ business, adding that some of its consequences might remain for a while. “There will be lasting consequences for employment, production cost and how economic agents engage resources, even under the best circumstances of early vaccine plus a cure,�

Adamu added.

According to him, the surest path to early economic recovery entails, amongst others, significant financial support to the health system to enable it to cope with the pandemic.

He stated that the CBN is already leading the way with dedicated interventions in the health sector.

He, however, called for the collaboration of the private sector and government at all levels.

In his personal statement, the Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, Dr. Kingsley Isitua Obiora, noted that despite the persistence of the pandemic, the financial system has remained relatively stable and robust to withstand shocks. “In order to support the naira, we must also continue to build a Nigeria that meets the needs of all citizens.�

Also, the Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, CBN, Mr. Folashodun Shonubi, said: “Overall, the state of the economy requires that we must keep as many as possible economic agents active and promote the expansion of economic activities to create more employment and guarantee income. “On the back of an inflationary pressure that is induced, largely, by temporary disruption to supply chain, one-off shocks and structural rigidity, I am certain that as we keep the engine of economic activities grinding, the cost reducing the effect of increased productivity and economies of scale will eventually, drive prices down.�

Nevertheless, there is need for policymakers in the country to follow through efforts to diversifying the revenue base of Nigeria’s economy and creating institutional structures to insulate it from external shocks.

There is also the need for increased interaction among policymakers in the country to revive the traumatised economy.

Naira Appreciates on Parallel Market However, the new monetary policy by the CBN has started impacting the value of the naira as it appreciated on the parallel market last week.

The naira, which went for N480 to a dollar on the parallel market last Tuesday, appreciated to N450 to a dollar during the week, before closing at about N455 to a dollar last week.

The ICT Sector Emefiele stressed that the information communication technology (ICT) remains one sector, which has emerged as a significant source of resilience in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.

He pointed out that in the third quarter of 2020, the ICT sector made contributions of over 17.8 per cent to GDP growth, 47 per cent higher than its contributions a year earlier.

The growth of start-ups in the fintech and health care space rose in response to the pandemic. “It is important that we leverage ICT as an enabler for growth in key sectors of the economy.

ICT start-ups are emerging to support SMEs, farmers, and in providing quality learning to students. “It is important that the banking sector consider viable IT firms in these areas that have the potential to not only serve the needs of the local market but are also able to export ICT related services to countries across the world. “India for example exports close to a $100 billion worth of ICT related services every

Infrastructure Development Another critical area that the banking sector ought to consider for stable growth of our economy is infrastructure finance, Emefiele said.

According to the CBN governor, with the decline in revenues due to federal and state government as a result of the drop in crude oil prices, alternative ways of funding infrastructure are critical in generating sustained growth of in the economy. “A well-built infrastructure system, comprising hard infrastructure such as roads and ports, and soft infrastructure such as broadband penetration, can have a multiplier effect on growth by enabling the expansion of business activities in the country. “We believe that a well-structured infrastructure fund can act as a catalyst for growth in the medium and the long run. The support of the banking community will be important in achieving this objective. “Let me add that while COVID-19 has brought on several challenges to our economy and indeed the banking sector, it offers a unique opportunity for us to build a more resilient economy that is better able to contain external shocks, whilst supporting growth and wealth creation in key sectors of our economy,� he added.

Implementing Economic Sustainability Plan The central bank has also advised the federal government to quicken the implementation of its Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) in order to boost economic recovery.

A speedy implementation of the policy, the CBN said, will help in addressing the structural impediments to growth and job creation as well as improving the poor state of the country’s infrastructure.

The Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability Directorate, CBN, Mrs. Aishah Ahmad, who made this remarks, noted that for optimum benefits to the economy, monetary policy instruments can only compliment policies in other sectors of the economy to deliver broad-based economic prosperity.

She stated those aspects of the plan, which seek to improve non-oil government revenue and reduce non-essential spending are vital and reinforce the importance of prioritising government expenditure to support social

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

1HZ 'LDVSRUD ,Qà RZ 3ROLF\ D *DPH FKDQJHU The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s new policy regime on Diaspora remittances is capable of limiting the pressure on the country’s fragile external reserves, quickening economic recovery and alleviating poverty, writes James Emejo

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riting on “Leveraging Migration and Remittances for Development�, the World Bank Manager, Migration and Remittances Unit and Head, Global Knowledge Partnership on MigrationandDevelopment,DevelopmentProspects Group, Dilip Ratha, stated that, “Remittances, the money migrants send home to family and friends, provide the most tangible and perhaps the least controversial link between migration and development.�

He noted that, “In times of an economic downturn or a natural disaster or political crisis back home, migrants send a bit more to help their families. Thus, remittances often act as insurance against unexpected adverse events.�

Amidst the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has among other things impaired the economic livelihoods of Nigerians, with massive job cuts and rise in poverty level as well as the current recession, no doubt remittances from Nigerians living abroad could provide the much- needed succour for the ailing economy.

Further highlighting the benefits of migrants’ inflows, Ratha particularly observed that “Since remittances are personal funds, governments have no effective way of directing the use of these funds for specific purposes. “Yet, governments can facilitate the flow of remittancesbyreducingthecostofsendingmoney, and promote access to savings, loans and health insurance products linked to remittances.�

He said the government can even reduce sovereign borrowing costs by using future remittance flows as collateral as well as issue Diaspora bonds to mobilise diaspora savings.

To achieve these however, he said governments must strive to improve the quality of data on migration and remittances.

However, some imperfections in the international money transfer system including exorbitant costs of transferring money from developed to developing economies as well as unfriendly domestic regulations appeared to limit the potentials of remittances inflow particularly as a vehicle for development.

The World Bank recently predicted that inflow of Diaspora remittances to Nigeria would drop by $2 billion in 2020 to $21.7 billion as against the $23.8 billion the country recorded in 2019.

The World Bank in a report had hinged the decline in remittances from Nigerians living abroad on account of the double whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant economic crisis that has continued to spread.

Globally, the bank had also anticipated that the amount of money migrant workers send home would decline by 14 per cent by 2021, compared to the pre-COVID-19 levels in 2019.

It stated: “Remittances are helping to address the impact on African households. Nigeria remains the largest recipient of remittances in the region and is the seventh largest recipient among LMICs, with projected remittances to decline to around $21.7 billion, a more than $2 billion drop compared with 2019.�

According to the report, remittance flows to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are also projected to fall by seven per cent to $508 billion in 2020, followed by a further decline of 7.5 per cent, to $470 billion in 2021.

It had stated that the foremost factors driving the decline in remittances included weak economic growthandemploymentlevelsinmigrant-hosting countries, weak oil prices; and depreciation of the currencies of remittance-source countries against the US dollar.

Obviously laxes in remittances administration had created a situation whereby senders have abandoned the official channels and resorted to informal channels of sending money with the attendant implications.

Earlier in May, a report produced by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)andNEPADAgency, attherequestofAfrican Heads of State, stated that Illicit Financial Flow

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(IFF) from the continent was estimated at $854 billion over 10 years at $50 billion yearly.

The report also stated that Africa had the potential to create $400 billion in international reserves, $40 billion and $2.88 billion in diaspora remittances and diaspora excess remittance costs.

However, determined to unleash the opportunities in migrants’ inflows by removing identified encumbrance, the CBN following up on its numerous interventions to stimulate economic recovery amidst the economic crisis, last week, introduced a new policy that grants unfettered access to Forex from Diaspora and other money transfer remittances like Western Union and MoneyGram.

The apex bank further directed all banks to close all naira ledger accounts opened for receiving International Monetary Transfer Operators’ (IMTOs’) proceeds.

In an effort to liberalise, simplify and improve the receipt and administration of Diaspora remittances into Nigeria, the policy allows beneficiaries of Diaspora remittances through IMTOs to henceforth receive such inflows in the original foreign currency through the designated bank of their choice.

CBNGovernor,Mr.GodwinEmefiele,explained thatthenewpolicymeasureswouldhelpinproviding a more convenient channel for Nigerians in the Diaspora to remit funds back into the country as well as ensure that the funds can contribute to the overall development of the economy.

He pointed out that the apex bank’s policy to allow for unfettered access to foreign exchange from the Diasporas and other money transfer remittances was meant to support improved remittance inflows into the country through official channels.

According to him, the current annual remittance inflow of about $24 billion could help in improvingthebalanceofpaymentposition,reduce dependence on external borrowing and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on forex inflows into the country.

The CBN governor, however, said following up on the implementation of the new forex and Diaspora remittance policies, the CBN observed some pushback by some of the IMTOs who were “bent on continuing their nefarious activities of undermining our policy by attempting to resist the new policies.�

He said: “This was the reason the CBN had to insist on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, that all DMBs must close all Naira General Ledgers throughwhichtheNairaremittanceswerehitherto being carried out.�

Further giving reasons for the policy interventions by the CBN, Emefiele said: “Based on this premise, we analysed data on IMTO inflows into the country over the past year, and through our investigationsdiscoveredthatsomeIMTOs,rather than compete on improving transaction volumes and create more efficient ways for Nigerians in the Diaspora to remit funds, resorted to engaging in arbitrage arrangements on the naira-dollar exchange rate, which to a large extent resulted in a significant drop in flows into the country. “It also encouraged the use of unsafe unofficial channels, which also supported diversion of remittance flows meant for Nigeria, thereby underminingourForeignExchangemanagement framework.�

Emefiele further explained that in an effort to boost remittance inflows and foster an environment that would enable faster, cheaper, and more convenient flow of remittances back to Nigeria, the CBN had in November 30, announced a new policy initiative, which would help to support these objectives. Please permit me to apprise you with the content of the new policy measures.

He added that the new policies will be a major game-changer in remittance inflows into the country and great source of financial and economic empowerment for Nigerians amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, as a matter of fact, from the data that we have, the way the size of remittance is computed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) takes into consideration not just the money that come in directly as flows but also what we call the earnings of Nigerians in diaspora in different parts of the world - because they believed and we believe as well that some portion of these monies actually flow back home to support members of their families. “But it is important for me to draw a parallel; I am aware from data available that for instance, Pakistan even in the midst of COVID-19 receives $2 billion monthly from Pakistanis in diaspora.

This is a country that I will say by geography, demography is about the same with Nigeria.�

He said: “So we are hereby saying that if Nigeria is even able to receive even if it’s just $1 billion monthly or $2 billion monthly, I am so damn certain that you all know what will happen to the exchange rate of Nigeria. “Secondly, I am so damn certain that after some time, in fact, deposit money banks will not have any need to begin to call on the central bank to provide dollar to fund their imports or commercial operations. “So that is why we are saying that we want to

aggressively take on this and see how this would help our economy.�

Emefiele, however, dispelled concerns that the new policies could support money laundering, adding pointing out that the institutions involved in money transfer have good reputation as well as a robust customer identification system in the country.

He said: “I want you to know that even from abroad, where these funds are coming, that is why we talk about institutions that are tested like Western Union, Ria and MoneyGram, which also in those countries where they are domiciled are properly licensed and regulated and I know for certain that countries where they are domiciled would not allow money laundering practices or remittance of funds from those countries into our country to be associated with money laundering. “On our part here, most of those who would be receiving those funds, they come with some forms of identity card and I know that when they started in 1996 with some forms of identification at that time, First Bank was able to ensure that people who are receiving funds are properly identified and Cam easily be traced talk-less of even today where we even have BVN.�

He said: “I am not saying that BVN is compulsory for you to collect your dollars over the counter but I am saying there would be some forms of identification that makes it easy for those who are receiving funds to receive their monies. “So the issue of money laundering in my view really does not arise because banks have their KYCs and because over time we will try and encourage a situation whereby those funds are flowing into the domiciliary accounts of the recipient, I believe money laundering issues would have been totally dealt with.�

According to Emefiele, in an effort to liberalise, simplify and improve the receipt and administration of Diaspora remittances into the country, the CBN had moved to ensure that beneficiaries of Diaspora remittances through IMTOs shall henceforth receive such inflows in foreign currency (US Dollars) through the designated bank of their choice.

He said such recipients of remittances might have the option of receiving these funds in foreign currency cash (US Dollars) or into their ordinary domiciliary account.

He pointed out that the changes were necessary to deepen the foreign exchange market, provide more liquidity, and create more transparency in the administration of Diaspora Remittances into Nigeria.

Headdedthatthemeasureswouldhelpfinance a future stream of investment opportunities for NigeriansintheDiaspora,whilealsoguaranteeing that recipients of remittances would receive a market-reflective exchange rate for their inflows.

AnalystshavecommendedthenewCBNpolicy regime in diaspora remittances describing it as a welcome development.

Speaking with THISDAY on the development, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Credent Investment Managers Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Shelleng said, “Prior to now, diaspora remittances to Nigerians were being received in Naira at official rates and International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) were gaining from hoarding and speculation of the FX thereby inflating the parallel market�.

But he said the new regulation will help drive more liquidity into the FX market and reduce the influence of some of the IMTOs and banks in manipulating the space.

Also, former Director General,Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, described the initiative as a welcome development, explaining that the new policy will address forex scarcity going forward.

He said: “When the CBN restricted cash access to remitted currencies from abroad, they did that to forestall money laundering especially for funds hidden in foreign accounts. “Secondly, they tried to reduce speculations and arbitraging in the FX market. Thirdly, there may have been scarcity of the foreign currency, so the restriction was to reduce pressure on the demand for same.�

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

BUSINESS/ENERGY

0RGXODU 5HĂ€QHULHV 6WLOO D 'URS LQ WKH 2FHDQ Emmanuel Addeh writes that while it is a good first step, the first modular refinery in the country, which was recently inaugurated, is still too little to make a marked difference

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ithanestimated200 million in population, Nigeria requires about 450,000 barrels of crude oil to be refinedin-country to satisfy its local supply needs for petroleum products, according a 2016 data from the Statistical Review of World Energy.

Today, it is almost safe to posit that not a drop of the black gold , as it is popularly called, is processed locally, except of course, for the 5,000 capacitymodularrefineryinauguratedbyPresident Muhammadu Buhari last week in Imo state and a couple of other negligible quantities here and there.

Last year, the federal government disclosed that about 43 refineries, including large-scale and modular refineries had been licensed to refine petroleum products across the country. Many of the licences granted preceded the current administration with some dating back to the Olusegun Obasanjo government.

Modular refineries are mini refineries with a reduced specified output level compared to full-blown refineries with the capacity to produce diverse finished petroleum products with an increased output quantity.

Apart from being portable, they have the advantage of a specified output and a relatively reduced cost of setting them up, compared to the traditional refineries. Experts also say the impact on the environment is also minimal as it doesn’t create much pollution and environmental degradation like the conventional refineries, none of which is currently working in Nigeria.

Furthermore, modular refineries reduce the cost of logistics in transporting finished products since their final products may not require long-term storage as they can be directly put in tankers or pipelines for onward distribution to retail outlets.

Aside the Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited in Ibigwe, which was commissioned last week, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) listed some others which are currently on-going like OPAC refineries in Umuseti, Delta which has a 7,000bpd capacity .

There’s also the Azikel Petroleum Limited in Obunagha , Bayelsa with 12,000 capacity, the IkweOnna Refinery Limited with 5,000bpd capacity in Akwa Ibom, the Edo Petrochemical plant in Ikpoba Okha, Edo, Lowrie Refinery Limited with 5,000 capacity and quite a handful of others that have reached various stages.

While this is a good development, it is however, not Uhuru for the Nigerian petroleum refining and supply system.

Againstcertainpermutations,therashofmodular refineries in the country will not result in reduced pump prices, neither will it considerably positively impact local refining even if all the plants begin operation today.

Minister of State, Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, captured the situation recently in an interview , arguing that modular refineries cannot replace the traditional large scale facilities. “It is a very tall order (the issue of modular refineries making serious impact). For example, modular refineries are very small refineries: 1,000 bpd to 2,000bpd. In most cases they are so small that they don’t have the catalytic cracking unit to crack the crude, so they don’t produce the lighter ends like petrol. “ They produce mostly diesel and other heavier products. So, they cannot be a replacement, they will only be an augmentation, because if you have 100,000 barrels, you will need 2,000 barrel refineries to give you the capacity that is being produced.

There are issues of economy of scale. “There are a lot of these modular refineries that are under construction. There’s one that’s ready for commissioning, 5,000 barrels per day. I am supposed to commission it. There are a lot going on, but they cannot replace bigger refineries because the volumes they produce cannot meet the needs of the country. “If you put the volumes together, it’s still small.

We still require bigger refineries and we are hoping that the Dangote refinery will be part of the solution to this problem. It’s about 650,000 capacity refinery in addition to the four other refineries,�

Sylva

he maintained.

A publication by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), on the country’s inability to refine locally, submitted that over the last four decades, Nigeria has consistently struggled to keep its refineries functioning optimally, despite having a nameplate refining capacity that exceeds demand.

It stated that Nigeria ranks as the 3rd highest importer of petroleum products inAfrica, bringing in over 80 per cent (now almost 100 per cent) of products consumed.

However , the organisation noted that in spite of the setbacks, the inherent opportunity for Nigeria’s erstwhile dormant refining sector holds bright prospects for the future and a recognition of key drivers will accelerate the imminent refining revolution, one of them being the establishment of modular refineries.

According to the organisation, if plans to upgrade existing refineries and the issuance of 25 refining licenses (conventional and modular) to indigenous companies are rigorously pursued, it will drive growth and reforms within the sector in the medium to long term. “Our outlook illustrates the potential of the sector with focus on the volumes that modular refineries can contribute to bridging the supply gap in the country and regionally. These are presented in three different scenarios. “In our scenarios, key assumptions are made across refinery setups: modular and conventional.

Modular refineries are assumed to be set up close to crude sources either within existing refineries or on onshore marginal fields. “They are also assumed to be set up close to consumption clusters thereby making them better positioned for domestic supply. On the other hand, conventional refineries are assumed to be set up to source for crude internationally and to supply both international and domestic markets,� it said.

The company stressed that while modular refineries which will be set up primarily to meet domestic demand, provides the “bottom-up� supply into the fuels value chain, another critical assumption is that the modular refineries yield

will be limited to fuel oils and diesel as the lightest hydrocarbon produced.

ButPresident Buharisaysthatheremainsupbeat about the possibility of the modular refineries transforming the sector in terms of enhancing supply and creation of jobs.

Delivering his address at the Waltersmith event, Buhari stated that the deployment of modular refineries was one of the four elements of the refinery roadmap introduced the federal government in 2018 to meet local needs for petroleum products and eliminate importation.

He assured that government was making good progress in the rehabilitation of existing refineries, co-location of new refineries, and construction of greenfield refineries, with the goal of making Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products in a few years’ time.

Buhari stated that the initiative came on stream several years after licences were issued for the establishment of modular refineries without any result,sayingtherealisationoftherefineryroadmap will ultimately lead us to becoming a net exporter of petroleum products not only to our neighbouring countries but to the worldwide market.

The president described plans to commence the expansion of the 5,000-capacity refinery to 50,000 barrels per day for the refining of crude oil and condensates as an integral part of the economic reforms that the country is undergoing.

He stated that he looked forward to seeing the new phase completed within the target timeframe, adding that he had also directed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and all relevant government agencies to provide Waltersmith company with all the needed support to access crude oil and condensate feedstock for the timely delivery of the additional capacity.

Buhari said in accordance with his administration’s agenda for jobs’ creation, it was heartening that hundreds of direct and indirect jobs were created during the construction of the first phase of the project in addition to various business op-

portunities.

Also, Sylva, in his speech, noted that only investors who have faith and belief in Nigeria, with clear delivery strategy , would have had such boldness to invest in refining like the company which established the plant in collaboration with the NCDMB. He argued that efforts to achieve sufficiency of locally refined petroleum products has to be a combination of large-scale processing plants as well as small to medium modular processors which will be enabled by our progressive policies and regulations.�

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Wabote, emphasised that modular refineries would create job opportunities and business prospects, enhance availability of petroleum products, and provide a ready market for some of Nigeria’s crude cargo within its shores.

Wabote disclosed that the NCDMB was also in partnershipwithotherinvestorsfortheconstruction of a 2,500bpd modular refinery in Edo State, which will later be expanded to 10,000bpd and another 12,000bpd hydroskimming refinery in Bayelsa State, that will produce a full slate of petroleum products to serve immediate and nearby markets.

He canvassed that at least 10 percent of Nigeria’s oil production should be refined through modular refineries, noting that an average of 10 direct jobs are created for every 1,000barrels/day capacity of modular refinery. “We believe that about 3,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect and induced jobs can be created if 10 percent of Nigeria’s oil production is refined using modular refineries,� the ES said.

However, despite the uncurbed optimism by officials of government, the reality is that 5,000bpd in a country that requires a refining capacity of close to 500,000 bpd and over 50 million litres of refined products daily cannot be the silver bullet to Nigeria’s refining challenges.

Proshare, an organisation which prepares and disseminates information , including news, data, research and analytics, says the challenges to modular refinery operation in Nigeria includes regulatory uncertainties and several other issues.

It listed others as industrial sabotage, crude oil theft, illegal refining operations, pipeline vandalism and piracy present significant challenges in the oil and gas industry. “Modular refinery investors can be swayed by the security condition of the country as investors would, more often than not, desire an environment, where their investment is not only safe but also secure. “The several initiatives to curb instability within the Niger Delta Region of the Nigerian government as well as multinationals notwithstanding, security still mains a major challenge. As a matter of fact, instability in the region has compelled some companies to declare force majeure on oil shipments, � it said.

Again, it stated that feedstock access remains one of the biggest challenges which local and new modular refineries are most likely going to be faced with. “ Guaranteed feedstock access has not been aided by inadequate infrastructure, insecurity and unstable production. “Inability to predict whether contractual terms will be honoured and not be deviated from pose a great challenge. Every investor is concerned about the performance of contracts and often wary of contractual breach. “Antecedents of the Nigerian government in its disposition in some of the joint venture contracts with some of its International Oil Companies (IOC) partners sometimes leave a lot to be desired. “While there is some motivation that the government is desirous of honouring contracts executed by its representatives, more efforts should do more to ensure that agreements entered into on its behalf are kept,� it noted.

In all, although the minister of state petroleum, disclosedafewdaysagothatfivemodularrefineries are on the verge of completion, which he said will produce about 50,000 barrels per day, Nigeria still has a long way to go.

Many Nigerians hold the view that a country so endowed should not roll the drums out for a 5,000 capacity refinery when it requires 450,000 daily production to match current local demand.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

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BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE

Lafarge Africa: Delivering Environmental Sustainability through Maiganga Wetlands and Agric Ecology Projects Folashade Ambrose-Medebem

I

t is simply impossible to envisage modern-day life without cement. Cement is a vital construction component used in housing and infrastructural development and as a key element to crucial growth of any economy. The high demand for cement in Nigeria is directly associated with economic growth and corresponding demand for rapid infrastructural development; which underlines the tremendous growth in the cement production industry.The cement industry accordingly plays a major role in improving living standards all over the country creating direct and indirect employment and providing multiple cascading economic beneďŹ ts to associated industries across the entire value chain.

In spite of being an extractive proďŹ table industry, the cement industry faces many challenges due to environmental concerns and sustainability issues.

However, Lafarge Africa, a member of LafargeHolcim is reinventing how the world builds to make it greener, smarter and healthier for all.

With our circular business model – Geocycle, we are leading the recycling of waste as a source of energy and solving the challenge of waste, for instance we signed an agreement with the Food and Beverages Recycling Alliance (FBRA).

The cement industry is energy-intensive and a signiďŹ cant contributor to climate change indices.It is known globally that emissions to air and energy use constitute major environmental, health, and safety issues. However, corresponding efforts and innovation have been deployed to mitigate all impacts to the barest minimum. For instance, LafargeHolcim recently at the United Nations Climate week 2020 became the ďŹ rst global building materials company to sign the Business Ambition for 1.50 C pledge with Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) collaborating towards a net-zero pathway.

LafargeHolcim has operated in over 80 countries including Nigeria for over 125 years, providing a range of concrete and cement products to build the country taking cognizance of the impact of the industry on humanity’s natural heritage.Hence,as a company, we are committed to minimizing the impact our operations have on the environment.

It is of note globally,that we also lead research in the use of alternative energy and the progressive substitution of carbon-emitting clinker with cleaner minerals.We have also signiďŹ cantly reduced the risk of polluting water, often sharing and/or investing in providing safe water for the communities in which we operate.

As a global multinational company, we are resolutely bound by the commitments we have made on the environment everywhere we operate.

This commitment has informed our biodiversity investment in a number of projects for instance the IlĂŠ Dotun Project developed in conjunction with Ogun State,The EU (European Union) and NSIA (Nigerian Sovereign InvestmentAuthority).

The project objective focuses on achieving land degradation neutrality (SDG 2015-2030 under the UN Convention to combat DesertiďŹ cation) by restoring 108,000 hectares of degraded land belonging to forest and games reserves of Im ko and Aworo in Ogun state.Trees are carbon emission absorbers hence leveraging biodiversity to

Folashade Medebem

enable healthy ecosystems fundamental to life on our planet.

Another LafargeAfrica Plc biodiversity example is theAgricultural (Agric) Ecology project targeting over 20 Ashaka Works proximate communities, these include Gongila, Jugol-Barkono, Badabdi, Ashaka-Gari , Jalingo, Feshingo, Bajoga, Sangaru, Lariski, Bage and Darumfa located in Funakaye LGA. The Agric Ecology project being implemented since 2018 by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Services (ABU, Zaria) aims to improve productivity and livelihoods, enhance resilience and living standards of the target communities through the deployment and adoption of socio-economic and technical innovations on sustainable agriculture and natural resources management.

The Agric Ecology project since commencement has impacted positively on food security and market competitiveness of the participating communities,empowered over 5000 resource-poor farmers, enhanced job and self-employment opportunities for youths and women,and augmented the sustainable natural resource management efforts of the communities.

Similarly,a ďŹ ve-year project has commenced to improve the management of the Maiganga Coal Mine water via distribution and discharge through a constructed wetland system developed in line with the LafargeHolcim Biodiversity Management programme in the vicinity of Maiganga, Kargo-Burodi,Kayelbaga,Tudun-kuka,Kalkulum, Lakwalak ,Kubwan-tangale, Kubwan-fulani, Kargo-maishanu, Piyau, Komta, Alatai, Kuibah and Kulapandi communities in Akko and Billiri Local Government Areas of Gombe State.This novel project,the ďŹ rst of its kind in Nigeria,is being implemented with the approval of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the enthusiastic support of the Emir of Pindinga, our host community to speciďŹ cally and critically improve on the acid mine drainage and entrench a biodiversity hotspot in an arid area.

Wetlands are expanses of land- mangroves, saltwater estuaries, paddies, freshwater rivers, peatlands, lakes, marshes, etc., either completely covered or partially submerged in water for most of the year.

They support a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial animals as well as plants and crops.

Wetlands also play a critical role in storing and

cleaning water, saving cities billions of dollars in building and running water treatment plants.

Constructed wetlands,such as Lafarge’s Maiganga Wetland Project, are now widely used for water treatment.The system and the entire process relies on natural dynamics to achieve water puriďŹ cation. Constructed wetlands are becoming very important given that 35% of the world’s natural wetlands have disappeared since 1970 taking with them many forms of plant and animal species.

The construction works in Maiganga Wetland system are completed and the oristic aspects planting of trees 60% done (afforestation of the surrounding and population of the wetland with prescribed plants).The project has planted over 70,000 plants on six hectares of land. Pump installations have been tested and are running optimally. Apart from water quality enhancement, in the long term, this project will boast of biodiversity enrichment as well as improvement of microclimatic conditions of the local area. At Lafarge Africa, our partners in government, and the communities around Maiganga are immensely proud of the contribution the wetland will make to achieving the global target of the LafargeHolcim group to reduce our carbon footprint by 2030.

The Magainga wetland will also deliver concrete economic beneďŹ ts to over 2,000 residents of Maiganga and immediate surroundings.

The irrigation system that is being constructed will enable all year round farming against the practice of farming only during the farming season. AshakaCem will furthermore support the Maiganga farmers with the methodology and skills to optimize the new cultural practice of all-year farming. Ashaka Cement, a Lafarge company, is in a contractual engagement with the National Agricultural Extension and Research Agency (ABU, Zaria) to work with the farmers on farming techniques that maximize yields.

Over 1000 livestock will also have improved access to water.

The Maiganga Wetlands and biodiversity area will also grow economic crops such as mangoes, cashew, etc thereby contributing to the overall rehabilitated areas of the Maiganga coal mine site.The entire project will sustain the peace within the general area.The abundance of treated water for communities’use all year will eliminate sometimes aggressive competition for limited sources of water.

Lafarge Africa is also deploying regenerative agriculture, this essentially means we are leveraging conservation and rehabilitation to food and farming systems. In Gombe state 500 hectares of land is contributing to sustainable food production. We are deploying greenhouse farming and supporting local farmers with skills inclusive of contemporary farming techniques.

At Lafarge Africa (member of LafargeHolcim), we want to lead in sustainability and set new standards. We want to transform the way our industry works and emphatically encourage the whole construction sector to play its part in addressing our planet’s biggest issues by BUILDING SUSTAINABLY FOR TOMORROW.

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More Millionaires Emerge in Pure Bliss Promo Emma Okonji

The ongoing Pure Bliss Millionaire Promo, which has produced seven millionaires and other categories of winners, last week, produced another millionaire and an iPhone winner.

The winners were presented with cash and smartphone prizes in Lagos, during the prize presentation ceremony, witnessed by journalists and organised by OK Foods, makers of Pure Bliss and other brands of biscuits.

Speaking during the prize presentation, Brand Manager, OK Foods, Oluwaseyi Aderibigbe, said N60 million was set aside as prize for various winning categories in the Pure Bliss Millionaire promo.

OK Food presented a cash prize of N1 million to Ogor Ann Obiageri, an entrepreneur

based in Lagos and one iPhone 11 to Adams Deborah, a first year student of Sociology from the University of Lagos.

According toAderibigbe, winners emerged by purchasing the Pure Bliss biscuit and sending the code they found inside the pack to a designated number. Customers who participate stand the chance of winning various items, including cash prize of N1 million.

Giving details of the prizes, Aderibigbe said: “We have over N30 million worth of airtime to be won, cash prize of N1m each, for 15 lucky winners, high-end smartphones for 12 lucky winners, 24 television sets for 24 winners, 120 bluetooth speakers, 120 headsets and 480 product packs for our winners in the ongoing Pure Bliss Millionaire Promo.

For the cash prize of N1 million, a total of seven millionaires have already emerged.

The promo will run till the end of the year or while stocks last.� “We see the promo as a better way to reward our loyal customers and to impact on their lives. The essence is to light up the days of our consumers,� Aderibigbe added.

Obiageri, who was presented with N1 million, said: “I bought just one Pure Bliss biscuit for my daughter and sent the code inside the biscuit wrap and I was called to be informed that I have won N1 million. I am happy to win, and I am surprised I won because I was not expecting to win the N1 million prize.� “When I first got the text informing me that I won, I quickly turned off my phone in excitement and after about 15 minutes, I turned it on again, just to be sure it was real and not scam. I later went online to verify and found out that it was true. Behold it is

real, I have collected my N1 million cash prize. I thank Pure Bliss for organising the millionaire promo for its customers,� elated Aderibigbe said.

Obiageri promised to invest part of the money in her existing clothing business and the other part in a new line of business.

Deborah who was presented with an iPhone 11, said: “I eat Pure Bliss biscuit a lot, and I have won in other categories of recharge card, before winning the iPhone 11 smartphone.

Each time I purchase Pure Bliss biscuit, I always look out for the code to send to the designated number. I first received a text message that I have won a smartphone but I did not believe until someone from OK Foods called to confirm the winning and I was very happy. I am grateful to Pure Bliss for the promo and I am happy that I won iPhone 11 smartphone.�

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

22

BUSINESS INTERVIEW LAIDE AGBOOLA

We Need Supportive Policies, Economic /DZV WR 5HVROYH 6KHOWHU 'HÀFLWV Mr. Laide Agboola is the Co-founder and CEO, Purple Group, owners of purplemaryland and purplelekki. In this interview with Bennett Oghifo, Agboola speaks on how the group is redefining the real estate landscapes and the digital platforms. Highlighting the unique selling points of its offerings, he allays the concerns of prospective investors in the economy, particularly the real sector. Essentially, Agboola regales prospective investors with how the group’s daring moves have opened the pathway to creating products that could flourish even in the worst economic situations

H

ow has 2020 been for Purple?

2020 has been a challengingyearforbusinesses everywhere and Purple wasn’t left out.The unique challenges faced in 2020 arose from the global pandemic and lockdowns to the unrest, specifically that affected Nigeria, recently,thathaveleftseveralbusinessesgaspingfor survival. This year has been a steep learning curve for many businesses as it has shown the survival instinctsofbusinessesinthefaceofunexpectedeconomic disruptions. For Purple, the aforementioned challengeshaveledtoacontinuousreconfiguration of our capital structure, quick response to market changes and customer/partner changes to the market. Therefore, we have been able to test our products in the worst of market conditions both in 2016 and now in 2020. We continue to work towards maintaining our continuous confidence amongst our domestic and international alliances.

Thequestionshaveremainedthesame:Howdowe assure our investors their returns are achievable?

And, how do we deliver on the proposed assets amidst lockdowns and a contracting economy?

Fortunately, our mixed use development products have been designed for specifically for this market based on deep research analysis and as a response to the market both in 2016 and now validated as the appropriate product for our Nigerian market even in 2020.

How have the challenges in 2020 affected your occupancy rate for Purple Maryland?

At Purple, our relationship with our tenants/ partners and the growth of their businesses remain paramount. This has made those partners remain with us despite the several economic issues. We have continuously prioritised brand awareness, our product and partner products awareness and marketing with an unusually lower priced rental regime derived from our lower priced building strategysupportedbysmallerfitforpurposespatial planning.Thishasbeenourstrategyinmaintaining our 97 per cent occupancy level.Albeit, this has not been without some sort of grant period in 2020. It has been an unusual year and has required us to deliver unusual responses tailor made across our partners to arrive at sustainable businesses within our build environment going forward. This also speaks to the resilience of the businesses within our centre. However, this year has also reinforced our belief in our mixed use retail strategy, focusing on essential services and domestic retailers, who are flexible and have shown adaptability to the peculiarities of the Nigerian Market.

What is your new direction?

Purple has been known as an investment or real estate firm depending on who you ask. However, we have taken all those competencies and asked ourselves, some questions to determine the core outcome / impact of all these business activities and how do all the business decisions and strategies translate to real world value. To this end, we decided that improving the end user’s lifestyle and experience by delivering world standard real estate assetsthatcontinuetobeviableandimpactful remains essential. Hence our enhanced focus on the lifestyle development of our consumers by

Agboola

accelerating our natural evolution from pure brick and mortar centres to include our online market place. The online market, purple.shop includes all our in-store retailers and a well curated selection of new vendors, who we have vetted and trust to deliver high quality products and services to our customers. In addition, as an improvement to customers’ lifestyles, we have also launched new products like nano apartments that tackle some of the long held issues in the residential,

short and long stay space. We have commenced construction of these nano apartments in Lekki Phase 1 and would be delivering more to our mainland customer base starting in 2021.

What do you see in the future of real estate in Nigeria?

We’veseennumerousshiftsinthepastfewyears, from the rise of shared spaces and services bringing about co-working and co-living to this year, which

has also shown us the value of mixed use assets, but also a need for privacy and self-sustainability.

We believe there is gradual shift towards smaller, mixed used facilities that give customers some sort of balanced, but affordable and flexible lifestyle.

This is the immediate future of real estate and it is what our purple nano product line brings to complement our purplelekki and eventually wouldcomplementourpurplemaryland(formerly Maryland mall) product offerings. The drive is to

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

2020 Has Been an Unusual Year, Making Us Deliver Unusual Responses be able to deliver on work, shop, eat, play, drink and live concept across our product offerings and back it up with a strong online marketplace, purple.shop.

What are the challenges for real estate developers?

For us as a lifestyle and real estate development business, the ability to deliver products to our customers and partners at sustainably attractive pricesmakesourmajorpriority.Priortoalowerrate interest rate regime currently being experienced, attractive naira-based financing for real estate lifestyle especially around hospitality has not been entirely forthcoming. We also need supportive policies and economic laws to ensure we are all driving towards resolving shelter deficits in every form whether it be residential or hospitality.

There is obviously an infrastructural gap that can only be driven by investors. This is even more apparent now than ever with the collapse of the oil price coupled with the pandemic, we can feel the need for domestic players and institutions to back leading domestic players that have boots on the ground and neck deep in the development cycle of our dear country, Nigeria. We are not a portfolio international company or investor. We are Nigerians and we are on the ground. Our focus is to develop Nigeria, but Nigeria must provide an investment climate that is evidently supportive of growth so as the domestic players and institutions do not shy away from investing locally especially at a time like this. We are all we have. Our target is to continuously work on delivering value assets to our customers and partners at attractive prices irrespective of the exchange rate movements experienced. These movements form a threat to our margins created from lower interest rate regimes as our ultimate plan is not to continuously pass on this exchange rate changes in our lifestyle developments to our consumers.

Apart from development challenges, there are operational challenges from power cost, good access roads and other infrastructural deficits mean developers have to bear these costs. We are very mindful about pricing and continuous increase in prices in a down market. Our ability to sell or lease products at attractive prices can only be sustained where we do not have variables moving constantly. With the current economic recession as well as reduced spending power, real estate tends to be seen as luxury rather than an investment. We bank on the fact that the pandemic has shown the real importance of work, shop, eat play, drink, live in a singular location. However, this must be at the right price point.

Material sourcing and a weak domestic manufacturing industry continues to be a stretch on right product pricing for the domestic market, as appropriate items continually have to be sourced offshore. This coupled with the downward direction of the Naira continues to increase the cost of developments, limiting developers in terms of finishing and finance to innovate further.

Notwithstanding, we continue to innovate and form alliances with our network of contractors, building partnerships that align our interest of delivering value to our consumers based on attractive pricing.

In terms of development and operations, we have found a way to work with the best of the domestic space we operate in whilst delivering at international standard levels fit for purpose assets. We need to ensure we are not losing our best hands at all levels of the real estate value chain to the Diaspora. Taking on international expertise at greater cost is at the detriment of the Nigerian Real Estate development Industry and can only lead to stagnation if the best minds and artisans are brought in and never home grown.

What do you think about the investor market?

The recent economic and currency issues in Nigeria has made investors wary. The confidence level in the Nigerian policy environment and in the market needs to be rebuilt. Fortunately, our product offerings work for our partners and our short, long and residential product are essentials.

We have witnessed a significant off-take despite the turbulence associated with 2020. For Purple, we continue to build confidence that our investors have in us. Our plan is to continuously deliver value to them. We aimed to remain liquid prior to the pandemic whilst restructuring our books.

We are achieving that via a combination of a second round of equity investment achieved in the chaotic year of 2020 plus additional domestic debt funding for our expansionary activities within the essential space despite market conditions. We are still open for further investment on both the

What and who did you model business after?

TheSouthAfrican/MauritianCompany,Gritand theAmerican,Simonaretwointerestingbusinesses we observe. In terms of growing a chain of assets, albeit mixed use in our case, these two businesses have shown what is possible for developers in this sector. For us, it is not a mere adaptation of what is in trend in other jurisdictions, but about what is workable in our domestic jurisdiction. We have aspirations of international diversification in the retailspaceandareworkingwithotherinternational partners to bring this to life in the coming year(s).

Our goals are daring and a path to it is clear. We believe we can achieve those targets and remain relevant domestically and internationally. Our ultimate plan is to be able to provide a warehouse for the domestic large institutional investment base for regional and international foray.

How is Purple’s relationship with regulatory authorities?

We have a cordial relationship with regulators.

We respect them wholeheartedly and can only continue to work with them to keep providing us with a safe and impactful policy driven environment that is pro-business growth especially in a difficult clime as this.

What’s the Group’s niche market in the business space and the economy?

We are focused on up to the mid-market niche as this space continues to house a majority of Nigerians. The universe of investors, large and small is significant in a market size like Nigeria.

Purple will serve as the platform for realisation of wealth and value creation. We have seen the spendingpowerofthissectorimprovesignificantly over the years and this group is aspirational in nature. We are hoping to continue to grow with this market and help this group of customers continue to improve their quality of life through access to our group’s offerings and capital structure now and in the new future.

Agboola

equity and debt funding and we have received significant interest across both lines. We would obviously inform the market as we proceed and take necessary corporate actions over the next year culminating in the institutionalisation of the business backed by decent corporate governance and processes. All of our daring steps have provided the pathway to create new products like PurpleLekki, PurpleNano and Purpleshop to our existingpurplemaryland,formerlyMarylandmall.

These products can adapt in the worst of economic circumstances and also thrive in the best economic clime. Investors need to take this current economic cycle to back the leading companies of tomorrow, today. Our ultimate plan is to provide a liquidity offering for our investors over the next 24 months via a public offering or listing in the appropriate market and at the appropriate time.

What do you think is the next big thing in the residential market?

We keep saying to whoever cares to listen, we are a real estate and lifestyle development business. Even our residential developments are a function of co-habitation principle towards real estate asset classes in the first instance talk less of the multiuse as aparthotels, short and long stay as well as co-living. The concepts discussed here are alien and somewhat new to the market, but the market must adapt. We had conducted that research as far back as 2018 and began our quest for delivery ever since then. We are here now. The quest to create unique, but yet attractively priced living solutions for the mid-market, a discerning investor’s haven.

We understand you recently implemented a brand restructuring and offer new products.

What values will the recent brand restructuring and new product offerings/launches add to the entire value chain and in fact the Purple as a group?

The Purple values have always been perseverance, audacity, collaboration and transparency.

Although these principles have guided us thus far, we have only just better defined these such that our end users feel the purple way. We want to ensure our investors also remain very much at the centre of all we do as a business. With our new products, we are only ensuring that we offer our investors a diversified portfolio that enhances better returns.

Forexample,ourNanoswillfeaturetoptierhotel management services. Merging this hotel management approach with a residential style building has created a unique well catered experience for

occupiersaswellasaviableprofessionallymanaged assetforinvestorswhoareabletoreceiveanassured tenancy return for these nanos at purplelekki, only where they choose to. Like I mentioned, the success of purple Nano at purplelekki is pushing for the need to deliver competitively priced purplenano to our mainland audience.

At the time of conceiving the idea of building Purplelekki, what did purple set out to achieve ?

Ourstrategyisamixedusedevelopmentstrategy to ensure that all of our assets are sustainable and can continue to generate diversified income and returns no matter the economic situation. Our flagship asset purplemaryland has shown us that this model is practical and optimal for a market such as Nigeria. With purplelekki, our goal is to take this mixed use format to the next level by including Live (co-Living, short and long stay) to our existing retail, entertainment, advertising and co-working offering. This means end users can enjoy an all-inclusive lifestyle within our assets.

They can shop, work, eat, play and live all within the same insulated well-secured complex. This we believe can be an advantage as the world continues to respond to the global pandemic and the change it has brought to daily living. In conceptualisation prior to the pandemic, we believed this is where the market should drive to and with the pandemic, it is now proving that our feasibility work is further grounded by the 2020 pandemic.

What speciďŹ c challenges have you encountered in your line of business and how were they surmounted?

With our centre, the lockdown experienced this year made it challenging for our retailers world over to make sales. This had the knock-on effect of being able to afford rental payments. Our board and investor swung to action in providing rent-free grant periods to cushion the effect on our partner retailers. We expect to work out with our investing partners, a resounding way of also cushioning the effects on us. We have had to give grants to help cushion the impact for our tenants and partners.

In addition, we have accelerated our plans to create an online platform to supplement our brick and mortar network. This platform allows us to service our retailers and mall users bridging the gap between the two during future isolated times and a daily service offering to our teaming first and third party retailers as well as our customers.

In our developments, we are also aligning the interest of our development contractors with ours to ensure success in trying times like this.

In your assessment, can you say your kind of business have been accepted by the strata of the society?And what aspects of operations need to be improved upon?

Yes! We have seen a positive response to our products as our Lekki Nanos have pretty much sold out even during the uncertainty of 2020. We only opened up for sale immediately after the lockdown was over and we have thus far achieved 75% cash backed sale commitment. This product is for everyone. If you do not have one in your portfolio then we really do not understand your investment philosophy. It is a needed product whether you are in the Diaspora and need an aparthotel styled property or you are a domestic investor needing yielding assets or you are family man looking for an attractively priced, properly operated space or gift item for your loved ones or a co-living experience.

This gives us confidence that people understand the value of what we are building. Though we have achieved a lot within a short period, these businesses are still young and learning. We are optimistic that operationally we will continue to improve efficiency and speed in delivering for our customers and investors.

How’s your human capital?

We believe in family first and foremost, our team structure is lean, but hungry and our posture is can do. We are like a pack of wolves! We are collaborative in nature both internally and externally. We have assembled a strong team with a variety of experiences within the various sectors and have taken steps to ensure continued human development with our team. Many of our staff started with us in 2013 are still here dedicated to growing the brand and what it stands for, taking the lessons learned and rolling them into our new product lines.

What’s Purple Group’s unique selling point?

Our young and vibrant team. Our versatility and flexibility is a key selling point. Our focus spreadsacrossdifferentbutrelatedsectors,allowing our investors to spread their risk across different locations and sectors. Our retailers are prioritised as our partners and are consumers are recognised.

Looking into the future, where do you see Purple in the next ďŹ ve years?

We see ourselves as a household name, not just for our brick and mortar, but via our online platforms and our retail drive. We are positioning Purple to be the Grit of Nigeria and the Simon of Africa at large. Our story is still being written.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

THE EXECUTIVE NNAMDI OKONKWO

Fidelity Bank’s Growth Trajectory Will Be Sustained Nnamdi Okonkwo, the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, has been in the saddle for about seven years. In his stint as the chief executive officer, he took Fidelity Bank to enviable heights.

Notable among his landmark accomplishments are the rebranding project, which drove an increased youth appeal; revamping of the bank’s performance management culture to instill a culture of performance; technology refresh and digital transformation in furtherance of the digital retail strategy he implemented. In fact, Okonkwo has put the bank on the path of consistent financial growth with all the performance indicators comfortably in the positive territory. The Fidelity Bank CEO who is set to retire on December 31, 2020, after spending 30 years of his whole working life in the banking industry, met business and finance editors recently in an interaction session. Kunle Aderinokun and Obinna Chima, who were there, present the excerpts

H

ow is life with you as a banker?

I have been in banking for three decades.

This is what I have done for the better part of my life because I went straight into banking fresh from University and was fortunate to have worked in some great institutions including Fidelity Bank where I would be retiring from come December 31, 2020 as Managing Director/CEO. Let’s say there are about 30 banks in Nigeria, a country of about 220 million people. It simply means that for this period that I was a bank CEO, there can only be 30 people out of 220 million people that could be bank CEOs. So, for me being CEO of Fidelity Bank was a call to duty which I hold with a great sense of responsibility.

Contrary to negative ratings by international rating agencies about Nigerian banks’ performance postCOVID-19, the results have been rather positive and outstanding, how were you and others able to change the outcome?

The banking industry, I believe, has been positively impacted by the fiscal and monetary actions taken by the government to accommodate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on the people and business landscape.

These include a forbearance programme, the easing of the monetary policy stance to promote a low interest regime, and the launch of the N2.3trillion stimulus package under the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP). These steps by government eased pressure on customers to effectively service loans held and thus reduce the risk of loan defaults across the Industry.

In the case of Fidelity Bank, our proven capacity to monitor the business environment and identify risks as well as growth opportunities proved invaluable. In this regard, the bank had conducted various scenario assessments prior to Nigeria recording its index case and identified business sectors expected to be impacted by the pandemic. As a result, we were primed to quickly adapt our strategies for business continuity and market focus in time with government enforced lockdowns. While it has not been a walk in the park, our focused delivery of an evolved business strategy is responsible for our positive performance this year.

Okonkwo

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

25

Enhanced Digital Platforms Have Improved Our Operational Efficiency Some banks have been alleged to rely sorely on the CBN for funding in recent times, how will you describe the liquidity position of Fidelity Bank?

While I cannot presume to know the level of reliance some banks on CBN funding, I can attest that that is not the case for Fidelity Bank. Our 9months – 2020 results show an increase in our liquidity ratio to 35per cent from 32per cent in our audited H1-2020 results. Our liquidity position remains strong, above the required regulatory threshold and we expect to maintain this in line with our historical stance.

What are the impact focus areas of your bank and how have they helped to impact on the bank’s performance over the years?

The bank has undergone a significant evolution of business culture over the past few years all towards improving operational efficiency and expanding market share.

Our principal ethos of Customer First, guided operational realignments and a comprehensive procedure review towards improving efficiency. The bank’s technology drive and digital transformation initiatives are however the core platforms so far leveraged to achieve of our short to medium term business goals.

On the operational end, automation and robotics have replaced manual and repetitive processes to cut down processing times and improve efficiency. This has allowed us to expand our customer reach, without sacrificing our high quality of customer service.

The bank has also introduced several products and enhanced service features well suited to the needs of our ever-growing customer base. Our digital offerings lead the industry in terms of innovative features with close to 90per cent of our transactions now handled outside our brick and mortar branch network.

The result of the success of our adopted digital culture has been evident in the performance trend witnessed over the past few years and even sustained despite the impact of the pandemic.

Banks have been cutting costs through rationalisation of staff strength and pay cut in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, how is Fidelity Bank responding to it?

Fidelity Bank has not been forced to take such actions since the advent of the pandemic largely due to our digital journey as highlighted earlier. Our current reliance on digital platforms had already helped us improve our operational efficiency significantly over the past few years.

Our transition to remote work protocols under our business continuity plan was activated once the pandemic hit our shores, and this has further helped us save costs.

Case in point is the drop in our cost-toincome ratio to 66.3per cent as at September 30, 2020 from 73.4per cent as at December 31, 2020.

Fidelity Bank has been known for sterling performance over the years, what should investors expect from the bank this year?

We expect to remain true to our premise as an institution that keeps its word despite the challenges faced particularly this year.

The fact that our strong operational and risk management structure proved capable during this period of heightened uncertainty is a testament to the institution.

Our performance so far this year has also matched guidance which is evidence of our ability to sustain our trajectory even as the year draws to a close You have positioned Fidelity Bank as an impact investor over the years, can the bank sustain this trajectory in the long term, now that you are exiting the stage?

Aresounding yes! Clearly our performance as an institution has been as a result of a core evolution of our business culture built on a platform of upgraded operational structures.

Fidelity Bank is poised to advance on its growth trajectory as our business institutions have been built on fundamental principles which would outlive any individual.

Recently the bank announced changes in its board directors which include the

Okonkwo

appointment of a new Chairman, MD designate and other directors, what should investors expect from the new directors?

The recent appointments to the board are well timed and they are a fundamental step in the execution of the bank’s corporate strategy.

The new leadership will maintain the pursuit of the corporate vision of business growth in line with shareholder expectations.

I believe investors should expect to witness more success from the bank at an even faster rate of growth. We should see significant enhancement in the core business structures of the bank, which should translate to impressive performance growth down the line.

As you take a bow from the bank at the end of the year, what will be your parting word for the investors of the bank?

It has been the honour of my career to have been selected to undertake the stewardship of our great institution and I am humbled by the faith placed in me during this time.

The successes recorded were indeed a team effort which will continue as the new leadership selected from this team takes over the mantle.

I hereby make an earnest request that we maintain the same level of support to the new leadership and executives as they take up the responsibility to lead the bank to greater heights.

What will you say are your achievements as MD/CEO of the bank?

While I must once again note that all the successes of the bank under my stewardship were a team effort, there are a lot of points to be referenced as regards the improvements witnessed in the bank’s performance. I would, however, focus on our digital transformation initiative as the most impactful amongst during this period.

The initiative has touched every facet of our business from all back end activities to all product types and service features offered to customers. Enhanced digital platforms have helped achieve quantum improvements in operational efficiency while providing a platform to handle the rise in customer size and transactions.

This however does not diminish other successes such as our brand equity growth

in the market, retail and SME market capture and profitability trend during this period.

What are your future plans? What next after retirement? Is it goodbye to banking?

I may not want to give away all the details of the immediate and long-term personal plans, However, I intend to continue to remain fairly active in the financial services sector albeit in non-executive capacities. This is to ensure the knowledge and experience gained during my career so far, remains accessible to the industry. The corporate place is not somewhere you can exit with finality at my age of 56, because companies are looking for people with corporate experience. Corporate governance has been taken to higher levels while responsibilities of directors have made it very critical that anyone, who runs a company, especially publicly quoted ones, must be people who are deep in understanding of governance. I won’t rule out being in the corporate environment. But, in what capacity? I don’t know.

What role would you say mentorship played in your career and who are those that really helped you to climb the ladder?

Quite coincidental you asked this question because I am also the Chairman of Mentorship Advisory Committee of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). I do not know why they selected me but maybe they know that mentorship has played a key role in getting me to where I am today.

I also use my experience to talk to people about the power of mentorship, especially at our training school.

Though I was very familiar with mentorship and indeed enjoying mentorship, it wasn’t until I went to a programme at Harvard that I started to realise the need to formalise and put a structure to mentorship. To buttress this, let me share a story with you. I was meant to read medicine or become a soldier, but by providence I entered university to read Agricultural Economics. After the first year, I was to switch to Medicine, but my department won’t release me and I was really disturbed.

As fate would have it, I came across several people, who read Agricultural Economics and were successful bankers. In fact, one

of them is Mr. Nebolisa Arah, who was a General Manager in the defunct International Merchant Bank Limited at the time and later became the first CEO of Fidelity Bank. I was very impressed with them and decided to stay put and read Agricultural Economics, because I figured that I could be successful as well with the course.

These persons were the earliest influences that I had in becoming a banker. As you can see, mentorship is not just classroom work, but more of influences of people you look up to.

Later in my work life, I attended a leadership development programme at Harvard and drawing on the experiences and exposure from that programme, I decided to approach Dr. Raymond Obieri, whom I had admired and looked up to from afar, to be my mentor. He was surprised at my choice of him because it wasn’t that we were close or formally acquainted at the time. He graciously agreed to mentor and advise me and he continues to do so till date.

So, my advice is that we should seek out people that we want to aspire to be like and have them mentor and advise us, no matter our levels and position in life. Apart from Dr. Obieri, I have been influenced by a lot of others including Mr. Tony Elumelu, Mr. Fola Adeola, late Tayo Aderinokun and others too numerous to mention.

Tell us about your early Life I was born in Otukpo Benue State and spent my early childhood there. I speak Idoma and my Igbo mother tongue very fluently. My late parents were successful entrepreneurs and brought me and my siblings up with strict Christian and moral values. I schooled at Army Children Primary School in Otukpo, Wesley High School also in Otukpo and then proceeded to the University of Benin.

Would you document some of your experiences for those coming behind you in the industry?

Yes, I would document my life experiences like Jack Welsh’s ‘Straight from the Gut.’ I will talk about what I learnt in leadership, not just telling my life’s story. I will also want to use my corporate experience to teach people about leadership, failures, successes and lessons because in this career, I think I have learnt a lot. I will surely write a book.

26

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž ͞˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸

AfricanTimes-USA Committed to Africa’s Renaissance Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ–Ă?Ă? Ë› Ă˜ĂŁĂ“Ă‹Ă—Ëœ Ă™Ă˜Ă™ĂœĂ‹ĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă˜Ă Ă™ĂŁ Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ Ă?Ă?ĂĄ Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ? Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ÞËÞĂ?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă—Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ëœ ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă?Ă?Ă“ĂšĂšĂ“Ëœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂœËš ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™ĂœĚ‹ Ă˜Ě‹ Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ Ă“Ă—Ă?Ă?ĐĽ Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă Ă?Ă? Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ? Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?Ăœ åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? ÙÖÎ Ă‹Ă“Ă–ĂŁ Ă“Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂœĂ?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă Ă?Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă–Ă? Ă™Ă˜ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă?ĂœĂ™Ă˜ĂžĂ?Ëœ Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă Ă“Ă?ĂĄĂ? Ă‹ĂŒĂ™Ă&#x;Ăž Ă’Ă“Ă? Ă˜Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă Ă? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ?Ë› Nduka Nwosu ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?

W

hen Charles Anyiam who is a special envoy of some of the Indian Ocean Island nations in the United States, west of the Mississippi, and Publisher of the Los Angeles-based The African Times-USA, a national US news journal left the shores of Nigeria more than 30 years ago, little did he know he was going to be an important voice in the African-American constituency’s perennial push to gain political, business and social relevance in the American milieu. Using the influential platform of The African TimesUSA, Anyiam has gone a long way in fulfilling that purpose.

Looking back now, the veteran journalist can gladly say that his American experience has been a fulfilling journey, mimicking the narrative from the Eddie Murphy block-buster movie: ‘Coming to America.’ You will not be wrong if you were to liken Anyiam’s experience to the big dream in the description of the river in Ben Okri’s The Famished Land: “In the beginning there was a river. The river became a road and the road branched out to the whole world. And because the road was once a river, it was always hungry‌.A dream can be the highest point of life.â€? Indeed Anyiam’s American dream has become the highest point of his life by way of goal driven objectives, especially after making a comparison between what he left behind and what lay before him or more precisely what he has been able accomplish in America.

Anyiam weighs his Nigerian and American experiences and presents the two sides of the coin to a discerning reader.

As he put it: “My American journalism experience is totally different from the one in Nigeria. In America, I have been more on the management side as a publisher while also doubling as the editor-in-chief. However, under my watch, The African Times-USA has carved a niche as a journalism brand in the US. Though it is listed as part of the ethnic press in the leading PR & Advertising trade journal – the Standard Rates & Data -, The Times has always had a unique selling point as a news journal that reports Africa and the Africa world to the American readership. We are currently reorganizing the enterprise in consonance with the new digital world. Our new-look portal is currently under construction by a team of digital managers “ Apart from the all-encompassing challenges in his media outfit, Anyiam is also the managing director of Saba Media Group, integrated public relations consultancy/advisors; managing partner of the Africa Consult Group, the Think-tank arm of The Times; and the managing director of AfrikUS, a startup marketing and investment firm with offices in Mauritius, South Africa and Beverly Hills, California. He is also a board member of the Southern California Chapter of The Africa Travel Association (ATA). Prior to that, he had served as the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Africa Resource/Refugee Center in Los Angeles.

How has this ascendancy to the life of a publisher been like with all the glitz and razz matazz? What is the story of The African Times-USA? Pioneering a publication like The Times, he says, has been challenging in terms of positioning within the highly competitive American advertising industry. However, he adds, “we have had a successful run with niche advertisers including the airline industry, tourism boards across Africa, money transfer companies, courier services, among such specialised sectors.�

Apart from publishing in a foreign land with all the attendant difficulties for a beginner, Anyiam consolidated his base once he expanded his territory by other means. For example, he found himself acting as envoy or honorary consul in Los Angeles to a number of Indian Ocean Island nations. What does this translate to in real life? Does it approximate to being an ambassador of the Seychelles? His response: “Part of the collateral benefits of working in a medium such as ours is the demand on your expertise in connecting the US and various African countries at various levels – economic, political, social and humanitarian. For now, I represent a few Indian Ocean Island nations such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and Comoros Islands in America, west of the Mississippi at various levels – tourism, direct capital investment, entertainment and other sundry assignments. “ His early beginnings tell the story of a future full of promises. “I formally joined the Daily Times editorial department in 1978 and was assigned to the crack Evening Times team under the editorship of the late Martin Iroabuchi and later, Mr. Ben Lawrence with the late Titus Soyombo as his deputy where he had the onerous opportunity to work under perhaps Nigeria’s best crime reporter of all time, the late Mr. Chinaka Fynecountry as the news editor. Under Chinaka, I learnt the art of crime reporting while doubling as the lead entertainment editor for the Evening Times. In that process, I was also required to work as sub-editor which was daunting but prepared me for a greater tomorrow�.

Those were the days the name Charles Anyiam dominated

Anyiam the headlines and became synonymous with Evening Times. “My stories were equally published by the other Times’ publications – Daily Times, Sunday Times, Lagos Weekend and Spear Magazine. These were exciting times. By way of national exposure from my incessant bylines, this literally earned me a sizeable national following and notoriety.� he recollects. As a result, I earned a place as a member of the pioneer panel of the trail-blazing monthly Top 10 best-selling musical recording in Nigeria organized by Radio Nigeria-2 alongside the likes of the late Tony Ibegbuna, Benson Idonije (Ben Jay), the late Willie Egbe, Jones Usen, Phil Ushie, etc. “ It was only a matter of time before Anyiam got a foreign invitation to the US. He was to be a part of a group of journalists from the developing nations in the world invited to participate in the Los Angeles Times’ Minority Journalism Program. That was the one opportunity on whose wings he perched and found himself residing in the Los Angeles area of California State in 1986. Series of events, he discloses, led him to foray into publishing with the founding of The African Times in 1989. The title became the flagship of a number of two other titles – Africa Quarterly, and “I’m New in America– a Survival Guide for new African Immigrants� published in partnership with money transfer giants – Western Union and MoneyGram. He later added an Awards event – Africa Achievement Awards - to the stable of The Times. “Under aegis of The African Times-USA, the Africa Achievement Awards hosted at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California started in 1991 has honored a pantheon of notable individuals and organizations that include Presidents Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdoulaye Wade, Stevie Wonder to the National Geograhic, Nollywood, Ethiopian Airlines, among many others etc.�

Back in the days in Nigeria, Anyiam had worked under the tutelage of thorough bred journalists such as, Tony Momoh, George Okoro, and Ben Lawrence and Titus Soyombo during his stint with the iconic Evening Times. Anyiam dominated the headlines and had a nose for investigation, which set him apart from his colleagues. Newsbreak was the Breaking News of those days, and as the quintessential society man, Anyiam had more than enough to chew journalistically. As he put it, he had a penchant that identified with key players in the industry. “My penchant for current affairs informed my familiarity and admiration for the leading journalists of the time, Udo Awa, Peter Pan Enahoro, MCK Ajuluchukwu, Alade Odunewu (Alade), Sad Sam Amuka, Segun Osoba, Adaora Lily Ulasi, among many others in the print journalism space, and Horatio Agedah, Ikenna Ndaguba, Emmanuel Omatshola, Ralph Opara, Ishola Folorunso. In print, radio or broadcast journalism, Anyiam connected easily with anyone who was someone in the

society.�

To many of us, it was a bit of a surprise when he decided to relocate to the US shortly after a well-attended society wedding with the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola as the chairman when he got married to a former air hostess with the Nigerian Airways.

His love for journalism, like many others, had its roots in the romance with the written word at a very early age. As a youngster, Anyiam was fascinated by the written word and the newsmakers. He was fascinated by the writings of Alade Odunewu, Peter Pan Enahoro and Tony Momoh, Udo Awa, among many others. This was the elixir that motivated him to pursue journalism as a career At an early age, he gobbled the content of the newspapers of the day such as the Daily Times, the West African Pilot, the Eastern Nigerian Guardian, the Nigerian Outlook, the Observer, etc.

Anyiam further recollects how as a child growing up he fell in love with the printed word: “From an early childhood, I was a tad precocious with strong interest in the literary world, public affairs, politics. I devoured all the publications of that era in the 1960s. While in the secondary school, at the iconic Awomamma Educational Project, a comprehensive institution founded and run by one of Nigeria’s best and brightest politicians, a philanthropist, educationist and entrepreneur, the American-trained, late Dr. Bernard Uzoukwu Nzeribe. I spent the better part of my “pocket money� subscribing to such publications as the Daily Times, Nigerian Outlook, Daily Sketch, and magazines such as Drum, Flamingo, Newsweek, Ebony, etc.�

About his pedigree, Anyiam was born to a former senior civil servant, a mechanical engineer with the defunct Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC), “Clement Ejiogu Anyiam from Nkwerre, Imo State, and a homemaker, Grace Ahushie Anyiam, an ideato, Imo State princess, both of blessed memory. The oldest of seven children, my upbringing was in a humble homestead with parents who were strict disciplinarians and emphasized education. “ What forces finally brought him into the newsroom, the immediate decision to join the guild? “My foray into journalism started from my secondary school days when I gained the reputation as an avid newspaper reader. Even the local vendors knew me. To express my journalistic talent, I would do reports on soccer matches involving our school, and post them on the school’s notice board with my fellow students lining up the following day to read my stories. During the Nigerian civil war, it was almost providential, that I was deployed to the public relations unit of the Biafran Commando Strike Force where I served till the end of the war. “ On leaving secondary school, he followed the footsteps of his wartime friend, Tony Nzotta, another ace Daily Times alumnus to work without pay for a provincial newspaper The Trumpet located in Aba, Abia State and run by the Cookey family.

He followed his friend Tony Nzotta to Lagos after he was employed by the Daily Times. “So in love was I with journalism that I abandoned my clerk’s job with the Federal Cabinet Office to work literally for no pay for an advertising trade journal run by a Mr. Nwuneli. From there, I headed to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism for a Diploma program with a stint as a freelance sports journalist with the Daily Times, specifically working under such brilliant sports editors as the late Samuel Babatunde Osuntolu (Esbee), Robert Dum, Yinusa Akee, Toyin Makuanju, and others. “ What has the social circuit been like while exposed to the glitz of publishing? His response: “With the notoriety that came with a high visibility job as a journalist, female friends and admirers were in no short supply. I married my first wife, Mabel Amene, an air hostess in 1983 – a marriage that ended in 1988 in the US. We have a son from the union. An alumnus of the famous French culinary school – Le Cordon Bleu, Charles Jr. is now a successful chef in Las Vegas Nevada. I remarried in 1990 with a daughter who is a graduate of UCLA. That marriage also ended in a divorce. I’m not proud to say that have not been too successful in that department so far. I guess my professional success took a toll on the marriages.�

Going forward what does the future hold for Anyiam? “ For now, I’m committed to working to join forces for the birth of a new, peaceful and homogeneous Africa that will become an economic powerhouse. I’m currently working with the likes of the former Africa Union Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Arikana Chihombori Quao who is currently leading the charge in the new Africa awakening alongside Professor Patrick Lumumba to right the wrongs of Africa’s colonial past.

My focus now is devoted to driving investments into Africa, transfer of technology, increase awareness of the African space and empower the future generation to compete fairly in the control of our destiny as Africans.

What are his views on Nigeria? “I am unapologetically proNigeria. Even with its loads of challenges, Nigeria can still rise again. However, this will never materialize until the country as it is presently constructed is politically rejigged. “

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͞˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸

27

Protesters at the Lekki tollgate

#EndSARSandtheWeaponisationofFakeNews Ă’Ă? ÚÙÞĂ?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ă•Ă? Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ? Ă‹Ă? Ă‹ ĂĄĂ?Ă‹ĂšĂ™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂœĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂŒĂ“Ă–Ă“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă–Ă‹Ă“ĂŽ ĂŒĂ‹ĂœĂ? ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ę°Ă?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ăž Í­ Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂœĂ™ĂžĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ? Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÞÒĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂ‹ĂœĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁËœ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? Sinmisola Abijo

B

ad news travels like wildfire was the hackneyed saying of the past. These days, bad or fake news spreads across the globe in nanoseconds. It is one of the flipsides of the gains of social media. And no one – high or low – is immune from its fallibilities.

As one of Nigeria’s more pre-eminent artistes with over 12million followers on Instagram, a little bit of circumspection would have been expected from the Afro-centric songstress, Yemi Alade. She, however, lent her fame and artistry to the wiles of fake news during the protests by Nigerian youths calling for the abrogation of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

The protests rocked Nigeria for about two weeks and climaxed October 20 with the Nigerian Army storming the Lekki Tollgate to disperse the protesters that had refused to obey the Lagos State government-imposed curfew. That night, gunshots had reverberated around the Lekki area as the protesters refused to vacate the tollgate, which had played host to them all along.

Earlier in the day, as the protest snowballed into violent attacks across the state with policemen being targeted and police stations razed, the state government declared a curfew.

Some of the leading voices and faces of the protest obeyed the curfew.

Others wore their exuberant defiance with aplomb and stayed put, singing the national anthem and waving the green-white-green flag with gusto. But the Army had a job to do – one of its major functions being to restore order if needed and in cases of insurrection, which the protest had gradually evolved into.

To scare and disperse the crowd, the Army shot into the air and then, there was pandemonium as social media became agog with different kinds of news and images. Alade, who was ensconced in the comfort of her home, then, posted the picture of a man bearing a young lady wrapped in a Nigerian flag with bloodstains, claiming that she was killed at the protest ground.

The flurry of reposts, comments and likes that the image gathered was unprecedented but not totally unanticipated. It was almighty Yemi Alade by the way. Emotions had reached a boiling point at that time. Fortunately, not long after, it emerged that the picture did not emanate from Lekki. Rather, it was from a drama staged by the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) in commemoration of Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary.

In a statement, the NCCF dismissed the claim that the lady in the photo had died, stating, “This is to inform the general public that the picture trending online of a man carrying a lady

covered in Nigerian flag appearing dead is a picture from the NCCF Akwa Ibom State stage drama night tagged: ‘Lord, heal our land’ on October 1, 2020, at the NCCF state secretariat. The lady in question is alive.�

Alade deleted the picture but the damage had been done already. All over social media – Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram – tales of mindless killings rend the air.

The morning after, and with gloom still very palpable and pervasive, radio personality, IK Osakioduwa, posted the picture of a protester named Lucia, whose death, according to him, was not a result of the shooting at the tollgate against social media outcry. “It was from a motorcycle accident on her way home from protesting. The lady and two gentlemen in photos seen across social media allegedly died a day before in a motorcycle accident. I checked her friend’s page and saw that she posted about it (the) day before yesterday,� he tweeted.

Before the post, social media had mourned Lucia extensively while heaping invectives on her alleged killers – the Nigerian Army. The Army maintains that it only fired blank bullets into the air and that those conversant with guns can testify to the fatality that can ensue if they fired into the crowd.

Enthusiastic social media users are not the only ones guilty of spreading fake news about the protest, institutions like the Amnesty International and global news outlet, CNN, are equally culpable of literally setting Lagos nay Nigeria aflame by pandering to falsehood.

Amnesty International, which claimed to have been monitoring developments across Nigeria since the #EndSARS protest began on October 8, claimed that, “At least, 56 people had died across the country since the protest began, with about 38 killed on Tuesday, October 20, alone.�

However, despite running riot with this claim, the global human rights body has not produced evidence of one dead person apart from the two that Governor Sanwo-Olu confirmed died at the Reddington Hospital due to blunt force trauma to the head. Neither has CNN produced evidence of scores of dead people despite flip-flopping on its presumed casualty figures before settling for Amnesty’s 38. Without a scintilla of doubt, fake news aided the escalation of the otherwise peaceful but overly prolonged protest, which eventually turned violent. It became a potent weapon in the hands of the proponents and enablers, who were unremitting in spinning it to continue incensing the protesters.

On the altar of fake news, sentiments were whipped up across the world, which kept the hashtag trending for several days. Every government personality became a

pawn in keeping the embers of hatred and discord aglow.

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Femi Adesina, was also at the receiving end of the scourge of fake news as he was alleged to have prevailed on the President not to scrap the F-SARS. The venom and vitriol that trailed this untruth on the otherwise self-effacing Adesina and his family were preternatural. He quickly issued a rebuttal, saying the website that published the news claimed that he (Adesina) hinged his argument on the fact that ‘the administration should not surrender to Twitter warriors.’ “While the FSARS saga lasted, I did not say a word on it, whether publicly or privately. Why? It was not within my brief. It rested squarely with the Nigeria Police Force, which has its spokesman. For the online publication to have cooked outright falsehood against me shows the riot that is going on in that space in the name of journalism. “The brain behind the blog had always twisted stories against me and his former employers would testify that I had officially reported him about twice, till I then declined to grant him interviews again. The publication should please be treated as what it is: lie from the pit of hell. A concoction, falsehood from a diseased mind, bent on causing disaffection against other people.�

One wonders what fate would have befallen the presidential spokesman if he had accidentally run into protesters at the time.

Freedom of the press is one of the fundamental components of democracy but the incidence of fake news threatens that freedom across the world and it constitutes a potential threat to democracy and national unity.

Its speedy and systemic rise is making it harder for people to see and sieve the truth in the media ecosystem. Fake news, sadly, contributed largely to the Lekki shooting and spurious lies that trailed it. Lagos has not recovered. It will take years to fully recover but the memories will linger.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu admitted that fake news caused the chaos in the state and led to several state and private facilities being set on fire following the Lekki shooting. “Many police stations were also burnt by hoodlums and several attacks recorded in different parts of the state causing the death of many. Lagos will be stronger. We will rebuild bridges and we will deliver on the good work we started on ending police brutality and providing justice. “We are working to stabilise things across the state as we look to rebuild. The state team is working with the hospitals and emergency services to verify the details of everyone involved in incidents across the state,� he said. ––Abijo lives in Lagos

28

˜ ˞ DECEMBER 6, 2020

MARKET NEWS

Yetunde Oni Appointed as Chartered Bank Sierra Leone CEO Goddy Egene

appointed the Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank Sierra Leone. Her

Yetunde Bolanle Oni has been 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

appointment became effective November 2020. She joined Standard Chartered Bank in

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 03Dec-2020, unless otherwise stated.

2005. Before this appointment, she was Managing Director & Head Commercial Banking

Nigeria & West Africa. She has worked as Head of Local Corporates and Senior

Relationship Manager/ Area Manager Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria & West Africa.

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 156.15 157.69 5.42% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 76.00% Nigeria International Debt Fund 443.29 443.29 41.22% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 105.69 105.69 0.47% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 1.04 1.06 15.80% ACAP Income Funds 0.86 0.86 11.37% 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 2.01% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.74 3.87 53.10% 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 0.90% Anchoria Equity Fund 128.58 129.04 20.73% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.45 1.45 21.38% 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 17.99 18.54 17.47% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 399.13 411.16 15.54% ARM Ethical Fund 33.66 34.68 15.75% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.21 1.22 21.23% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.13 1.13 12.86% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.30% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 122.72 123.58 27.72% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.56% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.26 2.26 20.96% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.26 2.30 47.63% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.62% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 126.71 127.50 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 108.42 108.42 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 1.28% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.11 1.12 19.29% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.73 1.75 30.96% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 1.06% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 1.28% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,210.86 1,228.54 9.26% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,477.95 1,479.66 24.45% FBN Balanced Fund 181.52 182.94 23.63% FBN Halal Fund 111.33 111.36 11.33% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.46% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 120.68 121.11 6.91% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 120.86 121.29 6.53% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 147.17 149.43 13.09% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH Treasury Bills Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.94% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 127.03 127.56 18.65%

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.01% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.84 2.90 29.79% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 155.62 156.53 8.62% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ďŹ ncon@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 1.39 1.41 23.23% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,146.73 1,146.73 10.22% 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 N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.60 1.63 29.79% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.10 12.20 7.40% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 2.08% PACAM Equity Fund 1.53 1.55 PACAM EuroBond Fund 107.36 109.69 SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 132.38 135.33 11.65% 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 1.01 1.01 8.70% 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 2,521.35 2,532.80 25.20% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 6.26% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 25.00% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 7.39% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 30.88% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.46% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 22.01% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.22 1.22 5.21% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 110.73 110.73 6.26% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund - 1.3898 14.36% United Capital Bond Fund 1.8788 1.8788 8.62% United Capital Equity Fund 0.87 20.27% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.31% United Capital Eurobond Fund 116.53 116.53 6.61% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.08 1.75% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.10 12.25 17.74% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.48 13.62 16.03% Zenith Income Fund 24.89 24.89 9.54% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.83%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

120.00

6.88%

52.10

0.10%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

11.63 116.44 88.43

11.73 116.44 90.08

37.93% 21.95% 17.72%

Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

4.03

4.07

17.47%

Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund

5.64

5.72

-4.56%

Vetiva GrifďŹ n 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund

15.94 1.00 16.36

16.04 1.00 16.56

32.42% 2.25% 56.90%

225.19

227.19

19.84%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.71

13.11%

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund

Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

06.12.2020

TEMI OTEDOLA HOW THE OTEDOLA NAME INSPIRES ME She’s a delight to behold. Bold, beautiful, and brilliant, soft-spoken and eloquent Temi Otedola is an adventurous Nigerian with a boisterous spirit. A renowned fashion blogger, Temi is gradually and if you may, effortlessly, making a name for herself in Nollywood. Her first shot at acting has received accolades and thunderous applause. To theatre enthusiasts, she is a breath of fresh air in the movie industry. As Temi charts a new path, Funke Olaode writes about what makes her tick ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

54

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

COVER

CHARTING HER OWN PATH: FROM BLOGGING TO ACTING

S

he is not new to the world by virtue of her birth. Her father, Femi Otedola is an accomplished businessman, a billionaire, and a philanthropist, whose name resonates beyond the shore of Nigeria. But if there is anything about the Lagos-born billionaire it’s his liberal attitude to his children’s career choice.

Suddenly, his household has turned into an abode of entertainment. His eldest daughter is a successful singer. DJ Cuppy has made Nigeria and Africa proud. No doubt, the Otedola girls have come of age. But in the midst of all of this, Temi Otedola holds her own. She is a fashion blogger who is currently charting a new path in Nollywood.

Though a new kid on the block, her first shot in Kunle Afolayan’s movie ‘Citation’ has created a lot of frenzy among movie enthusiasts. Stylish and studious, the University of London graduate of History of Art has proved doubting Thomases wrong that even with accomplished parents one can be successful.

“Featuring in Kunle Afolayan’s movie is like a dream come through. Growing up I have always loved Nollywood, and Kunle Afolayan’s films have always been on the top of my list. So naturally, when I heard that the lead role in Citation matched my criteria as an actress, I got in touch and was put through months of auditions. It was an honour to work with the legendary director,” Temi said.

For a first-time actress, going through the audition rigours can be overwhelming but Temi was equal to every task and she did meet and exceed all expectations.

Speaking about her experience at the location, she said, “It was a little intimidating showing up to set as this was my first film. It could have been stressful, but we had a great cast and crew, and everyone made me feel really comfortable.

“I’m used to working long hours. Physical endurance wasn’t an issue for me. But the emotional endurance for the more intense scene was something to grapple with. For instance, when Prof. Lucien attempted to assault Moremi.”

Continuing, she disclosed, ”My dream has always been to act, so to have been received well for my debut or even considered a breath of fresh air in the industry is really humbling. I hope to become an integral part of this new wave of Nollywood actors rising up.”

Humble and willing to learn under the tutelage of veterans, you, you may wonder what was it like working with renowned actresses like Ini Edo, the industrialist, and boardroom guru, Ibukun Awosika just to mention a few can be intimidating but as a humble heart, Temi was proud and honoured to share the same stage with the established personalities.

“It was just such an honour,” said Temi.

“I was familiar with their work, so to get a chance to be around such renowned actors and to perform alongside them was fantastic. I look up to Mrs. Awosika as a leader in business and mentor so that was a particularly memorable part of being on set.”

As she progresses in her acting career she still looks up to female directors as Amma Asante, Kemi Adetiba and Ava Duvernay.

“I’m also inspired by Oprah Winfrey, Malala Yousafzai and of course, my parents.”

Temi is bilingual. Did you notice her language skill on set mixing French with English?

She explained, “Well, throughout my high school years I studied French. I’ve always had an interest in language or anything that can be a challenge” No doubt, Temi is evolving, making the younger women who dare to dream and follow their passion proud. Temi’s father, Otedola is known to be a very liberal father who wouldn’t force a career on his children. But what was the initial reaction of her famous parents to her going into acting? Didn’t they perceive it as a misstep considering the fact that she is a greenhorn?

“I am blessed to have super supportive parents.

They have always taught us to never be afraid of anything and just do it. My parents are truly my biggest fans. They are really proud of the movie,” said Temi.

Then how did she convince herself that, ‘hey this is the right path for me’?

“It took almost no thought at all. I tend to follow my intuition and always flow to what I think the next step is for me. At certain points in our life, we take leaps of faith. Once the journey started, I knew I had made the right decision.”

Then as an aspiring actress, what were the challenges while filming Citation and how did she surmount them?

“The subject matter of the movie is sensitive and as the ambassador of the Women’s Foundation, WARIF, it really resonated with me. I have been a loud voice against rape and sexual violence against women for a while, so this was the perfect first role for me. The challenge was to portray the authenticity of the situation and act as a vessel for all

the girls and women who actually live through this.

It took a lot of work, research, and rehearsal, but I’m really proud that Citation is a movie that has a strong social justice angle.”

Sexual harassment against women has generated a lot of reactions globally and with ‘Me too Movement’ a lot of mighty men have fallen. But with Citation, Temi believes it will help reduce if not totally eliminate it as it is now being discussed openly.

“Nigeria has a big sexual harassment and sexual violence issue, but thankfully people are beginning to talk about it more. Films like this provide a universal medium to openly talk about these problems. They don’t solve them, but they get people talking, and that’s how all change begins.”

Lending her voice on how the womenfolk can change the narrative, she said, “As I said previously, get the ball rolling. We can make these changes, but it is always helpful to have art such as this to promote those conversations and allow us to express ourselves in a safe space.”

She is following her passion, determined to make a success out of it. Although having accomplished parents sometimes can create burden of expectations. Does the name Otedola place too much pressure on her or gives her the confidence to be the best?

“Rather than feeling the pressure of being an Otedola, I feel inspired by my name,” she admitted.

“It gives me a sense of pride to follow in the footsteps of my successful parents. They have always been so supportive of me and my ambitions, and I hope to continue making them proud.”

Then what ideals does she cherish about her famous parents that she will like to replicate in her life?

“My parents are hard-working people and they instilled this into our family values from a young age.

They give their 100 percent in whatever they are doing and I always strive to do the same. As the old adage says: “If you do anything, do it well or don’t do it at all.”

Young, dynamic and focused, if she were to look back in life, were there things she would have done differently?

“Yes, definitely,” she revealed.

“I would have started acting sooner. But I also believe that God’s timing is the best timing.”

Temi is daring as she constantly flaunts her private life particularly her love life on social media.

“I like sharing some aspects of my life with the millions of people that follow me on social media, although I primarily use these platforms to promote my creative work. The most honest and authentic you will find me publicly is in my new podcast with Mr. Eazi, ‘The How Far Podcast.’”

Her life has revolved around fashion blogging, but her passion has always been in the creative. As she opens a new vista in her career, she believes she is toeing the right path and things can only get better.

“Since I can remember I have always loved anything mentally creative. Whether it be art, fashion or writing. Creativity and expression are my passion and my purpose. It is even more rewarding when this can be shared with a wider audience.”

Her first shot at Nollywood has been a roller coaster. What does she think the future hold for her in the industry?

“A lot,” she simply said.

“Once I set my mind to something, you can’t stop me. I plan to challenge myself in every role I encounter and push the boundaries of my acting.

All I can say for now is: watch this space.”

TEMI

55

DECEMBER ʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

PERSONALITY

Why I’m Mentoring a New Generation of Women Dr. Lola Adeyemi, Co-Founder/COO of Magna Carta Health and Founder/CEO of Mentoring Her wears two caps as a multidimensional physician and social entrepreneur. Whether starting her own preventative health company, launching a healthcare, technology app, or beginning a social impact company that empowers young women to pursue their dreams and reach the highest heights, she pursues her passions of improving people’s lives and their communities. Recently, Mentoring Her organized a virtual competition where five winners emerged. Funke Olaode caught up with the US-based Adeyemi and found out her passion and mission for humanity

U

nassuming, quiet, passionate, and yet brilliant with an enviable resume to boot.

Though trained in Nigeria, Dr. Adeyemi has since conquered her world in the field of medicine acquiring knowledge in Ivy League universities.

With many academic laurels, the AgoIwoye Ogun State-trained medical doctor has also become a social entrepreneur, a game-changer who ensures that her fellow human beings particularly young girls are guided to the path of success. As the chief operations officer and co-founder of Magna Carta Health, she is changing the game in preventative healthcare in Nigeria. In her role, she bridges health care gaps and increases access to healthcare with the aid of technology.

Dr. Adeyemi’s latest entrepreneurial pursuits include building an app, Clinicgoto that helps doctors better serve communities by increasing access to care and launching a new platform, Mentoring Her, a social networking platform that uses technology to virtually connect female mentors with mentees to create relationships that significantly increase their lifetime potential.

Before her new enterprise, she has been a mentor and advisor to many individuals and organizations and is an ICF-certified entrepreneurship coach. Most recently, a headstream professional advisor for their accelerator programme; mentor for Johns Hopkins and Harvard University students and alumni, MicroMentor and Apinke Girls Initiative. She has also developed a free e-book on mentorship.

Dr. Lola Adeyemi obtained her medical degree from Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria, an MPH from Johns Hopkins, and an MLA from Harvard University. At various times, Dr. Adeyemi has shared her perspectives on healthcare, entrepreneurship, and mentorship in Forbes, Medium, Thrive Global, LinkedIn, and other various news outlets and speaks at events and conferences. Her intellectual prowess has not gone unnoticed as she is a 2020 recipient of The Global Achievement Award from Johns Hopkins

University.

Explaining her new baby, Mentoring Her, Adeyemi said it is an online social platform that virtually connects female mentors and mentees where they can develop relationships and help each other grow in areas relating to education, career, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. Mentoring Her uses technology to break down the barriers of access that girls and women face by creating a powerful network that empowers them to succeed through connections, communication and community in a way that prioritizes their health and safety.

Speaking further she said her motivation emerged from a desire to see women grow, fulfill their life-time potential, and live their best lives possible.

“I have been mentored to get to where I am today so I believe in the power of mentorship. I live by one of my favorite mantras from Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘Learn from the mistakes of others, you can’t live long enough to make them all by yourself,’ and this is the ethos that drives Mentoring Her to be what it is today.

“Over 950 mentors, expert coaches and mentees have joined us since we launched in 2019. Mentees who joined have attested to how the Mentoring Her platform has helped them connect to a mentor/coach who has guided them through overcoming self-sabotage, school applications, finding a career path, and so many more. Women who hold executive positions and also mentor on our platform say that Mentoring Her platform has provided the opportunity for them to mentor girls in an impactful way while going about their busy day.”

On October 10, Mentoring Her organised a pitch competition to celebrate its launch in Nigeria and to support Nigerian female entrepreneurs.

It’s called ‘Mentoring Her Pitchathon.’ Mentoring Her Pitchathon 2020 was a virtual competition in which women are expected to pitch their business ideas to top industry leaders to get their buy-in, advice and support. Women who qualify as top finalists will have access to cash, business loans, mentorship and coaching opportunities, legal consultation, professional/business makeover and many more opportunities to help them set-up or scale their business.

Facing the panel of judges of highly-placed

Adeyemi

Nigerians who have made giant strides in their endeavours, the participants comprised of young women dazzled the judges with an oratory on how to be a business tycoon. Among the judges were Kyari Bukar, Head Judge Next Titan/ Chairman Sunu Assurances; Hansatu Adegbite- ED WIMBIZ; Osayi Alile, CEO ACT Foundation; Jane Egerton-Idehen, CM Avanti Communications; and Yemi KeriCo-founder of Rising Tide.

They all contributed to deciding which of the businesses were viable and had the potential to grow using their business acumen and expertise. They were also able to impact wisdom and get the finalists to think critically about their businesses.

It also had an entrepreneurial coach in Ife Durosinmi-Etti, founder of AGS Tribe who trained the finalists before the pitch day on entrepreneurial skills and how to pitch. This no doubt contributed to boosting their confidence and highlighting important points of their business during the pitch day. After the competition, winners will be trained by a leadership coach, Kemi Ogunkoya, founder of Rellies Works on how to lead their organizations effectively.

At the end of the exercise, five winners emerged from the Mentoring Her Pitchathon. They were selected based on various factors, some of which included the ability of their business scale, empower others, contribute to societal development, sustainability of the business, innovation of the business and governance structure, amongst others. The winners were Adaeze Akpagbula (Farm Speak), Olumide Gbadebo (Adunni Organics), Rukayat Bello (The Bells Dynamic Option), Zansi Adebowale (Kip Learning Consults), and Excellence Joshua (Animations with Excellence).

The winners were rewarded with a cash prize of N200,000, access to a business loan of up to N1,000,000, business advisory support from Fate Foundation, executive training from the Enterprise Development Centre (Pan Atlantic University), legal support services from Theodore Ezeobi & Co, coaching and mentorship amongst many mouth watering offers.

Now that the winners have emerged, Dr. Adeyemi assured that she would continue to support, monitor, mentor and

evaluation.

She said, “We hope that we will continue to be a part of their success stories as they continue to grow and impact others with their businesses.”

But why is she focusing on young women as there are talented young men too that need empowerment?

“It’s because to empower a woman is to empower a nation. Our hope is that the domino effect of empowering women who are already disadvantaged by the way, will impact her entire family and subsequently our country Nigeria,” she responded.

What informed or influenced her moving away from practicising medicine to becoming a social entrepreneur?

“I think fundamentally in the heart of a physician lies the desire to help others,” she explained. “I truly believe that the measure of lives is the impact that we make in the lives of others. I will continue to do that as a physician but then I realized that I could impact more lives as a social entrepreneur. That’s why I cofounded Magna Carta Health, a preventive health organization that is focused on preventing death, disability and disease with the aid of technology and we give 10 per cent of our profits to our CSR initiatives including Mentoring Her. “I also believe that great women support women and so like I have been supported with the Mentoring Her Pitchathon by great women like Mrs. Bola Adesola (Standard Chartered), Mrs. Sola Momoh (Channels TV) and many others. I always choose to support other women.”

And how has her field of medicine helped her social enterprise?

“They appear to be worlds apart but they are inextricably linked. According to the WHO, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. When you take that into consideration, my field of preventive medicine and public health covers your physical and mental health which by the way are impacted by your social well-being. Mentorship and empowerment encourage you to succeed and impacts your social wellbeing and consequently your mental and physical health.”

For Adeyemi, women can change the narrative in both the social and political economy of a nation, and this she believes can happen if governments at all levels make it a national agenda to empower women more than ever before. By encouraging and supporting more initiatives such as this. By actually trying to meet SDGs 4, 5 and 10.

56

DECEMBER 6, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

High Life Nnamdi Okonkwo’s Beautiful Ending

N

with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

Igho Sanomi’s Good Example

namdi Okonkwo is a name that has become synonymous with good banking, digital banking, customer-friendly banking, Fidelity banking, Nigerian banking, etc. In 2018 and 2019, many notable groups recognised Okonkwo as a leading figure in the Nigerian banking sector and decorated him with the ‘Banker of the Year’ award. Now, as 2020 draws to a close, Nnamdi Okonkwo has begun collecting, again, accolades and medals.

As it does every year, BusinessDay’s Bank and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) awards have divided Nigerian banks (and other financial bodies) along the lines of merit, accomplishment and excellence. This year’s edition was special, due to the limitations impressed upon the banking system by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, 2020 BAFI award winners stand apart from their predecessors—which only further distinguishes Nnamdi Okonkwo and his Fidelity Bank.

Okonkwo, MD/CEO of Fidelity Bank, won the Bank CEO of the Year award.

This was reportedly given in recognition of his part in the transformation of Fidelity Bank from one of the many financial institutions to a fast-growing, innovative, accommodating and reliable bank.

Fidelity Bank itself wore the spotlight at the event when it won the Commercial Bank of the Year award in recognition of its active participation in boosting the competitiveness, efficiency, and overall development of Micro and Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. Expectedly, both Nnamdi Okonkwo and Fidelity Bank dedicated their awards to their customers, shareholders, the board of directors, and the executive management and staff of Fidelity.

Less than a week before BAFI was convened, Nnamdi Okonkwo won the ‘Banker of the Year’ award at the 2020 edition of the Hallmark People of the Year Awards. This award acknowledged and applauded Okonkwo’s visionary leadership, masterful grasp of the movements of the financial sector, and his leading involvement in differentiating Fidelity Bank since joining them in 2014.

For Nnamdi Okonkwo, these awards are really the norm. However, in light of his retirement (come January 1, 2021), these accolades are nothing short of timely, and a glorious way to close a glorious era.

Leaving aside funds and fortune, true philanthropy requires very little: a compassionate, understanding heart, quick to open, to embrace, and to share. This is the heart of Igho Sanomi the philanthropist, open and embracing, and something to shout about.

With 2020 drawing to a happy and hopeful close, folks have begun to collect their harvests, stockpiling them ahead of the New Year. But a few (and here we find Igho Charles Sanomi) find equal satisfaction in blessing and building others. In the case of our query, Igho Sanomi, this attitude is canonical in the literal sense.

A report on religious and social development has listed Igho Sanomi as a leading figure in the Nigerian Roman Catholic Church, a ‘son of consolation’ —as such champions are called. According to the article, Sanomi’s foundation (Dickens Sanomi Foundation (DSF)) is presently in charge of building three pastoral structures for the Delta Catholic Church: two parishes in Orere and Arhavbavien (villages in Delta State) and a Bishop Court in Ughelli.

This report has begun to win the interests and approval of folks, not because Sanomi’s philanthropy is a new thing, but because it is a continuing thing. After all, the Taleveras founder reportedly recently assisted in the building of a 500-seat state-of-the-art Catholic Church parish in Mariga (Niger State), complete with basic amenities (a borehole and an alternative energy source) for the simple folks who had no clean water or electricity prior). Thus, Igho Sanomi’s new gesture is welcome everywhere.

While Igho Sanomi has described his philanthropic work as genuine and free of ulterior motives, even the global head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has recognised

Okonkwo

Opeke

Sanomi

his contributions and applauded them. This is how Igho Sanomi came to be a recipient of a papal medal.

But what about the others? What about Sanomi helping to raise $1.5 million (about N571.5 million for the Bobby Moore Fund and bowel cancer research? What about his

sponsoring the care and spinal surgery for nine-year-old Ali Ahmadu, a victim of Boko Haram? Awards and medals and recommendations can only go so far. Open hands evolve from open hearts, and Igho Sanomi’s heart and hands are extra-large and altogether agreeable.

Segun Opeke Becomes Leading Light in Nigeria’s Banking Sector Polaris Bank is preparing to start off 2021 with a bang by banding together its A-list personnel. The first was Innocent Ike, who assumed the seat of acting MD/CEO in September 2020. Now, Segun Opeke is holding down the fort as an executive director. Evidently, the management of Polaris Bank has its eye set on the frontlines of the banking sector, and who better to accomplish this but the best of the best?

The appointment of Segun Opeke was reportedly unanimously approved

by Polaris’ board of directors and the supervisory Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). This selection does not only reflect the ambition of the bank to reach new heights, but also the proper employment of such talents as Segun Opeke’s.

With almost three decades of active banking experience, Segun Opeke is more than qualified for the position. Besides, Opeke has been directly involved in Polaris’ affairs since 2006 (while it was still Skye Bank), serving in various capacities as treasurer and regional director for Victoria Island and Ikoyi sub-divisions; group head for corporate banking, aviation, and maritime group; and as the directorate head in Lagos business (from 2016).

As one would expect, Segun Opeke carries a head of business and finance on his shoulders. With a B.Sc. (in Banking and Finance), an MBA from the University of Lagos, endorsements and certifications from Columbia Business School (New York), INSEAD (Fontainebleau, France), and Euromoney School of Trade Finance, Opeke has made enough significant contributions to Polaris Bank (especially in the areas of corporate finance and restructuring, and digital advancement/ acclimatisation) to be recognised as a pillar of Polaris and Nigeria’s banking sector.

All eyes, with sky-high expectations, are locked on Segun Opeke at the moment.

The question on the minds of investors and informed customers of Polaris is whether or not Opeke will reproduce the same progressive developments he implemented at the Lagos Directorate in 2019. His options are to redo his records or outdo them. No pressure.

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DECEMBER 6, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

HIGHLIFE

Tony Elumelu’s Giant Stride Taken in perspective, it is easy to assume that there are folks out there who are simply the favourites of heaven and every other power that be. Tony Elumelu is one of such impractically blessed people. Just a few weeks ago, the Heirs Holdings chairman received Belgium’s oldest and most important national honour, becoming ‘Officer in the Order of Leopold.’ Now, with 2021 just over 20 days away, Elumelu has closed the deal for his recently floated insurance companies.

Announcing the good news on his Twitter handle, Elumelu informed the overwhelmed public that the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has finally officially issued operating licenses for his Group insurance companies, Heirs Life Assurance Limited (HLA) and Heirs Insurance Limited (HIL), essentially authorising them to begin operations as life insurance and composite insurance firms. In other words, Elumelu’s Heirs Insurance Limited will offer a full range of insurance services, covering accidents, fires, health, investment, life, and pensions. On the other hand, Heirs Life Assurance Limited will offer premiums in case of death It is interesting to note that NAICOM placed restrictions on the issuance of insurance licences in 2018, forcing investors to choose between the establishment of either composite (i.e. general) insurance firms or life insurance firms. This might explain why Tony Elumelu and his signature Heirs Holdings have split the insurance group of companies into two.

Notwithstanding, Heirs Insurance Limited has been around since 2015 but did not operate in the general insurance category. Heirs Life Assurance Limited, on the other hand, was only incorporated in February of 2019. With the issuance of their respective licenses, both companies will definitely take the Nigerian insurance sector by storm in 2021.

Much has been accomplished by Elumelu in 2020, much more than anyone person can precisely highlight. However, this just might be the best of all: a new direction for one with an admirable zeal for the development of Africa’s youths and development. Giant strides indeed for a business giant.

Elumelu

For Dupe Oguntade, the Storm is Over?

Is there any high-society Nigerian, besides Modupeola Wemimo Oguntade, who has suffered the clobbering of the media in recent time? Possibly. Did they get thrown out of wedlock as a result?

Possibly not! Yet, it would appear that the storm is over, that this is a time of refreshing for the now-former wife of Justice George Oguntade, and that 2021 would be kinder for the lady.

A narrative like that of Modupe Oguntade is thorny and difficult to pin down. You either pick her best days (possibly when her traditional attire inspired the queen at Buckingham Palace to don a similar outfit) or focus on the worst (possibly when she was cast in the role of succubus and demon queen in many blogs and news posts). All the same—the endings are all the same.

Before Modupe Oguntade accompanied her husband, Justice George Oguntade to the United Kingdom (where he served as high commissioner), there were already snippets of negative comments piling against her name. This ran into the hundreds during their time in the UK, with the most bizarre stories making the rounds.

For example, it was claimed that Modupe Oguntade had begun to steal furniture, organise—and participate—in sexual orgies, generally to besmirch her image, her husband’s good name and repute, and the character of the Nigerian people.

It has been noted that Justice Oguntade’s ambassadorial position was cut short because of the rumours of gross misconduct tied to the wagon of his wife. However, that is insufficient to end their marriage, correct?

Opinions differ.

Some folks claim that the marriage of Justice George to Modupe ended on such

Mrs. Dupe Oguntade with his husband, Justice Oguntade

a titanic note because of the rumours; others note that the former high commissioner’s children (from his first wife) have never seen eye-to-eye with Modupe, and the tensions piled so high that the matrimony simply broke. Different accounts continue to evolve from different folks. However, a few things are sure: Modupe Oguntade is no longer married to Justice George Oguntade, and Modupe Oguntade has begun to pick up the pieces.

According to reports, Modupe Oguntade has decided to start off an NGO, a charity organisation designed to shelter and take care of abandoned children.

Reportedly, the establishment will take root in January 2021, and draw from Modupe’s personal resources to secure brighter futures for the children left destitute by a mean and vicious society.

The storm is over for Modupeola Wemimo Oguntade, and life goes on.

Ajoke ErogbogboGbeleyi: New Wave for Mothers of Nation

Ajoke Erogbogbo-Gbeleyi

I

n line with the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence (25 November to 10 December, 2020) under the global theme, ‘Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!’ by/for United Nations (UN) Women, former director of the Lagos State Civil Service, Ajoke Erogbogbo-Gbeleyi, has decided to send new ripples of female sexuality and identity into the African society, by way of music.

At the start of the Third Nigerian Republic (1992), too many things were happening at the same time. This includes the celebration of women and young girls by a number of artistes has reproduced these evergreen songs to encourage and celebrate the same folks: mothers, women, and girls.

The album (consisting of five songs) is titled, ‘Supreme Women’ to appreciate the work and power of female achievers who are notable characters in Africa. Although the album title has been changed (it was formerly called ‘Mothers of a Nation’ with respect to the regard won by the then First Lady, the late Maryam Babangida), the songs and composers are exactly the same: Mciver, Bunmi Sanya, Bola Abimbola, Yinka Davies, and Funmi Fadeyi.

The intention of Ajoke ErogbogboGbeleyi in reproducing these songs (which are in English, Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa languages) is to remind the current generation — and those to come — of the strength, power, and tenacity of African women. This parallels the lifelong dream of Ajoke Erogbogbo-Gbeleyi, which is the development of women in Nigeria, and the maximisation of their presence and relevance to society.

A retired director from Lagos State’s civil service (and sister of stateswoman and NiDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri-Erewa), ErogbogboGbeleyi is the founder of Focused Girls Moral Regeneration Support Initiative (FGMRS), an NGO launched in 2019 to, in her words, “propagate strong values and demystify sexuality among African teenagers, and building secure futures for them.”

Both Ajoke Erogbogbo-Gbeleyi and the foundation have accomplished much in recent months. She authored two books to encourage and drive young girls (she co-authored ‘Wise and Witty Adolescent’ with her daughter, Oluwatomilayo Gbeleyi.) She intends to make this a custom, this time, with Supreme Women.

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DECEMBER 6, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Again, Hajia Bola Shagaya Displays Benevolence

Ubah

Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah is Aiming High Intelligence without ambition is like a bird without wings, said Salvador Dali. Also, ambition, it is believed, is the path to success, just as persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. So, it is not out of place that Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is nursing a bigger ambition in his political career come 2021.

The senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District’s biggest ambition, it was gathered, is to secure the number one job of his state.

Society Watch gathered that his shot at the senate is probably a ladder to shoot him up for the bigger aspiration. He is said to be well-loved in the state and he is moving round to secure the blessings of elders, stakeholders as well as those that matter in the state. The oil and gas top player, however, has to battle a lot of challenges to realise his lifetime desire.

Apart from his relatively unknown political party, the Young Progressives Party, YPP, the incumbent governor, Willie Obiano, may also constitute a clog in the wheel of Ubah’s dream, though he has no constitutional right to contest anymore.

Another source revealed that the founder of Capital Oil is also aware of the mountainous task before him and he is prepared to surmount it. In the past years, he has proved to his detractors that he is indeed a cat with nine lives.

The more they try to bury him, the more he sprouts like a seed in fertile soil. The billionaire, who sits atop many businesses across the country, has faced many challenges that would ordinarily consume a lily-livered in the past.

But the Nnewi-born senator has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he is indeed a warrior and a master of the game. Even though he is a lone fighter, many of his enemies are never his match. Since he was declared the winner in the senatorial district, the billionaire has fought many battles within the state and outside. But he emerged victorious in all the legal battles so far.

As many are aware, this is not the first time the Nnewi-born billionaire politician would spring up even when many have written him off politically.

Shortly before he won his senatorial election, it appeared that the oil magnate had been so unlucky politically. He seemed to have hit a culde-sac in his political journey, which started from the All Progressives Grand Alliance and has taken him to two other political parties, Labour Party and then Peoples Democratic Party.

In November 2017, Ubah dumped the PDP to return to APGA. Ubah was allegedly promised the APGAAnambra South Senatorial District ticket and before the party’s senatorial primary, the businessman was the frontline aspirant. With the assurance, in return, he put everything into supporting the party.

But a few hours before the primary, despite his immense contributions in consolidating and sustaining the party both in the past and in the present, APGA leadership announced the disqualification of Ubah on the pretext that he did not apply for the party’s waiver.

This, it was gathered, left Ubah heartbroken as he had spent so much to assist the party while hoping that the party would pay him back with the much-coveted senatorial ticket.

The businessman was distraught over the betrayal by the party leadership after all he had done to keep the party afloat. He was responsible for the payment of rent for all the offices of APGA nationwide. He was said to have also provided the needed logistics to sustain the party leadership during the days of Senator Victor Umeh’s leadership struggle with former Governor Peter Obi. He was also part of those who assisted Governor Obiano to return to power by delivering his Anambra South during the governor’s 2017 re-election campaign.

For billionaire businesswoman, Hajia Muinat Bola Shagaya, service to humanity has perpetually is second nature.

Without a doubt, she seems to have entered into a covenant of sorts with her Creator to dedicate the rest of life for the service of humanity.

The oil and gas tycoon is buoyed by Anatole France’s words, “Without genuine love towards humanity, there is no love for motherland.” Besides, as a bibliophile, she has read a volume of memoirs of great individuals in history, who lived exemplary lifestyles.

Perhaps, this explains why she has been very supportive of the hoi polloi in society, giving without making a noise about it.

It is no longer news that she has been at the forefront in the area of philanthropy. In

fact, many described her as a philanthropist extraordinaire.

So also, in her peregrinations, she has encountered many whose lives she has impacted greatly, albeit quietly.

Therefore, one of the enduring lessons she has learnt in life, having imbued copious Quranic verses and learning from her heroes, is that “when you help the needy, leave your camera at home.”

The beautiful woman of substance recently made a huge donation of money at the launch, fundraising, and lectures of the 60 Plus Advocacy Initiative, with the mission to give succour to the elderly in society.

She was among other prominent Nigerians who donated heavily to this cause at the Wheatbaker, Ikoyi Lagos.

Bola Shagaya

Bosun Adewale’s Love for Fellow Women

Badirat Ajoke

Entrepreneur and humanitarian, Bosun Adewale, deeply understands how challenging it is for women to cope with multiple tasks, yet manage to retain their sanity.

To help other women achieve work-life balance, she has unveiled ‘The Complete Woman Inspirational Planner 2021.’ Speaking on her new book, the founder of the non-governmental organisation, Guardians of Hope, said: “God inspired this planner. I cannot take credit for it.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, I asked God what to do with all the free time I had and the idea came to me.

“One of the challenges facing the modern woman today is time management. Many women say they wish they had more than 24 hours in a day because so many things contend for their attention.

If women don’t learn to be deliberate about time management, they would be unable to achieve their set goals.”

She added, “TCWIP is an inspirational one-year goal-setting journal which is strategically planned to be an extraordinary personal organiser with a step-by-step guide that would enable the users to achieve their set goals.

“Among other things, it contains inspiring

stories shared by 12 amazing Nigerian women.

It was released in September, and people have well received it.”

Bosun, who is married to the owner of The Place Restaurants, Kola Adewale, recalled how she started NGO: “I was on the quest of contributing my quota to my community when I chanced on our first beneficiary, a man named Moses Asuquo at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. I realised that some patients admitted to the hospital lost their lives because they could not afford medical bills as little as N1000. My encounter with a family who lost their child because they could not afford N1500 for tetanus injection was particularly traumatising for me.”

When asked if it was possible for women to achieve work-life balance, Adewale replied, “Honestly, I don’t think there can ever be a balance. One just has to plan one’s time, do what one can, and outsource the rest. I always give 100 per cent to each item on my to-do list.

For example, I may plan to spend 15 minutes playing a car race game with my son and I would ensure he has my full attention for that period.”

Nigeria’s NationalTourism andTransportation Summit 2020 holds Sustainable transport is fundamental to progress in realizing the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and help accelerate the growth of tourism in any country. Despite this critical role, sustainable transport has not been given adequate recognition. It is in this bid, the third edition of the annual National Tourism and Transportation Summit and Expo (NTTS) earlier postponed a s result of the COVID-19 Pandemic will hold on 7th and 8th December, 2020 at the Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC). The theme for this year’s summit is ‘Repositioning tourism and transportation connectivity and mobility to revitalize the economy’. OMOLOLA ITAYEMI writes The Nigerian Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) and Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) will headline the third edition of the summit. These are apex public sector training bodies in the sector. The agencies are playing a greater role in this year’s event due to the focus on capacity building

Chief Abiodun Odusanwo in the middle flanked by guests in 2019 summit

and professionalization of the tourism and transportation sector.

The Tourism Transport Summit is created to deliberate on the complex relationship between transport provision and tourism in boosting

the national economy and in the process offers a unique opportunity to meet with regulators, decision makers, influencers, technocrats, specifiers, investors and highly engaged delegates from tourism, aviation, maritime, railways, airport operations, road transportation, national and international travel and transportation organisations, including operators in the tourism and hospitality value chain.

The chairman of the summit’s organizing committee, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo said the industry will be faced with new challenges in the post COVID-19 era and that building industry capacity and professionalization of the workforce has become key for the sector. He said NIHOTOUR, just like NITT and NCAT are making giant strides in capacity training.

“These are some of the things we are going to focus on during the summit. The industry, post COVID-19, has changed. It is important to look at these and how we can deliver for the sector of the country’s economic growth.

These are some of the things that have made this year’s edition very crucial.”

Princess Omolara Folorunsho Gives Back to Society

Folorunsho

One of the late American Catholic religious sister, Mary Rose McGready’s quotes says, “There is no greater joy, nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life.”

This has been Princess Omolara Adisa Folorunsho’s best quote, as she recently gladdened the hearts of her people and made their dreams come true when she made a donation to 230 youths in her hometown of Iseyin area of Oyo State through her nongovernmental organisation, Folorunsho Adisa Welfare Initiative.

The successful businesswoman gave the beneficiaries different types of equipment after training them for 18 months on different skills such as catering, hair-dressing, ICT, soap making, tailoring, and cosmetology.

The United Kingdom-based philanthropist

also donated working equipment to all the 230 beneficiaries of the skills acquisition programme. Speaking on the essence of the empowerment programme, Folorunsho explained that the gesture was to give back to her community.

According to her, empowering youths will reduce insecurity and unemployment in the community. She also noted that the gesture was part of the initiatives instituted to keep the memory of her late father alive who died two years ago.

The woman with milk of kindness has been in the UK for 20 years but decided to come to her community to give back to her society. A source disclosed that over N20 million had been spent on the project since the initiative was inaugurated about two years ago.

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DECEMBER 6, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Muhammadu Buhari –Welcome to Neverland!

I know oga and a vast majority of members of the House of Representatives, who invited him on the matter of insecurity especially on the back of the farmers’ massacre, will never have heard of Neverland. So make I explain am. Neverland was Michael Jackson’s ranch. It was an amusement park with exotic animals like Llamas and the like. He built it around a fantasy theme park where he used to go and hide from reality. He never wanted to grow old. He craved eternal youth. It was a bubble na so he die o.

Neverland was where he went when he ran away from reality. Poor album sales, dwindling public acclaim, financial problems, and all sorts of

practical world challenges. So when it was all too much, he would run there and hide from the reality of his situation.

Hoping that by the time he came out, the whole wahala would miraculously blow away. He started dressing and looking like his favourite cartoon character all in a failed bid to hide from adult turbulence.

But sadly, the problems did not go away. Even in the luxury of Neverland, sleep eluded him, reality came to him with various police raids, and sadly, he passed on and the world mourned an icon. Hope say this invite and reported acceptance no be another trip to Neverland. The alignments are eerily similar. God save us.

ALI NDUME’S CROCODILE TEARS Sorry, I want talk about Ndume again. But this time no be about am since the judge apparently did not read my last column and went ahead to release him on good behaviour.

Na wa. Anyways, the man come out after eating beans and being denied activities in the other room for the few hours he spent in prison to say he regrets fighting Jonathan and that he now has seen the freedom Jonathan was talking about. Let me say something first, when Jonathan was talking about freedom, no be for this kind your matter. So you stand surety for a character like that, when I am sure there are millions in your constituency in the gallows and with better cases, you no stand o.

The man run away and the system moved against you, you come dey shout freedom. This is not the kind of freedom Jonathan was talking about.

Nobody but yourself trample on your own freedom. Abi did anybody beg you to go and stand surety for such a known person? Mbok, that is not my issue. My issue is the confused state of our people. When suffer head don plenty, you begin to lose your physiological balance. You begin to start thinking like a fool. That is what is wrong with us as a people.

People crying for Jonathan to come back? This same Jonathan that we all jumped into the street to say good riddance? We don see fire, Naira don worse pass Ugandan money. We are shouting Jonathan. This is what my former lecturer used to call buffoonery. No be only Jonathan, na Abacha.

This country, person overthrow person for coup in the 1980s, we jubilate, the person wey dem overthrow, win

election later, the person wey overthrow am follow jubilate. Wait o, we try to bring person back in a casket as fugitive for stealing us dry, years later the fugitive win elections. You see how suffer head used to turn people insane? Jonathan ko, Patience ni. We are 200 million people. If we cannot stop this recycling of incompetence, let’s kuku go and beg Britain to come and re-colonize us at least we go dey watch premiership free. Abeg.

GARBA SHEHU – DROOLING ON CASTOR OIL? Kai, na this kind thing dey make me miss my papa. As far as my dear old dad was concerned, any slight illness na castor oil. Castor oil was bitter, they would boil it and you would drink and you begin to stool. You see why this #EndSARS generation never suffer reach. They did not take castor oil. In those days in my bid to escape it, I would be talking all sorts, begging and crying but it never worked, my papa would tighten my nostrils and force the thing down my throat. The effect was instantaneous and I would be purging like mad. Be like say the way this baba and him brother, the pot-bellied mustachioed, dark one, be like say na castor oil-induced dribble.

How do you even attempt to justify this heinous crime on the back of what he has been reported to have said? This kind thing can weaken ‘someborri’.

At the Duke Summit when one is even trying to say, no na let’s cut these people some slack, they will come out with this kind of statement that begin to make you wonder just what exactly is going on in that Aso Rock place o.

Dr. Rueben Abati must come back and

Ndume

Shehu

Buhari

better expound on that his witchcraft theory in that place. It’s looking like he knows more than he is letting on.

Kai. YAHAYA BELLO –‘BETTER RESPECT YOURSELF’ In Shomolu, we had everybody. On our street in Okuyiga, we had the Yoruba house, the Igbo house and the Calabar house. The Calabar house was us, while the Yoruba house was Papa Rasaki. The Igbo house was them Uchenna and there resided Ikpo. Ikpo was a big, gentle giant and could beat everybody but he rarely fought. So when you annoyed him or tried to be stupid especially on the field of monkey-post football, he would say, “Enyin, better respect yourself.” One blow could land you at the nearby Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital. So when I started hearing this dribble of this my younger brother – they say na youth, Ikpo came to mind and the only thing I could say was, ‘better respect yourself there.’ Na wa.

simply, like thousands like them, refused to sit on the kerb and be doing armchair critics like millions around them. They have through continued sweat and blood decided to build an empire, I tell you.

I can vouch for their rude determination, personally. We were once on a capital raise – this is what in investment banking happens when you want to get funding for either a project or capitalize your company- I was working with Laide since I think he is the face of the partnership. Na him go wake me up at 5 am to discuss the days waka and for night na him go close my day with a rehash.

These boys are the next generation Elumelu and Dangote. You just mark my words. Be watching them o.

One of my favourite colours is purple and these purple guys are simply doing well o. Laide and Obinna are the brains behind the iconic Maryland mall and are in the throes of building some very massive structures on the island, creating wealth, jobs and simply contributing to the economy on the back of their purple company.

Not sure if I can still call them youths especially Laide who is going bald. In fact, e be like say na both of them are bald abeg but they have

HON. ONOFIOK LUKE – MAN OF THE MOMENT This young man represents my constituency in the House of Representatives. We are from Akwa Ibom but the constituency used to confuse me. I know say my village dey 30 minutes away from Uyo and near Etinan. Anyways, na him, abeg. So one day after making his acquaintance, I broadcast his picture on my WhatsApp. You know I have 10,000 people following me on that platform.

Come and see the feedback: “He was our Students’ Union president!” “He is such a nice person!” “He withstood the APC onslaught in Akwa Ibom!”

“He will be the next governor.”

Me I did not know that a politician of that stature still had the maddening goodwill that most of them have squandered. Well, kudos to him even as I continue to wish him well in all his endeavours. Well done, Akpaneka.

Bello

Luke

LAIDE AGBOOLA AND OBINNA ONUNKWO – THE REIGN OF PURPLE

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˞ ʹ˜ Ͱ͎Ͱ͎

ENTERTAINMENT

with

ÍŽÍśÍŽÍśÍŻÍľÍśÍˇÍľÍąÍľËœ Ă Ă‹ĂŁĂ?ĂŁĂ–Ă Ă?ĂœĚśĂ‘Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ë›Ă?Ă™Ă—Ëœ entertainment@thisdaylive.com

Adenuga

From Peanuts to Millions: How Mike Adenuga’s Globacom Changed Entertainment Industry Apart from redefining the art of telephony in Nigeria, and introducing the per-second billing when the pioneer operators said it was impossible, Globacom, thanks to its chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga’s love for the arts, has changed the story of many Nigerian entertainers – established and unheralded – alike, writes Lanre Alfred

D

r. Mike Adenuga Jnr., the chairman of Globacom’s love for the arts is intrinsic and invaluable. Perhaps after his passion for business, making money, and philanthropy, appreciation of the arts is next in line.

Yes, If Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. doesn’t strike you, at first sight, then possibly, he is a masterpiece of a man disguised as a blank canvas. The trillionaire businessman affects a flurry of beings curled into one: he is science, an art, a foundation of genius with dashes of brilliance brightening the creativity of his mind and soul, thus illumining the world.

A product of pure intellect, vision and sheer enterprise, he can become any form he creates; he is a library of masterpieces, an intricate web of sensitivity and hope attuned in full measure to the world’s needs. This is a glimpse of who he truly is.

Dr. Adenuga does not only set high standards; he abides by the standards as a matter of exemplary leadership and integrity of character. The entertainment industry has featured prominently in Globacom’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives on account of Adenuga’s passion for the industry.

Aside from direct financial commitments including massive sponsorships, Globacom currently retains the largest number of key players in the entertainment industry as brand ambassadors while upholding that by actively engaging these key entertainment drivers, they, in turn, can help to grow the sector and the economy.

Many entertainers, both established and

unheralded, have been blessed immeasurably by this love and patronage. Though patently elusive, he once drove himself to the album launch of Paul ‘Play’ Dairo, a phenomenon in the Nigerian music scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to the consternation of guests. “The chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, showered me with so much love and I enjoyed so much favour from him. The height of the good gestures was when he honoured the invitation to my album launch in 2004. A lot of naysayers in the press said I was too inconsequential to get him to attend my launch. But they were all disappointed,� Paul Paul recalled.

When Paul Play fell sick in 2009 and took a long break to treat what many thought was cancer, he confessed that he didn’t try to publicly raise funds because “People like Dr. Mike Adenuga were there for me.�

Likewise, when Juju music maestro, Ebenezer Obey, who had retired from secular music decades earlier to concentrate on evangelism, required an eye surgery many years ago, Adenuga bankrolled the entire treatment, which took place abroad. That gesture restored Obey’s health and return to musical reckoning.

The Globacom boss also blessed the ‘Miliki’ exponent with an Escalade SUV. Adenuga loves a good laugh and he loves to share happiness, which is why he has supported and sponsored many comedy shows ranging from Glo Lafta Fest, regarded as the biggest music, dance, and comedy event in Nigeria, which brings top-rated African comedians like Bovi, Salvador of Uganda, Basket Mouth, Gordons, I Go Dye, 2Cantok, Seyi Law

Entertainers: Don Jazy and Teniola

and others together in one place for an evening of unlimited fun and laughter; Glo Slide and Bounce, a travelling music and dance show; and Bovi’s ‘Man on Fire’ Lagos and Warri editions, among others.

His favourite comedians like Basketmouth and Bovi who, at various times have been

ambassadors for the Glo brand, have also benefitted immensely from their personal relationships with the man fondly called ‘The Bull.’ Industry sources say Adenuga is almost always one of the first individuals to have a movie exclusively screened to him and his family in his expansive home cinema. Reports say Kunle

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ENTERTAINMENT

FROM PEANUTS TO MILLIONS: HOW MIKE ADENUGA’S GLOBACOM CHANGED ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY Afolayan, one of Nigeria’s foremost filmmakers and former Globacom ambassador, has screened a number of his movies to him at home. Even when he was no longer an ambassador, Adenuga still found Afolayan’s movies a compelling watch.

His love for the entertainment industry didn’t start recently.

Since it began operations in 2003, Globacom has made home-grown stars from the entertainment industry the faces (ambassadors) of its brand while making them worth their popularity in affluence and influence. At a time when entertainers were being paid peanuts for their artistry, Globacom upped the ante, dishing out millions of naira to their ambassadors, and helping them to live the life they only see in the movies or on MTV. The least paid ambassador, sources said, was getting at least N10 million per annum depending on their level of stardom. But the highest-paid ambassador was P-Square, which, at the height of their fame, was reportedly paid over N200 million and got an expensive SUV each. While Peter got a 2015 G-Wagon, Paul got a Range Rover as part of the deal. Alas, the twin brothers have gone their separate ways. Prior to that, D’banj was reputed to be the highest-paid ambassador. In 2008, he was signed on as a Globacom ambassador in a deal worth N70 million and got a branded SUV estimated at N15 million. As the headlining act during the company’s Rock and Rule tour of Nigerian cities then, he got N2 million per show and was signed on for 18 cities. He was disengaged in 2010 due to a face-off with the company over performance engagement fees and re-engaged in 2013.

Indigenous entertainers are not left out of the Globacom largesse as stars like Pasuma, Baba Latin, Iya Rainbow, Papi Luwe, King Sunny Ade, and a host of others are not left out. Neither are new generation artistes like Davido, Olamide, Tiwa Savage, Timaya, Sani Danja, Ali Nuhu, Chioma Akpotha, and Funke Akindele. At various points, their artistry has earned them a sip or a gulp from Adenuga’s cup of magnanimity.

As part of reaching out to youths and motivating them to attain excellence in their chosen fields, Globacom, in 2010, announced that it was taking over Naija Sings, the music talentsearch reality show being organised by MNET, which ‘aimed at discovering, developing and rewarding Nigeria’s brightest and boldest musical talents. In an exclusive three-year deal, the reality show was re-christened Glo Naija Sings and a mouth-watering prize regime including $100,000, a record deal, and a brand new Toyota RAV4 SUV was introduced.

The telecoms giant promised that it would endorse the winner of the show as an ambassador.

Celebrities like Dare Art Alade, Olisa Adibua and Tosin Martins were some of the beneficiaries as they participated actively in the show.

In 2013, Globacom announced that it would be sponsoring the Nigerian version of the British music reality television show, X-Factor. The auditions were held in Nigeria and Ghana with the ultimate prize being a $150,000 cash reward as well as a deal to be managed and produced by Sony Music to record an album.

The company also collaborated with MTV on The Big Friday Show in 2012, an alliance that made the show more interactive and gave viewers the opportunity for live appearances on the show. There was an added benefit of GLO subscribers winning the network’s products every week. That was for the unheralded talents who needed a platform and motivation to get started with their careers.

Indeed, more than any other Nigerian company, Globacom has, over the years, supported the industry through corporate endorsements of practitioners from various genres by providing massive platforms for Nigerian and other African entertainers to practise their trade through direct sponsorship of concerts such as Glo Campus Storm, Glo Rock ‘n’ Rule’; Glo Slide ‘n’ Bounce; Glo Laffta Fest; Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, Dance with Peter, Glo X-Factor, Glo Naija Sings and the popular sit-com, Professor Johnbull featuring among others Kanayo O.

Victor Moses signs as Glo Ambassador

L-R: Desmond Elliot, Funke Akindele, Monalisa Chinda at Glo event

P Square when they were presented a Gwagon and Range Rover

Kanayo, Yomi Fash Lanso, Bidemi Kosoko and Bishop Umeh.

For several decades, the Alliance Française, committed to promoting French culture and teaching French as a second language around the world, was located in the boisterous area of Yaba, Lagos. But thanks to the generosity of Adenuga, the organisation now has a new home in Ikoyi that has been aptly named the Mike Adenuga Centre. Since it was declared open to the public in April 2018, the centre has been commanding commendations from far and near; from art aficionados and artists and preeminent Nigerians.

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, said the centre is aimed at fostering friendship between Nigeria and France, adding, “Lagos is one of the challenges of, not only Nigeria but Africa. This huge city is a tremendous challenge about how to make people live together in peace and a better society. I want France to be part of this story. I do want my country and citizens to be part of this

experience, which means sharing same values, cultures, languages, literature, music, movies, projects, common economic projects, among others.” wIt was no surprise, therefore, that the donation of the centre was preceded by the French government investing Adenuga with its highest national honour, the Chevalier de la Legion d Honneur, which is coveted by global leaders.

Adenuga was recognised and honoured for his “remarkable contribution to the development of the French-Nigerian relations and appreciation of the French culture.”

Unlike the proverbial warrior who lives to sing the song of his own deeds and derring-do, Adenuga remains impressively humble and immune to conceit, treading a rare path to acclaim thus, attracting honour in torrents, from home and abroad. Indeed, he is a prophet with honour abroad and at home. Globacom was honoured at the 12th edition of The Headies Awards, held at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Lagos,

for its unflinching support for the country’s entertainment industry. It was presented with the Power Brand Support Award.

The Headies, which rewards and recognises individuals and corporate bodies who have contributed to the growth of Nigeria’s, and indeed, the continent’s entertainment industry, said Globacom was deserving of the award because it had been “relentless and unapologetic in its support for entertainment, as well as in leveraging on the music and entertainment industry to strike a mutually beneficial relationship through sponsorship, endorsement, VAS, tours, concerts, event partnerships, patronage and many other creative ways of opening the eyes of many other corporate companies to join the party.”

Receiving the award on behalf of the company, Sola Mogaji, then Senior Manager, Events and Sponsorship, said, “This award is a great testimonial to our modest contributions to the growth of the nation’s entertainment industry and we are delighted that Nigerians who voted Globacom for this award are appreciative of our efforts at promoting, projecting and developing the music industry and entertainment generally in Nigeria.”

One of the finest pillars of investment in Africa with multibillion-dollar interests in telecommunications, oil, banking, and real estate among others, Adenuga’s investment footprints in sports, like in entertainment, now span the continent. His investment in the development of sports in Nigeria especially football is peerless.

Globacom sponsors the Supporters’ Club to any part of the world where any of Nigeria’s national teams is competing while it was the headline sponsor of the Nigerian football league and Confederation of Africa Footballer of the Year awards for several years.

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Pinnick at 50: His Journey to Pinnacle of Nigerian Football Ă&#x;ĂœĂ? ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ĂšĂ&#x;Ă–Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ“Ă–Ă–Ă? Ă—Ă&#x;Ă?Ăž ĂŒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă—Ă‹Ă”Ă&#x; Ă“Ă˜Ă˜Ă“Ă?Ă•Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜Ăž Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ Ă™Ă™ĂžĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ă– Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽ ͽ͸ Ă™Ă˜ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ͚˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸˛ Ă˜ Ă‹ ĂŁĂ?Ă‹Ăœ ÞÒËÞ Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ ĂŁĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ ÙÖÎĂ?Ăœ ĂšĂ?ÙÚÖĂ? Ă?Ă‹Ă–Ă– ÞÙ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ËÞËÖ Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă? Ă™Ă? Ě‹ÍšÎ Ëœ Ă’Ă? Ă“Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă“Ă Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă‹Ă?ÞÓà Ă?Ë› Ă&#x;Ăž ÞÒĂ? ÞÓ×Ă?Ă? Ă‹ĂœĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?ÚÓĂ?Ă“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ Ă‘ĂœĂ‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă?ĂŒĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ ÞÒËÞ ĂĄĂ™Ă&#x;Ă–ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă Ă? Ă’Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă–ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ ÞÒĂ? Ă’Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ě‹Ă‹Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ě‹ĂžĂ&#x;ĂœĂ˜Ă?ĂŽĚ‹Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂžĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ă– Ă‹ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ™ ÞÒĂ? ÑÙÖÎĂ?Ă˜ Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ë› Ăž Ă“Ă? Ă‹ ÞÓ×Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă?Ă™ĂŒĂ?Ăœ ĂœĂ?ĘŽĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă?Ă™Ăœ Ă‹ Ă—Ă‹Ă˜ ĂĄĂ’Ă™ Ă‹Ă?ĂšĂ“ĂœĂ?ĂŽ ÞÙ ĂŒĂ? Ă‹ Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂžĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ăœ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ăž Ă?Ă˜ĂŽĂ?ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ăš Ă‹Ă? Ă’Ă?Ă‹ĂŽ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂžĂœĂŁËŞĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă™ĂžĂŒĂ‹Ă–Ă– Ă?Ă?ĂŽĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ë› Ăž Ă’Ă‹Ă? Ă˜Ă™Ăž ĂŒĂ?Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹ Ă?Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ă?ĂŽ ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? åÓÞÒ ÞÒĂ? ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽ Ă–Ă?ËÞÒĂ?Ăœ Ă‘Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ę°Ă?Ăœ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ëœ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? Kayode Alfred

G

rowing up in Warri, Delta State, Pinnick had an intense love for the game of football. In his teens, he alternated as a striker and a goalkeeper but, while some of his contemporaries later took it to the big stage and played for the national team, he took the road less travelled.

“I don’t regret that I didn’t get to play football professionally. Now, I run it and I am happy that I am a major stakeholder in the beautiful game. I still play for fun though. I believe my life followed the path of destiny. I believe God has always had plans for me. I have never questioned God about anything I do because I don’t want to be an ingrate,� he recalled, in a dated interview.

Born into a polygamous family, his father, the late Chief Oritsetimeyin Japhet Pinnick, worked with the U.A.C where he rose to become one of the company’s pioneer Nigerian managers. His mother, Madam Rebecca Ayomike, a renowned trader, hails from a very prominent Itsekiri family, ‘The Ayomikes’.

Speaking of his father, Pinnick, the 15th of 19 children said, “I cannot deny that he was rich; I was born into a modest home. He was one of the first Africans to rise to the post of manager in UAC at that time. We had all the necessary things and we travelled frequently. My father passed on many years ago, but we have maintained peace in the household till date. I still communicate with my siblings. I believe my family should be a model for many polygamous families. I am closer to my stepbrothers than my other siblings, and we didn’t share my father’s properties. If anyone needs anything, he or she can make use of it. Our bond is so special. Whenever I see or hear of siblings fighting over their parents’ properties, I feel bad because we genuinely help each other in my family, despite being born by different mothers. My father ensured that we were all educated. So, we are happy in our different ways.�

For his secondary school education, Pinnick attended Hussey College in Warri, Delta State, which was very popular for producing footballers while nurturing several generations of Nigerians from all tribes and backgrounds in the best tradition of scholarship, athleticism, citizenship and morality.

In spite of his love for the beautiful game, Pinnick was a fiercely brilliant kid. He recalled, “With my secondary school certificate, I could study whatever I wanted; Medicine, Engineering or Law. Some people wanted me to study Law because I was a good debater in school. I won many competitions for the school, and people saw me as a great public speaker so, they wanted me to pursue a career in Law. My aspiration was to become a public speaker and pastor. Also, my aunty who was based in Ibadan at that time wanted me to study Medicine at the University of Ibadan. I had good grades in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.�

But because he grew up wanting to be an administrative person; while aspiring to be like late Patrick Okpomo, a renowned football administrator, who was at a time the secretary general of the Nigeria Football Association (as the NFF was then known), he decided to study Political Science and Public Administration and obtained BSc in political science and public administration from the University of Benin in 1994.

Journey to NFF Aformer Commissioner for Sports in Delta State, Pinnick’s journey into football administration began at the University of Benin where he emerged team manager of his faculty’s football team. In 2010, he was appointed chairman, Delta State Football Association, during which he also doubled as chairman of the Delta Sports Commission. After his four year-stint, Pinnick contested and won election as NFF’s president in September 2014. Between then and now, he has brought to bear on the office his innate passion for transformation and excellence, which, despite all odds, have seen him rise to the pinnacle of African football and the threshold of world football politics.

At a time when many big names in African football administration fell to the tempting allure of the filthy lucre, Pinnick passed the FIFAIntegrity Test – a rigorous check on an individual’s credibility and personal life – with flying colours. For instance, following investigations into his conduct from 2017 to 2019, Ahmad Ahmad, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was recently banned for five years by FIFAafter being found guilty of breaching ethics codes. FIFA’s adjudicatory chamber said Ahmad had breached rules relating to the duty of loyalty, offering and accepting gifts or other benefits, abuse of position and misappropriation of funds.

Such probes into Pinnick’s affairs had always returned with

Pinnick a not guilty verdict. His transparency and incorruptibility have commensurately earned him various honorary appointments into FIFAand CAF. He was appointed first as a member of the Organising Committee for FIFACompetitions (arguably the most important committee in the world football body) and later, into CAF’s Executive Committee in 2017. Afew months after, he was appointed president of the African Cup of Nations. He would also become the first vice president of CAF in September 2018 and won his re-election for a second term as NFF president same year.

His stock also rose steeply following a surprise decision to abstain from the race to succeed Kwesi Nyantakyi on the FIFACouncil, instead, allowing other qualified FAchiefs in Africa to battle for the slot.

Within the last six years of his stewardship, Pinnick has, indeed, evolved as a leading figure in global football especially under current FIFAPresident, Gianni Infantino, who respects his virtues, opinions and understanding of African football management.

As he sat down with the media to discuss his 50th birthday and administrative trajectory, Pinnick described his stewardship at the NFF as illuminating and challenging. “In the past six years and three months, we have all worked at not only steering the ship but doing things differently. We have looked at the strategies, methods and processes and we have tried to make positive changes that would make things easier for those coming into the organization in the years to come. We have planned, toiled, ploughed, planted and prayed, and we still earnestly pray that all will end in praise.

Nigerian football has so much potential; we believe the work we have been doing will begin to manifest very soon,� said Pinnick.

He admitted that there have been quite some challenges, odds, hurdles and obstacles but, noted, “The important thing is we have remained indivisible, united and committed to the larger cause of the interest of the game. Our focus has kept us all on the same page: Congress, the Executive Committee, Management and Staff. There have been tribulations and simulated slippery ground here and there, but we have managed to weather it all and stand tall. These trials have not been of our making, but the sincerity of our desire to improve the way things are done for the good of the game has never been in doubt.�

Achievements as NFF Boss Over the decades, the NFF, which was founded in 1945, had always depended on government for funding. This had stifled the growth of Nigerian football. Pinnick inherited a similar situation but he has devised ingenious ways of sourcing for funds which have reduced the dependence on government by 60 per cent.

He said that his target before leaving office is to make the football body self-sufficient. He brought in AITEO Energy Resources Limited, Nigeria’s leading energy solutions company, as ‘Official Optimum Partner’ of the NFF which shelled out the money to pay salaries of coaches. In the first tranche, even coaches that were owed by previous NFF administrations were paid. The company then took up the sponsorship of the oldest football competition in

the land – previously known by various names such as FACup, Challenge Cup and Federation Cup. Today, the AITEO Cup is an integral part of the NFF Calendar.

Before AITEO, the Pinnick-led NFF secured a partnership deal with Zenith Bank for capacity building for administrators, youth development programme and payment of Super Eagles’ head coach. On the eve of the 2018 FIFAWorld Cup qualification, two partnership agreements were signed in one day with Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group as ‘Official Food Sponsor’ of the Super Eagles; and PayPorte Global Systems Limited, as ‘Official Online Store’ of the NFF. Coca-Cola also teamed up with Nthe federation on a five-year agreement, which made it the ‘Official Soft Drink of the National Teams.’ Months later, the NFF signed more endearing agreements; first with the Nigerian Breweries – a five-year deal worth N2.2bn, which made Star Lager the ‘Official Alcoholic Beverage of the Super Eagles,’ and Amstel Malta, the ‘Official Malt Drink’ of the NFF and the national teams. There is also a partnership deal with Cadbury Nigeria which makes Tom Tom the ‘Official Candy of the Super Eagles.’ WAPIC Insurance is the ‘Official Insurance Company’ of the NFF and the national team while Emzor Pharmaceuticals has been retained with another long–term contract.

In December 2017, a two-day workshop to fully connect the NFF to the FIFAConnect system of registration of football players and officials was held in Abuja. FIFAConnect is the centralized portal for the registration of football players and other stakeholders. Following its full integration, Nigeria became the first African country to be on FIFAConnect.

The Pinnick administration has also concentrated on enhancing the capacity of administrators, referees and coaches. About two dozen referees went for refresher programs in the United Kingdom in December 2014, and about the same number took their turn in February 2015. Another capacity-enhancing programme took nearly 30 administrators to London in December 2015. Some coaches were specially trained in the world-renowned Pro-Zone software to enhance the performance of Nigerian teams in international competitions. Thanks to Pinnick, too, there have been a range of FIFA-supported courses and workshops for coaches, referees and administrators in the country in the past four years. The CAF ‘A’ coaching course for home-grown coaches was a first of its kind and benefitted over 80 coaches with highly-experienced resource persons in attendance.

Under Pinnick, former Nigerian football stars have been highly considered for coaching positions various national teams in the country. Pinnick had confidence in former Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh, and appointed him as head coach of the Super Eagles in July 2015 but the latter fell short of expectations by resigning abruptly. Former goalkeepers, Imama Amapakabo, and Aloy Agu, have been with the Super Eagles; Samson Siasia coached the U-23 boys; while Emmanuel Amuneke coached the U-17 and U-20 boys at different times. Former captain of the Super Eagles, Joseph Yobo, has been appointed assistant coach of the senior team.

The women are not left out. Florence Omagbemi, Perpetua Nkwocha and Ann Chiejine, worked with the Super Falcons at different times. Pinnick said he chose this path deliberately. “The NFF recognizes and appreciates the great efforts of our footballers who have done well locally and internationally for the glory of our country. They are the most important aspect in the game because, without them, there will be no NFF, FIFA, sponsors, fans and others. The NFF will be putting in place the NFF Foundation principally to look into the welfare of players,� he stated.

HisVision for Nigerian Football Pinnick says that his vision remains to build a sustainable football culture for Nigeria. “It is non-negotiable. We also are determined to improve football infrastructure and facilities both at national and regional levels, as can be seen in our passionate drive for FIFAprojects across the country. We are equally committed to training and re-training, and enabling greater mass participation in the game of football, which is the single biggest unifier of all our peoples across several mental and physical divides, and also serves as a robust lure for boys and girls away from all manner of social vices, not to talk of the international image-building component.

We are also extremely passionate about developing the game at the grassroots,� he explained.

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ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

06.12.2020

IN A NOD TO THESE DESPERATE TIMES,LIMCAFOPTSFORAWEBINAR Cover continued on Page 64

A recent exhibition held by LIMCAF

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

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IN A NOD TO THESE DESPERATE TIMES, LIMCAF OPTS FOR AWEBINAR Unable to physically host its much looked-forward-to grand finale and awards night this year, the organisers of the Life in My City Art Festival have embraced an online option for the festival’s this year’s edition, which holds on Saturday, December 12. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

F

or all its legendary resilience as Nigeria’s longest-running art event, the Life in My City Art Festival had to be tailored to suit the mood of these times. Even as the annual fiesta – better known by its acronym LIMCAF – whirred to life with the enthusiastic response to its call for entries, there were already hints that the activities swirling around its 14th edition would be altered by the prevailing circumstances.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the organisers of the annual youth art extravaganza have opted for a webinar.

This is in a nod to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which would have made the hosting of its grand finale and awards night an ill-advised venture.

“It is also quite clear from the restrictions on travel and other cautionary measures put in place by federal and state governments that gatherings either at the regional centres or here at the grand finale would be neither advisable nor even feasible,” the festival’s artistic director, Ayo Adewunmi, had conceded sometime this year. “Still, we have to wrestle with the fact that we advertised for entries, and have received just over 300 entries from all over the country. This, we consider a good number given the fact that the entry fee was raised to N2000 per person and that, with the closure of schools and other institutions, many young persons would have been hard put to it finding ways and means to undertake production.”

Nonetheless, a virtual meeting of LIMCAF’s trustees settled for an international webinar, which holds on Saturday, December 12 from 3:30 pm, as an alternative to the visual feast of exhibitions and awards nights. The webinar, which promises to feature some of Nigeria’s leading artists and scholars, will revolve around the theme “Life In My City Art Festival and the Growth of Contemporary Art in Nigeria/Africa”. According to Dr Adewunmi, it will aim to examine, in real terms and a holistic manner, its contributions to the art ecosystem in Nigeria; re-examine its founding assumptions and chart a path for its future growth as well as explore the possibility and means open to the festival for even greater contribution to the development of art in Nigeria and beyond.

Expected to be headlined by the visual arts luminary El Anatsui, who is also a LIMCAF patron, the webinar promises a rich harvest of ideas and information on not only the annual event and the Nigerian art scene but also on the future of the sub-sector in the now-unfolding virtual world.

Since its institution in 2007, LIMCAF has asserted itself as a youth-empowerment art platform, through which a long list of aspiring young artists from across the country have come to the limelight. Indeed, its themed series of competitive exhibitions and graded awards, have come to be cherished in the art circles as an annual harvest of young talents. Specifically speaking, the festival’s past 13 years have chalked up an annual average of 400 entries. Even so, the organisers hail the fact that this year’s entries were more than 300 despite the obtrusion of the pandemic and promise

A recent LIMCAF exhibition to carry them forward to the festival’s next year’s edition when it is assumed that things would have returned to normal.

Also, Professor El Anatsui – on whose financial support the festival has partially leaned in recent years – had first sponsored the festival’s 2017 top four winners on an all-expenses trip to the 2018 edition of the Dakar Art Biennale, tagged Dak’ Art. The Ghanaian-born University of Nigeria, Nsukka emeritus professor later extended this largesse to include the top 12 winners of art event’s 2018 and 2019 editions – six each from each edition. Even winners from this year’s edition, which has been aborted by the pandemic, would have joined the already-waiting list of 12 winners for the trip to the Senegalese capital. The chosen artists would have leveraged this opportunity to hold a Nigerian off-exhibition at the biennale under the banner of LIMCAF. Talking about sponsorships, LIMCAF first grew from being bankrolled by Chief Robert Orji’s advertising firm Rocana Nigeria Limited as well as enjoying the financial and administrative support of the Alliance Française network and the French Embassy to attracting big-time sponsors like Diamond Bank, FBN Holdings, the Enugu State Government and, more recently, the MTN Foundation, whose director Dennis Okoro has on more than one occasion graced its grand finale and awards night with his

company’s top-echelon staff members in tow. Of course, the event also boasts of other partners, associates and supporters both from within and outside the Nigerian art community, some of whom have instituted prizes for some of the event’s categories.

Indeed, the crème de la crème of the art industry have since the festival’s inception played such roles as jurors, advisers and its regional centre’s coordinators. These industry leading lights – among whom are studio artists, curators, art scholars and gallery owners – have undeniably positively impacted on the image of the increasingly popular event, which Professor Anatsui had once endorsed as “getting better and better”. The roll-call of celebrated art personalities so far include Bruce Onobrakpeya, the late Olabisi Silva, Jerry Buhari, Kunle Filani, Sani Mu’azu, the late Nsikak Essien, Peju Laywwola, Joe Musa, Frank Ugiomoh, Sam Ovraiti, Blaise Gundu Gbaden, Chijioke Onuora and Tonie Okpe.

Besides, LIMCAF’s awards night at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu’s International Conference Centre have hosted such dignitaries as the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; Nigeria’s former high commissioner to the UK, Christopher Kolade; former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke; the founder of OYASAF, Prince Yemisi Shyllon and the chairman of Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko, among others.

BOOKS

Dad and Daughter Relationship Unlocked in Abanobi's New Book Yinka Olatunbosun

H

istory has a stockpile of phenomenal female personalities, whose successful careers and enviable lifestyles had been largely influenced by their relationship with their fathers. This trail was followed in developing the plot of this instant-messaging-styled prose written by Chika Abanobi, an award-winning journalist with over three decades of active practice in print journalism. Titled, WHAT'S UP MESSAGE: From Best Dad to Dearest Daughter, the 118-page book has its foreword written by another seasoned journalist, Mike Awoyinfa.

Deeply emotive, the content is a reflection of the anxieties shared by fathers who desire to raise daughters who would inspire a generation of women. Educated fathers with intellectually-stimulating households want

to contribute significantly to the society not just in terms of population through procreation but also through knowledge economy. Hence, Abanobi appropriates simple conversations in teaching values that are essential ingredients to raising a phenomenal daughter. One of his mechanisms is the use of good models drawn from politics and activism.

He cites the example of Hillary Clinton, US first female presidential candidate to be nominated by a major political party whose father taught the ideals of zero waste. Also, the award-winning writer, Chimamanda Adichie had developed interest in literature from her father's literary collections. This habit would later morph into a pivotal role in her career choice as she made a dramatic detour from the study of medicine to pursue creative writing.

The author also draws upon the Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai’s experience as a child who regretted disappointing her father when she stole in retaliation for a bad deed by another. Vices such as stealing, lying, cheating and perpetuating violence are factors that swim against the tides of greatness for a true humanist. Abanobi also recountes, in the book, stories of other young

female students who excelled at their higher institutions of learning by simply creating a study plan or habit that works only for them.

Such ones are not distracted by frivolities or pseudo-friends who specialise in curating social activities that can waste time and intellectual energy.

No doubt, Abanobi tries to establish that there is something mystical in the bond between fathers and daughters. Hence, From the book celebrates the joy of fatherhood, paternal influence and the inexplicable bond occasioned by that closeness to a daughter.

While this book, the first in the series of volumes, is a huge influence in restating the home as the bedrock of the society, it may be indicting the trend of absentee fathers which could have resulted from voluntary single motherhood, divorce, separation or other circumstances as it excludes the strong bond that exists between the mother and the daughter. But if it is any consolation, the book offers a whole new perspective to the impact that a father figure has in creating a bold and successful woman out of a well-groomed childhood.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye Email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

In Zabarmari, Nigeria Dies!

The November 28 massacre of over 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari, Borno State, by Boko Haram terrorists, speaks to a fundamental state failure, impossible to be further garbed in pretentiously respectable robes, writes Louis Achi “What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

- Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

I

n terms of sheer malevolent messaging intent, the Zabarmari massacre takes the cake in the bloody laundry list of the terrorist Boko Haram’s over decade-long depredations. Here is why.

Expansion in rice acreage, rises in rice yield, and multiple cropping have powered flourishing civilizations in Asia and Africa. The lowly swamp plant has provided the impetus for accelerated progress in national economies, cultural improvements, and population increases in many Afro-Asian countries during the past two millennia.

In effect, rice is synonymous with life and any threat to its cultivation and harvest – especially in Nigeria – bespeaks death in its starkest interpretation. Hence the most basic message from the Zabarmari annihilation by the Boko Haram is that – ‘we’ve got you by the jugular.’

More, the importance attached to production of the crop made it a key flagship project of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency. This policy footing drove the transformation of Nigeria from being the world’s second largest rice importer some years back, to becoming the largest rice producer in Africa. This was the outcome of robust collaboration between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in their quest to drastically reduce the country’s huge import bill.

Astute observers would not have failed to notice that extensive flooding in the North West earlier in the year destroyed thousands of hectares of rice, and food prices rose substantially in 2020 mainly due to insecurity in food-producing regions.

But by bloodying the lilting poetic cadence of the town’s name – Zabarmari – with a single gory strike that the nation’s security intelligence could not foresee – wiping out innocent rice farmers – the Boko Haram terrorists have simply and disdainfully laughed in the face of Buhari.

That the overburdened Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, told the BBC on Monday that the slain farmers did not secure military clearance to go to the farm hardly enlightened the fundamental issues.

His words: “Much of those areas have been liberated from Boko Haram terrorists but there are a number of spaces that have not been cleared for the return of villagers, who have been displaced. So, ideally, all of these places ought to pass the test of military clearances before farmers or settlers resume activities on those fields.”

It was important that Shehu clarified his statement later and reassured Nigerians that he was not blaming the victims.

Strangely, many miss the point that in the indescribable pain of the rice farmers whose lifeblood drained from savagely slit throats, the unbelievably diminished meaning and dream of the Nigerian state also dies.

It’s worth recalling that Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, former president of France, who incidentally died at 94, four days

Governor Zulum after the Zabarmari massacre, had counselled statesmen and world leaders that, “There can be no response to history without effort.” d’Estaing was born in the First World War and saw action in World War 2.

An unwillingness or incapacity to respond to the peculiar history of the Nigerian state has apparently, effectively hobbled the Buhari presidency. The overarching constitutional mandate of protecting the lives and property of citizens has been violated with consequences probably made impossible by blind regime loyalty to the extant quirky structures of the state.

According to former Borno State governor, Senator Shetima, who spoke at plenary, “Last weekend’s beheading happened about 20 kilometers from Maiduguri. Boko Haram insurgents are virtually ruling all our rural areas.

They kill and abduct people at will. They’re targeting farmers and this will create hunger in the North. Government officials keep saying that Boko Haram has been ‘technically defeated’. This claim is not true.”

Several brazen killings and abductions of innocent citizens by bandits in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna States speak to the same existential quandary. Even the governor of Katsina State, the president’s home state, has expressed similar sentiment following several killings and kidnaps.

Out of understandable exasperation, Professor Babagana

Zulum, the plucky scientist and Borno State governor, has urged the federal government to quickly engage mercenaries to fight the Boko Haram insurgents. The underlying message here is hardly missed by close observers of the unfolding tragedy.

Following the Zabarmari massacre, so many angles have taken the field – from the security agencies, important stakeholders to the presidency and the national parliament.

So much movement – but where is the motion? Beyond the quirky blame-game footing, specific, audacious action is needed to retrieve Nigeria.

In a poignant observation at the turn of national events, erudite economist and scholar, late Dr. Pius Okigbo, once noted that what was unfolding in the nation’s socio-political arena was comparable to an Athenian tragedy but lacking the majesty of a Greek drama. A verdict delivered many years ago, Okigbo’s insight, strangely relevant, simply distils the damming failure of the ruling political leadership.

Being Africa’s demographic and natural resources centre of gravity, much of the world believes Nigeria ought to lead the journey of transformative change on the continent. She ought to provide the leadership to raise Africa to her next level. But then charity must begin at home.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

T President Muhammadu Buhari

Another #EndSARS Protest?

he federal government, last week, said it would treat a fresh #EndSARS protest as an attempt at regime change. That would mean treason. The news followed alleged moves by some persons to reenact the October protest.

Unfortunately, even the dumbest of governments would not entertain any more of such indulgence under the guise of protests and a demand for legitimate right.

The pain, anger, destruction, killings and anguish left on the trail of the initial protest is unlikely to go away for some time.

Suddenly, some people are planning to initiate a fresh protest? Demanding what now? Despite the destruction brought upon

the nation in the wake of the October #EndSARS protest, government is still looking into the demands of the youths, including setting up a panel of inquiry to unravel some of the things that happened before, during and after the protest.

Therefore, a fresh protest would be both insensitive and insensate. Government might be right to treat any such movement as an attempt at regime change and would be justified. The inability of the youth to know when to stop and unable to make good capital from the protest should not be blamed on anyone else but their lack of coordination and failure to seek counsel. They should blame no one for their lack of tact and should be prepared to face the consequences of their choices, going forward.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

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BRIEFINGNOTES

Maina: A Serial Fugitive The appearing, disappearing, and reappearing of a former Chairman of the Nigerian Pension ReformTaskTeam, Abdulrashid Abdullahi Maina, has hitherto cast a shadow of doubt on the administration’s anti-corruption fight.

However, with his recent arrest, perhaps, the story might begin to change. Shola Oyeyipo writes

I

n the record of corrupt public officials in Nigeria, no other person has earned the reputation of a former Chairman of the Nigerian Pension ReformTaskTeam (PRTT), Abdulrashid Abdullahi Maina.

In his bid to evade justice for the alleged multi-billion-naira sleaze for which he had been indicted and charged to court on multiple counts, he easily absconds to avoid being brought to book.

Perhaps, now that the Nigeria Police has extradited him to Nigeria from Niamey, Niger Republic onThursday, December 3, 2020, he could face the wrath of the law for his brazen act of corruption, a situation he obviously does not want.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, was compelled to declare him wanted after he jumped bail and a sitting federal lawmaker, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno, APC), who stood surety for him in the ongoing criminal trial was arrested and remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja, for a few days.

The former pension reform boss is facing a 12-count money laundering charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He is believed to have used his firm to launder N2bn and invested part of it to buy choice properties in Abuja.

Earlier, EFCC investigation showed that Maina, who was the chairman of the pension reform task force during the era of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, perfected the alleged diversion of billions of naira, from the pension fund through the office of the Head of Service, between 2010 and 2014 and a lot of Nigerians have waited to see him prosecuted for Maina arriving Nigeria from Niger his corrupt acts to no avail.

In 2012, when his probe reached its crescendo, Maina gave among Nigerians. various excuses such as ill health and tight schedule, and as Following public outcry, President Buhari ordered his such, refused to appear before the Senate Joint Committee disengagement from the civil service, because he had been on Establishment, Public Service and Local Government dismissed in 2013 for absconding from duty following a Administration, charged by the Senate to look into pension recommendation by the office of the Head of Service. administration from 1999.

The incident embarrassed the Buhari government and Miffed by his insubordination, the lawmaker committee caused friction between the late Chief of Staff to President tasked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) at that time, Buhari, Abba Kyari, and then Head of Service,Winifred Mohammed Abubakar, to ensure that he attended its next Oyo-Ita. sitting. But he still didn’t show up, compelling the Senate to Oyo-Ita told the House of Representatives committee issue a warrant for his arrest. Instead of defending himself, investigating his disappearance, reappearance, and reinstateMaina left Nigeria for Dubai. ment in the federal civil service that the letters came from He was away in Dubai for about four years and from there the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) he released a series of videos, where he maintained that he to the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), ordering did nothing wrong. He claimed that he was being persecuted his reinstatement. She said she was surprised to hear about and that his life was being threatened, because he helped the Maina’s reinstatement. country recover billions of naira of public funds.

In his usual character, he went on the run again and at But in a most surprising move that cast aspersions on a point when the EFCC released the names of 76 persons President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade, Maina, a former on its list of wanted persons, Maina ranked five among the Assistant Director in the Nigerian civil service, sneaked back seven most wanted, going by the nature of their crimes in the into the country, earned himself a recall into the civil service, country, the size of their alleged loot and the profile of such and was promoted to the position of Director in the Ministry persons. of Interior.

He came after the former militant leader of the Movement The former Minister for Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), GovernPresident Buhari’s cousin, Mamman Daura; and the Attorney ment Ekpemupolo akaTompolo wanted for alleged diversion General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), were of the sum of N34,000,000,000; an Italian who was declared fingered in the move that created widespread disapproval wanted in connection with a case of obtaining money to the

tune of N989, 288,400 under false pretense, stealing and money laundering, Mariano Albino; Jerry Ogbonna Obike Philip, who allegedly withdrew a sum of N45 million erroneously deposited in his account and a Lebanese, Fady El-Daher.

Two years after the controversial reinstatement into the civil service despite a mountain of corruption allegations, he was however arrested by operatives of the DSS at a hotel in Abuja in October 2019, after allegedly sneaking into the country from Dubai. His son, his 20-year-old son, Faisal, was also arrested, and were both handed over to the EFCC for prosecution.

He was eventually arraigned before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on October 25 with his son.Though the EFCC kicked against his bail on the ground that he might escape, in July 2020 Maina was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre, where he was incarcerated for nine months.

As feared by the EFCC, Maina jumped bail in September, and in November, the court revoked his bail, and that of his son, and ordered their arrest. Justice Abang ordered a bench warrant for his arrest after the EFCC Lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, told the court that the former pension boss, who got bail in the sum of N500 million with a serving Senator as surety, had jumped bail and fled to neighboring Niger.

The court had commenced trial in his absence.

He last attended the court on July 2, 2020, during the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness by his legal team and didn’t attend subsequent proceedings since September 29, 2020, making the judge declare that he had jumped in his November 18, 2020 ruling.That was when he ordered Senator Ndume remanded pending when he produced the fleeing defendant in court or pay the N500m bail bond to the federal government.

A Federal High Court in Abuja also gave a House of Representatives member, Umar Sani Dan Galadima (Kaura Namoda Federal Constituency, Zamfara State), who stood surety for his son, Faisal, up till December 4, 2020, to produce him. He is also considered to have jumped bail.

The good news, however, is that Maina was traced to Niger’s capital, Niamey, and arrested on November 30, 2020, through the collaborative efforts of the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force led by CP Garba Umar, INTERPOL NCB, Abuja, and their Nigerien counterpart.

Now that he is back in the police net, it is best that justice is served once and for all in this lingering case, because the treatment so far extended to Maina by the Buhari, administration leaves much to be desired. One can only imagine how this was a member of the opposition party.

Besides, one can only but wonder why the same security apparatus that dealt ruthlessly with former National Security Adviser to the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, the like of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, and several other perceived enemies of this administration, is finding it difficult to make Maina face justice. Curiously, this has continued to question the anticorruption crusade is not reliable.

NOTES FOR FILE

It’s Time to Engage Mercenaries

Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai

The current state of security in the country is a major source of worry for every well-meaning Nigerian and their friends. With insurgency still blossoming in the North, a situation exacerbated by banditry and kidnapping in other parts of the country, last week’s murder of over 43 farmers in Borno State, directly addresses the vulnerability of the nation’s security architecture.

Even more disturbing is the fact that Nigeria’s promising military officers, many of them very young,

have continued to die in the hands of insurgents, who are fighting unconventional war with the state. Not only have the ranks of the Nigerian military been decimated, these patriotic men are already demoralised.

Thus, with the fight against terrorism now alleged to be a booming industry, scaled up by the avalanche of moles amongst the patriotic soldiers, it is becoming increasingly difficult if not outright impossible to win the war with the regular men of the armed forces. This is why the use

of mercenaries, who not only understand the ways of the insurgents but also their modus operandi, is the way to go.

If the country still desires to preserve his men, then, engaging mercenaries is the ultimate goal now. It worked in the twilight of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

It can still work. After all, it was President Muhammadu Buhari, who disengaged them without reason.

Governor Babagana Zulum was right on the need for this!

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

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CICERO/REPORT

Some Good News from Nasarawa Last week, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo joined people of Nasarawa State to celebrate some notable scientific and technological achievement, reports Igbawase Ukumba

“T

he Nassarawa State Infectious Disease and Research Centre (NASIDARC) is a landmark achievement.

There is no question at all that anywhere in the world, this type of achievement deserves to be celebrated,” said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, when inaugurating the world-class health facility in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

Perhaps, for Osinbajo, the lessons to be learnt from this very important achievement were about three things. The first, which he said was vision, according to him was critical, especially in development since money was not everything. As a matter of fact, he added that if one had the funds but did not have the vision, one would achieve nothing. But if one had the vision, one would most likely attract money.

For the Vice President, “Nassarawa State is not by any means the wealthiest state in the country. In fact, if you look at what Nassarawa State earns and what is allocated, it certainly does not come anywhere near the top one third, but with the vision, the state has proven that vision is even more important than money. I want to commend Former Governor Tanko Al-Makura, who conceived of this place as properly acknowledged by Governor Abdullahi Sule that he (Al-Makura) conceived of this idea and started the project.”

The second lesson the Vice President wanted to be learnt was that vision itself could be killed if one’s successor did not have a mind big enough. If one’s successor was small minded, vision would mean nothing, he maintained.

“Continuity is not just one party succeeding another. It is the very notion that when you sucVice President Osinbajo (middle) Commissioning the Facility ceed someone, you develop all of the great ideas mediate predecessor, Senator Al-Makura. Sule equally resolved to that they started. You build on vision. And I think His Excellency, improve on the living conditions of citizens of the state through the Governor Sule has proven that by building on the great vision of provision of quality healthcare service. former Governor Tanko Al-Makura, that has got us to this place It could have been for the aforementioned reasons that the govtoday, we are able to celebrate a notable scientific and technological ernor, committed enormous resources towards the completion achievement.” of the Nasarawa State Infectious Disease and Research Centre, But the Vice President thought that, perhaps for himself, the considered critical in the diagnosis of different viral infections. third and most important lesson was that Nigeria has everything During the inauguration of the world class health facility, it takes to be the best anywhere in the world.

“We have everything it takes. We have the talents. We have men Sule told Osinbajo that before the inauguration, the diagnosis of several infectious diseases, such as Lassa fever, yellow fever, and women of vision, and we have all of the resources that it takes measles, cerebrospinal meningitis, as well as the current Covid-19 to be just as good as any, anywhere in the world. pandemic, were conducted outside the state.

“As we have heard, the Centre here comprises a Bio-safety But with the establishment of the Centre and its full operation, Level-3 Laboratory, a Molecular Biology Laboratory and Infecthe governor said the perennial diagnosis and management tious Disease Isolation Unit, and an Epidemiology Unit as well.

And we are told that these are top of the class, first rate facilities that challenges of infectious diseases previously experienced would become a thing of the past and treatments of such ailments will be you could find anywhere in the world.” greatly enhanced.

“This is not just some Mickey Mouse, Tiny Club achievement.

Sule added: “Furthermore, as the name implies, the Centre This is a phenomenal achievement in technology terms, and it has will also serve as research hub, crucible for innovations and been done and fulfilled by Nigerians and done here in Nigeria. operational research that will provoke policy initiation. Similarly, So, I think we should congratulate ourselves and that we should the Centre will conduct clinical trials for vaccines, drugs and other really hold our heads up high. For those of us who are as tall as the governor, we can walk tall, for those of us of more modest heights, products, in compliance with ethical standards, as well as support trainings in public health and researches at all levels. we can tell you the long and the short of the story,” he said.

“In addition, it will also provide scientific guidance for the local Perhaps, all of the facilities were good, but Osinbajo wanted production of vaccines, diagnostic kits, sera, anti-sera and other to really commend the governor and his team for seeing that the related health products. I am happy to state that the Centre is one project actually came to fruition and for making sure that they did it in grand style. The Vice President also commended the governor of the best diagnostic centres in the country.”

The governor explained further that the Centre was equipped for acknowledging the leadership and vision of his predecessor, with the state-of-the-art facilities and has a provision of a Bio-safety Senator Al-Makura. levels II & III Laboratories, a Molecular Laboratory, an Isolation “This is as it should be and this, I think demonstrates his own Ward, an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), an Administrative personal capacity and his own humility and his own vision as well. I want to thank you all for this and to say that everything that Structure and a Conference Hall.

“Let me commend the effort of the federal government for we are able to achieve adds greatly to the greatness of our nation, the support and provision of equipment, as well as other critical our nation is a great nation. facilities, which eventuated the readiness of the Infectious Disease “We must never despair. In the past few months, COVID, the and Research Centre (NASIDARC), hence our gathering to economic circumstances, the figures and some issues of security, witness its commissioning today. We will continue to cherish but I can assure you that just as the scripture says that, ‘Weeping federal government support, intervention and partnership in our may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning’. collective commitment for the socio-economic development of “I’m very assured and I am continually assured by the people our dear country,” Sule assured. of this country, by the kind of leadership that we have in our Nevertheless, the global pandemic of COVID-19 has exposed President, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is focused. I want the state of its healthcare centres at all levels hence it was for this to say I am very, very reassured that the dawn for this country is reason that the governor resolved to evolve measures that would coming.” strengthen the provision of health facilities at primary, secondary He, however, concluded that the country’s greatness was only and tertiary levels, which part of the governor’s commitment in hidden slightly now by the clouds, but that those clouds would that direction was completion of the Infectious Disease Centre clear and what the people would see for themselves, would be a project. He continued: “It is worthy of note that, as a result of the great nation. He posited that the nation that God has purposed outbreak of Coronavirus in Nasarawa State, government has Nigerian people to be and one of the things he told the gathering converted the 300-bed IDPs hostel in Shabu and upgraded the so eloquently was what they were there to commission. facility to serve as Isolation Centre in the state. Similarly, we have When Governor Sule assumed office in May 2019, he made a upgraded a structure in Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), solemn commitment to complete projects initiated by his im-

Lafia to an Isolation Centre. We have also established smaller Isolation Centres in the 13 Locality Government Areas of the state.

“As a responsive government that is desirous of uplifting the state to be among the top economically-viable states in the country, prioritising the health system has become imperative, considering its importance to human lives. This is in line with the vision and commitment of this administration to continue to strengthen the healthcare system in the state, conscious of the fact that the achievement of an industrialised state is contingent upon a healthy population, as the saying goes, ‘a healthy state is a wealthy state”.

THISDAY’s findings revealed that it was in that connection that the Governor Sule administration, aside from the Infectious Disease Centre’s project, has committed to the continuous expansion of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia, which was started by the previous administration.

For the Consultant to the Infectious Disease and Research Centre, Eleshe Abimiku, it was really fortunate and thankful to God for her seeing such a day. This was because about 20 years ago when she left Nigeria and went to do her postgraduate, she actually wanted to work on things that could help her country, Nigeria.

She said for the first time, in the research she did, she selected and characterised HIV in Nigeria, which showed that it was distinctly different from what is found in the west and there she started her passion to make sure that she support and bring it to home.

Abimiku said: “What we have here is a summary of several years of experience, probably over 20 years of experience and research in coming back to the country to set up infrastructure that can conduct research especially in viruses that are pruned to epidemics.

“This is probably one facility that has benefited from all of the experience and that has in one place a complete comprehensive facility that takes care of infectious disease, both known and unknown, due to the molecular techniques that have been set up and the fact that you have negatively pressured and bio-safety laboratory level-3 that can handle any infection in the world.

“This complex also has the foresight from the governor of the state to also include an Isolation Unit. What this facility does is a tussle. You can bring in individuals that are infected and you don’t know what they are infected with, you got the Isolation Unit that is negatively pressured. You can collect the samples and treat it in the Negatively Pressured Bio-safety Laboratory, which is the highest in terms of safety to understand what it is.”

“Once you extracted the RNAand the DNA, you can take it to the Molecular Laboratory and isolate and really identify what the problem is within Nasarawa State. This is really phenomenal.

This is exceptional. It is not exaggeration to say it is the first in the country. It is the first in West Africa and we are very proud to be part of it,” she concluded.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

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CICERO/INTERVIEW BASHEER MOHAMMED

It’s Truly Sad to Hear These Children Tell You How Much They Want to Go to School Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed, Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), says he is committed to improving the lot of refugees, migrants and IDPs in Nigeria. He spoke to THISDAY on Sunday. Excerpts:

W

After years of trauma and the psychological adjustments that come with living trapped and closed off from the real world, all displaced persons, refugees, stateless persons, migrants and returnees will need to be evaluated and given rehabilitation and reintegration support. The commission takes this phase as a very important step in their recovery.

On a recent trip to Niger Republic with the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umaru Zulum, to assess the readiness of our refugees with a view of repatriating them back home, I interacted with a refugee, who was once a big rice farmer, he used to have an output of over 600 bags of rice every season but there he was in Niger Republic a refugee with no home and no farm land. The worst part was that his wife and two children were kidnapped at the time and his home, including his business savings hidden in the house, were all burnt down.

This is the situation with most of the refugees we met there, formerly people of financial independence, but are now refugees without the means to rebuild their lives. In thinking out of the box, the Commission came up with an idea that is more viable and dignifying in the long run.

As the saying goes, give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime. Therefore, I decided to approach the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), knowing its active involvement in numerous empowerment programmes, which have changed the lives of millions of Nigerians.

hat’s your driving force since assuming office?

I was the vice chairman, Contact and Mobilisation, North, for the APC 2019 Presidential Campaign Council.

Our campaign slogan was ‘Next Level’.

Therefore, in my opinion, President Muhammadu Buhari has done his part by moving the nation forward from 2015 and Nigerians have confidence in him. They love and trust him. That’s why they gave him a second term. It is now the responsibility of us in the government to move our offices to the next level based on our campaign slogan.

Upon my assumption of office, I took a critical look at the mandates of the commission, the vital one states that, apart from providing care to displaced persons, namely the hundreds of thousands of our refugees in neighbouring countries like Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic, migrants, over 2.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and more than 400,000 returnee migrants, the commission is saddled with the responsibility of ‘Resettling, Reintegrating and Rehabilitating’ these groups of vulnerable Nigerians. With that in mind, I decided to channel my thoughts and plans to three key areas of achieving this mandate.

Can you shed more light on that?

In a not-too-distant past, the figures of our displaced persons were in thousands due to the Boko Haram insurgency that rocked the nation more than 10 years ago. But, today, we have over 2.5 million displaced persons in the country in over 290 official camps.

Because of the growing demand for accommodation and the recurring nature of displacement, there are also over 700 unofficial camps across the country and that figure excludes the hundreds of thousands of IDPs living in host communities.

With this alarming situation, saying resettlement is the way forward is an understatement: it is the only way to restore the lives of the people.

From the establishment of the commission to date, the government has spent billions of naira feeding the displaced persons. It is not sustainable for the government to continue to spend this much on these people without an exit strategy, more so now that resources are dwindling by the day.

When the camps were established at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, more than a decade ago, the camps were intended to be temporary. Ten years later, the displaced have travelled across the border to seek refuge in other countries, and those left within the country are living in tightly packed camps while some have overstayed their welcome in the host communities they found themselves.

What are you doing about that?

I decided to take the bull by the horns and embark on the project of resettling the millions of internally displaced persons through the NCFRMI Resettlement City Reintegration and Rehabilitation Programme. It is my belief that these people need to be taken back to their states of origin as soon as possible, at least, those states where normalcy has been restored. This is the will of the people. This is what they want.

On one of my visits to an IDP camp in Madagali, Adamawa State, I visited an IDP in his tent. There he lived with his wife and their five children in a 10-feet square box tent. I was shaken and surprised at their living conditions. As I remained in shock, the man began to cry and pleaded with me to take him back to his home in neighbouring Borno State.

As I listened to him, he lamented that he was once a fish

It is even scarier to think that a five-yearold, who was brought into IDP camp at the beginning of these crises, has now spent over a decade with no western or religious education. And a newborn delivered at the beginning of the crises is now a teenager with no formal or informal education whatsoever. This alone should be a source of concern to everyone, especially government at all levels

Mohammed merchant in Baga LGA of the state and he owned two cars and a big house of his own but that, at the moment, fate had him there waiting for food and water from the government. Never did he imagine that the insurgents, who robbed and burned down his home, would leave him to a life of begging for food and water in an IDP camp.

In October 2019, I also paid a visit to Jere LGA in Borno State, where I met an elderly Kanuri man, who rejected the food items donated by the commission despite his apparent hunger, but being a typical, proud Kanuri man.

He told me in his native dialect that food was not what he wanted then. He clearly stated that he didn’t want to be here; he wanted to go back home and take care of himself. It was clear from the sadness on his face that he was not happy and he would give anything to have his life back.

These two stories strengthen my resolve to pursue this mandate of resettlement and reintegration as a strong priority toward the ultimate restoration of dignity to the millions of displaced persons whose lives have changed due to circumstances beyond their control.

Our IDPs are frustrated especially, the hundreds of thousands of wealthy men and women among them, who have lost everything faster than the blink of an eye.

What concrete steps are you taking to resolve the situation?

Given this phenomenon, my management team and I met with several experts and drew up a plan to develop a rehabilitation and reintegration project towards the empowerment of all displaced persons. Thereafter, I approached several governors with the largest concentration of IDPs in their states, like Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Zamfara, Katsina, Edo, and Cross Rivers states, for the allocation of 50 hectres of land in secure locations.

Today, I am happy to say, we have received land from Yobe, Zamfara, Katsina and Borno States and these governors responded almost immediately. And we are also awaiting a response from Edo and Cross Rivers States. Even without readily available funds, we started the design of these resettlement cities with the help of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, where we intend to have 600 housing units of two-bedrooms in each city, primary health care and education centres, security outposts, worship houses, skill acquisition centres, markets and adjoining farmlands for use by indigenes.

All of this would not be possible without the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose commitment to ending the suffering of these vulnerable Nigerians is unyielding and has made everything possible to ensure that their welfare is treated as a priority.

How is the commission helping the displaced persons to cope?

How have you been engaging the CBN governor in all this?

I secured an appointment with the CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and during that meeting I explained the dire state of our IDPs and refugees to him, which breeds lots of unspeakable vices in the camps. I briefed him on my plan to rehabilitate and reintegrate the almost three million displaced persons through an empowerment programme tailored to their vulnerabilities.

Given the governor’s personal commitment and passion for uplifting the vulnerable citizens in Nigeria, he instantly agreed to the plans and asked that we develop a strategy for engagement.

After returning to office with my management team, who were equally as excited as I was, it was immediately unanimously agreed that this could be a big intervention and the most reliable avenue to make our vulnerable brothers and sisters self-reliant.

After weeks of deliberations, we came up with a name and a scheme that will adequately highlight the aim of the project and the Commission’s objective of making this project, a sustainable legacy for many years to come.

Walk us through your ‘Project Reliance’.

On Monday, October 12, we launched the programme in the presence of the Borno State governor, the Shehu of Borno and the CBN governor’s representative, where 350,000 IDPs will benefit in Borno State alone. This programme was designed to empower them by way of giving them startup capital and empowerment tools in more than 50 different vocations and businesses of their choice.

As we speak today, the process has gone far and we hope to continue in other states, where we have already received hundreds of thousands of verified IDPs’ lists from their state governors. This programme is to be replicated in other states with high number of IDPs. What about the informal transitional learning centres?

This project was conceived as a result of my numerous visits to the IDP camps across the country. At every camp I visited over the last 12 months, I saw school-age children in hundreds of thousands playing, with no idea of what they want or who they want to be. I would sit to talk to some of them and, sometimes, play with the toddlers, and it’s truly sad to hear these children tell you how much they want to go to school.

It is truly heartbreaking. If we don’t address this educational menace, we have a ticking time bomb on our hands. In no time, these untaught children as they lack any form of western or religious education will grow up angry with themselves, their communities and the government and could end up posing other security challenges.

It is even scarier to think that a five-year-old, who was brought into IDP camp at the beginning of these crises, has now spent over a decade with no western or religious education. And a newborn delivered at the beginning of the crises is now a teenager with no formal or informal education whatsoever.

This alone should be a source of concern to everyone, especially government at all levels.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

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CICERO/REPORT

Emelumba: Okorocha Almost Ruined Imo State Hon. Declan Emelumba, the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, in this interview with Amby Uneze, highlights some of government’s activities and achievements so far. Excerpts:

H

ow has it been since you assumed office as Information and Strategy Commissioner in Imo State?

It has been hectic and at the same time, expectedly so because it’s not easy to really be the mouthpiece of government. People expected you to be almost an encyclopedia to know everything, which is what it should be. But we have been trying our best. Thank God it is not a very strange terrain and another thing is managing journalists is not all that easy. Of course, I am one and have remained so in managing them all along. It has been good so far.

This government is barely 10 months old and since inception what are the milestones it has covered in your assessment?

In fact they are quite a number and the list is so long, even though the time is short. This is a government that came into office in a not very normal process. When the government came in, there was nobody on ground to show us where to start, because there was no handover note, which made it quite difficult to take off.

So, the government had to start from day one to put things together since there was no transition period to organise the take off of a new administration, but thank God for the person of distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, who came prepared to face the mantle of leadership in the state, squarely. He didn’t have any problem taking off in spite of the prevailing circumstances then.

Within the first weeks, because he wanted to make sure that civil service was properly positioned, by trying to raise their morale as against what was left behind by former governor Rochas Okorocha, who had even mandated civil servants to work for three days a week and that killed the civil service in the state.

Within the first 28 days in office, the governor bought official vehicles for all permanent secretaries in the state. Before that, he had first toured the entire secretariat, where he saw that the buildings were dilapidated and had leaking roofs, etc. The ten blocks were reroofed and all necessary repairs were carried out, water was restored as well as light to the complex.

Within his 100 days in office, he was able to rehabilitate the governors’ lodge, which was clearly not in use by the time we came in. Okorocha was using what was called the ‘bush bar’ while Emeka Ihedioha operated from the Odenigbo complex.

But this governor refused to stay outside the governors’ lodge, because he was actually elected as the governor of Imo State and therefore should operate from the governor’s office, which is the official seat of power.

Going there, there was nothing on ground: no water, no electricity, but within a record time he was able to restore the place back to normal as the seat of power of Imo State government. He remodeled and reconstructed the governors’ lodge, at least to restore dignity to governance. He also renovated the official lodge of the Speaker and that of the deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly. He bought official vehicles for the judges and at least, the three arms of government had their morale raised to do their job for the state.

I usually tell people that this is the first government that within 7 months commissioned roads. I have lived here in Imo and having been part of various governments either in the legislature or executive I have not seen any government that within seven months commissioned any road project. It is a record that has not been done by anybody.

He was also able to revive the Otamiri water scheme, and at least, water was able to run within some parts of Owerri metropolis. The same thing is with Adapalm. That place is working now and those who were sacked previously have been called back and they are now producing things like margarines, soaps, etc. You can say that this is a milestone achievement the government has recorded within the period that it has been in power.

More importantly, the migration from analogue to automation of salaries is a major feat for this government. You know, previous governments were afraid to embark on this automation, because they had felt that they would fight cabals that were involved in the payroll stuff, because of the misunderstandings.

Now the government pays directly to workers and has eliminated the process of the payroll system, where they padded whatever they would want to pad.

That is the sanitisation of the whole system in the public service. It is a major achievement of this government, though it came with challenges. Now, you have some people who have not been able to comply with certain requirements like BVN and so on and so forth among the workers and pensioners.

Generally the automation process is very successful and the government is in a position to determine, one, the actual number of workers in Imo State, because you are captured biometrically.

And then the government is able to pay the workers directly and no more through a third party into their bank account for those working in the ministries, parastatals and agencies. It is a laudable development.

Emelumba What are the other achievements?

Government has trained a number of people within this period. It is overwhelming. Up to 15,000 youths have been trained through the CBN/Nirsal facilities that are now on the queue for the startup capital to start their businesses. This will definitely reduce unemployment in the state. The governor has also released N2 billion for youths in the state. Staff buses were also released to convey civil servants to and from their offices with complimentary breakfast. This is in addition to buying official vehicles for all government appointees and the permanent secretaries.

Government is also flagging off the construction of two major strategic roads: Owerri-Orlu and Owerri-Okigwe. They would be daulised and would be completed within 18 months. Again, the construction of seven world-class modern roundabouts in the state capital would totally change the face of the capital city.

Of course, the number of roads that have been constructed including the balloon driven drainage at Chukwuma Nwoha where the entire flood that used to make Owerri perennially flooded would now be taken from and emptied it at Otamiri River.

That one is a major achievement also because when it is finished there would not be flood again in Owerri. Relief market road is now well constructed, same as Douglas road and the popular Ekeukwu market, which was destroyed by Rochas Okorocha, work has started there for 1800 stalls (international world-class modern market). Government has really done great within this short period to change the face of the state.

The demolition of the Somtochukwu Hospital built by Rochas Okorocha at the Ekeukwu market has generated concerns among Imo people. Don’t you think remodeling it would have been better than demolition, because we are talking about the state resources here? Why was it demolished?

In the first place, the area was originally the ancestral market of Owerri people and in the process of destroying the market, that little boy, Somtochukwu who was going to help the

father in the market was shot. So, Okorocha was only trying to atone his sins and went to erect what he called ‘Somtochukwu hospital’. You and I knew that there was no hospital there, because it is the doctors, nurses and equipment that make up a hospital and not an empty building that had not been finished and did not pass any structural test.

That uncompleted building became a menace – a hideout in the city and it was an eyesore. Moreover, the modern market, which this government is trying to construct, would really bring back the glory of the city. That is even the best way to remember that little boy, Somtochukwu, because he died in the hands of Rochas Okorocha while going into the market to help his father.

So the boy was not a nurse, nor a doctor, he had nothing to do with the hospital.

It is the same way he (Okorocha) scattered the 27 local governments with uncompleted buildings in the name of general hospital and not one of them has one syringe or anything to merit a hospital. It is total madness to call an uncompleted building a hospital. The point is that the building was a danger to the society, because it was a den for robbers. Secondly, if a market is to be conceived that building would be causing obstruction, so it has to give way for the modern market to be fully realised.

Again, you know that Okorocha has this penchant for lawlessness, that is why government has released a white paper on the judicial panel on lands and other related matters from 2006 to 2019 and which the government has now revoked all the allocations and lands illegally acquired from government, including the government house site, where he had gone to desecrate and parcelet and given out to friends, relatives and cronies. All those things should be recovered.

So if there is any structure that had been illegally erected against the original master plan of Owerri, of course, it should be demolished and the original plan will be restored. Like lawyers would say, ‘you can’t build something on nothing’. Ab initio, it was part of his arbitrary activities and actions. We wouldn’t allow all the plots he illegally took over from Imo people in Arugo and other places and given out to cronies, relatives, friends, etc to stand.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˞ ͞˜ 2020

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Editor: Olawale Olaleye SMS:08116759819 email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com

From National Assembly, An Unusual Invitation

Last week, following killing of over 43 rice farmers in Borno State, the Senate for the umpteenth time, called for the sack of service Chiefs, while the House of Representatives invited President Muhammadu Buhari to explain the state of security in the country, report Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu

T

e recent gruesome killing of 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, by the Boko Haram insurgents, again got the attention of the National Assembly as the country continues to battle mounting security challenges, which are threatening its foundation.

Expectedly, the long hours of considerations in both Chambers of the National Assembly generated heated debates and resolutions were reached as usual. It is worthy of note that similar resolutions had been reached earlier in the recent past, where the legislators called for the sack of the Service Chiefs, but President Muhammadu Buhari’s trust in them has not waned.

Nevertheless, the debate on the floor of both Chambers last week saw the Senate, for the third time, calling for the sack of Service Chiefs, while the House of Representatives dared the President and asked him to appear before the Green Chamber to explain why his administration is bent on surrendering the country to the criminals.

How Senate debated Growing Insecurity The Senate, for the second time on December 1st, asked Buhari to relieve all the service chiefs of their appointment and replace them with new ones with new ideas and solutions. The resolution of the upper chamber was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Senator Kashim Shettima on the recent killing of farmers in Borno State.

The Senate also called on the president to take immediate steps to restructure and remodel the country’s security architecture and provide enough modern weapons and equipment to effectively combat the insurgents.

The Senate urged Buhari to probe allegations of corruption and leakages within the security agencies and to foster transparency and ensure all resources deployed for security are spent on the needs on the ground.

It asked the federal government to explore multilateral partnerships with Nigeria’s neighbours to find a lasting solution to the insurgency, and called for the recruitment of 10,000 Civilian JTF as well as massive recruitment into the military and the police.

Shettima had while leading the debate said the Nigerian Army, in conjunction with other security agencies, had not been able to quell the insurgency affecting the Northeast in spite of the slogan by government officials that the insurgents have been technically defeated.

Also speaking, Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, SenatorAli Ndume, said his earlier findings in Borno showed that soldiers at war in Northeast were sharing ammunition and that some of them were without a helmet and bulletproof, saying aside from the lack of deployment of modern military equipment, there was no coordination among the security forces.

Ndume said the Senate must take a step forward on its resolutions, asking Lawan to give Buhari a timeline to implement the resolutions.

Contributing, Senator Babba Kaita, said while the president is doing his best, “his best is not good enough if residents cannot see the result on ground.� He also called for an investigation into how the funds allocated to the military is being spent.

On his part, Senator Adamu Aliero tackled the president for sending a delegation to Borno State instead of going there himself. He also said the current service chiefs have “outlived their usefulness.�

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele however decried the repetition of resolutions in the Senate.

He said: “The only new thing we are saying here is that more people have been killed in a very gruesome manner. I will urge us to stand on existing resolutions. “It is time for Buhari to let the service chiefs go.

They have done their best but they need to go. If

Ahmed Lawan, President Buhari and Femi Gbajabiamila he cannot remove them, he should constitute an advisory committee and put them there. They will still be advising him. If he won’t let them go, we call on them, in overriding public interest, to resign.�

He further said before the budget is passed, Mr. Buhari should either address the National Assembly on his plans for security or the National Assembly holds a joint session public hearing on the issue.

The President of the Senate, Dr.Ahmed Lawan, who presided over the session, lamented the recent killings and described it as one death too many According to him, “we should not be despaired that nothing has happened to our earlier resolutions.�

From the House, a Special Invitation Members of the House of Representatives, same day, after an hour of heated arguments, finally resolved to invite the president to appear before them and offer explanation on the security situation of the country.

Movingamotionearlier,onbehalfother10Borno State lawmakers at the plenary on Tuesday, Hon. Satomi Ahmed prayed the President to amongst others things, declare a state of emergency on security matters.

Ahmed lamented that the attackers tied up agricultural labourers working in rice field and slit their throats and that some of the victims were labourers from other states, who had travelled to work on the rice farm.

He said the exact number of people killed in the incident was not yet known as over 44 dead bodies were recovered and buried with six others with serious injuries and many more residents reported missing.

He prayed the House to condemn killing of the unarmed civilian farmers and observe a minute silence in their honour.

The lawmaker also prayed the house to urge the federal government to declare state of emergency on security in the North East and other parts of the country.

Hon. Ahmadu Jaha, one of the co-sponsors of the motion raised a point of order saying, a prayer was omitted.

Jaha said in the original motion, all the sponsors agreed that Buhari should be invited to brief the House on the true state of the security of the nation

but was removed, adding that he’s shocked by the removal.

He said he risked his life several times and wants it to be on record and in the hearts of his constituents, that he was not silent on the insecurity of the region.

While his amendment got overwhelming support from other lawmakers, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the majority leader Hon. Ado Doguwa were of the opinion that it was not necessary as security issues can’t be discussed openly, pleading for the understanding of his colleagues not to summon the president.

Gbajabiamila said inviting the president to the floor might not be the best way to go, saying there were other ways to engage. He said the prayer calling for a state of emergency on insecurity allows for far reaching decision and was enough to address the many demands of the region.

Doguwa, on his part, said every member of the house was in support of the motion, but that security issues should not be discussed in the open.

The House soon became very rowdy when Hon. Shehu Koko rose to corroborate the position of the majority leader.

Their contributions were greeted with shouts of ‘No’, from majority of the lawmakers, who insisted that the President must appear on the floor and address the security situation in the country.

Gbajabiamila, in an attempt to calm the very rowdy session ruled that plenary be suspended and members go into an executive session to resolve the matter.

Reconvening after an hour from the closed-door meeting, Jaha, who earlier insisted on the invitation as the key prayer of the motion, was asked to formally move the motion for the President’s appearance.

The House, however, did not specify on the day or time of the President’s appearance.

But on December 2, the Speaker said President Buhari has pledged to honour the invitation from the lower chamber to explain what he has been doing about the rising wave of insecurity in the country.

He told State House reporters in Abuja, after leading a delegation to a meeting with the president, that they came to convey the resolution summoning him to appear before it.

Gbajabiamila said aside from conveying the resolution to the president, they also had the

intention of fixing a date for his appearance.

He said: “We came to see the president on developments in the country. He was so willing to listen as typical of the president – the usual democrat that he is. What we basically sought was to convey the resolution of the House and to fix a date, which we did not fix out of respect for Mr. President and his very tight schedule since we don’t know what date will be convenient. “We have agreed on a date and he will meet with the House to address the situation. We have a fixed date but we will communicate with you.

He is a perfect democrat. He will come to the House to address members in the nearest future.�

Asked what was his perception of the president’s handling of security threats ravaging the country was, Gbajabiamila said the president was concerned about the worsening insecurity.

He said he would, however, avoid pre-empting the president until he appears before the House.

According to him, when Buhari appears before the House, he would not be there to address only the lawmakers, but will use the platform to address the country. “I think he is more concerned than me and you. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

We will leave everything until when he comes to the House. Let me not pre-empt him. All I can tell you for now is that he is fully committed to the security of lives and property of Nigerians,�

Gbajabiamila said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the House, Hon. Ben Kalu, on Thursday revealed that Buhari is likely to appear before the House next Thursday to rub minds and proffer solutions to the insecurity challenges in the country.

Kalu, while addressing journalists in Abuja, clarified that the President was never summoned by the House, but was only invited so that they could rub minds and seek better ways of tackling the insecurity in the country.

But Nigerians are already used to the resolutions passed by the National Assembly on the security situation of the country and are almost certain that the President would take the resolution with a pinch of salt in his usual characteristic manner. Whether the service chiefs remain or are relieved of their duties still remain to be seen. The President’s body language appears calm even as the country burns.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ECEMBER 6, 2020

INTERNATIONAL Integrity in International Life and Relations: Nigeria’s Empirical Dimensions and Implications

T

he word, integrity, is of Latin origin, ‘integritas,’ meaning unimpaired condition, moral soundness.

It is the freedom from impurity.As explained in the Black’s Law dictionary, it is about ‘moral soundness, the quality, state or condition of being honest and upright.’ Put differently, integrity is essentially about character, good character, good behaviour, or good attitudinal disposition.

The explanation in the New International Webster Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language is not different: uprightness of character, probity and honesty; unimpaired state, soundness; and undivided or unbroken state, completeness. In essence, integrity is goodness and objectivity of character and purpose.

Besides, integrity can be an aspiration as provided in the case of Saint Joseph’s College in Ondo, whose motto is ‘noble integritas,’ that is, noble integrity. This further means that it is not sufficient to have integrity, the integrity must also be noble. In this regard, nobility and integrity do constitute two sides of the same coin.At Saint Joseph’s College, a Catholic institution, students were taught about life with integrity, why there is the need for a life of integrity.

Students, including my humble self, who had the opportunity to have such a Catholic education, were brought up to always live a life of integrity. Most unfortunately, however, in international life and international relations, there is no emphasis on integrity the way it was put in Saint Joseph’s College, Ondo.

In international life, integrity is required as a criterion for friendship, non-recourse to violence in inter-personal relationships, fostering better understanding and maintenance of peaceful coexistence. In international relations, which is, stricto sensu, state-to-state interactions, unlike international life which involves non-governmental stakeholders and non-official activities of government officials, integrity, at best, does not mean much. It is only compelled through international agreements.

Explained differently, there is nothing like moralism or integrity in inter-state relations, which is largely characterised by power politics, quests to protect national interests by whatever means possible, including cruel methods. There is more of unfairness, injustice and chicanery in the conduct of international relations than equity, fairness and justice. Let us at this juncture explicate some manifestations of integrity in both international life and international relations before investigating those of Nigeria.

Integrity in International Life and Relations

In every facet of life, the issue of integrity is always raised.As posited above, there is nothing like integrity in international life and in international relations. Integrity only exists indirectly in agreements.

For instance, international agreements do underscore the principle of sanctity of agreements (pacta sunt servanda).An agreement voluntarily negotiated, freely done, signed and ratified should, on the basis of integrity, be respected. To agree on something, even on the basis of a gentleman’s agreement, and refusing to meet the obligations of the agreement cannot be rightly argued to have any iota of integrity. Thus, what international law has done is to compel integrity of purpose by insisting on the need to always respect obligations lawfully contracted. Without integrity of purpose, a duly negotiated and signed agreement can always be vitiated.

Besides, the notion of integrity in international relations is that of completeness and indivisibility, especially in terms of territory. This is the fundamental concept of territorial integrity in international law which prohibits the threats or use of force against the ‘territorial integrity or political independence’ of another State in the international relations of Member States (vide UN Charter,Article 2, paragraph 4).As a political concept, one core national interest of most countries of the world is the maintenance of territorial integrity.

No country voluntarily cedes its territory, even in a war situation.

It is only under a force majeure that one’s territory can be ceded.

It is important to note that the cession by Nigeria of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun, following the judgment of the International Court of Justice and the subsequent Green Tree Agreement, is nothing more than an aberration. Consequently, integrity, in the context of territorial integrity, is therefore an instrument of self-preservation.

Integrity can also mean capacity and trust, especially in terms of financial borrowings. International creditors are not always ready to grant development loans if the factor of integrity of the borrower is not first established.Aborrower must be seen to have the capacity to repay loans and this capacity to repay cannot but be a resultant from

VIE INTERNATIONALE

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Lai Mohammed integrity. Only persons, individual or organisational, with integrity, can seek to be law-abiding and repay loans.

Grosso modo, the notion of integrity in the sense of honesty and being upright does not exist in international relations. The lack of honesty is specially covered up by diplomacy and the conflict system on which international relations is largely predicated.

Issues in Domestic Integrity

Current issues of integrity in Nigeria can be explicated at three different, but complementary, levels: individual level of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), Nigerian level and international level.At the level of PMB, it cannot be rightly argued that PMB has any integrity of purpose by virtue of his attitudinal disposition to political governance in Nigeria. He has not shown any seriousness of purpose in the respect for rule of law. He wrongly believes that national security interest comes before the respect for rule of law.

Whereas in normal climes, national security interest should not only be defined, but also protected by rule of law. Rule of law must always take precedence before anything else. Most unfortunately, PMB has been more engaged in flagrant disrespect for the rule of law in the governance of Nigeria.

For example, PMB is not able to recognise the limitations of his presidential powers in the appointment of political aides. He is also confusing his presidential powers with the obligations created for him by the law of the land. The public calls for the sack of the Service Chiefs clearly provide a good illustration of our point in this case.

Public Service Regulations require that civil and public servants should retire either on the attainment of thirty-five years of public service or attainment of sixty years of age, whichever one comes first.

All the Service Chiefs have spent more than thirty-five years in service and all of them except one, have attained the age of sixty years. The calls by the general public for their replacement is not even because of the disregard for the rule of law, but mainly because of their inability to contain boko haramism, because insecurity has been witnessing a spike, with many Nigerians being killed on daily basis with impunity.

The first problem in this case is that PMB is treating the Service Chiefs as if they are his personal or special assistants over whose appointments he has absolute control. The Service Chiefs, im-

Colonel Musa noted that ‘there is an international conspiracy to cut Nigeria to size and compromise national renegades making attempts to destabilise and dismember Nigeria, if possible in subservience to the international paymasters, who are the owners of Boko Haram.They train them, arm them, finance them and supply their logistics’(The Punch,Thursday, December 3, 2020, p.14).This observation can be tenable, but what is the extent of its integrity? How do we explain the conflicts between the fresh calls for use of mercenaries and that mercenaries had been used in the past but they all fled away, on the one hand, and the conflict between the calls on the global community to assist and the military allegation against the same community as sponsors of Boko Haram attacks, Nigeria, on the other? If the international community is to be held responsible for Boko Haram attacks, how do we also explain the observation of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, that stakeholders should go beyond a security response in finding a solution to the 119-year old terrorists in the Northeast? (The Nation,December 3,2020, pp 1 and 5). In other words, terrorism existed in the Northeast even before the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914. Can the global community be held responsible for Nigeria’s unending terrorism?

mediately after their appointments, are in the service of the whole nation and are therefore pretty bound by the rule of law and not by the whims and caprices of PMB. In terms of integrity, PMB has been directly projected to the world as lacking in integrity by his Senior Special MediaAssistant, Shehu Garba.

Shehu Garba, speaking on behalf of PMB, has it, in reaction to the brutal massacre of farmers in their farms by Boko Haram insurgents, that the farmers did not have clearance from the military before going to their farms, hence a justification for their killing.

Agovernment that is not capable of providing security, which is a main objective of political governance, necessarily lacks integrity of purpose. If government, and particularly the military, knows that a particular area is dangerous and should be a no-go area, why is security not strengthened in that area? Why should farmers not be able to go to their farms to farm and find food to survive?At home, security is not there. In the farms, security is lacking. Where is integrity in political governance?

Worse still, Mr Shehu Garba also said that only PMB can determine when Service Chiefs are to leave office. This statement is most unfortunate because PMB only has the right to appoint any of the Service Chiefs in other capacities after their official retirement from public service. PMB cannot prolong the stay of any of the Service Chiefs in service on attainment of sixty years of age or thirty-five years in service. What is lawful and desired is for PMB to seek replacement in the military but PMB determinedly sustains illegality and a life of non-integrity And perhaps worst still, theArmy Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, is also on record to have said that terrorism will be here with us until 20 years to come. How do Nigerians cope with twenty more years of boko haramism? Will there not have been national disintegration by then? This is one implication and expression of lack of integrity in political governance. Nigeria cannot survive twenty years of Boko Haram terror with the current experiences on the ground.

Apart from aides speaking on behalf of PMB, the President himself has not helped matters. He cannot rightly be said to be a man of noble integritas if, contrary to the provisions of Section 2(3) of the EFCCAct and Section 147 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, he appointed Mr. Ibrahim Magu asActing Chairman of the EFCC since November 9, 2016 without confirmation by the Senate as required by law. PMB has retained him in acting capacity contrary to the requirement of law.

The well known truth is that PMB openly swore on oath to serve the Nigerian nation and to defend the Constitution of the country.

Most unfortunately, however, he has refused to comply with the rejection of his nominee by the Senate and Ibrahim Magu has been a good test case of integrity. Ibrahim Magu’s integrity has been called to question: the Senate refused to confirm his appointment on questionable grounds, and yet PMB is sustaining illegalities and misconducts, while claiming to be fighting corruption. The international implications of this lack of integrity at the domestic level for international relations cannot therefore be far-fetched.

International Issues of Integrity

There are many manifestations of lack of integrity raised at the level of Nigeria’s foreign relations. Four of them are noteworthy: #EndSARS protests and the saga that immediately followed them; the report by the Cable Network News (CNN); the personal integrity of former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, and the allegations by theArmy that the Boko Haram attacks are sponsored by the international community to destabilise Nigeria.

Integrity of purpose is first raised at the level of brutalisation of the #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State, on Tuesday, 20th October, 2020.All the protesters were harmless and peaceful.

They held the National Flags and were singing the National Anthem, but were shot at by soldiers from the 81st Military Division on KofoAbayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

In the beginning, the military claimed ignorance of any killing and non-shooting of any protester, but later admitted shooting into the air only. The military argued that it was invited to the scene of protests by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, but the same governor denied such a claim. The military claimed again that it only shot blank bullets into the air but later admitted to be in possession of life bullets as well. The life bullets are meant to be used for legitimate self-defence.And perhaps more disturbingly, various video reports in the social media have shown life bullets on the scene of protests, involvement of military vehicles with hoodlums, and soldiers shooting sporadically.

In fact, the BBC correspondent at the protest ground in Lekki, Damilola Banjo, reported in the Pidgin Service of the BBC that she and her editor witnessed sporadic shootings by soldiers for more than twenty minutes. She narrated the scary situation at the scene of the protests. When she was asked to confirm if there were really any shootings and casualties in light of the denials by the military, she reconfirmed sporadic shootings into the air and existence of one casualty, who might have not been a victim as a result of military shootings, as at time she managed to crawl on her stomach and escape.

More significantly, the revelations from the judicial panel of enquiry, set up to investigate the extent of brutality of the SARS, have shown more contradictions in the statements of the military. In the views of the general public, there is no element of integrity.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

IMAGES

T

op military officers, serving and retired, stormed Ayetoro Gbede Kogi State last weekend to celebrate with the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Port Harcourt, Major General J.O. Irefin who bidded his mother, the Late Malomo Charity Irefin the final farewell. After the service at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, guests were entertained at Government Secondary School playground.

L-R: . Hon Olayemi Irefin and wife Victoria

L-R: Eniola Bello and Femi Bello

L-R: Richard Akanmode and Richard Olonishuwa

L-R: Oladele Oyelola; John Tani Obaro and Gen J O S Oshanupin (rtd)

L-R: Maj.-Gen. J. O. Irefin and wife, Elizabeth

L-R: Prince Olusola Akanmode and Commodore Ayo Bello Odofin (rtd)

L-R: Gen. David Jemibewon (rtd); Air Vice Marshall Tunde Awoyoola and wife,Gbemisola

L-R: Maj.-Gen. Funso Owonibi (rtd); Maj.-Gen. Steve Olabanji and Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Ahmed

Maj.-Gen. and Mrs. E G Whyte

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

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IMAGES

L-R: Mrs. Grace Irefin Oloruntoba and Mrs. Fumilayo Irefin Owonibi

L-R: Senator Dino Melaye and Olusola Ihimade

L-R: Barrister Paul Ajetunmobi and his wife, Grace

L-R: Mrs Magaret Medupin and her husband Joseph

L-R: Mrs. Chinelo Koughna and Mrs. Imabong Essien

L-R: Mrs. Joy Gold Chibuisi and Mrs. Adini Oladimeji

L-R: Segun Bello with Col. K Y Bolorunduro Boloruduro and his wife, Serah

L-R: Air Commodore and Mrs. Golit Enom

L-R: Maj-Gen. O. Soleye; Commodore Jerry Omodara and Commodore Adesanya

Maj-Gen and Mrs T O B Ademola

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

INTERVIEW

‘In Two Years, Oyetola Has Been Purposeful, Focused’ Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties in Osun State, Olalekan Badmus, yesterday, spoke on the second year anniversary of the state government. Yinka Kolawole presents the excerpts:

G

overnor Adegboyega Oyetola will be two years in office on November 27. How will you access his administration so far?

First, let me appreciate, on behalf of my principal, the good people of Osun for their trust and supports we enjoyed in the past two years. The administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola has no doubt brought relieve to many aspects of the state’s economy.

He has been able to touch significantly several sectors.

Health, they say, is wealth. His commitment and passion for this sector is top-notch. The reconstruction of 332 Primary Health Care Centers across the state has brought a lot of succor to our people. The PHCs are usually the first point of call in health delivery and the idea is to make sure that there is the presence of at least one PHC in all the 332 wards in the state.

Through this initiative, we have brought functional and quality healthcare to our people’s doorsteps. And it is no gainsaying that we have started reaping from this initiative as statistics over the last one year indicate a drastic reduction in maternal and infants mortality. This simply implies our pregnant women now receive better treatment within their immediate community.

Also, let me state with all form of confidence that this administration did not stop work on all on-going infrastructural projects flagged-off by the last administration. Upon assumption of office, he ordered all contractors back to site.

Aside this, we are also constructing new roads across all Local Government Areas in the state. Although we might not have all the monies yet but Mr. Governor, through his ingenuity has figured out a way to carrying on with projects and also perform the statutory duties of paying workers salaries as and when due. In fact, gratuities are now paid to our retired workers. In all, one can say that this administration is visionary, purposeful and focused.

What is the spate of development in Osun, compared to other states in the last two years?

One thing that we must get very accurately clear is that Osun is not part of the top 10 earners of federal allocation in the country and no full-fledged industry is operating here save for Tuns Farms, Justrite, Dipson Plastics, Breweries in Ilesa and a few others.

We cannot boast of having any industry yet the unemployment level in the state is one of the lowest in the entire country. You will agree with me that the best form of development is investment in human capital and capacity building. How were we able to do it? We sustained all our social investment programmes.

There are numerous programmes in place to fully engage our youths, women and aged: OYES, O’MEAL, O’TRAM, EduMarshals, etc. All these programmes have been able to assist a lot of people off the street.

Some of the beneficiaries now build their own houses and set up their private businesses after a while. We are not going to stop at that. There are programmes in the pipeline to further improve the state’s general outlook. Without doubt, we have an edge in terms of provision of jobs.

Mr. Governor and his team are also working on how the Ilesha brewery can return to its status. The parties involved are assiduously working on putting back things in shape.

Aside from all these, the economic summit organised by this administration has helped a lot. The three focal areas include Agriculture, Tourism and Minning. As we speak, the three sectors have witnessed tremendous patronage.

Our farmers through several programmes and initiatives have been duly supported in this regard.

The numerous tourist attractions sites in this state have been duly identified and efforts are seriously ongoing to ensure they come into full operations.

The third, which is the mining sector, has received great attention. At least, we all know it’s not business as usual again. Proper MoUs have been undertaken with companies with vast experience in that sector. By the time this comes to full operations, the rate of unemployment will further reduce.

Another factor is that of security of lives and property.

Prior to the ENDSARS protest that was hijacked by some hoodlums, which resulted in the breakdown of law and order throughout the country, Osun has always maintained its place as one of the safest in the country.

When we came on board, we consolidated on that by paying attention to all security matters. Just like other Southwest States, we set up Amotekun Security Outfit to

Benjamin Olamijulo Road in Ilobu has been completed.

Also, at Ereja Roundabout-Ereguru-Isaare-Irojo SaboIlesa/Akure Expressway has been completed within two years as well. Famia Road, Ipetumodu-Asipa-Ife/Ibadan Expressway, Moro-Yakoyo-Ipetumodu are also some of the roads completed. Moro to Akinlalu spans over 8 kilometre and this road shall be delivered this month. As of moment, they are laying its asphalt and touching some other necessary areas. This project is perhaps the highest capital project in history in that area.

Aside our strides in road constructions, we have touched some schools, like Oroki LG High School, L.A. Commercial Grammar School, Iwo, provision and equipping of Vocational Centre at School for the Special Needs, mass employment of teachers is also ongoing. We are not neglecting any sector. We may not have it all, but again, we have our priorities right.

I really don’t want to talk about this but the Dry Port at Dagbolu is one of the most important things that need to get us talking. When Dagbolu International Trade Centre is completed, would further drive our potential as a state. It is going to provide a lot of jobs.

Badmus complement the activities of orthodox security operatives.

Their role is to secure those places other security operatives cannot go to.

They are to also secure our communities for most of them know the terrain better. We also have the Joint Task Force set up by Mr. Governor with a view to ensuring that we are on top of our security situation throughout the state.

What are the outstanding achievements of the administration?

Yes, there are numerous achievements that we have recorded since the past two years. They have left many wondering how we were able to get here without borrowing. As much as we are servicing the previous loans yet massive infrastructural development is still ongoing.

Let me begin with the most recent one, which is the implementation of National Minimum wage by the state.

Only four other states have done this and one must know that whenever Mr. Governor makes pronouncements, he follows through.

He only says what he can do. He has never been a dishonest leader. He would rather not talk about it than to raise false hope in the people. He has assured that by the end of this month, workers are getting their new minimum wages.

Secondly, this administration has worked on servicing debts owed to our lenders without borrowing more. It takes serious financial discipline and engineering to achieve this. I’m glad just as every other well-meaning people of Osun that we have someone as Mr. Governor at the helm of our affairs.

Previous projects are ongoing and new projects are springing on board. No doubt, payment of salaries and gratuities fully has become problems for some states in our country despite their huge resources. It is no magic only that we have been able to get our priorities right. For us, it is what remains after paying salaries that we use for infrastructural development, and it is working quite well for us. In no distant time, we’d be seeing a rebuilt Osun that will be industrial and self-sustaining.

We are have constructed numerous roads in addition to the Ona-Baba-Ona Road nearing completion. Construction of Ara-Ejigbo-Ede Road has been completed, GRA/Ilobu road has been constructed, Alekuwodo/Akindeko/WAEC Road has been completed, 2.25km Road within Ilobu has also been completed, additional 650m Road Extension within Ilobu Road, GRA is completed too. Also, 280m Engr.

How true is the insinuation that Governor Oyetola has disconnected himself from the legacy of his predecessor?

There is no scintilla of truth in that insinuation. Every individual has a distinct style. What is obtainable with Mr. A may not be with Mr. B. Such a thing should not be judged at all. Let me use a close example. Some people can read and assimilate while the music is playing loudly while some cannot. That doesn’t mean that those ones listening to loud music while reading would not pass or what they are doing is wrong.

For instance, when we came in, Mr. Governor did a thank you tour of the entire state and during that tour, the people complained about the single uniform adopted by the state. They were bitter and obviously do not align with the idea of using same uniforms in our schools. Mr. Governor promised them on this and it’s all about what the people want and not about differences.

Recently, the governor was attacked by hoodlums at the EndSARS protest ground in Olaiya, Osogbo, what does this portend for his popularity?

We all know the attack was not carried out by the peaceful protesters but by opposition elements. It was a calculated attempt to take the life of Mr. Governor. They knew it would be difficult to defeat him at the polls and the only option they have was to make attempts at his life.

Mr. Governor is very much loved by the people but oppositions will always try their best to smear the personality of a good man.

As the commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, what is the success story of this administration in your ministry?

We don’t have a specific activity in the ministry. It is more of stepping in to execute tasks at any time, that notwithstanding, we did the decoration of major cities in the state in December 2019 to welcome the yuletide period.

During that time as well, we also held countdown to 2020 Fiesta Again, despite Covid-19 pandemic running through the month of June, Democracy Day celebration did not suffer as we organised a befitting event using the opportunity of mass media technology.

Mr. Governor also gave us the approval to hold a weeklong Hijrah 1442 celebration during the month of August.

In that month too, we celebrated the 29th celebration of the state’s creation – an event, which ran for a whole week.

We were actively involved in the state’s Covid-19 pandemic management as I served on several committees, including Taskforce and Enforcement Committee and Logistics Committee. We had the opportunity of organising Independence Day Essay Writing Contest where top three went home with interesting prizes. I also worked closely with DAWN commission in actualising the goals of states in Southwest Nigeria.

What do you consider as the challenges of this administration?

It is a publicly known thing that we are lacking financially. But very soon we are hopeful that the story would change for the better. The entire team is working really assiduously and we would get the desired results soon.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 6, 2020

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

Unmasking the Truth About the Much-Vilified Festus Okotie-Eboh

M

uch has been made about comments by former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, about his very brief encounter with Nigeria’s first republic minister of finance, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh.

Mr Yew had said: “Raja and I were seated opposite a hefty Nigerian, Festus, their finance minister. The conversation is still fresh in my mind. He was going to retire soon, he said. He had done enough for his country and now had to look after his business, a shoe factory. As finance minister, he had imposed a tax on imported shoes so that Nigeria could make shoes. Raja and I were incredulous. Festus had a good appetite that showed in his rotund figure, elegantly camouflaged in colourful Nigerian robes with gold ornamentation and a splendid cap. I went to bed that night convinced that they were a different people playing to a different set of rules.”

It is pertinent to note that Mr Yew was not accusing Chief Okotie-Eboh of corruption. And in fact, if you take a second look at his physical description of Chief Okotie-Eboh in his book, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 19652000, you will detect the latent racism that some have accused Lee Kuan Yew of.

Unknown to many Nigerians, Lee Kuan Yew is resented in his native Singapore for his racist ideas about the superiority of his Chinese ethnicity over other Singaporeans.

In 1985, Mr Lee had said: “I have said this on many a previous occasion: that had the mix in Singapore been different, had it been 75% Indians, 15% Malays and the rest Chinese, it would not have worked. Because they believe in the politics of contention, of opposition. But because the culture was such that the populace sought a practical way out of their difficulties, therefore it has worked.”

Wikileaks has since published anti-Islam comments made

by Mr Yew, which are so provocative that I refuse to repeat them here. My viewers may choose to research these comments on their own.

So, Nigerians would be wise to put some perspective on the words of such a fellow. If he considered Indian and Malay citizens of Singapore to be less than his Chinese ethnicity, then you can imagine what he thought about Black Africans.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in what Chief Festus

Okotie-Eboh proposed. In fact, it makes economic sense. So much sense, in fact, that the EU has such policies.

The African continent in 2014, earned $2.4 billion from the export of coffee to Europe. That sounds impressive. However, one country alone, Germany, made $3.8 billion from re-exporting Africa’s coffee in 2014. This trend continued into 2015, 2016 and has not changed to date.

The reason for this unjust trade is because of the tariffs the EU impose on finished agricultural products, which makes it almost impossible for Africa to export already processed and ready to drink coffee to Europe. Would it be a crime if Germany’s finance minister retired and elected to go into the coffee trade? Certainly not. So, why the vilification of Chief Okotie-Eboh? Put it to the inferiority complex that many Nigerians have for persons of lighter complexion than them.

Lee Kuan Yew came from a different paradigm. Singapore is a small island nation that has very little natural resources, and as such was one of the pioneers of universal free trade zones, for which they are now world famous. It works for them because Singapore’s economy has historically been reliant on foreign capital, foreign technologies, and expatriate workers. Nigeria is not like that. We have always had to export for our survival and conserve our foreign exchange by subsidising imports with locally produced goods.

This is the reasoning behind Nigeria’s current border closure.

As far as I know, nobody is accusing Buhari of corruption because he closed our borders to agricultural imports, even as he owns a farm in his native Daura.

I was once told by Senator Mohammed Ndume, himself once a very vocal critic of then President Jonathan, something along the lines that, but for me, Nigerians would have believed the lies and propaganda the government and many others told about former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Now, take a moment to ponder about the above statement.

The reason Nigerians, and even the very APC that was once the chief denigrator of Goodluck Jonathan, are now celebrating him, and even calling for his return to power (of which he is not interested), is because someone, somewhere, took it as a duty to answer every APC lie with the truth.

Now, situate that with Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh. The reason many Nigerians have run away with, and believed tales of his alleged grand corruption, is because there has not been anyone

THE PUBLIC SPHERE with Chido Nwakanma

in the media extinguishing these lies with the truth. And, as Josef Goebbels proved, a lie told often enough, soon becomes the truth.

As at the time he was murdered by Major Chris Anuforo, on January 15, 1966, Chief Okotie-Eboh’s daughter who lived with him, who could have played that role, was just 13. His other children were in a state of trauma. There was very little or nothing they could do, and over the years, they have tried their best, but their best has not been the match of ruthless fabulists.

The truth is that the man Festus Okotie-Eboh is nothing like what he has been painted to be by modern revisionists. Truly, until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.

The fact is that the late Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was a member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, and rose to become the Treasurer of that party and later Minister of Finance in the NCNC/NPC coalition government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa.

The Action Group was the party in opposition, and which controlled much of the media, which they used, to good effect, to de-market and savage the then government. And as Chief Okotie-Eboh was minister of finance, he became a natural target for their attacks, in much the same way as Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became a target of the same Lagos-Ibadan axis of the Nigerian media between 2011 and 2015.

Young Nigerians may not understand the toxic political atmosphere that existed in Nigeria between October 1, 1960, when the British handed over power to Nigeria’s first elected central government, till the January 15, 1966 Nzeogwu/ Ifeajuna coup.

To understand the tension, it is necessary to point out that the leader of the Action Group, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and some of his most trusted aides, had been accused, charged and convicted (rightly or wrongly) of treason in 1963.

The media was still controlled by the intellectual wing of the Action Group, and they responded to these events with vitriolic reportage, which often naturally targeted Chief Okotie-Eboh, due to the sensitivity of the office he held.

This was going on in the height of Operation Wetie, which had turned Western Nigeria into an almost ungovernable zone, with massive destruction of lives and properties.

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@ChidoNigeria https://www.facebook.com/chido.nwakanma

As the 4th Battle of the Igbo Wars Unfolds

S

unday, 6 December 2020 will mark the formal commencement of the fourth battle in the Igbo Wars. This column has steadily documented since 2018 the unfolding of the Igbo Wars on politics and culture. Many battles have happened, some leading to the next round and others of not much significance.

We noted this at the beginning of a three-part series in 2019.

“Full-Scale war has broken out in the South East as Nigeria prepares for General Elections 2019. It is not a physical battle, mind you, at least not yet. On the surface, the war is about political choice. More in-depth analyses, however, reveals a more nuanced struggle around issues of direction and the soul of a people.

Election 2019 would serve as a proxy for the many issues in contention. The issues are political, economic, and socio-cultural. They have developed as stirrings and taken shape as disaffection with growing unresponsiveness of Government. Deepening poverty and a landscape denuded of hope and jobs has caused questioning and manifests in several directions. While some of the issues are as old as Nigeria’s First Republic and Biafra, they are all coming to the fore and would echo loudly in the coming election.”

The battlefronts included IPOB, Youth versus Elders, the choice of an Igbo as the vice-presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 General Elections and the quest for the presidency. Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the umbrella socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo by ascription and consensus, was always in the mix of the battles. Ohanaeze Ndigbo is now the battlefront.

The Ime-Obi of the Ohanaeze would meet on 6 December to appoint an Electoral Committee to supervise the election of the next president of the body in January 2021. The stakes are high and growing. No fewer than six eminent persons of Imo State stock are aspiring for the position.

Aspirants include Prof George Obiozor, former Nigerian Ambassador to Israel and the United States of America as well as former DG of the Nigerian Institute of International

Affairs, Dr Chris Asoluka, current co-chair of South-East South-South Professionals (SESSP), consultant and a former commissioner in Imo State, and Chief Goddy Uwazurike, former president of Aka Ikenga, an affiliate of Ohanaeze.

Others are Dr Joe Nworgu, former secretary-general of the body, former President, Imo State Chapter, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. Chidi Osuagwu, and former Vice-Chancellor, Imo State University, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie.

The next president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will come from Imo State. Heightened expectations attend the presidency of Ohanaeze. It follows from the many wars of the Igbo in the Buhari Years. President Muhammadu Buhari by acts of commission, has heightened the feeling of alienation of Ndigbo in the Nigerian project.

The Wikipedia entry on Ohanaeze Ndigbo notes, instructively, that “Although the group is not a political party, part of its objectives of creation is to foster unity among its members to allow them better to be represented within the political scenario of Nigeria. The policy is under review as some important issues are confronting Ndi Igbo, some of which are even threatening their growth which the umbrella group needs to address urgently”.

Ohanaeze birthed in a crisis that gave it further resonance and appeal. I cite the Wikipedia entry again: “After the Nigerian civil war, some prominent Igbos gathered to proclaim the need to unify Igbos under a standard umbrella body.

This initiative was much welcomed, considering the maximum displacement of the Igbos during the war and its aftermath. An organisational assembly was created, referred to as the Igbo National Assembly (INA). This organisation was later banned by the Federal Military Government at the time, probably due to the Government’s fear of a grand suspicious agenda being cultivated by the Igbos via the organisation; hence, the creation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in 1976.

Professor Ben Nwabuze, a foremost constitutional lawyer, assembled prominent Igbo leaders to form the organisation of which he emerged the Secretary-General spanning 20 years. The organisation was effectively championed and

supported by Kingsley Mbadiwe, Dr Francis Akanu Ibiam, Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara, Dr Pius Okigbo, and Chief Jerome Udoji, (who served as the first Secretary-General), among other notable Igbo personalities.

The forthcoming election has drawn in the political class with their games. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, chairman of the Elders Council, sought to disregard the constitution of the body and collaborated with Governor Hope Uzodinma to anoint Prof George Obiozor a putative consensus candidate. The gambit has failed in ignominy, as it ought. Let every aspirant enter the ring in the best traditions of Igbo republicanism.

There are many issues ahead of the new Executive Committee of Ohanaeze after the team led by the distinguished John Nnia Nwodo. They include finance the body, interest aggregation and articulation, service in the mould of the Igbo State Union of old and a clear plan of issues for its advocacy that leverages clout to drive socio-economic and cultural development of Ala Igbo.

Ebonyi State and its truculent governor David Umahi are also part of the Igbo Wars as I identified in February 2019. I noted then: “Then there is the special case of Ebonyi State.

Ebonyi State was the only one where citizens turned their back on IPOB calls to stay home. They had the backing of their governor, David Umahi. And history. Ebonyi State is the place that looks the other way in matters concerning the South East. They cite a long history of scorn and disregard by other parts of the region. The outburst by the Ebonyi State Government over the renaming of an Abakaliki Street in Awka spoke to the depth of feelings in Ebonyiland. It was passionate, angry and brimming with indignation”.

Now Umahi has come fully into the square. He joined the APC and effectively divided Ebonyi State and turned it into a battleground for political control. Ebonyi is unravelling in the ugliness of Politics Nigeriana.

The Igbo Wars are significant. Unlike the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece, the Igbo Wars are internal. Yet they will have the same consequence of determining direction. The combatants must be men of courage and vision to make a difference.

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DECEMBER 6, 2020 Ëž T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

NEWSXTRA NDIC Expresses Reservations over New BOFIA IyobosaUwugiaren,Ndubuisi FrancisandJamesEmejoinAbuja The outgoing Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim has expressed reservations over some of the provisions of the thenewly-enactedBanksand Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA 2020) which was recently assentedtobyPresident Muhammadu Buhari.

He therefore said that he had scheduled a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed over the issue.

Criticshavedescribedthelaw as a mixed bag of the good and not-too-good, particularly the increased powers given to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which could potentially make

the regulatory bank become more obstructive.

In an interview with THISDAY, weekend, Ibrahim hinted at the possibility of beginning a fresh process towards the amendment of the BOFIA 2020.

Although the NDIC boss did not mention the grey areas in the new law, he said the NDIC board was still studying the Act, addingthattherewereaspectsof the financial institutions regulatorymanualwhichimpingedon roles, functions and powers in the exercise of the corporation’s mandate.

He said the NDIC would soon be engaging the finance ministertodiscussspecificareas of concerns to the corporation.

Heexpresseddisappointment that despite assurances given to the corporation during the public hearing that the areas of

concerns identified in the bill would be duly addressed in the final output, the Act as passed by the National Assembly failed to address the issues.

He said: “So this is the situation.Ourboardisstillexamining it.Youheardme,Ijustspokewith the minister and I said I will see heronTuesday.Sotherearesome issues that we really need to take on board and iron out so that our responsibility and functions and powers are not in any way jeopardised in the interest of the stability of the banking system otherwise we are okay.�

TheNDICboss,whosetenure

ends in December said: “We are still studying the BOFIA and we have some areas of concern no doubt and we intend to take up the matter with the appropriate authorities. “We were at the public hearing, we stated our views and the central bank and all other parties were there and at the end of the day what came out of it to be honest in certain areas did not meet our expectations. “Butwhenweraisedtheissues, we were given every assurance that don’t bother, it would not be the way you think; that things willcontinuetobedonesmoothly

withoutprejudicetotherolesand responsibilities and powers of NDIC as enshrined in our Act. “But then, as the lawyers would tell you, the provisions of BOFIA as it is, override the provisions of the NDIC Act, should there be a conflict - that isthetruth-andtothatextent,we would like to see the areas that we are not happy with. We like to see how that could be tackled.

Also, commenting on the seeming decline in Non Performing Loans (NPLs) in the banking sector, Ibrahim said this could be as a result of the reluctance by banks to advance

loans especially at a period of economic uncertainty so as to avoid incurring additional bad loansfollowingtheirexperiences in the oil and gas and power sectors.

He said: “It’s a combination of all these factors that makes it difficultevenforbankstolendnow.

That’s why they are washed.

There’s so much liquidity and they’ll rather keep that liquidity or go for treasury bills which the government is discouraging - than to give out these loans which are very expensive, you know the interest rates - so that they don’t bite their fingers.�

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Gombe Diocese, yesterday faulted the decision of the federal government to increase pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), saying it would make life more difficult for the masses.

The church, however, commendedgovernmentsatalllevels for steps taken collectively to combat security in the country.

It expressed this concern in a statement issued at the end of its seventh Synod held at St. Peter AnglicanChurch,Bolari,Gombe.

In the statement by the Bishop of Gombe Diocese, Rev. Cletus Tambari, the churchsaid despite the security measures put in placebyGovernment,therewere reported cases of kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, armed robberyandothersecuritybreaches in the country.

The bishop said that the recent end SARS protest was an eye opener and signal that the masses possess ultimate power

over the elected.

It condemned the hike in fuel price, saying the increment “is a continuous injury to the damage COVID-19 pandemic has caused to the citizen’s financial standing.�

It lamented the high cost of living and the recent declaration of the federal government that Nigeria has entered the second sessionandcalledonthegovernment to re-strategize on how to pull the country out of recession.

It also called on the federal government “to ensure that any palliative scheme or empowerment programme such as trader’s money, COVID-19 palliative, National Youth Investment Fund, N-Power, among others, initiated to minimise the harsh economic effects on the citizens should not be frustrated by saboteurs, administrative bottlenecks, lopsidedness and favouritism towards a section of the country in the distribution and sharing of these incentives.�

Owerri NBA Secretary Calls for Probe of into Killing of Innocent Man The Secretary of the Owerri branch of NBA, Chinedu Agu has called for investigation into the killing of a men who was allegedly shot dead by the police in Owerri yesterday.

Inastatement,Agusaidwhen hereceivedanalarmthatacertain lawyer was shot dead and was at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the Federal Medical Centre(FMC)Owerri,hehurried down to the hospital to identify the said lawyer.

Accordingtohim,thedeceased thoughhadNBAstickerinhiscar, a Toyota Camry with no WER 212 SQ, was not a lawyer.

He gave the name of the deceased as Oguzie Nmezi.

TheNBAstatementread:“He was driving along Umuaka/ Orodo road and was shot by PolicemenoftheStopandSearch Squad.ThepolicedroveinHilux. “On realising that they have shotthedeceased,thepolicetook flight, abandoning the deceased inthepoolofhisownbloodinside his car. “The deceased, a native of Amucha in Njaba, L.G.A., Imo State, left home (Amucha)

this morning enroute Owerri for a wedding before he met his untimely death in the hands of trigger-happy policemen this morning. “Asatthetimeoftypingthisreport,thedeceased,whosefamily membersbelievedwasstillalive, still lay in his car unattended by the hospital staff. “It took some angry agitation byyouthsandsympathiserswho came thirty minutes after my arrival for the bulky man to be stretchered into the Emergency Ward from his blood-drenched car. “Icanconfidentlyconfirmto you that the deceased was not a lawyer, though had an NBA sticker on his front and rear car windshields. “While the tardy, laissez-faire, callousattitudeofthehospitalStaff intheAccident/EmergencyWard ofFMCOwerriiscondemnable,I humblycallontheHumanRights CommitteeoftheNBAOwerrito riseuptotheoccasioninensuring that the culprits of this heinous act are unearthed and brought to book.�

BLISSFUL MATRIMONY...

R-L Chairman, Nkanu West Local Governmwent Area, Mr. Nwabueze Nnamani, Enugu State Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Justice Afam Nwobodo and her husband, Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo during the traditional marriage of the daughter, Chidimma, at Akpugo, Nkanu West LGA...yesterday

Court to Determine Suit Against Methodist Mission Expeditiously Tobi Soniyi Justice Olatunde Oyajinmi of an Ogun State High Court has vowed to hear expeditiously a suit by the Efure community, in Offin Sagamu against Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Association Limited seeking to set aside a ninety nine year lease of 54 acres of land on the ground that Methodist misled it into signing the lease agreement.

In the suit filed by Mr Babatunde Oshilaja before the Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu on behalf Samuel Banjo, Emmanuel Oladunni Adelesi, Kolawole Odugbesi for themselves as members

and representatives of Efure Community Offin, Sagamu, the plaintiffs asked the court to nullify asked the court to nullify the Deed of Lease dated March 15, 1931 on 53.94 acres of land kept at Ogun state land registry, Abeokuta alleging that Wesley Methodist Missionary Trust Association Limited was unknown to law.

The judge, however, declined an application by the plaintiffs praying the court to determine whether Methodist Missionary Trust Association Limited has legal status as an incorporated limited company in Nigeria.

In refusing the application, the judge held that determin-

ing the juristic personality of Methodist Missionary Trust Association lLimited at an interlocutory stage would amount to delving into the merits of the case.

The judge consequently urged all the parties to file all necessarydocumentsandavoid unnecessary delays.

The judge warned that once the hearing of the substantive matter begins, he would not entertain superfluous applications warning that “a moving train waits for no one�.

The plaintiffs had asked the court to declare Wesley Methodist Missionary Trust Association Limited as a non

juristic personality that did not exist in law.

They also asked the court to determine whether Methodist Missionary Trust Association limited has legal status as an incorporated limited company in Nigeria.

The claimants in their 36page Motion on Notice stated that only legal persons were capable of possessing legal rights and duties and since Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Trust Association limited was not a legal person registered under the Nigerian law as at March 15, 1931 or thereafter it could not acquire an interest in the leasehold land.

Sterling Bank Emerges Overall Best Workplace in Nigeria Sterling Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading commercial banks, has emerged the 2020 Overall Best Workplace in Nigeria in the Large Corporates category of the Great Place to Work Institute, Nigeria (GPTW) awards held in Lagos recently.

The bank emerged the overall winner by scoring ahead of several reputable companies in six categories for large corporates.

The categories include Best in Quality of Life Practice, Fun and Friendly Workplace,

Excellence in the Delivery of Inspiring People Practices, Excellence in Delivery of Leadership Practices, Excellence in the Delivery of Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Best Workplace Ranking.

In a statement by its Chief Human Resources Officer, Mrs. Temi Dalley expressed delight at the incredible half a dozen awards won.

He said they are worthy recognitions of the bank’s relentless commitment to creating an inspiring and

friendly work environment where employees trust their colleagues and take pride in their work.

She said that the bank has nurtured a strong value system by aligning behavioural codes and organisational purpose in building trust so that employees can derive a sense of meaning from their work.

She added that communication, dialogue and co-creation “are key factors on which we base our Human Capital

Management approach.�

Dalley explained that organiser of the awards ceremony, few companies were chosen among the hundreds of nominated companies in the category.

The GPTW Institute said nominations were received from a cross-section of listed entities on the stock exchange including blue chips, multinationals, government agencies, non-governmental agencies, and educational institutions in Nigeria.

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NEWSXTRA DAWN Commission Asks FG to End Monopoly on Railway, Power Gboyega Akinsanmi The DAWN Commission, a dedicated technocratic institution for the sustainable development of the Southwest, yesterday asked the federal government to put an end to its monopoly on mining, power and railway in order to encourage regional and inter-state cooperation nationwide.

The commission, therefore, noted that the 1955 Railway Act that concretises federal monopoly on railways, should be repealed forthwith and replaced with a regime that would encourage cooperation among the federating units. The Director-General of the commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye made these calls in a statement he issued yesterday, saying the federating units should transform to self-sustaining economic units as in the Southwest rail plan.

In specific terms, Oyeleye noted that the railway plan offered opportunities even as he noted that extensive collaboration exist in mining and power, where the federal government has encouraged states to participate.

He suggested that the 1955 Railway Act that concretises federal monopoly on railways, should be repealed forthwith, citing its failure to encourage cooperation and sustainable development.

He, therefore, said federal

monopoly on ports, mining and power should be overthrown by licensing in the short-term and constitutional amendments eventually.

Without power, according to the director-general, the economy cannot soar; contiguous states need to cooperate urgently for power projects. Regional cooperation today cannot be along the line of the outdated state capitalism model.

He said: “It must be private sector-led. States should adopt the twin strategy of competition and cooperation to first, liberalise their environment to compete for investors and markets; then they should collaborate to attract investment region-wide in agriculture, mining, transportation, manufacturing, water resources and ICT. “As globalisation and technology further collapse physical, trade, cultural and communication barriers, governments, businesses and social groups are more than ever before, pursuing supranational and sub-national integration to maximise productive potential and achieve sustainable development goals. “While Nigeria has signed on to global, continental and sub-regional integrative pacts, formal integration activity within its internal geopolitical regions is largely neglected. Regional or

Theexcitingworldofphotography anditsattendantrazzmatazztakes thecenterstagethisweekasCable News Network (CNN) profiles two professional photographers onAfricanVoices,the30-minute magazineprogrammesponsored bytelecommunicationssolutions provider, Globacom.

The two guests on the programme are Ghanaian photographer and filmmaker, Carlos Idun-Tawiah, and Brian Otieno, a photo-journalist from Kenya.

Idun-Tawiah,agraduateofthe KwameNkrumahUniversityof Science and Technology, Accra, Ghana, is reputed as one of the bestcontemporaryphotographers andfilmmakerswhoseexpertise is currently putting the country positively on the world map. He is at present the Lead Partner at Lightning Pathways Company, anumbrellaconvergenceofgifted practitioners of the art of photography.

The talented photographer was one of five next-generation designers and photographers contracted earlier in the year by Mercedes-Benz to showcase Ghana’s emerging talent and thatcountry’s tradition of sharing skills from one generation to the next through storytelling with their peculiar skills.

On his part, Otieno, who is equally known as Brian Jaybee, isafreelancephotojournalistand documentaryphotographerwho plies his trade in his country of birthwherehehighlightsimportant social discourses including female genital mutilation and other societal ills.

The 27-year-old is also a photography correspondent in the CoastalRegionofKenyawith The Star, one of that country’s most well-respected news magazines fromKenyawhereheis described as ‘’a reporter with an eye for the unique.’’

inter-local cooperation involves one or more governments agreeing to plan for their joint futures.�

He lamented the debilitating hindrance to the country’s progress saying Nigeria needs to restructure in line of development.

He said: “With the revenue sharing formula that we operate now, the states will perpetually be under the federal government. “We have tied ourselves to a constitution that is hindering development and this must change. Nigeria’s crisis of devel-

opment is traceable to its faulty administrative structure that has inhibited the component states, created political and economic gridlock, and squelched local and regional integration, creative thinking and initiative. “The union was birthed as three regions — later four — whose economies were once fully integrated. The six SW states constituted the bulk of the old Western Region; today’s 19 northern states were integrated in the defunct Northern Region, nine of the 11 states grouped

separately in the South-South and the South-East regions constituted the old Eastern Region. “The Journal of African History recorded how the Northern Region integrated its mining, farming, animal husbandry and traditional crafts sectors into a cohesive autonomous economy with linkages of its cotton, groundnuts and thriving tanneries and textile factories. “The Eastern Region leveraged palm oil, coal mining, road infrastructure, farm settlements in various parts to attract in-

vestment and a light industrial base. In the West, pacesetting initiatives integrated the farms and transportation infrastructure to pioneering industrial estates and export markets. “Consequently, inclusive GDP yearly growth averaged 6-8 percent 1960-70, according to the Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics.

With the loss of fiscal federalism and reliance on oil gas revenues, the Dutch disease delivered non-inclusive growth, creating more poor and a few rich.

PROMOTING SOUND HEALTH...

L-R: Medical Director, Onikan Health Centre, Dr. Biyi Kufo; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; CEO, ARM Holding Company, Ms. Jumoke Ogundare; Managing Director, ARM Academy, Ms. Uche Azubike and Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, during ARM donation of Nirosol Pathology Reduction Technology Equipments to Onikan Health Centre in Lagos...yesterday Ë?

NBA, NMA, 28 Others Demand Overhaul of Security Apparatus Emmanuel Addeh inAbuja Thirty prominent professional bodies under the aegis of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) yesterday urged the federal government to immediately overhaul the country’s security apparatus, saying the situation had largely deteriorated in recent months.

APBN, which comprises Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN),amongothers,alsourged the government to consider state policing as an option.

Speaking with journalists in Abujayesterday,APBN’sPresident andChairmanofitsBoard,Akin Oyegbola,askedthegovernment tourgentlyanddecisivelycurbthe worseninginsecurityoflivesand properties in Nigeria.

OyegbolaalsocalledfortransparencyinthewaytheENDSARS panels across the country were being handled, noting that the demands of the protesters must belookedintodispassionatelyto assuage their grievances.

Hesaid:“Thestateofinsecurity in the country is worsening and community policing should be explored to bolster the internal security of the country. There’s

an urgent need for the complete overhaulofthesecurityapparatus. “It’s the whole apparatus, not justthepoliceormilitarybecause intelligenceiscentraltoallofthem.

What happened a few days ago (killing of farmers in Borno) has even worsened it the more. We believe that this overhauling has to be wholesome. “Whatever should be done should take care of all aspects, not just looking at an aspect. The worsening state of security is obvious and very apparent,� he stressed.

Oyegbola acknowledged that judicial commissions of inquiry hadstartedsittinginvariousstates

ofthecountry,butmaintainedthat theLekkiTollgateshootingmust be properly investigated. “However, what will unfold next around EndSARS largely dependsonthewillingnessofthe federalgovernmenttoinvestigate theLekkiTollgateshootingsatthe EndSARS protesters in an open and transparent manner and in good faith. “Concerted efforts by the federal government to address the concerns in the 7-point agenda submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari would also boost the trust in government of the EndSARS protesters and the supportive Nigerian diaspora,�

CAC Fountain of Power WorldRemit Partners Next to Empower African Entrepreneurs Dedicates Auditorium Uche Nnaike

Fountain Of Power (English Assembly) of the Christ Apostolic Church, Onwuasigwe Close, Egbe is today Sunday dedicating its multi-million naira Church Auditorium and also marking its 20th anniversary.

The church’s dedication to be performed by a representative of the World President of CAC, Pastor A.O. Akinosun has The Triumphant King as the theme

of the anniversary celebration.

The chief-host, Pastor Emmanuel Assam in a statement said the occasion is also a moment to glorify God and praise Him for His mercy and support which has taken the church this far and also helped it to move from a mere open space for worshiping to erecting the edifice that is being dedicated today.

WorldRemit, a leading international payment company is partnering with Pan-African tech incubation hub, Nest Innovation Technology, to build scalable business models across Africa via the WorldRemit Entrepreneurs Programme.

The co-founder of Nest Innovation, Oluwajoba Oloba revealed this at a session with

journalists.

Speaking on the partnership, Oloba said the WorldRemit Entrepreneurs Programme “will serve as a catalyst in building scalable business models across Africa as we enter into a new wave of business revolution.�

Hesaidentrepreneurswould beequippedwitheffectiveskills and tools required to build and scale their businesses.

He said the Nest definitely

“plays a big role in the partnership as it leads the designing of the digital business course, otherwiseknownasthelearning modules that would be used in trainingselectedentrepreneurs, while also mentoring them on innovativewaystomanageand scale their businesses. �Beyond training and mentoring, The Nest provides entrepreneurs,creatives,start-upsand small businesses with dynamic

facilities and workspaces.�

Also at the session, the WorldRemitCountryManager,Nigeria and Ghana, Gbenga Okejimi said the partnership came right intimeforimpactasmanysmall businesses had taken a hit in the course of the tumultuous year.

He commended the team of Nest Hub for their resolve at ensuringcontinuouseducationand enablingathrivingenvironment forstartupsandsmallbusinesses.

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NEWSXTRA Buhari, Mark, ACF Mourn as Domkat Bali Dies at 80 John Shiklam inKadunaand Segun James inLagos General Domkat Bali, Minister of Defence under the Muhammadu Buhari regime and Chief of Defence Staff under the Sani Abacha regime, has passed on at the age of 80.

Until his death, Bali was the Ponzhi Tarok, the paramount ruler of the Tarok people of Plateau State He joined the Nigerian Army in 1961 and was a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Buhari yesterday condoled with the people and government of Plateau State over the

passing of an illustrious son and highly decorated retired military officer, who served the country as minister of defence.

The president, who spoke with the wife of the deceased, Esther on Friday, also commiserated with other family members, friends and professional associates of the former member of the Supreme Military Council and Armed Forces Ruling Council, after rising through the ranks, with a distinguished military career, reaching the peak as Chief of Defence Staff.

Buhari said he believed Bali’s records of bravery and patriotism would continue to

inspire young military officers, while the foundation he laid in all the commands he headed would always be remembered.

The president also constituted a delegation led by the Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) to visit the family, and condole with the government and people of the state over the loss.

In a statement yesterday, a former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark described Bali’s demise as a loss to the country, saying that he was a patriotic soldier who stood to be counted when it mattered.

Mark noted that Bali demonstrated statesmanship and

Bali

loyalty to his fatherland. “This is one death too many.

General Bali was one of the best and fertile minds ever produced by the Nigerian Army. He remained until his death one of the finest and respectedsoldiers.

Atolaiye Asks Buhari to Reduce Cost of Governance Tobi Soniyi The International Coordinator of the Nigeria Diaspora Network, Mr Samuel Atolaiye has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to embark on measures aimed at reducing the cost of governance.

Atolaiye, who spoke with our correspondent from the United States of America, said that the economic situation of the country and the present cost of running the government was no longer sustainable.

He said that the executive should identify areas where the

cost of running government including a possible reduction of the presidential fleet.

Atolaiye advised the president to engage members of the National Assembly with a view to identifying areas where cost of governance could be reduced. He said: “Members of the National Assembly should on their own agree to reduce their allowances. This is the time for both the executive and the legislature to make sacrifice in the interest of the poor.�

According to him, there is too much waste in the system that needs to be blocked in order

to save resources.

Atolaiye also called for a moral rejuvenation among the people saying that while a lot is expected from government, the citizens equally have their role to play to make Nigeria a better country.

He noted that the moral decadence among the people had reached an alarming level even as he called on parents to continue to inculcate in their children ethical behaviour that would make them to become better citizens. “By paying our taxes and fulfilling our obligations as

FSDH Clinches Research House of the Year Award SDH Merchant Bank has won the Research House of the Year during the 2020 Banking and other Financial Institution award (BAFI) organised by Businessday Newspaper.

The Merchant bank in a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Hamda Ambah noted that the bank was happy to be named as the winner in the category adding that FSDH Group has an ambition to be among the top 3 financial aggregators in Nigeria by year 2024. “As a company, FSDH Merchant Bank remains focused on

being market leaders in all the sectors it competes in. FSDH Group has set itself the lofty goals to become one of the top 3 financial aggregators in Nigeria by 2024, a knowledge-based financial advisor of choice and the gateway for critical macroeconomic and investment information driven by the recently revamped research platform.

FSDH research will deepen its coverage of industry analysis so that investors and business men and managers can fully understand trends in both current industries and the

industries of the future,� said the CEO. Given the overwhelming importance and impact that the performance of the national economy has on individual banks and businessmen, FSDH in the statement by the Chief Executive strives to provide first class and world class macroeconomic analysis by seasoned professional economists in addition to the regular analysis of stocks. “FSDH Research seeks to chart a course for a more competitive commercial but inclusive investment research.

A’Ibom Hosts BBNaija S5 Winner The city of Uyo in Akwa Ibom state played host to BBNaija S5 winnerandGOtvNigeriaambassador,LayconbetweenDecember 2 and 3 for the second leg of the GOtv Iconic tour.

The tour forms part of GOtv Nigeria’sfestiveseasoncampaign featuringaspecialGOtvJollioffer for new customers.

The two-day event started with a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Ini Ememobong at the ministry’s conference centre, Uyo. He continued his tour with a town storm where he met up

withfansatIkotEkpeneroadand Abak road with quick visits to MultiChoice’s dealer offices in the area.

Later in the evening, he made anappearanceattheopeningceremony of the Christmas Village in the state.

The tour ended with a special meet and greet session with fans and GOtv customers where he thanked his fans for the love and support and talked about the GOtv Jolli offer. He also had the opportunity to meet with fans andanswervariousquestionsand revealedthathisfansshouldlook forwardtohisnewalbumin2021.

A visibly elated fan, Mrs MosunmolaEwelike,duringthe sessionspokepassionatelyabout herloveforLayconandhismusic, statingthatheremindsherofher youngerbrother,whichmotivated her to solicit and coordinate votes for him during his stay in the BBNaija house. She further expressed gratitude to GOtv for bringing him to Uyo. He said: “I love Laycon so much, my love for him started from his first day in the house because he reminds me of my youngerbrother.Ilikehisstature; he speaks intelligently, and he is very smart.

citizens, we as citizens will be contributing our quota to the development of the country�, he added.

He urged those elected to govern the people to listen to those who voted for them even as he condemned the use of state apparatuses by some state governors to harass critics.

“He left a legacy of high professionalism, discipline and integrity. He earned his respect and was loyal to authority and country. He was a man of honour�.

Mark said that Bali died at a time when his wealth of experience and knowledge was needed to navigate through the challenging political and security situations in Nigeria.

He said that Bali would be sorely missed because of his unique personality, professionalism, discipline and contribution to national development.

Also, yesterday, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), expressed sadness over Bali’s death.

In a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Yawe, the forum said it felt sad that an honest northerner with such wide military and political experience had left at a time when his wisdom was in great need.

The statement said Bali lived an exemplary life as a rare breed officer in the Nigerian Army and was considered ‘a soldier’s soldier.’ “The Arewa Consultative Forum has received sad news about the death of General

Domkat Bali. The General lived an exemplary life as a rare breed officer in the Nigerian Army and was considered a soldier’s soldier. “Humble even to a fault, he rose through the ranks to be a General and was noted for keeping his head cool when others lost theirs over such issues as rank, wealth and political power�, the statement said.

According to the ACF, “Even when the military dabbled into politics and much of military traditions were abused, he kept calm and thus maintained stability in the military and the polity.

The ACF recalled that Bali fought on the federal side during the civil war to keep Nigeria one in the 60s, holding many command positions with distinction.

The forum said, “It was for these reasons that he combined theofficesofMinisterofDefence and Chief of Defence Staff between 1984 and 1990 with great efficiency. “As a tactful military man he knew when to leave and voluntarily left the military by resigning his position when the ovation was highest in 1990.

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ÓÞÒ ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ™ Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ă˜ĂĄĂ™ËŞĂ? Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă“Ă˜Ă‘Ëœ Ă‹ ĂœĂ?Ă‹Ăž ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă? Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜ Tunde Rahman

T

he death of accomplished journalist and former Editor of Sunday Times, Mr. Gbolabo Ogunsanwo, last weekend in Lagos, represents yet a further depletion of the rank of veterans who honed their craft in the halcyon days of journalism in Nigeria. The journalism community is still struggling to come to terms with the news and circumstances of his death.

That is understandable. He represented the very best in the pen-pushing profession. His writing style was elegant, and his prodigious talent clearly stood him apart. With regard to professional conduct, he was simply among the finest.

This is not implying that I knew the late Oga Ogunsanwo deeply. Neither can I claim to have interacted with him in any way on the job. But you actually did not need to have met him personally to have a sense of his exploits and accomplishments in journalism. He was that editor under whose watch the Sunday Times sold close to a million copies every Sunday.

I also read a few of his articles. The one that I easily recall was titled, “The Babangida in All of Us,� which was essentially a psychoanalytical chronicle of the Marchiavellian tactics of Nigeria’s former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, while in office. He surmised that such survivalist instincts existed in all of us.

As earlier indicated, I did not encounter Ogunsanwo on the job, or at the Daily Times where I spent a decade as a journalist. He had left by the time I enlisted in 1991, a period I consider a part of DTN’s apogee that he truly represented.

I can speak emphatically of late Ogunsanwo’s warmth and humaness. As anyone who knew him will attest, these were unmistakable traits that he embodied. Indeed, he accorded respect to everyone.

I encountered him at his trying times, when he was down and vulnerable like any of us could be. He related to me like a friend and brother, though the gulf in age and experience between us was evident. He was battling an ailment in his leg.

Oga Ogunsanwo called me on the telephone and I reached out to H.E. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at his behest.

Introducing the issue, I told Asiwaju that Mr. Ogunsanwo, “that fine journalist under whom Sunday Times sold about a million copies every week is ailing and needs urgent assistance.� But he was at his sarcastic best. “You want to introduce Gbolabo to me. I know him more than you do,� he responded. I later put Ogunsanwo on the line to speak with Asiwaju, during which he explained that the problem with his leg stemmed from an affliction. Asiwaju asked him to

Ogunsanwo subject the leg to proper medical examination and treatment, noting that the problem could be gangrene.

This conversation took place well over two years ago.

Ogunsanwo had become a clergyman, indeed, a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. At a time, he shuttled between Nigeria and South Africa. He reckoned that his trouble arose from a spiritual attack. Ogunsanwo later acquiesced to the idea of subjecting the leg to medical scrutiny. By this time, the condition of the leg had terribly worsened. He said he would like to travel to the United States for the treatment, which, of course, entailed some substantial amount. Asiwaju offered his rather generous support, and instructed that I drew Governor Ambode’s attention to Ogunsanwo’s plight. The governor also assisted him with a hefty sum. This was well over two years ago.

He returned from the US and informed me that the leg was finally amputated. The news left me utterly devastated. But Ogunsanwo remained his strong, sharp, cheerful and witty self. He was managing his situation well. Often times, he would call to share with me an interesting article, an idea or a news item concerning my principal. On one occasion after reading an article I had written, he humoured me, saying he never knew some masters of prose writing were still around.

We had not talked for a while, until some two weeks ago when he called to inform me the other leg had also become

infected, and that he had suffered a stroke. It was shocking.

He was still in his elements. That deep and penetrating voice remained unbroken. I was hoping and praying for some divine intervention when the worst happened.

Many have noted that Ogunsanwo died in silence. That may be correct. He bore his vicissitude quietly. That could never be a fitting end to someone with such a glittering career. It was, however, a choice he made. One could sense his pain in the inevitable decision to externalise his problem.

This spoke volumes about his character and nature, which might be summed up as a disinclination to burden others with his own challenges. But this was a serious medical situation that could no longer be handled discreetly. A day before he died, I understood he was rushed to a federal hospital in Lagos. There was no bed to admit him. So, he was given blood transfusion outside. The dysfunctional system about which he had written for years, and craved its improvement had failed him.

Ogunsanwo’s death calls attention to two crucial issues.

The first is that paying attention to our health, as journalists, remains expedient. Some would say that the appalling condition of service makes this goal barely feasible. They would be right. Nonetheless, we must never lose sight of that health imperative as we tirelessly chase the news. The other is on the parlous state of public health in Nigeria, which was further made apparent by the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments must do all that is necessary to shore up health facilities in the country to help our people. This is part of the raison d’etre for governments everywhere.

Oga Ogunsanwo will be deeply missed by all those who knew him, or encountered him. The journalism profession will miss an illustrious son who wielded the pen as a mark of honour and privilege. May his soul rest in the bosom of the Lord. And may the journalism profession be blessed with more of his ilk.

I round off this tribute to a great man, fittingly, with excerpts from Maya Angelou’s poem, “When Great Trees Fall�: When great souls die, the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile.

We breathe, briefly.

Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity.

Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines, gnaws on kind words unsaid, promised walks never taken. ––Former Editor, Thisday on Sunday Newspaper, Rahman is Media Advisor to Asiwaju Tinubu.

Arthur Eze: Greying and Glowing at 72 Louis Achi

H

e is no less a child of providence, wielding influence with alluring humility and exemplary focus. He has demonstrated with his life’s trajectory that spirituality, business and philanthropy fundamentally address transformation of the human condition for good. To-date, he unabashedly maintains this unique philosophy and footing.

Little wonder, the famous American poet and essayist Maya Angelou observed that, “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.� Angelou’s captivating insight into the existential challenges that confront great men fundamentally captures the life story of Nigeria’s charming billionaire prince, famed business mogul and foremost philanthropist Engineer, Prince Arthur Ikpechukwu Eze, Eze N’Ukpo, Ozo Igbo Ndu. As he turned 72, on November 25, his high vision of humanity and deep belief in changing the story of the underprivileged and positively impacting society have grown even bigger.

Interestingly, Prince Arthur Aze read chemical and mechanical engineering at the California State University, Long Beach, US, but has clearly scored his highest marks in life, in mettlesome social engineering. This dimension, powered by an enduring passion has seen him light candles in the darkness of human need and provide relief for humanity’s pain.

The enthralling odyssey of Prince Arthur Eze further goes to validate the enduring wisdom that the human journey guided by faith often leads to beautiful destinations.

An unwavering sense of loyalty and duty, rigorous professionalism, stern discipline, demonstrable integrity and almost a child-like

faith in his beloved God had activated and enlisted those mysterious principles that guide progress.

Four qualities arguably match his famed billions - simplicity, warmth, philanthropy and wit. More, the Anambra-born prince makes massive financial contributions to various communal and governmental projects not only in Anambra State but across the country. The list of beneficiaries of his philanthropy is endless. Numerous towns, religious bodies and charitable organisations sing praises whenever he stretches his hands of kindness to them - and even after.

Highly detribalized and a deep man of faith, his broad-minded style of inclusive politics has seen him play an elder statesman’s role for the common good and sustainable development of Ndigbo and Nigeria as a whole. As a known and tested bridge builder, his relationships are truly national.

In his Ukpo community, Prince Eze’s kindness and succour to his kinsmen is boundless. The natives are always counting their blessings whenever their billionaire son comes home. Besides single-handedly attracting a medical research unit of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prince Eze’s goodwill and influence has drawn many other infrastructures and developmental projects to his town.

Not many know that the creation of Dunukofia LGA from the old Njikoka Local Government Area; modernisation of the local market near the Ukpo palace as well as the network of asphalted roads linking the Dunukofia clan with neighbouring towns, like Abba, Awkuzu, Ifite-Dunu and Abagana, are a few of his numerous projects he single-handedly attracted to his town.

Though an Anglican, Arthur also independently built both the Catholic and Anglican churches in his home town while students

and pupils are placed on scholarships from primary up to secondary school level with employments given to numerous graduates from the town. Numerous widows and the poor receive regular financial grants from him and houses were built for the less privileged by the outstanding philanthropist, who often urges his lucky beneficiaries to always pray to God to keep him alive to continue the charity works for the benefit of the needy and the society at large.

He was born on November 25, 1948, to the family of His Royal Highness, Michael Eze, Okofia I and Eze n’Ukpo, the traditional ruler of Ukpo Kingdom, in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra. Two of his elder brothers, late Dr. Walter Eze, a medical doctor and proprietor of the renowned Toronto Hospital, Onitsha and Dr. Robert Eze, Okofia VI (the current traditional ruler of the town) reigned over the town after the death of his father.

In 1970, Eze attended secondary schools in Nkwere, Imo State. Subsequently, he studied chemical and mechanical engineering at California State University, Long Beach, US, from 1974 to 1978.

He is married to a teacher and his marriage is blessed with five children: three sons and two daughters. Despite his immense means, his children were brought up in the strictest, disciplined tradition with strong aversion for vulgar display of wealth.

On the business front, Prince Arthur Eze, Ozo Igbo Ndu, is a major player in both local and international oil market. His company, Atlas Oranto Petroleum International Limited, a wholly Nigerian oil exploration and production company, operates oil blocks in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. AOPL also maintains vast interests in upstream sector cutting across Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Chad, Ivory Coast and Liberia.

Its technical partners include Roc Oil,

Pioneer Natural Resources of the USA, Canoxy, Transworld of the USA, LukOil of Russia, Tetra, Noble, Kosmos Energy of the USA, Petronas of Malaysia, DNO of Norway, TransAtlantic Petroleum of the USA and Canada’s Nexen.

From his strategic position as a key energy sector player on the continent, Prince Eze has made significant efforts to redirect the policy focus of African governments in the industry.

He insists unapologetically that its long past time energy is made to work for Africa. In a recent, compelling position statement, he said that the wealth created by oil and gas would lead to the sustainable development of African economies.

His words: “It is long past time that we made energy work for Africa. It is past time that Africa’s natural resources benefited Africans; that every African had access to electricity; and that the wealth created by oil and gas would lead to the sustainable development of African economies. Certainly, much needs to be done to drive the conversation forward and make these dreams a reality.

Further according to the billionaire, “At Atlas-Oranto, we are proud to be leading pioneers in the sustainable development of Africa’s energy sector, ensuring growth in countries like South Sudan, where we are honored to operate Block B3; in Equatorial Guinea where we operate Block I and in Nigeria, where we operate OML109. “In total, Atlas-Oranto is active in 11 countries in Africa and we are committed to working with the governments and communities of these countries to ensure our operations meet the highest standards of energy development.

The enthralling life of the witty billionaire who loves the orchestra indeed validates Maya Angelou’s deep insight that. “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.�

Happy birthday - Ozo-Igbo Ndu.

Sunday December 6, 2020

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Coalition of Northern Groups to Buhari “This and the undisputable fact that the president and his government have abdicated their primary responsibility of securing every part of the land, are clear justifications for the demand for concerted but regulated self protection initiatives.” – The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has calling on Nigerians, especially northerners to mobilize for a regulated selfprotection to combat insecurity in the country.

PETER AFUNANYA GUEST COLUMNIST

Professional Side of Bichi

N

ot many knew Yusuf Magaji Bichi before he became the DGSS in 2018. Before then, he was just one quiet easy going gentleman who had started and finished a thirty five (35) year public service in the Intelligence Agency. Born in 1956 in the ancient city of Bichi, Kano State, he attended Danbatta Secondary School and the College of Advanced Studies, Kano.

An alumnus of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he studied Political Science and graduated in 1981, he started his career in the Security Division of the Kano State Cabinet Office. He was to later transfer his services in 1984 to the then National Security Organisation (NSO) now State Security Service (SSS)/Department of State Services (DSS).

As a young officer, his sterling performance and dedication to duty stood him out. In 1985, his Supervisor had described Bichi as an asset and good material for the Service. He was subsequently nominated in 1988 to receive further trainings in intelligence processing and analysis and other aspects of counterintelligence in the United Kingdom. His Course Officer had described him as a competent intelligence officer. Back home, Chief JO Obuseh, his then boss saw him as a very good analyst. His projections were never flawed. They were precise.

Vast in many fields of covert actions and Alternative Dispute Resolution, his core competences include investigation, interrogation and protective operations; conflict management, risk and vulnerability assessment, human resource management and mentorship. He brings his wealth of experience to bear on his assignments. At every stage of his endeavours, his superiors had taken note of his discipline and diligence. This is why in years past, Mr. AA Gadzama, a one-time DG stated that “wherever you have difficulty and security challenges, post Bichi there”. He has continually exhibited this in the way he handles matters.

Aside adopting cooperation as basis for interagency relationship, he harps on effective and proactive communication as bedrock of public and media engagements. In support of the ongoing fight against terrorism, insurgency and other threats against National Security, he has humbly and steadily supplied timely and actionable intelligence to sister agencies. Ditto to MDAs for efficient State and public policy. He is neither combative nor competitive. He is only a team player and an achiever.

He is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence College where he was bestowed a Fellow of the War College (fwc) in 2007. While in training, he caught

Bichi

the attention of his assessors. He was unequivocally described as decent, mature and a well comported gentleman with a pleasant demeanour. But for a demand by his parent Organisation, the DSS, that he returned to the Service, the National War College (NWC) wanted him retained as a Directing Staff. Further observed to be respected by all including the College staff, he was applauded for learning rapidly and devoted in his work.

Above all, the College noted that Bichi “is an experienced and knowledgeable person who readily shared his experience with his peers”. No wonder he adopts collaboration as a model for security management.

Prophetically, the Commandant unambiguously stated that Bichi has great potentials for effective performance in higher responsibilities. Is anyone ever shocked he afterall became the DGSS? Yes, his emergence as the DGSS is never a surprise. It is a journey foretold.

In one of the assessments on him, he was described as an officer with high quality of leadership even though he was yet to occupy a top post. At each point of his training, the observation about his leadership qualities and

recommendations to discharge higher responsibilities remained constant and unassailable.

Notably in 2007, the Commandant of National War College hinted about his great potentials to effectively manage higher responsibilities. Instructively, 2018 as clearly seen was not the first time he was to be considered for the post of DG. In 2011/12, his name featured as a potential DGSS. In the same vein in 2015, he was among the three (3) names the then DG, Mr Ekpenyong Ita recommended as his replacement.

Various stakeholders had always mentioned him as a possible DG. That he was not lucky those periods was an act of destiny. And as a man of destiny that he is, he eventually became one when it was his time. And he has not disappointed. He is not an ambitious man. During his early days, he had on three (3) occasions respectfully turned down appointments when the then DG, Areh nominated him six (6) times for one position or the other. Remarkably, the DG on three (3) instances refused and insisted he must take the particular appointment.

Bichi has made a steady and enviable career in the SSS where he has risen to the highest rank and won all the accolades for his unblemished services. The trio of former DGs, Chief Peter Nwaoduah, KK Areh (Col/rtd) and Gadzama variously honoured him with distinguished awards for excellent and outstanding performances. He served meritoriously in different capacities. He served as Director, State Services Academy (SSA), Lagos, one of the Service’s Training Institutions. He was State Director of Security (SDS) in Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto and Abia States. He also headed all the Service’ Directorates namely Security Enforcement, Operations, Intelligence, Inspectorate, Administration among others.

He started to hold those enviable positions quite early in his career. While on mere GL.14, he had been appointed to be the Director, Inspectorate in charge

Bichi has made a steady and enviable career in the SSS where he has risen to the highest rank and won all the accolades for his unblemished services.

The trio of former DGs, Chief Peter Nwaoduah, KK Areh (Col/rtd) and Gadzama variously honoured him with distinguished awards for excellent and outstanding performances. He served meritoriously in different capacities

of discipline, standards, evaluation and inspection. Only his professional attributes, mien and disposition earned him that. From this time to when he exited the Service (and returned) he stood out and has remained his amiable and hardworking self.

Bichi is, no doubt, an Intelligence Officer of great excellence. Known for his disposition to mentor young and upcoming officers, he is astute, modest and has a carriage that is compelling. He is likeable. He is urbane. He is creative and innovative. His personality has positively affected the Service. These have led to several reforms since his assumption of Office as the DGSS. Staff welfare is fundamental to his management style. He is a team player and operates an open door policy which endears him to all and sundry. There is hardly any of his subordinates who had not worked under him; a reason he understands and knows them well. He utilizes them appropriately to achieve desired national security objectives.

He is an ardent believer in transparency and democratic accountability of security and intelligence forces. A man of immense credibility who has won numerous accolades, he was recently recognized by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) which named YM Bichi Crescent in Jahi District of Abuja after him for his contributions to the society.

The DGSS is a highly detribalized Nigerian. For instance, his close body aides are neither Muslims nor Hausas.

His three (3) drivers are Christians.

Two of his Secretaries are non-Muslim Southerners. The Chief Detail to the DG is Igbo. The heads of his Protocol are Christian Southerners just like Yours Sincerely, the Public Relations Officer. He is not one that accepts irregularities as norms. This manifests in his operational plans and intelligence collection designs.

On assumption of duty as DG, he gave effect to the numerous restructuring of the Service- ranking, allowances and salaries.

His tenure has really witnessed a lot of changes. Staff welfare and motivation, collaborative and strategic engagements with sister agencies and stakeholders are on the rise. The DG is indeed a father and a friend loved by all. Loyal to Constituted Authorities, the Nation and the Service, he is unarguably gentle, humane, resilient and incorruptible.

He personifies John Maxwell’s popular quote that “a leader is one who knows the way, shows the way and goes the way”. Alhaji YM Bichi fwc is, indeed, a Professional to the core. Salute to a Quintessential Noble Man of Honour!

Afunanya, Ph.D Public Relations Officer Department of State Services National Headquarters, Abuja

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