TUESDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2022

MOMAN: Subsidy Has Diminished Nigerian Institutions' Capacity to Deal with Energy Crisis DSS threat won’t guarantee availability of products nationwide, petrol retailers say Scarcity eases in Abuja after stakeholders’ meeting Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos The Major Oil Marketers Association

of Nigeria (MOMAN) has declared that Nigerian institutions now have diminished capacity to deal with the current local energy crisis driven

by the breakdown in petrol supply and distribution system due to long years of subsidy payment.

MOMAN stated this in a

statement yesterday, during an online workshop for energy reporters, which centred on the need for deregulation of petrol

pricing and the discontinuation of subsidy to encourage investments and competition in the downstream petroleum subsector.

This was just as the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Continued on page 37

Gbajabiamila: State Assemblies Stalling Amendments to 1999 Constitution... Page 39 Tuesday 13 December, 2022 Vol 27. No 10108. Price: N250

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FG Abolishes Facemask at Airports, Relaxes COVID-19 Rules... Page 6

CBN: Devt. Finance Interventions Have Boosted Food Security Says efforts underway to unlock finance for MSMEs Declares initiatives have supported economic diversification Govs Bagudu, Abubakar, others laud Emefiele for huge financing support to states James Emejo in Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)

yesterday said its development finance initiatives have reduced the country’s reliance on food

imports and stemmed the drain on foreign exchange which had, in turn, checked imported inflation

and stimulated local productivity.

The apex bank noted that its various interventions had helped to

diversify the base of the economy away from oil to the real sector, and boosted the sub-national economy.

CBN Director, Development Continued on page 37

Obasanjo: Nigeria at Crossroads, Needs Leader With Right Character Says he’s paid his dues Gideon Arinze in Enugu Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria is at a critical moment in her political history and needs a leader with the right character and capacity to turn things around.

Obasanjo said he was working with other elder statesmen to enthrone a new Nigeria, where everyone would have a sense of belonging and there would be justice for all.

The former president stated these yesterday at the Ohanaeze Ndigbo National Secretariat in Enugu, where he signed a condolence register opened by the group of elders for the First Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, who died on November 1.

The leader of the apex Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Continued on page 37

11TH PRACTICAL NIGERIA CONTENT FORUM...

L-R: MD, Heirs Holding Oil & Gas, Mr. Osayande Igiehon; Executive Vice President (Gas, Power & New Energies), NNPC Limited, Mr. Abdulkabir Ahmed; Executive Secretary/Chief Executive, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote; former Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Dr. Ernest Nwapa; Chairman, Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG)/ Waltersmith Group, Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa; MD/Country Chair, Shell Nigeria Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor and MD, Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production Company (SNEPCo), Mrs. Elohor Aiboni, at the 11th Practical Nigeria Content (PNC) forum in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State...recently

Police Kill Three, Arrest Two as Bandits Attack INEC Office in Owerri ... Page 41

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

NEWS

CATHOLIC CONCERT...

L-R: Prof. Ifeoma Utomi; Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi; His Grace Archbishop of Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins; Prof. Pat Utomi and Rev. Msqr PHOTO: MUBO PETERS. Franice Ogunmodede, at the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy of 2022 Unusual Praise Concert held in Lagos...recently

FG: No Ad Valoren Tax in Finance Bill 2022 Draft

Says govt still consulting stakeholders MAN alleges FG sacrificing soft drinks manufacturers for elusive tax revenue Ekpo says raising tax at this point unnecessary Dike Onwuamaeze Contrary to concerns in the manufacturing circle that the sector would be visited with additional 20 per cent Ad Valorem Tax (AVT) for manufacturers of carbonated soft drinks, the federal government has clarified that there was no such provision in the draft copy of the Finance Bill 2022 that is currently before the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, made the clarification in response to THISDAY’s enquiry against the background of fear gripping the members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that the federal government had initiated a process that would impose 20 per cent AVT on the manufacturers of carbonated nonalcoholic soft drinks through the finance bill.

Ahmed told THISDAY: “It is not in the draft Finance Bill 2022 before FEC (Federal Executive Council). We will conduct wider consultations on the subject.”

However, the MAN, which had stated that the government was perfecting the introduction of the AVT, had urged the government not to sacrifice soft drinks manufacturing companies on the altar of elusive quest for tax revenue with the imposition of the AVT on the sector.

The Director General of the MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, called on the National Assembly to reject any such amendment to the Finance Act 2021 Ajayi-Kadri said: “We, therefore, call on the National Assembly to reject this amendment to the Act.

We are hopeful that adequate time will be given for public hearing on this bill and stakeholders will be invited and their input accommodated.”

He added: “There is no question about the imminent catastrophic effect of the introduction of new excise rate on these (soft drinks) products. Its introduction portends overwhelming negative impact on the most performing sector in the manufacturing space and it is quite unfortunate.

“It would appear that the goose that lays the golden egg is being sacrificed; seeing that the affected sub-sector has contributed most significantly to the economy and taxes despite the debilitating impacts of Naira devaluation, inadequacy of forex and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The food and beverage contributed the highest (38 per cent) of the total manufacturing sector to the GDP! It comprises 22.5 per cent of manufacturing jobs and generates more than 1.5million jobs.

So, this excise would certainly cast a sunset to these performances.

“It is evident that the assumed revenue gains are the basis for the introduction of this excise, but in the long run, it is being penny wise and pound foolish.”

Speaking in the same vein, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at University of Uyo, Prof.

Akpan Hogan Ekpo, told the federal government that the solution to its revenue challenges does not rest on discouraging investments, especially in Nigerian traumatised economy.

He said: “Tax increase at this point in our economy is unnecessary. The manufacturers would pass some of the tax to consumers thus

further increasing the hardship of citizens.

“Already manufacturers are having a tough time procuring forex for their businesses. It will worsen the already unprecedented high rate of unemployment. There would be job loss and potential investors will be discouraged. Government should tax conspicuous consumption and

expand the tax base to generate more revenue.”

Another economist and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, told THISDAY that the proposal would hurt the carbonated drinks and nonalcoholic beverage segments of the Nigerian manufacturing sector.

of N6,900.

This, it stated comes with Holiday Special Channels and over 80 exciting channels covering news, music, sports, documentaries, series, movies, and children’s programmes, which are carefully selected to cater for a variety of different tastes and family viewing needs at a very affordable price.

According to Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, the latest GOtv roll-out, “is in line with our strategic objectives to create easy access to best-in-class digital television entertainment accessible to more households across Nigeria.”

exchange rate, illiquidity in the forex market, soaring cost of logistics, multiple taxation, and surging energy cost.

“It is unfair to contemplate an additional tax on this struggling sector. The CPPE strongly advise against the contemplation of an additional tax on this critical sector of our economy.”

Association Seeks to Ramp up Nigeria’s Cassava Derivatives’ Production to 600,000 Metric Tons Obinna Chima

The Large-scale Starch and Derivatives Producers Association (LSSDPA) yesterday announced plan to double Nigeria’s domestic production of cassava derivatives to least 600,000 metric tons in the next five years, from the 300,000 metric tons it is presently.

The President, LSSDPA, Mrs. Oluyemisi Iranloye, who said this during the inauguration ceremony of the newly established association held in Lagos, said ramping up production would help tighten the gap between supply-demand of cassava-based products, produce a revenue of at least N360 billion ($812 million) per annum, up from the present amount of about N180 billion ($406 million) in revenue annually.

The event also saw the inauguration of members of the association’s Board of Trustees which included Rasheed Olakanmi Sarumi as Chairman; Zainab Mustapha Jaji, Adewale Abiodun Raji and Iranloye as members.

Speaking further, Iranloye said

increasing production would also help the country preserve huge amount of foreign exchange, reduce Nigeria’s reliance on the import of cassava by-products and create new job opportunities.

Iranloye, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Psaltry International Company Limited explained: “To generate a production output of 600,000 metric tons, we would need about three million metric tons of fresh cassava root planted annually on approximately 170,000 hectares of land.

“That translates into an opportunity estimated to impact at least 10 million Nigerians in different host communities where the cassava derivatives producing factories are situated. Of course, the livelihoods of farm families will improve, boost rural development and reduce urban migration.

“Besides, the three million metric tons is just one-fourteenth of the estimated fresh root of cassava to be planted annually to meet the demand for cassava-based products, according to PwC. Therefore, this is a clarion call for decision-makers

Yuletide: GOtv Improves Signal Quality in Abuja, Rivers State GOtv Nigeria said it has completed plans and was set to launch improved connectivity for better signals and improved viewing pleasure of all its customers from today.

According to a statement, with the go-live of improved services, residents in the Mararaba, Keffi, Kuje in the Abuja region and in Ahoada in Rivers State would now begin to enjoy improved viewing experience of the wide range of quality local and international programming especially in this season with all the Holiday specials and the GOtv Jolli offer to receive a GOtv decoder, a GOtenna with one-month Jolli subscription for N4,900, instead

Yusuf said: “The decision seems to suggest that the policy makers are largely disconnected from the realities of manufacturing challenges in Nigeria because these investors have enough challenges already.

“They are grappling with high and escalating production costs, rising operating costs, depreciating

“We are excited with the roll-out of improved signals in these areas and confident in the assurance that residents can now enjoy quality programming on our DVB-T2 technology, which is the highest technology available for DTT with their family and friends especially in this season. “This will ensure that our subscribers experience the best of digital television from the comfort of their homes, complete with great picture and sound quality”, he said.

He added that GOtv’s objective was to provide quality programming backed by a wide variety of package choices at varying price points.

To access the rich library of

content, customers are to subscribe to any of GOtv packages such as the GOtv Supa for N5, 500, GOtv Max for N4, 150, GOtv Jolli for N2, 800 or GOtv Jinja for N1, 900, monthly.

Line-up of channels on GOtv packages include Africa Magic chnnels - AMHausa, AMYoruba, AMIgbo, Honey, WWE, SuperSport channels, KIX, StarLife, Cartoon Network, ESPN, Zee World, TeleMundo, CNN International, Al Jazeera, Discovery Family, B4U Movies, TNT Africa, MTV Base, HIP TV, M-Net Movies 4, ROK, Discovery ID, Nat Geo Wild, Da Vinci Kids, Disney Junior, Nickelodeon, Jim Jam and many more.

and the cassava value chain actors to synergise on enhancing the cassava value chain for the greater good of everyone.

“Manufacturing companies will have quick and easy access to premium quality cassava derivatives needed for their manufacturing process. In addition, hundreds of thousands of unemployed youths will be gainfully employed, stimulate rural development, alleviate poverty, enhance food security, provide clean energy and promote Nigeria’s industrialisation.”

She described the inauguration of the association as a new dawn that would transform the cassava value chain, foster economic growth and help Nigeria meet its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Most people regard cassava as the “new oil” but I tell you, “cassava excel oil.” The crop is in a league of its own. Cassava can be the bedrock of the Nigerian economy if we can come together to harness its full economic potential.

“Presently in Nigeria, there is domestic production of six cassava derivatives, which include starch, flour, ethanol, methanol, glucose and sorbitol. We can expand the value to encompass indigenous production of vitamin C, biodegradable plastics, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, sodium silicate and caustic soda.

“Also, we have gained success in streamlining the conversion of cassava wastes into animal feed, which studies show can replace corn in most animals’ diets. We can channel that same energy into biomass energy production, that is, conversion of agricultural wastes to energy, a massive potential area in which Nigeria needs to participate in its research and development.”

According to her, the cassava processing industry generates significant waste that could be converted to electricity and steam,

thus creating clean energy for industries and thousands of homes.

Iranloye also revealed that with the biomass electrification, the sector could establish a carbon credit system to offset carbon emissions and sell carbon credits.

“Clearly, cassava is no longer a crop for self-consumption; it is a crop that can shoulder the Nigerian economy, imagine the growth of the economy if we can focus on the cassava value chain as regards improving access to finance, supporting cassava cultivation, increasing funding for agricultural development and research, and promoting domestic production of cassava-based products.

“Hence, the reason for founding the LSSDPA. The association aims to create a strong synergy between the cassava value chain actors and stakeholders towards growing the cassava value chain, reducing the gap between the supply-demand of cassava derivatives and the Nigerian GDP exponentially.

“On a final note, I consider Nigeria to be the greatest country in the world because it is the only country globally that possesses all the natural resources needed to survive. Even Nigerians in the diaspora agree that no country nears the greatness of Nigeria regarding our natural resources. It is just for us to have a bond of understanding to foster the country’s growth just as the LSSDPA inaugurated today to enhance the Nigerian value chain and build the Nigerian economy.”

In his welcome address, the Secretary of the association and Project Manager, Premier Plantations Limited, Boniface Iyen, said the birth of the association was the result of the journey that started almost two years ago.

He disclosed that all members of the association have businesses that process minimum of 50 tons of cassava daily.

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HEALTHCARE FINANCING...

L-R: Former Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris; CEO, Boskoh HMI, Mrs. Nike Osa; Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, and Former Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Leke Pitan, at the Boskoh HMI Campaign Symposium held in Lagos…. yesterday

FG Abolishes Facemask at Airports, Relaxes COVID-19 Rules Chinedu Eze The federal government has abolished the wearing of facemask by air travellers, aircraft crew and also cancelled COVID-19 PCR test irrespective of vaccination status.

The development was contained

in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) review of COVID-19 health guidelines for the aviation industry in the country made available to THISDAY in Lagos yesterday.

The authority in its revised COVID-19 public health guidelines

for all aviation service providers for both domestic and international operations signed by the DirectorGeneral of NCAA, Musa Nuhu, said the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and most parts of the world had remained at a low level for a sustained period.

The NCAA derived its review from the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, which revised the public health guidelines.

It stated that for domestic operations, the PSC has mandated that the wearing of facemasks inside

airport terminal buildings and onboard aircraft by airport workers, passengers, and crew members was no longer mandatory, stressing that wearing of, “facemasks by passengers onboard aircraft or inside airport terminal buildings is discretionary but recommended.”

FG Seeks Lasting Solutions to Farmer-Herder Crisis Says incessant conflict threatening food, national security James Emejo in Abuja The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar yesterday said stakeholders must come together to find a permanent solution to the incessant farmer-herder clashes ravaging the country.

The minister said the conflict currently threatens food and national security in Nigeria, adding that the crisis predates the existence of the country as an independent, sovereign nation.

Speaking at the opening of the regional summit on human and climate security challenges and farmer-herder conflict resolution

in the livestock sector, in Abuja, Abubakar noted that the summit became critical in providing the opportunity for dialogue and discourse on the way forward for achieving peaceful coexistence between crop farmers and livestock.

The summit, with the theme, “Promoting Peace and Climate Security in the Crop and Livestock farming Sectors”, was jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

The minister said the previous

and current generations of farmers and herders have had to grapple with the conflict especially rural dwellers who have understood and managed the situation properly using traditional methods.

However, Abubakar pointed out that the crisis had assumed different dimensions which had lately called for deep introspection into unravelling the causes of the heightened, unwarranted attacks by both actors in the conflict and more innovative ways of addressing it.

According to him, the surge in the, “age-long conflict has been recently attributed to the complex interaction between the changing nature of the availability and access

Sale of Forfeited Assets by EFCC Opens in Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt Hundreds of potential buyers throng offices Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said the ongoing sale of forfeited assets by the commission through public auction, which began on December 6, 2022, at the Lagos Command of the agency, continued yesterday with more zonal commands participating in the exercise.

A statement by the commission revealed that hundreds of potential buyers besieged the offices of Abuja, Benin and Port Harcourt Zonal Commands of the Commission where pictures of the items for auction were displayed for sighting by members of the public.

"In Abuja, as early as 8am, hundreds of people had gathered in front of Car Park ‘A’ gate of the 5 Fomella Street, Wuse 2, Office of the commission to view slots of 35 items available for auction.

"At exactly 9am, the gates were opened, while auctioneers were on hand to answer questions and explain the process of the auction to the public.

"In Benin, where 20 forfeited cars are up for grab, hundreds of potential buyers thronged the premises of Paragon Demonstration School, Limit Road, Benin City to inspect the pictures of cars displayed for auction," it stated.

According to ACE1 Ola Tochi Oji, member of the EFCC Asset Disposal Committee, "Today is for inspection of the cars, tomorrow, December 13, is for competitive bidding and auction. The highest bidder wins and pays directly to the federal government account."

James Enedo, representative of Richmate 480, a federal government approved auctioneer, said the process will be transparent and the winners are expected to pay within 48 hours to the federal government’s account.

It said the inspection of the 45 vehicles slated for auction in Port Harcourt, took place at EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Command, 6A Olumeni Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.

"Nine vessels/ barges will also be auctioned in Port Harcourt. Over

430 vehicles, vessels/barges, computers and electronic devices are to be auctioned by the commission in line with relevant provisions of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, and Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022,” it added.

to natural resources (land and water) in the region as a result of the effects of climate change.

“Other factors include the rapidly rising population of humans and livestock, diminishing arable and grazing lands, industrialisation, negative political influence, and undermining of age-long but proven traditional approaches to managing conflicts.”

He said natural resources were under increasing stress due to climate change, leading to fierce competition and violent conflicts over their use.

He said while climate change was not a precursor to the migration of herders to the southern and north-central of Nigeria, it had increased their migration from areas with a high frequency of drought and lower availability of natural resources to the southern forest zone with better resources for their livestock.

The minister noted that in the, “North-eastern region of Nigeria for example, we are witnessing the negative impact of the depletion of water in the oasis in the desert Lake Chad on the livelihood of over 45 million people living in the Basin.

“It is common knowledge that crop farmers, fishermen and particularly livestock farmers and

other people living around the lake depend on it for their economic well-being and sustenance.

“Some of the consequences of Lake Chad drying up is the increased unrest in the region occasioned by competition for scarce resources among fishermen, farmers and herders.

“This unfortunate situation has been exacerbated by the terrorist activities of Boko Haram in the region, banditry and kidnapping for ransom which has now extended to other parts of the country in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.”

He said it was the desire of the federal government to seek the restoration of the Lake in the sub-region to its former glory by recharging it and preventing further shrinkage.

This, he said, was evident in the government’s various appeals to the international communities, development partners and other allies of Nigeria and Africa for assistance.

Abubakar, among other things, said the livestock industry in Nigeria and West Africa had huge potential for sustainable employment of millions of people through its numerous value chains, adding that it is not an industry to be handled with kid gloves.

“Persons aged 60 years and above, immunocompromised, and those with co-morbidities are advised to use facemasks, wash their hands with water and soap, use hand alcohol-based sanitisers and avoid large gatherings.

“Also no longer required is the disinfection of bags at the entrance of terminal buildings and maintenance of social distancing at airport terminal buildings,” it added.

The PSC equally mandated airlines to resume serving catering (meals and drinks) onboard aircraft while the use of alcohol-based sanitiser by passengers and airport workers was recommended.

For international operations, the same requirements as domestic operations are to be applied.

Pre-departure and post-arrival COVID-19 PCR tests have been abolished and are no longer required for all passengers irrespective of vaccination status while PCR tests required for all passengers who are partially or not fully vaccinated have equally been suspended.

Equally significant was that health declaration forms and permission to travel/QR code are no longer required.

Nuhu however stated that a simplified health questionnaire form (non-COVID-19 specific) shall be completed by all passengers travelling to Nigeria preferably pre-departure on the Nigerian International Travel Portal (NITP).

He explained that passengers who fail to fill the health questionnaire on the NITP pre-departure would be required to fill it either onboard the aircraft prior to landing or at the airport terminal building upon arrival.

He warned that failure by any aviation service provider to comply with All Operators Letter (AOL) shall attract appropriate sanction, adding, “This AOL shall be effective immediately.”

Acute Brain Drain in Health Sector Worrisome, Says Oba of Benin Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II has declared that the brain drain in Nigeria's health sector was worrisome.

Oba Ewuare made this declaration, when the Management of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in Benin City.

He said if the push and pull factors behind the menace were not urgently addressed, it could get to a freezing point whereby universal health coverage – access to quality health services - would

become a mirage.

The traditional ruler who spoke in Edo Language, said, "There is something that is of great concern to us. Most medical personnel are leaving this country in droves, especially the best brains amongst you. So, how to your cope, sustain the so-called pin hole surgeries and other breakthroughs in hospitals?

"Most of the highly trained people have gone to Saudi Arabia, Dubai and other Countries abroad. I expect you to talk about the causes and how these trends can be reversed. Let us know if we can be of assistance.

"Why are our doctors after

acquiring the necessary training here (Nigeria), leave? And we are watching. They (health workers) are complaining that they are not well paid and that there is poor conditions of service", Oba Ewuare II queried.

The Benin monarch enjoined health workers to be patriotic.

He, however pledged his support for the management team of UBTH, ahead of its golden jubilee Celebration.

Oba Ewuare II, prayed for the management of the hospital for wisdom in piloting the affairs and industrial harmony.

But the traditional ruler

wondered why its Chief Medical Director, Prof. Darlington Obaseki who gave account of his stewardship over the past five years spoke as if everything was fine with the institution.

Continuing, the Oba queried, "You spoke as if everything is well in UBTH and like you do not need help. So, why are your people leaving?

"I understand that incessant strikes are no longer frequent. We thank God and our ancestors. We have not also recorded cases of kidnappings of health workers and staff. We thank God for them," the he declared.

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GOLDEN JUBILEE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CAKE OF THE IWUS...

L-R: Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Prof Maurice Iwu, his wife, Kate, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Prof ABC Nwosu, during the cutting of Golden Jubilee wedding anniversary cake of the Iwus at Landmark Event Centre, Owerri...Sunday.

FG Refutes Report of Subterranean Abortion Programme by Military in North-east Says Nigeria will earn N30bn from establishment of space museum FIIRO to use 10% cassava in bread production Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government has described as baseless a report by an international news agency that alleged that the military was running covert and systematic abortion programme in the north-east in the war against Boko-Haram and ISWAP fighters.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the rebuttal yesterday in Abuja, at the 10th edition of the ‘PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023).

This was just as the Minister of Minister of Science and Technology, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, revealed that the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) had established a space museum and planetarium to boost tourism and generate over N30 billion over a 15–year period.

Mohammed said the report that claimed that 10,000 such abortions had been carried out from 2013 to date, on women and girls by the military because “the children of insurgents were predestined, by the blood in their veins, to one day take up arms against the Nigerian government and society,” was a grave allegation without a scintilla of evidence as it only cited anonymous sources and phantom documents.

He said it was downright dangerous to accuse a nation's military without any verifiable evidence of massive illegal abortions and infanticide.

The minister scorned the report saying the news agency claimed that its investigation was based on interviews with 33 women and girls.

“Interview with 33 women and girls to arrive at the bogus claim of 10,000 abortions? And in a further indication that the figure of abortions quoted was arbitrary or possibly conjured, the agency first put the figure at 12,000 before settling for 10,000.

“The federal government hereby categorically states that there is no 'secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme' being run by our military in the Northeast or anywhere across the country.

“We also hereby reject the accusation of running an abortion programme leveled at our military.

This story is a scary instance of fake news and disinformation combined.

The writers deserve an award in fiction writing,” Mohammed said.

He questioned the motive of the news agency and the usual suspects who latched on to the story at a time the military was decimating the terrorists, rescuing abducted persons and receiving hundreds of thousands of terrorists who had surrendered.

“Why is this news agency not playing up this positive news but instead chose to give prominence to a phantom abortion story? Is this a ploy to demoralize and distract our fighting forces? Is it a strategy to set the world against Nigeria and cut off the support that is critical to crushing terrorists?

“Only the news agency can answer these questions. But we stand by our military, which has served meritoriously at home, and at regional and global peacekeeping operations from 1960 to date. We know that military operations in the north-east are not arbitrary but based on the military's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Rules of Engagement (ROE), among others,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mamora who was

the 10th minister to attend the series, said the NADSDA Space unmanned air vehicle when developed would fetch money for the country, boost tourism sector and provide 5,000 direct jobs, 20,000 indirect jobs as well as enhance the teaching of STEM. In the area of defence technology, he revealed a breakthrough by two agencies - the National Institute of Science, Leather and Technology (NILEST) and Raw Materials Research and Develop-

International Anti-Corruption Day celebration to reaffirm our government’s commitment to fighting corruption in all its forms and ensuring probity, transparency and accountability in governance.

“As a government, we understand that corruption undermines the rule of law, erodes trust in institutions, and hinders economic and social development. It is a cancer that must be rooted out wherever it is found.

“This is why in Edo state, we have taken a number of steps, leveraging technology to ensure transparency and accountability in governance and combat corruption, including strengthening our institutions and passing tougher, new laws.”

Mamora added that the country’s oldest research institute, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) was working towards adding 10 per cent of cassava content into flour in bread making process.

The move was due to the increase in the cost of bread which is a staple widely consumed by Nigerian households partly due to scarcity caused by the Russia- Ukraine conflicts.

Arewa Youths Back Emefiele as Falana Faults Cash Withdrawal Limits John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has declared support for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele and his management team for taking bold steps to address the economic challenges facing the country.

This was just as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana yesterday faulted the fresh cash withdrawal limits fixed by the apex bank, saying it did not resort to the constitution and other relevant laws on the national economy without taking the decision.

However, addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna,

President of the AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, condemned what he described as the negative campaign being sponsored against the CBN by those opposed to the nation’s economic growth.

Yerima said his group supports any policy review by the CBN that could help boost the value of the national currency, "even if doing so will hurt politicians who have hidden millions in cash, with intent to buy up voters in the forthcoming general elections."

He said the AYCF has, "followed closely the unfolding negative campaign that is clearly funded by enemies of this country's economic growth and development.

"We note with disappointment the way and manner the media

Obaseki: We’re Building Strong Institutions, Leveraging Technology to Fight Corruption in Edo The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday has said his government was building strong institutions and leveraging technology to promote accountability and transparency in governance and fight corruption in the state.

The governor said this in commemoration of this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day, marked by the United Nations and its sister agencies with the theme, “Uniting the World against Corruption.” This year’s event seeks to highlight the crucial link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development.

According to Obaseki, “We want to use the opportunity of this year’s

ment Council (RMRDC) - in the production of specialised and normal military that could enable tracking and surveillance.

Others successes included the production of hygienic military rations of food and dry packs of meat, biscuits and soups.

He also listed other landmark achievements to include the development of solid rocket fuel and production of drones into space for the defence of the country.

He continued: “We have signed the Public Financial Management and Fiscal Responsibility Law and subscribed fully to the Open Governance Partnership Principles, ensuring accountability and transparency in governance. We have also ensured that our state’s yearly budget is available to the public, and pursued holistic reforms in the civil and public service, ensuring that government offices and workers are accessible and responsive to the needs of the people.

“These efforts have continued to yield gains with several national and global recognitions in this regard, including the Fiscal Policy and Transparency Star of the Year award

by a multimedia news organisation with offices in the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

“Also, with these nuanced steps to accountability, transparency and prudent management of resources, our dear Edo State was not listed of ten most indebted states in Nigeria, in the new data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO).

“While we sustain these efforts in our vision to improve the living standards of our people and ensure economic prosperity for the state, we must reiterate that the fight against corruption cannot be won by the government alone. It requires the active participation of every citizen.”

has been used to castigate the CBN governor and his management for taking bold steps to address the economic challenge facing this country and how some misinformed Nigerians have been trying to undermine the process at take-off."

Yerima said, the AYCF had taken its stand on the matter and urged Nigerians to support the implementation of the CBN policies.

"We are in support of any policy review by the CBN that could help boost the value of our national currency, even if doing so will hurt politicians who have hidden millions in cash, with intent to buy up voters in the forthcoming general elections.

"We reject situation where national security will be threatened by sponsored political violence using cash from soakaway pits, farm houses and other illegal vaults", Yerima said.

He said further that, "it is clear to many Nigerians that wholesale hoarding of naira banknotes by members of the public is now being dealt with by the policy of naira redesign.

According to Yerima, "Long before now, CBN's available statistics show that cash outside banks consist of over 80 per cent of currency-in -circulation (CIC).

"That the economy has suffered heavy, avoidable bruises. As at the end of June 2022, available data indicated that N2.72 trillion out of the N3.26 trillion currency in circulation, was outside the vaults of commercial banks across the country, and supposedly held by the public."

The forum said, after its in-

dependent investigation, it was convinced that, "there are very clear benefits".

The group maintained that, "The current effort will ensure effective monetary policy; a beautiful means for fight against corruption that we have not tried before in the economic history of this nation; strategic effort that could help in the stabilisation of the exchange rate; more effective means of reducing inflation and helpful to the success of a free and fair election..."

"We wish to make it categorically clear that the action of the CBN was backed by constitution and the rule of law.

"The CBN has acted within limits of its monetary policy powers, on this naira redesign policy.

"The management of the CBN relied of section 2(b), section 18(a), and section 19(a)(b) of the CBN Act 2007. Add this to the Presidential approval, as provided by the laws of the land.

"We believe that the Revised Cash Withdrawal was part of a component of economic reform policies that will help revive our national economy and ensure stability in the fight against terrorism financing, shameful level of official corruption and thievery by a section of the political class for more than a decade."

The CBN had order banks and other financial institutions to ensure that weekly over-the-counter (OTC) cash withdrawals by individuals and corporate entities do not exceed N100,000 and N500,000, respectively.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022

POLITICS

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

As Crises Rock Labour Party...

Two months after the inauguration of its presidential campaign council and few weeks to 2023 general elections, Labour Party is yet to find its bearing over internal wranglings bordering on leadership tussle, allegations of corruption among some officials of the party as well as the composition of its presidential campaigns council. Emmanuel Gabriel reports

Obi

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he Labour party which has become the new political pride in the country electrified by massive youths support, came to limelight after the defection of Peter Obi from the the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

But beyond this euphoria of a Third Force movement that has left critics of Obi in surprise, leadership of the party have been locked in horn over who gets what and who decides what for the party.

The National Youth leader of the party, Eragbe Anslem, was recently suspended by leadership of the party over allegations bordering on abuse of office - a suspension Eragbe has challenged and has insisted was illegal, null and void, therefore calling for his reinstatement with immediate effect.

The national chairman of the party, Julius Abure, who has been a subject of attacks by some agrieved members of the party led by the suspended National Publicity Secretary, Arabambi Abayomi, had said he is not going to be deterred by baseless allegations.

“I have a lot of work to do and I will not take my eyes off the ball. These things are distractions.

As a journalist, go and study those documents to find out anywhere my name was mentioned.

“I have a lot to do and my priority right now is to mobilise Nigerians for our party and our candidate, Peter Obi. I have this responsibility resting on my shoulder and I will not rest till the people’s mandate is delivered”, embattled Abayomi told THISDAY. The party had last weekend after its last National Working Committee (NWC) meeting dissolved the executive of Ogun State chapter including the chairman, Michael Ashade, over allegations of corruption and anti party activities.

Their suspension followed a resolution made and adopted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) after a two-hour meeting held in Abuja. The party has also announced the constitution of a caretaker committee to manage the affairs of the party in Gateway state pending when investigations of allegations levelled against the affected members is concluded.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting which lasted for almost two hours, the National Secretary of the party, Umar Farouk, said a disciplinary committee has been constituted to investigate the activities of the affected members.

According to him: “The acting National Publicity Secretary has been suspended after investigating his anti-party activities as a member of the party. The Labour Party chapter in Ogun State has also been dissolved.

“The Chairman and his excos have also been suspended. A caretaker committee will take care of the party. Also, disciplinary committee has been set up to investigate their anti-party activities and report to the NWC”.

Farouk who described the allegations levelled

Okupe

against the national chairman as baseless, said “the NWC has also unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the National Chairman, Julius Abure” He therefore called on party members to “adhere strictly to the provisions of the constitution and code of conduct of the party in the conduct of their activities.

“We also call on the general public to have more confidence on the party. We are anticipated these kind of issues to be coming up but the leadership of the party is working very hard to ensure that we are not distracted”, he added.

Findings by THISDAY have also confirmed that apart from Ogun and Lagos States, the crisis in Labour Party has spread to more states.

However, the leadership at the national headquarters told THISDAY that it is normal for crisis to break out, especially when elections are near and the party has deployed its internal conflict resolution mechanism to manage the differences.

“It is normal to have disagreement over certain issues. This is not limited to Labour Party alone.

Don’t forget these are people from different backgrounds and political ideologies coming together to form a common front to right the wrongs in the country.

“Whatever you see today, I can tell you will not by anyway affect our chances at the polls”, said a senior party member.

Recall that recently, executives of the Ogun State chapter of Labour Party had in two separate press briefings expressed their displeasure over the conduct of some officials of the party at the national headquarters.

They also suspended the membership of Doyin Okupe who they said ceased to be a member of the party having failed to pay his membership dues for six months as prescribed by the party’s constitution.

Although the party at the national headquarters earlier called off their bluff, Arabambi raised fresh allegations of corruption against the national chairman, Julius Abure, in a document he made available to journalists last Thursday.

The agrieved party executives of Ogun State had also demanded the immediate dissolution of the entire party’s Presidential Campaign Council, over alleged lopsidedness in its composition, stressing that the composition of its PCC did not reflect the federal character, unlike what was contained in the constitution of the party.

How ghost of Jonathan’s Campaign Fund Triggered Division “Okupe and others never knew providence would bring us together in Labour Party. They didn’t expect it. The main cause of the matter is Doyin Okupe. We (LP) supported Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, and Jonathan gave Labour Party N50m”, the party’s suspended National Publicity Secretary, Arabambi Abayomi, told THISDAY. The crisis in the party became public when the list of the party’s presidential campaign council was announced in early October.

The then spokesperson of the party, disapproved of the list, saying it was not the true position of the party and was not in line with the provisions of its constitution which recommends federal character in the distribution of leadership positions, including campaign council committee.

Arabambi who has distanced himself from the activities of Labour Party since the inauguration of the party’s presidential campaign council, narrated that his grouse was with former presidential spokesperson, Dr Doyin Okupe, who he accused of executing untoward things in Labour Party.

In an interview with THISDAY, he said, “that is not the party’s programme. He (Okupe) can’t

With Labour party struggling to maintain cohesion from within with less than three months to the presidential election, the question begging for answer is - what are Obi’s chances? The party leadership at the national level has maintained that the cracks within will have no effect on its outing next year but some observers have disagreed with the position saying the crises rocking the party if not quickly resolved will jeopardise Obi’s outing at the February, 2023 presidential poll

be talking about our party, our party all the time.

Which party? Is he the leader of Labour Party to now be announcing himself as the DG? It’s an anomaly. Who announced the DG of Atiku?

Atiku did it. When Tinubu announced his DG, the party did it.

“Where is Peter Obi? He (Okupe) doesn’t know what he is doing. I want to be quoted. The DG ought to go to the North East or North Central.

“We are not a sectional political party. Our presidential candidate is Pan Nigerian. How can we have a presidential candidate from the South and the Campaign DG coming from the same South?”, he asked.

Although the party had subsequently endorsed the presidential campaign committee after one of its recent NWC meetings where some amendments were also recommended and thereafter confirmed that Okupe remains its campaign DG, Arabambi has remained adamant over his position, especially as regards Okupe who he said cannot be trusted from his personal experience with the former presidential spokesperson.

He has not only allege a grand conspiracy against him by the Okupe-led PDP group in the party, he has also vowed to expose him (Okupe) and other members of the party involved with substantial evidence of diversion of funds meant to prosecute the party’s presidential election.

On issues surrounding the composition of the party’s presidential campaign council and the claims of Okupe usurping his position as party’s publicity secretary, Arabambi maintained that Okupe and Ojukwu smuggled names of their surrogates into the list “so that they can manipulate things”.

Arabambi has vowed to seek redress in court to reclaim his constitutional responsibility in the party.

He said: “I am the National Publicity Secretary, the Constitution of the party is expressly clear that I shall handle all promotion, advertisment, campaign banners and anything that has to do with publicity. It’s there in the constitution.

“But it was just a gang-up of which I am still going to challenge in the court. When you cannot abide by your own constitution, something is fishing.

“They said I will not come back alive if I come to any of the campaign, so I have to run for my dear life. I have to be very careful because this is a man who came to Labour Party with not even one member from his ward. All the Executives of his ward still remain with the Ogun State chapter of the PDP. I will not be deterred. I am serious member of the Labour Party and I cannot be pushed back by anyone.

Meanwhile, a source from the party who spoke in confidence with THISDAY said the party is already working out a ground to accommodate every agrieved members to restore cohesion.

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

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POLITICS

Obi, Obiano, Soludo: A Meeting of Anambra’s Pasts and Present David-Chyddy Eleke writes about the recent meeting of two past governors of Anambra State, and the present, and the conviviality that followed, despite their different political interests.

Obi

Obiano

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APGA candidate as governor.

Not long after his swearing in, both men fell apart again, when Obi openly announced that he left behind in the coffers of the state the staggering sum of N75billion. Obiano had countered it, stating that what Obi left was far less, and even the available ones were not cash, but what he referred to as ‘near cash’.

The back and forth of that argument had strained the relationship between both men, leading to a cold war that lasted to the very end of Obiano’s administration. To show his unhappiness with Obiano, Obi in 2017 mounted a strong campaign to change Obiano, by standing by his former Secretary to State Government (SSG),Mr Oseloka Obaze, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but Obiano survived it and did a second term, and also went ahead to support a candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as his replacement, while Obi supported a PDP candidate, Mr

ince after his tenure on March 17, 2022, former Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano has maintained a low profile. Only on few occasions has he attended public events. His predecessor, Mr Peter Obi is the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and has been very visible in every public event, on account of his campaigns, while Obiano’s successor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo too has been everywhere in public events, especially in the state, just as he superintends the state.

There is something about the past governors and the incumbent, especially as it has to do with political ideology. At various times, each has fallen apart with the other, but the political differences between the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi and the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has almost always been permanently different from each other’s, but what is true is that the three men are the biggest names in the political space in Anambra State today.

First, in 2013, Obi was said to have singlehandedly brought back Obiano, who had then long retired and was living in Houston Texas, USA, to come and vie for a chance to succeed him. There have been stories of the sponsorship of Obiano

by Obi, who worked tirelessly to instal the then

Soludo

Val Ozigbo, who lost the election.

Since after the swearing in of Soludo, many had expected that a major rift will ensue between Soludo and Obiano, especially as many had warned Obiano of Soludo’s independent mindedness during the election, stating that he was not amenable to advice. So, when after the swearing in, Soludo used every opportunity to tell everyone that he met an empty coffers, it was an ‘I told you’ kind of situation, as many even predicted that Soludo will throw more punches at Obiano as time went on.

At this point, Obi’s supporters were already gloating over Soludo’s testimony of the emptiness of the state coffers he met. Many advised him to publicly declare what he met in the coffers of the state government, while many others believed that it was just a matter of time, as Soludo would soon testify against Obiano on the finances of the government. All these later came to naught, maybe because Obiano refused to challenge Soludo on the assertion that the coffers was truly empty, and Obiano was later cleared and released by the EFCC who had previously arrested him.

On Soludo and Obi, both men have never shared the same political ideology, and it was a surprise to many when on the day of the inau-

guration of Soludo’s government, Obi made a surprise appearance. Many even believed that both men may be closing ranks to ‘deal’ with Obiano. The surprise heightened, when of all places, Obi chose the Anambra State Government House to announce his entry into the 2023 presidential race.

The history of the relationship between both men dated far back to their school days at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where many believe their path crossed, but in terms of secular politics, both men encountered each other in 2010, when they vied for the governorship seat of Anambra.

While Obi was gunning for re-election, Soludo who was fresh from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where he was governor, was seeking to displace him as the candidate of the PDP. Obi had trounced Soludo in that election which held in 2010. Again in 2014, Soludo had attempted to run for the governorship seat, but didn’t make it through the primary stage, as he was disqualified as an aspirant of APGA, on the basis that he was still new in the party and failed to obtain waiver for the contest.

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

Tambuwal’s Sectoral Development Strides in Sokoto Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s strides in different sectors give nothing but hope and promises to the citizenry, Onuminya Innocent reports

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ccording to Governor Aminu Tambuwal, leadership is a previlege and opportunity to serve and leave a lasting legacy of positive change and continue growth.

With accountability and fiscal discipline as the strength of his administration, Sokoto State Governor is giving leadership an entirely different meaning.

The State under the leadership of Tambuwal has witnessed remarkable level of financial discipline, probity, transparency and accountability lately, borne out of the governor’s burning desire to keep the state within the range of steady progress for socio-economic and political advancements.

As a former Speaker of the House of representative, who supervised ministries, departments and agencies, Tambuwal through his vision, steadfast and innovation, has made steady progress and engineered far-reaching reforms geared towards restructuring, re-engineering and reinvigoration of the state’s economy.

This is in keeping faith with his campaign promise to pilot the affairs of his state to the satisfaction of the masses that voted him into office.

Today, the effect of the dwindling federal allocation to states and local governments due to the downturn in the oil sector has made it imperative for government at all levels to review several issues hindering development and proffer solutions on how best to service the people.

This, perhaps, has informed the new thinking in Sokoto State in line with the Governor’s desire to give the state quality leadership and render selfless service in an atmosphere of peace,

Tambuwal

accountability and fiscal discipline.

Tambuwal, in tandem with the state’s economic team has been working tirelessly for the implementation of the 2022 budget which has almost seventy percent implementation.

To make the budget a reality, the state government in its wisdom concentrate on areas that has direct bearing on the people for implementation.

Currently, the state’s monthly federal allocation stands at N3 to 4billion, out of which N2.5billion goes for workers’ salaries, N288million for the monthly settlement of pensions,

N129million for allowance of political office holders, N80 to N100million for treatments of water by the state water board, and N600million for the service of the loan taken by the previous administration. With this financial engineering, the state is able to meet up with its monthly financial obligations due to transparency and probity imbibed by the governor.

In 2020 in acknowledging the state’s financial prudence, the office of Accountant General of Federation (AGF), rated Sokoto eightth best state in fiscal sustainability and prudence in public fund management.

It also rated the state best in meeting monthly recurrent, expenditure and loan repayment in 2019. The independently verified and quality assurance agency of World Bank rated the state 93 per cent in financial discipline and due process.

This made the state to secured an approval for N6billion grant from the World Bank due to its commitment to financial stability, tax reduction and due process.

Before Tambuwal’s assumption of office, the state internally generated revenue (IGR) stood at N200million monthly, but with the reforms brought into the system, the IGR has surpassed N600million monthly.

Despite the financial crunch in the country, especially with the non remittal by Nigeria National Petroleum Company(NNPC), Sokoto is one of the states that is consistent in payment of N30,000 minimum wage to its workers, while workers’ salaries and pensions are paid as and when due.

The state had also invested N1.5billion in the Bank of Agriculture and industry, while injecting N500million in Taj Bank.

In the health sector, Governor Tambuwal is doing everything humanly possible to revitalise the sector. As with several other sectors in the state, the health sector has witnessed what could be regarded as significant developments in the last seven and half years under the Tambuwaled administration.

On assumption of office in May 2015, the governor discovered that the health sector was one of those in critical state. Though the previous administrations did a lot to salvage the situation, but for Tambuwal, more needed to be done to leverage the sector.

In his first term, the governor ordered the renovation and equipping of the specialist hospital, which gulped hundreds of millions of naira. Today the specialist hospital can favourably compete with any tertiary health centre in the country. It is also used as a referral centre within and outside the state.

To the governor, having Usman DanFodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) and Specialist Hospital in the State was not enough to provide tertiary health care service delivery to the people of the state. The work at Sokoto State University Teaching Hospital, Kasarawa, has reached eighty percent completion level.

When recently a delegation of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Sokoto State Council, led by its Chairman, Comrade Dalhatu Safiya Malgori, paid an inspection visit to the project site at Kasarawa, the NUJ Chairman lauded the efforts of the governor for embarking on people-focused projects.

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

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FOCUS

Obidient Movement, Chijioke Edeoga, and the Enemies Within Nnamdi Nwokedi In a video I watched recently, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi was seen eulogizing Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate. To many whose understanding of political engagements is shaped largely by realpolitik, such a gesture would be considered utterly naive. But there is absolutely nothing naive about what Obi did in the said video. It essentially captured the unpretentious worldview of the former Anambra State governor, which, simply put, is one of the reasons a growing number of Nigerians find him so endearing. Even if one concedes to the cynical point of view that such lavish praise was merely contrived to burnish his reputation as an atypical politician, it still reveals nonetheless, an inclination fast receding in our relationship with others, especially when once rosy bonds of friendship turn awry - a capacity to be charitable.

I became “Obidient” long before the present national festival around the person of Mr. Peter Obi; and that was some four years ago. It was at the annual Harvest and Bazaar event of the Enugu Adoration Ministry, hosted by the gadfly of the catholic Diocese of Enugu, Rev. Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka. It was in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, such a season that politicians are usually vulnerable before some religious demagogues. It attracted the high and mighty including the likes of Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, David Nweze Umahi, Abdulahi Ganduje, and a host of other high profile politicians including Mr. Peter Obi. Fr. Mbaka was at his very odious best; he understood what was at stake as he cajoled, prodded, and even blackmailed these desperate politicians to submission. The only exception was Peter Obi! Like the rock (which symbolizes his name Peter), he stood his ground and refused to yield to Fr. Mbaka’s apparent blackmail; and he earned my respect! While he had requested Fr. Mbaka to show him a project he could execute for the church, the priest would rather he monetized it. Instructively, it was this event that made Fr. Mbaka later declare that Obi would never realize his presidential ambition because, according to him, he is “stingy”!

But if this was meant to scuttle his presidential ambition, it inadvertently became the most recommending testimonial and a crucial factor in the sudden national acceptability of Peter Obi vis-à-vis the tagline of “we no dey give shishi”.

In a country long defined by the inexplicable debauchery and profligacy of the political class, it was ennobling to find one amongst them who is distinguished by the probity of his character and the lucidity of his ideas. Thus, when the traditional potentates of the PDP were too determined to render their national convention a mindless bazaar, Obi quietly left the fold and joined a relatively unknown Labour Party! As if that was what the Nigerian populace were waiting for, this hitherto unknown party, suddenly shot to national limelight!

Today, by the sheer strength of his character and ideas, Peter Obi is without doubt the frontrunner in the forthcoming presidential election. His support base is pervasively organic, and has broken all the barriers – class, ethnic, partisanship, etc., - that hitherto, had arrested our national development. Thus, rather than the party defining the candidate, it is Peter Obi as a brand that is defining the Labour Party! As expected many opportunistic politicians who had failed to clinch nominations in the traditional parties such as the PDP and the APC, have all joined the Labour Party. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, they have failed to study the irresistible persona of Peter Obi, the brand that is driving their so-called party. While Obi is infectiously courtly, these no-where-men are crudely brash; while Obi believes in the power of his ideas, these opportunists believe in their lowly tantrums; and while Obi is marked out by his disarming equanimity, these renegades are defined by their garrulity! In other words,

Edeoga

Peter is unfortunately unequally yoked with scoundrels! Thus instead of helping to build his electoral fortunes, I am afraid these renegades are rather pulling him back.

Obi’s support base cuts across all the political divides. There are those in the traditional political parties who have resolved to vote for him at the presidential election while they would vote for their various parties in other elective positions. Peter Obi knows this and has been engaging some political leaders in the other parties to look beyond partisan definition and consider his personal profile. Indeed, in all his stumps, he has hardly sold any candidate merely on the basis of such candidate’s membership of the Labour Party. That is because he knows he is not riding on the profile of Labour as a party, rather merely as a vehicle especially as the laws do not provide for an independent candidate. So these opportunistic renegades who are feasting on Peter Obi’s profile should please note that the Obidient Movement is not about the Labour Party but about the character and content of Peter Obi. They should, therefore, learn to campaign on their personal qualifications rather than attracting the bile of other parties against an innocent

Mr. Peter Obi. In Enugu State for instance, those who failed at the gubernatorial contest in the PDP have all invaded us and have infested our movement with their traditional confusion.

As of now, the Labour Party has no definite candidate as the battle is still raging in the courtrooms between Chijioke Edeoga, the now embittered cousin of the incumbent Governor Ugwuanyi, and Capt. Everest Nnaji. As at today, none of these two has any manifesto defining their ideas, nor do they in their stumps excite any admiration.

Edeoga’s preoccupation is to spew rants against his cousin Gov. Ugwuanyi and the PDP, a party he was a prominent member of, and a government he duly served in until March this year! Unlike Peter Obi, he has no transformative ideas, appears largely vacuous, prevaricative, and vain, and dwells mostly on primordial emotions as a strategy. This is despite the fact that he had been a member of the House of Representatives and a commissioner, two key platforms that should, ordinarily, launch a politician’s career to heights of excellence.

Besides the fact of having had what were unarguably tepid and lacklustre stints in

the House and as a commissioner, Edeoga has proved incapable of demonstrating Obi’s graciousness. So, with barely any significant record to flaunt from his public service career, he uses every opportunity to rail against an administration of which he was an executive council member for seven years! For the discerning public though, his tantrums against the PDP is an after-thought, an embarrassing catalogue of self-indictment. His anger is rooted in the humiliating defeat he suffered in the PDP’s governorship primary, having long seen himself as the heir apparent, not on the strength of an outstanding performance as a commissioner, but solely on the grounds of some primordial sentiments that he is the incumbent governor’s cousin. His tantrums are therefore nothing but sour grapes. Had he won, or, more appropriately, been given the governorship ticket on a platter, as he had hoped, there would have been no such bellyaching from him.

Knowing how silly an unrelenting denunciation of a party to which he belonged until recently would sound, Obi has himself, devoted every effort towards burnishing his personal profile to broaden his acceptance to the electorate.

Edeoga, on the other hand, is mired in a hate-filled campaign, dredging up imagined hurt from a party to whose platform he owes every claim to prominence. Herein lies his loss of reason and the wherewithal to ride on the crest of Obi’s soaring popularity.

Edeoga all the while knew that the zoning arrangement in the state had made his governorship gambit untenable ab initio, as the template solely favoured the East Senatorial zone, where by his conduct he had clearly demonstrated he was not a part of. Indeed, nothing best highlights his hypocrisy in this regard as his choice of a running mate in the now truncated ambition. Settling for Dr. Nwokeabia, someone from the Enugu West Senatorial Zone was an implicit admission that he had never quite identified with the Enugu East Senatorial Zone, or Nkanuland, if you will.

If he truly did, then the logical choice would have been Enugu North Senatorial Zone. But that couldn’t possibly be, as his ambition from the outset had been premised, irrationally, on the divisive notion that the governorship should still be held by someone from Nsukka cultural extraction. Having failed to actualize that in the PDP, he sought to put a veneer on such an atrocious bid through the immersive wave of Obimania. But he ought to have realized that the reputation which has earned Mr. Obi such admiration and large following is just not transferable.

It should have become apparent by now that political expediency is not exactly all that matter in the Labour Party’s quest for “structure”.

Peter Obi knows that the strength of his ideas and his character are enough to pull through his ambition, and not so much the baggage of all these opportunists. He has travelled this route before. In 2003 when he threw his hat in the ring for the governorship of Anambra State, he had no candidate elected with him as a member of APGA. But he governed the state successfully because of the strength of his ideas.

Indeed, it was his successes as a governor that subsequently enthroned APGA as the party to beat in Anambra State where there is hardly any opposition leader’s position in the state’s House of Assembly anymore. Nigeria is yearning for a change and it would not matter if Obi became a president without a single member of the National Assembly or even governor from the Labour Party.

And that is why it would be prudent to call the likes of pretenders like Chijioke Edeoga to order. He should not cause disaffection between the Enugu people who are wholly PDP faithful but graciously Obidient. r/XPLFEJ XPSLT BOE MJWFT JO &OVHV

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THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

Give CBN Benefit of Doubt on Withdrawal Limits

I

have been watching the reactions to the new Automated Teller Machine policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which limits ATM withdrawals for individuals to N100,000 per week and N20,000 per day, and quite frankly, it is a bit disappointing as to how people have allowed their own narrow personal interests colour their responses.

My understanding of the tenets of welfare economics is that this policy (like any good one) will have more gainers than losers, which is the objective of every public policy aimed at optimising societal gains. But the few losers are usually the wealthy, affluent and corrupt members of the society, who will make very loud noise to ensure that their unscrupulous gains are restored.

As a nation, we must understand that there are few, preciously few institutions that are nonpartisan, non-ethnic, non-religious that project the greatness of Nigeria. The army is one (or should be one). The Central Bank of Nigeria is another. Whether you are PDP, APC, Northerner, Southerner, Christian or Muslim, it is in your personal interest that they survive and thrive!

That is the main reason why the Central Bank of Nigeria, like other reserve banks, is statutorily independent. Because a symbol of a nation’s independence and prominence, such as money, is too important to be left to the whims and caprices of things that are subject to sentiments.

This policy, and others like it, did not come out of nowhere. They did not arise out of a vacuum. Something or somethings happened, and they were responses to what some may even describe as existential financial threats to the nation.

The Naira was taking a big hit. It had to be controlled. Not influenced. Controlled. It took guts to do it. Because whatever you do, those benefitting from the status quo ante bellum will fight you. This new ATM limit is good. It will make cash scarce. And scarcity increases value!

Too many unnecessary things were affecting the Naira’s value. Spraying Naira notes at owambe.

Politicians carrying around huge caches of cash for rallies. Kidnappers and bandits flush with cash ransoms. Salary payments in cash. Something just had to give.

With nearly N3 trillion of raw cash flying around outside the banking system, there is surely too much supply of physical cash. How can over 85 percent of currency issued be held physically?

It shows too much abundance.

Someone at the Central Bank of Nigeria is a deep thinker. That person, or persons, understands the law of scarcity. The more an item is scarce, the more it rises in value, and the greater the desire to acquire it. This new ATM limit will increase Naira’s value, and make Nigerians work harder to acquire Naira, thereby increasing our GDP. The policy will ensure that the motive for wanting to hold physical cash is limited to unavoidable necessities.

When you limit a people’s freedom of choice to access anything with innate value, the limited item becomes more sought after. And that is one of the economics of illusion that the United States Federal Reserve Bank uses to shore up the value of the dollar. And now, to my great relief, the Central Bank of Nigeria is proving that it too can play that game.

There are ATM limits abroad. Even beyond that, there are other limits to what you can do with cash. For example, in both the United States and the United Kingdom, you can’t pay cash into an account that does not belong to you. Heavens did not fall when they introduced that policy.

Quite the opposite. Their currency rose in value.

Western nations do not exist for the benefit of developing nations. They keep telling you to allow market forces determine the value of your own currency. Do market forces alone determine the value of theirs? Last month, the Pound was collapsing. Did the Bank of England leave it to market forces alone?

Of course not. They panicked and intervened.

The chief economist of the Bank of England, Huw Pill, said that the Monetary Policy Committee "cannot be indifferent" to the collapse of the Pound and warned the public of a "significant" monetary policy response to come before the end of the year to shore up the pound.

That response came in the form of increased interest rates (it went up by 0.75% on Thursday, November 3, 2022), and on Thursday, December 8, 2022, it was announced that they are about to increase interest rates again, by another 0.50% by some projections.

When the Bank of England noticed a run on the Pound, they responded rapidly by jacking up interest rates to increase the yield available to

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele foreign direct investors on their British financial assets, which they hoped would lead to a rise in the value of the Pound. And it did.

We have seen a 13% rise in the value of the Pound between September 27, 2022 (when it exchanged for US$1.06 to £1) and December 9, 2022 (exchanging for US$1.23 to £1).

And the British government and people supported the Bank of England, because before their very own eyes, £500 billion was wiped out of their economy. With such colossal losses, you forget the free market and modern money theories, and do whatever is practically necessary for the survival of your currency and economy.

And that is what the Central Bank of Nigerians is now doing. Thankfully, the usually dull and economically clumsy President Buhari has seen it fit to not interfere. That shows that he definitely understands that the Nigerian economy must be strengthened in all ways possible, regardless of unscrupulous noises both from within and outside Nigeria.

The National Assembly is making grunting noises to placate the public. But this may merely be a misplaced bid to placate their constituents and secure another term in office.

But one of the main resistances to this patriotic act of the Central Bank of Nigeria in limiting ATM withdrawal is coming from the public, who do not yet understand that the policy is in their best interest. Specifically, bandits, kidnappers and urgent 2k girls may also scream as their cheap and iniquitous sources of income are terminated.

They are pressuring their men, and we feel the pressure on social media and the traditional media!

The Naira is too readily available. It needs to be less available as cash and more available as credit in banks, which is the lifeblood of an economy. Money will not be scarce in banks as digital and electronic cash remains very accessible and available, even in the most remote parts of the country. It is only the physical holding of cash that is restricted. And anybody that says they cannot do business except via cash is deliberately ignorant. They can. They just choose not to for reasons best known to them!

There is hardly any transaction that you need (not want) to do via cash that you cannot do with the new ATM limits. You can pay a bus conductor to get from point A to B, and you can buy groceries from the market. In fact, less cash will drive the cost of food and transport down!

To some thinking people, the N100,000 weekly

limit is even too much. How many honest, ordinary, and poor Nigerians require that amount consistently every week for a year? Many market women and men, artisans and MSMEs whose weekly transactions exceed the N100,000 limit already operate bank accounts. All of us have paid our mechanics, welders, carpenters, tailors, etc. via bank transfers. Even in the remotest villages, we have sent money to parents and relatives through their banks.

We must understand that what was happening with the Naira was a very desperate situation, and desperate illnesses sometimes require desperate remedies.

The ASUU strike was beyond the control of the Central Bank of Nigeria, however, the consequences of that strike shook the very foundations of that bank. Almost overnight, Nigerians seeking foreign higher education increased by almost a 1000%.

And then the supply chain crisis caused by the Russia/Ukraine war set in at a time Africa was already trying to grapple with the EthiopiaTigray crisis. Oil prices became unpredictable. The profligate Buhari administration was borrowing left, right and centre. And politicians were stockpiling cash for 2023.

Of all the responses that they could have taken, the Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria took what in my opinion is the best decision. They frustrated speculators, politicians, and criminal non-state actors, like bandits and kidnappers, with the Naira redesign.

Of course, politicians who are used to using bullion vans to influence elections will not take kindly to the new CBN ATM limits. Bullion vans were their main election strategy. Now, Emefiele has frustrated such plans. It is only commonsensical to expect them to fight back. We all saw the photo behind the son of a notorious politician which said “Money Inducements”. Those are the enemies of ATM limits.

It goes without saying that where there are ATM limits, “money inducement” will be almost impossible. That is why they are fighting the CBN’s new ATM limits. It has nothing to do with the poor. The poor do not need to have over 100,000 cash weekly. Election riggers do!

And now this new ATM limits will ensure that we do not return to the same situation that necessitated the redesign of the Naira. We too as citizens must show some patriotic discipline. Our financial actions have consequences on the Naira.

It is not left to the Central Bank of Nigeria alone.

Do not play with money. Devaluation and untamed inflation are dangerous. If you study history, almost all revolutions and epoch-defining social upheavals have always been ignited by devaluation and untamed inflation.

The French Revolution was sparked by the price of bread. The Bolshevik Revolution was set off by the economic policies of Tsar Nicholas II, which led to spiralling inflation, leading to mass starvation. The rise of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, which inevitably led to the Second World War, was due to the hyperinflation of the German Papiermark.

And whether or not we want to acknowledge it, the stated reason for the EndSARS protest may have been police brutality, but the real reason was food inflation. If you doubt me, ask yourself what police brutality had to do with the storming of palliative warehouses, which was a hallmark of the EndSARS protest.

Today, food inflation in Nigeria is over 23%, do we wait until we match the 99% food inflation in Turkey before we act judiciously?

You and I can afford to be shortsighted. However, those in control of our monetary policies cannot.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has continued to impress me recently with their penchant for lateral innovative thinking and unconventional solutions to Nigeria’s unique challenges.

I have met Alan Greenspan, probably one of the best central bankers in history. I sat for lunch at a restaurant with him. And believe me when I say that the actions of a country’s central bank often matter more than the actions of its President.

I urge Nigerians to have faith in the Emefiele-led Central Bank for now. He and his team have continued to act in good faith for the betterment of Nigerians. Believe that they have the best interest of you and your families at heart. Allow them the freedom to find homegrown solutions to our unique economic challenges.

Nigeria is at a critical stage. We must allow those institutions that must work independently go on with their independence if we want to retain and maintain our own national independence from those institutions that have kept Francophone Africa independent only in name.

While the jury is still out, we can nevertheless tell what type of day it is going to be by the morning we see. Things are looking less heady than they were two months ago. There is a lot less Naira instability.

We await the November Consumer Price Index from the National Bureau of Statistics.

Although this is the time of the year when festivities affect inflation, I am still optimistic that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s policies will show a year-on-year improvement.

And even if it does not, let us give them the benefit of the doubt until we see the Q1 figures for 2023.

On the issue of the so-called order by the House of Representatives to the Central Bank of Nigeria for it to suspend the new ATM limits, Governor Godwin Emefiele needs to demonstrate courage. First of all, these are politicians. One of the very classes of people targeted by this patriotic policy. They cannot be judges in their own case.

And the ‘order’ itself is not even worth the paper it is written on. Any high court of law should be able to set it aside. And it is unenforceable by the police or any other law enforcement body for the simple reason that the House of Representatives lacks the power to order the Central Bank of Nigeria or its Governor. Section 1 (3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 provides that “The Bank shall be an INDEPENDENT body”. Thus, I will counsel the CBN Governor, Emefiele, to ignore them!

Reno’s Nuggets Never tell your weakness to anyone, except God, your parents, or a professional therapist. Friends can quarrel with you, and the weaknesses you told them will be used by them against you. If anyone is not part of the solution, they don’t need to hear your weakness. Be like a One-Time Password. If somebody uses you once, then the password that they used to open your weaknesses should not work again. Don’t give people the master key that unlocks your vulnerabilities.

Refuse to be an open book that can be read by anybody! #RenosNuggets #FreeLeahSharibu

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WHO WANTS THE CASHLESS POLICY REVERSED? Nigeria needs constitutional reforms mutually agreed upon, to produce a government that is capable of serving the interests of all ethnic nationalities, write ONOAWARIẸ ẸDEVBIẸ and ARUEGODORE OYIBORHORO See page 25

THE GOLDEN SPARE TYRE JOSEF OMOROTIONMWAN argues that the Office of the Vice President is as important as the personality the occupant brings into it

See page 25 EDITORIAL

CBN AND CASH WITHDRAWAL LIMITS

26

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GODSWILL IHETU is heartened by the understanding that transition to cleaner energy should not happen at the cost of people’s livelihoods

TWO MAJOR TAKEAWAYS FOR NIGERIA AT COP 27 The Conference of Parties (COP) is an annual UN climate and nature summit, usually attended by heads of governments with the aim of arresting and controlling global warming and climate change arising there from. This year’s conference COP27 has just ended in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. It follows the last one in Glasgow a year ago and is tagged the “African COP” because of a number of Africa related agenda issues debated. Major outcomes of COP27 include two issues of major concern for Africa and Nigeria, namely the decision to set up a climate loss and damage fund and the resolution “phasing down” rather than “phasing out” the burning of fossil fuels.

Nigeria is among the top 10 of the world’s most climate vulnerable countries, though contributing one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and therefore had a major stake in the deliberations at COP27. After nearly 30 years of demanding that rich countries set up a fund for rescuing and rebuilding of communities stricken by climate disasters, at COP27 it was resolved to set up a climate loss and damage fund.

The fund would provide a lifeline for vulnerable, low-lying and low-income, poor communities who are impacted E\ VHYHUH FOLPDWH HYHQWV VXFK DV ÁRRGV hurricanes and drought brought about as a consequence of climate change. The fund would be set up within the next year by rich countries although other countries like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf VWDWHV ZHUH LGHQWLÀHG DV SRWHQWLDO GRQRUV 7KH IXQG ZLOO SURYLGH ÀQDQFH WR UHEXLOG the physical and social infrastructure of countries ravaged by extreme weather events. Setting up the fund is considered a major victory for poor countries who have argued that they deserve to be compensated by wealthy countries which have been the source of vast majority of emissions into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution that have brought about climate change.

Wealthy countries have continued to kick against this fearing that this would be legally admitting liability and having to pay “climate reparations” for climate damages, especially against fossil fuel companies.

In the debates and negotiations, wealthy countries were facing mounting pressure by developing countries to be compensated for loss and damage from climate change.

But the wealthy countries also counter by saying that paying for loss and damage can divert funds earmarked for other JOREDO FOLPDWH ÀQDQFLQJ LQ VXSSRUW IRU poor countries, especially the pledges made by wealthy countries at the 2009 summit in Copenhagen where they pledged to provide $100b annually to support the poor countries in investments that would support climate mitigation measures. They argue

WKDW LW PLJKW DOVR LPSDFW RWKHU ÀQDQFLQJ IRU ERGLHV VXSSRUWLQJ FOLPDWH ÀQDQFHV WKURXJK multi- lateral aids. +RZ GRHV 1LJHULD EHQHÀW IURP WKLV IXQG" 7KH UHFHQW ÁRRG GLVDVWHUV LQ 1LJHULD and Pakistan were cited as examples of where such funding would be applied. An Associated Press (AP) news report cites the World Weather Attribution group, in the report of a study released during the conference, found that climate change was overwhelmingly behind the heavy rains last rainy season in Nigeria. The season was 20% wetter than normal and led to massive ÁRRGLQJ WKDW OHIW RYHU SHRSOH GHDG and about 1.2 million people displaced, with worse to come as global average temperature continues to rise.

“We will see very intense rains in the region in the coming years” according to climatologist Friederike Otto of Imperial College London, leader of the study.

Scientists called for more concrete policies to enhance their work and greater investments in weather stations in the region to inform their work in future, and also investments in early warning systems to enhance their level of preparedness and help communities in Nigeria prepare for extreme weather events. These are adaptation measures which require huge resources for building structures. The Nigerian government has its work cut out in utilizing these ideas without further delay especially as the government TXDOLÀHV WR EHQHÀW IURP WKHLU ORVV DQG damage fund. African countries must follow up to ensure that this fund becomes a reality before COP28 holds next year.

Another item that was of great interest for Nigeria in the deliberations was the issue of the production of fossil fuels, coal and oil and gas. It was agreed that fossil fuels are to be “phased down” not “phased out”. Some delegates accused Egypt, who are hosts and president of COP27, of producing a text that “protects oil and gas petro-states and the fossil fuel industries.” African countries vigorously argued that they must be allowed to continue producing their gas assets.

The question was how Africa can balance economic growth while helping to save the planet in tackling global warming? Can Africa grow without production of fossil

fuels? African countries took the position that if Africa is to join the rest of the world to hastily abandon fossil fuel use, it can be damaging to the region’s economy, because Africa needs to raise living standards of its populace by exploiting its fossil fuel endowment. They insist that for resource poor countries of Africa, poverty reduction, energy security and economic development have priority over de-carbonization.

African leaders want funding to exploit African extensive gas reserves to generate electricity in a continent where about 90% RI WKH SRSXODWLRQ RU DERXW PLOOLRQ people have no access to electricity. African delegates argue that the continent emissions is less than 4% of global emissions and see no reason why they should pay for the acts of commission by developed countries which have used fossil fuels to industrialize their economies over a period of two centuries.

They assert that advanced countries which have been responsible for the highest emissions per capital should bear heavier responsibility for achieving the global target of limiting temperature increase.

Some African nations say they have the right and want to use their gas resources while they transit to renewables. Some argue natural gas can be strategically used to maximize Africa’s well being. Africa DUJXHV IRU ´-XVW DQG $ͿRUGDEOH (QHUJ\ Transition” and insists that energy sources have to be accessible, available and reliable, and natural gas ticks all these boxes.

I strongly support the Africa position and have argued that Africa must invest in renewable energy sources as a matter of urgency but also continue to exploit its gas resources, in particular. After all, the energy transition requires that nobody should be left behind. Transition to cleaner energy should not happen at the cost of people’s OLYHOLKRRGV DQG $IULFD KDV D JODULQJ GHÀFLW of electricity and cooking fuels.

The president African Development Bank, our own Akinwunmi Adesina weighed in to support Africa’s position. Africa needs revenues from its gas reserves to invest in economic development, and in renewable energy projects and in climate change adaptation and mitigation, especially as pledges and promises by wealthy countries KDYH ODUJHO\ QRW EHHQ IXOÀOOHG 1LJHULD Egypt, Algeria and now Mozambique hold substantial gas reserves and should be allowed to exploit them, after all Exxon, a major oil company is active in Guyana GHYHORSLQJ QHZ RLO ÀHOGV ZKLOH WKH %ULWLVK are active in the North Sea prospecting for oil and gas.

Dr Ihetu is a former MD/CEO of Nigeria LNG and former Group ED, NNPC

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022

Nigeria needs constitutional reforms mutually agreed upon, to produce a government that is capable of serving the interests of all ethnic nationalities, write ONOAWARIẸ ẸDEVBIẸ and ARUEGODORE OYIBORHORO

WHITHER URHOBOLAND IN THE AGITATION FOR RESTRUCTURING? 7KH 1LJHULDQ 6WDWH LV SODJXHG E\ D myriad of problems: political, economic and security - challenges that threaten not just the stability but the very survival of the nation. The internal problems include the resilient Boko Haran Islamic insurgency that started in the north-east, the long-running militancy in the Niger Delta, the increasing violence between herders and farming communities that began in the Middle Belt and has spread all over the country including Urhoboland DQG RWKHU DUHDV LQ 6RXWKHUQ 1LJHULD As a result of these internal issues, the economy has been pushed into a dire situation, as neither the states nor the federal government are able to provide the necessary security that would enable them to compete with one another, and grow the economy: create jobs, raise revenue, and invest in infrastructure as needed for the development of the country. In the midst of the consequent massive unemployment and insecurity, the states have become so incapacitated that they are unable to deliver any tangible dividends of democracy.

The Nigerian Punch Newspaper echoed Nigeria’s problems more explicitly in its editorial of July 28, 2021. The paper described Nigeria as the 12th most fragile in a survey of 170 countries according to WKH )UDJLOH 6WDWHV ,QGH[ RI 1LJHULD KDV displaced India since 2018 as the Poverty Capital of the World, with over 90 million persons living below the poverty level.

As many as 13.2 million children have no DFFHVV WR VFKRRO 7KH 1RUZHJLDQ 5HIXJH Council has listed Nigeria as a country with the seventh-highest number of internally displaced persons in the world.

7KH VWDWH RI DͿDLUV KDV EHHQ PDGH ZRUVH by frequent power outages, high levels of unemployment, incessant hunger and lack of security, problems that many consider responsible for the rise of violent crimes including the vandalizing of properties belonging to others, kidnapping and the wanton killing of innocent persons.

The inability of successive Nigerian governments to resolve problems has become worrisome particularly for ethnic minorities like the Urhobo people. The situation has become frustrating for many DV HYHU\ OHJLVODWLYH HͿRUW WR UHVWUXFWXUH the political system to bring about some semblance of stability to the country has failed. The stumbling block has been the unethical use of certain provisions of a military-imposed constitution by PDMRULW\ JURXSV LQ 1LJHULD WR VWLÁH DQ\ meaningful discussion of ways to end the VXͿHULQJ RI WKH SHRSOH 7KH DSSOLFDWLRQ of such constitutional maneuvers has WKH XQIRUWXQDWH HͿHFW RI VXERUGLQDWLQJ the rights and aspirations of the people especially those of ethnic minorities. The recourse to alternatives to the legislative process has led to the rise of militant separatist movements that have now expanded to include the once moderate voices, all working together in the struggle for self-determination. Thus the combination of social maladies such as injustice, marginalization, oppression, insecurity, hegemony and nepotism to name a few, have instigated many to join groups agitating for restructuring and even the break-up of Nigeria. These groups are

determined to assert their identities and claim their perceived rights. They have gone as far to put forward proposals for self-government including the drawing of political maps to delineate territories or areas of jurisdiction as sovereign states should the country break-up.

In more recent times, a number of socialcultural organizations interested in selfgovernment have also taken to other extraparliamentary measures, including asking the Nigerian court to order a referendum, to determine the will of the people. The &RDOLWLRQ RI 1RUWKHUQ *URXSV &1* IRU example, had sued the Nigerian National Assembly, and the Attorney-General and the Federal Minister of Justice, asking the court to compel the defendants to halt the ongoing constitutional review and to conduct, instead a referendum to determine the future of Nigeria. The suit ZDV ÀOHG LQLWLDOO\ WR VHHN UHIHUHQGXP to determine the fate of an independent 6WDWH RI %LDIUD LQ WKH VRXWK HDVW RI 1LJHULD Other ethnic groups have now sought WR EH MRLQHG DV SODLQWLͿV LQ WKH EHOLHI WKDW all ethnic nationalities have a stake in the future of the country and should come together to decide on what the future VKRXOG EH 6RPH SHUWLQHQW TXHVWLRQV WR DVN at this point include one, whither Urhobo LQ WKLV ÁRZ RI SROLWLFDO GHYHORSPHQWV" Two, should any Urhobo group such as Urhobo Progress Union or Urhobo +LVWRULFDO 6RFLHW\ 8+6 DOVR VHHN WR MRLQ DV SODLQWLͿV LQ WKH FRXUW FDVH WR SURWHFW 8UKRER LQWHUHVWV" 7KUHH ZKDW DUH WKH concerns of Urhobo people in this issue of restructuring and possible dissolution of 1LJHULD" While the Urhobo people identify with the rights and aspirations of ethnic nationalities for self-determination, Urhobo people have cause to be FRQFHUQHG ZLWK WKH HͿRUWV RI VRPH JURXSV FUHDWLQJ DUELWUDU\ FRQÀJXUDWLRQ RI SROLWLFDO XQLWV 6RPH RI WKH SROLWLFDO PDSV have been drawn in ways that encroach on territories belonging to other ethnic nationalities. Urhoboland, for example is being included, without consultation and the consent of the people, in some maps as parts and parcels, of a future Oduduwa 5HSXEOLF DQG DW WKH VDPH WLPH RI WKH 5HSXEOLF RI %LDIUD ERWK RI ZKLFK DUH WR be controlled by non-Urhobo groups: the Yoruba and Igbo-speaking peoples respectively.

The Urhobo before the colonial arrangements that produced Nigeria as a country, were not known to have DQ\ FXOWXUDO RU KLVWRULFDO D΀OLDWLRQ ZLWK either the Yoruba or the Igbo peoples or any other structural ties that would justify the brazen attempts to incorporate Urhobo people. Urhobo like some other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria’s Niger Delta was an autonomous political and cultural entity before the advent of British colonialism. The attempts to carve Warri areas out of Urhoboland, and incorporate WKHP LQWR DQ 2GXGXZD 5HSXEOLF EHJDQ when the colonial government of Western Nigeria illegally designated the Itsekiri King as the Olu of Warri in 1952. ̤GHYEL̥ and 'U 2\LERUKRUR are Secretary and President of Urhobo Historical Society

JOSEF OMOROTIONMWAN argues that the Office of the Vice President is as important as the personality the occupant brings into it

THE GOLDEN SPARE TYRE Our focus today is on an aspect of a JRYHUQPHQW IXQFWLRQDU\ WKH R΀FH RI WKH 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW RI WKH )HGHUDO 5HSXEOLF of Nigeria, which the former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in his usual manner and the character of academia, lifted to the front burner lately. In this discussion, reference to the Vice President shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the Deputy Governor of a state and the Vice Chairman of a Local Government.

6RPHWLPHV LQ D GHURJDWRU\ PDQQHU WKH Vice President is referred to as a spare tyre in a way that seems to suggest that he could be only as valuable as a spare tyre in an old car. To such people, ordinarily, there comes a time when the spare tyre could be more

important than the four other tyres of the car.

You are on a night’s journey from Abuja WR %HQLQ &LW\ 2QH W\UH JRHV ÁDW VRPHZKHUH between Okene and Okpella, the kidnap zone of Nigeria. It is 2:00 am. You have a choice to make between sleeping in the disabled car and feeding yourself to the kidnappers and À[LQJ WKH VSDUH W\UH DQG JHWWLQJ WR %HQLQ &LW\ in one piece.

That spare tyre you always looked down upon has taken you home and you can now sing, “Last night the spare tyre saved my life!” It is a golden spare tyre.

6LPLODUO\ XQNQRZQ WR PDQ\ WKH 2΀FH RI WKH 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW LV WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQW R΀FH that anyone can freely ride into and become an instant celebrity around the world.

The framers of our Constitution realized early enough that it was not good for the President to be alone. They decided to provide a running mate for him. /HW·V VKRZ \RX KRZ IUHH WKDW R΀FH LV $W ÀUVW KH GLG QRW KDYH WR EH D PHPEHU RI any political party. He could be someone who had impressed a ranking member of a political party in one way or the other, and his name comes up for mention at the appropriate time.

He did not partake in all the risks that politicians take at the formative stage of the party. At that stage, you were lucky to be nominated to take part in the risk. Only one man was in-charge of bank-rolling the party.

For those conventions in Abuja, we were packed into Edo Municipal Transport buses VLWWLQJ VWDQGLQJ :H WRRN RͿ DW pm. We travelled all night and arrived in Abuja around 5:00 am. On a lucky day, we were driven to a cranky guest house from where we proceeded to the International Conference Centre after seemingly freshening XS :H ZHUH DOZD\V WKH ÀUVW WR DUULYH DW WKH Conference Centre for the Convention.

When the Convention ended around 5:00 pm., we hopped onto the buses and headed straight for Benin; arriving at about 10:00 pm.

The vice president, in most cases, has no baptism in any of this. Where he is not yet a party member, he must quickly go and register in his Ward 10 at Ogidigbo Local Government. He is already on his way to fame.

2QFH QRPLQDWHG KH ULGHV LQWR R΀FH on the back of the President - without paying any nomination fee or buying any form. As soon as the election is won, he automatically becomes the Number Two citizen of the country of 250 million people.

His status has changed forever. Across the world, he now wines and dines with Kings and Queens instead of dining with Local Government Counsellors. He might have been living at Maroko, but he must now migrate permanently to Victoria Island or any other better place of his choice. He is transformed forever!

Most importantly, he enjoys all the LPPXQLWLHV DWWDFKHG WR WKH 2΀FH RI WKH President. $JDLQ WKH 2΀FH RI WKH 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW is only as important as the personality the RFFXSDQW EULQJV LQWR LW 7KH TXDOLÀFDWLRQ for being Vice President is the same as that of the President.

It is not by accident, but rather by Divine Providence that Nigeria has always had Vice Presidents that are better than their bosses in every respect – more educationally equipped, healthier and all that.

In this world, you must look the role you want to play. You can’t be a school principal looking like a cocoa farmer.

We saw the personality and carriage that ebullient Dr. Alex Ekweme brought into WKDW R΀FH LQ WKH 6HFRQG 5HSXEOLF +H brought a lot of respectability into it.

As Mark Twain would say, “When you get to a place, you look for what you want; and if it is not there you create it.”

6XFK LV WKH 2΀FH RI WKH 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW Even in the Military regime, when Tunde Idiagbon got there, he carved out an empire for himself. He took all the tough decisions and all the good things were credited to him, with only the draconian Decrees left for General Muhammadu Buhari, as he then was. It was Idiagbon that propelled that Presidency.

We witnessed with keen interest, the ascendency of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan IURP 'HSXW\ *RYHUQRU RI %D\HOVD 6WDWH WR Vice President and ultimately, President RI 1LJHULD )URP WKH 2΀FH RI D 'HSXW\ Governor, he rose quickly to the highest R΀FH LQ WKH /DQG [Enter the incumbent Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo]: William 6KDNHVSHDUH FLWHG KLV W\SH LQ Cassius in the famous work, Julius Ceaser, “Let me have about me men that are fat; sleek-headed men; and such that sleep all night. Cassius is lean and hungryORRNLQJ 6XFK PHQ DUH GDQJHURXVµ <HV positively dangerous, this is one ebullient Professor of Law and one man who could test positive for Christianity any day. He is at home with any subject, any time.

With his power of oratory, he can easily command a monkey to jump down from the tree top. During the short time he was acting President, he gave meaning, form and shape to the Presidency.

Omorotionmwan writes from Canada

26 4

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EDITORIAL

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

CBN AND CASH WITHDRAWAL LIMITS The interest of bank depositors is paramount

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The informal sector in Nigeria is mostly unbanked and cashdependent, inflation has eroded the purchasing power of the Naira, necessitating larger cash requirements T H I S D AY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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L-R: FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA, HONOURABLE JUSTICE ALFA BELGORE GCON; CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA, HONOURABLE JUSTICE OLUKAYODE ARIWOOLA GCON; CHAIRMAN OF THE BODY OF BENCHERS, CHIEF OLUWOLE OLANIPEKUN CFR, SAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BODY OF BENCHERS, HON. JUSTICE MARY PETER-ODILI CFR, JSC (RTD)

December 2022 Call to Bar Ceremony

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Power of Appellate Court to Reframe, Modify or Reject Parties Issues

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Page IV N; CHIEF A BELGORE GCO THE E JUSTICE ALF , HONOURABL CHAIRMAN OF WOOLA GCON; TICE OF NIGERIA ARI JUS F BODY ODE CHIE THE KAY OLU L-R: FORMER CHAIRMAN OF ABLE JUSTICE SAN AND VICE ERIA, HONOUR NIPEKUN CFR, OLA JUSTICE OF NIG LE WO OLU ) CHERS, CHIEF DILI CFR, JSC (RTD BODY OF BEN MARY PETER-O HON. JUSTICE OF BENCHERS,

SPACO Annual Luncheon/Lecture: Emphasis on Talent Attraction and Retention

l l a C 2 2 0 2 r e b Decem y n o m e r e C r a to B JI ADELEKE

Page V

QUOTABLE ‘How do you successfully prosecute?

You have to make arrest, INEC has no Police….You have to investigate; that you provide the evidence that will lead to successful prosecution; INEC has no capacity to conduct investigations…..Since 2009, Committees set up on electoral reform, have recommended an Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal….’ - Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, INEC

COLUMNIST DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, CON, SAN, FCIARE, PH.D. LLD Constitutional Democracy, means a system of government, in which political and governmental power, is defined, limited and shared by a grundnorm called the Constitution, which provides inbuilt checks and balances.

This column seeks to fiercely discuss constitutional, legal and political issues, with a view to strengthening, deepening and widening the plenitude and amplitude of democracy and good governance, without fear or favour.

The writer of this column, Dr. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is a Constitutional Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, Pro-Democracy Campaigner, Notary Public and Motivational Speaker. He co-founded the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Nigeria’s pioneer human rights league, on October 15, 1987, the Universal defenders of Democracy (UDD), in 1992, and with Chief Gani Fawehinmi and others in 1998, the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON), to push out the military. In his early days, he lectured at the University of Ife. Dr. Ozekhome is an author of many books. He is also a Special Counsel at the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.

LAWYER

Justice Rita OfiliAjumogobia Reinstated as Federal High Court Judge Page V

US-Based AGAAfrica Trains Law Officers in Imo on Effective ACJL Page V

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE: EDITOR, JUDE IGBANOI: DEPUTY EDITOR, PETER TAIWO, STEVE AYA: REPORTERS

III THE ADVOCATE

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

A Case for Filling Court Vacancies Excessive Number of Election Petitions was just wondering to myself whether there’s any other country in the world like Nigeria, where they have as many election-related matters and petitions as we do, and the court system more or less grinds to a halt in order to accommodate them only during election season! After the 2019 general elections, the former President of the Court of Appeal, Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa (Rtd), stated that there were over 800 election petitions (I do not think this figure included pre-election matters). Is this an indication that there’s something wrong with our electoral process, which thankfully, is being reformed - the outcome of the reformation which we will see after the 2023 elections? Or perhaps, is there something wrong with majority of our Nigerian politicians, including not having game spirit and being sore losers, since it’s almost automatic for most election primaries or actual election losers to rush to court or the tribunal to try to win elections via the courts, having lost sometimes fair and square through the actual electoral process? Either way, with a court system whose wheels already move ever so slowly, the general public whose matters are set aside pending the resolution of election-related matters suffer the brunt of the delays occasioned by these election matters. As the saying goes, “Justice delayed, is Justice denied”.

I

Constitutional Provisions Granted, Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution) sets some time lines for the completion of pre-election matters - about 342 days from start to finish (Section 285 (9)-(12)) and about 321 days from start to finish for election petitions (Section 285 (5)-(7)).

So, for instance, High Court Judges who are seconded to Election Tribunals will be away from their stations for six months, while those who hear pre-election matters in their courts must also conclude in the same six months.

But, the truth of the matter is that it is not only election matters that have time lines for processing and completion. For instance, Section 35(3), (4)(a) & (5) sets time limits for an accused person who is arrested to be brought before a court of law and tried, or be released unconditionally or on bail. Meanwhile, most of those in custody have been awaiting trial for years, some have not even been informed of their offence. Criminal matters like this are set aside, in favour of political cases, even when they involve the fundamental rights of persons, including their right to personal liberty guaranteed by Section 35 of the Constitution! Does this mean that, election matters are more important than the enforcement of the fundamental rights of Nigerians?

For example, Section 35(5)(a) of the Constitution provides inter alia that, if an accused person is arrested or detained in any place where there is a court of competent jurisdiction within a radius of 40km, maybe in Ikeja, Lagos, he/she ‘shall’ be brought before a court of law within one day (see the case of Ugwu v Ararume 2007 12 N.W.L.R. Part 1048 Page 367 at 441-442 per Niki Tobi JSC on the term ‘shall’ being mandatory/a command in a statute) and tried within two or three months from the date of arrest (depending on if the accused is in custody or not entitled to bail, or has been released on bail). This means that the trial of a Defendant arrested in Ikeja or within Enugu or Kano metropolis, if he/she isn’t entitled to bail, should be commenced within two months from the date of his/her arrest or remand in custody. If such arrests take place and cases have already been assigned to courts in which Judges have gone on Electoral

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive. com onikepob@yahoo.com

The

Advocate “One would imagine that with the elections being upon us, and with the foreknowledge that many Judges and Justices will be involved in election matters, thereby more or less grinding our court system to a halt, there would be a rush to fill the 20 vacancies in the Court of Appeal forthwith (and vacancies in all other courts)…..”

Tribunal Duty, maybe their pleas have already been taken, such unfortunate Defendants will probably have to wait until the courts resume sitting. This constitutional provision is observed mostly in its breach, with prisons all over the country being predominantly over-populated with accused persons either awaiting trial trial, or with partheard matters.

But, once Judges hearing these matters are appointed as Election Tribunal Judges, these criminal matters which also have time limits are put on hold for months on end, while the Judges are doing Election Tribunal service! Section 315 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 (ACJA) even provides inter alia that where a Magistrate or Judge is unavoidably absent, in the case of Judge, this could be when such judicial officer is serving on an Election Tribunal, if the judgement in a criminal matter has already been reduced into writing by the said Judge, another Judge may read the judgement in open court.

Is this ever done?

Section 396(3) of ACJA provides that once a Defendant has been arraigned, a trial shall proceed daily until it is concluded; and where a day-to-day trial isn’t practicable, no party shall be granted more than five adjournments from arraignment to judgement with no

more than a 14 day interval between each adjournment. This means that if there’s one Defendant in a criminal trial and both the Defendant and Prosecutor exercise their rights to five adjournments each, the whole trial shouldn’t last more than about seven months in total, 90 days given to deliver judgement after cases have been closed and final addresses adopted (at least less than one year).

Unfortunately, while these time lines in criminal matters which involve matters of liberty etc are mostly never met, let alone those in civil matters, electionrelated matters are given priority over them. Normal cases can take up to 20 years to be finally determined at the Supreme Court; meanwhile, election matters are in and out of all the courts in about a year or less!

Court of Appeal Recruitment Process Last week, I discussed weak institutions and used two recruitment processes for the Court of Appeal as an example - that in the 2020/2021 recruitment process, the former NBA President, Olumide Akpata had revealed that some of the shortlisted candidates did not know basic legal concepts like ‘Lis Pendens’ and were expected to learn on the job, as if a court as important and crucial as the Intermediate Court,

Court of Appeal, some of whose Justices would eventually constitute the Supreme Court, is a Law Faculty or the Nigerian Law School, while in the present recruitment exercise, the Computer Based Test (CBT) was cancelled because some candidates for position of Court of Appeal Justice are not computer literate.

I laughed when I read the case of Federal Republic of Nigeria v Abdul 2007 5 EFCLR Page 204 at 228 in which the Defendant was arrested by the EFCC and arraigned on a two-count charge of being in possession of documents containing false pretences contrary to Section 6(8)(b) and 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act (scam emails which he had used to defraud innocent victims).

The trial Judge, who obviously couldn’t have been computer literate, likened the sending of an email to the physical posting of a letter at the post office, and held inter alia that, the Accused cannot be guilty of being in possession of a letter that he has written and posted. Obviously, the Judge was not aware that in the Email regime, there’s the Inbox, Drafts, Outbox, Sent, Junk and Bin! Neither was he aware that when an email is dispatched, it goes to the Sent Box of the Sender, and the Inbox or even Junk Mail of the Receiver; and so, unlike a physical letter that is dispatched at the post office and is no longer in the possession of the Sender, in the case of an email, the Sender still has possession of an email that has been sent, as it will remain in the Sent Box until it is deleted. It is when an email goes into the Sent Box of the Sender, that one is aware that an email has been successfully sent. In this day and age, it is imperative that judicial officers are not only computer literate, but are at least able to understand the rudiments of the digital age which we are in.

One would imagine that with the elections being upon us, and with the foreknowledge that many Judges and Justices will be involved in election matters, thereby more or less grinding our court system to a halt, there would be a rush to fill the 20 vacancies in the Court of Appeal forthwith (and vacancies in all other courts), so that, at least, the Court of Appeal is complete before the February 2023 elections, and maybe there will be a few of them left to hear non-election-related appeals. We therefore, call upon the National Judicial Council (NJC) to use this holiday season to hasten the recruitment of the Court of Appeal Justices and complete the process now in the interest of justice for Nigerians, so that by February 2023, the new JCAs will already be in their positions.

Conclusion Just as there’s a clamour for an Election Offences Commission, there is also another demand for a dedicated Election Petition Tribunal. Some have also suggested that retired Judges be co-opted into the Election Tribunal regime, so that sitting Judges will be able to face their own dockets squarely.

A constitutional amendment may however, be required for retired judicial officers to be able to participate. My dear colleagues, kindly, share your opinion on this issue.

Given the fact that election-matters should be time bound, so as not to make a court decision not just an empty, academic one if it stays for the usual long number of years in the court system, with judgement coming after the term of office has been completed and maybe the rightful occupant of the position never occupying the said position because of the delay in getting judgement, how can we surmount this problem of rising number of election-related matters, and giving them priority in the court system to the detriment of all other cases, especially as this practice raises issues of unconstitutionality and illegality in relation to the neglected matters?

IV LAW REPORT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

Power of Appellate Court to Reframe, Modify or Reject Parties Issues Facts The Respondent was a customer of the Appellant with loan Account No. 0030015642617 (Multiple Facilities Account – “MFA”). The Respondent, who alleged wrongful, irregular and unethical manner by which its MFA was operated, commenced an action against the Appellant (as Defendant/Counterclaimant) at the Federal High Court. It prayed the court for the following, among others: (i) an Order directing the Appellant to credit the Respondent’s Account No. 0030015642617, with the Appellant, with the sum of N3,441,529,445.17K (Three billion, four hundred and forty-one million, five hundred and twenty-nine thousand four hundred and forty-five Naira, seventeen Kobo) representing the total sum of the unauthorised and wrongful charges, deductions and interest that would have accrued to the Respondent, had its instructions to the Appellant been carried out on its account; and (ii) An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the Appellant from any further unauthorised charges, deductions and/or withholding any sum of the Respondent’s Account No. 0030015642617.

The Appellant filed its defence and a Counterclaim, denying any wrongful or irregular operation of the Respondent’s account contrary to the banking practice and regulations. In its Counterclaim, the Appellant alleged that the Respondent was indebted to it in the total sum of N12,804,121,542.49K (Twelve billion, eight hundred and four million, one hundred and twenty-one thousand five hundred and forty-two Naira, forty-nine Kobo), being the sum afforded the Respondent vide multiple loan facilities in respect of Account No. 0030015642617. The Appellant also alleged that it paid a total sum of N11,623,537,500.00 (Eleven billion, six hundred and twenty-three million, five hundred and thirty-seven thousand, five hundred and thirty-seven thousand, five hundred Naira) being the value of 46,464,150 units of shares in the Respondent company underwritten by the Appellant.

Further, it was the Appellant’s position that the Respondent (i) defaulted in the repayment of the loan facility, despite repeated demands for payment by the Appellant, and (ii) failed to deliver up to the Appellant the 46,464,150 units of shares underwritten and paid for by the Appellant. While the Respondent refuted the allegations on the premise that it was not indebted to the Appellant, and that it did not act in an unlawful manner in the sale of the said shares as it acted in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) directives in selling the shares, the Appellant insisted that the Respondent was indebted to it given the purported loan facilities, and that the sale of the said shares constituted an illegality.

At the conclusion of trial, the trial court granted the reliefs sought by the Respondent and dismissed the Appellant’s Counter-claim. The Appellant, who was aggrieved by the decision of the trial court, appealed to the Court of Appeal. At the Court of Appeal, the Appellant’s appeal was heard, determined and allowed in part. The appellate court set aside the award of the sum of N3,441,529,445.17K (three billion, four hundred and forty-one million, five hundred and twenty-nine thousand, four hundred and forty-five Naira, seventeen Kobo) claimed by the Respondent as excess interest and commission on turnover charges from the account of the Respondent, while resolving other issues against the Appellant.

Still not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal, the Appellant lodged a further appeal to the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal. The Respondent filed a Preliminary Objection, challenging some grounds of the appeal. The Respondent also filed its Cross-appeal in respect of the monetary award in the sum of N3,441,529,445.17K (Three billion, four hundred and forty-one million, five hundred and twenty-nine thousand four hundred and forty-five Naira, seventeen Kobo), which was set aside by the Court of Appeal.

Issues for Determination The Appellant raised seven issues for determination from its grounds, while the Respondent/Cross-appellant raised two issues for determination. The Appellant’s issues were thus: 1. Whether the lower court did not err and occasion a gross miscarriage of justice to the Appellant, when it jettisoned the Appellant’s issues 1-8 which are issues of law formulated from grounds of law contained in the Appellant’s appeal based upon a sole issue it reformulated from an omnibus ground of appeal contained in ground 9 of the Appellant’s Notice of Appeal.

2. Whether the lower court was right when it refused to apply and give effect to the provisions of Section 133 of the Evidence Act 2011 in respect of the facts and admission contained in the pleadings of the Respondent and the testimonies of its witnesses, PW1 & PW2 in respect of the sums of over N12.8

refuted the Appellant’s arguments in general terms, and proffered counter-arguments to the issues addressed by counsel for the Appellant. On issue two, counsel submitted that the finding of the court that the Appellant was unable to prove the Respondent’s indebtedness to it as per its Counter-claim, is grounded in law. He submitted further that the sanction imposed on the Appellant by SEC for infraction was lawful, and the issue of its illegality cannot be raised by the Appellant without joining SEC to the proceedings. In respect of its Cross-appeal, it was argued in favour of the Respondent/Cross-Appellant that the lower court erred in dismissing its monetary award of N3,441,529,445.17K (Three billion, four hundred and forty-one million, five hundred and twenty-nine thousand four hundred and forty-five Naira, seventeen Kobo) representing the illegal bank charges and deductions by the Appellant.

Honourable Tijjani Abubakar, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 8th day of July, 2022 Before Their Lordships Olukayode Ariwoola (Ag. Chief Justice of Nigeria) Uwani Musa Abba-Aji Mohammed Lawal Garba Adamu Jauro Tijjani Abubakar Justices, Supreme Court SC/CV/1006/2020 Between Polaris Bank Ltd …

Formerly (Skye Bank Plc)

…

Forte Oil Plc… … …

(Formerly African Petroleum Plc)

…

…

Appellant

And …

…

…

Respondent

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Tijjani Abubakar, JSC) billion and N11.6 billion owed to the Appellant by the Respondent.

3. Whether the lower court did not infringe on the Appellant’s constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing, when it failed to consider the submission contained in the Appellant’s Reply Brief of Argument before arriving at its final judgement.

4. Whether the lower court’s judgement did not offend the principles of equity and justice and thereby occasion gross injustice to the Appellant, when it allowed the Respondent to keep and retain the sum of N24 Billion being monies due to the Appellant from loan facilities afforded to the Respondent and proceeds of the sale of 46,464,150 units of shares belonging to the Appellant, which were admittedly unpaid and unremitted to the Appellant by the Respondent.

5. Whether the lower court was right when it dismissed the Appellant’s Counter-claim, on the ground that the Respondent’s sale of the Appellant’s shares in the Respondent purportedly on the directive of the Securities and Exchange Commission was justified in law, and if this question is answered in the negative, whether the Appellant is entitled to either the underwritten shares unlawfully converted and sold by the Respondent or their value.

6. Whether the fact that the Respondent’s statements of account concerning the multiple facilities the Appellant granted the Respondent was not before the trial court, is a sufficient ground for the lower court to dismiss the Appellant’s Counter-claim as it relates to the Respondent’s indebtedness, in the light of the admissions of the Respondent in its pleadings and the testimonies of PW1 and PW2.

“….An appellate court has the power, in the interest of justice to reject, modify or reframe any issues formulated by the litigating parties.

The power of court has never been in doubt, as long as the issue reframed is anchored on the Grounds of Appeal filed by the party”

7. Whether the lower court in finding that the underwritten fees were paid to liquidate the Respondent’s outstanding indebtedness to the Appellant ought not to find as a corollary that the Appellant is entitled to either (1) the shares in respect of which the underwritten fees were paid for or (2) the value of the shares.

The Respondent/Cross-Appellant formulated the issues below for determination: 1. Whether having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the Appellant’s right to fair hearing was breached and/or impaired by the trial Judge.

2. Whether the findings of fact affirmed by the lower court were properly arrived at having regard to the pleadings, burden and standard of proof and the totality of the evidence adduced before the trial court.

Arguments Arguing the appeal, counsel for the Appellant contended that the lower court erred and occasioned a miscarriage of justice when the court did away with issues 1-8 it formulated and resorted to formulating a sole issue from the omnibus Ground of Appeal. Reliance was placed on AJIBONA v KOLAWOLE (1996) 1 NWLR (Pt. 476) 22 in arguing the position of the Supreme Court that an issue of law in an appeal cannot be validly raised in an omnibus Ground of Appeal. It was also argued in favour of the Appellant that certain claims were admitted by the Respondent in the course of proceedings at trial and vide pleadings i.e., the acknowledgment of debt claimed by the Appellant. On the third issue, it was argued for the Appellant that the lower court does not have the discretion to discountenance the Reply Brief filed by the Appellant. With regard to the purported agreements i.e., the Multiple Facilities Loan Agreement and the Shares Underwriting Agreement, counsel for the Appellant submitted that the lower court erred in dismissing its claims especially as there was an alleged admission of indebtedness by the Respondent. In effect, the Appellant challenged the lower court’s decision to uphold the trial court’s decision in its issues five, six and seven. Counsel maintained that the sale of the shares by the Respondent, amounted to an illegality.

Counsel for the Respondent/Cross-Appellant

Court’s Judgement and Rationale In determining the appeal, the Apex Court resolved to hear and determine the PO filed by the Respondent/Cross-Appellant before delving into the substantive appeal. The PO was targeted at the competence of grounds 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 contained in the Notice of Appeal, to the effect that the said grounds consisted of mixed law and fact for which prior leave of court ought to have been sought and obtained before filing of the appeal. The Apex Court held that the PO was merely targeted at some grounds of the appeal; thus, an admission by the Respondent/Cross-Appellant that the appeal could be sustained on other grounds. It was on this premise, and the principle that a singular ground can sustain an appeal, that the Apex Court struck out the PO. The Apex Court placed reliance on judicial authorities like CROME AIR SERVICES LIMITED & ORS v FIDELITY BANK (2017) LPELR-43470(SC).

Regarding the contention of the Appellant on issue one that the lower court had no discretion to collapse the issues formulated for determination, and particularly to reformulate an issue from the omnibus ground of appeal, the Apex Court disagreed with the arguments, and held that it is elementary that our courts are vested with enormous powers to collapse issues for determination crafted by parties, in the course of settling an appeal. … - SANUSI v AYOOLA & ORS (1992) LPELR-3009. … An appellate court has the power, in the interest of justice to reject, modify or reframe any issues formulated by the litigating parties. The power of court has never been in doubt, as long as the issue reframed is anchored on the Grounds of Appeal filed by the party.

In respect of issue two relating to admission of facts by the Respondent, the Apex Court held that there was no such admission from the records before it. Consequently, the issue was resolved against the Appellant, particularly as there was lack of evidence to support the assertion.

The argument on the third issue, was also rejected by the Apex Court. Here, the argument in favour of the Appellant, was that the lower court failed to consider the Reply Brief filed by the Appellant. The Apex Court however, shared a different ratiocination and held that the lower court did in fact, acknowledge the Reply Brief, but deemed them as rehashing the arguments in the Appellant’s Brief. The issue was thus, resolved against the Appellant.

Regarding the last four issues, the Supreme Court considered them together and held that (i) the burden of proof was on the Appellant to prove that SEC did not give the directive to sell the shares, or that such sale was an illegality; (ii) there was no proof before the lower court that the Respondent was indebted to the Appellant, as not even a statement of account was placed before the trial court; and (iii) the concurrent findings of the lower courts were well founded and grounded in the law and practice; thus, no case of wrong application of any principle of substantive law or procedure or findings as a result of a wrong approach to the evidence. There is clear, direct, positive and credible evidence to justify the decision of the trial court and the court below.

On the Cross-appeal, the Supreme Court agreed with the lower court that the Respondent/CrossAppellant did not put forward any proof entitling it to the monetary award of N3,441,529,445.17K (Three billion, four hundred and forty-one million, five hundred and twenty-nine thousand four hundred and forty-five Naira, seventeen Kobo) made by the trial court. On the basis of lack of proof, the Apex Court was not convinced that the lower court’s decision should be upturned.

Further to the above, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the finding of the Court of Appeal, that the Appellant’s appeal, as well as the Respondent’s Cross-appeal were devoid of merit and deserve a dismissal.

Appeal and Cross-appeal Dismissed.

Representation Dr Charles Mekunye, SAN, with Mohammed Sani Abbas, Esq. for the Appellant Olawale Oyebode, Esq with Smart Aliu, Esq. for the Respondent Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR), An Affiliate of Babalakin & Co.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

L-R: John Onyido; Aderinsola Fagbure; Prof Ernest Ojuwu, SAN; Abimbola Akeredolu, SAN; Dr Babatunde Ajibade, SAN; Yimika Adesola; Godwin Amadi Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and Kolawole Mayomi

L-R: Magistrate Nneoma Ezerioha; C.N. Akowundu; Ebelechukwu Enedah; Chief Sir COC Akaolisa, Hon AG and Commissioner for Justice, Imo State Ministry of Justice; Magistrate, Adaego Nosiri and Magistrate, Nmaku Njoku

SPACO Annual Luncheon/Lecture: Emphasis on Talent Attraction and Retention

Stories by Steve Aya

Law firms and employers of young Lawyers have been told to think of how to attract and keep young Lawyers happy, not just thinking of how to retain them.

This was the general view of most of the participants and the panel of discussants, who attended and spoke at the 15th Annual SPA Ajibade Business Luncheon.

The hybrid event which took place at their office at Martins Street, Lagos, with the theme ‘Talent Retention, Challenges and the Future of Legal Practices in Nigeria’ , had participants speaking from their hearts about the burning issue of Lawyers leaving the country or leaving the practice of law all together for something else.

Leading the panel discussion, Mrs Abimbola Akeredolu, SAN, traced the issue of movement of Nigerians to other countries of the world to as far back as the

President Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, but added that she does not believe that the bleeding in the law sector can be compared to that of the health sector, as Doctors are leaving the country daily.

Professor Ernest Ojukwu, SAN, in his submission stated that most of the young Lawyers coming out of Law School do not have an idea of what to do, and that out of the 700 newly graduated Lawyers, only about 500 will end up as Lawyers, and after about five years the number of those still in law practice will still go down to about 250.

Other discussants, Miss Aderinsola Fagbure, Miss Yimika Adesola and Mr Godwin Amadi, all place the problem of recruiting talented Lawyers and keeping them, to factors like mismatch in some skill set, salaries, the challenging nature of the work environment, flexible working environment, relationship with senior partners, structure of the firm, workplace abuse, sexual

Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia Reinstated as Federal High Court Judge Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia has been reinstated as a Judge of the Federal High Court, by the National Judicial Council (NJC). The reinstatement was announced in a circular signed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Tsoho.

The circular stated that: “Your Lordships are by this Circular letter notified that at the Meeting of the National Judicial Council held on the 1st of December, 2022, the Council reinstated the Hon. Justice R. N. OfiliAjumogobia as a Judicial Officer”.

The Chief Judge stated that “the reinstatement takes instant effect, and there shall be consequential posting”.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 15-count charge bordering on money laundering and breach of public trust.

Justice Ambrose LewisAllagoa of the Federal High Court however, discharged Ofili-Ajumogobia while

granting her application to quash and dismiss the allegations. The application was filed and argued by her counsel, Mr. Olawale Akoni, SAN. Akoni told the Lagos court that the application was sequel to an order of Justice Binta Nyako of Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, which quashed all the recommendations of the NJC. Akoni also told the court that by virtue of the judgement of Justice Nyako delivered on November 28, 2019 in the suit between Ofili-Ajumogobia and NJC, the Judge had quashed the Council’s report and recommendations, and that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia had been reinstated.

While ruling on the arguments and submissions by the parties, Justice Allagoa said: “I have looked at the application. I have also looked into the counter-affidavit of the prosecution, it is not indeed, controverting the application. I am satisfied that the application has merit, the prayers sought for are hereby granted as prayed”.

abuse, health (mental health), culture of work place amongst others thing are factors that most talented Lawyers look out for in a work place, and these factors are also what is considered when

it comes to decision as to either stay in a firm or walk away.

The call by Miss Adesola for Universities to have open session cancelling with students to discuss their option as regards

career paths, was accepted by all.

Earlier on, two polls were conducted for online viewers where over 90% agreed with the question ‘Do you think there are challenges with retaining

talent in the legal profession’ and the second being ‘Do you think the Nigerian Law School prepares Law students for self employment, a question which 83% answered No too.

Lagos Judiciary Commences E-swearing for E-filing Processes The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, has ordered the commencement of e-swearing for e-filing of processes.

This was made known in a Notice signed by the Chief Registrar of the court, Mr Tajudeen Elias, and made known to newsmen recently.

The Notice also highlighted the mandatory requirements needed by deponents, legal counsel, litigants and citizens

that would be participating in the e-swearing. According to the Notice, it was highly required that all participants connected to the video conferencing session (Zoom/Skype) using a laptop or tablet, but if none of these are available, and phone is the available option, the following requirements must still be met, though the session quality might be decreased.

The Notice reads: “ALL

deposition documents MUST be sent to specified locations via email, or as advised by the Commissioner for Oaths referencing the suit number prior to the Zoom/Skype appointment.

“All participants must get a quiet place with a solid background, no noise and distractions.

“A good and stable Internet connection—WiFi or mobile data, is also an indispensable

requirement.

“Participants must have electronic copies of the deposition documents on their laptop, tablet or mobile phone and must have reliable access to the email used to request the e-Swearing appointment.

The Notice also states that, all participants might need to send and receive documents via instant file transfer/email during the Zoom/Skype sessions

US-Based AGA-Africa Trains Law Officers in Imo on Effective ACJL Administration of Criminal Justice criminal justice in Imo State practices.

Amby Uneze in Owerri

A two-day workshop on effective administration of criminal justice law (ACJL) organised by a United States-based Attorney General Alliance – Africa (AGA-Africa) in collaboration with the Imo State Ministry of Justice, has ended in Owerri, capital of Imo State.

The workshop which was aimed at arming the stakeholders in the criminal justice system such as Lawyers, Magistrates, Prosecutors and Judges, to be able to follow up cases in such a speedy manner in courts to curtail delays and obtain judgement in record time, as well as deal with criminal matters swiftly.

The programmed featured paper presentations by Dr Anthony Idigbe, SAN, Hanningstone Amol from Kenya, Ojiugo Chukwumaeze, Principal counsel and head of the Etiti Outstation of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the State, Anthony Chuks Nwaneri, a private legal practitioner, Leigh Skipper, Partner, Duane Morris, Markus Green, board member of AGA-Africa, Cletus Ndubuisi Akowundu, Solicitor General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Imo State, and Ebelechukwu Enedah, Partner, Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors.

In her paper, Chukwumaeze said that criminal law and the criminal process are determinant factors of civilisation in establishing a proper balance in the maintenance of the tripartite interests of the State, the victim and the offender.

According to her, the Imo State

Law No. 2 of 2020 was signed

by Governor Hope Uzodimma on March 11, 2020 and Gazette of March 26, 2020. This law, having come into effect in March 2020 abolished the Criminal Procedure Law Cap 31, Laws of Eastern Nigeria 1963 and is applied in criminal proceedings in the State.

She went further to state that the Imo State ACJL has its long title as ‘A Law to make provisions for the procedure to be followed in criminal cases in the High Court and Magistrates’ Courts in Imo State and for related matters and its purposes as … “to ensure that the system of administration of

promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime and protection of the rights and interests of the suspect, the defendant, and the victim”.

Chukwumaeze observed that the essence of the law is to ensure speedy dispensation of cases; to decongest the prisons, and where there are no express provisions in the ACJL, the court is empowered to apply any procedure that will meet the justice of the case, adding that, it is also to ensure that the criminal justice sector in the State meets with the world’s best

Amol in his presentation, praised the State for passing such an important aspect of the criminal justice law that tends to promote speedy trials in courts.

He said, “we have come to build the capacity of State Prosecutors and the Attorney-General’s office to handle cases of kidnapping, money laundering and common crimes.

We have to build their capacity to be able to carry justice faster.

“It is also intended to help the government decongest the prisons, decongest the Police stations, and importantly, to ensure that bad people who have committed crimes face justice”, he said.

PHOTONEWS

New Wig, Ochuwa Alegeh and her Father, former NBA President and Life Bencher, Augustine Alegeh, SAN

VI COVER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

A Cross-section of New Wigs

December 2022 Call to Bar Ceremony Last Tuesday and Wednesday, over 4,500 New Wigs were admitted to the Nigerian Bar with pomp and pageantry at the newly commissioned ultramodern Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja. As the yearly intake into the legal profession increases by the year, some have raised concerns that Nigeria may be producing too many Lawyers, while others argue that with an average of one Lawyer to about 37,000 people, Nigeria may not have enough Lawyers yet. Onikepo Braithwaite, whose daughter was one of those called to the Bar was present at the occasion, with additional reports by Alex Enumah, This Day Judicial Correspondent in Abuja Introduction

A

t the Call to Bar ceremony of successful Candidates in the September, 2022 final examinations of the Nigerian Law School, which was presided over by the Chairman, Body of Benchers (BoB), Chief Wole Olanipekun CFR, SAN, the Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Professor Isa Chiroma, SAN disclosed that the new Lawyers successfully completed the vocational training at the Nigerian Law School as prescribed by the Legal Education Act of 1962. Chiroma disclosed that out of a total of 5,802 students who participated in the exams, 4,691 emerged successful, representing 80.81%.

A break-down of the results showed that 119 students came out with 1st Class; 789 with 2nd Class Upper; 2,460, 2nd Class Lower; and 1,323 came out with Pass; while some students were from the last exam.

Meanwhile, 20 successful Candidates from last year's final Bar exam, also participated in the ceremony.

Excerpts of the Address Delivered

by Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, Chairman of the Body of Benchers

“It is with great pleasure and excitement that I, on behalf of the Body of Benchers (the Body), welcome you all to this historic occasion of the call of new entrants to the Nigerian Bar. We all rejoice with our new colleagues, who we now address as learned friends, on this new dawn which marks a fulfilment of their dreams to join the noble and honourable profession of law.

“We are enjoined to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and celebrate with those who are celebrating; thus, we join ourselves with you, not just in rejoicing, but also in celebrating the landmark achievement of today, an achievement which has not come in a jiffy, but spanned a period of between five to six years of extensive and in-depth learning and research; the first five years of which were spent in your respective Universities where you were subjected to learning the theories and principles of law on different

“May we plead with the National Assembly to stop toying with the idea of promulgating laws or amending the Legal Practitioners Act, to pave way for the proliferation of Law School Campuses, particularly, around the neighbourhoods of some lawmakers”

subjects, including but not limited to Constitutional Law, Torts, Law of Contract, Criminal Law, Law of Evidence, Jurisprudence, Land Law, Administrative Law, Nigerian Legal System, Labour Law, Oil and Gas Law, Environmental Law, International Law, Communication Law, etc; while the last one year has been spent at the Nigerian Law School under the tutelage of highly qualified and experienced legal minds, who took you through the practical and some theoretical aspects of the law; and during which time as well, some leading members of the profession have come to deliver lectures to you on topical issues touching on both adjectival and procedural aspects of law.

“Through this last one year as well, you have been made to partake in the compulsory dining rites, during which you met with the leaders of the Body of Benchers, who, after each dining session, gave you some pep talks on the hidden secrets and traditions of the profession and proffered ways of success to you.

“The Council of Legal Education conducted your Bar Final Examinations, and adjudged you academically qualified to be called to the Nigerian Bar, thereafter, submitted your names to the Body (being the only body with the prerogative of admitting you to the Bar), for scrupulous screening in order to ensure that each and every one of you is indeed a fit and proper person to be admitted to the Nigerian Bar. The Screening Committee of the Body, under the traditional and statutory chairmanship of the Vice-Chairman met, and painstakingly screened each of you, looked into your certificates and Forms filled by you before recommending you to the Body for consideration for Call to the Bar. Traditionally as well, the Body met on Monday, 5th December, 2022, considered the Report of the Screening Committee and approved same, pursuant to which the final decision was taken that you should all be called to the Bar today.

“I am not unaware of the fact that all this while, it has been a period of anxiety for you and your parents; first, when you were awaiting your results

from the Nigerian Law School, and later, when you were eagerly expecting the outcome of the Report of the Screening Committee and subsequent decisions of the Body of Benchers, as to your being adjudged fit and proper to be called to the Bar. Having gone through these painstaking labyrinths, and immediately before now, having been admitted to the Bar as Barristers and Solicitors and directed to put on your wigs, one could only imagine the depth of your ecstasy, as well as the fulfilment of your parents and guardians on this beautiful day. I extend hearty and most sincere congratulations, and best of wishes to you and your parents, as I formally address you all as my learned friends.”

The Body of Benchers “Although it is now common knowledge, or should have been taken for granted that the Body of Benchers is a creation of statute, as Section 3 of the Legal Practitioners Act, specifically subsection 1 thereof, provides that: “There shall be a body of legal practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession in Nigeria to be known as “the Body of Benchers” which shall be responsible for the formal call to the Bar of persons seeking to become legal practitioners”, it has become necessary, in view of recent misconceptions about what the Body represents, how it is constituted, its jurisdiction and the way and manner it is run and managed, to briefly recap, even for the umpteenth time and for record purposes, what the Body is, what it represents, what it does, what it does not do, as well as its powers and jurisdiction.

“Statutorily, the Body is made up of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and all Justices of the Supreme Court, the President of the Court of Appeal and all Presiding Justices of the Divisions of the Court of Appeal, the Attorney-General of the Federation and all AttorneysGeneral of the States, the Chief Judges of the High Courts in the country, the Federal High Court, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the States, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, 30 legal practitioners representing the Bar, Life Benchers,

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

December 2022 Call to Bar Ceremony and such number of persons, not exceeding 10, who appear to the Body to be eminent members of the legal profession in Nigeria of not less than 15 years post call standing. No less a person than the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, graphically summarised the unique nature of the composition of the Body when, in his address at the official commissioning of the Body of Benchers Complex on 29th September, 2022, he enthused thus: ‘I consider this Body as critical to the legal profession. I say this, because the membership of the Body cuts across all facets of the government and the legal profession, particularly, the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and the Bar. Furthermore, all Justices of the Supreme Court, retired Chief Justices of Nigeria who are alive, President of the Court of Appeal and presiding Justices, Chief Judges of the High Courts, the Federal and States’ Attorneys-General, Chairmen of the Judiciary Committees in the two Houses of the National Assembly, leading members of the Bar and others constitute this Body. I am unaware of any other institution or organ in the legal profession that draws its membership from all segments of the profession like the Body of Benchers. No wonder, the statute describes it as consisting of men of the highest distinction in the legal profession.’

“From the composition of the Body, it is crystal clear that it is not just a highly disciplined and revered institution, but also a confluence and melting pot of the critical sectors of the legal profession in Nigeria. It is a body corporate with perpetual succession. It has its own seal, and is also imbued with the power and jurisdiction to make regulations for itself and the legal profession. It is very rich in history and antecedents, having been inaugurated on 27th November, 1971, with 16 pioneer members. Since then, it has produced 49 Chairmen, myself, being the 50th one, by the grace of God. Under its Regulations, and which said Regulations were made pursuant to the provisions of the enabling statute, assumption to office of its Chairman is always seamless, not contested, not controversial, not rancorous or uncertain. The term of office of the Chairman is only one year, from March of the preceding year, to March of the following year; and the position of chairmanship of the Body is rotated between the Bar and the Bench, that is, if a member of the Bar is the Chairman, as I am now, the ViceChairmanship automatically devolves on the Bench, like the Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili, CFR, presently is. At the end of the tenure of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman automatically transits to the position of Chairman, thus, by the grace of God, come March 31, 2023, Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili, CFR shall assume office as Chairman of the Body, while I will transit to join the Committee of Elders as a past Chairman. In the real sense of it as well, the position of Vice-Chairman is also not contested, as precedence is meticulously adhered to. The programme of events of today details the names of Life Benchers according to their seniority and precedence, and succession follows the same precedence, as listed in the programme. It is just a matter of formality that the name of the most senior Life Bencher is introduced by the Bar and seconded by the Bench, at the point of transition. God sparing our respective lives, every Life Bencher from the Bar has an idea of when he/she is likely to assume office as the Vice Chairman of the Body, a prelude to his/her eventually becoming the Chairman. It is a tradition that we met, and has been sustained for years. We are proud to inform the World that our transition is always seamless, and has never been rancorous.

Needless to add that, the Body of Benchers is not an appendage of the Federal Government, or any government, institution or agency, howsoever. It is an independent and autonomous body, and its meetings, affairs and decisions are not influenced by any power or authority whatsoever. But, let me quickly make the point that the Body remains the highest Body regulating the Legal Profession in Nigeria.

“As for the jurisdiction of the Body to discipline any Lawyer, such is exercised through the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), which, although is a Committee of the Body, is a juristic personality on its own, independent of the Body, not controlled in any way or manner by either the Body or its Chairman, while its Directions go directly to the Supreme Court on appeal, and the Body exercises no appellate or supervisory jurisdiction over such Directions. Howbeit, may I caution that proceedings before the LPDC should not be politicised, sensationalised, publicised and advertised in advance or while the proceedings are ongoing by complainants for whatever reason howsoever, as so doing, negates the principle of fair hearing, which all Lawyers subscribe to. This is apart from the fact that such steps might pre-empt and prejudice the proceedings and decisions of the LPDC. Efforts are ongoing at amending the Legal Practitioners Act, in order to redress the looming gaps in the existing law relating to both the adjectival and procedural aspects of bringing erring Lawyers to book.”

The Body of Benchers from March 2022 to Date The New BoB Complex “….As you are aware, this Complex, that is, the Body of Benchers Complex, was formally commissioned

L-R: Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Alfa Belgore GCON; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola GCON; Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wòle Olanipekun CFR, SAN and Vice Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili CFR, JSC (Rtd)

by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on 29th September, 2022, and in my speech on that day, I stated thus: “I stand here on behalf of the Body of Benchers to applaud the tenaciousness of purpose, the potency of a mutual allegiance, and an unswerving audacity which dates back to several decades. The Benchers Complex, which has just been commissioned by Mr President, is but a part of a unique blend of aspirations which took roots exactly 30 years ago… So much time, talents and treasures have been invested into this edifice! And, when I recall the varied stretch of sacrifices made to the realisation of this unique facility, my reaction is best captured in the words of the world acclaimed bard, Williams Shakespeare, when he said: “I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks and ever thanks.”

“Once again, I appreciate the combined efforts of all my predecessors-in-office, and the commendable contributions, both materially and otherwise, of all members of the Body towards the realisation of our dream at completing this magnificent edifice, which it pleased God to be commissioned during my tenure. In like manner, I congratulate most heartily, all new entrants into the legal profession today for being the first set of Lawyers to be called to the Bar within this Complex, after its formal commissioning. Henceforth, all our Call to Bar ceremonies, meetings, seminars and activities shall be held within this grand facility.

Welfare of Judicial Officers “At our meeting of 21st June, 2022, we inaugurated a Judiciary Advisory Committee, charged, amongst others, with the responsibilities of constantly interfacing with members of the Bench in order to take up their concerns and frustrations with appropriate authorities, and also to put in place, an acceptable package, salary and welfare-wise, for Judges of our superior courts of record, comparing such package with what operates in some similar jurisdictions. The Committee embarked on its mandate in earnest and assiduously, then booked an appointment with the President for 28th July, 2022. At that meeting, I drew the attention of Mr President to the report of a committee which the Federal Government had earlier set up in the following words: ‘The Committee is not unaware of the Report of the Committee on the Review of Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service, set up by Mr President’s Government as far back as August, 2018; but, that the Report has not been implemented till now. In the interim, the Body of Benchers pleads with Mr President to direct the implementation of the recommendations in the Report in conformity with current economic realities and, in addition, direct the appropriate departments of Government to look into the recent complaints of the Justices of the Supreme Court, with a view to urgently ameliorating the unfavourable conditions under which they perform their sacred constitutional functions.’

“In response to my request, Mr President immediately directed that the 2018 Report be fetched out and brought to him for study and implementation. In my address during the commissioning of the Body of Benchers Complex on 29th September, 2022, I remarked as follows:

“Needless reminding you of the need for you to embrace Information and Communication Technology (ICT). There is no better way for you to foray into the profession and its fortunes, aside this route”

‘May I publicly commend Mr President’s immediate response to our plea on behalf of the Judiciary on 28th July, 2022, more particularly, Mr President’s apt response to my address when he enthused thus: that a democratic government like the one we operate, “standing on a tripod comprising the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, cannot stand where one of its three pillars, the Judiciary, is not properly nurtured, maintained and sustained to deliver on its very pivotal constitutional duties.” Mr President further promised and/ or directed that in the interim, the report and recommendations of the 2018 Committee on the Review of Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service will be implemented. We eagerly anticipate the implementation of the said directive.’

“In Mr. President’s response, he emphatically committed his administration in the following words: “…May I restate my commitment towards this ideal. In similar vein, I have been intimated of the engagement of Consultants by the Body, through its Judiciary Advisory Committee, to amongst other things, come up with a peer review of the conditions of service of Judicial Officers in Nigeria with other countries and jurisdictions, within and outside Africa.

I earnestly look forward to the completion of this peer review and the submission of recommendation, and this will assist us to review the welfare packages.”

“Without any gainsaying, the initiative and efforts of the Body of Benchers and the commitment of Mr President, formed the foundation and the very basis of the recent development towards the release and implementation of the 2018 Report.

However, may I seize this unique opportunity to appreciate and commend, the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami, CON, SAN for his cooperation; for, it was he that Mr President directed to fetch out the 2018 Report and bring to Mr President’s attention when the Body drew the attention of Mr President to the unimplemented Report, which had been seemingly abandoned as at the time of our visit to Mr President on 28th July, 2022.

“Following up on its mandate, the Committee has engaged the services of the accounting and financial services firm of Ernst & Young (E&Y) to work out the peer review earlier referred to, and by a letter personally signed by me on 26th September, 2022, to different stakeholders and relevant institutions, including Heads of Courts, Attorney-General of the Federation, Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, identified legal practitioners who have shown interest in the subject, etc., I pleaded with each of them to cooperate with the firm in carrying out its assignment. I am happy to note the positive developments arising from the humble initiative of the Body from different angles and quarters, including the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, etc., all informing us, amongst others, that the hitherto shelved 2018 Report has now been released and directed for implementation by Mr President, and that the Government has also directed immediate steps to be taken at reviewing the conditions of service of judicial officers in the country. We expect the Report of E&Y to be submitted soon, and same will be forwarded to the Federal Government for study and implementation, as promised by Mr. President on 29th September, 2022.

Is Nigeria Over-Producing Lawyers?

“This question may seem rhetorical, but it is essential we address and face it at this point in time, or, raise it as a poser, to enable us have an insight into the variables for us to appreciate the issues at hand and proffer solutions to them. In doing that as well, we need to graphically peek into the past

six years to refresh our memories as to the number of Lawyers churned out by us on a yearly basis, as against the realities of the labour market. In July 2016, 2,259 Lawyers were called to the Bar, and in November of the same year, 4,169 new entrants were admitted.

In July, 2017, 1,469 Lawyers were called, while in November of the same year, we admitted 4,297.

In July, 2018, we called 1,561 Lawyers to the Bar, and in November of the same year, 4,779 Lawyers enrolled as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In July 2019, 866 Lawyers were called to the Bar, while 4,459 were enrolled in November of the same year. Only 1,875 new entrants were called in September 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In July 2021, we called 5,215 Lawyers to the Bar. In July 2022, we called 1,504 to the Bar, while this December, we are calling 4,711 to the Bar. In summary, between 2016 and 2022, we have produced 37,164 Lawyers.

There is about 1 Lawyer to 37,000 people. For next year, in addition to the swelling number of qualified graduates from Nigerian Universities to be admitted to the Nigerian Law School and subsequently called to the Bar, we already have a backlog of 1,883 students from the National Open University of Nigeria, who have since completed their Remedial Program, and now awaiting the Bar Part II Program.

“Since our common law derives its origin from the United Kingdom, and bearing in mind the fact that our entire legal and judicial system are similar to hers, let us quickly take a look, for the purpose of comparison, at the situation in the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021. In 2017, the total number of Solicitors and practicing Barristers was 202,335; it increased to 209,464 in 2018, translating to 7,129 of new intakes of Solicitors and Barristers, and a 3.52% increase. The number rose to 216,724 in 2019, demonstrating an increase of 7,260 and a percentage increase of 3.47%; the figure rose to 223,349 in 2020, a numerical increase of 6,625 and a percentage increase of 3.06%. In 2021, the number rose to 230,428, an increase of 7,079, translating to 3.17% increase.

“While it will appear, ex facie, that Nigeria, in comparison with the United Kingdom (and in relation to her population) might not be over-producing Lawyers, and while the population of Nigeria is about four times that of the United Kingdom, empirical insight into the two economies will show that while the United Kingdom churns out Solicitors and Barristers that are systematically proportionate to the growing demands of the economy and population, same cannot be said of the Nigerian situation where Lawyers are produced irrespective of the harsh economic realities being faced and the capacity of the system to cater for them. To my mind, this situation should be of great concern to the leading stakeholders in the legal profession and the justice delivery sector in Nigeria. I have my serious doubt if our labour market absorbs about 20% of the Lawyers being produced annually by us, meaning that about 80% of those new entrants are unabsorbed or unemployed on yearly basis, taking our bearing conservatively from the past six years. During our time and relatively thereafter, the economy was able and ready to absorb all legal practitioners called to the Bar by the Body of Benchers, but the situation has abysmally changed today. Therefore, we should appreciate the realisation that there is a real threat to the profession itself and, indeed, to the entire system.

“Recently, the National Bureau of Statistics came out with a scary report that 133 million Nigerians (out of an estimation of 216 million) are poor. It is imperative for those of us who are leaders of the profession to find out how many legal practitioners are classified among this 133 million, and work out the percentage of poor Lawyers in the population, based on the number of Lawyers on the Roll. A proper auditing in this wise, will reveal a more escalating report in respect of poor Lawyers in the country. What then do we do? The answer does not lie in the solution proffered by Shakespeare that: “...The first thing we do, let’s kill all the Lawyers”, but for us to now soberly, honestly, diligently, painstakingly, sympathetically and empathetically look into this glooming situation and fashion out ways of addressing them, rather than engaging in very unproductive ventures, utterances, strife and vituperations.

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Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola GCON (left) and Vice Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili JSC (Rtd)

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Alfa Belgore GCON

Hon. Justice Abdu Aboki JSC (Rtd)

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen GCON

Chairman of the Body Benchers, Chief Oluwole Olanipekun CFR, SAN

L-R: Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad JSC; Chief Judge of Rivers State, Hon. Justice Simeon Amadi and Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro JSC

Former NBA General Secretaries, Jonathan Gunu Taidi (left) and Rafiu Lawal Rabana, SAN L-R: Professor Epiphany Azinge, SAN; Bencher and Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima JSC (Rtd)

L-R: Benchers; Editor of This Day Lawyer, Onikepo Braithwaite; Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, SAN; Bencher; Hon. Justice Abdu Aboki JSC (Rtd); Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Hon. Justice Kate Abiri and Lady Debbie Obondokwu

Mrs Boma Alabi OON,SAN (left) and Mrs H.A. Turaki

L-R: Benchers; Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima JSC (Rtd) (middle); Dr Garba Tetengi, SAN and Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN

Former Attorney-General of Lagos State, Adeniji Kazeem, SAN

Director General of Nigerian Law School, Professor Isa Chiroma, SAN

New Wig, Somtochukwu Adi

L-R: Dr Muiz Banire, SAN; Professor Isa Chiroma, SAN and former Solicitor General of the Federation, Alhaji Abdullahi Yola

New Wig, Damilola Banire with her Mother, Mrs Olufunmilayo Banire and Senator Opeyemi Bamidele

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New Wig, Omotola Braithwaite and her Parents, Mr Sola Braithwaite and Onikepo Braithwaite

L-R: Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN; Parents of the New Wig, Dr Omogbai Omo-Eboh, SAN and Mrs Folashade Omo-Eboh; New Wig, Aidelohi Omo-Eboh and Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, SAN

L-R: Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; Mrs Uzor Kalu; a Guest; Senator Seriake Dickson and Hon. Minister of Works & Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN

New Wig, Omotola Braithwaite

New Wig, Okeoghene Awe

New Wig, Adaobi Chukwujekwe and her Mother, Mrs Lilian Chukwujekwe

L-R: Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN; New Wig, Morayo Ayeni; Mrs Bola Ayeni; New Wig, Fiyin Aderibigbe and his Father, Mr Dayo Aderibigbe

L-R: Mother of the New Wig, Immediate Past NBA General Secretary, Mrs Joyce Oduah; New Wig, Queen Oduah; Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, SAN and Father of the New Wig, Mr Okechukwu Oduah, FCMC

New Wig, Morayo Ayeni and her Mother, Mrs Bola Ayeni

New Wig, Ochuwa Alegeh and her Parents, Mrs Ferishat Alegeh and Father, Former NBA President, Augustine Alegeh, SAN

L-R: Uncle of the New Wig, Mr Abbey Onasanya; New Wig, Damilola Banire; Mrs Olufunmilayo Banire and Grandmother of Damilola, Mrs Onasanya

Babatunde Fashola, SAN (left) and Prince Adesegun Oniru

New Wig, Obaderin Tejuoso and his Father, Prince Femi Tejuoso

L-R: Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN; Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, SAN; Bencher; Hon. Justice Kate Abiri; Bencher; Mrs Nella Andem-Ewa Rabana, SAN

Chief Judge of Kogi State, Hon. Justice Josiah Majebi (left) and former NBA General Secretary, Deacon Dele Adesina, SAN

L-R: Onikepo Braithwaite, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola GCON and Jonathan Gudu Taidi

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TALKING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN

0809 889 8888 SMS ONLY

Ethics and Discipline in Law: Akin to Waiting for Godot (Part 5) Self-Reliance Concept (Continues) Introduction he philosophical concept of selfreliance takes a slightly different path to development by focusing on the power of independence, creativity, originality and belief in strength and resilience. It rejects the need for external support and seems to glorify the importance of self-application. Interestingly, the concept was given more weight and further expanded to incorporate a simple lifestyle by Mahatma Gandhi (1859-1948), a preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement.

He asserted that “nature produces enough for our wants, and if only everybody took enough for himself or herself and nothing more, there would be no people dying of starvation in this world”. Therefore, it is fair to say that self-reliance is defined by independence, the ability to think and act without the help or influence of others, as well as the ability to decide what to be or what to do.

Self-reliance and sustainable development are associated with a series of normative principles, which include the preoccupation with human well-being, the basic needs of the poor, the welfare of future generations, as well as the limits and preservation of environmental resources. It is clear that Nigeria has made several attempts, towards achieving self-reliance and promoting sustainable development. However, the efforts and strategies adopted seem to have yielded limited results. Two key imperatives for sustainable development in Nigeria, are suggested for consideration. First, there is need to internally identify and adopt realistic indicators of sustainability, to steer and guide development in Nigeria. Secondly, there is an urgent need for institutional reforms in Nigeria, taking into account the requirements of sustainable development and the indicators to measure them. Self-reliance and sustainable development in Nigeria will require strong non-oil growth, and a focus on human capital development.

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Concept of Patriotism Patriotism under the Constitution, implies that every Nigerian must give his/her unflinching support to the government of this country on all occasions. It also implies we should have the love for Nigeria in all our activities, putting National Interest above all.

It is trite that the truth doesn’t mind being questioned, but lies don’t like being challenged! One of the ways in which the Federal Government seeks to end challenges to its lies, is by labelling its critics as “unpatriotic” and stressing that they have no doubt as to what they are doing. As Charles Bukowski famously said, “the problem with the world is that intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence!” Those calling for the President to be somehow replaced by force or trickery, are committing treason. His constitutional term of office expires in 2023. However, this doesn’t mean that expressing points of view different from those of government, is treasonable or unpatriotic.

Nigerians need to make a clear distinction between nationalists who seek high political office, and patriots who don’t. The former love themselves, are egoistically proud to occupy high political office, and will praise government no matter how bad things are, while the latter love their country and are

honest in their assessment of its successes and failures! Nationalism is based upon the premise that an individual’s loyalty and devotion to their country, should come above all other interests. It breeds the kind of people who trumpet a country’s virtues, deny its deficiencies and are contemptuous towards citizens.

Patriots on the other hand are attached to a homeland, love and adore the place where they were born or are now citizens of, and do not deny their nation’s deficiencies, but, rather, openly accept them and are eager and ready to correct them for the better.

When Carl Shurz, an American General who emigrated from Germany, was accused of being too willing to criticise really his adopted country, he replied: “my country, right or wrong: if right, to be kept right; if wrong to be set right.” This was the voice of a reasonable patriot.

Patriotism nurtures a feeling of responsibility, while nationalism breeds blind arrogance and denial of widespread disaffection. Patriots say “I love my country and am proud of it, but will speak up if something is wrong”, while Nationalists like those currently in power say “I love my country, and I will not stand anyone who speaks ill of it no matter what!” Patriots try to understand all points of view, while Nationalists despise any form of discussion which points out errors or failures in governance.

Encouraging patriotism, is the way forward.

Unfortunately, as far as the Federal Government is concerned, being patriotic these days means praising government to high heavens while condoning ethnic genocide, supporting nepotism and religious bigotry, being

“Our leaders have basked in the sun of insensitivity to the realities of our people, squandered our resources and opportunities, devalued our dignity and pride as a people, mortgaged our future and eroded all the advantages we have as a people”

unconcerned about the rape and murder of unarmed law-abiding citizens, supporting the destruction of farms, burning of villages and appropriation of ancestral lands, as well as not caring about the collapsed economy, massive ongoing corruption, or growing nationwide insecurity. As George Orwell famously said: “if liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear”. Perhaps, it’s a good thing that increasing numbers of Nigerians are “unpatriotic”. After all, it’s not a crime!

The Need for National Ethics National ethics are sign posts of growth and development of an individual, as well as the country. The need for National ethics arises because they provide the following: Development of the country, since the funds would be judiciously managed instead of being embezzled, and this invariably, helps develop the citizens; Bring citizens closely together, since they behave in the same way and aim toward the same goal; Equality among the citizens, because the rich and the poor have the same approach to life; Eradication of religious riots, because both religions - Christianity and Islam, would be able to understand and accommodate each other; Make a citizen proud of his/her country; Make individuals good citizens and a good ambassadors of his/her country and; Ensure good governance, because those in government would not like to be found wanting in the discharge of their duty, in order to avoid punishment.

It is widely acclaimed that the Nigerian economy has strong potentials for sustainable growth and development, in view of its abundant and variety of skilled human and extensively rich natural resources. Nigeria is a country blessed with favourable vegetation, alluring topography, vast deposits of mineral resources and a large reservoir of resourceful manpower.

Its population size and inherent dynamics should make it not only the largest market in black Africa, but, also a haven for foreign investors. Unfortunately, this situation which would have been transformed for the general good of all, has now turned into

a deteriorating macro-economic environment and unstable political system, characterised by wide- spread poverty (70% of Nigerians are in this class), disappointingly low return on public sector investment, deteriorating infrastructure resulting in poor service delivery, low industrial capacity utilisation and high unemployment. Available statistics point to the fact that the performance of Nigeria in overall development since independence (62 yrs ago) has been abysmally poor, and confronts the world with a most perplexing paradox that one can best describe as “Resource Development Disequilibrium” occasioned by a vicious cycle of economic waste and deep ulcerated economic injuries, inflicted on the country by its resource managers. Our leaders have basked in the sun of insensitivity to the realities of our people, squandered our resources and opportunities, devalued our dignity and pride as a people, mortgaged our future and eroded all the advantages we have as a people.

The custodians of State powers have run down our basic institutions, made corruption an art at one time and, at another, made corruption the prerogative and exclusive preserve of a few, while flagrant violation of the rule of law is the fashion. The negative consequence of this arrogance and misguided deployment of power, opportunities and resources is vividly clear for everyone to see. Discrimination and nepotism exist in employment, granting of distributorship, sale of government companies, parastatals and agencies. There is alleged payoff to some members of our legislative houses; electoral officers manipulate elections either for "Ghana must go" or to get friends into leadership positions; frequent fire outbreaks at government offices to cover fraud, etc.

There are also reports about Secondary School principals who receive a few Naira notes for students' admission, enlist ghost teachers on the payroll, and teachers who sleep with their female students in exchange for passing them in their examinations. On the Business front, the situation is horrible. There is the almost daily disclosure of unethical business practices in Nigeria. Profiteering, window dressing, juggling of books, bribery and corruption prevail.

Women are alleged to wield "bottom power" very effectively to win contracts and supplies, or young beautiful ladies in our banks using their bodies in order to meet deposit targets.

Ethics in the Legal Profession: History, Nature and Meaning of Ethics The legal profession is an imported vocation.

It has its origin, in ancient Greece and Rome.

In its modern form, it is British. It comprises of the Lawyers and Judges (Bar and Bench) and the duo are generally regarded as instruments of justice, honoured and honourable.

According to Honourable Justice Kayode Eso, ethics commenced with creation. That man was given leave to dwell; for his life only, to die in it was ordained for him; he must, and so was he meant to be in the theological Garden of Eden for that life. He was given dominion over everything; Animals, Vegetables, Minerals therein, with only one obligation on his part, and that was to refrain from eating fruits from just one tree. Ethics demands that Adam should keep his own part of the bargain. He did not; that was unethical and there came his fall. Ethics demanded the best of man, that is, obedience and decency and that, having been given free sojourn in the Garden of Eden, he should leave by the tenets and conditions as enunciated by his creator. Man failed and that was the first known breach of ethics. (To be continued).

Serious and Trivial “A person’s most beautiful asset is not a head full of knowledge but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help others”.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. (Potter Stewart)

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T H I S D AY ˾ DAY ͯͱ˜ 2022

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: Chairman, Guild of Photojournalists Nigeria, Abiodun Ajala; Public Relations Lead, 9mobile, Chineze Amanfo; and Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Adenike Sodipo, during the presentation of an award to 9mobile as the Most Outstanding Brand in Arts (Telecom and IT Category) by the Guild of Photojournalists Nigeria in Lagos…recently

L-R: Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Igbobi College Old Boys’ Association (ICOBA), Mr. Bode Thorpe; his wife, Aduke; Chairman, 70/72 Set, ICOBA, Mr. Leye Lawal; his wife, Fadeke; and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, at the unveiling of Rev. Allen Angus’ bust to mark the 50th/52nd-anniversary celebrations of 1970/72 set at the Igbobi College Yaba, Lagos…recently

L- R: Club Director, Ikeja Metro Lions Club International, District 404B2 Nigeria/Chairperson, Fundraising Planning Committee, John Oriazowan; District Committee Chairperson on Hall of Fame, Marce Anyanwu; newly-installed Club President, Ikeja Metro Lions Club, Godson Anigbo; and guests, Mr. Nnaji Joseph and Mr. Chukwuma Nsude, during the public presentation and fundraising luncheon for humanitarian cause in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ABAYOMI AKINYELE

L-R: Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed; Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Dr. Callistus Onaga; and Director-General, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Dr. Michael Spindelegger, during the launch of the Centre of Practical Skills Academy building at the European Business Park on Godfrey Okoye University Main Campus in Enugu...recently

L-R: Matron, Young Men Christian League, Dame Lande Fadipe; Special Guest of Honour/retired Chief Registrar, University of Lagos, Sister Sade Olumide; Patron of the group, Mr. Kemi Thomas; and another Patron of the group, Sir Anthony Abolarinwa Cole, at the 91st annual anniversary thanksgiving celebrations service held at the Wesley Cathedral, Olowogbowo Lagos…recently

L-R: Associate Dean, Lagos Business School, Olayinka David-West; Managing Director/Chief Executive Director, FSDH Merchant Bank, Bukola Smith; CEO/Co-Founder, HerVest, Solape Akinpelu; Managing Director, Meristem Trustees, Damilola Hassan; and Deputy Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Nneka Okekearu, during the launch of ‘Stripped: An African Woman’s Guide to Building Generational Wealth’, authored by Akinpelu, held in Lagos…recently

L-R: Founder, NESH Foundation, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju; Legal luminary, Kenneth Odidika; former Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime; Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu; and Professor of Lagos Business School, Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), at the traditional wedding of Kenechukwu and Ifeanyi Onyeagwu in Enugu...recently

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FEATURES

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

How Has EFCC's War against Financial Crimes Fared?

Kingsley Nwezeh looks at the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since the Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, assumed duties

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convictions in 2022.

He said the agency was headed for the 3000 mark at year's end.

He listed some of the reforms embarked upon by the commission to improve service delivery to include the launching of EFCC's Strategic Plan 2021-2025, launch of Eagle Eye application that ensured real time reporting of crime by stakeholders from any part of the world while protecting their privacy and EFCC Connect, aired on the commission's various social media platforms to engage with the public globally.

hen the new leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led by Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa assumed duties in March, 2021, there was high expectation that the spiraling financial crimes strengthened by the endemic corruption in the country would be reduced to the barest minimum.

The expectations were deepened by his youthful and productive age of 40 in comparison to the age of public office holders in the country. He was seen as a likely departure from the old order where media trials of suspects held sway.

He was also seen as an insider, who should understand the operational terrain better, the challenges and the needs of the agency.

He had also expressed concerns about the involvement of the youth in cybercrime.

On assumption of office, Bawa declared a new and different approach to the war against graft.

He had, in the first three months, stated that the agency under his leadership preferred a quiet and proactive approach.

"We are working quietly and diligently on cases without necessarily drawing public attention".

There are, however, critics, who believe that there are better ways to deliver on the mandate of the commission.

What Has Changed?

The commission had also launched a major policy document titled: "Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Strategic Plan 2021-2025".

Speaking at the launch of the document, Chairman of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the plan was occasioned by the fact that economic and financial crimes remained a major impediment to the sustainable growth and development of the country.

He stated, “It is in recognition of the devastating effects of these crimes and the (fact that) failure to address the menace will continue to hinder our development efforts as a sovereign nation, that the Federal Government of Nigeria established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2002.

“Since its establishment, the commission has grown rapidly in capacity and capability as well as recorded significant milestones in the fight against economic and financial crimes.”

Bawa recalled that in 2013, the commission developed its first five-year strategic plan (2013-2018), with five strategic goals to guide the attainment of the EFCC mandate within the stated period. He said annual action plans were developed for the effective implementation of the strategy.

“Upon the expiration of the plan in 2018, the commission embarked on a comprehensive review to identify successes and outstanding commitments unattained with corresponding challenges,” he stated.

He noted that "the review targeted to map out new strategies to improve performance and, thus, led to the development of the New 3è2 has been designed consistent with the pillars of National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2017 – 2021, which is anchored on five pillars, namely, prevention, public engagement, ethical re-orientation, enforcement and sanctions, recovery and management of proceeds of crime.”

He said each of the pillars had a corresponding technical objective and activity designed to achieve the objective.

The EFCC boss said the new strategic plan aimed to sustain the agency’s commitment to continuous improvement on the attainment of its vision.

He listed the five strategic objectives of the plan to include increasing public engagement in the fight against economic and financial crimes; improving systems and processes for the prevention of economic and financial crimes; improving intelligence-driven investigation, prosecution, and asset recovery.

Others are improving law enforcement coordination and collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and enhancement of institutional capacity and human capital.

Bawa elaborated further on the objectives of the plan, stating, “The commission recognises the importance of partnership with the public

Bawa in achieving its mandate. This is demonstrated in our commitment to continuous improvement and strengthening cooperation with all stakeholders consistent with objective four of the strategic plan.

“The new strategic plan prioritises prevention as a cheaper and more efficient tool against economic and financial crimes than enforcement. The plan also places significant premium on intelligence-driven investigation, prosecution and asset recovery while upholding high ethical standards in the discharge of our mandate.

“The EFCC core values were also reviewed to reflect our commitment to integrity, courage, professionalism and collaboration as we deliver our mandate.”

How UN, EU, UK, FBI Weighed in on Plan Though international partners, notably, the European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who attended the launch then, applauded the document, the United Nations warned that the plan would be used to hold EFCC to account.

Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Dr. Oliver Stolpe, said the plan had set out clear and established targets for the commission.

Stolpe, however, warned that the document “will be used to hold EFCC to account.”

In his remarks, FBI’s Legal Attaché, Mr Uche Ahamdi, said FBI had a strong partnership with EFCC. Ahamdi commended the agency for

producing the strategic plan, which he said would measure its performance.

He said, “It’s important. If you can’t measure, you can’t manage it.”

Cybercrime At the last count, over 3,000 internet fraudsters, known in local parlance as "yahoo yahoo" or internet scammers, were arrested in the last two years.

So far, the agency had arrested, prosecuted and jailed many more internet fraudsters, mostly from the Southern part of the country.

Bawa had told newsmen on assumption of office that he was most worried by the increasing involvement of young people in cybercrime.

"If there’s one thing that I am worried about, it is the issue of cybercrime and it is with mixed feelings and reactions. People have tagged me the hope of the youth and all of that, and here, we are – the people in my constituency are the ones involved in internet crime.

"It is something to be worried about. It’s something that we have observed, it’s something we are working on and let me give you the statistics. From January to the 11th of June 2021, we have arrested , 1,502 suspects across the length and breadth of this country. It is something very huge and you know, we are dealing with very smart people here.

"Honestly, I will not sit here to tell you the specifics of what we are doing but we’re doing a lot. As I said, we have created a department and are looking into the future and strategising. We are working with even the state governments, where some of these things evolve and all of that and we are working on a very serious campaign strategy to contain the issues of cybercrime, corruption and fraud", he said.

2,661 Convictions Secured in 2022 While commending their performance recently, the EFCC'S boss said the staff of the commission, contributed immensely in securing 2,661

The new strategic plan prioritises prevention as a cheaper and more efficient tool against economic and financial crimes than enforcement. The plan also places significant premium on intelligence-driven investigation, prosecution and asset recovery while upholding high ethical standards in the discharge of our mandate

CSOs Present Counter Views Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), however, hold a contrary view on the handling of internet fraudsters and general operations of the commission.

The Executive Director of the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Center (RULAAC), Mr Okechukwu Nwangwuma, argued that the commission paid too much attention to petty crimes.

"I think that the problem with the EFCC is its concentration of attention on petty crimes while doing too little on serious crimes such as high level, massive looting of public resources by politicians, public office holders, civil servants and others who are close to power.

"While it is important to tackle fraud cases commonly referred to as 419, or yahoo yahoo, it must be appreciated that petty crimes such as yahoo yahoo are consequences of corruption and bad governance which plague Nigeria", he said.

"When public office holders and others close to or connected to people in power loot public funds and are hardly brought to account; when corruption becomes pervasive as it is in Nigeria without accountability, the consequences include impoverishment and underdevelopment. It denies the people infrastructure, grows unemployment and poverty. Healthcare and education suffer neglect.

"It is these conditions that predispose people, especially young people to crimes including 419 and others. So focusing on tackling 419 instead of corruption is like leaving the sickness to tackle the symptoms", he said.

He also stated that petitions sent to EFCC are hardly replied.

"Again in many cases, when petitions of corruption are sent to EFCC, they hardly acknowledge receipt let alone treating the petition. Some officials have been accused of collecting money to kill petitions", he alleged.

He, however, admitted that the anti-graft agency had successfully prosecuted and jailed former governors.

"The EFCC has no doubt initiated investigations into many cases of corruption by public office holders especially past govenors. But very few of these cases have been charged to court or effectively prosecuted to secure convictions.

Politicians use part of the money they loot from the public treasury to frustrate effective investigation and prosecution of their crimes against the people "EFCC needs to be truly independent, better resourced and accountable for it to become as effective as Nigerians expect. It's leadership should be insulated from political control and undue influence from the Attorney-General of the Federation", he maintained.

Mandate Yet to be Achieved In his submission, the Chief Executive Officer of Research and Consultancy group, Beacon Consulting Ltd., a member of ASIS International, world’s largest association for security management professionals, said the agency's mandate was yet to be achieved in view of the high rate of corruption and economic crimes in Nigeria.

"The fact that corruption and economic crimes remain extremely high in Nigeria means that EFCC's mandate is far from being achieved.

"As an example, the acclaimed high number of convictions do not include politicians who during the recently concluded party primaries allegedly paid or received monies that were either inducement or bribe", he said.

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

XVI

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Sanwo-Olu Expresses Concern Over Real Estate Fraudulent Practices r Monthly house rent payment still on course Bennett Oghifo

L

agos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has expressed concern over the rate of unprofessional practices in the real estate sector in recent time, saying that the development calls for increased vigilance on the part of all genuine real estate practitioners and the government.

This is just as the governor assured Lagos residents that the government has resolved to make the payment of house rent monthly a reality.

Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed these concerns at the Opening Ceremony of the Third Lagos Real Estate Market Place Conference and Exhibitions organised by Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), in Victoria Island,

Lagos, recently.

On the high rate of shady real estate transactions, the governor said that in view of the rate of reported cases of dubious acts by some real estate agents who are taking undue advantage of the real estate market, being one of the fastest growing industry in Nigeria and Lagos State in particular, registered real estate practitioners must uncover the quarks in the profession in order to salvage the image of the real estate practice.

He recalled that the conference and Exhibition was initiated as a platform for Individuals/ Organizations operating in the Real Estate Sector to network and address developmental issues affecting the real estate business in Lagos State.

According to Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat,

the chosen theme for Conference; “A Town Hall Meeting On The Lagos Real Estate Emerging Markets - Mitigating Potential Risks” was adopted to once again, beam search light on this sector against the background of new tactics and strategies being deployed by unscrupulous and fake practitioners to defraud unsuspecting clients.

He said, “As a Government, we owe it a duty to safeguard investments of people who may be unaware of some unprofessional practices in the market.

The need to restore public confidence to this sector led to the establishment of the Lagos State Real Estate transaction in Lagos State to protect the citizens and investors from the potential risks emerging in the market.

“LASRERA has defined minimum operational standards and guidelines for citizens to abide

with. The guidelines provide a comprehensive checklist for the citizens to correctly identify and have competitive list of registered individuals/organizations in

order to avoid doing business with unregistered Real Estate practitioners in the system.

“We can’t talk about risks in the real estate sector without

mentioning the violation of principles of transparency and Real Estate Laws. These to a greater extent, are major potential risks in this sector.”

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs Folasade Jaji, Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Housing, Hon Rasheed Makinde, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Housing, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, at the Third Lagos Real Estate MarketPlace Conference and Exhibitions, organised by Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), held in Victoria Island… recently

Mixta Africa Launches Affordable FG Takes Strident Step on Plastic Housing Rent-to-own Schemes Waste Management Bennett Oghifo Mixta Africa, a leading infrastructure developer and real estate company with passion for providing secured, affordable and futuristic housing models, has unveiled DUO, a housing financing solutions designed for middle-income earners.

Speaking at the launch, Country Manager, Mixta Africa, Mrs. Sade Hughes said lack of access to housing finance has contributed greatly to the housing deficit in the country.

She noted that the gap between demand and supply of affordable housing finance products is huge. This presents a sizeable business opportunity

and as an innovative financial inclusion company, the onus is on them to develop a solutions that will critically tackle this deficit with the aim of easing housing finance for middleincome families.

“DUO is an initiative for home acquisition focused on affordability for subscribers.

The financial ecosystem is evolving and cost of fund is a major stumbling block to realizing affordable housing and as a responsive financial inclusion company, we needed to intervene and activate a solution that will addresses the twin challenge of cost of fund and housing affordability”, she explained

Mixta Africa, Chief Commercial Officer, Mrs. Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani says, “DUO is a homegrown solution for Middle-income earners who have difficulty paying outrightly for a house or experiencing delays in accessing a mortgage.”

“It supports subscribers by taking away the discomfort and possible friction of owning a house and easing the journey to home ownership by providing a win, win scheme, where you start out meeting your housing need as a tenant and end up as a homeowner in a simple, straightforward transaction; making property investments more accessible and affordable.”

“The thought of being a

Michael Olugbade The federal government has taken a strident step on management of plastic waste in the country by inaugurating a Project Steering Committee (PSC) for Promotion of Sustainable Plastics Value Chains through Circular Economy Practices.

Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi said it is instructive that this is taking off at a time the attention of the global community is focused on negotiating the establishment of a legally binding instrument for the environmentally sound management of plastic throughout their entire lifecycle.

He said: “As you are all aware, misuse of plastic and poor management of its wastes pose danger to human health and the environment as they leach toxic chemical constituents such as endocrine disrupting chemicals which have been

linked to infertility, diabetes, prostate/breast cancer, into foods, drinks and the environment. Also tonnes of improperly disposed plastic wastes litter our streets, clog up drainages in rural and urban areas leading to flooding incidents as experienced in certain parts of the country recently, contaminate the soll affecting farmlands and livestocks, littering the oceans thereby threatening biodiversity and Increase greenhouse gas emissions when burnt indiscriminately.”

The Minister disclosed that it was in response to these challenges that the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with relevant stakeholders took steps to address the plastic issue holistically by adopting circular economy model, stressing that: “In this wise, we have developed the national policies on solid waste and plastic waste management to promote environmental protection, resource and energy efficiency, circular economy

practices and enhance the conservation of natural resources through sustainable production and consumption and currently implementing community based waste management projects with emphasis on recycling.”

He said: “It might also interest you to know that the Government of Japan funded a study on available sustainable alternative materials for plastic, innovative packaging and recycling technologies that meet market needs in Africa to reduce plastic leakages to the environment, in Nigeria. The study which was conducted in 2021, implemented by UNIDO in collaboration with the Ministry revealed the following: Low level of recycling activities in the country; Only 45% of waste are collected 80% of plastic waste goes to dumpsite while only 10% is recycled; Alternative materials to plastics are yet to be introduced in the market and recognition of bioplastics is low, amongst others.”

Building Management Easy With Intelligent Automation, Says PPC Fadekemi Ajakaiye

L-R: Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer, Mixta Africa, Mr Benson Ajayi; Chief Commercial Officer, Mixta Africa, Mrs Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani; and Country Manager, Mixta Nigeria, Mrs Sade Hughes, at the launch of DUO affordable housing scheme in Lagos… recently

FG Removes Barriers from LagosIbadan Expressway Construction Site Bennett Oghifo Federal Ministry of Works, yesterday, removed barriers from some sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to ensure unhindered flow of traffic during the end of year festivities.

Heavy duty equipment were used to remove the crash barriers at the Opic U Turn section and other diversion points for free flow of traffic on the highway.

The removal is a relief for

motorists, who sometimes spend four to five hours in gridlock due to the ongoing construction.

Supervising the re-opening around Opic, the Director, Federal Highways, Southwest, Mr Adedamola Kuti said government earlier promised to re-open the highway to traffic on Thursday but brought it forward to ease gridlock.

Kuti said because of the festive season, all obstructions on section one which spans

Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange were being removed on Monday.

“As part of our Ember Months programme, there was an announcement we made that all barriers at road construction sites will be removed by 15th of December to allow for free movement this season.

“So, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project we have already attained a level to which we can allow those barriers to be removed.

Nigeria’s leading engineering and infrastructure development company, says the management and regular maintenance of multi-story buildings can be made seamless with the intelligent automation of the building systems.

Head of Building Services Engineering Division at PPC, Mr. Anand Kumar, in a statement on Tuesday, said there is growing popularity and desire for user-friendly building designs that incorporate technology for efficiency.

The ability of facility managers to monitor multiple systems, including HVAC, power, fire, lighting, security and plumbing systems in order to solve inefficiency and inconsistency in the building systems, will optimize building management, he added.

He said, “Technology has become an indispensable part of modern building projects.

This is because there are benefits to leveraging technology in making building systems more efficient. The integration of digital capabilities like the Internet ofThings(IoT) into plumbing, electricity and HVAC systems will help to minimize energy and water wastage, which directly adds to the cost savings and quicker ROI from the facilities and at the same time improves the level of comfort of occupants.

“Hospitals, hotels and offices are beginning to see the need for intelligent control technologies that allow them to gain insights on how to be efficient, improve processes and productivity, lower cost and create a safe environment for building users. The intelligent control systems will ensure

that the heating and cooling of the rooms are done only when needed, enhancing the quality of the environment and reducing the carbon footprint in the building.

“IoT sensors can be installed in offices, industrial and hospitality buildings; and are particularly useful in minimizing energy bills as they monitor and control the energy usage of mechanical and electrical equipment.”

A report by the Data Bridge Market Research has predicted that the global Building Management System market valued at $14.10 billion in 2021 is expected to reach $51.73billion in the next 7 years due to rising economic growth as well as an increase in the awareness and need for improved quality of life with the help of modern energy services.

28

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

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

08056356325

D E C E M B E R

S & P INDEX

1 2 , 2 0 2 2

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

11.25%

CALL

10.25%

INDEX LEVEL

613.31%

1/4 TO DATE

-0.85%

N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

11.50%

1-MONTH

9.56%

1-DAY

0.16%

YEAR TO DATE

7.64%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10.52%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.44%

New Data Show Nigeria’s Crude Oil Exports Slumped 21% to N4.6trn in Q3

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Despite selling for an average of $90 per barrel in the last few months, the value of Nigeria’s export crude oil fell by 21.15 per cent to N4.658 trillion in the entire third quarter of this year, covering July, August and September, numbers released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.

The NBS data detailing the country’s trade with other nations, indicated that the N4.658 trillion collected from the sale of crude fell short of the N5.907 trillion realised

by the country in Q2.

However, it was an increase when compared with the same or corresponding period in 2021, which was put at N4.026 trillion.

For over a year, Nigeria has been unable to meet its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil production quota, a development that has markedly impacted its foreign exchange earnings.

But with the renewed effort by the federal government, oil companies as well as government and host communities’ security

apparatuses, a THISDAY review of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), data during the week, indicated that Nigeria has now been able to ramp up production by 177,000 barrels per day in November.

This increased the total production in November this year to 1.185 million bpd as opposed to the 1.014 million bpd drilled in October, 2022.

But when condensates, which are usually excluded from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota calculations are included, the total oil drilled

for the month of November was 1.41 million bpd, according to the commission which regulates the upstream of the oil and gas sector.

However, the data differed markedly from the announcement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), last week that Nigeria’s total daily production had hit 1.59 million bpd.

The Chief Upstream Investment Officer NNPC’s Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Bala Wunti, made the disclosure in two separate events last week.

He credited the improvement to

the NNPC and its security and host communities’ partners who he said have successfully destroyed 638 out of the 763 illegal refineries recently discovered.

“The value of crude oil exports in Q3, 2022 stood at N4,658.30 billion (N4.6 trillion) showing a decrease of (21.15 per cent) compared to N5,907.97 billion (N5.9 trillion) , the value recorded in Q2, 2022; and it rose by 15.70 per cent compared to the corresponding period of 2021 (N4,026.18 billion or N4.0 trillion),” the NBS report stated.

However, the national statistics

body, announced that the value of other oil products exports in Q3, 2022 was N837.33 billion.

“This marginally increased by 1.68 per cent compared to the value recorded in Q2, 2022 (N823.48 billion), but grew by 50.10 per cent when compared to the value in the same period of 2021 (N557.85 billion),” the data showed.

According to the latest information from the organisation, during the quarter under review, Nigeria imported goods mainly from Asia, Continued on page 29

Osinbajo: Nigeria Loses N29bn Annually to Transboundary Animal Diseases Gilbert Ekugbe Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo has stated that Nigeria loses over N29 billion annually in the livestock sub-sector through mortality, morbidity and trade restrictions.

Osinbajo, who was represented

by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, stated this at an event held in Abuja.

He added that in a bid to address the challenges bedeviling the livestock sector, the federal government has launched the national strategic documents for the control of Transboundary

Animal Diseases (TADs) to eradicate animal and zoonotic diseases in the livestock sector.

He pointed out that TADs were among the most economically devastating diseases of livestock in the West and Central Africa sub-region.

The vice president stated that

FOOD

COMMODITIES

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

RICE

100KG

ABUJA

N23,000–N25,000

SORGHUM

50KG

OYO

N22,000-N25,000

50KG

PLATEAU (JOS)

N23,500-N25,000

50KG

KWARA N24,000–N27,000

50KG

LAGOS

50KG

RIVERS N23,000–N26,500

50KG 50KG

the federal government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in other MDAs, is at the forefront of coordinating the fight against diseases that afflict animals.

Osinbajo said: “Intensive

SIZE

PRICE

STATE

100KG JIGAWA

NAME OF COMMODITY

N9,000

C O C OA

BENUE

N8,500

100KG

KADUNA

N8,500

50KG

ENUGU

N23,000

50KG

LAGOS

N17,000

SOKOTO N11,500–N13,000

100KG

DELTA

N23,000

N17,000–N20,000

100KG

ABIA

N23,000

EDO

against economically devastating diseases are carried out annually for millions of cattle, sheep, goats and dogs.”

He noted that the federal government realised that despite all efforts at controlling Continued on page 29

T O D AY

PRICE

100KG

N23,000–N26,500

surveillance, epidemiology and response are being conducted in the hotspot areas, to keep the rising profile of the diseases in check. We work also in collaboration with state veterinary services, particularly in frontline international borders.

In addition, mass vaccinations

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

1 TON

ONDO

N740,000 – N760,000

1 TON

OSUN

N730,000 – N750,000

1 TON

EDO

N720,000 – N740,000

1 TON

CROSS RIVER

N700,000 – N720,000

1 TON

AKURE SOUTH, ONDO

N730,000 — N755,000

29

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

NERC: It’s Not Electricity Consumers’ Duty to Purchase Transformers, Others Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reiterated that it is not the responsibility of electricity consumers to buy, repair

transformers or purchase electric poles or any other equipment for the operators.

The industry regulator insisted that the responsibility remains that of the service providers, namely

the power Distribution Companies (Discos).

NERC’s Commissioner for Consumers Affairs, Aisha Mahmud, who spoke in Abuja at a threeday NERC/Abuja Electricity

Distribution Company (AEDC) Customer Complaint Resolution Meeting, stated that it shouldn’t be taken as a norm.

“It is not the responsibility of the consumers to buy meters, poles or

IITA, CGIAR Partner to Strengthen Seed Systems of Vegetative-Propagated Crops Gilbert Ekugbe The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have launched an ambitious research and innovation project: the Programme for Seed System Innovation of Vegetative-propagated Crops (PROSSIVA), aimed at strengthening seed systems of Vegetative Propagated Crops (VPCs) in Africa.

The programme, which is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation), would boost the production of banana, plantain, cassava, sweet-potato and yam on the continent.

IITA, in a recent statement, said that despite the importance of these VPCs for food security in Africa, their seed systems are underdeveloped, thus making it difficult for producers to get disease-free planting materials of improved varieties.

The institute added that the planting materials for these crops are also perishable, bulky, hard to transport, and susceptible to the transmission of diseases and pests.

The statement added that in the coming five years, CGIAR centres and wide diversity of public and private sector partners in five implementing countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, would work together to address technical bottlenecks, poor coordination, and weak

commercialisation that particularly affect VPC seed systems.

IITA stated that consolidating several single-crop seed systems investments under a single umbrella, the project will tap into the great potential for cross-learning between crops, as most constraints are common to many or all of them, maintaining that the project will also benefit from building on the legacy of single crop seed system investments being funded by the Gates Foundation.

IITA said: “PROSSIVA will target the five impact areas of CGIAR, including: nutrition, health and food security; poverty reduction, liveli-

hoods and jobs; gender equality, youth and social inclusion; climate adaptation and mitigation; and environmental health and biodiversity.

The impacts of PROSSIVA will result from conducting research and delivering innovations that will overcome seed system bottlenecks identified by stakeholders in the five African countries.

“To promote scaling of innovations generated, PROSSIVA will proactively partner with private companies, African governments, international financial institutions, and intermediary organizations like the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT)

funded by the African Development Bank and Agricultural Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA).

Close linkages with the Genetic Innovations Action Area of CGIAR will also ensure that farmers benefit from improved access to an ever-growing pipeline of seed of the very best varieties.

“The project will ensure that the novel outputs generated have far-reaching impacts beyond the target countries and will make major contributions to transforming vegetative propagated crop seed systems in Africa. IITA is the lead implementing center for the program.”

any assets for the Discos because we have already provided for that in the tariff of the utilities.

“But under any circumstances that you have to purchase these items and you cannot wait for the Discos to make that investment, we have made provision for that under our investment regulation,” she explained.

According to her, the commission came up with the investment in the network regulation, which will allow a customer who has to purchase a transformer, do so through a proper agreement.

She said that in the process, the consumer has to sign an agreement with the Discos stating when and how the consumer would be refunded the cost of the asset.

“The agreement should contain dispute resolution clause and any other items that are expected of a standard agreement.

“What we expect from the Discos is to use their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to buy those assets, or rather use shareholders’ investment or borrow from the banks to purchase those assets,” she argued.

However, she stated that if the Discos are not able to buy those assets, customers could make a case and would be refunded as per agreed terms.

“What the consumers don’t know is that the regulation exists and they go about making all sorts of investment, which Discos say is a donation to them because there is no agreement,‘’ she said.

Mahmud said it was part of NERC’s responsibility to also educate customers on their rights and obligations, including in issues of metering, bypass of meters, among others.

“They should know that the Discos are just merely collection agents and the revenue they collect is not entirely their own as they have to pay gas suppliers, pay the Transmission Company (TCN) and the Generation Companies (Gencos), she added.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Planning Research and Strategy, NERC, Yusuf Ali, said that the forum was an opportunity for the commission and other stakeholders to listen and act on the complaints of customers.

Azura Annual Community Interventions Hit $1m Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Azura Power, West Africa Limited, operators of the Edo Independent Power Producer (IPP), has announced that its annual financial deployment for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) throughout its areas of operations, has now hit $1 million.

Speaking in Abuja, the Managing Director of the company, Edu Okeke, stressed that the interventions are structured in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are geared towards improving health,

education and the general livelihood of its communities.

Okeke, who spoke at a ceremony during which Azura Power, presented a solar power facility to Facado Orphanage Home located in Apo, stated that members of staff of the firm were also fully mobilised to celebrate the underprivileged children in the spirit of the festive season.

“In terms of the charter of the company, we devote $1 million yearly for these kind of activities.

So, this is something that has been going on since inception and will continue for as long as this company is in existence,” Okeke added.

He noted that the event was going on simultaneously in Abuja and Benin where a a similar power facility was also presented to the Eghosa Orphanage home, stating that it will help the orphanage save the cost of diesel which he said now sells for as high as 800 per litre.

“It will save them the heavy cost of diesel used in generating power,” he explained.

“Some of us are parents and when we look at what is happening here, it is not an easy job for the proprietors, because it’s difficult taking care of kids. But our prayer is that among them,

very soon some of them will be Azura employees. So we going to have fun today and make the kids happy,” Okeke added.

In her remarks, the Founder and Director of the Facado Orphanage Home in Abuja, Ngozi George, said the electricity facility will improve the education of the kids as well as their health.

She stated that the joy of the children has been uncurbed since the solar power was installed, explaining that the orphanage never wrote to the firm before they decided to make enquiries and install the facility on their own volition.

“Now the cry that they can’t see their books and the lack of electricity which has also been a major cause of mosquitoes around here will also disappear. So, it will improve their health, education, even their entertainment,” she stated.

While commending Azura for the kind gesture, she said that it will be a boost to the quality of life which she said will automatically improve.

Azura-Edo power station is a natural gas-powered open cycle electricity generation plant, with a current operational capacity of 461 megawatts, located in Benin City in Nigeria.

billion),” the NBS figures stressed.

It further showed that the top five export destinations in the third quarter of 2022 were Spain with a share of 14.72 per cent, followed by India with 10.44 per cent, France with 7.25 per cent as well as the Netherlands and Indonesia with 7.09 per cent and 7.00 per cent respectively.

“Altogether, the top five countries accounted for a share of 46.49 per cent of the total value of exports

(N5,933.63 billion or N5.9 trillion).

“The commodity with the largest export values in the period under review was petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude with N4,658.30 billion (N4.6 trillion) representing 78.51 per cent, followed by ‘natural gas, liquefied’ with N757.36 billion, accounting for 12.76 per cent, and urea, whether or not in aqueous solution, with N133.17 billion or 2.24 per cent of total exports,” it added.

NEW DATA SHOW NIGERIA’S CRUDE OIL EXPORTS SLUMPED 21% TO N4.6TRN IN Q3 valued at N2,822.29 billion (N2.8 trillion) or 49.83 per cent of total imports.

This was followed by Europe with N2,038.29 billion (N2 trillion) or 35.98 per cent, America with N598.27 billion or 10.56 per cent, Africa with N160.64 billion or 2.84 per cent and Oceania with N44.85 billion or 0.79 per cent.

During the period, imports from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) accounted

for N26.24 billion, or 0.46 per cent of the value of total imports. The implication of this is that Nigeria does not do substantial business with its West African neighbours.

By country of origin, the NBS report stated that imported goods originated mainly from China and were valued at N1,526.31 billion (N1.5 trillion), representing 26.95 per cent of total imports.

This was followed by The Netherlands with N565.90 billion

(9.99 per cent of total imports), India with N450.21 billion (7.95 per cent of total imports), Belgium with goods imported valued at N422.34 billion or 7.46 per cent of total imports, and the United States of America with N365.94 billion (6.46 per cent of total imports).

As expected Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol took the lion’s share of the value of the country’s imports with N1.19 trillion in Q3.

Despite being an oil-producing

nation, Nigeria does not refine a drop of petrol, due to run-down refineries. It imports its consumption, even from countries without oil, but which have built refineries to derive value from the crude oil produced by other countries.

“The commodities with the largest values among the top imported products were ‘Motor Spirit’ (N1,199.64 billion or N1.1 trillion) ‘Gas Oil’ (N261.60 billion), and ‘Durum wheat (not in seeds)’(N252.62

OSINBAJO: NIGERIA LOSES N29BN ANNUALLY TO TRANSBOUNDARY ANIMAL DISEASES diseases both within and along transhumance corridors, veterinarians, clinicians, animal health service providers and other important stakeholders required a roadmap that would guide them properly to be able to control and achieve the eventual eradication of these diseases.

He also said that the development and validation of strategic documents had received wide stakeholder inputs and contributions from experts as

well as key players in animal health and the livestock industry.

Osinbajo noted that, “the contents of the strategies are selfexplanatory and straightforward for easy understanding, especially by respective experts. It is thus our desire to see to the smooth implementation and operation of the strategies, to ensure realization of the objectives they are meant to serve.”

Abubakar, in his remarks, stated that the FMARD through

the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Service in collaboration with relevant stakeholder has developed and validated National Strategic plans for the control and eradication of major trans boundary Animal Diseases such as Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), African Trypanosomosis nd Tick Borne Diseases and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in cattle; Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats, African Swine Fever

FOOD NAME OF COMMODITY

PALM OIL

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

25CL LAGOS N20,000-N25000 25CL

PH

N19,500 – 25,000

NAME OF COMMODITY

TOMATOES

COMMODITIES SIZE

STATE

40KG BENUE

PRICE

N15,000

40KG

KADUNA

N5,000

40KG

ABIA

N18,000

25CL IBADAN N18,000-N22,000 25CL

IMO

N21,000–N24,500

25CL

EDO

N19,000–N21,000

25CL ABUJA

N19500- N25000

(ASF) in pigs and Newcastle disease (NCD) in chickens, among others.”

He revealed that the federal government was targeting the establishment of primary animal health centers in all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to tackle TADs challenges holistically across the country.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, who was represented

by Director, Rural Development,

25KG LAGOS 40KG DELTA

N9,500 N17000

PRICE

Mr. Udo Daniel, stated that TADs are highly contagious diseases that have the ability to spread very rapidly across national and international boundaries.

“They have high potentials of causing great socioeconomic losses and public health consequences to our livestock farmers and pastoralists who depend on these animals as their means of livelihoods” he said.

Umakhihe lauded the developmental partners for

their continuous support and collaboration with the ministry in addressing many challenges bedeviling the livestock subsector in Nigeria.

Highlight of the event was the official unveiling of the National Strategic Documents for the Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs).

In attendance were the Representative of the vice president, development partners from FAO among other stakeholders.

T O D AY

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

ONIONS

100KG

IBADAN

N25,000

100KG

KANO

N10,000

100KG

BENUE

N27,000

100KG GOMBE

N12,000

100KG DELTA

N21,000

100KG LAGOS

N25,000

100KG ENUGU

N15,000

100KG

ABIA

N29,000

NAME OF COMMODITY

MAIZE

LOCATION

PRICE

100KG JIGAWA

N9000

100KG ENUGU

N24000

100KG DELTA

N15000

100KG ABIA

N14000

50KG LAGOS

N13500

SIZE

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

30

BUSINESSWORLD

INDUSTRY

AVT as Death Sentence for Nonalcoholic Soft Drinks Manufacturers?

Dike Onwuamaeze writes on the implications of the plan by the federal government to introduce 20 per cent Ad valorem excise tax on soft drinks

O

perators in the manufacturing sector of the Nigerian economy are awaiting the forwarding of the Finance Bill 2022 by the executive arm of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the National Assembly with a grim sense of foreboding. They are visibly worried that the Finance Bill would include a section that would impose 20 per cent Ad Valorem Tax (AVT) on the manufacturers of nonalcoholic carbonated soft drinks.

For now, there worries might be speculative for two reasons. One, the bill has not been forwarded to the NASS for the general public to know its content. Two, no federal government’s official has made any public pronouncement on it as the time THISDAY went to the press. The most that has come out from the government was the response of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, to THISDAY inquiry on Sunday. Ahmed said that the federal government is still consulting stakeholders on the AVT. “It is not in the draft Finance Bill 2022 before FEC (Federal Executive Council).

We will conduct wider consultations on the subject,” she said.

But operators in the manufacturing sector are convinced that the new tax, which they dread, is already written into the Finance Bill 2022.

MAN REACTS

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) told THISDAY that it is reliably informed that the new AVT has been written into the Finance Bill 2022 by the executive.

The Director General of MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadri, told THISDAY on Sunday that the federal government is fixed on introducing the 20 per cent AVT and the strategy of the association to counter it is to shift the battle field to the legislative chambers of the NASS. Ajayi-Kadri said: “We, therefore, call on the National Assembly to reject this amendment to the Finance Act. We are hopeful that adequate time will be given for public hearing on this bill and stakeholders will be invited and their input accommodated.

“It is evident that the assumed revenue gain is the basis for the introduction of this excise tax. But in the long run, it is going to be ‘penny wise, pound foolish.’”

He said: “It is quite unfortunate. It appears that the goose that lays the golden egg is being sacrificed.

“What that is not realised by many (especially governments) is that excise begets high production costs which in turn adversely affect production levels and ultimately result in dwindling profits. This will grossly impact the small and emerging business owners in the non-alcoholic beverage sector.

“Therefore, introducing more excise tax will easily reduce production capacity of manufacturers and constrain investors to take their investments to other countries.

“The MAN has stated very clearly that it is likely to cause a 0.43 per cent contraction in output and about 40 per cent drop in total industry revenues in the next five years. The revenue aspirations of government in introducing this excise may amount to a wild-goose chase in the long run.”

The food and beverage sectorial group of MAN said in a recent press briefing that “a key player that invested N216 billion in 2016 alone and had planned to invest N4.3 trillion in the next five years.

However, this planned investment is now on hold due to declining performance.”

The sectorial group also said that financial performance analysis of the sector between January and May 2022 vis-à-vis June to September 2022 showed significant decrease of -11 per cent in production volume; while turnover for 2022 is projected at -19 per cent and gross profit at projected -38 per cent and Profit Before Tax projected at -118 per cent.

“Based on the sector’s performance between July and September 2022, total tax contribution is set to decrease by -4 per cent projected to year end. Excise tax paid is set to decrease by -4 per cent and VAT contribution will decrease by a sizeable -9 per cent.

“With the level of business losses arising from write-offs of unsold inventory, there will be massive lay-offs of over 1500 direct employees and over 500,000 indirect employees in the next few months,” the sectorial group said.

STALLED FOREIGN INVESTMENTS

THISDAY’s investigation revealed that foreign investors are withholding their plan to invest 300 million Euro in a carbonated soft drink company until the matter is settled on whether the federal government would impose the additional 20 per cent on the sub-sector of Nigerian manufacturing sector.

The investigation further revealed that an emerging brand of cola in the market has been out of production for almost 12 weeks because it could not cope anymore. This is a signal that it is just a matter of time before other companies would begin shutting down production.

THISDAY’s investigation further revealed that many manufacturing companies in the soft drink segment are not making enough profits to be able to pay their Company Income Tax (CIT) of 30 per cent.

A source in the industry told THISDAY that the government should have verified from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to find out how many of these soft drinks companies have paid income tax in the past five years? A good number

of them are also paying the excise tax of N10 per liter of soft drink that was imposed in the Finance Act of 2021 from their shareholders’ capital and not from revenue.

“The best you can see them pay is minimum tax, which implied that they have not been making enough profit to be able to pay their CIT. So, should the government be talking about new taxes when the industry is contracting and is not able to pay their CIT? But unfortunately the federal government is relying on an alleged World Bank data that claimed that food and beverage sector grew by eight per cent in the first half of the year. But it should have unbundled that data to know if the growth is coming from the soft drinks’ segment,” the source said.

The latest Gross Domestic Product report of National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) showed that the sector contracted by 4.05 per cent nine months after the imposition of the N10 per liter excise tax, which is its first decline since 2020.

Perhaps the writing is already on the wall but no one appears to be reading.

The opinion in the manufacturing sector is that the federal government should be clear about what it is after. Is it revenue or is it out to address health concerns? If it is the later, Nigeria’s per capita consumption of sugar is a little less than that 8kg per day, which is below the World Health Organisation’s strong recommendation of “reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake.” This implied that Nigerians are not even consuming enough sugar.

A Professor of Economics and Public Policy at University of Uyo, Professor Akpan Ekpo, has warned that the solution to the government’s revenue challenge is not to discourage investment in a traumatised economy like Nigeria.

For him, increasing taxes on manufacturers “at this point in our economy is unnecessary.” The way out for government, according to him, should be to “tax conspicuous consumption and expand the tax base to generate more revenue.”

Ekpo, who was the director general of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, also argued that manufacturers would pass some of the taxes to consumers thus further increasing the hardship of citizens.

Moreover, the manufacturers are already having a tough time procuring foreign exchange for their businesses.

He said: “It will worsen the already unprecedented high rate of unemployment. There would be job loss and potential investors will be discouraged. Government should tax

conspicuous consumption and expand the tax base to generate more revenue.”

ECONOMIST CHILDS FG

Similarly, an Economist and Founder of the Centre for Protection of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, Dr. Muda Yusuf, has said that any proposal to introduce the 20 per cent AVT would hurt the carbonated drinks and nonalcoholic beverage segments of the manufacturing sector.

The decision also seemed to suggest that the policy makers are largely disconnected from the realities of manufacturing challenges in Nigeria that included grappling with high and escalating production costs, rising operating costs, depreciating exchange rate, illiquidity in the foreign exchange market, soaring cost of logistics, multiple taxation, and surging energy cost.

Yusuf said: “It is unfair to contemplate an additional tax on this struggling sector. CPPE strongly advise against the contemplation of an additional tax on this critical sector of our economy.

“There are implications on ability of the companies to retain existing jobs, let alone creating new ones. In essence this tax proposition is a negation of the quest for job creation and poverty reduction.”

Also an Economist and Chairman of Proshare Limited, Mr. Olufemi Awoyemi, has also argued that the proposed 20 percent excise tax on nonalcoholic beverages would lead to a hike in the price of the popular soft drinks consumed by Nigerians, especially the low-income earners who sees them as a source of meal supplement.

Awoyemi observed that while it is good for the government to generate revenue through its tax policies, there is need for a balance in order to create an environment for the manufacturing companies to thrive.

“That means if you look at one side and leave the other without equilibrium, there will be a conundrum, and that means you will be defeated.

“If the revenue of the manufacturing companies declines, with the -25 percent being experienced, there would be a layoff of workers, and it would lead to a drop in their standard of living,” Awoyemi averred.

Analysts believed the tax advocates had no social impact assessment before proposing the excise tax on carbonated drinks. The one-sided narrative that considered economic justification of taxes without social impact assessment has unintended consequences.

The Chief Economist of Proshare Nigeria, Mr. Teslim Teslim Shitta-Bay, stated that “a tax is designed to create an environment for expansion, consumption, and productivity, so you need a tax that is not primitive.”

Notwithstanding, Shitta-Bay noted that “the scale of the tax in the carbonated soft drink sector is too high. The proposed 20 ad-valorem tax on the value of the product plus a recent N10 per litre excise tax will create difficulties for manufacturers in the sector.”

31

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

L-R: Environment Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd, Temitope Ogunrinde; Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Specialist, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd, Olukemi Ogunsakin; Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd, Ekuma Eze; Corporate Affairs & Community Partnerships Manager, Lagos/West, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd, Jerome Oyebanji; and Packaging Recovery Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd, Idris Adetola, after being presented with the Best Company In Net Zero Transmission and OPSWASH Award For Best Company In Water and Sanitation award given to NBC for their contribution towards environmental sustainability at the SERAS-CSR Awards...in Lagos… recently

ExxonMobil Earmarks $25bn Six-year Anniversary: for Capital Expenditure in 2023 OPEC Says Document Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja ExxonMobil has said that it plans to devote $23 billion to $25 billion of capital spending next year, up 9 per cent, while keeping production steady at 3.7 million bpd of oil equivalent, assuming Brent oil prices are at least $60/b.

The company said its 2023 production target is in line with its output from the first three quarters of this year, and also with its 2021 average, meant to offset the impact of strategic portfolio divestments and its exit earlier this year from the Sakhalin-1 project

in Russia.

ExxonMobil noted that company’s upstream earnings potential should double by 2027 compared to 2019 owing to high-return and low-costof-supply project investments.

It added that more than 70 per cent of the company’s capital investments would be funnelled toward key developments in the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico, Guyana, Brazil and global LNG projeadde By 2027, upstream production is expected to grow 500,000 boe/d to 4.2 million boe/d, with more than 50 per cent of the total to

come from those key growth areas.

In addition, roughly 90 per cent of the company’s upstream investments that result in new oil and gas production should have returns greater than 10 per cent at oil prices of at least $35/b, while also slashing upstream-operated greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 40 per cent-50 per cent through 2030 compared to 2016 levels.

The corporate plan through 2027 maintains annual capital expenditures at $20 billion-$25 billion, up from about $22 billion in 2022, while increasing lower-

emissions investments to around $17 billion, up $2 billion, or nearly 15 per cent from the company’s earlier commitment.

“Our five-year plan is a continuation of the path that has delivered industryleading results in 2022,” Chief Executive Officer, Darren Woods said.

“We view our success as (being able to) produce the energy and products society needs, and be a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our own operations and also those from other companies,” he noted.

Osinbajo, Keyamo, Commend International Breweries’ Kickstart Initiative Kayode Tokede Vice President Yomi Osinbajo and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, have commended International Breweries Plc’s Kickstart Initiative, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) aimed at promoting and empowering youths.

The duo gave the commendation when International Breweries awarded a combined sum of N60 million to 50 budding entrepreneurs at the seventh edition of the initiative.

This is in addition to 330 young entrepreneurs trained

by IBPLC in the same year.

The initiative is aimed at promoting and empowering youths in Nigeria between the ages of 18 to 35 years to embrace entrepreneurship through intensive business training, mentorship, and the award of grants to kickstart their business ideas. The Kickstart initiative cut across different sectors of the economy including manufacturing, agriculture, modular retailing, technology, circular packaging (recycling), water stewardship, and renewable energy.

This year’s event witnessed the convergence of individuals, captains of industry, top government officials and agencies as well as many

Nigerian youths.

Represented by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Osinbajo noted the critical nature and immense value of the Kickstart Initiative to Nigeria.

“This is a very important and creative initiative; it is of immense value to this country and humanity. I encourage those who benefit from it because it is through entrepreneurial activities like Kickstart that Nigeria can become great. There is a limit to the job government and its agencies can provide. Our youths can only be engaged through the collaboration of the private sector and the government to empower them for wealth creation and nation-building,” he said.

Managing Director, International Breweries, Hugo Rocha who expressed excitement at the success of the initiative over the years welcomed the guests to the seventh edition.

According to him, “The idea behind Kickstart is to raise entrepreneurs with thriving businesses who will become employers of labour themselves, thereby acting as agents for taking other people out of the unemployment market in the country. The success stories we have recorded over the years inspire us to do more.

Kickstart is an intervention that contributes to Goal 1 (no

Poverty) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) of UNSDGs.” The Chairman of the Advisory Board, International Breweries Foundation, Peter Bamkole while highlighting the impact of Kickstart over the years reiterated the foundation’s commitment to youth empowerment in Nigeria. In his words, “We have remained committed to the social investment scheme because we believe in the potential of the average Nigerian youth - our future!

We also believe that the talent, energy, and enterprise embedded in a predominantly young population estimated to be around 151 million representing 70per cent of Nigeria’s population according to Worldometer must be harnessed for productivity and nation-building.”

On his part, Keyamo noted that, “This seventh edition of Kickstart could not have come at a better time because I am sure you saw the report released just a few days ago that we have 133 million poor Nigerians. This is the time for us to put on our thinking cap and begin to think out of the box on how to address this very serious problem of unemployment in the country.”

Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, International Breweries Plc, Temitope Oguntokun reiterated the

importance of the initiative to the organisation. “So far, our Kickstart scheme has positively impacted 1,608 direct and more than 3,000 indirect beneficiaries. With an investment of over 600 million Naira in seven years and the creation of 571 jobs, our foundation has been empowering youths with intensive business training, and access to capital through grants and mentorship that ensures our awardees are supported to run sustainable businesses.”

The Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Olawale Tunde Fasanya, said, “IBPLC is doing more than teaching people how to fish, IBPLC is teaching people what to do with the fish and this is highly commendable. When I got the invitation for this event, I initially delegated one of the Directors in the agency to attend but by the time I went through the objectives of Kickstart and the testimonials I said no, I have to be here in person, and that is why I am here today. I must commend IBPLC for coming up with this initiative and for having touched many youths. IBPLC is assisting the government and we must congratulate and thank you for what you are doing we hope that you continue in this stride.”

of Cooperation Stabilised Oil Market Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has said that the Document of Cooperation (DoC) between the international cartel and non-OPEC members has stabilised the oil market.

OPEC Secretary General, Haitham Al Ghais, in a statement, to mark the 6th year of the agreement added that it has also helped in securing global energy security.

The six-year-old DoC signed by 23 oil producing countries aimed to secure sustainable oil market stability through cooperation and dialogue, including at the research and technical levels, for the benefit of all producers, consumers and investors, as well as the global economy at large.

“The Declaration of Cooperation is an unprecedented collaborative framework of 23 oil-producing countries that is based on trust, mutual respect and dialogue.

Six years later, the framework continues to play an instrumental role in supporting market stability, which is essential for growth and development, as well as attracting

the necessary investment to ensure energy security,” Al Ghais said.

The commitment of the DoC participants to a stable oil market, he said, has once again been evident following the severe oil market contraction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The OPEC scribe added that these efforts have supported the global pandemic recovery process, and have been recognised at the highest levels of government and by other international organisations and academia.

On December 10, 2016, OPEC member countries and Azerbaijan; the Kingdom of Bahrain; Brunei; Darussalam; Equatorial Guinea, which later joined OPEC; Kazakhstan; Malaysia and Mexico met at the OPEC headquarters, in Vienna, and decided to establish the DoC as a platform for cooperation and dialogue in the interest of oil market stability.

Also in attendance were: The Sultanate of Oman; The Russian Federation; The Republic of Sudan; and The Republic of South Sudan. Other producers attended the meeting in support of the extraordinary efforts.

MSME Bank of the Year Award: Customers Laud Polaris Bank Customers have commended Polaris Bank for emerging as the ‘MSME Bank of the Year 2022’ at the BusinessDay’s Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.

The award is coming on the heels of the bank’s recent strides in supporting SMEs and MSMEs across Nigeria.

Polaris Bank has been renowned for its intervention and provision of instant working capital and expansion financing support for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) businesses across Nigeria.

Speaking, a customer and CEO of a notable Construction Energy & Trade Company who wished to be referred to as Mr Ken, noted that, “Polaris Bank deserves recognition.”

Recounting his experience securing a business loan from the Bank, Ken said, “the loan has helped him scale-up business,

mainly because of the swiftness in which the loan was appraised and disbursed”.

Another customer of the bank and CEO of a major Rice distributor who secured an overdraft facility, Ms Ngozi M said Polaris Bank is worthy of the recognition acknowledging that her business has been enhanced on account of her relationship with the Bank.

She said, “I was able to stock up goods and meet my customers’ demands as and when due, which is, for me, the game changer in my area of business.” Because of her experience, she went on to refer Polaris Business loans to many companies.

Polaris Bank’s Group Head of Products and Market Development, Mrs Adebimpe Ihekuna described the award as a welcome development and attributed it to the Bank’s innovative way of helping MSMEs meet their business objectives.

32

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

Alleged Qatar Corruption Scandal Rocks EU European Union member states expressed alarm Monday over allegations that Qatar bribed some European Parliament members to influence their decision-making. One of the body’s vice presidents has been arrested and charged in connection with the scandal.

Heading into a meeting of European Union foreign ministers, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, expressed concern over the corruption allegations — even as he cautioned it was important to stick to the facts and proven evidence.

“Certainly, the news are very worrisome.

Very, very worrisome,” said Borrell.

In the latest twist to one of the European Union’s biggest scandals to date, Athens on Monday froze the assets of the European Parliament’s Greek vice president, Eva Kaili, one of four people whom Belgian investigators arrested on corruption charges, reports say.

Kaili’s party in Greece also suspended the former television news anchor.

Investigators are looking into allegations World Cup host Qatar paid large bribes to influence the parliament’s policy debates. The investigators reportedly found large bags of cash in Kaili’s home. She has been stripped of her parliamentary responsibilities, which included representing the body’s president, Roberta Metsola, in the Middle East.

Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said Europe’s credibility was at stake.

Other top EU diplomats expressed similar concern.

The Reuters news agency reports an official from Qatar has denied any misconduct by the country. The European Parliament was scheduled to vote this week on a measure to extend visa-free travel to several countries, including Qatar.

UN: 11,000 Children Recorded As Casualties in Yemen War

The United Nations says more than 11,000 children have been killed or injured in Yemen since 2015.

A UNICEF statement said the likely toll is far higher, with only UN-verified incidents included in the count that dates to when a Saudi-led coalition joined the conflict.

“Thousands of children have lost their lives, hundreds of thousands more remain at risk of death from preventable disease or starvation,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of Yemen’s capital in late 2014, and the Saudiled coalition launched airstrikes in early 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

The conflict has been disastrous for the people of Yemen, leaving the country with one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The UN says nearly three-quarters of the population is in need of humanitarian aid and protection.

Attack on Kabul Hotel Housing Chinese Nationals Leaves 3 Dead

A bomb-and-gun attack targeting a hotel in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, Monday killed at least three assailants and wounded 21 other people, including two foreigners.

The multistory hotel in Shar-e Naw downtown commercial area of the Afghan capital is home to, among others, several Chinese nationals.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said three gunmen had raided the building in the afternoon before being quickly engaged and killed by security forces. He said no foreign residents were killed.

“However, two foreign guests were injured when they jumped out of windows to save their lives,” Mujahid added. He did not elaborate.

An international humanitarian organization, known as EMERGENCY, reported a higher casualty toll, saying the attack took place about a kilometre from its hospital in the area.

“So far, we have received 21 casualties — three were already dead on arrival,” tweeted the Italy-based charity without elaborating.

City residents said the siege, which lasted several hours, had started with explosions followed by gunfire. Social media videos showed flames and smoke in a part of the building.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for Monday’s attack, and it was not immediately known whether Chinese nationals were the target.

Report: Pakistan ‘Most Exposed’ to Chinese Influence A new study on China’s global influence puts Pakistan at the top of the list.

Cambodia and Singapore are in second and third place, respectively, as the “most exposed” to Beijing’s influence. Among the top 10 countries most exposed to influence by China, eight are in Asia. Paraguay, North Macedonia and Albania were ranked as ‘least influenced.’

The China Index 2022 explores China’s influence in 82 countries by asking experts to respond to questions about China’s activities in their country.

The study was conducted and published by the China in the World (CITW) network, an initiative of the Taiwan-based antidisinformation group Doublethink Lab. The report asked questions across nine domains to assess each country’s exposure to Chinese influence.

The domains included media, academia, economy, society, military, law enforcement, technology, domestic politics and foreign policy. Some of Beijing’s activities abroad included paid trips for government officials, scholarships for students, journalism training, research funding, trade, investment and military cooperation.

Puma Shen, the chairperson of Doublethink Lab, told VOA this research lets people around the world see how China approaches their country.

“By comparing all these rankings and comparing all the different strategy, all these countries could learn [about] each other, like how to counter Chinese influence operations,” he said.

France to Offer Free Condoms to 25-Year-Olds and Younger

French President Emmanuel Macron says free condoms will be available in pharmacies for any adult up to the age of 25 starting next year.

The new measure comes as the rate of sexually transmitted diseases and inflation are both on the rise in France.

Originally, Macron announced that condoms would be available to people between the ages of 18 to 25. But he was challenged on social media about not making condoms available to minors, and he decided to expand the programme to anyone up to the age of 25.

Girls and women already receive free birth control in France..

Peru’s New President Calls for Early Elections

Dina Boluarte, Peru’s new president, says she will send a proposal to Congress Monday to move general elections up two years to April 2024 instead of 2026.

Her early Monday announcement in a nationally televised address follows deadly demonstrations Sunday across the Andean nation, including in Lima, the capital, calling for new elections after the ousting Wednesday of leftist President Pedro Castillo, who sought to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

Boluarte, a former prosecutor and Castillo’s vice president, was sworn into office after Castillo’s removal. She named another former prosecutor Pedro Angulo as prime minister.

Two people, including a teenager, died

in the demonstrations protesting Castillo’s removal.

Boluarte is Peru’s sixth president since 2016.

Castillo’s 17-month tenure included six investigations against him and his family, mass protests demanding his removal, and a power struggle with the opposition-backed Congress.

EU Considers New Russian Sanctions, Military Aid for Ukraine

European Union foreign ministers are considering fresh sanctions against Russia and more money to help Ukraine’s military at a meeting Monday, while the United States is pledging ongoing support for Ukraine amid Russian airstrikes on critical infrastructure.

The proposed EU package being discussed in Brussels would provide about $2.1 billion to fund arms deliveries for Ukraine.

The EU has already imposed eight rounds of sanctions targeting Russian figures and industries in response to the Russian invasion that began in February.

A ninth round would include government officials as well as Russia’s defense and banking industries.

US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone Sunday, one of a series of calls Zelensky held with world leaders ahead of the EU talks and other key meetings this week.

A White House statement said Biden “reaffirmed the US commitment to continue providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and imposing costs on Russia for its aggression.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said after his own conversation with Zelenskyy that Ukraine can count on his country’s support “for as long as it takes to fully regain its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Macron highlighted a conference France is hosting Tuesday to organize aid to help Ukraine “through the winter” and another looking forward to rebuilding efforts in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he also spoke Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the prospect of expanding the Black Sea Grain Initiative, under which Ukraine has been able to export its grain from three ports.

Iran Executes Second Man Linked to Protests

Iran on Monday said it carried out its second execution of a prisoner linked to the nationwide protests that began in September after the death of a young woman detained by the country’s morality

police for failing to cover her hair with a hijab properly.

The Mizan news agency run by Iran’s judiciary said Majidreza Rahnavard was publicly hanged from a construction crane in the city of Mashhad as a warning to others.

Rahnavard was accused of fatally stabbing two security force members last month in Mashhad after he became angry that authorities were killing protesters. The demonstrations erupted across the country after the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, while in the custody of authorities.

Activists say Iran has sentenced at least a dozen people to death in closed-door hearings and that at least 488 people have been killed during nearly three months of protests. Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests, said that another 18,200 people have been detained.

The first man sentenced to death in connection with the demonstrations was executed last week.

The United Nations’ human rights office said it was appalled by Rahnavard’s execution, adding, “We fear for the lives of other protesters sentenced to death. The use of the death penalty is not consistent with right to life.”

COVID-19: Businesses in China’s Wuhan Face Fresh Worries

Infections are delivering a fresh kick in the teeth for many small businesses in China’s central city of Wuhan, despite the easing of most stringent curbs last week.

With the sick and those fearing infection keeping to their homes, hopes of brighter prospects after the end of lockdowns are evaporating, at least for now, with the government showing few signs of stepping in to help.

“I simply can’t go on,” said Zhu Chongping, 60, as he looked around his empty restaurant, which dishes up regional cuisine in the city of 11 million where the COVID-19 pandemic began three years ago.

“I’m losing money every day, a thousand yuan a day.”

The challenge for small businessmen like Zhu spotlights how Beijing’s shift away from tough COVID policies, with the promise of driving an economic recovery next year, is likely instead to depress growth over the next few months as infections surge.

Business on what would normally be a buzzing food street, where most restaurants were shut or empty last Saturday, is the worst it has been since Zhu first opened his doors to customers 30 years ago, he added, looking forlorn.

The outlook after “zero-COVID” eased, following unprecedented protests, is even bleaker than during the city’s 76day lockdown in 2020, he said, because this year, his landlord is not offering a discount on his rent..

33

TUESDAY, DEC ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

ʬ

ʬ

ʬ

7 R S 7 UD GH V E\ 9 R OXP H

7 R S * D LQH UV Ticker

P rice

P rice Chg %

T icker

P rice Chg % -0.6%

1.81

9.7%

A CCESSC ORP

121.0

JA IZB A NK

0.95

9.2%

JA IZ B A NK

19.0

9.2%

SCOA

0.86

8.9%

GT CO

17.2

0.0%

SUNUA SSUR

0.30

7.1%

F B NH

12.0

1.9%

JA P A ULGOLD

0.28

3.7%

FCM B

8.6

0.9%

LEA RNA FRCA

11.00

1.9%

ET I

8.2

-0.4%

22.45

1.6%

F ID ELIT YB K

7.1

1.0%

FIDELITYB K

4.19

1.0%

Z EN IT H B A NK

5.5

1.6%

FCM B

3.50

0.9%

ST A NB IC

5.2

-1.8%

WA P CO

21.95

0.7%

T RA NSCORP

3.2

-1.7%

FB NH ZENITHB A NK

7 R S 7 UD GH V E\ 9 D OXH

7 R S /R V H UV P rice

P rice Chg %

T icker

Value

P rice Chg %

ROYA LEX

0.73

-9.9%

A CCESSC ORP

1028.4

-0.6%

NEIM ET H

1.28

-8.6%

GT CO

361.3

0.0%

M A NSA RD

1.90

-4.5%

M T NN

197.0

0.0%

UP DC

0.90

-2.2%

ST A NB IC

155.9

-1.8%

-2.2%

FB NH

131.2

1.9%

-1.8%

ZENITHB A NK

123.7

1.6%

5.70

-1.7%

ET I

88.3

-0.4%

1.15

-1.7%

SEP LA T

43.1

0.0%

40.3

0.0%

38.2

0.0%

Ticker

COURTVILLE ST A NB IC NA HCO TRA NSCORP

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

Vo lume

0.45 30.00

M CNICHOLS

0.60

-1.6%

NEST LE

UB A

7.30

-1.4%

GUINNESS

Investment Research

Brokerage

Asset Management

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com

Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Damilare Asimiyu | dasimiyu@afrinvest.com

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

34

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Renaissance Capital Founder Foresees Rapid Growth of Nigerian Economy Dike Onwuamaeze The Founder of Renaissance Capital and Chairman of Renmoney Microfinance Bank, Mr. Stephen Jennings, has foreseen a burst of rapid growth in the Nigerian economy after this challenging period and reiterated the bank’s long term commitment to driving financial inclusion for individuals and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

Jennings also stated that Renmoney is excited about the next phase of market development in Nigeria.

He made these remarks during the recent celebration of Renmoney’s 10th anniversary in Nigeria, with the theme “Going Long on Africa: Creating sustainable value in dynamic markets.”

Renmoney is a digital bank operating on a microfinance banking license in Nigeria and provides loans, savings, deposit and payment solutions to Nigerians. Renmoney is regulated by the Central Bank

of Nigeria and insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Jennings said: “In emerging markets the long-term winners are normally determined during more challenging times.

And while it is challenging in Nigeria today, we simply believe that the entire world is ultimately on a very similar development path; the only difference is the timing. So overall, Nigeria ticks a lot of boxes for us as we see in the future what we’ve seen before here - a burst of rapid growth.”

He used to share experience and outlook for investing in Africa before a select group of partners, investors, financial regulators and business leaders.

He said in his address that, “through Rendeavour, Renmoney and my previous business, Renaissance Capital, we have been here for fifteen years in a very big way.

“We are emerging market pioneers and we typically bring a level of commitment and staying power in terms of people, capital, tenacity, balance sheet and financing capabilities that

is unique and that few foreign investors can match.”

An Economist and the Keynote Speaker during the Renmoney’s 10th anniversary, Mr. Charlie Robertson, who is also a renowned emerging markets specialist, pointed out that the level of a country’s adult literacy, as well as its fertility rate and access to electricity for its citizens would have significant impact on the country’s industrialisation, availability of investment capital and its ability to escape the poverty trap.

The anniversary celebration also featured a robust panel discussion that had Jennings, Robertson and Co-founder, Aluko & Oyebode, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, as panelists.

The Executive Director of Renmoney, Mr. Apekhade Idogho, thanked the staff, investors, regulators, depositors and partners for their support over the years.

He said that Renmoney “will remain focused on delivering innovative, useful financial solutions for Nigerians.”

L-R: President Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Alex Nwuba; Director, Directorate of Commercial and Business Development ( DCBD) Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Sadiku Rafindadi; President, Association of Foreign Airlines in Nigeria (AFARN), Kingsley Nwokorma; MD/CEO FAAN, Capt.

Rabiu Yadudu; and Organiser/ Convener, Akwaaba Travel Market and Chinet Aviacargo, Amb. Ikechi Uko, during the inauguration of Aviation and Cargo Road Map Committee where Amb. Uko was appointed as Coordinator of the committee at FAAN Headquarter, Lagos…recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

AUGUST 2022

FSI: Nigeria Now Centre for Research, Tech Innovation A fintech expert and Executive Director, Financial Services Innovators (FSI), Mrs Aituaz Kola-Oladejo, has described Nigeria as a centre for research and technology innovation.

Kola-Oladejo, who gave this assessment at a press conference to herald the third anniversary of the FSI in Lagos reeled out the achievements of her organisation in the past three years to include the promotion of open innovation amongst top players in the tech ecosystem and enhancement of access to Fintech.

She added, “So far, 16 Fintech API partners including banks already have 321 API end-points on the innovations sandbox, while 125 Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) have been created from the sandbox.

With 728 corporate members,

3,438 individual members, 2,535 student members and over 1,900 participants in nine innovation challenges, FSI has indeed come a long way.”

She disclosed that in the past three years, FSI had organised nine hackathons aimed at addressing financial inclusion challenges in agriculture, transportation, health, trade and commerce, as well as energy.

She said that the non-profit organisation, which has members drawn from Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and North America, played a leading role in the promotion of innovative culture in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

“Right now, FSI has 2,535 student members, 712 campus ambassadors since its launch in 2021, while three universities have shown interest in adopting the FSI platform for tech innova-

tion,” Kola-Oladejo explained, adding, “FSI has offered 141 free start-up clinics, had 114 participants in our Business Validation series, while $81,000 US Dollars was awarded winners of our innovation challenges to commence operations as start-ups.

She added that “ On both national and global scales, FSI has facilitated productivity through youth and startup empowerment, and enhancement of Nigerian tech products.”

FSI is a non-profit organisation committed to enabling startups within the technology and financial space. In its three years of operations, the company has had both direct and indirect impacts on the nation’s technology ecosystem through empowerment, entrepreneurship and mentorship.

Greenwich Supports FG to Raise N130bn for Infrastructural Projects Greenwich Merchant Bank Limited, a mandated Issuing House to the FGN 15.64% N100 billion Sukuk V Issuance, along with other Issuing Houses, has successfully closed the offer with a subscription level of over N165 billion.

The initial N100 billion offered was upsized to N130 Billion due to the subscription level of over 165% evidencing investors’ sustained appetite in the FGN Sukuk programme led by the Debt Management Office,

Nigeria.

The proceeds of the Sukuk V Issuance shall be used to finance the rehabilitation and construction of road projects across the six geo-political zones of the country.

Speaking on the development, The Managing Director, Mr. Bayo Rotimi said, “Greenwich Merchant Bank’s participation as an Issuing House in the Sukuk transaction is evidence of our focus on infrastructural development

as a key driver of economic development.”

Greenwich Merchant Bank is very proud to have supported the Federal Government of Nigeria in this milestone transaction and remains determined to deliver solutions that improve the socio-economic position of Nigerians.

In 2021, Greenwich Merchant Bank also served as an Issuing House in the FGN N250 Billion Sukuk IV issuance, which was oversubscribed by 346%.

ICBC to Float University, Inducts New Members The Institute of Certified Business Consultants (ICBC), has stated it will soon float a university.

The President of ICBC, Mr Emmanuel Utomi Ayele, who diclosed this at the 2022 induction ceremony of the ICBC in Lagos recently, noted that the institute has concluded its plans towards establishing a university.

Ayele noted that ICBC Nigeria, is an affiliate of ICBC Canada/ USA, adding that the Institute has a worldwide membership of business professionals.

He explained that the Institute is saddled with the responsibility of providing quality Education, Training, Consultancy, and Research & Development services in Business Management to the citizens at a higher standard to boost the Nigerian Economy.

He pointed out that ICBC is a non-profit professional body for business professionals from all fields of learning.

In his words, “We have a growing global presence with a strong focus on professional values and high ethical standards,

and the opportunity for study and career advancement in the field of business consulting.

“The Institute under the ongoing Window of Opportunity for Nigerian citizens that have contributed to business development in their chosen fields of practice as well as those who have obtained the basic qualifications, admits you into the Institute’s membership category (Fellow, Full Member, Associate, Graduate, Student, and Corporate membership).”

Money Supply (M3)

49,356,443.6

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

50,601.36

Money Supply (M2)

49,305,842.3

-- Quasi Money

27,869,678.3

-- Narrow Money (M1)

21,436,164

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,680,236.81

---- Demand Deposits

18,755,927.2

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,074,909.92

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

27,869,678.3

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

61,195,142.4

---- Credit to Government (Net)

21,001,401.5

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

40,193,740.9

--Other Assets Net

6,785,979.22

Reserve Money (Base Money

14,040,351.9

--Currency in Circulation

3,210,664.98

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,829,686.9 390,557.8

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

July 2022

Inter-Bank Call Rate

13.00

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

2.76

Savings Deposit Rate

1.42

1 Month Deposit Rate

3.64

3 Months Deposit Rate

4.96

6 Months Deposit Rate

5.87

12 Months Deposit Rate

5.76

Prime Lending rate

12.10

Maximum Lending Rate

27.61

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ͰͲ ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $92.17 a barrel on Monday, compared with $92.09 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

35

T H I S D AY ˾ DAY, ͯͱ˜ 2022

Nigerian Breweries Shareholders Approve 2.1bn Bonus Share Scheme

KayodeTokede

The shareholders of Nigerian Breweries Plc have unanimously approved the issuance of 2.1 billion bonus shares to qualifying shareholders following the conclusion of its Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held in Lagos.

The value of the 2.1 billion bonus shares as at the date of the EGM was N84 billion.

Speaking during the meeting, the Chairman, Nigerian Breweries,

Dr. Kola Jamodu, explained that the board took the decision to offer bonus shares to shareholders based on the Company’s robust share premium account and in response to the yearnings of shareholders over the years for bonus shares.

He added that with issuance of the 2.1 billion shares, the Company has now closed the gap between its issued and unissued shares as required by the Corporate Affairs Commission pursuant to the provision of Section 124 and

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

DEALS

F O R MARKET PRICE

868 of CAMA 2020.

In their responses, shareholders praised the company for delivering what they called as an “early Christmas gift” to them.

The National Coordinator of Progressive Shareholders Association Boniface Okezie stated that: “We are very delighted that NB Plc is showing appreciation to shareholders even when we least expected it.

“We must commend the management for managing cost

S E C U R I T I E S QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

effectively as well as the board for doing the right thing via the issuance of bonus shares”.

Another shareholder, Bamisile Abiola said he was highly impressed by the company’s strides especially in its contribution to climate change by making several investments in solar and alternative energies to reduce its power generation costs.

On his part, the President of Noble Shareholders Solidarity Association, Mathew Akinlade praised the management of NB

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

Plc for prioritizing the welfare of the shareholders and posting an impressive financial performance amidst a challenging business environment.

In his words - “No doubt, the board of Nigerian Breweries Plc has once again shown how concerned it is to the welfare of its shareholders. Despite the challenging business environment, the company has continued to show positive trends both in terms of revenue and profits earned. We

A S O F

are glad that you are giving us a bonus of 1 for 4 shares.”

Recall that on December 1, 2022, Nigerian Breweries plc paid an interim dividend of 40 kobo per share to its shareholders. Speaking on the bonus issue and the interim dividend payment, the Company Secretary/Legal Director, Uaboi Agbebaku explained that both actions clearly demonstrate the commitment of the Board to continue to reward Shareholders for their investment in the Company.

1 2 / 1 2 / 0 2 2 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

36

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 • T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 09Dec-2022, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Dollar Fund N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AIICO Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 0.03% Anchoria Equity Fund 139.90 141.44 0.47% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.17 1.17 2.44% info@anchoriaam.com ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 21.35 21.99 109.98% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 497.95 512.96 120.87% ARM Ethical Fund 42.48 43.77 118.66% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 102.24% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.06 1.06 110.04% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.17% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 94.58 94.58 -8.00% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,090.92 1,090.92 2.39% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) N/A N/A N/A CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.04 1.04 7.99% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.56% Paramount Equity Fund 18.01 18.34 7.39% Women's Investment Fund 144.33 146.03 1.66% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.06% Cordros Milestone Fund 134.38 135.34 7.86% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 112.52 112.52 5.03% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.76% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.06 1.06 8.81% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.04 1.04 3.03% Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 104.68 104.68 2.95% FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Halal Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Dollar Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.82% Legacy Debt Fund 3.56 3.56 -11.08% Legacy Equity Fund 1.92 1.96 10.46% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.26 1.26 4.44% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

4,079.26 3,691.34 100.00

4,107.27 3,691.34 100.00

5.04% 6.84% 14.48%

FSDH Dollar Fund 1.13 1.13 0.00% GUARANTY TRUST FUND MANAGERS LIMITED enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) N/A N/A N/A Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End N/A N/A N/A Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End N/A N/A N/A LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.69 1.72 19.01% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,176.95 1,176.95 9.02% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: www.meristemwealth.com/funds/; Tel: +2348028496012 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.89 11.98 9.29% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 13.74% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 102.36 102.36 9.19% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 12.60% 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 1.54 1.58 -1.91% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.46 11.61 3.07% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 10.61% PACAM Equity Fund 1.39 1.41 -2.25% PACAM EuroBond Fund 117.47 120.75 3.33% 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 N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,555.28 3,583.10 4.87% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 244.47 244.47 3.78% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.38 1.39 9.92% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 331.47 331.48 5.86% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 255.04 258.16 9.20% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.34% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,722.66 11,856.02 7.33% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.36 1.36 5.26% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 120.58 120.58 3.14% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 114.47 114.47 7.61% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 0.91 0.93 3.10% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.32 1.35 1.58% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.15 1.16 10.92% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.10 1.10 7.20% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.94 1.94 6.26% United Capital Eurobond Fund 124.94 124.94 5.77% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 14.62% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 13.64 13.76 3.44% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 15.49 15.63 5.91% Zenith Income Fund 23.47 23.47 6.93% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.55% VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund N/A N/A N/A

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

N/A N/A

N/A N/A

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

15.10 127.39 99.81 17.40 16.40

15.20 129.62 101.53 17.50 16.50

7.91% -0.17% -0.18% 12.96% -4.26%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.59

0.00%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

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

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

37

TUESDAY, ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

THIRTY-SEVEN

Despite Nigeria’s 177,000bpd Production Rise in November, OPEC Misses Target by 700,000bpd Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Crude oil production by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies known as OPEC+ shrank by 700,000 barrels per day in November, despite Nigeria’s modest 177,000 bpd additional drilling.

It was the steepest monthly decrease since April, when Russian production plunged due to sanctions, the latest Platts survey by S&P Global Commodity Insights showed.

OPEC's 13 countries produced 28.87 million bpd, a fall of 850,000 bpd in October, while Russia and eight other allies pumped 13.70 million bpd, up 150,000 bpd.

At the weekend, THISDAY reported that Nigeria was able to ramp up its crude oil production by 177,000 barrels per day in November, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

This increased the total production in November to 1.185 million bpd as opposed to the 1.014 million bpd drilled in October this year.

But when condensates which are usually excluded from OPEC quota calculations were included, the total oil drilled for the month of November was 1.41 million bpd, according to the commission which regulates the upstream of the oil and gas sector.

But S&P stated that the overall decrease came as the alliance began implementing its two million bpd cut to quotas to counter economic headwinds. But with many members, including Russia, vastly underperforming their targets already, the actual physical cuts were always likely to be far less.

The gap between the group's quotas and actual production remained fairly wide at 1.89 million bpd in November, the survey showed. But this was a huge improvement compared with October, when the shortfall reached 3.273 million bpd. Iran, Libya and Venezuela are exempt from quotas under the OPEC+ agreement.

In total, only 14 of the 22 countries

month, accounting for almost all of the group's supply reduction.

Saudi Arabia cut output by a weighty 440,000 bpd, averaging 10.46 million bpd last month, its lowest since May. The kingdom significantly reduced exports and also drew steadily from its crude inventories, the survey showed.

Meanwhile, the report put Nigeria’s output rise at a four-month

high of 1.17 million bpd from the return of key grades Forcados and Brass River.

The country's Petroleum Minister, Timipre Sylva, recently said the oil sector was finally beginning to see some confidence, as producers were again injecting oil into the pipelines after months of sabotage and security concerns.

For December, the alliance had

kept quotas steady, as it assesses the fallout from the European Union’s sanctions banning seaborne Russian crude imports and the G7's price cap denying western insurance to cargoes sold above $60/barrel.

China's tentative easing of lockdown restrictions could also provide a boost for the country's oil consumption and by extension the global demand for crude oil.

Body of SANs Call for Establishment of Constitutional Court Say cases suffering undue delays because of political matters Alex Enumah in Abuja The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BoSAN) yesterday called for the immediate establishment of a constitutional court in order to address the issue of undue delay in court cases occasioned by the prioritisation of political cases.

The proposed constitutional court, according to BoSAN, would handle all, "constitutional, political and election matters."

Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who spoke on behalf of other senior advocates, added that the court would be a federal court, and of the status of a high court with divisions in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Awomolo, who spoke at a special court session commemorating the beginning of Federal High

MOMAN: SUBSIDY HAS DIMINISHED NIGERIAN INSTITUTIONS' CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH ENERGY CRISIS Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) yesterday stated that the recent ultimatum given to petroleum marketers would not have any impact until the security agencies get to the root of the problem.

In the statement jointly signed by the Chairman of MOMAN, Mr. Olumide Adeosun and the Executive Secretary, Mr. Clement Isong, the oil marketers noted that a disruption in any part of the supply chain causes ripple effects and results in queues at filling stations.

The association added that Nigeria must begin the process of price deregulation to reduce the inefficient subsidy payment on petrol, arguing that if the country wished to implement a subsidy, it must be in areas targeted to help critical sectors of the economy like agriculture and transportation.

"Having subsidised PMS for so long, Nigerian institutions now have a diminished capacity to deal with the current local energy crisis.

A disruption in any part of the supply chain causes ripple effects and results in queues at stations.

"As a country, we must begin the process of price deregulation to reduce this inefficient subsidy. If the country wishes to implement a subsidy, it must be in areas targeted to help those it should help such as in agriculture and transportation to reduce food price inflation and generate more jobs for Nigerians.

"In tandem, we must find a way to liberalise supply. We must bring transparency and competition into supply to ensure steadier, more efficient supply at optimum prices.

Imported products must compete with locally refined products to find a meeting point between the need for local refining and competitively low but cost recovered prices for Nigerians for sustainability," MOMAN stated.

It said the dialogue with the Nigerian people needed to begin to identify, negotiate and agree those areas and begin implementation to save the downstream industry, which it pointed out had been in, "degradation freefall due to a lack of investment to maintain, renew and grow assets and facilities such as refineries, pipelines, depots, trucks, and modern filling stations."

in the coalition actually reduced production last month, the survey found.

Gulf producers Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq led the way, with all of them carrying out hefty cuts, as demand concerns have led to a very bearish sentiment in the oil markets.

These four producers cut a cumulative total of 780,000 bpd last

"These lack of investments contribute in no small measure to fuel distribution inefficiencies and high costs. Neither the new refineries nor the refurbished refineries will survive with the refining margins at current pump prices," it added.

The major oil marketers further explained that exploration, production, refining of crude oil and the distribution of refined products were all under an international business, with ebbs and flows.

It maintained that such business has specific models, guidelines, rules, and norms designed to protect and sustain consumers of such type of energy and populations impacted by its supply chain.

The association advocated that the government and the industry in Nigeria must demonstrably apply accepted health, safety, environmental protection, and quality norms to be seen to care for its local populations, warning that to cut corners would be irresponsible, unaccountable, and unsustainable.

"MOMAN continues to work with other key stakeholders to ensure that we ramp up supplies to our retail sites and return to normalcy as soon as possible. We envisage a rise in demand during the yuletide season and are prepared to work round the clock to keep our stations running.

"As always, MOMAN advocates a full deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector in phases to cushion the effects of the impact of a sharp rise in PMS prices on the long-suffering, hardworking citizens of Nigeria," the group noted.

Petrol Retailers: DSS Threat Won’t Make Products Supply Available Nationwide Meanwhile, PETROAN has stated that the recent ultimatum given to petroleum marketers would not have any impact until the security agencies get to the root of the problem.

Speaking on Channels Television yesterday, PETROAN Chairman, System 2E, Eastern Zone, Sunny Nkpe, maintained that until the Department of State Service (DSS) curbs the excesses of a cartel operating among private depot Continued on page 41

Court Legal Year 2022/2023, lamented that, "within this last six months that most courts are fully engaged in attending to political cases, the primary and statutory causes of this court under Section 251 (1) -(4) of the Constitution have suffered inevitable delay.

"The founding fathers of our democracy and those who fashioned the specialised and exclusive jurisdiction for this court did not envisage the aberration of cases on political disputations arising from lack of internal democracy, political shenanigans and impunity in the management of political parties, as one that will interrupt this court from doing its constitutional duty.

"Normal cases inevitably had to suffer adjournments thereby frustrating good and urgent causes. With all humility, we have reached a stage when

very urgently, the Parliament, Judiciary and stakeholders in the administration of Justice should consider establishment of National Constitutional court of Nigeria."

He explained that all decisions of the court would be appealable to the Court of Appeal and all appeals ends at the Court of Appeal.

BoSAN claimed that when the court was established there would no longer be the need to take away about 500 judges from their normal court responsibilities to sit on Election Tribunals all over the country.

"The cost of establishing and maintaining this court will be equal to the sum being wasted on provision of logistics, convenience and security for judges, and hundreds of support staff who are made to traverse the

length and breadth of Nigeria to adjudicate on political and election cases.

"We urge that this suggestion be given national conversation, with a view to encouraging the parliament to turn its attention to policies that will strengthen the structure of our administration of justice.”

In a welcome, Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, observed that the occasion afforded the court the opportunity to reflect and possibly connect with its history and sacrifices of prominent pioneers in the establishment and sustenance of the court's legacy.

According to the CJ, the Federal High Court in this new legal year would focus on providing access to justice as much as possible.

"Also, I am more resolute than ever, to keep to my promise of

providing innovative methods of improving the administration of justice," he said.

While assuring that the welfare of judges and staff would continue to receive top priority, the CJ lamented that poor funding of the court was making, "it almost impracticable to effectively achieve its normal running."

The situation, according to Tsoho had brought to the fore, "the need for the judiciary to exercise more control over its administrative, financial, and operational matters, to have the capacity to implement the necessary reforms within the court system".

Besides, the Chief Justice observed that the amended Electoral Act, 2022 brought additional task to the judges of the Federal High Court without any support whatsoever.

OBASANJO: NIGERIA AT CROSSROADS, NEEDS LEADER WITH RIGHT CHARACTER Obi, also signed the register as a mark of respect for the deceased.

In his address, Obasanjo said the major problem with Nigeria was the dearth of leaders with the right type of character, who should be trusted with the leadership role.

“So, if I put my hand on someone, it means that comparing with the other, I see that there is a merit that will be of benefit to Nigeria,” he said. “And I believe that Chief Adebanjo stands for the same thing.”

Obasanjo said although he had paid his dues in Nigeria, he would not relent in pushing for justice, adding that the problem with the country is not ethnic but national.

He stated, “I have shed my blood for this country. I have gone to prison for this country.

So, what are you going to frighten or threaten me with? The only thing that my senior brother (Adebanjo) hasn't done is that he hasn't shed his blood, but he has gone to prison.

"What I believe and what I think Pa Ayo Adebanjo believes is not ethnic, it's not sectional, it is not religious, it is Nigeria.

I believe in equity, I believe in justice, I believe in one Nigeria.”

Obasanjo described Mbazulike as an authentic Nigerian patriot and the last of the titans, regretting that the foremost nationalist would not be around to witness the new Nigeria that he laboured for.

Receiving the eminent leaders on behalf of President General

of the apex Igbo organisation, Professor George Obiozor, Secretary General of the group, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, said the organisation would continue to seek justice, fairness, equity and inclusion in Nigeria, as the late Amaechi did.

Emuchay thanked the leaders for honouring the late former minister and the entire Ndigbo, stressing that the Ohanaeze remains committed to its support for Peter Obi in the interest of fairness and equity.

CBN: DEVT. FINANCE INTERVENTIONS HAVE BOOSTED FOOD SECURITY Finance Department (DFD), Mr. Yusuf Yila, disclosed this at the opening of the 2022 Annual Retreat of the department in Abuja.

He said through the efforts by the apex bank, “food security in Nigeria has seen a very massive boost in recent years since we intervened”.

Yila said, “We have traversed the length and breadth of this country empowering farmers through our Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).

“We have empowered commercial farmers through our Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Funds, enabled SMEs by extending access to finance using the Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS).”

He also said the central bank had continued to build the case for the use of movable assets as collateral for individuals and small businesses to “unfreeze and unlock finances to enable Nigerians to make a decent living”.

This was just as some state governors including Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State, and his Kebbi State counterpart, Atiku Bagudu, praised the CBN under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for the revolution so far witnessed in agriculture, particularly the ABP which had boosted the sub-national economies.

Speaking at the retreat, Abubakar, particularly commended and thanked the apex bank for the immense credit support extended to states which had assisted in job creation through agriculture.

Abubakar specifically noted that the CBN support to states had

enabled the governors to “fulfil our campaign promises.”

He said the finance intervention had further helped to boost production capacity with all the attendant benefits to the sub-national entities.

Nevertheless, Yila said the Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) had remained a potent tool in mitigating the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic during the protracted lockdown period.

He said the “TCF became the bedrock of comfort for many households during COVID-19 and Nigerians would surely remember that.”

He said through the DFD, “tertiary education students and graduates are not left out in the cold”, adding that “We initiated the Tertiary Institutions Entrepreneurship Scheme (TIES) and have seen smiles on faces of erstwhile helpless students and graduates who otherwise would have basically joined the labour pool with no hope of meaningful employment years after graduation.

“With TIES we have confronted this big unemployment problem, and all a student or graduate requires is to have an idea, apply for TIES, and then watch that idea grow and take wings.”

The CBN director also said the central bank had catalysed access to finance for the most excluded business segments of the economic space through the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF).

He added, “Women are prioritised in the MSMEDF with a dedicated percentage of funds earmarked to enable us close the gender gap in financing.

“Our financial inclusion drive has been very resonant and consistent over the years, to enable access to finance for all Nigerians and we have even renewed our target to 95 per cent by 2024.”

He explained, “Time would fail me to talk about our interventions in the power sector to ensure Nigerians have electricity, and also in the airline's segment, providing a buffer to ensure air travel continues seamlessly in Nigeria.

“To ensure that financial institutions lend to the real sector we implemented the Differentiated Cash Reserve Requirement programme to enable liquidity for financing targeted projects for economic expansion and these are yielding fruits.”

Yila, however, took a swipe at critics who had questioned the CBN’s intervention efforts, and pointed out that the results are evidence-based for all to see.

He said, “At this juncture, I pause and ask a rhetorical question. A question that everyone in this audience and beyond these walls should pause and reflect on. By engaging in development financing, have we solved every problem in Nigeria? Certainly not.

But have we made a difference and are we making a difference?

Absolutely yes.

“As policymakers and public servants, we are open to criticism as feedback helps us recalibrate our approach to serve the public better.

“Some cite insecurity in the country as evidence that our policies and interventions are not working, but flip this logic and ask, what would have been the situation now if we have not carried

out a lot of these interventions?

“The answer is better left to the realms of imagination. Others lay the blame for contagion and food inflation fuelled by global macroeconomic instability at the doors of DFD and CBN by extension. My answer to these sceptics is ‘you don’t need to study economics, just read or watch the news.”

He said, “Nigeria is part of a global system, and shocks from one facet of this system have a concomitant effect in the other parts.

We are not alone because we are not aliens. While this is hardly any comfort over the rising prices of food, had we not intervened, we could have been facing a certain food crisis and severe famine of historical proportions.

“Currently, we have developed an advanced system for linking farmers to input suppliers and providing access to the market for farm products. The entire agricultural value chain has seen a transformation not witnessed before and we are certain the global headwinds, which have distorted outcomes for most economies across the world, will abate.

“Nigeria is on the path of sustainability and food security. The Development Finance Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria is committed to the goal of sustainable economic growth.

“While we are committed to making today a comfortable day to live in, we are also minded on sustainable development which is defined as “the development which meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

38

TUESDAY, ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

I HAVE COLLECTED MY PVC, HAVE YOU COLLECTED YOURS?...

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu (right) displaying his Permanent Voter Card (PVC) shortly after collection at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Lagos Island LGA Office. With him (left): His Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat. ... yesterday

Go Pick Your Voter’s Cards, Sanwo-Olu Tells Lagos Residents Commences reconstruction of N9bn Igbosere high court destroyed during #EndSARS protest Segun James and Wale Igbintade Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to the residents of the state, who are of voting age to pick up their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) from the various Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in their localities.

He made the appeal yesterday, when he stopped by at INEC office in the Sura area of Lagos Island Local Government Area to pick up his reprinted PVC alongside the

Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and some of his cabinet members.

Sanwo-Olu, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a few months ago redesignated his location and updated his details, having moved his polling unit from Ikoyi to Lagos Island, ahead of next year's governorship election.

The governor reminded the people that it was only when they collect their PVCs that they would be able to exercise their franchise

during next year's general elections.

He said: "Today, INEC officially started the collection of PVCs and because I did a redesignation of my address of where I was and where I am now, I had to move my polling unit.

"I am here to demonstrate to all our citizens that I have complied. I have come to pick up my reprinted Voter's Card and I want to enjoin everyone to use this opportunity to go out and pick their PVCs. "I have collected mine and you can see that I am at the INEC office

here, and it is peaceful. Within two minutes they sorted it out and I signed to collect my own. So my advice is for all of us that still have our PVCs uncollected to please come out and do the rightful thing.

"It is only with this that you can participate in next year’s election.

I wish all of us the very best and as we go into this exercise, I hope that it is something that is worth it very seriously as another civic responsibility."

Sanwo-Olu expressed confidence that Lagosians would do the right

Align with Senate, Pass Criminal Justice Bill, House of Reps Urged Says proposed legislation to abolish trial-within-trial, establish sex offender register in FCT Alex Enumah in Abuja The House of Representatives have been urged to follow the steps of the Senate in passing the 2022 Administration of Criminal Justice Bill.

A Law Professor and President of the Center for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, who made the appeal yesterday in Abuja, said that the speedy passage of the bill would enhance the dispensation of justice as well as strengthens Nigeria's democracy.

According to the law professor, the bill already passed by the upper chamber, would remove obstacles such as trial-within-trial amongst others, that usually clogs the wheel of justice.

"The Center for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) commends the leadership of the Senate and the distinguished senators for their commitment to justice sector reform in general and to the strengthening of the criminal procedure system in particular.

"By passing the ACJ Bill 2022 which contains several innovative provisions the distinguished senators have made clear their strong determination and political will to consolidate the country's democracy by strengthening the system of criminal justice administration which is one of the major instruments

for promoting accountability and rectitude in the country," he said.

Some of the innovations he listed in the 2022 ACJ Bill included the express abolition of the practice of trial-within-trial; continuation of hearing when a trial judge dies, is transferred or posted or otherwise unable to continue with a trial; establishment of Sex Offender Register in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); filing of defence witness deposition; Recording of demeanour of witnesses; and Dispensation to a Justice of the Court

of Appeal to conclude part-heard criminal matter.

Akinseye-George observed that the bill as passed by the Senate also seeks to harmonise the provisions of non-custodial sentences with those of the Nigeria Correctional Service Act, 2019, which recognises the prime position of the Correctional Service as the agency responsible for implementing non-custodial sentences in the country.

While stating that, "all these and other key innovations, which endeared the ACJA 2015 to the

stakeholders and development partners are retained by the ACJ Bill, 2022," the CSLS accordingly appealed to the House of Representatives, "to concour with the red chamber, by speedily passing the ACJ Bill, 2022, which enjoyed the inputs from leading stakeholders like the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and others.”

The center thanked the leadership of the House of Representatives in advance for the anticipated speedy legislative action on the bill.

thing by re-electing him during the governorship poll based on his administration's performance during the first term.

"We will win because we believe Lagosians will do the right thing.

And it is also because we believe that we have earned it; we have worked very hard and will continue to do that.

"We will continue to do our very best to ensure that we earn the trust and the commitment of our people," he said.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu yesterday flagged off the reconstruction of high court of Lagos State, Igbosere which was burnt in the wake of the violence that trailed the October 20, 2020, #EndSARS protests across the nation. The reconstruction of the Phase 1 of the court was expected to cost about N9 billion, and was estimated to be completed within 18 months.

Sanwo-Olu, while flagging off the reconstruction project, lamented that the edifice that was built during the colonial era was destroyed during a needless protest.

He said "The is a significant event that we cannot gloss over, and not let history be put in proper perspective, and put the record straight. Igbosere High Court is not just an historic edifice, but it was, and will come back to be the oldest facility that continue to discharge justice in our country, and in the state of Lagos.

"It was an edifice that has existed before any of us here today, but we all remember the event that happened about two years, and two

months ago. The needles protest that befell our city on nothing that we knew nothing about, nothing that we caused, nothing that was generated by us brought us down.

"It is part of our history, but as a resilient people, no matter how many times we fall down, we would rise up and come back bigger and better.

The reconstruction of Igbosere High Court is life, and direct and we will all be alive to see its completion.”

The governor added: "I was at the Igbosere premises a month before it was burnt by hoodlums, thinking of how to renovate and expand the the edifice, not knowing that it will be burnt down.

"We have assembled a well thought-out team, this is a team that we took out of government, because we do not want the bureaucracy of government to becloud it, led by Dr. Yemi Cardoso, to lead private and public sectors professionals that have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers to advice the government on the rebuilding exercise."

Sanwo-Olu also commended the Judges for their patience and understanding and their cooperation with the executive.

Speaking the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba recalled that the Sunday preceding the 2020 Legal Year ceremony, himself and some Judges came to inspect Igbosere high court complex to wrapped up preparations, and observed that the foyer would no longer be suitable for the legal events, and should be extended.

Absence of Infrastructure Violation of Citizens' Rights, Int'l Rights Group Tells FG Alleges Nigeria under siege Kuni Tyessi The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has described the inability of the federal government to provide Nigerians with basic infrastructure as an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the citizens.

The organisation also stressed the need for government to embrace dialogue as a solution to the security challenges facing the country.

Ambassador at Large and Head of Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria, Dr. Duru Hezekiah, stated this at the

commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the Occasion of International Human Rights Day in Abuja.

He noted that a baseline study on the ‘Human Rights Impacts and Implications of Mega-Infrastructure Investment’ by the United Nations in 2017, had revealed that lack of infrastructure development by leaders of nations for the benefit of the people was an infringement on human rights.

“However, over the past decade, Nigeria’s infrastructure spending has been less than five per cent

of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and much lower than the amount committed by other developing countries.

“With such gap, it has become difficult for the Nigerian government to adequately address the country’s infrastructure needs," he stated.

This, according to him, in no small measure impedes on the rights of citizens to their basic enjoyment.

Hezekiah added: "We were meant to believe that privatisation of some sectors of government establishment like power sector

will guarantee sustainability and availability. I have said this times without number that a country like Nigeria has never celebrated 24 hours of electricity, the oil regime management is shrouded in so much secrecy, the state of roads have never at any time been in the best shape for travelers, the public education sector is at its worst times, lives are being wasted by incessant killings everywhere.

"Many of our best brains are migrating to the western world because of insecurity and hardship.

Many of our girls are being used

as sex toys in foreign lands because no hope for them in their father’s land. When the chips are down, they come back and add to our suffering."

He called on the Nigerian government and by extension African leaders to prioritise the issue of electricity, roads, internet penetration and support for micro, small and medium scale enterprises for the people. He noted that it was not a privilege, but rights of the people.

Continues online

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NEWS

CELEBRATING 60TH BIRTHDAY AND MERITORIOUS RETIREMENT FROM PUBLIC SERVICE...

L-R: Former Director-General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation)NTDC), Mrs Omotayo Omotosho; General Manager LTV8, Mrs Siju Alabi; Celebrant, Chief Magistrate of Lagos State Judiciary, Margaret Iyabo Dan-Oni and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State, Engr. Afeez Toriola; a guest, Mrs Patricia Ahonsi and Reverend Father Anthony Fadairo, during the 60th PHOTO: Abiodun Ajala Birthday and Meritorious Retirement from Public Service of Her Honour, Chief Magistrate Margaret Dan-Oni in Lagos...recently.

Gbajabiamila: State Assemblies Stalling Amendment to 1999 Constitution Says ninth National Assembly may not complete alteration process Tell governors to support LG autonomy bill, Lawan appeals to El-Rufai Kaduna governor seeks law to establish state police Wants national, state legislatures to screen judges before appointment Vows never to retire to senate, explains why Sunday Aborisade, Udora Orizu and Emameh Gabriel in Abuja Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday, accused the state Houses of Assembly of obstructing the process of amendment to the 1999 Constitution. Gbajabiamila said the ninth National Assembly might not be able to complete the on-going amendment process before the expiration of its term. He spoke in Abuja at the Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture 2022 organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, for his part, urged the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, to prevail on his colleague-governors to encourage their respective Houses of Assembly to support local government

autonomy and promptly transmit back to the National Assembly their responses on the bills sent to them on constitution amendment.

But El-Rufai appealed to the National Assembly to enact laws that would lead to the creation of state police, among others. He also advocated legislative screening for federal and state judges.

The Kaduna State governor dismissed insinuations that he might retire to the senate, like many of his colleagues, saying the legislature is one place he knows he can never function properly.

Gbajabiamila, in his paper, titled, “Delivering on our contract with Nigeria: Implementing the Legislative Agenda of the ninth House of Representatives – Progress, Challenges and Way Forward," highlighted major challenges to the constitution amendment.

He lamented that many state assemblies had yet to legislate on the 44 bills aimed at amending critical aspects of the 1999 Constitution, which was sent to them by the National Assembly since March.

The leadership of the Ninth Assembly, at the beginning of the current legislative session in 2019, earmarked a whopping N1 billion for its ad hoc committee in the two chambers to carry out a comprehensive review of some controversial aspects of the 1999 Constitution.

The process, however, required the endorsement of not less than two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly to sail through. And far less than half of the 36 state assemblies were believed to have so far transmitted their responses back to the National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila regretted that the

Houses of Assembly were frustrating the efforts of the federal lawmakers to pass the amendments to the constitution before the Ninth Assembly ends its tenure in the second week of June next year.

He stated, "That process now seems to have stalled in the state assemblies. As it is today, it is doubtful that the current constitutional amendment effort will conclude before the expiration of this legislative term.

"Despite broad national agreement on the need for reform, the potential for achievement can rise or fall, based on differences in expectations of the context, pace, and direction of the specific proposals.

"The success or failure of every significant governance initiative depends on the extent to which the objective is a shared priority of the different arms of government and, in

Osinbajo: Nigeria in Dire Need of Police Force Admired By All We sanction erring officers, says PSC Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo yesterday declared that Nigeria was in urgent need of a police force that is not only representative of the people, but admired by all.

He stressed that everywhere in the world, a police force is a representative of the people and the government such that there would be need to give it an ethos that would be admired by all.

Speaking yesterday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari the Annual Report of the Police Service Commission (PSC) from the Acting Chairman, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (rtd) who led a delegation of the Commission’s Management Team, the vice president said the Police Force was in many ways the first line

of civil authority and in any country as well as the representative of the people.

“For many reasons, people regard the performance of the police as the performance of the government, the force must be diligent in how it carries out its function,” he added.

While commending the commission for their clarity of vision, hard work and having the difficult task of managing a huge police force with several challenges, Osinbajo emphasised that the ethos of the police force was something that must be taken seriously.

Referring to some parts of the report, the vice president noted the issue of the internal investigation of the police when things go wrong.

According to him: “I think that it is very crucial because we mustn’t give the impression to the Nigerian public that the police will get away

with anything and that whatever happens, there is no accountability."

In addition, he pointed out the matter of legal services provided within the police force and stated that there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be robust legal services for the police, not just to prevent random claims that people make, but also to be ready to compensate when there are legitimate cases against the police that the courts find.

He observed that, “it just adds to the confidence that people have in our police force and our government that we are responsible and accountable when we are wrong and we make payments where it is necessary.”

Earlier in her remarks, the Acting Chairman of the Commission noted that, “it is a well-known fact that one of the bastions of your administration is upholding the

rule of law.

"As members of the management team of the Commission, we have no other alternative than to guard this mandate jealously as expressed by the framers of the Constitution.

“Thus, the Commission has been consistent in ensuring that disciplinary sanctions are meted out to erring police officers, making sure officers are promoted as at when due taking into consideration available vacancies and seniority, ensuring that proper and fit persons are recruited into the Nigeria Police Force.”

Other members of the management team of the Commission at the report presentation include Hon. Lawal Bawa AIG (Rtd), CON, MNI - Commissioner II; Hon. Hajiya Hadiza N. Muhammad – Commissioner III, Hon. Austin A. Braimoh – Commissioner IV and others.

some cases, of the state governments.

"Several of the commitments in the legislative agenda require amendments to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to achieve them.

"If you took a poll in this room now about the importance and need for substantive reforms to our nation’s constitution, I am sure the poll would return an overwhelming majority in favour. The National Assembly has passed a raft of amendments to the constitution and advanced them to the states as required."

Senate president lobbies El-Rufai to prevail on colleagues

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, while declaring open the Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture 2022, urged El-Rufai to prevail on his colleagues to encourage their state Houses of Assembly to transmit back to the National Assembly their responses on the constitution amendment bills sent to them.

Lawan said, "We will task you to lobby for us. We have sent (to the states) the outcome of our constitution review and we are yet to receive all from the states.

"So, we should be able to wind up this process by getting responses from the state Houses of Assembly.

Even if it is one month left, we have the capacity, working together, to ensure that we pass some of the legislations that are required in a very expeditious manner.

“Lobby your governor colleagues, because I can see that you do that very well."

El-Rufai wants National Assembly to make law on state police

The Kaduna State governor, who was the chairman of the occasion, urged the National Assembly to work on pieces of legislation that would lead to the creation of state police, among others. He also advocated

legislative screening for federal and state judges.

According to El-Rufai, "It is supposed to check excesses of the executive as well as the judiciary.

That is why it is the legislature only that can remove the chief justice or the chief judge of a state, indeed, and other federal deputies, even the appointment of ordinary judges, has to be confirmed by the legislature.

"This is something that I recommend actually that we introduce as a constitutional amendment so that all senior judges, judges of superior court of record should be subject to confirmation by the state House of Assembly or the National Assembly, as the case may be.”

The governor said he would not retire to the senate after his tenure, unlike many of his colleagues.

He stated, "I know that many of my governors retire to the senate, but I can assure you that I will never retire to the legislature.

"So, I really, really greatly respect those that are in the legislature and manage to make it function. Being here is also an opportunity to learn and remedy my personal defects, because the legislature is one branch of government that I know I can never function in."

On the issue of state police, El-Rufai said, "First, I think we are all clear now that the current policing system is broken and doesn't work for Nigeria. Nigeria is the only federation in the world with one centralised police system.

"I think this National Assembly has the capacity to enact the state and community policing system that prevents the abuses of the past and takes into account the challenges of the present."

State Assembly Autonomy: Senate Deputy Chief Whip Urges Citizens to Rise against Governors

Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and senator for Niger North Continued on page 40

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UNVEILING OF THE APC CAMPAIGN COUNCIL IN OGUN...

L-R: Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; former Governor and Ogun East Senatorial Candidate, Gbenga Daniel and elder statesman and Grand Patron, Ogun State All Progressives Campaign Council, Olusegun Osoba, at the inauguration of the Ogun State APC Campaign Secretariat and unveiling of the APC Campaign Council in the State held at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta ...recently

NCDMB Re-strategises to Improve Nigeria's Gas Investment Olusegun Samuel and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has noted that the country's investment in gas production was poor, saying the board has developed strategies to improve investment partnerships in the sector.

The federal government agency was reacting to the global demand for cleaner energy sources and the demand for the reduction of global carbon emissions continues to rise.

General Manager, Corporate Communication and Zonal Coordinator of NCDMB, Dr. Ginah O. Ginah, disclosed this yesterday, during a Nigerian Content Capacity Building Workshop for media stakeholders with the theme: 'Enhancing Media Competencies to Support Nigerian Content in a Gas Economy," held in Port

Harcourt.

He said NCDMB had mapped out strategies to ensure that gas was made Nigeria’s transition fuel.

Ginah recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari's had declared that 2021 – 2030 was Nigeria’s Decade of Gas and had announced the federal government’s determination to fully exploit the nation’s abundant gas resources.

"Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari’s made a commitment at COP26 held in November 2021 at Glasgow that Nigeria will seek to achieve net zero by 2060, which means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible," he said.

According to Ginah, the Board had partnered with credible investors to develop critical projects in the sector to take Nigeria towards the goal, and that in total, it has

gone into partnership with 15 firms to set up projects covering modular refining, gas processing, gas distribution, power generation and manufacturing.

He also revealed that, "some of the gas-based projects of the board include a partnership with Rungas to produce 1.2million LPG Composite cylinders per annum in Bayelsa and Lagos States, and that it also collaborated with NEDO Gas Processing Company in Kwale, Delta State for the establishment of 80 million standard cubic feet per day gas Processing Plant and a 300 million standard cubic feet per day Gas Gathering hub."

He said, "It is worthy of note that 70 per cent of our investments are on gas-based activities, especially midstream and downstream gas. Our investments underscore the importance of gas to Nigeria’s economic sustainability, apart from

its role in the energy transition.

"We know for certain that gas can lead Nigeria to food sufficiency, industrialisation, increase in Gross Domestic Product, and electric power sufficiency.

"Above all, the investments by the NCDMB are helping to create employment opportunities for Nigerian youths, catalyse the local economy and achieve the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap.

"The Board is also working with Duport Midstream to establish an Energy Park at Egbokor, Edo State.

The park would include a 40 million standard cubic feet per day gas processing plant, 2,500 barrels per day modular refinery and 20 megawatts power plants.

"The Board partnered with the NNPC to invest in Brass Fertilizer and establish 10,000 tonnes per day Methanol Production plant at

IBASS Implementation: JAMB Trains Tertiary Instructions' Staff on Full Automation Processes To begin January 2023 Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), yesterday commenced training of all administrative staff of tertiary institutions in order to keep them abreast of the workings of the Interactive e-Brochure and e-Syllabus System (IBASS).

The training which held at the six geo-political zones of the country, simultaneously had most of the Vice Chancellors, Provosts, Rectors and other administrative staff of tertiary institutions in attendance.

JAMB recently announced full automation of its administration and other communication processes to all its stakeholders as a means of eliminating bureaucracy.

The Board initiated the policy after reviewing bottlenecks associated with communicating or interfacing with various institutions regarding admission processes.

The new policy was expected to begin from January, 2023.

From January, the board would refrain from receiving any physical

letter from any institution or agency except through its Interactive eBrochure and e-Syllabus System (IBASS).

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who declared the North Central Zonal virtual workshop open assured that correspondence between JAMB and individual institutions would be individualized.

This meant that such communication would not be open to third parties like in the case of WhatsApp. Welcoming participants to the North Central workshop, Dr. Sule Mundi, Provost, College of Education, Zuba, lauded JAMB for innovations in its test system.

He said the new initiative would go a long way in further strengthening education in the country.

“Oloyede is really a reformer in JAMB, as he has put every system in place to reduce to the barest minimum hardened corruption and ineptitude in the examination body.

“I have no doubt that your impressive turn-out by the show

of attendance and intention for participation at this training is a testimony of your appreciation of the invaluable role of JAMB in continuously finding ways to improve methods of identifying and placing suitably qualified candidates in the available places in all our schools.

“This meeting and training is intended to brainstorm on interactive e-Brochure and e-Syllabus System otherwise refer to as the Interactive Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS).

“We therefore wish to welcome our distinguished facilitators who will be leading us and getting us familiar with this groundbreaking process of automation of curriculum, accreditation, admission, and general administration matters between the Board, tertiary institutions and their regulatory agencies.

“It is my deep conviction that the understanding of this training will ensure seamless communication between JAMB, institutions and their regulatory agencies in addition

to providing candidates with the various admission requirements needed from them from their prospective tertiary institutions,” Mundi said.

Oloyede while announcing the take-off of the policy earlier, had explained that the automation of curriculum, accreditation and general administration matters among JAMB, regulatory agencies and Institutions will provide personalised services to the institutions and agencies as only JAMB and the institution will be able to see any communication on the platform.

“We discovered that we spend our time attending to letters from some major stakeholders of the board, notably, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

Apart from these stakeholders, we also receive correspondences from 890 institutions across the country,” he added.

Odioama, Brass, Bayelsa State, just as we are investing with Triansel Gas Limited in Koko, Delta State to establish a 5,000 Metric Tons per day LPG Storage and Loading Terminal Facility.

"Another important partnership is with Southfield Petroleum to establish 200 million metric standard cubic feet of gas processing

plant at Utorogu, Delta State. The project will produce 123,000 Million Tons Per Annum of LPG, about 10 percent of current LPG demand nationwide."

Ginah further revealed that the Board was collaborating with Amal Technologies to set up a plant in Abuja, to produce Smart Gas/ Smoke Detector Alarm devices.

GBAJABIAMILA: STATE ASSEMBLIES STALLING AMENDMENT TO 1999 CONSTITUTION Senatorial District, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, called on Nigerians, especially the youth, to question the tendency of state governors to keep the Houses of Assembly at their mercy. Abdullahi made the appeal yesterday in Abuja, at the concluding session of a 10- day internship programme organised by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) for youths.

The former spokesperson of the eighth senate also appealed to Nigerians to end the attacks on the National Assembly, saying it is an act targeted at the only democratic institution keeping the executive in check.

He said the recent revelation by the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on the 13 per cent derivation refund to oil producing states was not supposed to be a surprise to Nigerians, "if state Houses of Assembly are independent."

Abdullahi said in spite of efforts by the National Assembly to ensure that state assemblies were independent of the executive, Nigerians had focused their criticism on the National Assembly, rather than face the state governors, who had deliberately refused to provide the atmosphere that would guarantee independence for the state legislatures as well as local governments in the country.

He said, "If not for the National Assembly and its institutions, the state Houses of Assembly are rubber stamps. If you say rubber stamp, it is an understatement.

They are worse than rubber-stamp.

And who is responsible?

“Collectively, all of us, because they are not independent. We have been battling to make them independent and Nigerians never supported us.

"I have not seen Nigerians asking or coming out and saying to their governors, ‘we own this, it belongs to us, give it to us.’ We did our own part.

"And it's the same thing with the local government. They are not independent. I think we must get our act together. Whatever institution of democracy we have, Nigerians must rise together to defend it. If you are condemning the National Assembly, you are weakening them and strengthening other people.

"And that is why, today, the almighty governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are alpha and omega of our democracy. They make or mar, they do and undo, but I have never heard anybody getting up or rising up to question them.”

Abdullahi rejected the widespread impression that the Nigerian National Assembly members were the highest paid in the world.

He said, "People will say these people are highly paid. They are the most expensive politicians in the world. Which is not true.

The facts are there. It is easy to cast aspersion on anybody but is it also easy to conclude that everybody is bad?

"I believe that the institution of our democracy represented by the National Assembly is sacred and we must respect it.

If we don't respect it, you will weaken it down.

“No matter how imperfect the National Assembly is, if you attack it, it is not the people you are attacking, it is the institution that you are attacking. And when you weaken the institution, honestly, you are heading back to dictatorship.”

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MBAH’S TOWN HALL MEETING IN ENUGU...

L-R: Deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai; governorship candidate, Dr. Peter Mbah and member of the House of Representatives, Enugu North and South federal constituency, Hon Ofor Chukwuegbo during Mbah’s town hall meeting at Enugu South LGA...recently

Abdullahi: Anyone Rooting for APC Wants Nigerians to Suffer Hammed Shittu in Ilorin A former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has said, it was only anyone, who wanted Nigerians to suffer again that would allow the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to come back to power in 2023.

Abdullahi, who is the Kwara Central senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for the 2023 polls, stated this in Ilorin, yesterday, while speaking with journalists on the state of the nation.

He said the people of the country had suffered a lot under the APC, both at the federal level and in Kwara state in particular, and would not allow the party to return to power.

"Go to every home today, no one can boast of three daily meals.

We are no more secured again due to reported cases of banditry and

terrorism, our infrastructure had dilapidated, our education and health facilities have collapsed, among others.

"What the PDP has done in the last 16 years had been damaged without proper maintenance and this has affected our development and growth. But, I want to tell you that the PDP is ready to rescue this nation from the APC so as to provide good leadership that would accelerate the socio-economic growth of the country come 2023," he said.

Abdullahi, a former editor with THISDAY Newspapers, said, there was need for all and sundry to rally round the PDP come next elections as a way of rescuing the nation from the hands of the present people piloting the affairs of the nation.

"The APC has failed to implement all the promises to Nigerians and this has affected the social well being of the rural populace. It is

disheartening that since the three and a half years of the present administration of APC in Kwara State, no project has not seen the light of the day.

“The administration has gotten a lot of federal allocations running into several billions of naira, internally generated revenue and loans obtained from the banks, yet, no

won’t change anything. If they are serious they should start from the source. They should go to the depots, the PDOs, the private depot operators and find out what’s going on there because that’s where we are getting products from for now.

“Until the cabal in that area is handled and taken care of, we cannot get any reduction or even fairness in the distribution of petroleum products because the products land there and the off-takers fix their prices there and load it for our members the way they like,” he stated.

Also speaking, a former Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Peter Esele, who also appeared on the programme, said the DSS must have been privy to important information within the supply value chain to have issued the ultimatum.

Esele stated that nothing is currently moving in the industry because there’s a cartel holding the industry to ransom. In Port Harcourt for instance, he said products were being sold for above N220, with queues stretching kilometres.

He argued that the sector has since deregulated itself, maintaining that if government was still paying subsidy, there should be value for

days in the state and determined to cast their votes for the PDP in order to bring much socio economic development to the doorsteps of the rural populace."

Police Kill Three, Arrest Two as Bandits Attack INEC Office in Owerri Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Amby Uneze in Owerri

Three bandits, who were part of the gang that torched the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Owerri yesterday were promptly neutralised by the police, who also arrested two others alive with bullet wounds.

The security operatives in Imo State were also combing the nooks and crannies of Owerri for the fleeing

members of the gang, believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds, when the police engaged them at the INEC office on Port Harcourt road in the early hours of yesterday.

Addressing newsmen at the Police Headquarters, where the three neutralised hoodlums and two who were captured alive were paraded, Governor Hope Uzodimma, wondered why bandits should think of attacking the INEC office at this time the commission

MOMAN: SUBSIDY HAS DIMINISHED NIGERIAN INSTITUTIONS' CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH ENERGY CRISIS owners hoarding the commodity, fuel scarcity would persist.

Describing the current supply situation as bad, he maintained that for the last six months, retailers have continued to get products from third parties, a development that has increased prices at the pumps, despite several representations to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

He stated that members of his association were currently buying between N220 to N250 from the so-called third parties, noting that if they were buying directly from the NNPC, products would be sold at N148.71 which is the controlled price.

Nkpe said in the past six months, there had not been a drop of allocation to the system by the NNPC, despite efforts to engage the authorities.

“Once you send a vessel to Port Harcourt depot, we will transfer to Aba, Enugu and others and this matter will be solved immediately,” he stated.

He added that the NNPC was selective in handing down ATP (Authority to Pay) to operators, a development that has hobbled supply of the product.

“The threat issued by the DSS

project has ever been commissioned during the period under review.

"The people of Kwara State have seen the true pictures of things and they would not return to the 2019

money because there’s corruption within the system.

“Everything is done by who knows who and it means that we are going to have a bleak or chaotic Christmas,” he stressed.

Esele urged the government to intervene in the matter, calling on the National Assembly to lead the investigation to unravel the cartel.

He explained that if subsidy has been removed, the government should be bold enough to let Nigerians know the situation.

He insisted that things are bad in the industry, indicating that the DSS knows certain things that Nigerians do not know, which is making them put fire to the feet of the marketers.

Esele stated that there was racketeering within the system which has subjected Nigerians to hardship, rubbishing the claim that the scarcity was caused by issues in Apapa road infrastructure.

Describing the excuse as embarrassing, Esele explained that Apapa has been a mess for a long time, noting that it is pure dereliction of duty on the part of NNPC to blame the so-called bad roads, instead of being proactive in its activities.

He expressed the hope that DSS stepping into the fuel supply

matter may make things better, arguing that it was abnormal to pay with dollars for services within the country. He also reiterated that there’s racketeering going on to the detriment of the people.

“In a functional market, people must realise that there are consequences for their actions,” he noted, stressing that policy inconsistency, indiscipline, nepotism and the absence of punishment for wrong actions remain Nigeria’s biggest problem.

He insisted that there’s enough product in the country, wondering why the product was not in circulation.

“DSS must tell Nigerians its findings within 48 hours, and whoever is behind this should be prosecuted because there are enough products in this country for everybody to get petrol,” he added.

However, in Abuja, THISDAY observed that after the DSS threat, the situation has improved to a large extent.

Although, many major marketers’ outlets were still shut, in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), filling stations were selling for between N179 to N180 per litre.

was preparing for the upcoming elections if they were not being used.

“We need to decode the motive behind the action and why INEC is the target," he said, adding that, what happened and events of the past, confirmed what he had always said that, "what is happening in Imo State is politically contrived, and justifiably so."

He wondered why "some people think they can win election yet they don’t want elections to hold, how then will they win? INEC does not need this type of distraction at this point and stage of our elections, rather they should be supported by all and sundry. But contrary to that, what we now see are people creating distractions here and there and attacking innocent people.

"If now we put one and two together and recall that people have threatened that Imo State will be made ungovernable and there will be no elections in Imo State, that is the attempt to achieve their purpose."

While assuaging the fears of Imo people, he noted that, "Since the police are prepared, and the security agencies are ready, there will be elections in Imo State by the Grace of God, "urging the Imo people to go out and collect their PVCs as the state and INEC have decentralised the team.

Briefing the governor on the activities of the bandits and how his men were able to counter and neutralise some of them, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mohammad Ahmed Barde, said, "the bandits attacked the Assumpta roundabout where they burnt a Sienna bus," and that his men "confronted them and forced them to abandon one of their vehicles and from there, they moved to attack the INEC headquarters in Owerri Imo State."

Barde said the Police were able to

neutralize three of them and arrested two alive while others escaped with bullet wounds, assuring that the Police were on trail of them.

He said they recovered three AK47 riffles, three Pump action guns and some Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) as well two vehicles from the bandits.

Also, confirming the attack, the National commissioner in charge of Publicity and Chairman Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Professor Sylvia Uchenna Agu, reported that its state headquarters office in Owerri was attacked by unknown gunmen.

The attack, Okoye said, occurred at about 3.00am yesterday, and that, the affected the part of the building occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department and one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was burnt.

He said the response of the security and emergency services (the Fire Service) curtailed further damage to the building and other assets of the Commission.

"No critical election materials were destroyed. There were also no casualties involving staff of the Commission. This is third attack on the Commission's facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks following the earlier attacks on our Orlu LGA office on Thursday 1st December 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday 4th December 2022.

"Our Imo State Headquarters is located in the centre of the Owerri, the State capital, between a court and the State secretariat. This is, therefore, yet another systematic attack targeted at the Commission's assets across the country, more so on the day that the collection of Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) commences nationwide ahead of the 2023 general election," he explained.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

NOLLYWOOD CREATIVE MINDS SEMINAR..

L-R : Editor-in-Chief, African Economy Magazine, Kelechi Deca; Managing Director/CEO, FITC, Chizor Malize; Actor, Producer, Film maker, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey-Inyang; President, Nollywood Creative Minds Forum (NCMF), Ijeoma Richards, and Veteran Actor, Edmond Enaibe, at the 5th Edition of the Annual Seminar and Short Film Screening of NCMF held in Lagos…yesterday

Bandits Free Ex-Corps Member, Pastor Kidnapped in Abuja FCTA contracts protection of Abuja rail to local security firms

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

A former member of the National Youth Service Corps and a pastor who were among the seven victims kidnapped during a raid on Kubwa Extension Relocation Estate last Tuesday have been freed by their abductors after paying ransom.

The ex- corps member, who completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme last month, is

named Adenike, while the second released victim is Pastor Timothy.

They were kidnapped at their family home alongside five others during an attack that lasted over an hour, while two male adults were killed.

Even as they regained freedom, five other victims, two children, an elderly woman and two male adults were still in the kidnappers’ den.

The Chairman of the community, Alhaji Saidu

Okowa’s Senior SA on Security Resigns Sylvester IdowuinWarri A Special Assistant to Delta State governor and Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general elections, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Security, Alaowei Promise Lawuru, popularly known has resigned his appointment.

Lawuru, who is also known as ‘Master Black’, is one of Governor Okowa’s strong men in the Delta creeks, said he was resigning his appointment owing to the marginalisation of his Egbema people by successive government in the state.

The former ex-militant from Ogbinbiri community of Egbema kingdom in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta

state announced his resignation yesterday at a press conference He said he had decided to ditch the Okowa’s government because “God has given him a direction to pursue his political career.”

The ex-militant leader, who however, scored Okowa high on security, noted that the continued neglect and marginalisation of the Egbema Kingdom was the principal reason he was leaving the government.

He said: “Egbema kingdom has become a proverbial envelope that the readers discard after reading or taking the letter inside. When they are seeking a position, they will all run to us, but as soon as they gain power, they forget us, but 2023 is not going to be business as usual, our people will vote wisely and their vote will count.”

Onyema to Chair Aviation Journalists’ Book Launch Dec 15 The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema, will on Thursday, December 15, 2022, chair the launch of a book on air transportation in Nigeria, written by two Nigerian aviation journalists, Olusegun Koiki and Chinedu Eze. The book, titled: ‘Air Transportation In Nigeria: The Lingering Expectations,’ which would be launched at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, chronicles several burning issues and topics in the sector.

The book, according to the duo, x-rayed the aviation industry, its history, milestones and critically reviewed policies, regulations and actions taken by government and

its agencies in the sector over the years.

The book is also to guide aviation professionals, stakeholders, entrepreneurs and higher institutions of learning with interest in aviation on the development in the sector in the country, the prospects, pitfalls and how to mitigate the mistakes of the past.

The book critiques activities in the sector and proffered solutions to the myriads of challenges in the industry.

The writers said: “We are glad that we are able to put this book together and drive conversations around the aviation industry in Nigeria. The contributions from some stakeholders and professionals also helped to shed light on the critical issues and topics written by us.

confirmed the development yesterday. However, he could not confirm if ransom was paid to the bandits to facilitate the release of the two abductees.

“Adenike and Pastor Timothy have been released. They are fine and others are still with the bandits. I cannot tell you if any

ransom was paid but all I know is that two of the seven people have been released,” Saidu said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has contracted the security of the Abuja Light Rail facilities to two local companies- Al-Ahly Security Guards Ltd and Segad

Guards and Protection Ltd. The task of protecting the rail facilities was passed to the security firms from the Chinese company, CCECC, that built and had been protecting the facilities and other components of the project.

The Mandate Secretary, FCT

Transportation Secretariat, Abdullahi Adamu Candido said the transition had become necessary as the administration was gearing towards the take -off of the Abuja metro rail.

He said the commencement can only be achieved if the tracks were in good condition.

Atiku Pledges to Connect Nasarawa with Good Road, Youth Employment ChuksOkochainAbuja The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday in Lafia, Nasarawa state, pledged to ensure that the state is linked to road networks in the North central zone of the country.

He also pledged to ensure that

there is a gainful employment for the huge unemployed youths and women in the state.

Speaking at the rally that took place in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa state, Atiku said: “I want to use this opportunity to reiterate our commitment to making sure that our young men and women have jobs to do and have work

to do when we come into office.

“That is why we set aside $10 billion so that we can pump this money in the small medium enterprises for our young men and woman. Let me also announced that we will link up Nasarawa with all other neighboring states as far as our road infrastructure is concerned. Having said that, I want

you people to make sure that we win this state this time around.”

In his speech, the National Chairman of PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, urged Nasarawa state to join other North central states in voting for the PDP and reconcile ensure that Atiku Abubakar is going to get his highest vote in the north central zone.

Group Raises the Alarm over Secret Deployment of Omoyele as Governor Adeleke’s CSO Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo A group, The Peace Ambassadors, yesterday in Osogbo, Osun State, raised the alarm over what it described as insensitivity on the path of Inspector General(IG) of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, by allowing one of his indicted officers,

Chief Superintend of Police (CSP) P Omoyele Adekunle, despite the public outrage, to be Chief Security Officer of Osun governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

The group noted that the singular action is capable of tarnishing the country’s police image and it would undermine

the IG’s determination of getting rid of bad eggs in the police force.

In a statement signed by the Coordinator and Secretary of the group, Alhaji Agbaje Ojo and Chief (Mrs) Janet Arowosola respectively, the group lamented what would be the feeling and fate of the family thrown

into mourning by Omoyele’s unprofessionalism in Ede, the home town of Governor Adeleke.

In August, 2022, Omoyele allegedly led the police team to an operation that eventually led to the killing of two persons of the same family including a pregnant woman.

Pandemonium as Gunmen Invade Ebonyi Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

There was a pandemonium in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, as suspected gunmen reportedly invaded a local market to enforce sit-at-home order.

A source said four gunmen invaded Ahiaofu market at the

early hours of yesterday and allegedly set some goods ablaze.

The incident created fears and caused stir and confusion, as people started running helterskelter.

Human and vehicular movements were paralysed.

Banks, eateries, supermarkets

and other major facilities were abruptly shut down in the state.

Confirming the incident, the Special Security Consultant to the Ebonyi State Government, Hon. Stanley Emegha, noted that it was a gang of hoodlums that invaded the market.

He said: “For clarity purposes,

it was a gang of hoodlums that invaded Ahiaofuru Market on the Abakaliki/Enugu highway where they partially attacked a provision shop, causing a stir around the axis. However, no life was lost as being circulated by rumour mongers and enemies of the state.

13 year-old Impregnated by 75-year-old Guardian Rescued, Culprit Arrested

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A 13-year-old girl (name withheld) who was recently delivered of a baby has been rescued by the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Children’s Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, and kept in a safe

place.

The news of the delivery of the teenage girl broke out on social media at the weekend, making the Commissioner to go in search of her, and was found in an undisclosed hospital, where she was held for inability to pay hospital bill.

The ministry said the teenage mother was rescued by the team from the ministry and taken to a safe place, after she was interviewed on the circumstances that brought about her condition.

In the interview, she stated that she was put in the family

way by her guardian, who she identified as Mr. Sunday.

The girl, who hails from Akwa Ibom, while her biological parents stay in Agulu, Anambra State, said she was not the only one involved in Mr. Sunday’s knack for defiling children.

‘Tinubu Sure of Mass Votes from North in 2023’

JulietAkojeinAbuja

The Deputy Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential Campaign Council, Hannatu Musawa, has said that the party is confident that Tinubu and

his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, would get a landslide victory in the northern part of the country during the next year poll.

Musawa, who is also the spokesperson of Dikko Umar Radda, the APC governorship candidate in

Katsina State, in a media chat recently explained that Tinubu will win in the entire north because he is well known in that part of the country.

She said:“Northern electorates know Tinubu very well and are eager to vote for him”

According to her, some of Tinubu’s engagements that endeared him to the northerners, include always visiting the region and identifying with the people, especially during burials and traditional festivals.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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REWARDED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY…

L-R: Environment Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd, Temitope Ogunrinde; Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Specialist, Olukemi Ogunsakin; Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director, Ekuma Eze; Corporate Affairs & Community Partnerships Manager (Lagos/West), Jerome Oyebanji, and Packaging Recovery Manager, Idris Adetola, after NBC being presented with two awards for the its contribution towards environmental sustainability at the SERAS-CSR Awards...in Lagos...recently

Suspected Thugs Attack, Raze PDP’s Campaign Office in Gombe Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Suspected political hoodlums in the early hours of yesterday attacked the campaign office of the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Jibrin Barde, destroyed and set it ablaze.

However, in a swift reaction to the development, the state government has absolved itself from any complicity in

the attack, urging the PDP to look elsewhere for the people that attacked the office.

THISDAY checks revealed that the yet-to-be identified arsonists who are believed to be members of the opposition parties in the state attacked the building for the second time in four months having carried out similar attack in August this year before the state government, through its agents, bulldozed the structure

Omo-Agege: I’ll Establish Tertiary Institution in Ijawland Sylvester Idowu in Warri The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has assured that his administration would establish a tertiary institution in Ijawland if elected as governor in 2023.

Omo-Agege, who is the incumbent deputy president of the Senate, also promised to connect Bomadi and its environs to the national grid to end the aged-long darkness being experienced in the local government area.

He said this when the APC’s ward-to-ward campaign train visited Bomadi Council yesterday.

Omo-Agege, who lamented the state of the collapsing Ohoror/ Bomadi Bridge and access roads

in the council, said that his administration would address them urgently when elected as governor.

The Delta-central federal lawmaker lamented that the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa abandoned the people of Bomadi and other Ijaw communities despite their contribution to the state’s revenue.

He promised to change the situation and elevate the urban status of Bomadi as one of the commercial cities in the state by attracting development to the council.

He said: “I want to assure you my good people of Bomadi Council that with Bola Tinubu as the President, I will fix the Bomadi, Gbaregolor, Akugbene and Ohoror/Bomadi Bridges.

Still Earth Wins Excellence, Recognition Award Still Earth Limited, Nigeria’s renowned construction company has been named the winner of the Award of Excellence and Recognition for outstanding and visible performance in the Nigerian construction industry in the BusinessDay’s Nigerian Business Leadership Awards (NBLA), which held in Lagos.

The NBLA Awards, according to BusinessDay, has established itself as the most prestigious, desirable and credible award system in the real sector of the Nigerian economy. It recognises remarkable business leaders and organisations in Nigeria for their sustained commitment to excellence in enterprise.

Projects Manager of Still Earth Limited, Oladimeji Oseni, who received the award on behalf of the company, thanked the

organisers of the award for finding the company worthy of the recognition and promised that the company will continue to live up to its calling in all its operations.

“It is a great honour to be found worthy for the Award of Excellence and Recognition for outstanding and visible performance in the Nigerian construction industry by such a coveted award platform as the BusinessDay’s Nigerian Business Leadership Awards.

“The honour has both a gratifying value for the efforts we put in ensuring that our processes meet international standards and a motivational value to inspire us to keep our standards high as they should be,” he said.

claiming security reasons.

A member of the Campaign Council wrote: “Good morning gentlemen of the Fourth Estate.

There was an attack on the building housing the Barde Campaign Organisation in the early hours of today

(Monday) by political thugs suspected to be that of the sinking APC, setting ablaze the building and destroying property.

“The cowardly attack on this edifice, one of many in the last months, further affirmed the

present government’s stand on violence and destruction, a threat to the fragile peace of the state, which must vehemently be rejected by all and sundry.“The PDP governorship candidate, Alhaji Muhammad Jibrin Barde, has on different occasions

rejected violence and political thuggery, stressing the need to engage the resourceful Gombe youths in a meaningful pursuit.

The good people of Gombe State are hereby prompted to reject this act of oppression on the ballot in 2023.”

Adeleke: Osun Eligible for 13% Derivation from Operating Coys Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, citing extant laws, said the state was entitled to 13 per cent derivation from every ounce of gold extracted from the state as well as other solid mineral fields.

He therefore, posited that his administration would henceforth

beam its searchlight on the solid mineral sector especially, the activities of Segilola company and other similar interests operating in gold fields in the state.

This is as the state government has reported another discovery of alleged mindless looting of public properties at the Governor’s Lodge, Abuja, adding that the latest development was

uncovered, when a physical inspection was conducted on the facility during the weekend.

But the media aide to the immediate past Osun governor, Ismail Omipidan, has described claims by Adeleke that the Osun lodge in Abuja was looted by Oyetola’s men as a mere diversionary tactic by the governor to cover up his

unpreparedness for governance.

Speaking at the inauguration of the solid mineral sector committee, Adeleke noted that solid mineral has to do with the heart and soul of the state’s economy, and that the committee was saddled with serious assignment of recovering and protecting the common assets and God- given solid mineral resources in the state.

Group Restates Commitment to Community, Humanitarian Services SundayOkobi The National Association of Seadogs, Pyrates Confraternity (NAS PC) has reaffirmed its commitment to community and humanitarian services, as it embarked on various activities to make the society a better place.

As part of its activities to commemorate its 70 anniversary

recently, all chapters of the association across the world at the weekend embarked on humanitarian and community service.

According to the leader of the group in Ogun State, Adebesin Ayodele, yesterday the three-day events tagged: ‘Weekend of Service to Humanity’, “is another opportunity for us to demonstrate

and reaffirm our commitment to rendering selfless service to humanity as we strive towards the attainment of a better society.

“We are driven by noble and lofty ideas and ideals to make the community, society and the world at large a better place. NAS PC has continued to champion and espouse worthy virtues and values in our quest to ensure mankind in better.

Ayodele noted that: “It is in this regard that NAS PC Ash Montana Deck has undertaken the cleaning exercise of Gbonogun Odo Eran Community Market. This project aligns with United Nations SDG 6 -- Good Health and Wellbeing.

The relevance of hygiene cannot be undermined. A clean environment prevents diseases and promotes good health and wellness.”

Ex-NLC Scribe Urges FG to Probe PTAD over Pension Glitches Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The immediate-past General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Peter Ozo-Eson, has asked the federal government to urgently beam it’s searchlight on the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) before things gets out of hand

in the establishment.

Ozo-Ezon, who said he voluntarily retired from the services of the University of Jos on May 3, 2001, at the rank of an Associate Professor, decried the long delays in the payment of pension to retirees by PTAD. In a statement signed by Ozo-Ezon, the former NLC

scribe lamented the treatment meted at to him as a retiree by the agency, describing it as a death sentence to retirees.

He urged: “All relevant agencies of the government with oversight and supervisory responsibilities over PTAD, including the relevant committees of the National Assembly,

to intervene and ensure that the directorate is alive to its responsibilities and is operating above board.”

The labour leader said given the sad history of the abuse and looting of pension funds in Nigeria, the government should investigate who is benefiting from the backlog of withheld funds.

Court Sacks Newly Sworn-in LG Chairman in Niger Laleye Dipo in Minna

It was a drama in Minna, the Niger State capital, as court sacks Dr. Mustapha Jibril, one of the 25 local government area chairmen sworn in by the state Governor Abubakar Sani Bello at Government.

Jibril along with others and

their supporters who were well dressed for the event had entered the Government House, venue of the inauguration by the governor.

The event had barely commenced when news filtered into the main auditorium of the Government House that the High Court 4 in Minna presided by Justice Mohammed Mohammed

had quashed the nomination of Jibril as the APC candidate for last month local government election for Chanchaga Local Government Area.

The court directed the governor to swear in the petitioner in the case, Mr. Aminu Ladan, as the chairman. The shock that greeted the news had hardly subsided

when news of a protest by pensioners filtered into the hall that retirees had blocked the main gate to the Government House.

The APC gubernatorial candidate for next year’s election, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Bago, was among those blocked from entering the Government House by the protesters.

Civil Servants Critical to Oyebanji’s Success, Says Ekiti Deputy Gov Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Christianah Monisade Afuye, has stressed that hard work, loyalty and honesty are pivotal traits needed from the civil servants

to actualise the success of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration.

Afuye stated that the current administration in the state would continually synergise with the civil servants for the implementation of its six-point

policy thrust that are geared to overhaul the thematic areas of the economy in a manner that it would positively touch the lives of Ekiti populace.

She made these remarks yesterday in Ado Ekiti during a training programme that was

organised for the staff of the Deputy Governor’s office, which was titled: “Essential Leadership Strategies and Skills for Competent Ekiti State Civil Servants,” that was delivered by an Associate Professor, Dr. Oke Aruleba.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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CAPITAL MARKET REGISTRARS’ CONFAB...

L-R: Executive Commissioner, Operations, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Dayo Obisan; President/Chairman, Council of the Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), Seyi Owoturo; Honourary fellows, Emeka Anyaejiis; Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede; Second Vice President, Mrs. Catherine Nwosu; Registrar /Chief Executive, Mr. Jonathan Eborah, at the 11th annual conference/annual general meeting in Lagos...recently

Military Probes Fire Incident at Defence Headquarters Complex Kingsley Nwezeh inAbuja The military high command, yesterday, launched an investigation into the fire outbreak at the Defence Headquarters Complex.

Fire fighters from the military and the Federal Fire Service battled and contained the fire incident, which occurred at the second floor of the Defence Headquarters located in Area 7, Garki, Abuja.

The cause of the fire outbreak

was yet to be established as at press time.

A statement by the Director, Defence Information (DDI), Maj Gen Jimmy Akpor, said the fire outbreak was contained by the combined effort of the military and the personnel of the Federal Fire Service.

“All personnel and civilian staff were also evacuated without injury or loss of life,” the statement stated.

It said while normalcy had returned to the defence

Toyin Falola, Ogunsanwo Become Lead City Emeritus Professor

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A renowned historian and don at the University of Texas at Austin, United States, Prof. Toyin Falola, was yesterday appointed Emeritus Professor at the Lead City University, Ibadan.

Also appointed Emeritus Professor was a former Ambassador to Belgium and Political Scientist, Prof. Alaba Ogunsanwo.

The erudite scholars were conferred with the new title at the 15th convocation ceremonies of the private university that was held in Ibadan, with the Chancellor, Prof. Gabriel Ogunmola, making the proclamation.

Falola is a historian and Professor of African Studies and Fellow of the Historical Society of

Nigeria and Nigerian Academy of Letters while Ogunsawo, a member of the second generation of political scientists who indegenised the discipline in the country, is a teacher of Politics and International Relations.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kabiru Adeyemo, in his address, urged the government at all levels to find a holistic solution to the lingering, incessant and re-occurring strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and create conducive atmosphere for growth of university system in the country.

He said that governments should do the needful by paying the salary of lecturers, urging both parties to resolve and forge ahead a better course for the future of university education in Nigeria.

Group Expresses Confidence in NYSC’s Acting DG The Good Governance Project in Nigeria, a youth-based civil society group, has expressed total confidence in the leadership of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) under Mrs. Christian Uba. In a statement signed by Bala Mustapha, the group said the acting Director-General(DG) has hit the ground running in the last month.

Mustapha said the removal of incompetent ex-DG and the subsequent appointment of Uba has ushered in a new sense of optimism, belief, and enthusiasm.

According to him, Uba has restored confidence in the scheme, carrying out her operations with dignity, integrity, and diligence.

Mustapha noted that

the acting DG has already outperformed her predecessor, touring the nation to motivate corps members and staff.

He described her visit to the family of the late Oluwole Adetiran, the composer of the NYSC anthem, as timely and an evidence of Uba’s compassion, empathy, and kindness.

Mustapha said her positive impact is already rubbing off on corps members who had cause recently chatted with the acting DG during the ongoing orientation exercise across the country.

“Uba is a disciplined and transparent Nigerian, a great inspiration to the youths, and a thoroughbred administrator who would stop at nothing to see the Scheme back on track,” he said.

establishment, “investigation to determine the cause of the fire incident has commenced immediately”.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo,

have hailed the skill acquisition programme embarked upon by the Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA).

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the batches 12th and 14th of the DEPOWA Skill Acquisition Center held at

the Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja, Irabor said the center had added value to the military establishment and reduced unemployment of youths in the barracks.

He lauded the President of DEPOWA, Mrs Anuli

Irabor and heads of the Navy Officers Wives Association (NOWA), Mrs Aisha Gambo and the Air Force Officers Wives Association, Mrs Olubunmi Amao, for their initiatives and support for the center.

PDP Not Divided in Rivers, Says Atiku’s Campaign Team

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State,has denied rumours that members of the party were divided in the state.

The campaign team led by Senator Lee Maeba, however,

urged residents of Rivers and party members to vote for the party in 2023 general election in the state Addressing journalists yesterday, at the Council’s office in Port Harcourt, the council pleaded that Rivers people should vote for all the PDP elective seats in the state, especially, the presidential

candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

“We do not have a divided party. All PDP members have an obligation to vote for Atiku/ Okowa for President. In PDP, there is no faction, we are saying everyone should vote for PDP. “We have 32 House of Assembly candidates, 13 House of Representatives candidates,

threeSenatorial candidates, one governorship candidate and one presidential candidate.

We are saying Vote for PDP in Rivers State,” Maeba said.

Highlighting achievements of Atiku as Vice President, Maeba said, “The Social Media we are using right now to abuse our principal, was launched

by Atiku Abubakar.”

We’ll Support Your Re-election, Ayangburen, Ikorodu Leaders Assure Sanwo-Olu Segun James Traditional rulers, elders and leaders of Ikorodu in Lagos State have thrown their weight behind the state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term bid.

They told the governor that they are satisfied with his performance in the last

three and half years of his first term in office and have therefore pledged to work for his re-elected in 2023.

Speaking during the investiture ceremony of SanwoOlu as the Grand Patron of Oriwu Club in Ikorodu, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty Oba Kabiru Sotobi; a member of the

Senate representing Lagos East senatorial district, Senator Tokunbo Abiru; President, Oriwu Club Ikorodu, Otunba Adekunle Oduborisa, and his Vice, Hon. Ola Animasahun, said the people of Ikorodu and Lagos State in general have benefitted a lot from the incumbent administration, therefore, the governor deserved

to be re-elected.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Ikorodu during a meeting with Sanwo-Olu after his investiture also promised to deliver Ikorodu to the governor and other APC candidates in next year general election by scoring 300 votes in each of the polling units in Ikorodu Local Government Area.

Bayelsa Restates Commitment to Prosperity for All Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa The Bayelsa State Government emphasised it is committed and focused on policies, projects and programmes that would promote the prosperity of the land and people of the state.

The State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs,

Empowerment and Social Development, Mrs. Faith Opuene, stated this while addressing the beneficiaries of the 9th in the series of the monthly Women and Youth Empowerment Programme for the month of October.

Opuene spoke yesterday at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Women Affairs Secretariat

Annex 4, Yenagoa, as she doled out N200,000 cash for each the beneficiary drawn from all wards in the eight local government areas.

Opuene, who is the Chairperson of the Empowerment Programme, said that Governor Douye Diri’s sustained investment was aimed

at promoting small scale businesses.

She said that the money was given to business owners to promote the business environment in a manner that ensures that indigenes of the state take a commanding share of the local economy through the small-scale sector.

WiPF Decries Low Participation of Women, Persons with Disabilities in Politics Seriki Adinoyi in Jos A non-governmental group, Women in Politics Forum (WiPF) has decried the low participation of women in leadership, elective positions and governance, despite advocacies and proposal by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in

the country.

President of WiPF, Barrister Ebere Ifendu, stated this at the closing ceremony of a training session of 100 women in Plateau state organised by WiPF with funding by UN Women and Norwegian Government.

She said: “We have an academy

where we train young women to participate in politics. We are here in Plateau state training 100 women on the need to participate in politics and majorly to register with any political party of their choice. We want to let women know how to participate in politics and be appointed.

“We also share with them different forms of participation, because it is not all about contest; we need them to participate fully in all the electoral processes. We are giving them out to mentors, successful women and men because we believe that the men can also support our course.”

Organisations Push for Passage of Almajiri Education Bill OnuminyaInnocentInSokoto

National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in collaboration with voluntary organisations in Sokoto state, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President and Speaker of House

of Representative to hasten the enactment and passage of Almajiri education law.

The NYCN Chairman, Sokoto State Chapter, Malam Yakubu Abzubakar, made the call at a joint press conference yesterday in Sokoto.

Abubakar along with others appealed for the passage of Almajiri Education and Out of School Children Bill 2023, which was initiated and sponsored by House of Representative member representing Tureta/ Dange Shuni / Bodinga in the lower chamber,

Dr Balarabe Kakale along with 17 other lawmakers. He said the bill, when passed into law, would enable government to provide multimodal system of education that would tackle the menace of illiteracy, develop skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes.

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TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Argentina’s Lionel Messi is one of only six men to have played in five World Cups alongside Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthaus, Rafa Marquez, Andres Guardado and Cristiano Ronaldo. The petit argentine ‘bomber’ has made 24 World Cup appearances – one short of the record held by Lothar Matthaus Today, if Messi makes the expected start as the Albiceleste take on Croatia in the first semi final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar here this evening, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would have matched Lothar’s record. Another appearance in the final (or the third placed match, as the case may be), will make Messi surpasses all the others and become the record holder. But that personal honour will not be what Messi will be looking for to make his football career fulfilling.

The former Barcelona forward will

want to go beyond this stage and win the only missing item in the CV of his sterling football career: a World Cup medal!

The first semi-final brings together two teams that reached the last four with dramatic penalty shoot-out victories, Croatia overcoming Brazil before Argentina knocked out the Netherlands.

The teams are evenly matched historically, both in terms of matches overall, with two wins apiece and one draw, and at the FIFA World Cup, with one group-stage victory each. Argentina prevailed 1-0 in 1998 while Croatia claimed a 3-0 success over Lionel Messi and co. in 2018, with Luka Modri among the scorers. The nations have not met since that match in Nizhny Novgorod.

Speaking ahead of today’s game in a pre-match conference here yesterday, Argentina’s Head

Argentine Captain, Lionel Messi

Coach, Lionel Scaloni, underscored the difficulty of facing the Croatian national team in the semifinals of Qatar 2022.

He said that it is expected that the match will be difficult against a capable team that includes good players and plays total football, which is different from the meeting of the 2018 championship, adding that there is no comparison here because the situation is completely different.

He admitted that Argentina played against the Netherlands the way they wanted well in a match that saw difficult situations and the refereeing was fair.

Scaloni explained further that they were not surprised by the high quality with which the national team played in that match.

He reiterated that their goal is to play each match individually and focus on each game, insisting

DURO IKHAZUAGBE Reporting live

that their target is to win today and reach the final where anything is possible.

Meanwhile, Argentina's bid for a third World Cup crown is being boosted by hordes of travelling fans that have transformed each of

Says Atlas Lions have made Africa proud Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Morocco’s Atlas Lions and the ruler of the country, King Mohammed the VI on making history becoming

the first African team to win a place in a semi-final at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The President, in a release issued Monday by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, stated that Morocco have made

the entire continent proud with their grit and dexterity, giving hope that an African team can indeed win the ongoing global tournament in Qatar.

President Buhari commended the Lions for their

skill and teamwork, noting at the same time that this could not have been achieved without the exemplary role of the Moroccan authorities in putting together a formidable team.

Another Journalist 'Dies Suddenly' at World Cup in Qatar Almost 48 hours after the death of American sports journalist at the on-going World Cup finals in Qatar, another journalist has died suddenly.

Khalid al-Misslam, a Qatari photojournalist working for Al Kass TV died on Sunday. The circumstances surrounding his death were unclear as at production time last night.

Qatar news outlet Gulf Times tweeted: 'Al-Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

their matches in Qatar into virtual home games.

According to the Argentine embassy in Qatar, between 35,000 and 40,000 fans have travelled to the World Cup to support the team, one of the largest contingents

Croatia Captain, Luka Modric

Buhari Hails Morocco for Qualifying for World Cup S’final

“We believe in Allah's mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family,” tweeted the medium.

Al Kass TV reported the news of the death of the photojournalist. It only briefly mentioned his passing away in a live broadcast and appears to be waiting for further details.

It comes just 48 hours after the death of American journalist Grant Wahl, 48, who had struggled to enter stadiums due

to wearing a pro-LGBT top.

The prominent football journalist collapsed during extra time in the match between Argentina and the Netherlands in Doha on Friday night.

Paramedics performed CPR and used an automatic chest compressor to try and revive him for 20 minutes.

Wahl was rushed to a nearby hospital in an ambulance, where he was pronounced dead from what is reported to have been a heart attack.

Late Khalid al-Misslam

Sponsored by:

Croatia Hurdle for Messi as Argentina Gun for Final Ticket of overseas supporters at the tournament.

That sizeable support has been augmented by thousands of Qatarbased migrant workers from India and Bangladesh, where Messi and Argentina enjoy widespread support.

Argentine football venues are renowned for their seething intensity and those kinds of scenes have been recreated regularly at Doha's Lusail Stadium, where tens of thousands of Argentine fans have created a raucous wall of blue-and-white-shirted sound.

Argentina have already played three games at the glittering 88,966seat arena, where Messi and his team-mates will battle Croatia today, aiming to book a place in the World Cup final.

After most Argentina games, the "Albiceleste" have lingered on the pitch long after the final whistle, sharing a moment of emotionally charged communion with their supporters.

"We like to take advantage of these moments with the people who are here and in Argentina, where everyone is euphoric," Messi said following Friday's quarter-final win over the Netherlands.

Whereas Croatia lost their first FIFA World Cup semi-final, 2-1 to France in 1998, and won the second, 2-1 after extra time against England in 2018, Argentina have emerged victorious from all four of their previous semi-finals – against the USA in 1930 (6-1), Belgium in 1986 (2-0), Italy in 1990 (1-1, 4-3 on penalties) and the Netherlands in 2014 (0-0, 4-2 on penalties).

KEY FACTS Argentina Argentina have lost only one of their last 41 international matches (W28 D12).

Eight of Argentina’s last 14 FIFA World Cup knockout-stage matches against European nations have required extra time.

Lionel Messi will join Lothar Matthäus as the joint record appearance-maker in FIFA World Cup history if he plays here in what would be his 25th match.

Croatia Croatia have lost only one of their last 12 FIFA World Cup matches (W5 D6).

Croatia have been successful in eight of their ten FIFA World Cup knockout-stage ties.

Five of Croatia’s last six FIFA World Cup knockout-stage matches have gone into extra time.

Messi Messi and Gabriel Batistuta are Argentina’s joint-leading marksmen in the World Cup on 10 goals apiece.

They are followed by Diego Maradona (8), Guillermo Stabile (8), Mario Kempes (6), and Gonzalo Higuain (5).

Messi is the only player to score in the World Cup in his teens, 20s and 30s. Pele missed out on accomplishing the same by four months.

Messi scored his first and latest World Cup goals 16 years and 176 days apart. The next biggest span in World Cup history belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo at 16 years and 160 days.

The Player of the Match, first awarded in 2002, has been given to Messi an unequalled nine times. His four at Brazil 2014 is a record for one edition he shares with Wesley Sneijder, who received the same at South Africa 2010.

Miroslav Klose has played in 17 World Cup victories. Messi is currently on 15.

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TUESDAY, ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

SPORTS

Martinez, Livakovic, Lloris, Bounou Are the Four ’Keepers Chasing History in Qatar Four goalkeepers at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar semi-finals have dug deep into their reserves of resilience, courage and self-belief to put themselves within two matches of sporting immortality. The four men between the sticks include; Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, 30; Dominik Livakovic of Croatia, 27; France’s Hugo Lloris, 27 and Yassine Bounou of Morocco, 31. These four men have been at the thick of actions, ensuring their countries are counted among the last four standing.

Emiliano Martinez

- Argentina Age: 30 Caps: 24 Qatar 2022 Clean Sheets: 2 Qatar 2022 Goals Conceded: 5 Emiliano Martinez boasts a range of high-level technical attributes, but it is his infectious charisma and visceral passion for La Albiceleste which has seen him emerge as a cult hero in his homeland.

This status was cemented during Argentina’s Copa America 2021 triumph. Martinez saved three penalties in their semi-final shootout victory – his incessant chatter seemingly unsettling Colombia’s spot-kick takers – before delivering a flawless display in a famous 1-0 final win over Brazil at the Maracana.

Martinez has stepped up to the mark again in Qatar, delivering a series of accomplished performances and providing stirring leadership as the last line of defence. He enhanced his reputation as a penalty specialist with fine saves from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis in Argentina’s quarter-final shootout win over the Netherlands. Martinez has only been on the losing side once in his 24 Argentina appearances - the 2-1 Qatar 2022 group-stage defeat to Saudi Arabia.

Dominik Livakovic - Croatia Age: 27 Caps: 39 Qatar 2022 Clean Sheets: 2 Qatar 2022 Goals Conceded: 3 Back in 2018, Dominik Livakovic was an enthusiastic supporter from the substitutes’ bench when Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic was the nation’s penalty-shootout hero in World Cup wins over Denmark and Russia. Livakovic has taken up the mantle – and then some – at Qatar 2022. The Dinamo Zagreb player has starred in their knockout-stage victories on penalties over Japan and Brazil. Across the two shootouts, only three spotkick attempts out of eight against Livakovic were scored.

Even aside from the penalty drama, Livakovic has arguably been Croatia’s standout performer at the tournament so far, having put together a highlight reel of outstanding saves.

Livakovic’s athletic interventions helped keep Brazil’s attacking superstars at bay throughout their gripping quarter-final. Indeed, his 11 saves were the most any goalkeeper has made in a World Cup contest since 2014. Livakovic’s performance against Brazil saw him become just the 15th player in the history of prestigious French sports newspaper L’Equipe to be awarded a 10/10 rating.

To reach this stage of the competition, of course, these four teams also needed their key outfield players to deliver. But without these safe hands between the sticks keeping their goal areas safe, perhaps, the stories may have been different. Argentina, Croatia, France and Morocco have each seen their inspirational goalkeepers produce moments of brilliance to keep their dreams alive.

Here are the four gallant men who are still standing while the other 28 that started the race with them have all gone home to watch the rest of the tournament on televisions in their living rooms.

Yassine Bounou

Hugo Lloris - France Age: 35 Caps: 143 Qatar 2022 Clean Sheets: 0 Qatar 2022 Goals Conceded: 5 The vastly experienced Hugo Lloris brings calm, authority and quality to a France squad boasting world-class talent in abundance. He has already made history at Qatar 2022, having overtaken 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram as his country’s record appearance-holder. The Tottenham Hotspur keeper achieved the milestone in France’s tense 2-1 quarter-final victory over England, during which his enduring quality was on show when producing eye-catching saves from club-mate Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham either side of half-time.

Lloris is aiming to become the first player ever to captain his team to consecutive World Cup triumphs.

Lloris has recorded an impressive 62 clean sheets in his 143 senior France appearances.

- Morocco Age: 31 Caps: 50 Qatar 2022 Clean Sheets: 3 Qatar 2022 Goals Conceded: 1 A sensational shot-stopper, Yassine Bounou is one of this history-making Morocco team’s stellar names.

The Sevilla keeper has been nigh-on unbeatable at Qatar 2022, with Nayef Aguerd’s own-goal in the Atlas Lions’ 2-1 group-stage win over Canada the only time he has conceded.

Bounou’s penalty saves in their last-16 shootout success over Spain will live long in the memory, but his most spectacular stop came in their 1-0 victory against Portugal. Joao Felix’s venomous swerving drive looked destined to draw Fernando Santos’s team level late on, but the brilliant Bounou miraculously tipped the effort over the crossbar.

In March 2021, Bounou scored his first professional goal.

The 6ft 4ins keeper clinically smashed in a 94th-minute equaliser for Sevilla in a La Liga clash at Real Valladolid.

Brazil Target Guardiola as New Coach of Selecao The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) are believed to be interested in contacting Pep Guardiola over the coming days in an ambitious attempt to lure the Spaniard to be their new manager.

The Selecao are searching for a new head coach after Tite resigned following their shock quarter-final exit from the World Cup on Friday when they lost on penalties to Croatia, with Rodrygo and Marquinhos both missing their spot kicks.

And, according to Spanish outlet SPORT, Brazil are keen on making a shock move for Guardiola, despite the Manchester City boss last month signing

a new deal at the Etihad until 2025.

CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues - who is in charge of appointing a new coach - is keen to understand whether Guardiola would be interested in taking over the role at the end of the 2022-23 season, with the new contract he signed not thought to be a sticking point.

Traditionally, the Selecao have only appointed Brazilian coaches, but after the failure of Tite - who has received much criticism following their early elimination from the World Cup - the CBF are willing to appoint a non-Brazilian coach,

and are focused on bringing in the best available option.

Brazil are in no rush to appoint a new manager as they currently don't have any games scheduled until the second half of 2023 when South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup begin.

There is set to be significant upheaval for their national team with all members of Tite's coaching staff and Juninho - the former Middlesbrough midfielder and national team coordinator - expected to depart.

Andres Sanchez, a former president of Brazilian club side Corinthians, is likely to replace Juninho, while the CBF are also

eyeing up several alternatives as potential manager to Guardiola.

Other early front-runners for the role include Abel Ferreira, the Palmeiras boss who has won two Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021.

Fluminese boss Fernando Diniz and Gremio manager Renato Portaluppi are also reportedly being considered.

Similarly, Rogerio Ceni, who is in charge of Sao Paulo is another contender.

Jorge Sampaoli, who recently replaced Julien Lopetegui at Sevilla, and coached Argentina from 2017-2018, is perhaps the most eye-catching name on the

Delta 2022 NSF: Ogbonna Applauds Imo Contingent The Executive Chairman of Imo State Sports Commission, Prince E.O. Ogbonna, has commended the Imo State contingent to the just-concluded National Sports Festival (NSF) held in Asaba, Delta State, describing them as heroes and heroines.

Quite elated over the credible performance of Team Imo, Ogbonna cited hard work and resilience as factors that accounted for their success.

While applauding the athletes and officials for a job well done, Ogbonna emphasised that his dream of restoring the lost glory of sports in Imo State has received a huge boost.

"I'm delighted beyond words because these athletes not only performed very well, they braved all odds to do that. Notwithstanding the challenges they faced, they excelled beyond the expectations of many."

Ambassador Ogbonna's appointment (as the Imo State Sports Commission Chairman) came few weeks before the National Sports Festival kicked off in Asaba. Yet it did not stop the Imo State Sports Ambassador from playing a prominent role in ensuring a glorious outing for the Imo State contingent.

Ogbonna emphasised that before accepting the appointment, he knew

the challenges were enormous.

But his desire to breathe new life into Imo Sports spurred him into taking the dive.

"Turning Imo Sports around after years of backwardness is a huge task. I knew from the outset that it was going to be a Herculean task. But I love challenges, and my experience and enthusiasm will certainly prevail."

Ogbonna thanked the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, for giving him the opportunity to contribute to the 3R mantra Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery - through sports.

Ogbonna also felicitated with the Imo State Director of

Sports, Ferdinand Emeana, and thanked him for his guidance and management acumen in leading Team Imo to an enviable outing at the sports festival.

In the same vein, the Imo Sports Commission boss empathised with the family of late boxer, Chukwuemeka Igboanugo, who died during the festival, and promised to ensure that the late athlete will be given a befitting burial.

"I received Igboanugo's death with shock. He died while on active service. He died a hero. I extend my condolence to his family, and pray that his soul rests in the bosom of the Lord."

long list of potential Tite replacements - but the Argentinian did enjoy successful spells in charge of Santos and Atletico Mineiro in Brazil.

Tite enjoyed a six-year spell in charge of the Selecao after replacing Dunga in 2016, winning

60 of his 81 matches in charge.

Under his tutelage they won the 2019 Copa America, and finished runners-up two years later. However, in both 2018 and 2022 World Cups, they fell at the quarter-final stage, against Belgium and Croatia respectively.

King of the Rings 2 Boxing & Musical Show to Light up Eko Club Dec 20 The year ending King of the Ring 2 event that marries boxing and musical show has been scheduled to hold on December 20 at the Eko Club in Surulere, Lagos.

The first edition of the event held in December 2018 at the Landmark Event Centre, Lekki.

For this year’s edition, Monarch who are the organisers of the show have listed 10 boxing bouts involving the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Africa Super Flyweight title fight between England-based Pakistani fighter, Tasif Khan and Ghana's Gabriel Laryea.

For the undercards, Nigeria’s UK-based Super Middleweight fighter Ezra Arenyeka will take on Frank Dodzi of Ghana while Victor Beneth has been listed for the Light Heavyweight clash with Joseph Tetteh of Ghana.

In the Super Lightweight, Ka-

zakhstan’s Temirzhan Baimolda will battle Nigeria’s Waliu Arogundade.

There will also be other bouts involving Agege-based Warriors, Oluwasegun 'Bouncing' Mustapha who have a grudge fight with Hammed 'Eshe' Ganiyu.

Youth Olympics Silver medalist,, Adijat Gbadamosi (6-0-0) will stake her reputation against Taiye Kodjo in the only female bout of the night.

Amongst the top musical acts on the line to thrill boxing aficionados that night include; Timi Dakolo, Jaywon, B-Tone, C-Prince and CDQ. The King of the Ring 2 was earlier billed to hold in Ghana but the CEO of Monarch Events and Promotions, Prince Stanley Williams decided to bring it home and to the prestigious Eko Club at Bode Thomas Surulere.

The event is to be streamed live on www.Fite.tv

TUESDAY DECEMBER 13, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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Tuesday, December 13, 2022

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Price: N250

MISSILE

FENRAD to FG

“It is alarming that Nigeria does not rank among countries with low incidences of corruption yet.

Under this administration, issues of corruption like oil theft, subsidy scam, vote buying, budget padding, trading in influence and sundry corrupt practices bedevil Nigeria and Nigerians. Both public and private sectors corruption increased in an unheard of scale in the last seven years“ --Executive Director, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, says Nigeria still has a long way to go in winning anti-graft war.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

2023: Before The Blowout “O

mo, this thing is getting serious oh. E be like say make man begin prepare for war in this our obodo Nigeria” “Which war? Go and calm down, my friend. It is only children that talk about war. The one they started in Ukraine, the whole world does not know how to end it, you are here saying war is coming.

Nobody is looking for war in this country. Those who fought in a war will never ask for it. Those of us who read about it do not want it. The people who are asking for war will be consumed by their own evil thoughts. Nigeria will survive.”

“I saw one video in which some people were saying the 2023 elections would be war, and that nobody would be allowed to vote in their part of the country. Gunshots. Bloodshed. Mayhem.”

“Don’t worry. It is always like that. Every election cycle in this country, there are bound to be local and international experts who will tell you that Nigeria is on the brink of disaster. They will tell you Nigeria will tip over the precipice and when that happens, there will be big crisis in the West African sub-region and Africa. But you know what? All of that is civil society, and international agencies funding talk. Since 1999, when Nigeria returned to civilian rule, it has been the same pattern. Election time is chop time.

When there is tension in this country, that is when some people cash out. Many people say talk is cheap, but at times like this, it pays to talk, even if the only material in your head is absolute, refined, sawdust.

People make noise. Militants cause problems. Thugs cause mayhem. Some die. The majority survive, but in any case, life goes on. Last, last, people find their level. Whatever is going on now, is no different from what I have seen. I want to assure you that we will be fine. You can’t stop all the rogues from doing their quick business.”

“Quick business. What is that? You call the attack on the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission, quick business? In five INEC offices, in four states within months, INEC offices and facilities were attacked. Set ablaze. Permanent Voters cards were stolen. Ballot boxes were taken away by unknown gunmen and arsonists.”

“Has anybody been arrested? Has there been any lead as to the probable causes of the attacks? Are the attackers known or identifiable?”

“No. They remain unknown. But the Inspector General of Police says a combined team of security agents from the police, the military and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has been deployed to protect INEC offices and facilities in all the 774 Local Government Council across the country, and that the government is ready to prevent INEC facilities from being sabotaged. The National Security Adviser, acting on the authority of the President’s directive also said exactly the same thing.”

“Good, Mr. Current Affairs. I hear you. And since the NSA and IGP hemmed and hawed, what has happened oh? I beg, what has happened? Please tell me and I will share what I know.”

“There have been more attacks on INEC facilities, the most recent somewhere in the East where some people were heard saying that a sit-at-home has been declared and nobody should expect that any campaign or election would be allowed in the South East.”

“You can be sure those guys are on some people’s payroll.”

“Candidly, I am not sure of anything.”

“And I tell you that all these fifth columnists are on a payroll somewhere. You and I wake up every morning thinking of how to make this country better, but there are many out there whose only assignment is to make Nigeria difficult for everybody as long as they can make bloodily, filthy money.”

“Hmm. Wait a moment. An attack on the state headquarters of INEC in Owerri, Imo was repelled, yesterday. Three of the assailants were gunned down.

If the security agencies can check the systemic attacks on INEC offices and facilities, I believe, we would be in a good place. I think we should commend those security agencies that stood up to the enemies of progress in Owerri yesterday.”

Tinubu “You too like to dey commend? Commend what?

Three attacks in Owerri in one month, they managed to kill three men, you dey here dey commend What of the attacks in Ebonyi, Osun and Ogun states? . Dem show you one arrange-ee work, you dey commend. What Nigerians want is a security architecture that is impactful and efficient and that can deliver peaceful and credible elections not a sleep and wake up security architecture. Do you want me to tell you the truth? “ “In this country, nobody knows the truth anymore.

I do not even know who to trust.”

“I will tell you something” “Hun hun” “You know I told you earlier that there are some people in this country who profit from causing problems in this country. When things are difficult and you and I are groaning, they step in and make profits. When COVID-19 began, do you know how many persons in this country who made a fortune from COVID contracts? Do you know how many side-chicks of the botox and bottom variety and other non-state actors who became rich just by getting COVID contracts from corrupt sugar daddies? Or the various shady deals in government corridors at all levels. I will tell you one more thing.”

“What?”

“I sincerely believe that some fifth columnists do not want the 2023 election to take place. I suspect that they are the ones behind all the attacks and breaches across the country ahead of the elections, and that they are happy to expose the incompetence and helplessness of the Nigerian state”.

“I can relate. I suspect so too. Can you even imagine Permanent Voters Cards escaping from INEC offices only to be found in drainage channels? I can understand the fact that some INEC offices were attacked but in states where there were no reported attacks, how did PVCs end up in wrong locations?

I won’t deceive you: this country never ceases to amaze me. We may have had democracy for 23 years but I don’t think the people believe in it.”

“What I genuinely suspect is that some people don’t want the election to take place. They would rather have a zero-sum situation, and then the country would have to re-arrange itself, possibly through an interim government mechanism. Some people don’t want Bola Tinubu, Atiku, Peter Obi, Kwankwaso or anybody else. They prefer to scuttle things.”

“What do you mean either Bola Tinubu or Atiku or…? We have 18 Presidential candidates on the ballot. This is the problem in this country and you are part of it.”

“Leave matter. What I am telling you is that something must be going on somewhere, the way we are going. In fact, I had a dream the other night, and my dreams are always accurate.”

“Can we leave dreams out of this? You know I have been listening to you since. But forget about dreams. The truth is that since this country became independent in 1960, Nigerians have been having nightmares, resulting in headaches. That is our problem. Are you sure you don’t have migraine?”

“To tell you the truth, the more I talk about Nigeria, the more depressed I become. Everybody is giving up. Even INEC says the politicians and other stakeholders do not want the new Electoral Act 2022. They are ignoring salient provisions in the law. They are not interested in the provisions about decorous language, peaceful conduct or internal party democracy. Nigeria’s older politicians of the First, Second, and Third Republics must be turning in their graves.”

“The law is what the law-maker says it is. People are ignoring the electoral framework because the security agencies have failed to enforce it. Simple!”

“Who will they arrest? Who will enforce the law? The biggest lawbreakers in this country are the law makers themselves and the Executive arm of government, and their godfathers and friends.”

“I miss that” “The law cannot work in a country where the law makers have no respect for the rule of law.

Do you want to wait until we start talking about security agencies collecting bribe and looking the other way, or when politicians ignore the rule of law as is standard practice around here? Have you not heard that the National Assembly is kicking against the cashless policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)? They want the CBN Governor to come before them and explain why the Central Bank is insisting on cash limits of N20, 000 per day for individuals, a total of N100, 000 per week, or N500, 000 per week for corporate organizations?”

“Don’t mind those lawmakers, they think they will be allowed to collect money and spend money anyhow in the 2023 elections. The Buhari government is saying that will not be allowed to happen.”

“Don’t get over-excited. That is if the fifth columnists allow the election to take place. There is too much vitriol in the air. The politicians are fighting among themselves. They are fighting others. They are even fighting journalists and civil society. When INEC offices are not being attacked, PVCs are stolen and dumped in drainage channels.”

“Don’t put journalists inside oh. Na our work we dey do. Whoever fights journalists will hear his own story with his own ears. Dem never born dem. For where?”

“Stop sounding like a thug. When they go low, you should go higher.”

“I just dey tell you. Anybody wey wan do werey, we go show dem say plenty plenty plenty werey dey oh. Area! Iyalaya anybody. Gbas gbos”.

“Can we discuss something else then? You know I don’t like any kind of stress.”

“I am not putting you under any stress. It is just that this country must be made to work.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he believes in the integrity of the electoral process, and he wants to defend that. He has an obligation to keep his promise.”

“Stop bothering yourself. President Buhari is in the United States drinking tea with the Americans.”

“He is in the US attending the US-Africa Summit. I don’t have a problem with that. Nigeria must always engage with the rest of the world.”

“But Africa must also learn to take full advantage of the outreach from the rest of the world. Everybody is looking for Africa as if we are back to 1885. There is a new Scramble for Africa from Europe and Asia.

Russia, China, Japan, France, the UK want inroads into Africa. Now, the US under Biden has rediscovered

Africa, second summit since Obama in 2004. But is Africa ready as the Summit begins today in the US, and President Muhammadu Buhari gives a speech?”

“I like the fact that President Buhari is speaking on the first day. It means the Americans know that nobody can joke with Nigerians. Naija no dey carry last. For where? We must come first.”

“Please can you be serious? The US-Africa Summit is not a population contest. There are serious issues at stake. Nigeria is specially recognized out of the 49 African countries that have been invited in order to encourage the country to remain the leading force for stability in the continent. Some countries were pointedly told that they are not good enough for decent company. Go and check that out: Eritrea, Somaliland, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Conakry and Mali.”

“Are those ones countries, when you mention Nigeria?”

“Under the UN Charter, my friend, every country is equal. Size does not matter under international law.”

“In this animal farm in which we all live?”

“Yes. And you must have seen that at the World Cup. No animal is more equal than the other. You prove yourself. You assert yourself.”

“This year’s World Cup is something else, I agree.

Saudi Arabia humiliated Argentina 2-1, until those ones suddenly woke up. Morocco sent out Spain in the quarter finals, and beat Portugal, subsequently to become the first African country to reach the semi-finals in the World Cup. They even topped Group F ahead of Croatia, Belgium and Canada.”

“Very significant. A great moment for Africa. But I don’t like it when people say Morocco is not African but Arab and Middle Eastern” “Leave that matter. Morocco is African. Don’t let Western media mislead you. I think it is paining them that Africa is in the final stages of the tournament.

The same week that President Biden is hosting an African Summit, an African country is also in the news at the World Cup. Africa is the next frontier on all fronts. Our only problem is our leaders.”

“Wait. Wait. What is your prediction today?

Argentina v. Croatia. Lionel Messi vs Luka Modric.”

“Argentina. Lionel Messi. The God of Argentina will fight today!”

“You are such an incurable loyalist and optimist because you have a woman with Argentine connection?”

“Where is that coming from?”

“Wait. I just saw something on my phone now” “What?”

“Dele Alake and Bayo Onanuga attacking ThisDay and AriseNews, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Reuben Abati in defence of their principal, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“Please, what are the two spent men, looking for stomach infrastructure in an unscrupulous manner at old age saying?”

“You should read yourself” “They must be lying of course and destroying everything they ever worked for in pursuit of a mess of pottage. You see, this is the tragedy with Nigeria. Hunger destroys men. It turns them into slaves, blackmailers and pigs and they begin to talk without thinking.”

“Are you saying that you suspect that Dele Alake and Bayo Onanuga working for Bola Tinubu are slaves and pigs?”

“This whole 2023 process is being turned into a brawl. People who need friends and are making enemies where they need friends need to be told that they do not have a monopoly of anything.”

“So?” “When I subject their latest silly and amateur political talk to closer interrogation, I should be able to answer your question but your guess is as good as mine.”

“My own is just that everybody should just know that Nigeria is more important than their individual ambitions oh, and that election is not war.”

“Look it is time for you to go to church or mosque… my friend. I have work to do. When idiots blab, they must be called to order.”

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