TUESDAY 22TH DECEMBER 2020

N’Assembly Raises 2021 Budget by N580bn, Approves N13.588trn Adjourns till January 26, 2021 Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The two chambers of the National Assembly yesterday passed the 2021 Appropriation Bill, increasing the budget

size from N13.08 trillion presented to them by President Muhamnadu Buhari 11 weeks ago to N13.588 trillion.

The passage of the 2021 budget followed consideration

and adoption of harmonised reports separately submitted to them by their Committees on Appropriation.

The two chambers increased the 2021 budget by about N580 billion and pegged daily crude

oil production at 1.86 million barrels per day, while oil benchmark price was fixed at $40 per barrel.

They approved N379 to dollar as the official exchange rate while GDP growth rate

was pegged at 3 per cent.

Highlights of the report approved by the Senate showed aggregate expenditure to be N13,588,027,886,175, statutory transfer of N496,528,471,273, recurrent expenditure

of N5,641,970,060,680, capital expenditure of N4,125,149,354,222, debt service will be N3,324,380,000,000 and Continued on page 8

Dangote Cement Executes Share Buyback Programme... Page 6 Tuesday 22 December, 2020 Vol 25. No 9388. Price: N250

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FG Extends NIN-SIM Card Linkage Deadline Emma Okonji and Ugo Aliogo

FUNERAL RITES FOR HARRY AKANDE...

L-R: Daughters of the deceased- Atinuke Akande, Foluke Akande, Olawunmi Akande- the widow, Mrs. Tolulope Akande and the son, Olumide Akande, at the commendation service for the late industrialist, Chief Harry Ayoade Akande, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos...yesterday

The federal government yesterday extended the initial deadline fixed for the integration of Subscriber Information Module (SIM) cards with National Identity Number (NIN), from December 30 to February 19 for all subscribers without NIN and from December 30 to January 19 for all subscribers that have already obtained their NIN. It also suspended all USSD and verification charges for the duration of the extension.

The federal government, last week, had ordered the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enforce Continued on page 10

To Curtail COVID-19 Resurgence, FG Directs States to Close Bars, Others Limits guests at conferences, weddings, others to 50 Warns against non-essential travels Public workers on GL.12 and below to stay at home Lagos, Kaduna, FCT account for 70% of cases

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government yesterday rolled out measures to combat the resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the curbs, the federal government issued an advisory to all the 36 states of

the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to close all bars, night clubs, restaurants, event centres and recreational centres for the next five weeks.

It also restricted public gatherings such as conferences, social events such as weddings

and religious activities to not more than 50 people.

It ordered federal civil servants from Grade Level 12 downwards to stay home for the next five weeks.

The Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, reeled out

the curbs at a press briefing in Abuja.

Mustapha said President Muhammadu Buhari has authorised the PTF to engage with the states and the FCT to assume full ownership of this stage of the response by deploying legal structures

and resources, including enforcement to manage the pandemic within their jurisdictions.

He added that bars, night clubs and other recreational centres as well as event centres are listed to be closed for the period because they are

considered super spreader events for COVID-19.

All the states and the FCT are to restrict all informal and formal festivity events, including weddings, conferences, congresses, office Continued on page 8

House Threatens to Sanction PDP Caucus Leader over Buhari’s Impeachment Call...Page 5

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 •T H I S D AY

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NEWS House Threatens to Sanction PDP Caucus Leader over Buhari’s Impeachment Call Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike

Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

Opposition party cautions legislature Lawmaker faults sanction bid Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives has said it will take disciplinary measures against a member, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, for calling for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Chinda is the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House and is representing Obio/ Akpor Federal Constituency in Rivers State.

The House Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa, during plenary yesterday, said Chinda was not representing the position of the PDP caucus of the House as he claims and is acting alone.

Chinda, however, faulted the bid, saying that the threat is a call for sanctioning all Nigerians.

The PDP also weighed in, cautioning the House against punishing Chinda for calling for Buhari’s impeachment over his alleged failure to secure the nation.

Chinda, in a statement on December 7, had called on Nigerians to compel their representatives to commence impeachment process against the president.

The lawmaker’s call for impeachment is not unconnected with the rising cases of insecurity nationwide.

However, House spokesman, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, had described Chinda’s call as the “opinion of a single member of the opposition party in the house.”

He had said the impeachment calls were not logical as the

president was yet to appear before the House to explain what his administration is doing to address the security issue.

Doguwa yesterday, however, blamed Chinda's advocacy for the president’s decision not to honour the House's invitation to brief lawmakers on what his administration is doing to address the security challenges in the country was due to the utterances of the lawmaker and concerns that the president would be embarrassed if he had honoured the invitation.

But Chinda queried if his call for the impeachment was unconstitutional.

He stated that Doguwa is not the mouthpiece of PDP neither is he the spokesman of the executive, adding that the majority leader should explain what he has done or said, after the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, queried the House's power to invite the president.

He said: ''I will ask again, whether the call for the impeachment of Mr. President is unpopular with the people of Nigeria today and if truly we are not supposed to speak for the people, regardless of what our personal position is?

I will also ask whether it is unconstitutional for a member to call for the president’s impeachment? ''I will also ask if the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Ado Doguwa, is a PDP member or the mouthpiece of PDP as to say that’s not the position of PDP. "Is the Leader of the House, Ado Doguwa, the spokesperson of the executive

or the mouthpiece for him to give reasons why the president reneged on his promise to brief the House?"

According to him, contrary to Doguwa's claim, Malami gave a different reason why the president should not honour the invitation. ''His (Doguwa) call for a disciplinary measure is a call to discipline all Nigerians who believe that President Buhari is no longer fit for purpose. So, these questions if they are answered I will give a response. These are the questions troubling me and I need answers to it."

Chinda's Call is legitimate, Says PDP Reacting to the sanction threat, the PDP cautioned the leadership of the House against the bid.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Chinda, as the leader of the PDP Caucus in the House, was entitled to make such a call.

The party described the impeachment call as not only constitutional, but it represents the opinion of the caucus and the party.

"This threat to Chinda is

therefore a direct signal that the current leadership of the House of Representative is not on the side of the people but has been cowed to relinquish its statutory legislative powers for selfish reasons," PDP added.

The PDP said it was shameful that the House had reduced itself to the mouthpiece of the Buhari presidency.

"It is disgraceful for the House of Representatives to blame its own members for the blunt refusal of Mr. President’s to honour a statutory invitation by Nigerians through their elected representatives to address them on the heightened insecurity

across our nation under his watch.

"If the claims by the House leadership that President Buhari failed to honour the invitation because Hon. Chinda called for his impeachment is really the case, then the nation indeed lacks a leader worth his billing.

"This is because instead of stopping President Buhari, the Chinda's call ought to have spurred him to appear before the House and explain to Nigerians why killings, kidnapping and other acts of terrorism and banditry had escalated under his watch," the main opposition party said.

COLLABORATING TO DEFEAT COVID-19...

L-R: Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire and Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, during a meeting with the Senate leadership on how to procure COVID-19 vaccines in Abuja... yesterday julius atoi

Union Bank CEO, Emuwa, Retires Okonkwo Designated CEO

Obinna Chima The Board of Union Bank Nigeria Plc yesterday announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, will retire on March 31, 2021, after leading the financial institution for eight years.

Emuwa joined Union Bank in November 2012 following a $500 million investment by Union Global Partners, with a mandate to transform and restore one of Nigeria’s oldest institutions back to its rightful position as a respected provider of financial services.

According to a statement, the board has appointed an Executive Director currently leading the bank‘s Corporate Banking business, Emeka Okonkwo, to succeed Emuwa. However, Okonkwo's appointment is subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Commenting on his retirement, Emuwa said: "I have enjoyed the significant challenge of leading Union

Bank over the last eight years. I am extremely proud of the management team and what we have been able to accomplish during my time as CEO. "Today, we have a strong bank that is well positioned to compete and deliver on its vision to be ‘Nigeria’s most trusted and reliable partner.’

"With a clear strategic direction, a growing and loyal customer base and a strong brand, this is now the natural time for the next generation of leadership to take Union Bank forward and deliver further value."

He added that with over three decades of banking, his time at Union Bank has been one of the richest experiences in a long and fulfilling career with a treasure of work and life lessons to carry into the future.

"Together as a team, we scaled many hurdles and accomplished significant feats and I would like to thank my executive team, senior management and every one

of our employees for their integrity, support and hard work that have brought Union Bank to where it is today.

"I would also like to thank the board for the opportunity to lead this storied institution that has impacted generations of Nigerians for over a century and for supporting our efforts and vision during my tenure.

"As we begin the transition into a new era of leadership under Emeka Okonkwo, a consummate professional with the right experience and values, I know that Union Bank will continue on its path as a values driven organisation that is deeply committed to our customers and the communities we serve," he stated.

Prior to joining Union Bank, Emuwa led a distinguished 25-year career at Citibank.

Following several senior roles in Nigeria and across Africa, he became the first Nigerian to be named Country Officer and Managing Director of Citibank Nigeria.

On his retirement, Emuwa will also step down from the

Board of Union Bank.

In her comment, Union Bank’s Chair, Beatrice Hamza Bassey, said: "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Emeka Emuwa for leading Union Bank during the last eight years. His exceptional contribution to the transformation of the business produced excellent results and set a solid platform for growth.

"The focus over the last eight years on technology transformation, digital innovation, and development of diverse markets for our world class range of products, has seen Union Bank well positioned to continue growing from its current position as a market disruptor.

"Amid a tough macroeconomic environment, Union Bank maintained steady operational momentum under Emeka’s leadership, which in 2020 culminated in the first dividend payment to investors and shareholders in over 10 years.

"His many significant

achievements, including providing steady stewardship during the unprecedented challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, lays a solid springboard for the future.

"We wish him the very best and are grateful for his support and commitment to ensure a successful transition over the next few months."

She said the board was pleased to have Okonkwo as incoming CEO, noting that having been a key contributor to the achievements of the bank over the past seven years as an executive director, Okonkwo was well suited to lead Union Bank’s next phase of growth.

"The board and I look forward to working with him to execute our strategy and deliver value to all stakeholders in the years ahead."

Okonkwo is a seasoned banker with 30 years of experience.

He joined Union Bank in 2013 as an executive director to lead the Corporate Banking and Treasury business. As

the bank embarked on its transformation, he was responsible for rebuilding the business and strategically positioning Union Bank for success in the corporate banking space.

Okonkwo began his career at Citibank Nigeria where he rose from officer level to become the executive director in charge of Commercial Banking and Global Subsidiaries in 2009.

At Citibank, he worked across various disciplines including Corporate Finance, Credit Risk Management, Marketing, Treasury and Strategic Management in Nigeria and London.

Prior to joining Union Bank, he was the Head of the Corporate and Investment Banking Division in Citibank Bangladesh.

Okonkwo has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; an MSc in Construction Management from the University of Lagos and an MBA from Warwick Business School, UK.

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NEWS

Dangote Cement Executes Share Buyback Programme Targets reacquisition of 10% of issued capital Obinna Chima Dangote Cement Plc has announced the commencement of its share buy-back programme.

The company explained in a statement made available to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday that the exercise will be executed under the approval granted by its shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting, which held on January 21, 2020, within the framework provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as the NSE. It stated that the exercise will be done in the open market on December 30 and would end the following day or when the entire target number of shares are repurchased, “whichever is earlier.”

According to the company, the number of shares to be repurchased under the programme would not exceed 10 per cent of Dangote Cement Plc’s issued capital, starting with a first tranche of 85.2 million shares of 50 kobo each, or 0.5 per cent of the total in issue.

“The programme will be

effected in tranches, with Tranche I being executed by the appointed stockbrokers on the company’s behalf.

“The company through its appointed stockbrokers will at its discretion purchase Dangote Cement shares in the open market over the duration of Tranche I, subject to prevailing market conditions and under the current daily trading rules of The NSE,” it stated.

The cement manufacturer explained that the shares being bought back would be held as treasury shares and may subsequently be cancelled.

“Execution of this Tranche I is not expected to have any material impact on the company’s financial position.

“Dangote Cement shareholders seeking to participate in Tranche I of the share buyback programme are hereby advised to contact their stockbrokers or any other independent professional adviser registered as a capital market operator by the SEC for further guidance on submission of trades on The NSE’s trading platform,” it added.

The company stated that

it will provide weekly updates on the progress of first tranche of the

programme on its website over the duration of this tranche, adding that the

company will continue to monitor the evolving business environment

and market conditions, in making decisions on further tranches of the programme.

PAYING BALI LAST RESPECTS...

L-R: A former Military Administrator of old Plateau State, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (rtd) and a former Minister of the FederalCapitalTerritory, Lt. Gen. Jerry Useni (rtd), during the Service of Songs for former Chief of Defence Staff, General Domkat Yah Bali, at the Church of Christ in Nigeria Church, Abuja... yesterday godwin omoigui

ASUU Mulls Ending Strike Today as Union, FG Meet Lists terms to suspend industrial action Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may suspend its nine-month industrial action today, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

The suspension of the strike is, however, predicated on the condition that the federal government will show evidence that it has met three conditions to be marshalled out by the ASUU leadership at the meeting with the government side later today (Tuesday).

THISDAY investigations

showed that all branches of ASUU in the federal universities met yesterday where majority of them resolved to call off the strike with a condition that the government pays at least two months out of their salary arrears between yesterday and today and then to offset the remaining by the end of January 2021.

A source privy to yesterday's meeting said: "All depends on the evidence that the government negotiating team will present at their meeting later on Tuesday showing proof that it has met the

conditions contained in their agreement.

"Part of the conditions given by the lecturers to call off the strike are that N70 billion offered by the federal government for earned allowances and revitalisation fund should be paid into the accounts of various universities' bursaries by Tuesday.

Also, the government is expected to have paid at least two months' salaries

by Tuesday. We resolved to mandate the ASUU leadership to announce the suspension of the strike once they are satisfied that the conditions have

been met."

The meeting of the branch organs of ASUU, which was held simultaneously in all the federal universities across the country yesterday ended by noon.

THISDAY also gathered that the various chapters were expected to submit their resolutions to the national headquarters of ASUU for collation and final analysis before today's meeting with the federal government team.

It was learnt that both ASUU and the government side reached an agreement not to involve the media in

their latest deal to avoid "distraction".

Negotiations to end the over nine months' strike by the lecturers had lingered for months with ASUU insisting that its members would not register on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

However, the federal government made spirited attempts to break the deadlock by granting ASUU members temporary waiver not to receive their payments through IPPIS. It agreed to pay all the arrears of salaries of lecturers accumulated

during their strike.

The move was followed by an equally attractive offer to set aside N70 billion, N40 billion for earned allowances and N30 billion for revitalisation fund.

Meanwhile, the federal government has fixed a meeting with the striking university lecturers for today.

A statement signed by the Deputy Director Public Relations at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Charles Akpan, said the rescheduled meeting was convened by the minister, Senator Chris Ngige.

Ekiti APC Divided over Fayemi’s Rumoured Presidential Ambition Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Ekiti State stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are at loggerheads over the rumoured presidential ambition of the Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

While the APC Caretaker Committee, led by Hon. Paul Omotoso, backed the rumoured ambition, a group under the platform of APC stakeholders forum opposed it because of Fayemi's opposition to zoning.

Omotoso, while speaking at an event organised by Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu in Ayede Ekiti, at the weekend, said the party would pressure Fayemi to join the presidential race.

Omotoso, represented by the APC Caretaker Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ade Ajayi, said: "We can say boldly that APC will win the Ekiti governorship election in 2022 because Governor Fayemi has done creditably well and we don't want another reckless party that will

destroy Ekiti again.

"On the 2023 presidency, time has come for the president to come from Ekiti. That is why we are pleading with you to support Governor Fayemi.

"Though, Governor Fayemi has never said he wanted to contest, but we will force him to plunge into the race, because of his competence, dedication and loyalty to APC." But a statement yesterday by the Secretary of the forum, Mr. Bamigboye Adegoroye, in Ado

Ekiti, yesterday, disputed Omotoso's claim that all the APC stakeholders have resolved to back Fayemi's rumoured presidential ambition.

The statement said: "The attention of the Ekiti State Stakeholders Forum has been drawn to a statement credited to Mr. Paul Omotoso on the idea that APC, Ekiti State chapter has backed Dr. Kayode Fayemi for 2023 presidency.

"We want to state unequivocally that Hon.

Ade Ajayi who represented Mr. Omotoso barely expressed a personal view at a social event,where the convener was absent or at best, the views of a small clique in the party.

"The leaders of APC in Ekiti State are unaware of the idea. Again, we note that Hon. Ade Ajayi's boss does not even believe that the position should be zoned to South-west as expressed on the national platform recently.

"All the states in the South of Nigeria deserve

a shot at the presidency if it is agreed upon by the national leaders of our party.

"Ekiti State Stakeholders' Forum along with other eminent Yoruba leaders, will canvass for the opportunity to produce the next president in 2023 from our zone.

"Adoption of an authentic, qualified, well known, humane and experienced Yoruba man is our goal, and we will play our part in accomplishing that task."

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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PAGE EIGHT TO CURTAIL COVID-19 RESURGENCE, FG DIRECTS STATES TO CLOSE BARS, OTHERS parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events to not more than 50 persons.

Also, mosques and churches should not be filled beyond 50 per cent of their installed capacity.

The state governments are also to strictly enforce compliance with physical distancing and mandatory use of face masks.

The PTF will also today submit its end-of-year report to President Buhari.

Mustapha, represented by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said: “All persons above the age of 60yrs and/or with comorbidities are to be encouraged to stay at home and avoid crowds; “All non-essential travels – both domestic and international during the holiday season are seriously discouraged.

"Close all restaurants except those providing services to hotel residents; takeaways, home deliveries and drive-ins shall remain closed.

“Limit all gatherings linked to religious events to less than 50% capacity of the facility of use during which physical distancing; mandatory use of face masks shall be strictly enforced.

"Where more than 50 persons are attending any such events, the gathering should be held outdoors only; “Public transportation systems are to carry passengers not more than 50% of their capacity in compliance with social distancing rules."

He explained that with the new measures, permanent secretaries and chief executives officers of parastatals are to be held accountable for enforcing non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) rules in their domains with frequent spot checks.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government

of the Federation (SGF), explained that the federal government is also having discussions with the aviation and health authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the calls for the restriction of international travels due to the discovery of new strains of the virus in some countries.

He identified Lagos and Kaduna States as well the FCT as the new epicentres of COVID-19 infections as they accounted for over 70 per cent of national incidents.

He noted that the FCT, which recorded an increase of 85 per cent in tests conducted over the last week, also witnessed 285 per cent increase in number of confirmed cases during the same period.

He added that the trends pointed to a higher Test Positivity Rate (TPR- the number of positive cases detected as a proportion of all tests).

He said the TPR was below five per cent throughout September and October while the nation recorded a low point of three per cent nationally in late October.

According to him, recent trends in cases have seen this number increased to 10 per cent in the second week of December.

Mustapha said the high numbers were further reflected in the increase of admissions to COVID-19 treatment centres and fatalities, particularly in the three epicentre states.

He attributed the latest surge in infections to the lack of compliance with nonpharmaceutical interventions, large gatherings as a result of events linked to the Yuletide season, recent EndSARS demonstrations and disregard for other public health preventive measures, such as hand hygiene and physical distance requirements.

He also identified a

sudden increase in social gatherings in different parts of the country for weddings, religious activities, political rallies, conferences, and end of year celebrations as activities that significantly increased risks for the spread of the virus.

“Furthermore, as we reopened the economy, we experienced increased economic, social and religious gatherings and activities all of which have combined to play a part in viral transmissions.

"These include: a) the opening of the international airspace in September 2020 – while the average number of daily imported infections into the country in the last 90 days is estimated to be about 7 cases, compared to 100-150 reported, new infections in the community since the beginning of community transmission, the test positivity rate in travellers arriving Lagos has recently doubled to 6.3 per cent; b) The resumption of schools – outbreaks have been reported in schools following the resumption of physical classes; c) The resumption of NYSC orientation camps – this risk has been mitigated by ensuring that all NYSC members were screened for COVID-19 prior to admission to camp, but confirmed cases have still been identified through tests carried out; d) The full opening of offices with the return to work of government workers from GL. 12 and below – outbreaks have also been reported in public offices, most likely linked to overcrowding, poor ventilation and the lack of compliance with nonpharmaceutical interventions; and e) The opening of the economy with progressive relaxation of restrictions in congregational areas such as places of worship, restaurants, bars, lounges, shopping and

event centres,” he said.

He stated that the PTF has concluded arrangements with the Nigeria Immigration Service to impose sanctions within the ambit of the law on international travellers that defaulted and breached the public health protocols by failing to turn up for post-arrival test.

He added that 64,405 of the 163,818 inbound travellers that had been captured on the portal number and that were due for the post-arrival test failed to turn up.

All schools that are expected to have vacated from December 18, 2020 are to remain closed till at least January 18, 2021, to enable the measures introduced to take effect, Mustapha said.

On December 17, a total of 1,145 cases were recorded in a single day — the highest daily toll since February 28 when Nigeria recorded its first case.

New COVID-19 Strain Likely in Nigeria, Says FCT Health Secretary The Acting Health Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Mohammed Kawu, has raised the alarm that the new strain of COVID-19 spreading rapidly in the United Kingdom is likely to have spread to Nigeria.

The new strain of COVID-19 has prompted some countries to cut transport links to the UK, which has again locked down the country.

The new variant of the deadly virus, regarded by some experts as the B.1.1.7 lineage, is not the first new variant of the pandemic virus to emerge, but is said to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the previously dominant strain in the UK. Kawu, at a media briefing

yesterday, said he suspected that the latest strain currently ravaging the FCT could be the same reported in the UK, given that a lot of the patients in the FCT now require oxygen in the last one and two weeks.

He added that it is left for virologists to analyse and determine whether that is the case or not.

According to him, although virologists have not identified the latest COVID-19 strain in Nigeria, he believed that the strain is more virulent than the first one as many people are dying from the virus.

“We strongly believe the strain that is ravaging us now is more deadly than the first one because here in the FCT, many persons are coming down with the virus with many patients requiring oxygen and in very bad situation. It is most likely the new strain but I am sure in the next one or two weeks, the virologists will analyse it and be able to tie it to the latest cases,” Kawu stated.

He explained that the FCTA has investigated and tested 86,505 suspected COVID-19 cases while 8,338 positive cases were confirmed as at December 11, 2020.

He said with a per capita testing rate of over 18,021 per million (1.8 per cent of the population), FCT is the only state to attain and surpass the COVID-19 testing target of one per cent population set by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

FG Mulls Travel Ban The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the federal government is considering banning international travels to curb the spread of COVID-19, especially the new variant manifesting itself in the United Kingdom.

Mohammed, at a Special Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, noted that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 was billed to meet yesterday over the new strain of COVID-19 in the UK. “We are more concerned about the new strain of COVID-19 which is manifesting itself in the UK; that is the mutated strain.

“It is difficult to detect. It spreads faster and people have been known to die of it within a very short period of its detection.

“This is a major concern to us as a country.

“While I do not want to pre-empt the PTF because we are meeting this afternoon, it is going to be top on the agenda of our discussions.

“I will not be surprised if that will be the recommendation of the committee which is meeting later today,’’ he stated.

The minister added: “This season, many students are coming from the UK in particular, to come and join their families in Nigeria.

“Besides, many of our people, because of the traditional link we have with the UK, may want to go there for business or family reunion.

“It is a very testy time and it might be another dangerous period to transmit this new variant of COVID-19.”

The minister noted that many European countries had banned flights to and from the UK. Besides measures to prevent the importation of the new strain of COVID-19, the minister said the government was worried about the spike in infections in the last days.

He urged Nigerians to comply with the advisory being issued by the PTF, including the use of face masks, compliance with social distancing protocols and regular washing of hands with soap and water.

N’ASSEMBLY RAISES 2021 BUDGET BY N580BN, APPROVES N13.588TRN N5,196,007,992,292 is for budget deficit.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North), said the committee, while processing the 2021 Appropriation Bill, noted that “the impact of COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected virtually every aspect of life, businesses, individuals and government, especially the revenue accruals to the government.

“There is remarkable increase in Nigeria’s oil price, which is hovering between $47 and $50 per barrel in the international market.

“This is above the benchmark price of $40 per barrel approved by the National Assembly.

“The discovery of under projection of the total revenue to the tune of N100billion.

“The need to enhance the structure of the budget to allow for the reflation of the economy in order to accelerate the process of taking out the economy from its current state of recession.

“The dire need for optimal allocation and judicious utilisation of the scarce resources available for economic recovery, diversification, enhancement

of competitiveness and ensuring social inclusion.”

The committee recommended that “in view of the increasing global oil prices beyond the benchmark of $40, the executive may wish to submit a supplementary Appropriation Bill whenever it deems fit in order to fund critical areas that will further help to accelerate the movement of our economy out of its current state of recession.”

In a speech after the passage of the budget bill, President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, said the National Assembly would not accede to another request from the executive to extend the capital implementation of the 2020 budget.

Lawan stated that the National Assembly’s approval granting extension for the implementation of the capital component of the 2020 budget last week should therefore be fully utilised by ministries, departments and agencies of government.

He added that the extension, lasting till March 31, 2021 alongside the implementation of the 2021 budget starting in January 2021, will guarantee sufficient injection of funds into the economy.

He said: “For Nigerians,

this budget that has been passed in the National Assembly today is to ensure that the economy is supported fully through public expenditure because the economy of our country depends largely on public expenditure.

“The budget extension period for implementation of the 2020 budget, which we did last year, is to ensure that the funds that are available for 2020 are not lost.

“So, there will be two budgets running; funds from January 1, 2021, up to March 31, 2021; and then the implementation of the 2021 budget itself to start from January. That is absolute fight against the recession we are suffering from.

“With a projected three per cent growth in our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the 2021 budget, we believe that the recession, which Nigeria is in, will be over before the end of the first quarter.”

However, in addition to passing the 2021 budget yesterday, the Senate also passed the sum of N453,200 billion as 2020 fiscal year budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The passage of the budget for third reading, followed the presentation of

the report of its Committee on Niger Delta Affairs by the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Amos Kilawangs Bulus ( APC Gombe South).

The committee, in its recommendation, noted that the revenue profile of the commission for 2020 comprised revenue brought forward of N12 billion, federal government’s contribution of N63,506,151,945.00, Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and Others' contributions, totalling N317,493,848,055.00, Ecological fund of N60 billion and other internally realised income of N200 million.

Bulus added that after due consideration, the committee recommended that the expenditure profile of the NDDC for 2020 should include a personnel cost of N27.389billion, overhead expenditure of N13,937,244,107, internal capital expenditure of N2,793,755,893 and development projects at the cost of N409.080billion.

The committee recommended that the 2020 budget of the NDDC should elapse on March 31, 2021.

The Senate accordingly approved all the recommendations.

The House of

Representatives also passed the 2021 budget totalling N13,588,027,886,175.

The House put the inflation growth rate at 11.95 per cent, while retained revenue was out at N7.89 trillion.

In the approved budget, the House approved N134 billion for the National Assembly as against N128 billion proposed by the president.

The breakdown showed that the sum of N51,994,511,954 was appropriated to the House alone, while the National Assembly Service Commission was appropriated the sum of N5,734,166,662.

The spokesperson of the House, Hon. Ben Kalu, told journalists at the end of the special plenary to pass the budget that the National Assembly increased the budget based on the realities on ground.

He said with the passing of the budget, the National Assembly has been able to pass the buck to the executive by ensuring that the January - December budget cycle is maintained.

He, therefore, called on the executive to ensure early release of the budget and also to ensure that releases are cash backed.

In his remarks after the passage of the budget, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said over the last two months, the House had been occupied primarily with efforts to complete work on the 2021 Appropriation Bill to ensure passage before the end of Continued on page 10

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NEWS

NEW JUDGES FOR OSUN COURT...

L-R: Justice Olayinka Muibat Ojo; Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Adebola Adepele Ojo; Governor of Osun State, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola and Justice Aderemi Adesina Ayoade, during the swearing-in of two new judges of the state Customary Court of Appeals, in Osogbo... yesterday

Zulum Disappointed in Military, Others’ Failure to Stop Attacks Near Maiduguri Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, yesterday expressed disappointment over the inability of the military and security agencies to secure 20 kilometres from the state capital on the MaiduguriDamaturu highway despite heavy investment made in the ongoing war against Boko Haram.

Zulum spoke against the background of last Friday’s abduction of about 35 commuters at Jakana village, about 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, by Boko Haram insurgents who laid an ambush on the MaiduguriDamururu highway.

The governor, during a visit to the village to assess the situation, expressed

anger over what has become routine attacks on travellers and villagers by Boko Haram.

The governor said it was disappointing that majority of the attacks within the last two years took place between Auno and Jakana, a distance of about 20 kilometres.

He said: “I have had occasions to defend the Nigerian military in order to boost the morale of commanders and their troops at the front lines because I know the true picture of things. However, I am really disappointed that despite all support from both the federal government and from us in Borno State, our military is failing to secure an area of 20 kilometres, which is the distance between Auno and Jakana. And incidentally, majority of Boko Haram’s attacks along this Maiduguri-

Damaturu-Kano road keeps happening between Auno and Jakana.

“So, if the military cannot secure 20 kilometres, how can they keep us with the hope they will defeat the Boko Haram?”

He also berated the army and his own state government-established Rapid Response Squad, for lack of visibility along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road, which makes it possible for Boko Haram’s recurring attacks.

He said: “With all you (journalists) we drove from Maiduguri to here, Jakana.

We did not see soldiers on the road, we did not see even our own Rapid Response Squad on this road and they were trained, employed, kitted and paid to protect all Nigerians within their areas of operation and

these Nigerians include travellers plying this busy and important road.”

He added that this year alone, the insurgents had carried out many attacks along the MaiduguriDamaturu-Kano road, including the one in February, in which over 30 persons were burnt to death.

Zulum, however, assured residents along the road that he would hold a security meeting and hopefully come up with more measures to secure the highway.

He also urged the residents to continually support the military by sharing information that would generate credible intelligence on the activities of the insurgents.

Reacting to the governor’s accusation, the military said in a statement yesterday that

it was inappropriate for the governor to tag military personnel on checkpoint duty as extortionists.

It restated the commitment of the armed forces and other security agencies to contain insurgency and terrorism in the North-east.

A statement signed by the Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, said in a situation that extortion was detected, the armed forces has internal mechanism to checkmate and sanction erring personnel.

"The attention of the Nigerian military has been drawn to the accusation by the Executive Governor of Borno State that Nigerian Army personnel deployed at check points in Operation Lafiya Dole collect money from commuters.

"While the Nigerian

military is in no way joining issues with the governor, it is necessary to clarify this generalised statement against the troops who without hesitation lay down their lives for all Nigerians," it said.

"It is worthy of note that the Armed Forces of Nigeria have internal mechanism to checkmate and sanction appropriately its erring personnel.

"Additionally, reported cases from the public in this regard are investigated and given the desired attention.

Thus, it will not be correct to rely on media or open air accusation to tag our gallant Nigerian Army personnel as extortionists at checkpoints in Borno State. All personnel of the Armed Forces are patriotic and focused on their call of duty," the statement added.

crude oil. Vast swathes of potential in tourism and agriculture, manufacturing and technology, media and entertainment remain untapped due to insecurity, infrastructure deficits, policy and regulatory inconsistency.

"The risks we face are not abstract. In the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests, we saw it in the flames that engulfed our cities. We saw it two weeks ago in Zarbamari with the massacre of citizens farming for survival and most

recently in the abduction of young boys seeking to improve their lives through education in Kankara."

Meanwhile, both chambers of the National Assembly have adjourned plenary till January 26, 2021.

(ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo; CEOs of MTN; Airtel; ntel; Glo; Smile and 9mobile.

“Based on the endorsement of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the following resolutions were made: “Three weeks extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021; and “Six weeks extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021.

“NIMC has provided strategies to enable citizens attend the registration in full compliance with COVID-19 protocols – particularly the use of facemasks, which remains mandatory and

maintenance of social distancing,” the statement added.

Head, Corporate Communications at NIMC, Mr. Kayode Adegoke, who signed the statement, assured the public that NIMC would ensure adequate measures are being put in place to enable citizens and legal residents to enroll and be issued the NIN. He urged applicants to comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols at NIMC enrolment centres nationwide, while carrying out the NIN enrolment exercise.

Says Abike Dabiri

N’ASSEMBLY RAISES 2021 BUDGET BY N580BN, APPROVES N13.588TRN this year.

He noted that the Januaryto-December budget cycle was necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the country's annual budgets to meet the nation’s development challenges.

Gbajabiamila stated that this standard would be maintained throughout the tenure of the present legislature.

The speaker, however, said inadequacies of the country's economy, healthcare system,

internal security and justice architecture have eroded many people’s faith in the Nigerian project.

He stated: "Despite spirited government efforts, our economy is still overly reliant on the sale of

FG EXTENDS NIN-SIM CARD LINKAGE DEADLINE the SIM-NIN integration within two weeks period from December 16 to 30, with a further order to enforce the blocking of the SIM cards of any subscriber that could not complete the exercise with two weeks.

However, the order had elicited reactions from the House of Representatives and Nigerians from all walks of life who protested the two weeks period, saying it will be difficult to achieve the target within two weeks, owing to the second wave of COVID-19, coupled with the fact that Nigerians are in the Yuletide season during which many travel outside their stations to celebrate the

season.

Large crowds besieged NIMC offices in Lagos yesterday in a bid to register and obtain their NINs. According to a statement yesterday by the NIMC, the agency handling registration and issuance of NIN, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, approved the extension of the deadline on the ongoing NIN- SIM integration after a review of the exercise by the Presidential Task Force on the integration of the National Identification Number (NIN) and Subscriber Information Module (SIM), chaired by the minister.

The decision to extend the deadline was taken at a meeting yesterday that was attended by the minister, and executive stakeholders in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, which include the Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz; Executive Vice- Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; DG, National Information Technology and Development Agency (NITDA), Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi; Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria

Nigerians in Diaspora Can Register for NIN,

The federal government has directed Nigerians abroad to visit the website of the NIMC to enable them to register for the National Identity Number.

Chairman of the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike DabiriErewa, said the details of the agents who are accredited to register Nigerians for NIN can be found on the website.

“Nigerians abroad should visit NIMC website http:// nimc.gov.ng for details of their agents accredited to register Nigerians abroad all over the world,” she tweeted.

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

SECURITY AFTER KANKARA: THE WAY FORWARD Charles Onunaiju argues that to win the war against the bandits, the flow of arms must be stemmed

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he ignoble triple dare-devil of terrorism, banditry and kidnappings are the ferocious driver and core enablers of Nigeria’s worsening security nightmare.

The Zabarmari rice farmers gruesome murder for which Boko Haram took responsibility was still fresh, when a reportedly motorcycle-riding and assault-rifle wielding bandits invaded Science Secondary School Kankara in Katsina State, forcing over 600 students to flee in the dead of the night.

That these school children have been successfully rescued from the bandits and reunited with their families did not diminish the ever lurking reality of the criminals and their capacity to continually undermine national security and paint the country as unstable before the rest of the world. It will not be a matter of how the criminals were engaged in one single event and even overwhelmed as in the case of the Katsina school boys but on how serial criminality including terrorism, banditry and kidnapping is comprehensively rendered impotent, ineffectual and unattractive to prospective conscripts that would mostly count in the restoration of the integrity of the country’s national security and consequent local and international confidence.

Despite that crime and criminality have been with us, even in the most pristine times, it is only recently, especially since the return of civil rule in the late 1990s that it has morphed into a serious national security challenge.

Even the Boko Haram insurgency was largely confined to low-level clashes of the group with security outfits in Borno State in addition to the incendiary preaching of their founder and his henchmen. And even, as the terrorist group began their campaign of violence far away from Borno State, the method of improvising gas cylinders which are loaded in cars driven at high speed to hit their targets, which sometimes produce devastating impacts like the attack of the United Nations building in Abuja was crude.

But, somehow this rag tag terrorist group would soon metamorphose into a deadly and sophisticated armed group and there is the need to interrogate how it happened.

Without interrogating the origins of sudden bursts of high profile terrorist resurgence and escalation of acts of recalcitrant banditry and kidnappings, a realist solution may be far from being found. The fact that Northern Nigeria is currently the national epicenter of these criminals raises the question of the causal relationship between the escalation of these crimes and the collapse of the former maximum ruler of Libya, the late Colonel Muammar Ghadaffi and the fall of its heavy armory to non-state actors, especially to assort criminals and gun runners. While the fall of that regime and its consequences of escalating terrorism, banditry and other crimes within the Sahel and Lake Chad region were the result of Washington-led NATO alliance reckless armed intervention in the country’s political conflict, Nigeria under the leadership of the former President Goodluck Jonathan was an accessory to NATO’s armed intervention and consequent instability in the country.

When the Libya conflict broke out in 2011 with the armed

KILLING OR NEUTRALIZING CRIMINALS AND TERRORISTS WHILE THE WEAPONS CONTINUE TO FLOW IN, WOULD NOT SIGNIFICANTLY PRESSURE THE SEVERAL ILLEGAL ARMED GROUPS INTO SUBMISSION OR NEGOTIATION

opposition forming a parallel government of the so-called National Transitional Council (TNC) which was encouraged by the West and quickly recognized by it, only Nigeria under president Jonathan extended recognition to the Libyan armed opposition against a clearly and very solid African Consensus through the mechanism of the Africa Union (AU) that stridently canvassed and insisted on African-led negotiated and mediated solution to the conflict. The Nigeria government broke with the then Africa’s consensus to support NATO’s armed intervention which eventually led to the assassination of the Libyan leader and the chaos that ensued in the country, which up till today has several armed claimants to the government of the country. The regime of Colonel Ghaddafi has always had a sophisticated armory though, with a less stronger army than its Syrian counterpart that resisted Western regime-change plot.

As usual, with its predecessors and even successor, the Nigeria’s government under President Jonathan did not then, with hindsight or foresight analyze Nigeria’s strategic long term interest of the consequence, for our country of sudden fall or collapse of a heavily armed regime within its regional perimeter, when joining the West and its military alliance in canvassing regime change and armed intervention.

As typical of the West in cutting and running, it took no measure to secure the heavy armory of the colonel Ghaddafi regime after its fall, while its remnant forces which fled in different directions throughout the region as military instructors to assorted group of extremist insurgents and criminals ignited new conflict in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, just as the former members of the Iraqi military and the Baath party militia thoughtlessly disbanded by the Americans after the fall of Saddam Hussein formed the nucleus of ISIS and other assorted criminal gangs in the region.

Through the porous borders of Chad and Niger, who have common border with Libya, sophisticated arms flowed into Nigeria, given the then, flagging Boko Haram new lease of life and spawning a wave of audacious bandit and kidnap gangs that are currently ravaging Northern Nigeria.

As the West’s military alliance, NATO acted in flagrant breach of its famous article 5, its only provision for collective military action, which can only be invoked in an instance of a member coming under attack, the Nigeria government provided the only regional or African legitimacy to obvious illegal action of the Western military alliance.

Libya was not a member of NATO and its article 5 would never have sufficed in the illegal armed intervention and the consequent destabilization of the country.

In the current situation, where the continuing chaos in Libya and the flow of weapons down to the Sahel and Lake Chad region continues, with Nigeria’s internal security reaching a breaking point, what can be done to arrest and even roll back the chaos that is enveloping the country’s landscape, especially the northern region?

Mr. Onunaiju is research director of an Abuja based Think Tank

US PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION: SAMSON AGONISTES TRUMP President Trump is into all kinds of things to game Biden’s inauguration, writes

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he fact of the matter is that Trump has not only been spending too much time with, but also providing a listening ear to, conspiracy theorists pushing him, like the biblical King Rehoboam, to abuse the power of his office.

While appearing on a Fox News live programme on December 17, White House adviser Peter Navarro urged President Donald Trump to appoint a special prosecutor to smoke out details of how Democrats stole his election victory before inauguration day, in order to stop Biden from taking the oath of office as “an illegal and illegitimate president.” Note that Trump has asked Attorney-General William Barr to resign from his post by December 23 for contradicting his stance on the credibility of the November 3 elections.

Barr is to be replaced by his deputy, Jeffrey Rosen, in an acting capacity, who might decide to ‘earn’ a speedy confirmation by playing the ‘good boy.’ Does this sound too far-fetched? Then you didn’t hear that the man who replaced sacked Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, also still in an acting capacity, Chris Miller, just ordered Pentagon officials to halt Biden transition briefings.

Speaking on the same day as Navarro, but on the NewsMax network, Gen. Michael Flynn (ret.), jailed for lying to Congress, and recently pardoned by President Trump, bragged that Trump could use “military capabilities” to grind out a different set of results in the swing states.

According to Flynn, Trump could suspend the Constitution under martial law and deploy military personnel to conduct a fresh election in each battleground state. “People out there talk about martial law like it’s something we’ve never done (before),” he posited, “(but) martial law has been instituted 64 times!” Really? Who would have ever

imagined fascism being mealy-mouthed in America, and by no less a person than a former national security adviser!

Flynn’s kite was immediately shot down by the military top brass. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Chief of Army Staff Gen. James McConville issued a joint press statement in which they unequivocally emphasized that, “There is no role for the US military in determining the outcome of an American election.”

Still on December 17, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told Sean Hannity – one of few Fox TV network programme hosts remaining in Trump’s good graces – that there is every likelihood that Congress would decide to ratify the GOPcoordinated “alternate electors” in the swing states, thereby overruling the Electoral College and throwing the election to Trump.

Mo Brooks, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Alabama has pledged to object to the counting of electoral college votes reflecting the certified results from various states when the House and the Senate converge in the January 6 joint session. All it would take to trigger a vote in both chambers of Congress is the support of one senator. And Tommy Tuberville, a Republican Senator-elect also from Alabama, has publicly declared that he would support Brooks’ motion. Describing Tuberville as “a great champion and man of courage,” Trump urged more senators, in a characteristic tweet, to follow his lead and act to restore the “landslide victory the Democrats were caught swindling from the Republican Party.”

However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who only recently acknowledged Biden’s victory, would be hoping that Tuberville and his co-travellers have a change of heart, otherwise the motion would be defeated on the floor; but not before needlessly portraying both the GOP as a divided

house and Senate Republicans as being anti-Trump. Albeit, apart from the optics, ‘vulnerable’ Congressmen have very little choice after seeing Trump endorse calls by his base to jail Republican politicians who refuse to participate in his attempts to dispute the legitimacy of the electoral process.

The word on the street is that Trump intends to keep a tight leash on the Republican Party heading into 2024. But battle-scarred Republican chieftains like McConnell have decided that the time to prise their party out of Trump’s vice-like grip is now or never.

McConnell is worried that the party would massively lose out if Trump’s election fraud rhetoric pushes Republican voters to boycott the Senate rerun races next month, causing Georgia to flip the Senate blue.

Not too long ago, the Trump legal team publicly disowned Sidney Powell after she floated fantastical conspiracy theories linking late Venezuelan Head of State Hugo Chavez, some ‘disloyal’ Republicans and the Deep State with the ‘malfunctioning’ Dominion Voting Systems machines – fables that even members of the Trump inner caucus considered very revolting! But Trump is now on the cusp of unveiling her as special counsel for voter fraud – recall Navarro’s forewarning on Fox News!

It is crystal-clear that Trump opted to bring Powell in from the cold only because her bizarre and outlandish conspiracy theories now provide him with a basis for invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 that would authorise the deployment of land and naval forces on US soil. Although Trump later seemingly put the rumours to rest by tweeting “Martial law = Fake News,” many attributed it to the strong rebuff by the army top brass when the idea was first floated.

Trump has a joker up his sleeves. Earlier in June, he ordered the Census Bureau to exclude undocumented immigrants from

being included in the numbers to be used to decide the reapportionment of Representatives among the states. The population count was completed in October, even as a coalition of 22 states, led by New York, filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court challenging the presidential directive. In a 6-3 split judgement, the justices handed Trump a temporary win as it allowed the White House a little more time to keep illegal immigrants from the census count without appearing to violate the Constitution.

But the apex court must make a final judgement soonest because the 2020 census report is due on December 31, and Trump has a 10-day limit thereafter to transmit the number of House seats each state is allotted to Congress. The decision to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population count also affect the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal funds. The Trump administration primarily perceives the policy as payback time for blue states such as California and New York with extra-large proportions of the popular and Electoral College votes. Still, red states like Arizona, New Mexico, Florida and Texas with relatively high numbers of undocumented immigrants could equally suffer.

Two major factors are providing the oxygen Trump needs to continue to rain on Biden’s parade. The first is the block support of Evangelicals. Many leading members went the extra mile of prophesying Trump’s election win, and must remain in cahoots with Trump in his increasingly bizarre attempts to retain power to save themselves from ridicule.

The mindless adulation can only be reversed if and when Evangelicals finally realise that the man who pleases God is not the self-righteous ‘talker’ in Luke 18:9-12, but the humble ‘doer’ in Matthew 25:34-40.

Okoye is a Boston University Hubert Humphrey Fellow and wrote from Abuja

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EDITORIAL

TIME FOR A PROPER BOARD AT NDDC The commission should be properly administered

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he continuous appointment of interim administrators for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is both disturbing and unacceptable. So said some stakeholders from the oil-bearing region last week. Lamenting that the federal government has changed the Interim Management Committee (IMC) twice before appointing an interim administrator in less than two years, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) said that the NDDC Act did not provide for an IMC or interim administrator. “What does the President’s continued appointIF WE MUST ENTRENCH ment of an interim committee and now A CULTURE OF interim sole adminTRANSPARENCY AND istrator tell about ACCOUNTABILITY IN his accountability THE AFFAIRS OF THE and transparency and anti-corruption COMMISSION, IT IS fight?” asked forIMPORTANT TO HAVE A mer President of the SUBSTANTIVE BOARD IN Movement for the PLACE Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mittee. Indeed, reports said that the Niger Delta governors would be meeting this week to take a position on this unfortunate development.

For NDDC, it has been a tale of scandals, following the inability of President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute a substantive governing board to run its affairs. While there is no clear information about the forensic audit that was supposed to have been conducted on the activities of the previous management, an interim board without any clear mandate or authority, as we keep warning on this page, is a recipe for unwholesome practices as available reports now indicate.

Meanwhile, the story of the NDDC has been rather unfortunate. A month after the Senate confirmed the 15 nominees he sent for confirmation as NDDC board members last year, the president deferred to the minister of Niger Delta, Mr Godswill Akpabio, who had named the IMC in a curious move. The chairperson of that committee has since been

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removed and replaced, following another scandal.

Established in 2000 by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the NDDC was charged with facilitating the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region “that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.”

The commission’s mandate area is comprised of the nine oil producing states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers. Sadly, while the NDDC has a comprehensive master plan and hundreds of billions of Naira have been spent over the past 19 years, there is little on ground to justify the investment.

The dismal state of development in the Niger Delta was acknowledged not long ago by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. “The Niger Delta we see today is an area of poor infrastructure; a few schools and hospitals. There are signboards of abandoned projects all over the place,” said Osinbajo who merely echoed what other stakeholders have been saying. Indeed, the report of the presidential committee on project execution covering the period between 2005 and 2011, is very revealing of the extent of rot in NDDC. The report monitored a total of 609 projects spread across three states – Cross River, Edo and Rivers.

It is unfortunate that an administration that came in with the mandate to fight graft has been taking tentative actions bordering on inability to rein in disparate interests of gullible and often greedy politicians. And with that the money that was meant to develop Niger Delta is being cynically looted with official complicity. With revelations of how hundreds of billions of Naira end up in private hands at the NDDC, the federal government can only allow the problem to fester at our collective peril.

However, the current problem is foisted on NDDC by the president. If we must entrench a culture of transparency and accountability in the affairs of the commission, it is important to have a substantive board in place rather than leave it to the whims of a minister. Besides, operating outside the law to impose an interim board with elastic mandate cannot be a way to instill accountability in NDDC. The president must rectify this situation without any further delay.

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

2020: THE LONGEST YEAR OF THE DECADE

or a long time, we have been hearing of Vision 2020.

Anytime that year is mentioned, we just waved it by as just another year that will come and go. Little did we know that it would be a symbolic year that will take the glory of God to survive. Situated strategically at the tail end of the decade, 2020 is a year that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

Covid-19 pandemic that started in 2019 but wreaked havoc in 2020 put the whole world on a standstill and brought the world order onto its knees.

The events and occurrences of the year are so overwhelming and consuming that it seems the year is foot-dragging and doesn’t ever want to end.

2020 is a year of plans disruption. What started as a normal year, with plans laid out by people to accomplish one thing or the other, but

most of the plans would never be actualized. Many prospective graduates, many planned but never done weddings, many collapsed businesses and endeavours, many abandoned personal physical projects, and so on. Most of these socioeconomic activities might never see the light of the day again.

Gone for life. Gone with 2020.

On a national scale, the year further exposed our ineptitude as a nation. Forced to stay and treat their various ailments in the country, year 2020 has shown that we have a long way to go in putting our health sector in shape.

Have our ruling elite ever thought of a time when they have to feel the hopelessness being faced by poor Nigerians anytime they want to access healthcare services? The wise among those who God allows to escape the calamities of this year among our elite should channel their gratitude

towards giving Nigerians a perfect health care system that can withstand any future pandemic.

When the nation thought all was over and that the rest of the year would end peacefully, the EndSARS protests erupted across the country. Almost the same time, looting of palliative warehouses started.

Both events, though sad, are indications that the political and ruling class are sitting on gunpowder that could explode anytime. Unless something is urgently done to correct the culture of improvisation of the Nigerian youths by the elite, a day will soon come when everything will go out of control. So, the year 2020, among many things, is a year of warning to leaders to sit right or be seated up.

Apart from the high profile deaths due to Coronavirus infection, this is also a year when many billionaires

emerged. In the midst of the lockdown and starvation, it was common to hear of billions budgeted for one relief project or the other. Whether they get to the real poor people or not will be taken care of by time.

Ironically, some people started the year as paupers and are finishing it rich and vice versa.

Call it a year of twisting fates.

Now, it is December and the year is winding down.

But 2020 is not yet done with us. The abduction of the 344 Kankara schoolboys in Katsina and subsequent release is one of the goodbyes the year is giving to us. As we are about to say ‘Thank You for Coming’ to the year, our ‘friend’, Covid-19 is saying ‘Hello’ again.

May 2021 be good with us but surely, 2020 is the longest year of the decade.

Comrade Abdulateef Usman Abiodun, Ede, Osun State

ALL, NOT JUST SOME

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n the US, both Dr Fauci and General Perna, commander of the Warp Speed operation, have mentioned that Vaccines will be available to all who want it but what about saying, ‘all people will get it’.

There should be no pandering to those that are anti vaccinators when their ignorance will endanger others.

The COVID pandemic has spread around the world, no one is immune from it yet and unless we get everyone vaccinated there will still be outbreaks.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 22,2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Rivers APC Crisis Deepens as Faction Suspends Amaechi Expels Giadom Says party will partake in Rivers LGA election Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State yesterday deteriorated as the Igo Aguma-led faction suspended the Minister of Transportation and former Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, from the party.

The development has deepened the crisis in the state APC as both camps strived to gain control of the APC ahead of the 2023 general election.

The Amaechi’s group of the party had at the weekend declared the suspensions of Senator Magnus Abe, Igo Aguma, Livingstone Wechie, Wogu Boms and all caretaker committee leaders inaugurated

by Aguma.

Aguma in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Livingstone Wechie, also said the APC had written to the Rivers State Electoral Commission (RISIEC) to declare its readiness to partake in the forthcoming local government election in the state.

Wechie said the decision to suspend Amaechi from the party was taken at an extraordinary Executive meeting presided over

by Aguma in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He said the meeting was

well-attended by the statutory executive members, who participated physically and virtually to take major decisions affecting the party.

The statement said the state Executive Caretaker Committee ratified the recommendation of the State Disciplinary Committee of the party which looked into the decision of the ward and local government chapters to suspend Amaechi, who hails from Ward 8, Ikwerre Local Government Area for anti-party activities.

He said: “The State Executive Committee also accepted and ratified the decision of the State Disciplinary Committee to uphold the indefinite suspension of Isaac Ogbobula by the Ward 10 and LGA Executive of AhoadaEast Local Government Area of Rivers State. Isaac Ogbobula is hereby suspended indefinitely from APC Rivers.

“The state chairman briefed the executive committee meeting that he received communication from the APC executive of Gokana LGA to the effect that both Ward 16, Bera and the Gokana LGA chapters of the party have expelled Chief Victor Giadom from the APC as well as a report from Emohua LGA chapter that both Ward 4 and Emohua Local Government chapter of the party in Rivers

Concerns over Olu of Warri’s Health Sylvester Idowu in Warri There was anxiety in Delta State yesterday over the health of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli.

Multiple sources in the state told THISDAY last night that the health of the monarch, who was said to have been receiving treatment for COVID-19 at the Lily Hospital, Warri, deteriorated yesterday.

The monarch was suspected of contracting the virus from the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Major General John Olubunmi Irefin,

who died recently.

According to an impeccable source, the Olu developed complications between Sunday and early hours of yesterday.

Though details of his health status is being shrouded in secrecy according to tradition, it was learnt that the mood amongst the Itsekiris indicated “a big loss in the kingdom”.

THISDAY gathered that the Ologbosere of Warri, Chief Emami Ayiri, who is the traditional prime minister of the town, will soon give details on the monarch’s health.

It was gathered that Ayiri, who is out of town, is on his way back.

Alleged Money Laundering: Court Frees Atiku’s Son In-law, Babalele A Federal High Court in Lagos has freed Abdullahi Babalele, a son-inlaw to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on a two-count allegation of alleged money laundering of $140,000.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke threw out the charge and discharged the defendant on the grounds that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had chosen a wrong venue.

The court held that the charge against the defendant ought not to have been filed in Lagos when the alleged offence was said to have been committed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Justice Aneke relied on the Supreme Court’s decision in a case between the EFCC and Mohammed Dele Belgore on territorial jurisdiction.

Babalele was arraigned in 2018

and then re-arraigned on October 8, 2019.

The EFFC accused him of giving former President Olusegun Obasanjo $140,000 on the instructions of Atiku Abubakar, who was vying for the office of President in the 2019 elections.

But Babalele pleaded not guilty.

During the trial, the EFCC called two witnesses and tendered several documents that were admitted in evidence, before closing its case against the defendant on November 25, 2020.

At the last hearing on December 7, Babalele’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), filed a no-case submission asking the court to dismiss the charge.

He contended that no case had been made against his client warranting him to make any defence.

State has suspended Senator Chief Andrew Uchendu from the APC. “The executive committee referred both reports from Emohua and Gokana Local Government Areas on Chief Victor Giadom and Senator

Andrew Uchendu to the State Disciplinary Committee for further action in line with Article 21 of APC Constitution.”

He said the state executive committee mandated Aguma to write a letter to RISIEC communicating the readiness

of the APC to fully participate in the April 17, 2021 local government election in the state.

He said: “The state caretaker committee also expressed commitment to work assiduously to bring

the party to reckoning in Rivers state. We, therefore, urge our teeming members and supporters to stay focused as we collectively usher in t h e n e w d a w n of APC in Rivers State.”

MEETING ON COMBATING COVID-19...

L-R: President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan; Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo Agege; and Leader of the Senate, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, during a meeting between the Senate leadership, officials of the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders on the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines in Abuja... yesterday. J J ULIUS ATOI

Senate Doubts Efforts to Tackle Second Wave of COVID-19 Chuks Okocha in Abuja President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has strongly expressed lack of confidence in the preparedness of the federal government to implement COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the country.

This is despite assurances made to the leadership of the Senate by the Minister of Health that the government is substantially ready for a successful COVID-19 vaccination of the citizens.

The minister had explained that the Nigeria Government is in high level talks with multinational manufacturers, and has trained staff as well as put the right cooling infrastructure in place to store the vaccines

when they are acquired.

About N400 billion, according to the health Ministry, would be required to vaccinate 70 percent of Nigeria’s 211 million population.

He explained that N156 billion would be needed in 2021, and N200 billion in 2022.

But the Senate president, who stated that the National Assembly would support the funding demand, led other senators to express strong doubt with the presentations of the officials from the Ministry of Health.

According to Lawan, “I have not been convinced with your presentation that we are ready.

You have to do more to convince me that we are ready. This is

a matter of life and death. In fact I am a doubting Ahmad.”

Also, the deputy Senate president while doubting the conviction of the ministry, joined in saying: “I am a doubting Omo Agege.”

He expressed strong concern that the government so far has made preparations for only four cold chains stores for the vaccines in Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Lagos, and asked why the entire South-south region is not included in the plan.

The Deputy Senate President, Omo-Agege, also said he was worried that vaccines may lose their efficacy on transit to the South-south region, charging NAFDAC to be sure citizens, especially from the zone, do not

end up being inoculated with bad vaccines that may do more harm than good.

Meanwhile, the director-general of NAFDAC, who apparently forced her way to join the conversation without clearance from the minister, said the agency as the regulator of drugs consumed by citizens insisted that NAFDAC would make sure vaccines acquired by the government are safe.

This conversation had come few hours after the National Assembly approved a N13.5 trillion for the 2021 federal budget. The National Assembly had earlier said it was expecting a supplementary budget proposal in January 2021 to cover the cost for COVID-19 vaccination.

Court Orders IG to Release Facebook User Detained for Blasphemy Since February Alex Enumah in Abuja The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Nigeria Police Force, to release a Facebook user, Mbarak Bala, who was arrested in Kaduna on February 28, 2020 for alleged blasphemous posts about Islam.

Delivering judgment in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Bala, Justice Inyang Ekwo declared that his arrest and detention by the IG and the NPF in an unknown detention centre since February 28, 2020 “because he expressed his option about religion on Facebook, constitutes an infraction of the applicant’s rights to personal liberty, fair hearing, freedom of thought, freedom of express and freedom of movement”.

The judge also declared that the action of the respondents (the IG and the NPF) “in denying the applicant access to his lawyers constitutes a gross infringement of the applicant right to legal rep of his choice under section 34 and 35(2) of the 1999 Constitution”.

He, therefore, made an order “directing the respondents to release the applicant from detention to his lawyers on bail forthwith”.

He also made an award of “general/exemplary damages against the first and second respondents in the sum of N250,000 for the infraction of the fundamental rights of the applicant”.

The applicant had sued the IG, the NPF, and the Attorney-General of the Federation in his fundamental rights enforcement suit, alleging that the respondents violated his rights.

Justice Ekwo observed in his

judgment on Monday that the IG and the NPF never showed up in the case despite being served with the processes in the suit filed by the applicant and the hearing notices with regard to the case.

But the judge discontinued the case against the AGF on the basis that the matter disclosed no cause of action against the AGF. The judge ruled on Monday that the affidavit evidence put forward by the applicant not being challenged or controverted by the respondents was deemed admitted and could be relied on by the court.

The applicant was said to have been arrested by the respondents on Tuesday, February 28, 2020, and detained at Gbabasawa Police Station, Kaduna State, on the instruction of Kano State Police Command.

His lawyer stated in the suit

that the applicant was arrested on the basis of a petition written by some Kano-based persons based in Kano, alleging “that the applicant insulted the Prophet of Islam Mohammed (PBUH)”.

Upon his arrest, his lawyers wrote to the IG requesting that he should be transferred to Abuja to face prosecution because his life was being threatened in Kano.

One of the applicant’s legal representatives, Mr Ibrahim Buba, said he visited the Kano State Police headquarters on May 4, 2020, following communications with the Commissioner of Police, Kano State, who was sad to have confirmed that he had the applicant in his custody undergoing interrogation.

Buba was made to wait for three hours after which he was asked to come back the following day.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NPDC’s 200mmscf Gas Facility Targets 1% Gas Flare Plant begins supply of product to West African countries Set to take Pressure off Lagos roads Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), yesterday said the Integrated Gas Handling Facility, Ologbo, Edo state, which will officially be inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari today, would only flare just one per cent of its total gas input.

While disclosing that the national average was still over 7 per cent, the company noted that the facility, a 200 million standard cubit feet per day project, will in the next few days take off the pressure from Lagos roads, the state being a major gas loading point, while ramping up supply to Nigeria’s West African neighbours.

Speaking during a media tour of the plant , Managing Director of the NPDC, Mr Mansur Sambo, noted that the project was completed without any major stoppage of work due to on site accidents.

He added that the renewed focus on gas in the country would remain for a long time to come because of its obvious advantages over crude oil in terms of volatility and fluctuation in prices.

He said: “Before now, most of the gas was lifted from Lagos.

This project will ease the traffic in Lagos and give businesses faster turnaround time. Because before you navigate from the city gate in Lagos to Apapa, you would have loaded a tanker here and taken it to Abuja or other places.

“Flare is a necessary activity in the processing industry. It’s like the nose in humans. Without the flare, the plants will not breathe.

So, you must have process flare, not routine flare, to protect your plant in case of process upset or pressure build-up to save your plant.

“We have subcontracted most of the effort in making sure that we commercialise the gas being produced. So, by the time we finish, we may not have a million or two million standard cubic feet of gas being flared out of the over 200 million scf.

“In this station, it’s just about one per cent that is being flared.

The national average is about seven per cent. So, we have contributed significantly to reducing gas flare.”

Sambo explained that the company now has a market share of 1.1 billion out of the total 1.7 billion cubic feet produced in the country, stressing that the E&P arm of the NNPC is set to further increase production in the coming months.

“The natural gas we produce is

Petroleum Ministry Clarifies Alleged N116m Spent on Pens Says sleaze did not happen under Buhari Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Abuja, yesterday clarified its position on the alleged N116 million paid for the purchase of pens and N145 million an official of the ministry paid himself in the course of service, saying the incident did not occur under President Muhammadu Buhari.

A statement by the Deputy Director of Information at the ministry, Enefaa Bob-Manuel, noted that while all those affected had been posted out of the ministry in the course of routine deployment, some of them were still being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in a statement titled ‘‘SERAP asks Buhari, Sylva to explain how petroleum ministry spent N116m on pens, others’’ signed by the organisation’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, had called for a probe into the allegation.

SERAP’s call came against the backdrop of the imputation that the ministry spent N14.5 million to purchase Schneider biros, N46 million to print the ministry’s letterhead, and N56 million to procure toner for its photocopy machines.

But in the statement by the ministry, it stressed that some of those fingered in the alleged fraud had retired from the ministry, stating that all the insinuations that the headship of the ministry has some explaining to do was baseless.

“The attention of the ministry of petroleum resources has been drawn to numerous publications on the above subject which have appeared in several newspapers since Friday, 11th December, 2020 and have also been trending on the social media since then.

“The general public should note that while it is true that the auditor-general raised audit observations on infractions committed by the ministry of petroleum resources, these infractions relate to the 2015 accounts of the ministry of petroleum resources.

“It should further be noted that these infractions appeared in the 2015 report of the auditor-general of the federation which is presently under consideration by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the senate.

“The public should further note that the officers whom the report of the auditor-general of the federation frowns on their conduct have since either retired from service or have been deployed out of the ministry of petroleum in line with the practice in the civil service,” it stated.

While appreciating the genuine concerns of Nigerians, the ministry explained that the said alleged infraction took place before the current administration.

“The ministry of petroleum resources appreciates the genuine concern of well-wishers who have drawn our attention to these publications and wish to assure them that the infractions happened way back in 2015, before the commencement of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

injected into the Excravos-Lagos pipeline and part of that goes to the domestic market like Egbin power plant, Ikeja industries etc. There’s a portion that goes into the West Africa gas pipeline

which is actually a customer of the NPDC. “Today, NPDC is the largest gas supplier to the domestic market.

Out of the 1.7 billion cubit feet that goes into the market, NPDC with its

partners supply about 1.1 billion,” he noted.

On what it took to complete the whole project, Sambo explained: “It took more than two million man hours to complete all the processes

and it happened without lost time due to injury, meaning that from the day we started until now we have not had any significant incident that will make us waste any life or an hour on the job.”

MEETING FOR DEVELOPMENT

L-R: President, Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof. Motso Onuoha; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; Past President Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Munzali Jibrin; Director of Health and Bio-Medical Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Bassey Henshaw, during the presentation of grants forthe publication of journals to the Nigerian Academies of Science, Engineering, Social Sciences, Letters, and Education at the minister’s office in Abuja...yesterday

COVID-19: Comply with Safety Guidelines, Lagos Govt Warns Motorists Segun James

The Lagos State government has called on motorists to comply with its transportation safety guidelines, as part of measures to control the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

In a statement yesterday, the Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, stressed that it was mandatory for passengers and commuters to wear face masks, wash their hands with soap under running water, and sanitise with alcohol-based

sanitisers before and after each trip.

He also urged residents to desist from actions capable of undermining government efforts at curbing the second wave of the pandemic.

The commissioner explained that it was compulsory for all transport operators and companies to regularly disinfect their vehicles, parks, and garages, in line with the standards of disinfection approved by the state government.

While noting that the safety guidelines would be reviewed periodically in respect of interstate

operations, he warned that the level of success would be monitored to achieve strategies for effective control of the further spread of the highly contagious killer disease.

Oladeinde, who affirmed that motorcycles remained banned in all areas of the metropolis and were not expected to carry passengers due to being vulnerable to COVID-19, warned motorists driving against oncoming traffic to desist from the reckless act.

He also cautioned operators

of various mechanic villages in the state to ensure that all abandoned vehicles within their premises were evacuated immediately and ensure the environment was kept clean, stressing that non-compliance would attract serious sanctions from the ministry.

The commissioner insisted that all truck drivers, passengers, and individuals transporting foods, raw materials, and other agricultural products to the state must always wear their facemasks and gloves.

NPC Ready to Conduct Nigeria’s Census NextYear, Says Chairman The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Kwarra, has said the commission is prepared to conduct a nationwide census from June 2021.

He said NPC is ready to conduct a census from mid-2021 to early 2022.

The chairperson said this at a press conference yesterday titled ‘Accelerating Nigeria’s Demographic Dividend: Process and Progress so far’.

“On our part we are ready. We

can start conducting census from June 2021 to early 2022”, he said.

He added that he is aware that the census has been delayed for five years and that the commission is in talks with the government to give them a directive.

The last national census was conducted in 2006.

“The issue of a census is at the front burner. We know that on our part we have already been delayed for about 5 years, but we are doing our best to speak with the government so that they can

make a proclamation”, he said.

Kwarra said the commission has begun the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise in preparation for the possible census.

“We have been conducting enumeration area demarcation in the country; we’ve covered 460 local governments. Right now we’re undertaking the exercise in 96 local governments throughout the country and by the end of June, we are hoping to finish the 774 local governments,” he said.

The EAD is the process of

delineating the entire land area of the country into small geographical and demographic units called enumeration areas.

The EAD is a preparatory exercise for the actual census.

President Muhammadu Buhari had approved N10 billion for the EAD exercise back in October.

He also approved an additional N4.5 billion to be included in the 2021 budget for completion of the exercise as part of the preparations for the next census.

House to Investigate Alleged N19bn Railway Contract Awarded to Unknown Company Udora Orizu inAbuja The House of Representatives yesterday resolved set up an Adhoc Committee to investigate the N19.2 billion railway rehabilitation contract awarded in March 2011 to a contracting company which was allegedly not in existence.

The resolution followed the unanimous adoption of a motion of urgent national importance, sponsored by the Minority Leader,

Hon. Ndudi Elumelu.

Moving the motion, Elumelu noted that Eser contracting and industry company incorporated was awarded the contract to rehabilitate the 463km Port Harcourt - Makurdi section of the eastern railway line for N19.2 billion in March 2011.

He explained that the railway rehabilitation work was divided into three sections namely, 463km port Harcourt- makurdi track, 1016km makurdi -kuru track and 640km

kuru - maiduguri track and the three sections were awarded to three different companies.

He said that there are allegations that while carrying out due diligence on Eser company, it was discovered that the company was not in existence as it was not duly registered with the corporate affairs commission as required by the procurement act neither did it have the required tax clearance nor audited statement of account for

the preceding three years and therefore had no legal capacity to do business in Nigeria.

He expressed concerns that the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) which is charged with the responsibilities of preventing fraudulent and unfair procurement failed in it’s responsibility by issuing a certificate of No Objection to clear the way for the railway corporation to award a job of such magnitude to a company without any legal status.

T H I S D AY ˾ UESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020

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

Audacity of Bandits in the Northwest Seriki Adinoyi argues that the swift negotiations, show of confidence by government officials and the eventual release of the Kankara boys point to a complicated web of complicity involving state authorities, communal groups and armed outfits

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here have been frantic arguments surrounding the recent abduction and eventual release of over 300 students at Kankara village in Katsina state.

While some said they were abducted by local bandits to negotiate for ransom, others said the kidnap was carried out by the dreaded Islamic group Boko Haram, who went ahead to release a footage to claim responsibility.

Though hundreds of miles away, the abduction bore a striking resemblance to the mass kidnap of schoolgirls carried out by the group at Chibok in 2014 and at Dapchi in 2018. So, it was not out of place to argue that Boko Haram had a hand in the recent kidnap of students.

Again, while government claimed the security agents worked in synergy to secure the release of the boys without paying ransom, critics disagreed completely, and mocked the claim, saying it was not aware that insurgents have become as magnanimous as to release their captors without a fee.

The critics claimed that the swift negotiations, the show of confidence by government officials and the eventual release of the boys point to a complicated web of complicity involving state authorities, communal groups, and armed outfits.

These arguments whether they hold water or not, are needless. What should worry government and indeed the entire citizen should be that Nigeria has become so insecure that such a large number of over 300 students were forcefully, but conveniently taken away from a school, particularly at a time the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was in the state. One would have thought that security in the state would be more heightened at that time than any other time.

An analyst said that the kidnap was meant to ridicule President Mohammadu Buhari and the Nigerian security network that has become weary and tired on the job. Indeed, the bandits have shown that even with the President and his security forces in the state, they could operate without hindrance.

Taking a critical look at the mode of abduction, one of the students, Ahmed Abdu narrated that the abductors came into the school and initially marched them out into the nearby forest before they were made to trek for two days to an unknown destination.

Abdu said, “Honestly I don’t know how I will express my appreciation to the government for rescuing us from these horrible people. I thank God now that we have regained our freedom.

“We were made to march into the nearby forest and beaten by the gunmen, who they described as local bandits working with Boko Haram. We trekked for two days into the bush.

Whoever slowed down, he was thrashed with a cane. We were really scared.”

Another student Mansur Musa, recounted how the gunmen recorded a video later released by Boko Haram. “They gathered us under a big tree and recorded the video. They told us that

Masari

they are Abubakar Shekau Boys. They said they want to show the video to the government.”

In his account, Musa added that the gunmen were bandits, local criminals who appeared to be from their community in Kankara town, and were not afraid to be identified or say the conditions for their release. “The bandits told us that some members of Boko Haram were arrested, and that if the authorities want the students to be released, they must first release our boys, otherwise we will kill all of you.”

This is unimaginable! To think that there were security agents in Katsina state and local bandits marched over 300 students into a nearby forest, and later made the crowd of students to trek for two days in the forest unhindered is really unbelievable. It shows that citizens now truly live at the mercy of bandits in the North and in Nigeria.

Moreover, this was not the first mass abduction by bandits in the president’s home state.

Twenty-six girls were kidnapped in October in another town in Katsina and were later freed after ransom was paid. They said the kidnappers raped and beat them. Even so, the latest attack would suggest a hitherto unseen level of brazenness by bandits at a time they should be afraid to operate because of the presence of the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

The following day after the abduction of the students, gunmen attacked the convoy of the Emir of Kaura Namoda, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad Asha leaving eight members of his entourage dead. This was also in the same Northwest.

The traditional ruler was traveling back to Zamfara State from the federal capital Abuja with his convoy. Though the Emir did not sustain any injury during the attack, eight members of his convoy were killed.

Just after the Kankara boys were released, the

IGP Adamu

bandits showed their audacity by going ahead to abduct another 80 pupils of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, an Islamic school in Mahuta, Dandume Local Government Area of the same Katsina State.

It took a combined team of security operatives to rescue the pupils This was made public in a statement issued on by the Police Public Relations Officer in Katsina State, Gambo Isah.

The statement said in part, “On 19/12/2020 about 2200hrs, a distress call was received by DPO Dandume that some Islamiyya students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, Mahuta village, Dandume, Katsina state, numbering about 80, while on their way back from Maulud occasion celebrated at Unguwan-Alkasim, Dandume to Mahuta, were accosted by bandits.

According to Amnesty International, 1,126 people were killed by bandits in Nigeria between January and June this year. This is worrisome.

A villager in Kankara reportedly spoke on condition of anonymity that the bandits responsible for the kidnap of the Kankara school boys were known in the area, and “operate freely”, with scarce resistance from security forces. If that claim is true, then it should worry every Nigerian.

Dr. Murtala Rufa’i, a security analyst, also said that the activity of jihadist groups such as Boko Haram in the region was increasing, despite Boko Haram’s claim, the full extent of its involvement in this particular kidnapping remains unclear.

“The link between Boko Haram and some of these groups is there and the connection is strong, but there are a lot of factors that complicate these links,” he said.

According to him, “Boko Haram is ideological, with a clear hierarchy and mission, yet the banditry is primarily a local phenomenon, designed and orchestrated by local bandits that are fully known in the region and by state authorities.”

It was ridiculous to hear officials of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) throwing blames at each other over the abduction rather than working out a solution ÞÙ ÞËÍÕÖÏ ÞÒÏ ÍÙ××ÙØ ÏØÏ×ã˛ ÒÏ ËÌÎßÍÞÏÎ ÌÙãÝ ÍÙßÖÎ have been their children. What should worry Nigerians is that farmers can no longer go to their farms for fear of been slaughtered, and students can’t go to their schools ÌÏÍËßÝÏ ÞÒÏã ÐÏËÜ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒÏã ×Ëã ØÙÞ ÜÏÞßÜØ ÒÙ×Ï˛ ÜËàÏÖÏÜÝ no longer feel safe on the roads, then it is true that Nigeria is gradually sliding into a failed state. Indeed, some of the Kankara students after recounting their ordeals vowed never to return to their school. But rather than getting worried about this, government and politicians capitalize on a ‘rare victory’ of rescuing the boys after five days

Rather than engaging in endless arguments, the growing insecurity in the North and indeed in Nigeria should bother everyone. Government should not offer explanation when over 40 of its farmers are slaughtered for no just cause; it should not engage in arguments and politicize killing and kidnapping. It should rise to its responsibility. It should be bold to take every step to secure its citizens including dismantling security architecture, if that is what it takes.

It was ridiculous to hear officials of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) throwing blames at each other over the abduction rather than working out a solution to tackle the common enemy. The abducted boys could have been their children.

What should worry Nigerians is that farmers can no longer go to their farms for fear of been slaughtered, and students can’t go to their schools because they fear that they may not return home.

Travelers no longer feel safe on the roads, then it is true that Nigeria is gradually sliding into a failed state.

Indeed, some of the Kankara students after recounting their ordeals vowed never to return to their school.

But rather than getting worried about this, government and politicians capitalize on a ‘rare victory’ of rescuing the boys after five days.

They publicly displayed the more than 300 boys who had been released, and insisted they had not paid any ransom.

But why should they be kidnapped in the first place? Why should they be made to trek for two days in the bush; why should they be beaten and made to sleep on bare ground for four nights; why should their parents have sleepless nights for sending their wards to school?

Though the President has said that his government would “keep on trying” to secure the country, he would really need to do more than just ‘trying’ as the security problem is getting hydra-headed.

Buhari said, “We thank God that the law enforcement agencies in this case, especially the military, the Army and the governor, worked extremely hard. And as soon as they got them, the governor rang me and informed me, and I congratulated him and the Army that organized the operation. Our responsibility, as I said, is to secure this country for all the citizens to do their businesses without any problem. We haven’t achieved that yet, but we will keep on trying.”

He appeared helpless in his statement; no proactive measure appears to be in sight. It seems government will always have to keep playing the weeping child; running after the bandits and Boko Haram that appear to always be one step ahead of Nigeria.

Security is a collective responsibility of all citizens. Nigerians must therefore grow above sentiments, arguments and criticism, and rise up in support of its helpless government to ensure that the common enemy is defeated.

T H I S D AY ˾ UESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020

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Approval for Ibom Deep Seaport, Commissioning of Industries Excite Emmanuel

Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that Akwa Ibom State is in a celebratory mood over some landmark attainments that gives credence to Governor Udom Emmanuel’s completion agenda

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State Government.

This continues the trend of good news on the industrial front which was given further verve when Ibom Air finally received its fifth Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, the second of the two additional aircraft purchased in December 2019. The aircraft, with registration number 5N-BXO, arrived Lagos from Calgary, Canada on August 1, 2020. With the arrival of this aircraft, Ibom Air ’s modern and efficient fleet grows to five aircraft, giving it the advantage of operating the youngest fleet amongst Nigeria’s airlines. In 2018, the state government made history as the first state government to own and run a commercial airline, Ibom Air. At a time when Nigeria was yet to have a national carrier, the launch and operation of Ibom Air, earned for Udom Emmanuel a special place in the hearts of Nigerians (not just Akwa Ibom people).

Evidently, Emmanuel’s promise to develop the three gateways into state- air, land and water is being fulfilled.

Emmanuel had campaigned for his election as governor on a five-point agenda anchored on industrialization

of the state. He assured the people that he will create wealth, alleviate poverty, create jobs, consolidate and expand infrastructure, and ensure economic and political inclusion.

On completion of the first tenure and his re-election in 2019, he set for himself a target to finish every project initiated by his government.

This final leg of governance has been broadly tagged, the ‘Completion Agenda.’

The results of his industrialization plan are manifest in two industrial layouts. The heavy industries like the metering and syringe factories, coconut industry and flour mills are sited in Awa, while the light industries manufacturing toothpick, pencil, brick and plastic are located in the Itam Industrial Park. Many of them have come on stream.

Most recently, on December 19, Governor Udom Emmanuel commissioned a tissue paper production line, a concern wholly owned by government but will be administered using private sector business model. The interesting fact about the factory is the fact that it uses bamboo as its raw material. This means that local farmers can plug

themselves into the value chain by planting and supplying bamboo to the company. This factory will be producing tissue rolls for domestic use (Ibom Soft Rolls) and Jumbo Rolls for off-takers.

According to the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Prince Ukpong Akpabio, the factory has the capacity to produce, at least, five tonnes of tissue daily and will also employ a minimum of 80 persons.

The new dried bamboo-to-tissue technology has been transferred from the original Indian owners to the local operators who have been sufficiently trained to man and service the equipment.

A former Executive Director of Zenith Bank and immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Emmanuel has largely kept his campaign promise to industrialize the state by attracting industries to the state and where necessary, starting the industries. This promise earned him the nickname, Mr. Industralization.

An opinion poll undertaken by some of his supporters, revealed that many people doubted Udom’s ability to birth his promise, not because he had lied to them before, but because since creation, several state governments had tried to industrialize the state without much success. So, the citizens of the state had given up on the industrialization potential of the state.

In 2015, upon assumption of office, he undertook ground breaking, set up Technical Committees for Foreign Direct Investments, Ibom Deep Seaport, Agriculture and food sufficiency to help achieve his targets. So soon thereafter, an economic recession struck, the Naira slumped against the dollar and things looked pretty bad. The state prayed and sought divine intervention. The gentleman at the center of the storm, the Governor maintained a military faith that all will be well.

Not long after, the industries started coming, from the metering solutions company, the St. Gabriel coconut oil factory, the syringe factory, the plywood and flour mill confirmed to everyone that Emmanuel is a serious-minded achiever who preferred to work quietly and allow his achievements to speak for him.

Recently, the pencil and toothpick factories earlier established by the same administration was relocated to the Dakkada cottage industries site and rejigged for better productivity.

here is celebration in the air in Akwa Ibom State as the year draws to an end. Although, the global health challenge, COVID-19 pandemic has led to the unfortunate cancellation of the crowd-pulling and globally celebrated Christmas Carols Festival, which usually turns the attention of the world to Uyo, at this time of the year, the Akwa Ibom State government has secured a couple of heart-warming achievements that call for celebration. A few days ago, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the construction of the Ibom Deep seaport project.

This finally set commencement of the transformational project on course, with Bollore and Power China Consultants as preferred bidders. The total cost of the project is $4.6 billion, while the first phase which would be executed at $2.016 billion has been approved by the federal government. The project would be built on private public partnership. It is expected that the project would address the unemployment problem in the state and also ensure that huge amounts of monies enter into the coffers of the federal and state governments.

According to the Commissioner for Economic Development and Deep-sea Port, Akan Okon, the first phase of the multi-billion dollars Akwa Ibom Deep Seaport is expected to generate more than 300,000 jobs.

The Commissioner said he was looking forward to the training and professional opportunities that will open for youths in the state, particularly and Nigeria in general.

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong said, “With the development, Governor Udom Emmanuel will soon commence full-scale implementation for the Deep Seaport and the Liberty Oil and Gas Free Zone.”

He was very appreciative of the efforts applied by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and members of the FEC. He also commended Minister of Transportation, Minister of State for Transport, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Bureau for Public Procurement and other officials of the Federal Government. The commissioner thanked the Technical Committee for the Implementation of the Deep Seaport led by Mrs. Mfon Usoro and officials of the Akwa Ibom

Emmanuel had campaigned for his election as governor on a five-point agenda anchored on industrialization of the state. He assured the people that he will create wealth, alleviate poverty, create jobs, consolidate and expand infrastructure, and ensure economic and political inclusion. On completion of the first tenure and his re-election in 2019, he set for himself a target to finish every project initiated Ìã ÒÓÝ ÑÙàÏÜØ×ÏØÞ˛ ÒÓÝ ÐÓØËÖ ÖÏÑ ÙÐ ÑÙàÏÜØËØÍÏ has been broadly tagged, the ‘Completion ÑÏØÎ˲˪ ÒÏ ÜÏÝßÖÞÝ ÙÐ ÒÓÝ ÓØÎßÝÞÜÓËÖÓäËÞÓÙØ plan are manifest in two industrial layouts. ÒÏ ÒÏËàã ÓØÎßÝÞÜÓÏÝ ÖÓÕÏ ÞÒÏ ×ÏÞÏÜÓØÑ ËØÎ syringe factories, coconut industry and flour mills are sited in Awa, while the light industries manufacturing toothpick, pencil, brick and plastic are located in the Itam Industrial Park

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FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 08038901925

Rule of Law: All Eyes on the Army With the worries expressed last week by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, that some persons occupying privileged positions of authority were flagrantly disobeying court orders, the Nigerian Army readily comes to mind for the noncompliance with the judgments ordering the reinstatement of six senior officers whose careers it arbitrarily truncated in 2016, Davidson Iriekpen writes

T

he occasion was the ceremony to mark the commencement of the Supreme Court’s new 2020/2021 legal year and conferment of the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria on 72 lawyers, but it was a perfect opportunity for the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, to reiterate one of the biggest challenges facing the judiciary in the country.

To Justice Muhammad, one of those challenges is the flagrant disobedience of court orders by some persons occupying some privileged position, thus tarnishing the image and integrity of the courts.

The CJN who did not mince words, expressed worry that some persons occupying privileged positions of authority flagrantly disobeyed court orders and boasting about it. He warned that such action would now be met with severe consequences.

Justice Muhammad, who was represented at the occasion by Justice Olabode RhodesVivour, advised people in power and those highly connected who take pleasure in disobeying court orders not only to desist as such acts would no longer be condoned, but added that they would help to make people lose confidence in the judiciary.

Though he warned that the culprits would be punished, but the message could be the lack of confidence people could have in the judiciary, which could be damaging to the country.

He said, “Obedience of lawful court orders has no alternative in any sane society. A threat to this is simply a call for anarchy. I believe strongly that there is no right-thinking citizen of this country who will tread that path of infamy. We must respect and duly observe all the tenets of an enduring democracy.

“Nigeria is not a lawless society and no one, irrespective of his or her status, should turn it into one. Most times, some persons who, by sheer stroke of providence, find themselves in the position of authority, flagrantly disobey lawful court orders, and even make a boast of it.

“Such acts will henceforth not be condoned. In fact, they will be met with severe consequences. We must extinguish such raging fire before it consumes us.”

To many Nigerians, one organisation that has conspicuously disobeyed court orders is the Nigerian Army. As at last count, there are six court judgments ordering it to reinstate the 38 senior officers whose careers it arbitrarily truncated in 2016, and which the army has refused to obeyed.

Though it has appealed three of the judgments, the other three it has not appealed, action has not been taken on them.

Investigation revealed that even the appeals it filed against the three judgments are constantly being deliberately stalled.

For those following the cases, it is over four years now since the Nigerian Army compulsorily retired 38 of its senior officers without justification. At the point when the action was taken, Nigerians were informed by its former spokesman, Brig. Gen SK Usman, that the officers were compulsorily retired on “disciplinary grounds, serious offences”.

Even the then Minister of Defence, Brig.

Gen Mansur Dan-Alli (rtd) and Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, corroborated the statement of Usman, alleging further that due process and fair hearing were granted to all the 38 officers, implying that they were found guilty.

Specifically, Buratai said: “It took us painstaking procedure to ensure we did not pick innocent ones. We started with one inquiry from One Division GOC to the other.

After that, we subjected it to legal review.

Buratai and other senior army officers at a function recently

After the legal review, we forwarded our recommendations to higher authorities for consideration. So, it took us time; we have our own process also; our administrative process dovetailing into legal review and so on.”

However, it did not take long for Nigerians to know that none of the 38 officers was found guilty of any offence, and were never charged, tried or found guilty, let alone even appear before any court martial.

Several of the officers who felt the army breached its extant rules and regulations in carrying out the retirements took their grievances to courts to clear their names.

This was after they appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari for his intervention and reinstatement, but no response from the presidency or the army.

Six of the officers have won their cases in court and have obtained judgments ordering their reinstatements into the Nigerian Army.

The officers who have obtained judgments against the Army are: Maj Gen Ijioma, Cols Hassan and Suleiman as well as Lt Cols Arigbe, Dazang and Mohammed. In the first half of this year alone, the army lost four of these cases. Added to these six, are another two officers who obtained National Assembly resolutions ordering their reinstatements representing some 20 per cent of the 38 officers.

Curiously, Buratai has refused to comply with both the court judgments and the resolutions. This has led to serious questions about the army’s desire to adhere to the rule of law.

For instance, in delivering his judgment on February 5, 2020 in Col M. A. Sulaiman v Nigerian Army and others, Justice Sanusi Kado corroborated the officers by stating that: “The compulsory retirement of the claimant (Col MA Sulaiman), is hereby declared null and void and of no effect whatsoever, as it was not done in line with the extant rules and regulations.” This has been the pattern in the cases that have been concluded.

In fact, in a society where the rule of law is supreme and strictly adhered to, the plethora of losses the Nigerian Army has suffered would have caused a judicial review of the retirements.

But this has not been the case as sources close to army authorities revealed that they have sworn “with their last blood” never to revisit the retirements while they remain at the helm of affairs of the army as that would be an admission that they lied against the 38 officers.

For many observers, there are several unanswered questions for Buratai. Firstly, what manner of due process was followed by the supposedly highly professional Nigerian Army that made the 38 senior officers to be retired without being found guilty of an offence? When and where, were all the officers charged, tried, and found guilty?

Is there any evidence of the dates and times of the Court Martial sittings? Were the officers granted fair hearing? What are the status of the appeals of these officers to Mr. President? When will Buratai and the Nigerian Army comply with the rule of law and obey the court orders and judgments?

The above questions are significant because in 2016 the Army leadership under Buratai, reinstated Maj-Gen Ahmadu Mohammed after his appeal was reviewed by Mr. President.

Mohammed, it would be recalled was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 7 Division in 2014 when his troops mutinied and fired at his vehicle. The soldiers accused him of dereliction of duty and sending them to the battlefield with minimal logistic supports thereby leading to many deaths. The former GOC who is from Kano State, did not appeal his retirement within 30 days as stipulated by the conditions of service which according to Defence sources, was already a breach of the appeal process but this was ignored because the army headed

by Buratai had an interest to ensure fairness and justice was served.

Mohmmmed instead, waited for the outcome of the 2015 general election as well as the removal of the previous service chiefs.

As soon as President Buhari and Buratai came onboard, he was pronto, reinstated.

The issue is becoming embarrassing, as a judge in the Abuja Division of the National Industrial Court recently granted an order of mandamus for the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin, to appear in court and produce evidence that the officers’ appeals were forwarded

to the Presidency for review.

In Wing Commander Mshelia v. NAF & ANOR (2014) the Court of Appeal held: “The Armed Forces as a body, is supposed to be exemplary, in discipline, the world over. To violate the law and retire a member of that body in consequence is not an exhibition of discipline or exemplary conduct. To refuse to act in accordance with Section 178 of the Armed Forces Act 2004, and to continue to keep the appellant in suspense, is an abuse of office, calculated at denying the appellant the right to seek redress in a court of law, and that is why the Public Officers Protection was invoked. The law does not give reprieve in such a situation.

No one will be allowed on the one hand, to act in breach of the law in a high-handed manner, and on the other hand, seek the protection of the law. The courts will not open their doors to such unlawful acts and dereliction of duty, a duty imposed by law… As earlier opined, the Public Officers Protection Act is meant to shield public officers and bodies, lawfully and conscientiously carrying out their duties, within the scope of their authority, from attack. It is not meant to be used as a sword by public officers acting without good faith and in flagrant disobedience of the law, to attack and maim others, more so when those others, are members of the same family, engaged in the service and defence of our country.”

Despite this "locus classicus" judgment of the Court of Appeal, the illegal and unjust retirements of the 38 senior military officers have continued under the Buratai-led army.

What perhaps is most shocking to many is the conspiracy of silence between the Defence and Army leaderships as well as the presidency on this matter. It appears they are indeed aware of the perverse injustice meted out to these young men and are either supportive of the actions of Buratai or are totally indifferent.

Every effort by THISDAY to confirm if the officers would ever be reinstated is often met with brick wall as the response is always “everything lies squarely with the Chief of Army Staff, General Buratai. It is only him that can answer that question.

There is no other person.”

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A Gift of Healthcare to Anambra People David-Chyddy Eleke writes that Hon Chris Azubogu, a member of the House of Representatives, has through his annual medical outreach given the people of Anambra State a gift of healthcare

Hon Chris Azubogu, member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ekwusigo Federal Constituency in the House of Representative holding one of the babies delivered through Cesarean Section, during a medical mission sponsored by him

A team of opticians performing eye surgeries on patients during the fourth Hon Chris Azubogu Medical mission in Anambra

H

on Chris Azubogu medical outreach programme is an annual event conducted by the lawmaker in partnership with a Non-governmental Organisation; Doctors on the Move and selected hospitals in Anambra South Senatorial Zone of the state.

In the arrangement, Azubogu provides the finances, Doctors on the Move, comprising over 80 medical doctors in different field of medicine provide their expertise, while the selected hospitals provide their facilities for immediate and aftercare use for patients, during the outreach programme.

The programme which started in 2017 is in its fourth year and usually coincides in the month of December, which is a yuletide month. This has led Anambra people into dubbing the programme – Azubogu’s Christmas gift of health care to the people. Though it started as a programme for the people of his constituency; Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, but recently, the lawmaker has made it an Anambra affair and this year’s programme, patients came from Imo, Enugu, Abia, almost making it a South-east affair.

Coverage This year’s outreach programme which held in four health facilities; Joint Hospital, Ozubulu (designated forsurgeries), Diocesan Hospital, Amichi, Diocesan Hospital Akwudo- Nnewi (designated for eye related ailments) and General Hospital, Ukpor. The medical outreach covers eye surgeries, eye-care (reading and medicated glasses), general surgeries, lab examinations, scans, and counseling. The medical team include: surgeons, ophthalmologists, physicians, lab scientists aand others. This year’s programme has proven to be the biggest since the inception, with several thousands of people coming for various health needs.

THISDAY gathered from a team of doctors at various centres of the pogramme during a visit that close to 400 surgeries have so far been conducted. Dr Joseph Kigbu, the leader of Doctors on the Move gave statistics of victims so far attended to, to include; “Day one was November 30 and we had 41 eye surgeries, 22 general surgeries, making a total of 63 surgeries. For day two, we had 53 eye surgeries, 47 general surgeries making a total of 100 surgeries. For day three, we had 53 eye surgeries, 50 general surgeries, making a total of 103 surgeries and so on.

Other years, we usually conduct over 400 surgeries, but we are hoping that this year’s would higher”.

Testimonies There have also been great testimonies from the programme as most indigent people have taken advantage of the opportunity to receive medication for ailment they have found very difficult to deal with because of lean resources. One of the beneficiary of the outreach, Mrs Ifeoma Okwesilieze who had a fibroid surgery, in an interview with THISDAY said she had been living with the abdominal growth for long because of lack of funds. "I was charged N900,000 for the surgery in a hospital, but because I didn't have money, I could not do it. Someone asked us to come here and we did, and thank God the surgery was successful. I am feeling better now. I thank Hon Azubogu for what he is doing for us."

Another beneficiary, an old man from Nimo, Njikoka LGA of Anambra State whose name was not immediately ascertained after successful surgery said, "I don't know what

A sea of heads of people across Anambra State and beyond in one of these centres, who came to access medical services to say about what God used Azubogu to do for me and my family with this free surgery today. The most surprising was the case of Mr Kenneth Emordi of Umunnamehi, Ihiala in Ihiala LGA who stated that for 10 years, he had not been able to see. His surgery was performed on 1st December at Diocesan Hospital Akwudo,Nnewi. A day after the surgery when THISDAY visited, Emordi to the excitement of all announce that he has regained his sight.

He said, "I thank Azubogu, may God bless him for what he is doing. May God lift him up. Thousands of people are here and he is not collecting money from people to offer these services. Look at me, I have regain my sight."

Mr Emordi’s emotions were not far from those of another beneficiary, an old woman whose name was not immediately ascertained.

The woman who regained her sight after a surgery in 2019 during the programme had brought banana bunch to thank the lawmaker. She told journalists that her biggest worry was that she has never seen her grandchildren because of blindness, but after surgery on her eyes, she could see her grandchildren and had since 2019 had a perfect sight.

Structure A medical doctors in the team who spoke to THISDAY said, “This is one of the biggest medical outreach we have had. It is structured in such a way that people from every ward in the entire state are part of this outreach.

At least three people from all the political wards in Anambra are here. We are even entertaining people from other states.

“It is so orderly, that is why you are not seeing people fighting because depending on your problem, you have been booked with numbers, and each person with an ailment knows the centre where that ailment is taken care of. We also have buses here that take people from one centre to another. Depending on what your health issues are, buses move people to the centre where their ailments are attended to. The lawmaker has through this programme inadvertently made this place a health tourist centre for Anambra people.”

Motivation Azubogu who spoke to journalists on the programme said, “The programme keeps getting bigger every years. We have also expanded the programme to accommodate the entire state, and more people are coming

in from other South-eastern states. We are not discriminating against anybody. I am a lawmaker, and through my job I have attracted and also built many roads in this area. Will I saw because the road is for the people of my constituency, other people should not drive on it? You cannot. It is the same with a programme like this one, we are letting everyone enjoy it.”

On what motivated his resolve to begin the programme, the lawmaker said most poor members of the society can afford to eke out a living for themselves if they are healthy, but cannot take care of some critical health challenges they are currently plagued with, and would need help from affluent members of society, instead of foodstuffs.

He said, "I am motivated to start this medical mission because each time I get request from members of my constituency for help, it is not for them to feed, but for payment of hospital bills and treatment of one ailment or the other.

I have resolved that their health is more important because if they are healthy, they can engage in commercial activities that can put food on their table. I know that if they are healthy, they can go about their businesses and feed themselves, but for some ailments they cannot pay the bills, hence the need for us to help them," the lawmaker said.

He added, “I cannot entirely claim glory for what is happening here. We have a team of doctors from and NGO, Doctors on the Move, and we engaged him to intervene in the health of our people. I partner with lots of people to get support for this programme, and it is not for me to take credit alone.

“This is the fourth edition and we improve every year. We don't cover orthopedic and cardiovascular treatments here, but we do every other thing. It is open and free to all.

You cannot regulate the people who come. It is service until God. A lot of people are not accessing medical care because of poverty, so this is what governance is all about.

“Others are giving indomie (noodles), but I feel I should intervene in this area. It does not end here, we are also going to use the data we generate from our medical outreach to shape policy framework on Healthcare service delivery through, organisation of people, institutions, and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of a target population.”

Recap Going down memory lane, Azubogu said:

“It's no longer telling you about what we intend to do, rather it is all about what we are doing as you must have physically observed from all the four centres in Nnewi, Ozubulu, Amichi and Ukpor. My promise to my people during my first campaign to represent them at the Green Chamber is that I would make a difference. The difference I had in mind was identifying their needs and tackling the issue of providing them, with all the sincerity of purpose the best of my ability would muster.

“Hence, I built a team that has been committed to the cause of the people and even when our wants as a people are bogus, the interest was narrowed to our needs.

Such basic needs gave rise to our first Free Medical Outreach in 2017. It was conceived out of the experience witnessed from some that made genuine complaints of crippling medical challenges while many more died in silence because of varying degrees of health problems. That first edition my team wholly undertook in 2017 opened our eyes to the real and enormous challenges facing my dear constituents.

“This prompted our decision to widen the scope, hence writing to and convincing the Federal Ministry of Health of the people's basic medical needs in my constituency and consequently getting their consent of dedicated partnership. After the second edition that took place in January 2019, our statistical figure of our overall efforts stood at 7,750 patients attended to from within and outside the constituency. This number comprised of 3,850 adult women, 2,780 adult males and 1,140 children.-There were 134 successful general surgeries for uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, lumps, scrotal elephantiasis, hernia. There were also 204 eye surgeries, 776 patients were treated with various forms of eye problems, 406 issued with medicated glasses, 706 lab investigations were conducted and over 250 ultra scans performed.

“The subsequent third edition in December, 2019 saw an encouraging improvement from the first two editions. With 7, 723 patients attended to, out of which 430 had surgeries comprising of 268 eye surgeries and 215 other surgeries 4, 810 medicated glasses issued 3,525 lab diagnosis conducted and 434 scans performed. It became clear to us that we're making desired progress. Besides, the testimonies from beneficiaries, seeing people express degrees of joy of having been relieved of crippling health challenges added immensely to the motivation to do more.

“Hence the plan for this fourth edition to clearly go beyond the borders of my constituency and touch all corners of the state and even beyond. Lives are lives and should be saved whatever region, tribe or religion. This fourth edition took off on November 30 to last through to December 8. As many as over 9,000 patients have been attended to within the first three days. We have involved the best and very experienced hands in the medical business. The poverty level in our dear country is a huge cause for concern.

“People can hardly afford adequate daily meals, let alone helplessly manage sicknesses that force them to early graves. Some of these surgeries cost over a million naira to undergo in other capable health institutions.

You can imagine the difficulties most people will face raising this sums to stay alive. No leader, and I mean responsible leader, should ignore these needs and concentrate on other material giveaways to the people. Health, they say, is wealth,” the lawmaker said.

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 •T H I S D AY

LAWYER

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WEEKLY PULLOUT

22.12.2020

NBA PRESIDENT, OLUMIDE AKPATA

‘My Administration is Committed to Reforming NBA's Electoral System’

2/DASHBOARD

22.12.2020

D I B A P E

LAWYER

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WEEKLY PULLOUT

22.12.2020

NBA PRESIDENT, OLUMIDE AKPATA

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'I D'' ' ’' A' ' ' ' ' '' ' A' ' C' ' ' ' ' ' ' '' ' ' ' ' M' ' ' ' ' ' '' ' ' ' M' ' '' ’' Y' ' ' ' A' ' ' ' ' K' ' '' '' SAN PAGE 5

‘My Administration is Committed to Reforming NBA's Electoral System’

CJ FHC A' ' '' ' ' ' ' S' ' ' '' ' C' ' ' ' S' ' ' '' ' PAGE 5

QUOTABLE 'The fact that the unity of the country is based on rootless exploitation of the working class, is of no moment to the ruling class. Since the rich are united in exploiting our national resources, the exploited poor and oppressed people should equally unite, to free themselves from the shackles of poverty.' - Femi Falana, SAN, Human Rights Lawyer and Activist

C' ' ' ' S' ' '' ' ' O' ' N167'886'591'60 F' ' ' ' C' ' ' ' ' ' A' ' '' ' ' O' ' S' ' ' ' C' ' ' ' '' Offi' '' ' PAGE 6

NBA I' ' '' G' ' ' N' ' E' ' ' ' ' '' ' PAGE 6

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22.12.2020

Insecurity: Why the People Must Stand Firm My heart went out to the families of the boys who were kidnapped from Government Boys Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, when they were missing.

During the time that their sons were in captivity, I cannot imagine how the Parents would have felt. I think that I can safely say without equivocation, that, apart from death, kidnapping/abduction of a child is one of the worst things that can happen to a family - not knowing the whereabouts or fate of your child who is in the hands of the most violent, vicious types of criminals (I call them criminals, because their actions have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam or any religion of the Book). I am sure you will all agree with me that, this has gone way beyond pontification, rhetorics, and debate on whether the President attends the National Assembly (NASS) to address the members on insecurity, or whether he was in Katsina when this ugly incident occurred and he didn’t visit the Parents of the abductees etc. It is a matter for serious and immediate action. These days, in Nigeria, we have been moving from one negative and undesirable hashtag to another - #BringBackOurGirls, #LekkiShootings, and now, #BringBackOurBoys. What next? It is time for Government to respond meaningfully and impactfully, to our security challenges.

Apart from rescuing these children, going forward, what steps will Government take to ensure that children are safe while they are in school? Believe it or not, another incident of kidnapping has already been reported in Katsina State after #BringBackOurBoys; one in which about 88 girls were said to have been rescued from their abductors. Beefing up the security in all schools (especially up North) is a given, as children cannot just put a stop to their education. Education is the key to the development of any society; but, these criminal elements are instilling fear into Parents with their concentrated and continuous attacks on educational institutions, in order to ensure that they keep their children out of school - something that would be tantamount to conceding defeat to those who senselessly say formal education is an abomination, if Parents and their children are scared away (of course, being scared away is a natural reaction - who wouldn’t be afraid? With the kind of violence that Boko Haram has unleashed in the past and is still unleashing, most people would be fearsome). Already, Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world, and one of the biggest problems plaguing our country, is that too many of us are uneducated - it would be unfortunate, if more people quit school to avoid being Boko Haram targets.

The Constitution Section 1(1) & (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution) provides that the Constitution is supreme and binding on all

The rescued Kankara boys

in Nigeria, and that it prevails over any other law. Section 10 of the Constitution prohibits the adoption of any religion as a State or National Religion, whether Islam, Christianity, Ifism or Hinduism. Then, Section 18 of the Constitution provides that Government shall promote science and technology, strive to eradicate illiteracy, and where practicable, provide free education up to tertiary level, and even a free adult literacy programme, while Section 38(1) guarantees our right to freedom of thought and religion.

The synopsis of a community reading of afore-mentioned constitutional provisions, is that Nigerians are free to practice any religion which they choose, and even change their religious beliefs; that education is a priority for all in Nigeria, as it is a fundamental objective and directive principle of State Policy; that religion does not play any role in State Policy; and therefore, even if any religion prohibits its devotees from acquiring an education, the provisions of the Constitution which promote formal education, shall prevail.

Islam and Education In reality, nothing in the Holy Quran or the Holy Bible prohibit education. However, the organisation, Jamaal-u-Ahlis-SunnaLinda-Awati Wal-Jihad - “the organisation committed to the propagation of the Prophet's teachings and Jihad", aka Boko Haram (literal interpretation “Western Education is forbidden”), says otherwise, having misquoted and misinterpreted the words of the Holy Quran. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Islam promotes the quest for knowledge, and this is evidenced in the Hadith (the traditions and sayings of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]). Some of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] in the Hadith are: “Whosever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, God will make easy for him a path to Paradise”; “Education is not only the right, but the duty of every Muslim, male or female”; “The best gift from a father to his child, is education and upbringing”. It is said that the first word of the Quran to be revealed was: ‘Read’. I do not see any words in these particular quotations of the Hadith, defining or qualifying this quest for knowledge, as only Islamic knowledge.

Two of the world's oldest Universities are Al Quaraouiyine, Fez, Morocco established in 859 by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri, with an associated Madrasa, and Al-Azhar which was built by Muslims in Cairo, Egypt and was first opened in 970. While Al Quaraouiyine concentrates on the Islamic religious and legal sciences, Arabic Grammar/linguistics and Maliki Law, Al-Azhar which was founded as a centre of Islamic education, expanded its scope in the 1960s to other disciplines like Medicine and Engineering. Both Universities, are open to male and female students.

So, where did Boko Haram get their own ‘misrevelation’ about education? Among other

things, it seems that they received it from the group's contempt for Western education, which they see as one of the signs of the corruption that has pervaded our nation. They also believe that many aspects of Western education, are contrary to the teachings of Islam.

In Mohammed Abid Ali's Article "Islamic and Western Education Systems - Perceptions of Selected Educationists in Malaysia", Ali quotes Khan (1986) who stated thus: "The philosophy of Education determines the aims and objectives of Education. There are different philosophies of Education. Naturally there are different aims and objectives of Education (p. 41)". I concur.

Ali goes on to say that ".....it is natural that Islam should have a system of education which is different from the western system of education, which has its background either in Christian theology or secular approach".

I also agree with Ali that "the West and Islam have quite different philosophies of life....", and education systems are developed to suit the aim and objectives of the different nations and philosophies.

The sum and substance of this is that, the aims and objectives of Nigeria's educational system, I imagine, are to develop human potential in order to develop the country.

This may not necessarily be in consonance with that of Islam, which according to Ali, "prepares man to assume the responsibilities of the highest creation of God and His vicegerent", that is, while the aims and objectives of western education may be worldly, that of Islamic education is obviously, heavenly.

And while I have no issue with either type of educational system, I can only conclude that Section 38 of the Constitution guarantees our right to have any type of education which we so desire, whether religious or formal; and that because Nigeria is officially a secular nation à la Section 10 of the same Constitution, no one has the right to outlaw western/formal education - any attempt to do so as Boko Haram has sought to do, is unconstitutional. This is Federal Republic of Nigeria, not Islamic or Christian Republic of Nigeria.

Criticism from the Opposition Again, I snigger and marvel when members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shamelessly condemn this administration vis-a-vis their handling of the Boko Haram crisis. Did they not assist in solidifying the emergence of the killer group? Was it not under their administration that, in the year 2000, the then Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmad Yerima unconstitutionally adopted Islam as his State’s religion contrary to Section 10 of the Constitution, followed suit by Governors of other Northern States? Was it not after that, that religion began to become more of a problem in this country and the slang " 'Islamisation of Nigeria" etc became the order of the day? Should Yerima’s unconstitutional act not have been nipped in the budWas it not the then Governor of Borno State who was alleged to have given teeth to this deadly terrorist group for his own selfish political gain at the time? Granted those two Governors may not have been members of the PDP, but pray tell, what did the successive PDP administrations do to contain this situation then? So, while PDP’s observations may not be out of turn, many wonder about their moral justification to make them, since they are an integral part of the problem, especially as half of APC were once PDP members.

Conclusion Let us not be too distracted with debates amongst the different arms of government, and accusations and counter-accusations between the opposition and this present administration, and join them in shifting the blame between themselves - they have all failed and neglected to fulfill the primary purpose of Government - the security and welfare of the people (Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution). Instead, let us continue

“SO, WHERE DID BOKO HARAM GET THEIR OWN ‘MISREVELATION’ ABOUT EDUCATION? AMONG OTHER THINGS, IT SEEMS THAT THEY RECEIVED IT FROM THE GROUP'S CONTEMPT FOR WESTERN EDUCATION, WHICH THEY SEE AS ONE OF THE SIGNS OF THE CORRUPTION THAT HAS PERVADED OUR NATION”

to mount legitimate and lawful pressure on this administration to fulfill its constitutional obligations to us, and secure our lives and property, especially those of our brothers and sisters in the North who are presently living under siege. Whether it is to change the leadership of the Armed forces, or restructure the Armed forces for better efficiency, or to seek external assistance if need be, it is unarguable that, Government needs to up the ante and step up to the plate, as far as security within the country is concerned.

4/LAW REPORT

Defence of Insanity: Burden on the Accused Person to Establish counsel contended that an accused person, such as the Appellant, cannot deny involvement in a murder, and at the same time raise the plea of insanity. He cited the case of PETER v STATE (2007) 5 ACLR 207, in support of this submission.

Facts The Appellant attended a monthly church meeting which holds on the first day of every month at a hilltop called Ori Oke Rele, Ife Road, Ondo State. On the 2nd Day of November, 2009, the Appellant discovered his belongings had been tampered with at the hilltop and he challenged the Pastor-in-charge, whom he already believed had “changed his glory”. The Pastor whipped and threw a church bell at him. He got angry, and used the bell to beat the Pastor to death. Upon realising an old woman present at the scene had witnessed what he did, he used a stone to hit the woman until she died. The Appellant was later arrested by the Police within the vicinity of the hilltop and he made three confessional statements at the Police station dated 4th, 6th and 8th November, 2009. In the statements, the Appellant gave graphic details of the incident.

Subsequently, the Respondent preferred a Charge of murder contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Laws of Ondo State, against the Appellant. Both parties called witnesses, and the Appellant raised the defence of insanity and alibi. At the conclusion of trial, the Appellant was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. He unsuccessfully appealed to the Court of Appeal, and this led to a further appeal Honourable Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC to the Supreme Court.

Issue for Determination The following issue, as extrapolated from the issues formulated by the parties, was the sole issue determined by the Supreme Court:

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 5th day of June, 2020

Whether the Prosecution proved its case against the Appellant beyond reasonable doubt.

Arguments Counsel for the Appellant prefaced his argument with the submission that the Prosecution did not prove the guilt of the Appellant beyond reasonable doubt, in that the Appellant was not arrested at the scene of the crime, and there was nothing linking him to the death of the deceased to the exclusion of all other persons or possibilities. Counsel contended that there were inconsistencies in the evidence given by the Prosecution witnesses as to the recovery of the alleged weapon (the bell), which raised reasonable doubt in the Prosecution’s case which should be resolved in favour of the Appellant.

He cited the case of EGWUMI v STATE (2013) All FWLR (Pt. 678) 824 at 846. Counsel argued further that the act of the accused was not intentional with the knowledge that death or grievous bodily harm was a probable consequence, as the defence of mental disorder raised at the Appellant’s arrest was a sufficient defence to show that he acted at a moment of insanity. He cited JIMMY v STATE (2014) All FWLR (Pt. 714) 104 at 117 in support of his submission. He added that the Prosecution could not rely on circumstantial evidence to sustain the conviction, as the factors for such application do not exist in this case; rather, what exists is suspicion which cannot ground a conviction.

Counsel concluded that the Prosecution did not rebut the defence of insanity raised by the Appellant, and the lower courts erred in convicting the Appellant based on the confessional statements in light of the defence of insanity.

In response, counsel for the Respondents contended that the onus of proving insanity was on the accused person who pleads it as a defence, and the Appellant in this case failed to prove same on balance of probability.

He contended further that the Prosecution disproved the defence of insanity, and the defence of alibi was raised too late to be taken seriously. Counsel submitted in addition, that the confessional statements showed clearly that the Appellant murdered the deceased persons, and this is supported by the post mortem results. He cited ISANG v STATE (1996) 2 NWLR (Pt. 473) 458 at 468. It was also his argument, that the inconsistencies in the evidence of the Prosecution were not material, and the evidence of the Prosecution witnesses provided corroboration. He maintained that the evidence of the Prosecution witnesses together with the extra-judicial statements of the Appellant, established his guilt beyond reasonable doubt, and the trial court correctly relied on circumstantial evidence in view of the absence of a direct eyewitness. Finally,

Before Their Lordships

Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili Musa Dattijo Muhammad Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun Chima Centus Nweze Ejembi Eko Justices, Supreme Court SC.337/2016 Between Samuel Addo The State

…

…

And

…

Appellant

……

…

…

Respondent

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC)

“...... THE ONUS OF PROVING INSANITY IS ON THE APPELLANT, AND BURDEN IS DISCHARGED ON BALANCE OF PROBABILITY

BY SHOWING THAT THE APPELLANT WAS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL DISEASE OR FROM NATURAL MENTAL INFIRMITY AT THE RELEVANT TIME......”

Court’s Judgement and Rationale In respect of the Appellant’s defence of alibi, the Supreme Court held that the defence of alibi exculpates a Defendant from a crime committed since he was not the one who committed it as he was elsewhere.

However, alibi has no utilitarian value if raised at the trial for the Police would be hampered in such a way that they cannot inquire into where the accused was outside the crime location. The court found that the Appellant was arrested within the vicinity of Ori-Oke Rele, and he made three statements in which he did not mention an alibi. The defence of alibi was not raised at the earliest opportunity that would give the Police the chance to investigate it, and this left the lower courts with no option but to ignore it - SMART v STATE (2016) 9 NWLR (Pt. 1518) 447.

On the inconsistency in the evidence of the Prosecution witnesses in respect of the murder weapon, the Supreme Court found that there was no contradiction in the evidence of the Prosecution witness; rather, the evidence of the witnesses corroborated each other, and the evaluation made by the trial court is not dented.

Deciding the issue of proof of murder by the Prosecution, their Lordships held that the ways of proving the ingredients of murder are by: (a) evidence of eye witness; (b) confessional statement of the accused person stating unequivocally that he committed the offence charged; and (c) circumstantial evidence - BILLIE v STATE (2016) 15 NWLR (Pt. 1536) 363. From the record, there was no eye witness; therefore, the court had to look at the confessional statements of the Appellant and circumstantial evidence before it. It is the law that where direct evidence of an eye witness is not available, the court may infer from the facts proved, the existence of other facts that may logically tend to prove the guilt of the accused person. In this case, the Appellant failed to discredit the pieces of evidence which made up the unbroken chain of evidence which left the lower courts with no option but to see the circumstantial evidence in the light akin to direct evidence, and to conclude that the ingredients of the offence of murder of the two victims were proved beyond reasonable doubt. The court cited PETER v STATE (1997) LPELR -2912.

In respect of the Appellant’s defence of insanity, the court held that the onus of proving insanity is on the Appellant, and burden is discharged on balance of probability by showing that the Appellant was suffering from mental disease or from natural mental infirmity at the relevant time which deprived him of capacity to – (a) understand what he was doing; (b) control his actions; and (c) know that he ought not to do the act or make the omission. Once any of these ingredients is proved, then there was no consent of will and his act is not punishable as a crime.

However, where the evidence of the accused’s mental stability is suspect, he will not be taken seriously and the evidence will be rendered idle. The court relied on Section 27 of the Criminal Code to the effect that every person is presumed to be of sound mind at any relevant time until the contrary is proved. In this case, the Appellant’s defence of insanity is curious, as the Appellant’s statements were made with clarity, detailed and certainly rendered by a person of sound mind. The facts stated therein tallied with the medical reports on the injuries on the deceased, and same corroborated the evidence of the Prosecution witnesses.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation Dr. Oladoyin Awoyale with Adetayo Adeyemi, Esq. and A.B. Daramola, Esq. for the Appellant.

F. Omotosho Esq. for the Respondent with the fiat of the Attorney-General of Ondo State.

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR) (An Affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)

22.12.2020

NEWS/5

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Great Lions and Lioness: Chairman, Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, past Chairman, NBA Section on Legal Practice, Mia Essien, SAN, and newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, Hon Justice Samuel Chukwudumebi Oseji, at a Reception Dinner organised by UNEC Law Class of 1984 in honour of Hon Justice Oseji held at Transcorp Hilton Abuja, last Sunday

'I Didn’t Authorise Any Congratulatory Message in the Media’,Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, SAN A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, whose photograph appeared in a congratulatory message last week in a national daily has denied that he neither approved, nor authorised any such message to be published on him in any newspaper.

He said in a release ‘It has come to my attention that a couple of relatives and friends and well-wishers have put out congratulatory messages in the media, including, newspapers, in celebration of the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on me.

‘As understanding as the euphoria of the excitement and joy of the numerous well-wishers is, it is very likely that they do not know about the policy prohibiting the publication of congratulatory advertorials in the newspapers and other social media platforms. In as much as I appreciate the overwhelming outpouring of love by the numerous well-wishers, I state that nobody whatsoever ever sought my prior consent or authorisation to publish or post any such congratulatory messages in any newspaper and/

Mr. Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, SAN or social media, and I did not grant any prior consent and/or authorisation to any person or group of persons whatsoever to publish or post any such congratulatory messages in any newspaper and/or social media or any other medium whatsoever, for me or on my behalf or in my honour.

‘As a legal practitioner and a newly admitted member of the Inner Bar, I uphold the

highest standards and ethics of the legal profession, and I will continue to commit myself to ensuring that the ethics of the Bar and the dignity of the Inner Bar are not compromised in any manner whatsoever.’

The strict rule for all newly sworn in Senior Advocates of Nigeria, prohibits congratulatory adverts in the media, electronic, online or print.

NBA Ikeja Gets New Executive The much awaited election of the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) held last week, and a new Executive sworn in.

The new team include :Chairman - Bartholomew Aguegbodo

Vice Chairman - Adedoyin Sobiye Secretary - Yemi Abijo Assistant Secretary Ezekiel Bodunde Treasurer - Basil Owolabi Financial Secretary Ademilola Adeola Legal Adviser - Tracy

Amadigwe Publicity Secretary Malvin Ibem Welfare Secretary - Adeola Folarin Social Secretary - Adesola Olusoga Provost - Omozusi Omokhafe

CJ FHC Addresses Special Court Session When the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, was sworn in as the substantive Head of the Court on December 13, 2019, by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammad, he knew what he wanted to do to advance the frontiers of swift justice delivery within the court's jurisdiction.

"I am committed to improving on the achievements of my predecessors in office, both in terms of infrastructure and human resources development", Justice Tsoho had said during his address at the Spdcial Court Session to mark the commencement of the Federal High Court new legal year on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Chief Judge revealed that the problem of efficient and qualified manpower is being tackled with the support of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, adding, "We have bolstered the strength of the court with over a hundred officers. They are all qualified, in different fields of learning and competence.

"Also, the process is on the way, for the appointment of some judicial officers to the Bench in the coming year", he said.

Another transformative effort was to arrest the issue of conflicting judgements and rulings that had dogged the court through interactive discussions among Judges of the court, while appealing to legal practitioners and litigants to shun the unwholesome practice of 'forum shopping',

Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho which had cast the court in a bad light.

On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, Justice Tsoho unveiled the presentation of the Federal High Court's Law Report for 2013 and 2014.

During the unveiling, the Chief Judge said the report is a compilation of judgements delivered by Judges of the Federal High Court, adding that it would help Lawyers, researchers and members of the public, in their various endeavours.

Justice Tsoho equally advised his colleagues to be wary of actions that would put the court in bad light. He charged Judges and supporting staff of the court to be battle ready, for the upsurge in cases that would follow the eventual control of the coronavirus disease.

"I encourage your Lordships to be wary of actions that will

Court Strikes Out N167,886,591,60 Fraud Charges Against Oyo State Council Official Yinka Olatunbosun Hon. Justice Ashade of the High Court of Lagos State, on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, delivered a ruling striking out the N167,886,591,60 fraud charge against an Oyo State Council official, Badmus Adesina, and a Lawyer, Ibukunoluwa Konu.

The Defendants were accused of forging documents and stealing N167,886,591,60 from the Estate

of the Late Godfrey Kwashie Konu.

Upon resumption of the proceedings, the court informed the Prosecution and other counsel in the matter that the court had earlier received a legal advice from the office of the AttorneyGeneral of Lagos State (”AG”) stating that no prima facie case has been disclosed against the Defendants, and that the duplicate file had been forwarded back

to the Commissioner of Police to discontinue the matter based on the legal advice from the Attorney- General's office.

The 1st Defendant’s counsel acknowledged receipt of the legal advice, and urged the court to strike out the information and discharge the 1st Defendant. The 2nd Defendant’s counsel also confirmed receipt of the legal advice from the AG's office, and urged the court to strike out the

information and discharge the 2nd defendant. The Prosecution counsel did not oppose the application and indeed, agreed with the submissions of the counsel to the Defendants.

Although the counsel holding watching brief on behalf of Tosin Josephine Konu (nominal complainant), sought to make heavy weather about not being served with the legal advice, the court held that the nominal

complainant is only entitled to be seen and not to be heard.

During the proceedings, the counsel to the 2nd Defendant informed the court of the release of recordings of court proceedings to the press by the nominal complainant, and informed the court that Tosin Josephine Konu and her husband were in contempt of the court as they were recording the day's proceedings without the permission of the court.

put us and indeed, the court, in a bad light. We have managed in this new beginning, to arrange interactive discussions in the course of this conference. It is my hope that Your Lordships will appreciate such arrangement.”

He commended the Judges for their adherence to the Covid-19 Practice Direction, and other directives that were geared towards the efficient and effective administration of justice during the lockdown that was occasioned by the pandemic.

While giving an account of the court's discharge of its mandate in the outgoing legal year, the Chief Judge disclosed that the court determined over 8000 cases in the 2019/2020 legal year that has just ended.

Justice Tsoho said in the year under review, a total of 10,464 cases were filed, comprising of 2,851 civil cases, 2,599 criminal cases, 3,049 motions and 1,965 fundamental rights applications.

Also speaking at the occasion the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, noted that the Judiciary had risen above the challenge of Covid-19, by developing virtual court proceedings.This, he said, was to ensure that the wheels of justice were kept in motion.

Malami, who was represented by Dayo Apata, SAN, the Solicitor-General of the Federation, noted the need to maintain the use of ICT, particularly as the country seemed to be experiencing a second wave of the pandemic.

Speaking on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria , Mr. Joe Gadzama, SAN said the outgone year was challenging in many respects, which made physical court hearings impracticable as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Olumide Akpata, who was represented

by Mr Yusuf Kadiri, SAN, in his speech, pointed out the need to build on the ICT advantage gained as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, to speed up the administration of justice.

6/ IMAGES

22.12.2020

Monday, December 14, 2020 saw 72 lawyers admitted into the Inner Bar as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) at the Supreme Court, Abuja. Below are some of the new SANs

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and Dapo Akinosun, SAN

NBA President, Olumide Akpata and Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, SAN

Dr. Ogbai Omo-Eboh, SAN, and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloma Mukhtar

Kunle Adegoke, SAN, and his elder brother, Justice Kola Adegoke

Mrs Funke Adekoya, SAN, and former President, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Mrs Boma Alabi, SAN

L-R: Chief Richard Ahuonaruogho, SAN, former Edo State Attorney-General, Chief Charles Edosomwan, SAN, Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, SAN, and Babatunde Ogala, SAN

L-R Mrs Aita Sogbetun, Dr. Ehida Williams, Dr. Omogbai Omo-Eboh, SAN, Mrs. Folashade Omo-Eboh & Mrs. Oshuwa Gbadebo-Smith (Wife & Sisters)

Dr. Ogbai Omo-Eboh, SAN and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Prof Damilola Olawuyi , SAN

Former NBA General Secretary, Mazi Afam-Osigwe, SAN, and his wife

Adedapo Tunde-Olowu, SAN, and his wife Agnes

cont'd on page 7

22.12.2020

IMAGES /7

Dapo Akinosun, SAN

Osayaba Giwa-Osagie, SAN, and Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN

Dapo Akinosun, SAN and Chairman, ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owansanoye, SAN Soni Ajala,SAN (left) and Gideon Mus Kuttu, SAN (right)

Godson Ugochukwu, former NBA Lagos Branch Chairman, Chukwuka Ikwazom SAN and his wife Uche Osayaba Giwa-Osagie, SAN and his wife

Babatunde Ogala SAN, and his wife Justice Oyindamola Ogala

Sam Zibiri SAN, and Chief Richard Ahuonaruogho SAN

Former Oyo State Attorney-General, Seun Abimbola SAN, and former NBA General Secretary, Isiaka Olagunju SAN

Prof Joseph Abugu SAN

8/COVER

22.12.2020

‘My Administration is Committed to Coming into the saddle of leadership of Africa’s largest professional body, albeit through a much faulted and criticised election as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata has wasted no time in assuaging the confidence of Nigerian Lawyers that, he indeed, can deliver on all his electoral promises. Even in the midst of a debilitating global pandemic, he told Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi in a chat that his administration will not have any excuse not to lift the NBA back to its past glory (and more), and ensure the welfare of young Lawyers, amongst many other productive initiatives designed to benefit all members

A

fter the criticism that trailed the conduct of the 2020 elections and your swearing in as NBA President, you seem to have hit the ground running. Given the tremendous challenges of the pandemic and its attendant effect on the legal profession and Bar activities, how have you managed run the NBA these past few months? How do you intend to restore the lost glory of the NBA, refocus the Association to play the role that a Bar Association is designed and expected to play, and make our voting system unimpeachable? It was recently reported in the news that two members of staff of the NBA Secretariat are present facing criminal charges for rigging the 2018 elections.

The year 2020 has truly been an unusual one and has thrown up significant challenges for everyone, including those of us running of the affairs of the NBA. However, what I quickly realised after my inauguration as President of the NBA is that the effects of the pandemic will be with us for a while and that we cannot use the pandemic as an excuse not to deliver on the mandate that my team and I have been given. So, we told ourselves that we must quickly adjust and hit the ground running.

To function fully at the NBA, we have leveraged technology to keep up with the demands of office. For example, the emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the NBA which we held on the 22nd of October, 2020 was a virtual meeting that had close to 200 committee members in attendance, and we had a robust engagement.

However, we have also had physical engagements in certain cases, but with full compliance with the protocols advised by the relevant public health authorities.

For instance, just last week, our first regular NEC meeting was held at Abuja with representatives of almost all our 125 branches attending. So, we have adjusted well and are able to function fully notwithstanding the challenges and effects of the pandemic.

On how I intend to restore the glory of the Bar, I will quickly say that whether the glory of the NBA is indeed lost, is a matter for the jury, which I believe is still out. Having said that, we are not oblivious of the great expectations of Lawyers and the generality of Nigerians from the NBA. In that respect, we remain committed to achieving three broad objectives at the NBA: first, to

NBA President, Olumide Akpata

“THE THREE PROBLEMS FACING THE YOUNG LAWYER TODAY, ARE POOR REMUNERATION, INADEQUATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND LIMITED CAPACITY TO VENTURE INTO NEW OR EMERGING AREAS OF PRACTICE. THE NBA UNDER MY WATCH IS TAKING THESE ISSUES SERIOUSLY”

consistently take steps that will ensure that the Bar remains the conscience of the society and a clear voice on all national issues; secondly, to deal with critical issues affecting the welfare of our members, and lastly, to reposition the legal profession in Nigeria for better. This is what we have been trying to do since we came on board a few months ago, and all our policies and programs are geared towards achieving these objectives. I am not unaware of the fact that many of our members had lost faith in the Association, but since we assumed office and began to take some of the steps that we have been taking, I have had thousands of Lawyers either calling or sending emails and text messages to say that they are happy with some of steps that we have been taking, and that they believe that we are on course. As gratifying as that is, it is not lost on me that there is still a lot of work to be done.

On making the NBA voting system impeachable, I certainly acknowledge that there are issues with the current system and these issues resulted in the complaints that we have had during the last three elections of national officers of the Association. However, my administration is dedicated to making

a difference in this respect, and that was why, as one of my first official assignments after being sworn in, I empaneled an Electoral Audit and Reforms Committee with a mandate to audit the 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections of the Association, and to make recommendations on how we can conduct credible and transparent elections that would be acceptable to all sides ahead of the 2022 elections. That committee led

by Ayodele Akintunde, SAN has since commenced work, and delivered an interim report at our last NEC meeting held on the 15th December, 2020. I have confidence in the Committee and believe that at the end of the exercise, there will be tremendous improvements in the way we conduct our elections at the NBA. The legal profession now operates under an inclement weather resulting from the unprecedented and unexpected outcome of the pandemic.

What plan does your administration have to alleviate and cushion the effects on Lawyers? What plans do you have for the young Lawyers, many of whom voted for you in the election?

My bias for the welfare of Lawyers,

COVER /9

22.12.2020

Reforming NBA's Electoral System’ is very well known. To give you an example, at the last meeting of the NBA NEC, I sought approval to launch the eight priority projects of my administration. About five of those projects are welfare focused. That should give you a sense, of how important the welfare of Lawyers is to me. That said, the devastating impact of the pandemic on Lawyers cannot be overemphasised, as many of our members earn their daily bread through court appearance fees.

Also, the downward turn in businesses meant that many clients including corporates, were reluctant in prosecuting their cases. All of these have come at great cost to the economic well-being of the average Lawyer. We are very well aware of these headwinds, and the impact that they have had on the finances and well-being our members.

As part of efforts to cushion the effects, the NBA, as part of a project which we christened “Project Exchequer” has commenced talks with a financial institution on the possibility of providing access to finance to our members on liberal and concessionary terms. In addition, we are working to see how our members can access institutional funding that is available to micro, small and medium enterprises, during this pandemic and beyond. We are convinced that the structure of law firms, fit into the delineation of businesses as MSMEs. This is because, the 21st century law practice is essentially a business, and in advanced economies, law firms benefit from such government interventionist policies. For example, law firms were factored as beneficiaries of the $2 trillion stimulus package approved by the Donald Trump government in the United States, in the hopes of keeping the economy afloat. When these plans come on stream, it would assist in no small measure, in ameliorating the economic hardship wrought on our members as a result of the pandemic, particularly those whose practices have been most impacted. When this is done, law firms can apply for such loans to keep up with their practices. This has become all the more imperative, as we prepare for the second wave of the pandemic.

As for our young Lawyers, their interest remains top priority for me. As I have always said, they, as a collective embody the future of the profession, and we cannot afford to take them for granted.

The three problems facing the young Lawyer today, are poor remuneration, inadequate employment opportunities and limited capacity to venture into new or emerging areas of practice.

The NBA under my watch, is taking these issues seriously. As I said recently during the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on some of our members, our SANs must lead this charge from the front. As far as practicable, our senior Lawyers must be able to pay a living wage to Lawyers working in their offices, particularly young Lawyers, for whom the early years of practice is often nightmarish.

They must also be constantly encouraged to try new things and venture into new areas of legal practice so as not to saturate the traditional litigation space.

As an Association, my administra-

“WE ARE ALSO CALLING ON THE SERVICE CHIEFS TO LIVE UP TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, OR RESIGN THEIR APPOINTMENTS. IF THE GOVERNMENT IS REALLY DETERMINED TO FIGHT THIS INSECURITY, THE PRESIDENT SHOULD ALSO FIRE THE TOP BRASS OF OUR CURRENT SECURITY ARCHITECTURE, AND BRING IN THOSE WHO WILL BE WILLING TO DELIVER RESULTS EXPEDITIOUSLY”

NBA President, Olumide Akpata

tion is working out modalities for determining and recommending the appropriate living wage for Lawyers across the county, and as a corollary to that, we will also be institutionalising an arrangement that will enable our Lawyers earn more for the work that they do, so as to improve their capacity to pay the recommended living wages.

We are doing this under a project that we call “Project Benjamin” and it will benefit not just our young Lawyers, but the entire body of Lawyers in Nigeria.

On a related note, I have always posited that as Lawyers, what we boast and trade, is the knowledge and skill set that we have. To this end, I believe that if we can equip our young Laeyers with the right information and knowledge, we will improve their preparedness for the future and also make them more attractive for diverse opportunities.

This is why at the core of “Project Enhancement” (one of the 8 priority projects that the NBA NEC approved for me last week) is the reinvigoration of our Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and the establishment of a Career Development Centre. This Institute, when it berths, would be saddled with the responsibility of training our young Lawyers in niche and emergent areas of practice, to make them more relevant to service a 21st century clientele. The Career Development Centre, on the other hand, will help to, among other things, aggregate several available opportunities that our young Lawyers will be interested in, and based on data or statistics available to them, recommend those areas where we need to focus on in training your young lawyers so as to make them more relevant to the market.

You have expressed serious concerns

over the parlous security situation in the country, which seems to be getting worse. What strategies does your administration have, to engage the Government in ensuring better security for Nigerians? Should the President have acceded to the National Assembly’s request to address members on the state of insecurity that has pervaded the nation, especially as we just faced the new issue of the students that were kidnapped from the Kankara Boys Science Secondary School in Katsina State (#BringBackOurBoys)? How would you say this administration has done so far in stamping out corruption, revamping the economy and upholding the rule of law?

I think that it has to be said, howsoever unsavoury, that the security architecture of the country has broken down so much so that, Nigerians are now at the mercy of criminal elements who now strike whenever it pleases them. This is totally unacceptable. I don't think that we have ever had it this bad, in the odd history of our existence as a nation. But, unfortunately, it is our reality today. As an Association, we reckon that there is little we can practically do in this area, since security is totally under the control of the Commander-in-Chief and those whom he has appointed to assist him in that regard. The much that we can do is to constantly engage the government through the right channels to demand for improved security of lives and properties of Nigerians, and to lend our voice to these issues. We are also calling on the service chiefs to live up to their responsibilities, or resign their appointments. If the government is really determined to fight this insecurity, the President should also fire the top brass of our current

security architecture, and bring in those who will be willing to deliver results expeditiously.

Having said that, I understand that Lawyers, in our typical fashion, have taken contradicting sides on the decision of the President, not to answer the call of the National Assembly, to proffer salient responses to issues surrounding the government's handling of the security situation in the country. I will not join that legal debate. But, beyond the legalese of it, there is no reason in the world why the President should renege on his earlier commitment to honour the call, on moral grounds.

Irrespective of how convoluted the issue has been made to appear by the presidency, it still beggars reason and logic that a President elected by the people, and from whose authority, he derives legitimacy to govern, refuses to honour the call of the representatives of the people on a matter of national importance.

On the performance of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in the areas of revamping the economy, stamping out corruption and upholding the rule of law, your guess is as good as mine. Even before the Pandemic, the economy was in a wobbly shape, with the Naira consistently on a free fall with multiple exchange rates. It has only taken the Pandemic to set us on a second recession, in the life of the administration. I think that sums up the performance of the administration, in that regard.

You have been very passionate about African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), to the extent that you led a team of Lawyers who advised the Federal Government on its accont'd on page 10

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‘My Administration is Committed to Reforming NBA's Electoral System’ cont'd from page 9

ceptance. Now that the Government has signed the Protocol, what are the next steps for Nigerian Lawyers to engage and ensure we don’t miss out in the huge potential opportunities accruable therefrom?

The AfCFTA boasts enormous opportunities for Lawyers. And it is an opportunity which I'm prepared to see that many of us benefit from. With a population of 1.3 billion people, and a combined GDP of $ 3 trillion, there's no gainsaying the fact that the trade area when it becomes fully operational in January, 2021, would be the largest in the world in terms of participating countries. The entire value chain of the trade area requires the role of professionals, particularly Lawyers. However, it is only law firms with capacity in the areas of international trade, international finance, international dispute resolution and allied areas, that can look to benefit from the opportunities to be afforded by this trade agreement. Unfortunately, most of our law firms lack the needed international exposure to play in this area. We face stiff competition from law firms in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa NBA President, Olumide Akpata in this regard, who have established international partnerships and bilateral that the distinguished rank of Senior business relationships. Already, 80% of Advocate of Nigeria, is a privilege, and legal briefs and services consumed in not a right. To that extent, the Legal Africa, are handled by law firms from Practitioners Privileges Committee has outside Nigeria. We can't afford to allow been imbued with the powers to make that repeat itself, against the backdrop rules and guidelines for prospective of Nigeria's inputs in the trade area. advocates interested in the coveted Now that the trade agreement has rank. What I'm trying to say is that, been ratified by the Federal Executive those rules are exclusively those of the Council, law firms who lack capacity Committee which it alters from time in that area, should think partnership to time to meet with the issues associwith leading law firms outside Nigeria ated with the process of applying for to strategically position for the boon to the rank. In recent years, the process come from the trade area. This sort of partnership would eventually crystallise in knowledge transfer, and create indigenous skill. And to be sure, one does not have to travel to do this, at least at the initial stages. Law firms who have interest in this area, can initiate such conversation through emails and other forms of electronic communication. Also, Lawyers and law firms must think technology to be relevant in this space. It is doubtful whether one can become fully relevant in the 21st century legal marketplace, without "intelligence augmentation". As an Association, when the Institute of Legal Education comes on board, we'll design courses and seminars tailored to how Lawyers and law firms can position to take the benefit of the opportunities to be afforded by the trade area. So, I think it comes down to three things: capacity building, intelligence “I THINK THAT IT HAS TO gathering, and strategic networking/ partnerships. We'll continue to provide BE SAID, HOWSOEVER members with privileged information UNSAVOURY, THAT THE coming to us as an Association in that regard, and we expect that they'll sure SECURITY ARCHITECTURE make the best of it.

To the chagrin of many Lawyers, the Privileges Committee recently released a new set of rules and requirements for the conferment of silk. Many see the new requirement as tedious and unrealistic, like obtaining certified copies of Bank statements evidencing payment of practicing fees and Branch dues. What does NBA leadership intend to do about this?

First, I think the point has to be made

OF THE COUNTRY HAS BROKEN DOWN SO MUCH SO THAT, NIGERIANS ARE NOW AT THE MERCY OF CRIMINAL ELEMENTS WHO NOW STRIKE WHENEVER IT PLEASES THEM”

has learnt to function within the limits of the Covid-19 protocols. To the extent practicable, I believe that in the new normal, the Judiciary can consolidate on these efforts. Heads of Courts have devised measures of ensuring physical distancing in court rooms through efficient case management and scheduling.

Also, the mandatory wearing of face masks and sanitisation of hands before entering of all courts, have also helped to create a sustainable Covid-19 court environment. So we'll continue to emphasise the need to observe these protocols subject however, to the directives of the Federal Government as we brace up for phase 2 of lockdown as already seen in States like Lagos. Further, the recent swearing-in of eight Justices of the Supreme Court, bringing the total number of Justices of that Court, to 20, the highest in the history of the Court, would no doubt also help in the expeditious determination of appeals arising from the decisions of the Court of Appeal, as well as matters brought under the original jurisdiction of the Court.

has been fraught with all manner of criminalities ranging from forgery of court processes, warts and all. A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, decried the spate of criminalities that attend the process in 2018, you may recall.

Recently, a Lawyee was dragged before the Federal High Court, Abuja on charges bordering on forgery of judgements of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. It therefore, begs the question; if applicants could forge Court processes, what would they not do with receipts of branch dues and duplicates of bank tellers evidencing timely payment of Bar practicing fees!

So, if the Committee decides to ask for certified copies of these documents, from applicants, I like to see it as a response to a mischief which is well entrenched in our interpretative jurisprudence. So, as an Association, we see these new rules, howsoever perceived to be cumbersome, as an effort at enthroning probity, which an Association like ours, should always vouch.

The pandemic has further impeded access to justice for many Nigerians, even in an already challenged justice delivery system. Only a limited number of cases receive attention in courts. What would be your approach to ensuring that this doesn’t further worsen an already bad situation?

Let me firstly commend the Judiciary for the sheer amount of work they've been able to put out, despite the disruptions of the pandemic. During the 2020/2021 Legal Year opening of the various courts, I was pleased to learn of the number of matters handled by the Courts within the 2019/2020 legal year, in spite of the number of months lost on account of the lockdown between April and July, of 2020 which greatly impacted the work of the Judiciary. From what we have seen in the interval between the relaxation of the lockdown and now, one can say that the Judiciary

There has been this raging controversy over the severance allowances, salaries and emoluments of past Governors, especially those who are now serving as Ministers and Senators. On which side of the divide are you? Do they deserve these humongous salaries for life, as presently obtaining in several States?

I think the practice is highly unconscionable, in the context of our peculiarities.

This is a country where hundreds of millions of the citizens are hapless on account of political corruption and appropriation of funds meant for their socioeconomic well-being, by the same persons whom they're being made to finance their post-service life. I think it's a clear case of robbing Peter to pay Paul and therefore, totally unacceptable.

Governors are not public servants within the context of the 1999 Constitution, and are therefore, not subject to public service rules which provide for severance allowances. I think it's the endemic culture whereby politicians see the elective offices as an opportunity to plunder rather than serve, that feeds such selfish expectations in a country where resources are scarce, and public infrastructure largely in a state of disrepair where they're available. So, for me, that is a totally greedy and unconscionable practice, and the legislature in the States where such practice is obtainable, should rise to the occasion to repeal the legal framework that allow for such mindboggling profiteering.

For the first time, Nigerian youths came out massively to protest nationwide against the unprecedented violation of human rights by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police (#EndSARS). What are your takeaways from the historic event which ended on a rather sad note in which lives were lost? Would you say the protest achieved any meaningful purpose? Some say that the NBA did not comment adequately about the Protests. What message do you think was sent by the Police by the matter they filed to stop the State Panels of Inquiry, despite the cont'd on page 11

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‘My Administration is Committed to Reforming NBA's Electoral System’ cont'd from page 10

Supreme Court decision in Fawehinmi v Babangida which allowed States to set up such Panels? Does the fact that the Police appears as Item 45 of the Exclusive Legislative List, affect the Panels of Inquiry?

The #EndSARS protests teaches the lesson that there's a limit to which people could be taken for a ride. It also speaks to the ease with which this soro soke generation can organise via social media, and other social networks. These are enough reasons, for the government to wake up and smell the coffee. The protests might have ended, but I tell you that the embers are yet to smoulder.

At the slightest provocation, we might be headed for another round, if my reading of the mood of the nation is right.

To a large extent, I would say the protests achieved a lot in terms of the awareness created on the political consciousness of Nigerians who were before the protests, perceived by the political class as docile. Could it have achieved more, if there was a clear leadership structure? Perhaps. Maybe it wouldn't have led to the loss of lives and the destruction of public and private properties in the manner it panned out.

But, is that a reason to assert that it wasn't a success? Not in the least, for me.

Having said that, I don't think it is correct to say that our intervention as an Association wasn't enough. As the records bear out, and as reported by this THISDAY and other media, we didn't just issue statements in condemnation of the ugly turn of the protests, we were also on ground through our branches to assist in the release of unlawfully arrested protesters; providing pro bono legal services where needed; partnering with the National Assembly in the draft of a legislation in response to some of the issues that led to the protests; and threatening legal action against the military both in local and international fora, if indicted by the panels of inquiry set up by the Federal Government and the State governments. Speaking of the constitutionality of the panels of inquiry, and the purported action by the Police seeking an injunctive order against the mandate of the panels, I understand there's been a rebuttal by the Police hierarchy that the Force wasn't carried along in the action filed in its name.

That remains a knotty issue, which I believe would be settled eventually in the Court. That said, the constitutionality of the panels of inquiry was one of the issues discussed at the last NEC, and we have set up a Committee led by the former 2nd Vice President of the NBA, Monday Ubani, to interrogate the conflicting legal opinions on the debate, and come up with a reconciliatory legal opinion which the Association can rely upon. So I wouldn't want to preempt the work of the Committee.

Suffice however, to state that we're in support of the mandate of the Panels of Inquiry, and the Association is hugely involved in the process in dual capacity: providing pro bono legal services to indigent petitioners, and acting as Amicus Curiae to the panels through our members across our branches.

Kindly, share your thoughts on the Judiciary? Is it simply a mat-

“THE NIGERIAN PROBLEM IS SIMPLY AND SQUARELY ONE OF LEADERSHIP. I HATE TO END ON A DEPRESSING NOTE, BUT NOTHING GIVES ONE HOPE THAT 2021 WOULD BE ANY BETTER WITH THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP IN THE COUNTRY, BOTH AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS” NBA President, Olumide Akpata

ter of increased funding to make it run more efficiently and serve the people better? Or what other steps must be taken to make the Judiciary run optimally? What are your recommendations about the mode of appointment of Judicial officers in both Federal and State High Courts? In the past few years, lots of criticisms have trailed judicial appointments.

The problem of the Judiciary, is beyond funding. There's an equally fundamental problem of the make-up of the people we send to our Benches.

Therefore, we must attempt a handshake between funding and character of Judicial personnel. The dangers of a corrupt Judge to the jurisdiction where he sits, is better imagined. The legendary Justice Oputa, graphically equated it with a blind man running with a dagger into a crowd. To this end, we must commend the National Judicial Council (NJC) for not shying away from wielding the big stick against corrupt judicial officers. Lest I'm misquoted, funding is also key. A highly motivated and diligent judicial officer, with a proper attention to his/ her welfare, would no doubt make a great addition to any jurisdiction where he/she sits in judgement over others. Of course, the reverse is also the case. Funding is also critical for the court infrastructure which also makes the work of the Judges easier. The outlook of many of our courts, leave so much to be desired. All of these issues bow to funding, hence why we have not stopped in our advocacy for greater funding for the Judiciary. In terms of the mode of appointment of judicial officers, which has received criticisms in recent times, I think the current procedure in print, is enough to guarantee a foolproof process. However there's the need to deploy technology in the processes, so that it wouldn't be susceptible to compromise or cronyism,

as we saw recently where the names of the wards of serving and retired judicial officers dominated the list of successful candidates for appointment to the Judiciary of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The current analogue process can only lend itself to manipulation, as there is no internal mechanism for checking against same.

You will agree that 2020 has indeed, been an annus horribilis, not just in Nigeria but globally. What advice do you have for Government, to make 2021 better for Nigerians?

As it is, we have one of the highest number of out of school children in the world it seems, different unions threaten to go on strike practically every week, the people are hungry and angry. In fact, Nigeria is no longer the giant of Africa, but the poverty capital of the world. What in your opinion, is the way forward?

The Nigerian problem is simply and squarely one of leadership. I hate to end on a depressing note, but nothing gives one hope that 2021 would be any better with the current leadership in the country, both at the Federal and State levels. But, I hope to be disappointed. The recommendations have been there for time without memory, on how the Nigerian leadership can get the country working, but it's often a long mile between, talk and action.

Already, 2021 doesn't look great from where we stand. We are in a recession which would last at least until the end of the first quarter of the New Year from what we're hearing from financial analysts. We're at the cusp of a second wave of the pandemic which would also see the price of crude oil crashing again, with implications for government revenue. It's unfortunate that we have ourselves in a deep hole, which you'll agree with me, are largely self induced due to leadership choices.

So if you ask me the way forward, I'll say government must get more serious to undertake the business of governance. For starters, we must cut the cost of running the government since we're in a pandemic, and invest more in infrastructure and human capital, which are known drivers of any economy.

Diversification of the economy which has been bandied around by successive governments, should also be prioritised.

On this score, the Agriculture and manufacturing sectors are two areas we must leverage the AfCFTA to improve, and get our fair share in the burgeoning trade agreement.

And then, the elephant in the room: security. The Muhammadu Buhari government must make a decision at once in the matter of the service chiefs, as we approach the New Year.

The popular opinion is that new hands should be brought, to inject fresh ideas in the anti-insurgency war. It's high time the government hearkened to that voice of reason, and climb down from its high horse. Truth is, without any meaningful improvement in National security, businesses would not thrive, foreign investment would not berth on our shores, and our economic woes are likely to continue. This is why security is paramount. But, while it is easy to blame the service chiefs, it can equally be said that they're not the ones whom Nigerians voted into office to protect their lives and properties. The buck at all times, stops at the desk of the Commander-in-Chief. And as one man said, he must be seen to chiefly be in command.

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Is NASS Constitutionally Competent to Summon President Buhari? (Part 1) Introduction To “summon” is to ‘send for’, ‘call for’, ‘gather’ or ‘rally’.

It could also mean to ‘command’.

Earlier last month, I read with angst and trepidation, a statement credited to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, to the effect that the National Assembly (NASS) has no power to summon the President over his “operational use of the Armed Forces”. I was the more disturbed with the AGF’s stance, because the President has already voluntarily agreed to appear before the NASS. Under Sections 217, 218 and 219 of the 1999 Constitution, the President cannot carry out the “operational use of the Armed Forces” without the NASS concurring or empowering him to do so. In fact, under Section 219(b), the composition of the Armed Forces of the Federation must reflect the Federal Character of Nigeria, and it is only the NASS that has the powers to make laws regulating how the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, carries out the operational use of the Armed Forces. The President can never do so alone. So, Mr. President is subject to the scrutiny of the NASS as to why the strategies so far employed by Mr. President to combat insecurity have abysmally failed Nigeria; and why he has continued to retain Service Chiefs, whose tenure of office has since expired, and who have since outlived their usefulness, efficiency and effectiveness. There is nothing secret or confidential about the Nigerian security situation, as the AGF wants us to believe. So, why can’t the NASS summon the President to explain why insecurity is mounting geometrically, rather than arithmetically? I believe it can.

Utopia The AGF must be living in another utopian world, not the same world of reality, that we live in, where the entire Governors of the North East, and the entire Northern establishment and elite, including the Sultan of Sokoto, the ACF and the NEF, who have all decried the terrible insecurity situation in the North. Indeed, the Sultan said, without contradiction, that the North is the most hazardous and perilous place to live in Nigeria today.

So, where is the AGF getting his information about reclaiming of over 14 local government areas allegedly previously controlled by the Boko Haram from? Is there anybody in Nigeria today, including even the toddlers, who do not know that the entire security architecture and apparatchik of Nigeria is over 98% controlled and located in one section and one religion of this pluralistic, multi-ethic, multi-religious and multi-linguistic country called Nigeria? I, therefore, whole heartedly and most vehemently disagree with the said statement credited to the AGF, to the effect that NASS is not constitutionally competent to invite Mr. President to come and address it on national security issues. That piece of advice is wrong, wrong and wrong. I am amazed that the presidential aides and spokespersons to Mr. President, such as Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed, the AGF, Mr. Femi Adesina and Mr. Garuba Shehu, do not give Mr. President the right and correct advice as to how to move the nation forward.

“The Buck Stops Here” They constantly engage in sophistry, inanities and ineffective liberal disquisition, which do not in any way help to re-engineer the national weal; what the late K. O. Mbadiwe, would refer to as “national resurgimento”. President Muhammadu Buhari must realise that history will judge him for good or for bad; not his Attorney-General or spokespersons. What Nigerians will remember in the future will be “the Buhari Administration”, not the Abubakar Malami, Lai Mohammed, Femi Adesina, or Garuba Shehu administration. This is because, as former American President, Harry Truman, once put it, “the Buck stops here”. The Nigerian presidential system of government, is modelled after the American Presidential system of government. And, since 1776, when America became independent from the British Empire, and up to April 30, 1789, when George Washington stood on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, and took the oath of office as the President of the USA, every American President has always given an annual “State of the Union Address”.

And this is actually prescribed in the American Constitution, in Article 2, Section 3, Clause 1. Although such a specific provision is not found in the Nigerian Constitution, it is, however, clear that under Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution, it is NASS that is vested with the constitutional powers to “make laws for the peace, order and good government

President Muhammadu Buhari

of the Federation, or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive legislative list…..”.

It, therefore, means that the President can only execute laws made by the National Assembly, by virtue of Section 5 of the same Constitution, either by himself directly, or through the Vice President, Ministers or Officers of the Public Service of the Federation. Similarly, under Section 81(1), the President is expected, every financial year, to prepare and physically lay before NASS, estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the Federation for the next financial year. This is commonly called the National Budget. In such a situation, the Red and Green Chambers of the NASS, meet together at a joint sitting, which is presided over by the Senate President, and in his absence, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, under Section 53(2) of the 1999 Constitution. Can anyone, including the AGF, rightly argue that the NASS cannot constitutionally, not only invite, but also command, the President to, appear before it? I think not.

Furthermore, by virtue of Section 88(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the National Assembly has the powers, by resolution published in its journal, or in the Official Gazette of the Federation, to direct or cause to be directed, investigation into any matter that it has powers to make laws on, as such matters include the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department, which is in charge of executing or administering Laws enacted by the NASS, and also disbursing or administering monies appropriated or to be appropriated by the Executive under Sections 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 162 of the 1999 Constitution. And these powers of the NASS are exercisable to “correct any defects in existing laws”, and to “expose corruption, inefficiency

“PRESIDENT BUHARI SHOULD GO AND FACE THE NASS.....IT IS NOT ONLY A DUTY TO DO SO; IT IS ALSO AN OBLIGATION HE OWES THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE. AND THIS IS CONSTITUTIONAL. THIS IS ALSO MORAL. THIS IS ALSO ETHICAL. THIS IS ALSO DECENT”

or waste in the execution of laws made by the NASS”, and in the disbursement of funds appropriated by it. “Any person” stated in Section 88(1)(b) above, of course includes President Muhammadu Buhari himself. No more, no less. In the face of this, can the AGF still argue that Buhari cannot be summoned by the NASS to explain the following: (a) The monumental corruption currently ravaging the country, which has since made recovered loots to be further relooted? (b) Corruption which has made the once anti-corruption Czar, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, to himself face the Justice Salami Panel and CCB, over allegations of massive corruption, abuse of office, insubordination, etc, which was ignited and initiated

by Abubakar Malami himself? (c) That corruption in Nigeria has become so incrementally monumental and cancerous, strutting about like a proud peacock, that Nigeria has carried the unenviable trophy of the 148 out of 180 most corrupt countries in the world; and the shameful diadem of the third most corrupt country in West Africa, according to the 2020 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, CPI? (d) Why “inefficiency” (Section 88(1)(b)) and ineffectiveness, have made the present Buhari government to become lame-duck, clueless, visionless and compassless, that the country is literally on auto-pilot? (e) That insecurity has become so alarmingly rampant that Boko Haram that was so tamed under the Jonathan government that elections seamlessly took place in the North East in 2015, has today become so monstrous that Northerners themselves are now singing to Nigerians that Boko Haram literally controls the entire North East space, mounting road blocks and checkpoints, and collecting revenue, taxation, and ransom from indigenes, whom they issue pass to, before they are allowed to move freely about in their own territories? (f) That Boko Haram has even been rendered a child’s play, when compared with rampaging armed banditry, vicious and murderous Herdsmen, who kill Nigerian citizens in their farms and rape their mothers, wives and daughters in their bedrooms, right before their very eyes? (g) That Boko Haram has since been overtaken by violent and savagery cases of kidnapping and murders across the length and breadth of the Nigerian space? (h) That the Nigerian economy has become so parlous that under the Buhari regime, Nigeria has entered into a second recession, and has since become the poverty capital of the world, overtaking India; whereas, under the Jonathan government in 2015, Nigeria was rebased as the biggest economy in Africa, overtaking South Africa in the process, with over $500billion, which made her one of the seven fastest growing economies in the world? With these, the AGF should never advice Mr. President not to appear before the NASS. It is not only moral and ethical to do so; it is also legally and constitutionally mandatory for Buhari to honour NASS summons.

President Buhari should go and face the NASS, and answer questions why his government has failed Nigerians so abysmally. Buhari should not be protected. He should not be masqueraded. He should not be screened. He should face Nigerians, eye-ball-to-eye-ball, and account for his stewardship of nearly six years. It is not only a duty to do so; it is also an obligation he owes the Nigerian people. And this is constitutional. This is also moral. This is also ethical. This is also decent.

The most recent kidnap of about 333 male students from a secondary school in Kankara, Katsina State, right before the very nose of President Buhari who was holidaying in his Gusau country home, underscores Nigeria’s insecurity predicament. The report of the release of these young innocent boys, gladdens my heart. I am not here interested in the ongoing conspiracy theories of whether the entire kidnap and release was a mere cooked-up melodrama and simulated histrionics, to give the semblance of a performing President.

With peoples’ lives? With Nigerian lives?

The Challenge Continues The Senate Wades In Former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, had contributed to a debate of the NASS at plenary session on insecurity, by saying troops lack modern arms and were hardly provided with support. (To be continued).

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it”. (Abraham Lincoln)

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

ͯ Ͷ ˜ Ͱ ͮ Ͱ ͮ MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

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Quick Takes AfDB Approves 2021 Borrowing Program

EMPOWERMENT PLATFORM

L-R: Divisional Head, Retail Services, Wema Bank Plc, Dotun Ifebogun; former MD/CEO, Wema Bank Plc, Segun Olaketuyi; Entrepreneur, Mrs. Elenda Giwa-Amu; Founder, ZigZag Nation, Mr. Obafemi Giwa-Amu and Acting Chief Digital Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Richard Madiebo, during the media launch of ZigZag Nation online empowerment platform, held in Lagos...recently

OPEC: Fuel Efficiency to Cut Oil Demand by 8.6mbd in 25 Years Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has predicted that up to 8.6 million barrels (mb) of daily global oil demand could be wiped out in 25 years by improved fuel-efficient practices.

OPEC’s Secretary General, Dr. Mohammad Barkindo stated this in a speech he delivered at the 31st Meeting of the Energy Charter Conference which held recently in Azerbaijan via videoconference.

“If we look at OPEC’s recently published World Oil Outlook 2020, oil demand in the transportation is an illustrative example. Between 2019 and 2045, improved fuel efficiency is expected to be responsible for a decline in demand of 8.6 mb/d.

“In the OECD, this will be

ENERGY 4.4mbd. In both cases, this amounts to more demand reduction than that achieved by penetration by alternative fuel vehicles,” Barkindo said in his remarks.

He explained that energy efficiency requires efficiency improvements in both demand and supply, and that digitalisation offered effective means of unlocking energy efficiency improvements.

Barkindo disclosed OPEC’s support of measures to improve data transparency in the oil market. He said the organisation has remained committed to the Joint Organisations Data Initiative.

“Additionally, we organise a multitude of meetings with our partners on the issue of data transparency, including with the

IEA and IEF, as well as secondary source reporting agencies. Our aim is to constantly improve the accuracy and timeliness of data.

“We also believe that dialogue between consumers and producers is critical to improving efficiency. For this reason, we have an extensive range of formalised, international dialogues with a broad range of partners.

“These offer indispensable platforms for exchanging views, providing clarity and finding mutually beneficial solutions,” he added.

He also noted that the coronavirus pandemic has underlined the need for unity and efficiency in the industry especially in response to exceptional times.

Barkindo, stated that oil demand destruction caused by the pandemic has remained a huge risk to its survival.

But to help counter the situation, he explained that OPEC and its partners agreed on a Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) April to new voluntary production adjustments, beginning with 9.7mbd, in May and June 2020, which was extended to July.

These supply adjustments, he added have remained the largest and longest in the history of OPEC and the oil industry.

“The adjustments were subsequently ‘enhanced’ at the 11th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting on 6 June, indicative of our adaptability. We also agreed to a compensation mechanism for participating countries for underperformed volumes.

“On, December 3, 2020, at the 12th OPEC and Non-OPEC Continued on page 24

PwC Harps on Fiscal Reforms for Nigeria’s Economic Recovery Peter Uzoho The federal government has said that the policy choice it adopted in the deregulation of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector was one which prioritises the interaction between market forces as well as consumer protection in the setting of the pump price of petrol.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Silva stated this during a recent digital session for the Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) Strategic Outlook.

The government earlier in the year announced the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

Owing to this, the government suspended the subsidy regime it ran for years which was allegedly covered in corruption and secrecy.

ECONOMY However, members of the country’s organised labour opposed the policy which saw the pump price of petrol rise and were recently able to hammer out a price reduction deal with the government.

Furthermore, Silva explained during the online session that the government’s removal of subsidy on petrol was in the interest of Nigerians, and that, “deregulation is going to save the Nigerian government up to N1 trillion every year, which the country can use to develop other aspects of the economy.”

He further said that the government was keen to protect petrol consumers in the country from unfair market practices and wouldn’t completely exit

the sector.

“What the government has done is to take the back seat and allow market forces determine the cost of PMS,” said Silva.

He then stated: “However, government will continue to play its traditional role of protecting the consumer against profiteers.

“Government has also realised that this policy will come with some level of pain to all Nigerians and as a result, has introduced an alternative fuel source for our vehicles – Autogas.”

According to him, the Autogas initiative will cushion the effects of the downstream petrol sector deregulation and equally create huge markets and enormous job opportunities for Nigerians.

“The use of LPG and CNG present huge benefits with regards to efficiency, availability, accessibil-

ity, versatility, and environmental protection and safety,” he added.

The minister noted that the inauguration of the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) in January by the government was done to boost the use of natural gas in the country and shift from crude oil to gas.

He said: “We have initiated efforts to deliver sustainable energy by improving gas availability and accessibility, boosting gas-based industrialisation, and promoting economic diversification in our crude resources.”

He referred to President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent launch of the Autogas scheme as the country’s determined step to drive the adoption of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Continued on page 24

The 2021 Borrowing Program of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has been approved by the Board of Directors for up to $10.4 billion to be raised from capital markets.

This program will allow the Bank to raise funds in the debt capital markets in order to help finance the Bank’s projects and programs in Africa.

“The African Development Bank is active in various international capital markets including the US dollar, Euro, Australian dollar and Pound sterling. The Bank will continue to promote the development of African Capital markets with the issue of local currency denominated debt to facilitate the financing of its local currency operations, alongside other initiatives.

“In the socially responsible investment arena the Bank continues to be active and a regular issuer of Green and Social Bonds, as highlighted by its award winning and landmark $3 billion, three-year “Fight Covid-19” Social Bond earlier this year.

“The African Development Bank has also continued to use its ‘High 5’ operational priorities as a platform to issue 19 theme bonds, including ‘Improve the Quality of the Life for the People of Africa’ and ‘Light Up and Power Africa’ bonds,” the statement explained.

Hollandia Unveils Christmas Campaign

Dairy brand, Hollandia, has unveiled its “Share Nourishing Goodness This Season” Christmas campaign. The campaign encourages consumers to share nourishing goodness this season, while taking a breather and enjoying the festivities of the season. The campaign, according to a statement, will inspire and celebrate the joy of the Christmas season through the nourishing goodness of Hollandia shared with friends and family.

“The holiday season represents a time to reflect on the good things, celebrateannualtraditionsandconnectwithfriendsandfamily.Despite an unusual 2020 that has posed challenges for most consumers, there are still reasons to cheer as the year winds down.

“With this in mind, Hollandia is providing an uplifting end to the year with its new Christmas campaign. The campaign will be driven by a danceable radio jingle, engaging digital activations, brilliant billboard ads and an emotive catch phrase - Ho Ho Ho Hollandia in similarity with the tone and manner of Santa Claus to sustain it in the minds of consumers.

“The campaign is a succinct call to action for consumers to enjoy, share, and bond with the nourishing goodness of Hollandia as they celebrate with family and friends. So whatever the occasion and moment this season, Hollandia will offer nourishing goodness to varying consumption moments,” it added.

Lilvera Group Bags Award

Lilvera Group, a consultancy firm focused on integrated marketing communication has won the 2020 Africa Finance Award for the ‘Most Customer Focused Experiential Marketing category.

Lilvera Nigeria was presented with the most customer focused experiential marketing award at the ninth edition of the award held in Lagos, recently.

After receiving the award, the Lilvera Nigeria Chief Ideas Officer, Buchi Johnson thanked the organisers, saying: “this is the testament to the fact that the company has done well in 2020 that is known to be the most difficult year.”

He said, “We are honoured by this award considering that there are so many fantastic experiential marketing with good customer tractions in Africa. We have been favored by winning the 2020 the most customer focused experiential company award. Don’t forget this has been the craziest year for business,” he quipped.

Johnson, who believed that the honour has place a burden on the company’s shoulder to continuously deliver on its core mandates, however dedicated the award top his clients that have showed unflinching supports to his craft and firm’s ability to deliver at all times.

The Chief Ideas Officer stated that without the team at Lilvera Nigeria, the honour would have been elusive.

“The government needs to examine its revenue and if the government is now spending N80 out of every N100 for loan, that means the government only has N20 for the public service, health education and all of us“ Senior Partner OAL, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba

the mGas ect the nsGP) ral

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BUSINESSWORLD OPEC: FUEL EFFICIENCY TO CUT OIL DEMAND BY 8.6MBD IN 25 YEARS Ministerial Meeting, participating countries unanimously agreed to a further flexible implementation of the DoC voluntary production adjustments in the first quarter of 2021,” he explained.

In light of the current oil market fundamentals and the outlook for 2021, Barkindo stated that the group agreed to reconfirm the existing commitment and to gradually return 2mb/d to the market depending on market conditions.

“We decided to voluntary adjust production by 0.5mb/d from 7.7mb/d to 7.2mb/d beginning in January 2021,” he stated, noting that the objective for this was to keep the market stable for producers and consumers.

“This is essential to attract the levels of investment necessary to meet the oil demand of the future.

“According to OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2020, the global oil sector will need cumulative investment of $12.6 trillion in the upstream, midstream and downstream through to 2045.

“These investments will be vital for improving the efficiency of the industry,” Barkindo further explained.

PWC HARPS ON FISCAL REFORMS FOR NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel for Nigerans.

“This alternative fuel option will afford Nigerians a cheaper, cleaner, and better choice of fuel.

Cheaper than the price of PMS, cleaner for our environment, improving our carbon footprint and better for our automobile and generator engines.

“With a proven gas reserve of over 200 trillion cubic feet (tcf), Nigeria has huge potentials to be on the path to becoming an industrialised nation, with the right policies and regulations to expand the utilisation of her gas resources,” he noted.

Despite the country’s continued loss of value from its decrepit refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt, Silva stated that the government was committed to rehabilitating them, encouraging co-location of new refineries and construction of new refineries to make Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products.

Group Business Editor

ÌÓØØË ÒÓ×Ë Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

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‘PIB to Drive Emergence of Energy Intensive Industries’ Peter Uzoho

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consumer of energy,” he said He, however, called on all the labour unions in the oil and gas industry to begin to think beyond their immediate personal gains and work towards the maximisation of the opportunities that are possible for the collective prosperity of the nation.

Contractor Pledges Timely Completion of $2.8bn AKK Gas Project Chineme Okafor in Abuja One of the consortia executing Nigeria’s gas pipeline project, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, Brentex Petroleum Services Ltd/China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co Ltd (CPP) has pledged to deliver the project on schedule and within cost.

It stated this in a statement sent to THISDAY. The statement contained excerpts of interactions between its officials and that of the federal

government during a project assessment visit.

The statement explained that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari were at the DankandeKaduna line pipe stackyard of the consortium when its Executive Vice Chairman, Sani Abubakar made the pledge.

Abubakar told the government

officials that the consortium has increased its schedule of work on its section of the 614 kilometres (km) pipeline project with the intention to keep to its delivery timeline.

“We know the significance of this project to the federal government in terms of creating jobs, powering the economy and engendering the nations industrialisation. We assure Nigerians that we will live up to our billing by delivering the project on time and within cost,” Abubakar was quoted to have said.

He added that in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, it has decided to build a pipeline academy that will afford Nigerians and other Africans the opportunity to learn about welding and other pipeline construction operations.

According to him, “we shall have three project camp facilities along the Niger-Kaduna-Kano corridor of the AKK gas pipeline project. One is located here in Dankande, Kaduna another one will be just after Zaria and the third one will be just by the AKK

Terminal Gas Station in Kano.”

He said during the construction phase of the project, there would be activities stretching the pipeline construction to the extent of 50kms either side of operations.

“At the end of the day, we shall arrive at the 316kms of 40-inch gas pipeline connecting the project at Sarkin Pawa in Niger State and delivering gas to Kaduna all the way to Kano,” he added.

The entire pipeline project was expected to be completed in 24 months.

Attah Seeks Accelerated Development of Gas Resources Peter Uzoho The Managing Director of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, Mr. Tony Attah, has emphasised the need for Nigeria to accelerate the development of its gas resources before competition from renewable energy sets in.

Attah, also advised that the country must be well positioned to capitalise on the gains of gas as a major energy source in the energy transition.

The NLNG henchman stated this during his recent visit to the Minister of State for Petroleum

Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, to brief them about recent award won by the company.

Attah explained that the company was recognised as a joint winner in a nomination group consisting of top LNG companies, for its growth strategy and for the bold decision by NLNG’s shareholders to proceed with the Train 7 project amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the award was a testament to the deliberate

commitment of the country to develop and monetise its vast gas reserves for the benefits of Nigerians.

The managing director in a statement by the NLNG General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mrs Eyono Fatayi-Williams, said the award was a win-win for Nigeria.

He stated that the company was strengthened by the renewed commitment of the federal government to make gas a priority energy source for the country.

He added that the decision by the federal government to declare the next 10 years as the ‘Decade

of Gas’ would further drive the zeal to monetise the country’s gas resources and would ensure that Nigeria, through NLNG, has a major role to play in the energy transition.

“We are delighted to be recognised for our contributions.

This award is very special; it has come in a year when we strived under the impact of the pandemic to sustain our business and to keep our people safe.

“2020 is a year of many dimensions for different companies, but it has turned out to be a remarkable year on the back of our ambition to grow and

increase our production capacity by 35 per cent from 22 Million Tons Per Annum (MTPA) to 30 MTPA. “This ambition led to our signing the EPC for Train 7 project in May 2020. Our ambition is coming to life,” he said.

Attah said NLNG’s passion for growth and its vision of ‘Helping to Build a Better Nigeria’ had already earned NLNG the THISDAY Company of Decade award, stating further that the company was poised for the future with the support of the minister and other major stakeholders.

Analysts Warn against Imminent Return of Petrol Subsidy

Senior Correspondent

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the country’s detriment.

Iledare, said Nigeria had wasted years through emphasis on oil rent and revenue sharing, stressing that the PIB must be deliberate in its national development purpose.

“I have not seen an economy that develops that is not a huge

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Correspondents

Making a peer review analogy, he argued that Dubai, United Arab Emirates, used to be a mere desert in the early 1980s, saying the country used the energy transition model to turn the country around, while Nigeria was still stuck in emphasising oil production and oil rent to

An Emeritus Professor of Petroleum Economics, Prof.

Wumi Iledare, has said Nigeria should take advantage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently in consideration at the National Assembly to drive the emergence of energy intensive industries in the country.

Iledare, also advocated Nigeria’s transition from an energy production country to that of a consumption nation, explaining that such was urgently needed to maximise the country’s oil and gas potential for development that would impact on the people.

He observed that although efforts at replacing oil with alternative energy sources had been growing, Nigeria still has the chance to stir economic growth in the next few decades before the replacement of fossil fuel as main source of global energy.

Advancing his thoughts recently at a stakeholders’ engagement forum on the PIB, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Iledare urged the National Assembly to fashion a PIB that is capable of transforming Nigeria to an energy consumer by encouraging the maximization of the value Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu (left) and Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon. chain.

Nnolim Nnaji, during the inspection of the new terminal under construction at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos...recently “Nigeria must move away KOLAWOLE ALL

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from the thinking that emphasises energy production and move towards the economically impactful paradigm of energy consumption.

“It is energy consumption that will ensure the country grows its economy through value chain maximisation,” he stated.

Peter Uzoho Some policy analysts have raised concerns over the looming return of the abolished petrol subsidy owing to the continuous interference in petrol pump price by the federal government.

They said since the pronouncement of deregulation of

petrol pricing and petrol subsidy abolition, government has still not been able to allow market forces determine petroleum pump price.

They cited the recent announcement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, that petrol pump price had been reduced by N5 per litre, with effect from December 14,

2020, as agreed at a meeting between the ministry, organised labour and other stakeholders.

In a joint statement, a policy analyst and Convener, Let’s Do It Right Initiative, Olaitan Philips, said that the minister’s announcement was an indication that Nigeria may soon be back to the era of petrol subsidy.

He said the government had

spent over N10 trillion up to 2018 and had also spent a staggering unbudgeted amount of over one trillion naira on petroleum product subsidy in 2019 alone.

He said Ngige’s announcement needed to be interrogated by Nigerians to know why the government should be making such pronouncement that contradicts its stance on a free

market price regime for the downstream sector.

Philips said: “Many pertinent questions arise from this pronouncement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

“Should petrol pump prices really be fixed by mere negotiations between the government and labour?

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Unlocking Pension Funds for Infrastructural Development Dike Onwuamaeze writes on the need to take advantage of the huge pension assets to address Nigeria’s pallid state of infrastructure

Buhari

P

ublic attention was drawn to the pension fund assets, which has risen to N11.56 trillion as at September 30, 2020, when Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, declared that Nigeria would requires about $3 trillion to fund its infrastructure need in the next 30.

Osinbajo made this declaration in an address he delivered at a webinar that was organised by the Bureau for Public Enterprises on improving the Nigerian infrastructure stock through Public-Private Partnership.

He said: “Nigeria needs up to $3 trillion over the next 30 years to bridge the infrastructure gap. The federal government would have to spend the entire revised 2020 appropriation of N10.81 trillion continuously for the next 108 years or more on capital expenditure to meet that target.

“The fact that only N2.49 trillion was appropriated for capital expenditure in 2020 reflects the importance of deliberate and pragmatic action to boost infrastructural spending.”

He also noted that, “the financial outlay and management capability required for infrastructural development and service delivery outstrip the financial and technical resources available to the government.

“In other words, the traditional method of building infrastructure through budgetary allocations is inadequate and set to become harder because of increasingly limited fiscal space.”

However, the very mention of using the pension fund to fund the infrastructural needs of the country has become a matter of controversy in Nigeria.

Recently, a Non-Governmental Organisation, the SERAP, has declared that such investments to be illegal.

Pension Fund as Stable Source of Cashflow But the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Organisation (NSIA), Mr. Uche Orji, had clarified that infrastructure finance is an investment opportunity for pension fund managers to take part in.

Orji, in a recent television interview, said all over the world, pension fund invest in infrastructure because such projects have long period of operation and is structured to provide a stable source of cash flow. It is something that should be interesting to pension fund managers.

“So it is about looking at viable projects and structuring them in a manner that makes it investible for the pension fund managers to look at them and decide if they are to invest in them or not.

“It is not abnormal but it is how it works all over the world. And the pension fund managers have said that they could invest

Osinbajo 20 per cent of their funds, which means that there are investible projects for them.

“But don’t forget that the pension fund does not belong to the government but to its contributors. It is peoples’ fund which their fund managers will take the decision to invest in it because their investment instruments includes infrastructure, fiscal instruments and equities etc.”

Orji is not alone in believing that pension funds should be taken to finance infrastructure development in the country.

Also, recently, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, called on policymakers in Nigeria and other African countries to unlock over $1 trillion funds locked in pension and insurance assets to bridge the continent’s huge infrastructure deficit.

Adesina said African countries must begin to move towards funding growth and development through available funds from pension and insurance.

He added that African countries needed to reduce their debt burden to give more room for growth and development.

He said: “African outstanding debt estimated at over $700 billion has been compounded by the rising share of commercial creditors who hold over $44 billion in Eurobond debt for 10 African countries while G20 initiative on debt service suspension has helped 22 African countries to access $5.2 billion in relief of payments.

“This represents only about four per cent of the total bilateral debt of Africa. The lesson for Africa is clear. Africa simply cannot accelerate its development by relying solely on debt, especially expensive bilateral debt.

Africa must grow by mobilising domestic resources, especially by unlocking it’s over $1 trillion pension funds, sovereign wealth fund and insurance funds.

“This should be better harnessed to help close the annual infrastructure financing gap as estimated by the bank to be anything between $64 billion to $108 billion annually. Africa will build back faster by also harnessing and better managing the revenue streams from its abundant natural resources, including minerals metals, biodiversity, low economy forex resources, agriculture, oil and gas in order to boost domestic savings.”

Analysts’ Opinion Other financial analysts that spoke to THISDAY on the subject agreed with him but also emphasised the need to guarantee the safety of the pension assets that would be taken to fund infrastructure project.

The Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, considered the pension fund a suitable source of long termed finance for infrastructure finance that development finance institutions

in Nigeria may not be able to supply.

Yusuf said in other climes it is a usual practice to source long term finance from insurance firms’ life policy accounts.

He said: “Pension fund is okay, but, and this is a very big but, it has to be subject to strict financial analysis so that whatever project it will be used fund will not be a threat to the contributors welfare.

“So, it must be guaranteed by the government or some other institutions to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Because one of the major conditions in the management of the pension funds is the safety of the funds, which is even more important than the returns any investment from it will bring.

“Therefore, whatever project it is being used for should be one that will be able to ensure the security of the fund before we talk about the returns from investments. Federal government guarantee of the investment can be one of the options because of its weight as a sovereign government’s guarantee.”

Speaking in the same vein, a Professor of Finance, University of Lagos, Professor Wilfred Iyiegbuniwe said the controversy around investing pension fund is unnecessary since pension fund had been invested in government bonds, which is a borrowing to the government.

But, the issue according to Iyiegbuniwe, is whether the government could be trusted.

And that is basic.

He pointed out as at today quite a huge fund has been built up at the pension’s fund that might be needed for intermediation as every contributor would is not going to retire on the same day.

He said: “As long as the economy is growing the fund is sustainable. But the issue of trust is important because borrowing is one thing and conversion is another thing, which is treating the borrowed funds as if it is an income and fails to repay it as when due.

“If I borrow money from you there is need to be clear terms on how the money will be paid back. And if I pay back as when due there is no problem. But if I borrow without repaying then I am converting it to my money.

And that is where the problem is.

“You know that the pensioners need the money as they retire as their only sure means of livelihood. I think it is a matter of the process and whether the government can be trusted to repay the money as and when due. That is the major issue.

“Apart from this trust issue it is alright because government has been borrowing from it through the issuing of bonds, which are among the legitimate investments of the pension fund. And investing in government securities is actually lending money to the government.”

For Professor of Economics, Akwa Ibom State University, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, pension

funds could be invested in infrastructural projects.

“Yes, but there must be a limit that could be invested so that pensioners’ interest will not be hurt. They cannot give out more than 10 per cent so that in the case there is a problem the pensioners will not suffer.

“Pension money comes in trillions and 10 per cent can be sufficient at any point in time.

Some countries that go beyond that already have buffer to protect the investments.

“Most countries will put a limit so that pensioners will not suffer in case there is a problem with the investment. If you bring pension fund as a pool contribution from workers there must be a limit on how it will be invested in a manner that on retirement a contributor may share from the benefit depending on his/her PFA. “That is why it is important for the regulator to put a cap on the percentage of the pension contribution that will be invested on infrastructure. And I strongly advise that it will not be more than 10 per cent because of the risk that is involved.

“They must be mindful of the demographic of the contributors and how long they will remain in employment before retirement.”

According to an Associate Professor of Banking and Finance, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbarim, Dr. Jackson Ikeorah, any investment from the pension fund must be backed with irrevocable repayment agreement.

Ikeorah said: “The only suggestion I can make for the repayment of pension asset given to any tier of government will be that repayment will be made through an irrevocable undertaken supervised by the Federal Ministry of Finance that that the money must be repaid at source through statutory transfer otherwise they may play with that money.

“The irrevocable order is the way to handle government borrowing from the pension fund. To borrow money from the pension fund, which is the contribution of workers for their retirement will not be left for the lions to ravage and destroy.

“The governments should enter into a tripartite agreement with the pension fund and federal ministry of finance that the repayment will be made through an irrevocable undertaken. That is the only way to guarantee the safety on the investment and be sure to get the repayment.”

Pension Assets’ Allocation Recently, Acting Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, confirmed that 65 per cent of the total pension assets were mainly invested in federal government’s securities CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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UNLOCKING PENSION FUNDS FOR INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT as at September 30, 2020.

Dahir-Umar gave the breakdown as follows: FGN Bonds got 57 per cent while seven per cent is invested in treasury bills, Sukuk Bonds received one per cent on pension fund investment while agency bonds and green bonds got less than one per cent.

She added that the value of investments in FGN Bonds increased by N329.88 billion representing 5.23 per cent; FGN Sukuk by N9.16 billion representing 9.31 per cent), while investments in Treasury Bills decreased by N239.85 billion representing 23.51 per cent; Agency Bonds by N0.45 billion representing 4.07 per cent and Green Bonds by N1.55 representing 10.62 per cent billion.

She also stated that some of the investment found their ways to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, whose All Share Index (NSE-ASI) rose by 9.61 per cent from 24,479.22 basis points (bps) as at June 30, 2020 to 26,831.76 bps as at September 30, 2020.

Dahir-Umar explained that the value of the Treasury Bills declined due to maturities and reallocation to other asset classes, mainly FGN Bonds and money market securities.

However, fears being entertained in certain quarters regarding the safety and security of the pension fund might be unnecessary due to an elaborate risk management that is built around the management of the fund in the guidelines for risk management framework for licensed pension operators in the country.

The guideline acknowledged that a continuous process of effective risk management is critical to the safety and soundness of the operations of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and custodians.

Furthermore, Section 66 of the PRA 2004 required every PFA to establish risk management committee for the purpose of determining the risk profile of the investment under management with a view to providing advice on the management of associated risks.

Consequently, licensed pension fund operators must develop, implement and maintain a sound and prudent risk management framework that comprises policies, procedures, and processes, appropriate to the nature, scale and complexity of their operations.

Dahiru-Umar According to PenCom, “these guidelines are therefore intended to serve as a guide to operators for developing an effective risk management framework for their operations.

“Risk management process involves the identification, measurement, monitoring and control of risks to an acceptable level that would be proportionate to the company’s risk appetite.”

The guideline further enjoined the, “board/ management to set risk management goals and objectives to be in line with overall corporate objectives and define risk tolerance limit for each risk element.

“Evaluate the key business functions and processes to identify the key risks to the successful achievement of organisational objectives.

“Identify material risks specific to the individual fund(s) and allocate responsibilities to people who will be tasked with owning the risks “Assess probability and impact of individual

OAAN Celebrates Founding Fathers of Outdoor Advertising Stories by Raheem Akingbolu The Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) has hosted the maiden edition of “Night of the Legends” an event put together in honour of exemplary icons in the outdoor advertising industry.

At the event which was held in Lagos, three former presidents of the association, Chief Foluso Babu Akinbobola, Chief JAS

Kolawole Oyekan and Pa Simeon Olaghere were honoured.

The event lived up to its billing as it attracted dignitaries from the advertising industry and beyond.

Among the dignitaries at the occasion was the doyen of advertising and chairman of Troyka Holdings, Biodun Shobanjo; Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) Registrar, Lekan Fadolapo; Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Managing

Director, Prince Adedamola Docemo; Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) President, Emmanuel Ajufo; Media Independent Practitioners of Nigeria (MIPAN) President, Femi Adelusi and many others.

In his welcome address, OAAN President Emmanuel Ajufo eulogised the past leaders of the outdoor advertising industry, noting that their selfless service and sacrifice have put the industry in good stead.

“Without the selfless service of our past leaders, we will not be where we are today.

In recognition of this, we are honouring these exemplary men of honour who have served the association in the past”.

risk. Undertake quantitative risk assessment and develop a risk scoring system “to categorise identified risks” It also encouraged the PFAs to identify suitable responses to risk by evaluating and mapping the risk according to the probability and impact of their occurrence and adopt appropriate control measures.

They are also to identify key units or individuals that will be responsible for implementing the risk control or mitigation process and ensure a reporting system that should be in place to enable regular, upward reporting on the work done to keep risk and control procedures up to date.

The guideline said: “All the potential categories of risk must be identified so as to come up with a comprehensive risk list or risk register which contains details of all types of risks, their assessment, owners and status of the risks.

“Each organisation should evolve a system of measuring its identified risks. The measure-

ment should graduate risk levels, based on the scale or significance of the activities in relation to the organisation’s risk management goals and objectives.

“Risk measurement should include a scoring system for all identified risks within the PFA while risk monitoring will assess the effectiveness of the risk management process and compare with set risk management goals and objectives.

“In monitoring its risks, each PFA/PFC should review the standards set on a continuous basis, to ensure that they are appropriate to meet the set objectives.

“The standards to be set shall be a deliberate policy of the PFA/PFC to achieve its business objectives. The objective shall be to minimize the occurrence of identified risks and contain the effects of the risks when they occur.”

The PENCON said that risk evaluation is concerned with assessing probability and impact of individual risk, taking into account of any interdependencies or other factors outside the immediate scope under investigation.

“Probability is the evaluated likelihood of a particular threat or event actually happening, including a consideration of the frequency with which this may arise.

“Impact is the evaluated effect or result of a particular risk actually happening, and it is usually measured in quantitative terms (or monetary losses). However, since not all risks can easily be translated into quantitative terms, there arequalitative means against which to measure impact etc.

“The PFAs/PFCs shall set acceptable levels of risk tolerance. The risk tolerance level is the maximum overall exposure to risk that should be accepted, based on the benefits and costs involved. The amount of risk a PFA/PFC is prepared to tolerate, or its “risk appetite”, will vary according to the perceived importance of particular risks and timing.

An organisation may be prepared to take comparatively large risk in some areas and none at all in others.

“When identified, risks are evaluated and mapped according to the probability and impact of their occurrence, before appropriate control measures are designed and implemented.”

NEMA, FRSC Flag-off National Sensitisation, Response Campaign Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has flagged-off a national sensitisation and response campaign on road safety for the end of the year festivities and yuletide season.

The Director General, NEMA Muhammadu Muhammed (rtd) who flagged-off the campaign in Abuja, said it was aimed at rallying all stakeholders to support the primary roles of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to minimise road crashes and loss of lives during this season

and beyond.

The DG who was represented by the Director of Search and Rescue Air Commodore Edward Kolawole Adedokun said, “let me emphasise that Operation Eagle Eye is a big deal and usually conducted in collaboration with the lead agency, the FRSC and other critical stakeholders.”

He said the annual programme and a flagship operation of the agency was aimed at enlightening road users, strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations and prepositioning men and equipment for response to road traffic accidents before, during and after the yuletide.

He noted that effort by NEMA, FRSC and other critical stakeholders to curb the menace of road traffic crashes was highly sacrificial as it often involves keeping vigils to ensure safety on our roads.

“To this end, the agency has coordinated personnel, specialised equipment and other resources towards responding to road crash vulnerabilities especially at this period of rush hour of travels for yuletide celebrations,” he said.

He added, “I would like to use this medium to urge road users, road managers and maintenance agencies as well as other members of the

public to make good use of available response platforms jointly provided by the various agencies.

“These platforms include the 112 National Emergency Call Number, Emergency Response and Ambulance Bays (ERABs) and Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICU) Ambulances positioned in strategic hot spots at the FCT for effective and efficient response to emergencies.

“These facilities, which are jointly operated by FRSC, NEMA, SEMAs, FCT, Fire Services, NSCDC and other stakeholders are available not only at Abuja but also across all the states of the Federation.”

He also said, “let me most sincerely thank the President Mohammadu Buhari for prompt release of funds, members of the National Assembly for their oversight of NEMA activities and various donor agencies for availing us your resources for the management of disasters in Nigeria and the sub-region.”

The Corps Marshal/CEO, FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, who was represented by the DCM Admin and Human Resources, Ojeme Ewhrudjakpor, appreciated the supports from NEMA and the stakeholders, while calling on road users to always observed safety rules on the roads.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: Representative, Pathfinder International, Nigeria, Yusuf Nuhu; Wife of the State House of Assembly’s Speaker, Mrs. Victoria Oluomo; Wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun; Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker; Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola; Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Omolayo Fred-Omojole; Programme Officer, Reproductive Health, Pathfinder International, Kosi Izandu and Chairperson, Family Health Initiative Ogun (FAHIO), Mrs. Kemi Balogun, during the launching of DMPA-SC guidelines in Abeokuta,Ogun State...recently

L-R: Representative of Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Saidat Okaga; Country Director, Save the Children, Dr. Adamu Isah; Representative of Ikorodu Local Government Chairman, Dr. Oludolapo Sotunde; Member, Lagos State Health Services Commission, Dr. T. K. Hassan, and Representative of GSK Nigeria, Omongiade Ehighebolo, during the donation of additional IPC materials and PPEs worth over 41 million Naira to 28 Primary Health Care Centres and two General Hospitals in Ikorodu Local Government Area, Lagos...recently

L-R: Director General National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr. Gambo Aliu; Deputy Director, Public Relations and Protocols NACA, Mrs Toyin Aderibigbe and President, Association of Nigeria Health Journalists, Mr. Hassan Zaggi, during a Media Interactive Forum on AIDS Activities in Nigeria held in Abuja...recently

L-R: Chairman, Nsukka Local Government Area, Hon. Barr. Cosmas Ugwueze; member representing Nsukka/ Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Pat Asadu; Governori of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuany and the Chief Executive Officer, Willson Nigeria Limited, Chief William Agbo, during the inauguration of rehabilitated access road in Eha-Alumona, Nsukka LGA...recently

L-R: Chairman, APC Press Corps, Mr. Jide Orintusin; Secretary, APC Caretaker Extra-ordinary National Convention Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedeche and Special Assistant on Media to the President of the Senate, Mr. Ola Awoniyi, during the APC Press Corps 2020 Annual General Meeting held in Abuja...recently PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN

L-R: Head of Securities and Investments Services Department, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Abdulkadir Abbas; Senior Adviser to the Vice President on Fiscal and Macro-Economic Matters, Dr Olabode Oyetunde; and Senior Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Amb. Dipeolu Adeyemi, during the Public Hearing by the Senate Committee on Finance, Custom, Excise and Tariff, Investment and Public Procurment on Finance Bill 2020, at the National Assembly in Abuja...recently

L-R: President, Ohaneze Ndi Idigbo, Lagos Branch, Chief Solomom O. Aguene; Author of Democracy and Untold Story of June 12, Chief Abimbola M. Aboderin and CEO, Gear 5 Lounge Ltd, Nze Chima. Oguamanam, during the End of year get together oranised by Ohaneze Ndi Idigbo in Lagos...recently PHOTO: KOLAWOLE ALLI

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020

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PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Orekoya: Low Cost Housing Can Be Real if Made Affordable Bennett Oghifo Low cost housing is realisable if deliberately designed and constructed and put within the financial reach of average Nigerians, Bolaji Orekoya, a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Ogun State, has said.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 states the imperative of public investment in safe and affordable housing, considering the fact that rising urban population is causing rapid growth of cities and a boom

in mega-cities, especially in the developing world with slums becoming a more significant feature of urban life.

Presently, statistics show more than half of humanity live in cities, and it is projected that by 2050, two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be urban. “Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.

“Making cities sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and

Orekoya

building resilient societies and economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways,” the UN said.

The UN-Habitat and World Bank define low cost housing as homes “developed within adequate or basic standard quality and target costs affordable to the poor and low income group in the country.”

On account of this, housing sector players insist that “investing in affordable housing is investing in sustainable development.” There is truly low cost housing, according to the former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Ogun State, Bolaji Orekoya, who is an Estate Surveyor and Valuer.

Pastor Orekoya stated this in a paper ‘Is There Truly Low Cost Housing?’ he presented at the 2020 World Habitat Day celebration held at Obas Complex, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State, in October, when he was in public service.

“Yes, truly there is (low cost housing), but the affordability aspect is what needs to be

hugely considered among the stakeholders. We need to know if it is within the reach of an average Nigerian.

“However, low cost housing can only be considered affordable for low and middleincome earners if household can acquire a housing unit (owned or rented) for an amount up to 30 per cent of its household income. Many Nigerians still fall short in this category.”

To achieve low cost housing, he recommended, among others, the use of locally made building materials for housing projects; that mortgage facilities should be readily available, with low interest rate; cooperative housing; and that the government should allocate land to individuals to build their own homes.

He said low cost housing is not necessarily one constructed with cheap building materials of substandard quality. “A low cost house is designed and constructed as any other house with regard to foundation, structure and strength.”

He said as the population of Nigeria grows daily, there was need for affordable housing for the people, stating that about 26.11% and 22.68% of the construction cost could

be saved by using low cost housing technologies, which could be phased, along with finishing of the building.

He also explained that affordable housing could be achieved through high efficiency in the use of workers, minimising of waste in design and in application of good management practices.

Orekoya said many challenges have hindered the availability of low cost housing in Nigeria; among which are: poor cost performance on housing project; lack of effective collaboration and coordination among Housing Agencies; politicisation of housing issues; high cost of building materials for housing production; lack of efficient and sustainable credit delivery to the housing sector.

He also faulted the “inconsistency in government policies and programmes, including frequent changes of policies with changes of government and without proper assessment of the existing ones.”

There are other challenges like abandonment of housing projects; poor infrastructure and services; poor promotion of tenure security; lack of mortgage facilities; and land titling bureaucracies.

The former housing ministry permanent secretary said the way forward to achieve low cost housing production and make housing available and affordable to all Nigerians, there must be efficient planning and project management, economical construction technologies and use of alternate construction methods available.

There is need to stop importation of building materials and prioritise the use of locally made ones for housing projects, he said, including efficient and effective land administration and management; by adopting stabilised earth construction since it is cheap and readily available.

He also recommended proper monitoring, evaluation and implementation of housing policies and programmes, and that mortgage facilities should be readily available, with low interest rate.

According to him, “Cooperative housing should be encouraged since many Nigerians have been able to achieve their housing dream through cooperative societies, adding that the government should allocate land to individuals and allow them construct their own home.”

Artec Practice Receives NIS Professional Excellence Award Bennett Oghifo Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has honoured Artec Practice Ltd, a Nigerian firm

of professional architects and project managers, with a professional Award of Excellence.

The award, presented at the NIS 2020 Service Merit Award

dinner held in Abuja recently, is in recognition of the firm’s architectural ingenuity as well as exceptional professional efficiency exhibited during

‘Data Security is Crucial for Businesses in new Normal’ Fadekemi Ajakaiye Enabling secure remote work, addressing regulations and uncovering new risks is now more of a reality as Microsoft announces several new capabilities across its compliance offering.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many consistent challenges have been experienced by businesses, said Mohamed El Nemr, Modern Workplace and Security Business Group Lead for Microsoft Middle East and Africa Emerging Markets.

Nigeria Data Protection Regulation is one of several countries’ security features that have been mapped into the Compliance Manager tool of Microsoft to facilitate local compliance.

El Nemr said, “With so many remote workers, people are creating, sharing and storing data in new ways - fostering productivity, but this has also introduced new risks.”

According to El Nemr, this is not just an assumption, stating that a recent Microsoft poll revealed that providing secure remote access to resources,

apps, and data is the key concern for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs).

With penalties and fines for non-compliance set at a maximum of €20 million or 4% of a company’s annual global turnover – in an industry that is ever changing, it is in the best interests of organisations to remain continually complaint.

“As such, to assist companies in better protecting their data, mitigate risk and address compliance regulations, especially in this time of flexible work, Microsoft has announced several new capabilities across Microsoft Compliance.

General availability of Microsoft Compliance Manager: addressing industry regulations and custom requirements In addition to the talent shortage and complexity of compliance management, customers also face the need to comply with an increased volume and frequency of regulations, with hundreds of updates a day globally to thousands of industry and regional regulations.

Additionally, the complexity of these regulations has made it challenging for organisa-

tions to know which specific actions to take and the impact of these.”

Compliance Manager offers a vast library of assessments for expanded regulatory coverage, built-in automation to detect tenant settings, and step-by-step guidance to help businesses manage risk. The feature also translates complex regulatory requirements to specific technical controls and through compliance score, provides a quantifiable measure of risk assessment – bringing together the existing Compliance Manager and Compliance Score solutions in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.

The Compliance Manager provides a comprehensive set of templates for creating assessments, to help organisations comply with national, regional and industry-specific requirements governing the collection and use of data.

Local laws including the Kenya Data Protection Act and Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, Mauritius Data Protection Act and Ghana Data Protection Act have been mapped into the Compliance Manager tool to facilitate local compliance.

the construction of the Data Communication and Control Centre of the Service.

Artec Practice Limited designed the building and seamlessly supervised it to completion. This outstanding professional feat therefore prompted the NIS to reciprocate with the award.

According to the Managing Principal of Artec Practice Ltd, Arc. Taofik Popoola, “We at Artec Practice Ltd are highly elated to be so professionally recognised by a high-profile organisation like the Nigeria Immigration Service. It is a massive endorsement of our professional distinction and attention to details as a firm of professional architects and

project managers. The award is a challenge to us to continue to innovate so as to sustain and improve on our professional service delivery to our teeming clients. We will therefore not rest on our laurel.”

It will be recalled that in 2018, Artec Practice Limited bagged the global ISO 9001:2015 Certification in recognition of its operational, management and organisational effectiveness which aligns with international best practices.

Artec was awarded the certification by the internationally-acclaimed DQS, a Germany-based Management Systems Solutions organisation that certifies organisations and operates through over 80 offices

in 60 countries worldwide.

To attain DQS’ certification, the certifying organisation will evaluate an organisation’s practices against its internal expectations, with the aim of identifying good practices and possible shortcomings in the organisation’s processes.

Upon confirmation of high compliance of such an organisation with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) processes, DQS will subsequently certify it.

Also in September 2015, Artec Practice Ltd bagged the global ISO 9001:2008 certification in confirmation of its exceptional professional competence.

L-R: Managing Principal, Artec Practice Ltd., Arc. Taofik Popoola, receiving a plaque of Excellence Award, presented to his firm by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, at the December 2020 NIS award dinner in Abuja... recently

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020

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PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT

Make Public Information on PPPs, World Bank Tells Government Bennett Oghifo The World Bank Group has recommended that governments ensure full disclosure in respect of infrastructure projects proposed for publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) to remove elements of suspicion and to encourage acceptance.

Nigerian governments, federal and states, have been struggling, unsuccessfully so far, to evolve sustainable PPPs, making it imperative for them to heed the World Bank’s advice.

“At the World Bank Group, we believe that information is critical when governments make decisions about what

infrastructure projects to prioritise; how people, businesses, and the environment will be affected; and which procurement method best meets government goals and public needs,” said the Group in a statement, recently.

Like other procurement methods, the WB said “public-private partnerships (PPPs) require good infrastructure governance.

This includes planning, setting fiscal appropriations, and proper preparation and tendering of projects. But this knowledge is not just important for governments—it is crucial that citizens also have access to information about projects that affect them.”

To help governments disclose

information about their PPPs more effectively, the World Bank Group has launched a new online learning course on Planning and Implementing Disclosure in PPPs. The course is designed to provide government officials with essential skills in planning and implementing a customised disclosure framework for PPPs, with the goal of disclosing project information more systematically and sustainably.

An informed public sector, combined with an informed public, is critical for PPPs to deliver lasting social and economic benefits. Moreover, disclosing information when implementing PPPs has interconnected

benefits—for governments, for citizens, and for investors. These include greater accountability in expenditure, increased public confidence in projects and the fairness of the process, better value for money, reduced risk of corruption, and investor confidence in procurement processes that can result in greater infrastructure investment. Importantly, disclosure also helps to build a better understanding by the private sector of the public sector’s requirements and expectations.

In the long run, the feedback loop that’s created by making transparency and public disclosure a core part of public infrastructure projects can also

help governments develop better policies and practices related to PPPs. So, it is essential to build the right frameworks for disclosure—as well as to frame this discussion through outreach and engagement with stakeholders. Indeed, the World Bank’s Benchmarking Infrastructure Development series scores countries on their disclosure of information throughout the PPP lifecycle, one of the many actionable indicators we measure to support regulatory reforms that improve the enabling environment for developing quality infrastructure projects.

The World Bank Group has worked with governments

for many years to improve disclosure policies and practices. For example, we worked with governments in Nigeria and Kenya in 2016 on PPP transparency initiatives, which led to Nigeria launching a national PPP Contracts Disclosure Web Portal in 2017 and Kenya launching its PublicPrivate Partnership Disclosure Portal in 2018, helping both countries move toward greater transparency and openness in their procurement processes.

Uganda, Ghana, Honduras, and Afghanistan—as well as governments from countries affected by fragility and conflict—have also benefitted from the World Bank support in this area.

Lafarge Restates Commitment to Improving Literacy in Nigeria Fadekemi Ajakaiye In line with its commitment to improving literacy and developing human capital in Nigeria, Lafarge Africa Plc, the Nigerian operations of the world’s leading building materials company, LafargeHolcim, has launched a National Essay Competition for pupils in public primary and secondary schools in the country. This further affirms

the company’s commitment to bridging the literacy gap in Nigeria.

The online essay competition themed “Building the Nigeria of my dreams”, will help improve literacy amongst young adults and also engender loyalty to the nation as they will write about their hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian nation they desire.

The online essay competition aligns with reports that show

that citizens do much better when they are literate as they become equipped to become better adults and even more successful in their careers.

The Country Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khaled El-Dokani, noted that the essay competition is a testament to the company’s commitment to contributing to the development of the Nigerian child through literacy. “We recognize that the depth and

quality of a country’s human capital are as important as its physical infrastructure, hence, our investment over the last 7 years in enhancing the Nigerian educational sector just as we are committed to empowering Nigerians through our world class building solutions.’

“One of our key sustainability priorities at Lafarge Africa is our commitment to our communities through education and

we are actively collaborating with the government and the private sector to improve the country’s literacy ratio towards making an impact in reducing the World Bank estimate which states that over 80 percent of Nigerian primary school-leavers cannot read,” said Khaled.

The Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainable Development Director, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem,

remarked: ‘Our sustainability pillars - Climate and Energy, Circular Economy, Environment and Community is the lever for which LAP is driving innovative solutions. As a business committed to local content and growth, we are strengthening impact assessment across different spheres.

Our intervention in education sits within the Community pillar.’

IFMA Nigeria Chapter Gets 11th President, Other Council Members Fadekemi Ajakaiye The International Facility Management Association, IFMA, Nigeria Chapter has elected its 11th President, Mr. Segun Adebayo, as well as other council members to serve as the new executive council team up till 2022.

Adebayo, the former Vice President and pioneer Publicity Secretary of the Association, was elected during the last Annual General Meeting of the Association that took place recently at the IFMA secretariat and was presided over by the outgoing President, Mrs. Abimbola Adamolekun.

Adebayo is an astute administrator, a resourceful and solution driven individual with strong flair for excellence. A graduate of Banking & Finance with Upper Class grade from Kwara State Polytechnic and Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) in Corporate Governance from Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Becket University), UK. He has worked in various corporate and public roles and he has garnered over 20 years

of professional experience.

Prior to now, he was appointed the Senior Special Assistant on Facility Management to the former Governor of Ogun State in 2017; Head, General Services of FBN Quest Merchant Bank Limited between 2016 and 2017; Head of Administration Department, Kakawa Discount House (2003 – 2015) amongst other roles.

He is a Fellow, Institute of Administrative Manager, UK; Member, Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria; Chartered Member, Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply Management and Facility Management Professional (FMP), International Facility Management Association, Houston.

In his acceptance speech, he said, “It is with great sense of humility and commitment that I accept the responsibility to serve as the President of our noble Association” Our election presents us the opportunity not to sustain the performance of the immediate past Council but to creatively improve upon their achievements.

We will make the association

the leading voice in the Facility Management industry and also a force to reckon with by all stakeholders.”

“Our priorities for this administration shall be service oriented and also result driven.

We will enhance and improve the association’s knowledge base through innovation and technology with special attention to increase membership participation, engagement and growth,” he added.

He opined that the new Council under his leadership will deepen the relevance and impact of the association through strategic alliances and collaboration with credible private institutions and other relevant professional bodies.

We will also engage government institutions and agency towards the development of fit for purpose policy in order to achieve a better operating environment. He urged members to work together with the Council members to change the narratives in built environment and break new grounds in the industry in particular and our Nation in general.

The International Facility Management Association, Nigeria Chapter was formed in the year, 1995. The organization offers the opportunity to develop the competence of her members through national and international programmes with the drive to enhance the maintenance culture within

the built environment in the country.

Other elected Executive Members are, Mr. Lekan Akinwumi, the Vice President; Engr. Sheriff Daramola, the General Secretary; Mr. Bayo Owojori, the Assistant General Secretary; Mr. Adeniyi Ifaturoti, the Treasurer and Engr.

Sherifat Adeleye, the Publicity

Secretary.

The outgoing President, Mrs. Abimbola Adamolekun and other council members were highly commended for a job well done for innovative programme most especially during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that members of the association were up skilled.

L-R: Executive Director, West Africa Region, Chartered Institute of Public Resources Management and Politics, Ghana, Dr. Richards Kpoku-Aquarte; presenting a Distinguished Fellow Award Certificate to the Special Adviser to Lagos State governor on Housing, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, at her Office…recently

Julius Berger Wins NIS 2020 Merit Award for Excellence Bennett Oghifo Julius Berger Nigeria Plc., Nigeria’s foremost engineering construction company, has bagged the 2020 service “merit award for excellence” of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

This was announced at the 2020 end of year award ceremony which took place at the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters, Abuja, recently.

Speaking at the ceremony,

the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming for the event. He particularly thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for making NIS successfully achieve and realise the beautiful edifice.

Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is the contractor that constructed the new NIS Technology Building Data Command and

Control Centre. This award was confered on Julius Berger for the company’s innovativeness productivity, comprehensive technical and administrative resourcefulness, detailed design competences as well as top class engineering capacities displayed by company while working closely with the NIS and the Consultants for the successful delivery of the Building.

The Julius Berger Nigeria Plc delegation to the ceremony

was led by Engr. Mohammed Usman, a management staff who also received the award on behalf of the company. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaibu Belgore, presented the award to Julius Berger on behalf of the Management of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Thirty one awards were presented to winners at the ceremony. The awards were in two categories. Twenty

eighty awards were presented to Officers of the Service for their resourcefulness, gallantry, exemplary behaviour, diligent hard work and dedication to duties. A new a post-humus award was introduced for officers who died on duty, and the other three awards were presented to Technical partners of the NIS, including Julius Berger.

Other important dignitaries who attended the ceremony

included DCG Idris Issa Jere; the Chairman House Committee on Interior, Hon. Hon. Nazir Zango Daura; the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Interior, who represented the Minister, Rauf Aregbesola; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaibu Belgore; representatives from FRSC, Nigeria Correctional Centre, Civil Defence Corps, seniors officers of NIS, among others.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

FG Flags off 300,000 Low-cost Houses, Targets 90% Local Materials Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ ÌßÔË The federal government has flagged off its nationwide low-cost housing scheme in Abuja, announcing that its prices will range between N1.4 million and N1.8 million for a one-bedroom and two-bedroom units respectively, excluding financing and infrastructure costs.

Coming under the National Social Housing Programme (NSP) and executed by the Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL), the scheme, the government said, would involve the building and acquisition of 300,000 units across the country through a transparent process.

Speaking during the media launch and official unveiling of the registration portal, Managing Director, FHFL, Mr. Femi Adewale, noted that in the course of the project, the plan was to achieve 90 per cent local manufacture of building materials.

Quoting from a 2019 poverty and equality report, Adewale noted that the statistics indicated that 40.1 per cent of Nigeria’s total population was classified as poor, with average four out of 10 individuals in Nigeria having a real per capital expenditure below N137, 430 per year.

“This translates to over 82.9 million Nigerians who are considered poor by national standards. According to the BoS 18 per cent of these (about 15m) live in urban areas.

“In simple terms, it means that all that 82.9 million Nigerians can afford to spend on anything – housing, food, healthcare, education, clothing is a maximum of N137, 840 a year. “So, it is safe to assume that they can only afford to spend a fraction of this on housing,” he stated.

He argued that even if the over 80 million Nigerians spent all of that money on housing, they would still be unable to have a decent roof over their

head, especially those in the urban areas.

“That is why this government is rightly and absolutely committed to the difficult job of lifting this section of our population out of poverty. The mass housing programme – now branded the social housing programme is an important element of that,” he added.

He said the portal will provide an opportunity for local manufacturers of building materials such as doors, windows, ironmongery, etc to register interest in participation as bulk suppliers into the project. Managing Director, Nigeria Police Property Development and Construction Company (NPPDCC), one of the partners of the scheme, Kemi Sijuade, expressed delight that affordable housing was being developed for the men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force as well as the general public.

Buhari

MARKET INDICATORS

More Winners Emerge in Unity Bank’s ‘Corpreneurship’Competition Oluchi Chibuzor Unity Bank Plc’s ‘Corpreneurship’ Competition has seen more National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members receiving a total of N1 million as grant for business expansion and startup as the competition enters its third stage.

The move to empower them according to the bank becomes imperative as boosting job creation is critical in sustaining the nation’s economy.

In choosing the winners the bank considered the originality, marketability, future employability potential of the product and knowledge of the business of the contestants and announced three NYSC members as winners.

The winners included Ejidike Vitalis, Aromire Yusuf, and Sanni Adeola as first, second and third position respectively.

They won N500, 000, N300, 000 and N200,000 respectively.

Speaking at the grand finale of the challenge for the NYSC 2020 Batch B, Stream 1B corp members in Lagos, the Group Head, Retail and SME Banking, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Olufunwa Akinmade, said the competition was to encourage more youths with clear intentions to expand or start profitable ventures.

“The money we are given is not a loan and we do not want you to lose money. So, you must learn that mistake is part of the business and constantly thinking about the challenge you will face

in the business.

“Put the same energy you all have displayed today in your businesses as you face your post-service year ahead.

“Corpreneurship is what we started last year, we started last year with season one. We launched it in Lagos and in three other states which include Edo, Ogun, and Abuja. So, today we are in four locations as we speak right now. It has been one year we have been running this and it has been hugely successful.”

The programme also known as Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, saw seven youths pitch their business plan to Unity Bank’s officials in agribusiness, fashion design, confectionaries and Zobo drink.

Options.ng Appoints Ekeghe CEO Nosa Alekhuogie Options.ng, Nigeria’s free, independent online comparison platform for products across industries and providers has announced the appointment of Mr. Kelechi Ekeghe as its new Chief Executive Officer.

A statement by the founder and chairman, Mr. Soji Jenyo, explained that Ekeghe was brought in to build the business and scale the firm along the lines of its growth objectives.

“We are privileged to announce that the board, after searching meticulously has brought on board Kelechi Ekeghe who would be bringing his expertise in digital business and transformation towards driving options.ng vision of building Africa’s largest comparison platform.

“As the MD/CEO, he will

be responsible for driving the company forward for the foreseeable future. The board of directors and I have no doubt that he will do an excellent job leading the company’s amazing team at options.ng,” he said.

Ekeghe is a visionary and a seasoned digital business leader with a deep understanding of digital marketing and transformation strategies. He has over 15 years of experience across digital businesses, banking sector and has pioneered start-ups in eCommerce as well as consulting.

He is also an experienced brand expert and a capacity-building coach.

Ekeghe started his career in business development at Connectnigeria.com, before he moved to Jobberman.com, then to Fidelity Bank Plc where he pioneered the bank’s digital marketing function

and later to Union Bank Nigeria Plc where he led the bank’s digital platforms team.

He has consulted for various organisations and has pioneered a life-style start-up (magazine/ blog) ‘Urban Man’ and also fostered a digital marketplace for Made in Nigeria products.

A member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, London, and Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, he is also a guest lecturer at the Simon Page College of Marketing and Chartered Institute of Marketing, London.

Options.ng is Nigeria’s free, independent online comparison platform for products across industries and providers. Their objective is to make information available to their users in a simple, transparent format that will help them make informed decisions.

Polaris Bank Highlights Benefits of ‘Salary Advance’ Polaris Bank has highlighted the benefits of its Salary Advance product to shoppers the Yuletide.

The bank, in a statement explained that the product is available to both existing account holders and non-account holders.

“Salary Advance is a small, short-term unsecured loan that relies on the borrower having

previous payroll and employment records.

“A beneficiary is required to repay out of their next pay cheque or over an agreed period Polaris Salary Advance, an instantly available, no-collateral facility, can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

“It is available to all salary

earners and can be accessed via *833*12# USSD Smartcode platform.

Working class persons who are looking to soft credit to enable them meet up with their shopping this season, can take advantage and get their account credited in a space of two minutes,” it stated.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JULY 2020 Money Supply (M3)

36,822,751.47

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

3,476,121.25

Money Supply (M2)

33,346,630.22

-- Quasi Money

120,764,479.02

-- Narrow Money (M1)

12,582,151.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,002,026.89

---- Demand Deposits

10,580,124.31

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,637,137.23

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

29,185,614.24

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

39,711,115.95

---- Credit to Government (Net)

19,521,851.08

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-130,189,264.87

--Other Assets Net

3,472,017.70

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,421,827.07

--Currency in Circulation

2,395,917.03

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

11,025,910.04 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month Inter-Bank Call Rate

March 2018 15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͯ͵ ͰͮͰͮ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $50.78 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $50.12 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

33

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

H1: PZ Cussons Recovers, Posts N821m Profit after Tax Goddy Egene PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has raised the hope of investors for dividend payout as the company has recorded a profit for the half year(H1) ended November 30, 2020 compared with a loss in the corresponding period of the previous year.

According to the results, the conglomerate posted a revenue of N37.379 billion for the HI of 2020, up 10 per cent from the

N33.947 billion in 2019. Cost of sales stood at N27.221 billion as against N28.153 billion the company to end the period with gross profit of N10.158 billion, up by 75 per cent from N5.793 billion in 2019. Sales and distribution expenses went up marginally by 0.8 per cent from N4.626 billion to N4.587 billion, while administrative expenses, apparently impacted by rising inflation and general cost of doing business in the country,

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

jumped by 34.1 per cent from N2.667 billion to N3.575 billion.

Consequently, operating profit printed at N1.996 billion in 2020, as against a loss of N1.499 billion in 2019. PZ Cussons recorded other income of N1.828 billion.

A significant part (N1.742 billion )of the income was realised from sale of factory premises in Ikorodu, Lagos, to Friesland Campina Wamco Nigeria Plc. However, the company recorded a foreign exchange

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

loss of N2.847 billion in 2020, compared with N52 million in the previous year. As a result, profit before tax of N1.028 billion as against a loss of N1.580 billion in 2019 and profit after tax of N821 million, which is a great recovery from a loss after tax of N1.585 billion in 2019.

Meanwhile, trading at the stock market resumed for the week on bullish note as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) appreciated by 1.74 per

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

cent to close at 37,443.40. In the same vein, market capitalisation added N333.8 billion to be at N19.6 trillion. The market had gained N1.3 trillion last week following sustained demand by investors.

And analysts at Greenwich Trust Research, had said the market would likely remain upbeat buoyed by end-of-year portfolio re-balancing by fund managers, or even the “Santa-Rally.” Also, analysts at Cordros Research had

O F

said in the short term, they still see scope for expansion in valuation multiples as the hunt for alpha-yielding opportunities, in the face of increasingly negative real returns in the fixed income market, remains positive for stocks.

The market maintained the bullish performance with yesterday.

However, activity level was mixed as volume traded increased 0.2 per cent to 427.1 million shares while value traded decreased by 24.1 per cent to N3.3 billion.

2 1 / 1 2 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

34

˾ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2020

Tuesday, December 22, 2020 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Firms-up by 0.2% dŚĞ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ϮϰďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

at 1,685.51 points. This was on the back of buying interest in DANGCEM (+10.0%), WAPCO (+2.3%), and STANBIC (+0.1%). dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϵ͘Ϭй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ DĂŝŶƚĂŝŶ ƚŚĞ WŽƐŝƟǀĞ DŽŵĞŶƚƵŵ͙ ASI up 1.7% dŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƌƵŶ ƉĞƌƐŝƐƚĞĚ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƐƚŽĐŬ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĂĚͲ vanced 174bps ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ϯϳ͕ϰϰϯ͘ϰϬ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ďƵLJŝŶŐ interest in DANGCEM (+10.0%), WAPCO (+2.3%) and OANDO

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

1,685.51

0.24%

14.8%

68.6%

15.6%

3.2%

6.2x

0.5x

5.2%

10.3%

160.00

0.0%

28.8%

52.4%

46.8%

189.4%

11.9%

16.5x

27.7x

4.4%

6.1%

2 Airtel Africa PLC

774.40

0.0%

25.8%

159.1%

159.1%

7.7%

2.8%

14.4x

1.1x

1.5%

7.0%

33.50

-0.7%

8.7%

12.8%

14.7%

27.9%

4.7%

4.9x

1.3x

8.4%

20.6%

3 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC

;нϵ͘ϵйͿ͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ƌŽƐĞ ƚŽ ϯϵ͘ϱй ǁŚŝůĞ ŝŶǀĞƐͲ

6 Dangote Cement PLC

tors

7 Access Bank PLC

േϯϯϯ͘ϴďŶ ĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƐĞƩůĞĚ

Price Change Index to Date

1 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC

5 Nestle Nigeria PLC

gained

Price Previous Current Change Price Weightin YTD Change g

24.30

-2.0%

6.0%

30.6%

29.9%

3.5x

0.7x

11.5%

28.5%

1,505.00

0.0%

3.6%

2.4%

2.4%

83.0%

20.5%

29.3x

28.5x

4.7%

3.4%

230.40

10.0%

5.1%

62.3%

62.3%

30.8%

14.6%

15.4x

4.9x

6.9%

6.5%

8.45

-1.2%

2.5%

-15.5%

-16.3%

16.8%

1.5%

2.7x

0.4x

7.7%

36.5%

8 United Bank for Africa PLC

8.20

-1.2%

at േϭϵ͘ϲƚŶ͘ ĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ŝŶͲ

2.3%

14.7%

13.9%

13.9%

1.3%

3.5x

0.5x

11.7%

28.7%

9 FBN Holdings Plc

7.00

-1.4%

2.2%

13.8%

7.7%

13.5%

1.3%

3.4x

0.4x

5.4%

29.3%

creased Ϭ͘Ϯй ƚŽ ϰϮϳ͘ϭŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ďLJ

10 Nigerian Brew eries PLC

55.00

0.0%

1.8%

-6.8%

-6.8%

6.6%

2.5%

40.8x

2.7x

3.2%

2.5%

11 Lafarge Africa PLC

22.50

2.3%

2.9%

47.1%

63.0%

6.5%

4.6%

15.6x

1.0x

4.4%

6.4%

0.3x

9.5%

-3.4%

5.6x

1.4x

5.4%

17.7%

0.7x

5.3%

24.1% to േϯ͘ϯďŶ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ůŝƋƵŝĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ MAN-

12 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

402.30

0.0%

1.1%

-38.8%

-32.1%

-0.3%

-0.2%

SARD ;ϵϬ͘Ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ TRANSCORP (36.6m units) and AIICO ;ϮϮ͘ϵŵ

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

44.05

0.1%

1.6%

7.4%

10.1%

25.8%

3.8%

14 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

26.65

2.5%

ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ DANGCEM (േ1.3bn), GUARANTY (േ372.3m) and

1.0%

35.3%

35.3%

15 International Brew eries PLC

6.10

-2.7%

0.5%

-35.8%

-35.8%

-26.3%

-6.2%

16 Ecobank Transnational Inc

6.50

-1.5%

0.7%

0.0%

-0.8%

0.5%

0.0%

64.3x

0.3x

17 Fidelity Bank PLC

2.55

0.0%

0.6%

24.4%

26.2%

10.7%

1.1%

2.8x

0.3x

7.8%

35.2% 8.1%

ZENITH (േϮϵϴ͘ϭŵͿ ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ĐŚĂƌƚ͘

18 11 PLC

Mixed Sector Performance

ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ͕ Ϯ ůŽƐƚ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ &Z-/ d ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ŇĂƚ͘ The Banking ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌƐƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞƌ ĂƐ ŝƚ ƐŚĞĚ ϭ͘ϭй ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŽĮƚtaking in ZENITH (-2.0%), GUARANTY (-0.7%) and ACCESS (-1.2%). >ŝŬĞǁŝƐĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ĚŝƉƉĞĚ ϭϰďƉƐ͕ ŵŝƌƌŽƌŝŶŐ ƐĞůů -ŽīƐ ŝŶ INTBREW (-2.7%) and UNILEVER (-Ϯ͘ϴйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ the /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ Insurance indices were up 5.5% and 5.1% ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ

ŽŶ

ƚŚĞ

ďĂĐŬ

ŽĨ

ƉƌŝĐĞ

ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ

ŝŶ

DANGCEM ;нϵ͘ϭйͿ͕ WAPCO (+2.3%) and MANSARD ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ͘ >ĂƐƚůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚŽƌ ĐůŝŵďĞĚ Ϭ͘ϳй ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ buying interest in OANDO ;нϵ͘ϵйͿ͘

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ŚƌŝŶŬƐ

1.6%

228.00

0.0%

0.7%

54.2%

54.2%

16.4%

7.6%

12.4x

1.9x

3.8%

91.00

0.0%

0.7%

63.7%

63.7%

20.6%

13.4%

13.6x

2.7x

2.2%

7.4%

20 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

17.95

-0.3%

0.5%

32.0%

28.2%

30.8%

15.6%

6.4x

1.8x

6.1%

15.7%

1.1%

0.92

-4.2%

0.3%

-7.1%

-14.0%

-3.5%

-0.8%

0.6x

22 Unilever Nigeria PLC

13.95

-2.8%

0.2%

-36.6%

-32.6%

-9.8%

-6.5%

1.2x

23 Guinness Nigeria PLC

19.10

0.5%

0.2%

-36.4%

-36.4%

-16.2%

-8.4%

3.00

-0.7%

0.4%

62.2%

64.8%

10.3%

1.2%

2.9x

0.1x

4.7%

35.0%

25 Sterling Bank PLC

1.91

-0.5%

0.2%

-4.0%

0.5%

8.8%

0.8%

5.3x

0.4x

1.6%

18.8%

26 UAC of Nigeria PLC

7.30

-1.4%

0.2%

-15.1%

-18.0%

7.8%

3.7%

103.6x

0.4x

1.4%

1.0%

27 Custodian and Allied Insurance

6.00

0.0%

0.2%

0.0%

0.0%

13.9%

4.8%

5.6x

0.8x

7.5%

17.9%

71.80

0.0%

0.3%

51.2%

51.2%

18.5%

7.7%

13.7x

2.3x

2.8%

7.3%

5.60

1.8%

0.1%

-6.7%

-7.4%

8.0%

1.0%

6.6x

0.6x

4.5%

15.2%

130.00

0.0%

0.1%

17.2%

17.2%

10.7%

2.1%

15.7x

1.7x

5.0%

3.45

9.9%

0.1%

-13.5%

-13.5%

14.5%

2.6%

1.5x

0.2x

32 NASCON Allied Industries PLC

14.50

0.0%

0.1%

12.0%

12.0%

18.4%

5.8%

9.5x

3.1x

2.6%

33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

18.00

0.0%

0.1%

8.5%

8.6%

10.8%

1.2%

19.5x

0.8x

9.3%

5.1%

0.70

0.0%

-5.4%

2.9%

6.8%

0.5%

4.1x

0.5x

5.7%

24.6%

13.55

-5.2%

0.1% 0.1%

-24.7%

3.1%

1.1%

33.1x

1.0x

7.8x

28 Presco PLC 29 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 30 Total Nigeria PLC 31 Oando PLC

34 Wema Bank PLC 35 Ardova PLC

-25.1%

36 Continental Reinsurance PLC 55.40

0.0%

0.1%

3.0%

3.0%

10.3%

7.2%

38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd

62.50

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-21.3%

-6.4%

39 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

1.01

9.8%

0.1%

74.9%

74.1%

21.5%

6.6%

40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

3.60

0.0%

0.0%

-26.5%

-26.5%

-10.4%

-5.0%

previous session as 22 stocks gained against the 23 ƚŚĂƚ ĚĞͲ

B OC GA S D A N GC EM

-31.2%

0.8x

0.0x

1.8x 5.9x

1.1x

17.0%

0.5x

0.0x

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

7.92

10.0%

M A N SA R D

90.2

9.8%

230.40

10.0%

T R A N SC OR P

36.6

-4.2%

9.9%

A IIC O

22.9

4.0%

1.01

9.8%

F ID ELIT YB K

20.8

0.0%

ϵ͘ϵйͿ͕ TRANSEXPR (-ϵ͘ϮйͿ ĂŶĚ CHAMS (-ϴ͘ϳйͿ ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ůŽƐĞƌƐ͘

N EM

1.36

9.7%

M B EN EF IT

18.0

-3.7%

17.7

-1.2% -2.0%

F T N C OC OA

0.68

9.7%

UB A

LIN KA SSUR E

0.49

8.9%

Z EN IT H B A N K

12.2

PZ

5.35

7.0%

FB NH

11.6

-1.4%

UN ION D A C

0.31

6.9%

GUA R A N T Y

11.1

-0.7%

LA SA C O

0.32

6.7%

LA SA C O

11.0

6.7%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

P ric e

-20.8%

P ric e C hg %

P ric e

3.45

T ic k er

12.8% -13.3%

M A N SA R D

ŬĞƚ ŝŶ ƐƵďƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĚĂLJƐ͘

10.6%

3.0%

DO ;нϵ͘ϵйͿ were the best performing stocks ǁŚŝůĞ ETERNA (-

OA N D O

6.4% 67.3%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s T ic k er

0.6x

-100.0%

37 Beta Glass PLC

ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ĚĞĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŽ ϭ͘Ϭdž ĨƌŽŵ the 4.4x recorded in the

tĞ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ďƵůůŝƐŚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ ŵĂƌͲ

-6.3% -8.5%

24 FCMB Group Plc

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬ

ĐůŝŶĞĚ͘ BOCGAS (+10.0%), DANGCEM (+10.0%) and OAN-

-28.5%

19 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

21 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ĂƐ ϯ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚŽƌƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ

1.1x

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

1267.7

10.0%

ET ER N A

4.10

-9.9%

D A N GC EM

T R A N SEXP R

0.79

-9.2%

GUA R A N T Y

372.3

-0.7%

CHA M S

0.21

-8.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

298.1

-2.0%

A R D OVA

13.55

-5.2%

WA P C O

155.6

2.3%

UN IT YB N K

0.64

-4.5%

UB A

145.6

-1.2%

T R A N SC OR P

0.92

-4.2%

M TNN

107.5

0.0%

LIVEST OC K

1.25

-3.8%

M A N SA R D

91.1

9.8%

M B EN EF IT

0.26

-3.7%

FB NH

81.4

-1.4%

72.3

-0.3%

60.3

-1.2%

GLA XOSM IT H

6.80

-2.9%

D A N GSUGA R

UC A P

4.52

-2.8%

A C C ESS

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Adedayo Bakare | abakare@afrinvest.com

35

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Cadbury Nigeria Appoints Two Non-Executive Directors Goddy Egene Cadbury Nigeria Plc has appointed two

additional non-executive directors. They are: Mrs. Kofoworola Akinkugbe, who has been appointed an independent

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

non-executive director and Ms. Nadia Mohamed, a non-executive director).

Akinkugbe is the Founder and CEO of

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 18Dec-2020, unless otherwise stated.

SecureID, She also sits on the Boards of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria and Fintech Association of

Nigeria among others.

On the other hand, Mohamed is the Marketing Director Mondelez

International (Africa). According to the company, the appointments will be effective January 1, 2021.

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 ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 1.06 1.08 18.61% ACAP Income Funds 0.86 0.86 11.46% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.87% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.61 3.74 47.69% 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 0.88% Anchoria Equity Fund 130.44 130.91 21.86% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.39 1.39 17.99% 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 18.23 18.78 19.00% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 402.03 414.15 16.38% ARM Ethical Fund 33.92 34.95 16.65% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.22 1.22 21.95% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.11 1.11 10.95% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.07% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 124.08 124.95 29.14% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.39% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.20 2.20 17.47% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.20 2.24 42.48% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.96% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 128.27 129.07 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 108.66 108.66 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 0.55% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.17 1.18 25.86% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.68 1.68 26.10% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 0.87% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 0.86% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,208.81 1,223.65 8.96% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,439.94 1,441.63 21.51% FBN Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Halal Fund 110.10 110.12 10.10% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.43% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 121.26 121.68 7.40% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 121.43 121.85 7.01% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 149.30 151.57 14.73% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,761.64 3,802.29 23.42% Coral Income Fund 3,281.18 3,281.81 6.89% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 2.52% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.34% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 126.97 127.50 17.90%

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.69% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.83 2.89 29.52% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 156.25 157.18 9.06% 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 1.41 1.43 24.93% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,152.07 1,152.07 10.70% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.61 1.64 30.56% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.16 12.27 7.94% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 1.82% PACAM Equity Fund 1.53 1.54 PACAM EuroBond Fund 108.24 110.62 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 131.51 134.36 6.52% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.02 1.02 9.02% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 24.49% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 6.42% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 26.67% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 7.47% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 31.78% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.32% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 24.50% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.22 1.22 5.46% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 110.92 110.92 6.44% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.37 1.39 14.60% United Capital Bond Fund 1.8855 1.8855 9.01% United Capital Equity Fund 0.86 0.88 21.96% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.27% United Capital Eurobond Fund 116.85 116.85 6.89% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.08 2.00% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.11 12.25 17.81% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.41 13.54 15.45% Zenith Income Fund 25.00 25.00 10.02% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.86%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

120.08

6.95%

52.16

0.21%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

11.91 115.64 89.91

12.01 118.16 91.59

41.14% 22.43% 19.69%

Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

N/A

N/A

N/A

Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund

N/A

N/A

N/A

Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund

N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

N/A

N/A

N/A

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.71

13.11%

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

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.

36

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

North-central Governors Seek FG’s Support to Tighten Security George Okoh in Makurdi Governors from the North-central states in Nigeria have called on the federal government to support the zone in its ongoing digital technology project(s) and other

security preventive measures in order to fight all forms of criminality.

The joint appeal by member states was made yesterday at the Government House in Makurdi when the governors of Benue,

11 Contract COVID-19 at Taraba NYSC Camp Wole Ayodele in Jalingo At least 11 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have tested positive for COVID 19 at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Sibre, near Jalingo in Taraba State.

Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr Innocent Vakkai, disclosed this at a media briefing in Jalingo.

Vakkai, however, said the 11 corps members who tested positive are responding to treatment at the isolation centre in the state.

The commissioner said based on the directives by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that all members of the scheme should be tested on arrive at various orientation camps across the country, the 11 corps members were discovered with the virus in Taraba State on arrival at the

camp.

The commissioner stated that all the affected corps members were isolated in a Hotel following the vandalisation of the state isolation centre by hoodlums during the #EndSAR protest.

“The recent report I got from the Isolation center indicated that the corps members are doing very well. None of them develop symptoms of COVID-19 as of the time they tested positive for the virus.

“I am very sure that by the time the orientation camp closes, they should be healthy enough to reunite with their families,” he said.

The commissioner called on the people of the state to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary gatherings, especially during the yuletide season.

Cross River North: INEC Issues Certificate of Return to PDP’s Jarigbe Chuks Okocha in Abuja In compliance with the Court of Appeal directives, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a Certificate of Return to Hon. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as the winner and duly elected candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last Cross River North Senatorial by-election.

The Court of Appeal had directed INEC to issue Jarigbe the certificate of return as the duly and the substantive candidate of the PDP which won the

election.

The appellate court had affirmed the judgment of an FCT High Court which had earlier declared Hon. Jarigbe as duly elected PDP candidate for the December 5 Cross River North Senatorial seat.

The certificate of return was handed over to Jarigbe by an INEC National Commissioner, Mr. Festus Okoye at a brief ceremony in Abuja.

Before the appellate court ruling, INEC had earlier issued a certificate of return to Dr Stephen Odey.

Abducted Edo HoS Regains Freedom Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Edo State Head of Service (HoS), Mr Anthony Okungbowa, who was kidnapped by some gunmen on Saturday evening along Oza Road, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state has been set free by his abductors The HoS was said to have been released by his abductors at about 9:15 p.m. yesterday night, according to a family source who pleaded anonymity.

According to the source, Okungbowa was set free after payment of ransom as demanded by his kidnappers.

The source who however declined to mention the amount paid, said that the HoS is hail and healthy.

He said that the

ransom was paid through collaboration between the family and the state government.

“We just want to thank God that our brother has been set free and in good health condition,” said the source.

The source however regretted that the police orderly to the HoS who was shot during the process of his abduction died on Monday evening following complication from the gun shot injury he sustained.

Also shot dead by the abductors was the driver to the HoS Okungbowa was abducted when he was returning to Benin after attending a local event in Oza, a community in Orhiomwon Local Government Area of the state.

Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, Kwara and Niger states met to appraise the security issues bothering the states Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Niger State Governor and Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, said the federal government needs to establish military camps or training grounds in the forests in the zone to block movement of hoodlums.

“The military units should be Infantry heavy with adequate

support weapons. Also, elements of Armoured Unit (Track Armoured Vehicles/APC) will be necessary.”

He called for the resuscitation of Peace and Security Committees at the local government levels to enhance quick decision on insecurity, crime prevention and detection.

He said the forum stressed the need for the Nigeria Police Force to synergise with the state governments in the recruitment and training of community police

for the provision of adequate security at grassroots level.

“The need to restore involvement of traditional and community leaders in intelligence gathering and sharing in order to assist security agencies in fighting the insecurity in the zone is very important as well as the need to share Intelligence amongst member states and to create multi-layer intelligence gathering.”

He said the states would partner the federal government

in achieving the target.

Bello called on agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Services to track the proliferation of light and small weapons.

He appreciated the effort of security agencies in tackling the issues of insecurity in the zone and urged them not to relent.

He called on his colleagues to be focused on issues that will create regional development, stressing that national interest should be the guiding principles.

PROJECTION INAUGURATION...

L-R: Chairman, Nsukka Local Government Area, Hon. Cosmas Ugwueze; member representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, Hon. Pat Asadu; Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Chief Executive Officer, Willson Nigeria Limited, Chief William Agbo, during the inauguration of the rehabilitated access road in Eha-Alumona, Nsukka…yesterday.

Court Refuses Request to Stop Ohanaeze’s Election Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja yesterday refused to grant an application seeking to halt the forthcoming election of the Chief John Nwodo led Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural group.

Justice Ekwo rather ordered the plaintiff, Incorporated Trustees of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly, to put the defendants on notice and adjourned the matter till January 15, next year.

Respondents in the suit are; Ohanaeze Ndigbo (Nwodo’s faction), Chief John Nwodo, Corporate Affairs Commission, Attorney General of the Federation and Inspector General of Police as 1st to 5th respectively.

The plaintiff in an exparte application dated December 7, 2020 and filed on its behalf by Mr Amobi Nzelu, is praying the court for an Interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd respondents “from conducting any election into the various offices of the 1st respondent fixed for December 2020/January 2021 pending the determination of the motion on notice filed in respect of this matter”.

The plaintiff also prayed the court for an order restraining Nwodo from doing anything in furtherance of the said election into the various offices of the 1st respondent fixed for December 2020/ January 2021 pending the determination of the motion on notice and another order restraining the AGF and Police from allowing

the faction led by Chief Nwodo from conducting the said election.

In a 29 paragraph affidavit in support of the motion exparte, the plaintiff claimed that the 1st respondent “is an illegal association having not been registered by the CAC under the Companies and Allied Matters Act”.

In the affidavit deposed to

by Mr Onuorah Onyeachonam, President General of the Incorporated Trustees of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly, plaintiff argued that the 1st respondent not been a registered association should not be allowed to operate.

Nzelu argued that if not stopped, the election into the various offices of the 1st defendant will be a stamp and seal on illegality.

While stressing that the plaintiff is ready to enter into an undertaking to indemnify the respondents in damages should the orders sought, if made, be found to have been made without justification, Nzelu said that the loss the plaintiff will suffer will not be assuaged by any damages awarded.

After listening to the argument of the plaintiff, Justice Ekwo held that the reliefs sought cannot be granted without first hearing from the respondents.

He therefore ordered that the respondents be put on notice.

While adjourning the suit to January 15, 2020, he said the plaintiff can apply to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for the matter to be taken during vacation.

NJC Recommends Justice Olusiyi for Appointment as Kogi CJ 68 others for various judicial offices Alex Enumah in Abuja The National Judicial Council (NJC) yesterday released the names of judicial officers recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors for appointment into various offices in the federal and states judiciary.

Those shortlisted include Justice Henry Olusiyi as Chief Judge of Kogi State; Justice Aisha Bwari as Chief Judge of Niger State, and Kadi Shu’aibu Achida as the Grand Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Sokoto.

“The NJC, at its 93rd meeting of December 16, 2020, which was virtually held, considered the list of candidates interviewed and presented by its Interview Committee. At the end of the deliberation, the council recommended the underlisted 69 names of successful candidates to the president (in the case of Kadis of the FCT Sharia Court of Appeal) and the various state governors (in the case of other state judicial officers and heads of court) for appointment,” a statement from NJC’s Director

of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, said.

Those recommended for appointment as Presidents of Customary Court of Appeal are Justices John Olowosegun, Wasiu Akanbi, Patrick Dapit, and S.M.C. Ururuka-Onyensoh for Kogi, Osun, Plataeu, and Abia States respectively.

In the states’ high court category, they are Saadu Sambowal, Farouk Sarki M, Mohammed Abubakar, Bauchi State; while Bamidele Aina and Aisha Mohammed were recommended for Kogi State.

Meanwhile five persons

have been recommended for appointment as Kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Federal Capital Territory (FCT). They are Bashiru Maisule, Salisu Garba, Mohammed Abubakar, Lawal Abdullahi and Abdullahi Al-ilory.

According to the statement, all recommended candidates are expected to be sworn in after approval of the NJC recommendations by the president, the respective state governors and the respective state Houses of Assembly, as the case may be.

37

˜ ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

CARABAO CUP

Iwobi Targets Win Against Man Utd as Xmas Gift to Everton’s Fans Nigeria and Everton midfielder, Alex Iwobi, has urged his teammates to stay humble and keep fighting when they face Manchester United in tomorrow’s Carabao Cup quarter-final game.

Iwobi has regained his Everton starting line up form in the last six matches and played in different positions to help Carlo Ancelotti’s men maintain top running in the Premier League.

The Toffees head into the encounter in some fine winning form having beaten Chelsea, Leicester City and Arsenal in their last three Premier League outings.

On Saturday, they secured a 2-1 victory over Arsenal and the 24-year-old Nigerian said the win over his former club gives Everton enough confidence ahead of tomorrow’s showdown

with United at Goodison Park.

“For us to achieve nine points from our recent games against Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal gives us real confidence and belief that we can do the same against any other team,” Iwobi told Everton’s club websiteyesterday.

“I’m happy with my contribution and to be creating chances – and it was a great feeling coming back against my old club – but it’s all about the team performance.

“We now turn our attention to Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United. It’s a big game and another match under the lights at Goodison with 2,000 of our fans cheering us on.”

Back in November, Iwobi was introduced as a 67th-minute substitute for Gylfi Sigurdsson in Everton’s 3-1 league defeat

to Manchester United.

But with their revived winning form, the Super Eagles midfielder believes they can give their fans a Christmas gift with victory tomorrow night

“We’re in competitions to try to win them. We want to win as many as we can, not just for us but for the fans, especially,” he continued.

“We have to stay humble.

We’ll keep on fighting, keep working hard and hopefully we can keep this feel-good factor to give our fans plenty to smile about going into Christmas.”

TODAY Brentford v Newcastle Arsenal v Man City WEDNESDAY Stoke v Tottenham Everton v Man Utd

Napoli’s Sporting Director Confirms Osimhen’s Return in January Victor Osimhen’s hope of returning to action before the end of 2020 has been doused as his club in Italian Serie A, Napoli, have announced they are now t expecting him until January.

Napoli’s Sporting Director, Cristiano Giuntoli, has confirmed that Osimhen will not play again this year as he’s still undergoing rehabilitation after dislocating his shoulder while on international duty with the Super Eagles on November 13.

The Nigeria international will not be able to add to his tally of two goals and eight appearances until at least January 2021, Giuntoli hinted yesterday.

Osimhen is presently in Antwerp, Belgium, where he is performing muscle strengthening work to protect the joint and athletic work.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Giuntoli said : “Osimhen is still

not well, we are waiting for him at the beginning of 2021.

“At what point of the month is he back? We are waiting for him at the beginning of January, I don’t know when he will come back, we will see in what conditions it will be and we will evaluate”.

The 21-year-old Osimhen has not been involved in the last nine matches played by Napoli since his return to Italy last month.

He injured the shoulder in the first leg of Nigeria’s AFCON 2022 qualifier against Sierra Leone at the newly refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

Osimhen had to fly back to Naples, Italy before the reverse fixture in Freetown, Sierra Leone after medics in Nigeria gave him initial first aid that was not adequate.

Super Eagles drew 4-4 in Benin and also shared points in the reverse fixture.

Paralympians Rule 2nd Valuejet Para Table Tennis Open The six athletes that have already booked their places at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics Games emerged champions in their various categories at the just concluded 2nd Valuejet Para Table Tennis Open at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

From experienced Paralympians like Tajudeen Agunbiade, Olufemi Ajayi and Ahmed Koleosho to debutants Isau Ogunkunle, Faith Obazuaye and Victor Farinloye, nobody could stop them from clinching the titles in their various classes.

Sydney 2000 Paralympics Games gold medalists – Agunbiade and Alabi were untouchable in the Classes 10 and 9 respectively, beating

all their opponents to emerge victorious.

Unlike Agunbiade and Alabi who had to wait till the final day to know their fate, Ogunkunle, Obazuaye, Farinloye and Koleosho were crowned champions in class 4, 10, 7 and 3 respectively a day earlier.

More than 200 players featured in the tournament, some of them made their debuts in the national competition.

For Obazuaye, a silver medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, the tournament has boosted her confidence heading to Tokyo especially coming at a time they are all in the national camp for Tokyo 2021.

Alex Iwobi (right) is set to clash with Marcus Rashford and his Manchester United’s teammates again in the League Cup tomorrow night

NPFL Must Be on Television to Rekindle Interests of Nigerians, Says Sports Minister Duro Ikhazuagbe The Minister of Youth and Sports Development , Mr. Sunday Dare, has insisted that the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) cannot thrive without television contents.

The minister at a parley with senior sports journalists last weekend in Lagos insisted that television plays a major role in popularizing any football competition and urged the organizers of the NPFL to key into it.

According to Dare, “our football league must be ‘content stupid’ to develop because football generally is content stupid. When we

watch the English Premier League, we are transported to stadiums in England through the power of television. It is clear that our domestic league cannot develop without content.

“We have agreed with the NFF and LMC that there must be content in our League. We may not be able to cover or show five or six matches, but the content must be there.

“I have received an assurance from the LMC that there would be content. The content might be gradual, but there must be some clear markers laid down, especially now that stadiums will be empty due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Fans would be able to watch their teams play on television. Content must return so that our apex football league can develop and gain universal recognition”, the Minister concluded.

The Sports Ministry and the LMC have agreed on Sunday, 27th December, 2020 date for the resumption of the 2020/21 NPFL season.

Chairman of the LMC, Shehu Dikko had last weekend assured the minister and stakeholders that the new season would be on television.

The LMC Boss said other programmes and branding strategies to increase the excitement value of the

league will be unveiled in due course.

“There’s no doubt that exciting times lie ahead for all football lovers in Nigeria who have long yearned to have matches and activities of NPFL made readily available to them by streaming and broadcast on other platforms, including traditional TV”, Dikko remarked.

He said the LMC is assuring millions of football fans in Nigeria that their patience will very soon be rewarded with a repackaged NPFL, whose exciting football matches and activities they can view and follow anytime and anywhere on the NPFL. TVplatform.

Team Nigeria Wins Bronze at the African Judo Championships in Madagascar Nigeria has won bronze medal at the 41st African Senior Championships held in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Nigeria’s only representative at the championships, Enku Ekuta, defeated Billet Sandrine of Cape Verde with an ippon to win the bronze in the women’s 63kg category last Friday.

Ekuta, who is sponsored by Accugas, a Savannah Energy Company, qualified for the semifinal after overcoming Daniella Nomenjanahary of Madagascar with an ippon.

Ekuta however lost the semifinal bout to Amina Belkadi of Algeria.

The African Senior

Championships is one of the key judo events on the calendar of the International Judo Federation (IJF) which is aimed at enabling eligible judokas to gain points leading to qualification for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.

The bronze medal has now added 350 IJF world ranking points to Ekuta’s points tally. It will also enhance her chances of securing enough points to qualify for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.

Head of Stakeholder Relations and Communication, Savannah Energy, Nkoyo Etuk commented on Ekuta’s outing at the Championship in Madagascar: “We are

impressed by Enku Ekuta’s performance in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

“She carried on her shoulders the additional responsibility of being the only Nigerian judoka again at a major continental championship - and she did Nigeria proud by winning a bronze medal.

“Accugas will continue to support her to ensure that she participates in more continental championships and gains enough points to qualify for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. We are confident that she will qualify and excel at the Olympics”.

Speaking on her

performance, Ekuta said: “I am happy that I participated at the 41st African Seniors Championships and I thank God for winning a bronze medal for Nigeria. I thank my sponsor, Accugas and the Nigeria Judo Federation for their support.

“Although my target was gold, the bronze medal will nonetheless increase my total points in the race to qualify for the Olympics. I will work on my mistakes and improve on my performance in the next championship”.

Ekuta won gold at the 4th African Judo Open which took place on November 14, 2020 in Dakar, Senegal.

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TUESDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ THISDAY

BACK PAGE CONTINUATION NIGERIA MUST BECOME REGIONAL POWERHOUSE IN VALUE-ADDITION of cement is currently high. However, at about $120/ton ex-factory this is still lower than the price of cement per ton in many African countries. This equally means the market is big enough for new investments and unless we all come out to face these challenges as leaders, development will be difficult to achieve.

In view of these challenges, I am happy to announce that our 3rd cement line of 3mmt per annum in Sokoto is expected to be commissioned in the middle of 2021, and I am also pleased to inform you that we are commencing the construction of 3 more cement plants of 3 million tonnes each in Sokoto, Edo and Adamawa at the cost of $1.050billion which should be completed by the end of 2022. The contract signing is expected to happen this week.

However, I am also of the strong belief that it is not only in Cement that these large-scale projects are possible. Nigeria hosts other huge mineral deposits waiting for us to add value, to extract maximum benefits. Iron Ore is one of them.

Our country is one of only 11 countries in the world that is sitting on iron ore, coal and even gas and yet, we appear to be the only ones yet to take full advantage. It is estimated that we spend about 3 billion dollars a year importing steel, which we can produce locally using our resources thereby saving billions of dollars in foreign exchange every year.

In fact, if we can have a two-milliontonne, fully integrated steel plant at the cost of about 2 billion dollars, we will be saving about 2 billion dollars every year.

By fully integrated, I mean processing from Iron ore to Beneficiation, Pelletizing, DR Plant, SMS, Steel, Long products, sheets, angles – all aspects of the value chain. If we even decide to undertake beneficiation alone, this would be more lucrative than processed limestone, which is the raw material for cement. I daresay if we are able to take full advantage of this - then we can firmly place our sector and country on the road to sustainable development.

As business leaders, we are not exploring and exploiting these opportunities enough and the few of us who are doing it, definitely cannot do it alone. I say this because there are huge opportunities in mining, manufacturing, and the agricultural value chain - just as there are in the services space. Agriculture is a prime area in need of serious intervention, and we need more Nigerians to step up here.

Do you know that, 60% of the world’s arable land resides in Africa? And as is often said, “if potential were edible, Africa will be the best fed continent in the world.”

The same applies here to Nigeria. I flew last week from Lagos to Sokoto and could see the fertile plains from Kwara, Niger, all the way to Sokoto, waiting for us to take advantage of. How long will we continue to rely on importing food? Our continued inability to grow what we eat exposes us to various shocks, the most debilitating being the 2020 pandemic. This is one of the reasons why at BUA we are renewing our focus on the agriculture and foods space.

Just like I said last year for cement, BUA is also looking to combine our foods

businesses – from sugar, flour, pasta to list as BUA FOODS on the NSE by the end of 2021. In sugar, we have our integrated plantation in Kwara State set to produce 200,000tonnes of refined sugar, 20million litres of ethanol annually and 35MW of power – all utilizing the by-products of cane sugar. We also have a refinery in Lagos and Port Harcourt. In flour and pasta, we have also started looking at backward integration for Nigerian-grown wheat to reduce our dependence on imported wheat and revive production in the sector. Nigeria currently imports over 5million tonnes of wheat and this places a huge strain on our scarce FX as a country.

The opportunities in the agriculture and agribusiness space are endless. How are we as leaders looking to take advantage of this space? How can we work together, and what examples – or opportunities are on the horizon?

In terms of our plans, we recently announced that BUA will be building a Refinery and Petrochemicals complex. Why? Because we saw an opportunity even though there is another big project in that space, coming on stream. Local consumption is quite huge and estimated at 800,000barrels per day. This is in addition to the huge regional market that exists for petroleum products. Alongside the refinery, we are building a polypropylene plant, which will answer the demand for polypropylene in the region. It is common knowledge that about a third of our country’s FX earnings go towards the importation of petrol and petroleum products. More strange is the fact

that the cost of logistics for transporting these products to Nigeria could instead be deployed to significantly revamp the refining space and therefore, at BUA, we couldn’t just sit back - we knew we had to take action and I am certain we have made the right call yet again.

On a final note, I want to say again that we NEED MORE PEOPLE TO COME AND INVEST in various sectors of the Nigerian economy. We have the Climate, People, Land, Water, Mineral Resources – we have almost everything. The final piece is we must begin to produce what we consume and consume what we produce. Where we cannot do either, we must become a regional powerhouse in value-addition – if not for anything, but to take advantage of the benefits of the AfCFTA. The African Continental Free Trade Area presents a massive opportunity for us as a country and unless we take full advantage, we may become a dumping ground due to Nigeria’s unique position of being Africa’s largest economy, and our huge population. We must begin to look at a cross-pollination of our industries amid economic integration and finally, as Nigerian business leaders, we need to be less shy and more bullish in taking advantage of opportunities. This is my charge to us all, and I humbly expect to cheer on, and learn from your successes in the coming financial year.

was a lot of money. Many other columnists would follow in Sam Nda-Isaiah’s footsteps and publish collections of their writings. It was political season and you could make as much money as possible if you had the right connections. In Sam Nda-Isaiah’s case, that singular event, that is the publication of a selection of his writings promoted him and gave him the platform that he needed to scale up. In 2004, his project, the Leadership newspaper grew into a big enterprise and a major contribution to popular culture, journalism and ideas.

In terms of focus and mission statement, the reader was told: “We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interests of the Nigerian state even against its leaders and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.”

Sam Nda-Isaiah built the paper with the force of his own industry, ideas, and connections within the Northern establishment. He was a fearless, aggressive and say-it-as-it-is writer. He took on everyone and any one. He paid close attention to the governance process and did not spare any fool in the corridors of power. Everything in the Leadership newspaper was purposeful.

In the past, we used to complain about a tradition of newspapering in the North which supported the Islamic religion and the Northern aristocracy, and hence offered, perhaps with the notable exception in this regard of Citizen magazine, a tendentious form of journalism which played the usual Nigerian game. Leadership newspaper was slightly different in its early beginnings.. It was avant-garde and the market responded accordingly as the newspaper attracted attention and respect. Sam Nda-Isaiah recruited some of the best hands in the business, including Azu Ishiekwene, a former editor of The Punch newspaper and a gifted master of the prose who helped to further raise the newspaper’s quality

of delivery across board. In later years, however, I observed that the newspaper became somewhat tainted with Sam’s partisan politics. But that is another story.

Newspapering was Sam’s passion nonetheless. He would later branch out into other businesses and investments: manufacturing, telecommunications, hospitality, agriculture, and real estate.

There was this upscale eatery close to where I lived in Asokoro, Abuja. Banana Republic. I was shocked to discover that it was owned by Sam. I couldn’t make the connection between Sam Nda-Isaiah, the writer/publisher and Sam, the curator of a pepper soup, suya and Chinese/African swallow joint. His energy was boundless. His appetite was large. His talent was huge. He was a prototypical renaissance character. He was either Chairman or member of many boards, and over the years, he built the Leadership newspaper into a group of companies. He pursued entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities with great enthusiasm, and with equal if not bigger appetite, he pursued knowledge, acquiring multiple academic degrees. Media ownership is a form of power, and with that power comes influence, privileges and attention.

Sam Nda-Isaiah did not shy away from the latter. He took an active interest in community leadership. He was not only involved in the politics of the newspaper industry, he also took chieftaincy titles.

In 2011, he was honoured with the title of Kakaki Nupe. In 2012, he became the Aare Baaroyin of Akure. In 2013, he was made the Uguwmba Ndigbo by the Igbo community in Abuja. He was also Jakadan Potiskum.

Sam was a bridge-builder. He had friends across the country and all aisles. In 2015, he ran for the Presidency of Nigeria during the primaries on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. He lost to General Muhammadu Buhari who later went on to win the 2015 Presidential election in one of the most historic elections in Nigeria.

Incidentally, way back in 2003, he was the head of General Buhari’s Presidential publicity campaign committee. I hold the view that Sam’s partisan politics affected and conditioned his political views and relationships. It would be wrong however to question his engagement with the country of his birth at the level of both ideas and action. It was a choice he made which should be respected. In 2015, this was his campaign slogan: “It is Time for Big Ideas.” Indeed Nigeria needs “Big ideas.” New ideas. A new way of thinking and being.

As Presidential spokesperson and Media Adviser, I had cause to visit his office, and invite him to meetings with the President at the Villa. President Goodluck Jonathan always told me that he was his friend. This was regularly confirmed by other members of the President’s team. Occasionally, the President would ask after him, and if we had any meetings with editors at the Villa, at House 7 especially, he was always one of those media chiefs who would stay behind and have a one on one with the President. But that never stopped Sam Nda-Isaiah from criticizing the Jonathan administration. Each time he attacked the government either in the Features pages of his newspaper or through one notorious editorial cartoon called “Ghana Must Go”, people who knew that he had direct access to President Jonathan would ask: “Is this man still our friend? Is he our friend?” People in the corridors of power often make the mistake of thinking that they could make friends out of journalists. Nigerian journalists are like Nigerian policemen. They don’t really have friends. They are governed by the pressure of the breaking news. What you don’t want a third party to hear, don’t confide in a journalist. If it is newsworthy, they will tell the story. They will analyze it. They will tell the public, and defend the people’s right to know. The same journalists however will go to every length to protect you if you are their primary source. Every good journalist knows the basic rule: you are only as good as your sources and you are not obliged to unmask them.

Sam Nda-Isaiah knew how to walk this proverbial tightrope of journalism. The only problem was that for the most part, he was capable of looking his own friends straight in the eye while poking his pen in their eyes with a smile and an overdose of politeness. He loved his country though. He was passionate about Nigeria. He wanted the best for this troubled society and its people.

He was a patriot. He was internationally acclaimed for his accomplishments. What remains is how to sustain his legacy. Many other lives drew oxygen from his, and now that he is no more, the best way to preserve his memory is to ensure that his various contributions are kept alive – “For God and country”.

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SAM NDA-ISAIAH (1962 – 2020) as one of his last minute activities. To say that he wrote brilliant columns is to create a new cliché. Of course, he did. Sam NdaIsaiah’s columns titled “Last Word” and “Ear Shot” were a compelling read. They brought him to national attention. Sam Nda-Isaiah’s career path was all the more interesting and remarkable because he was originally a Pharmacist. He studied Pharmacy at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. For a while, he worked as a Pharmacist, during his National Youth Service Year at the Ekiti General Hospital, and later at the Kano Specialist Hospital, the General Hospital, Minna, and at Pfizer Products Limited.

Journalism would eventually become his calling and the defining vocation of his life.

Persons who are privy to his background would not be surprised. His father, Clement Nda-Isaiah was a journalist in the 70s. He was at a point, Sports Editor at the New Nigerian newspaper. As a secondary school student, Sam Nda-Isaiah was often dropped off to join his father at the New Nigerian newspaper premises after closing from school. Any surprise then that the son of a journalist who went to study Pharmacy eventually ended up as a journalist, publisher and media entrepreneur? At the Obafemi Awolowo University, his interest in journalism and public affairs was notable. He was Editor of The Pharmacist, a departmental magazine. He later sustained his interest in public affairs by writing for the Daily Trust, the platform that brought him into public reckoning.

His most compelling outing in this regard was his publication in 2004 of his collection of writings in the Daily Trust. The Book was titled Nigeria: Full Disclosure: Selected Writings on Governance, Democracy and Statecraft, May 1999 – March 2004 by Sam Nda-Isaiah. It effectively put a fence around his public commentaries up to that point, but it was also a major event on the cultural calendar. Sam was able to attract the high and mighty in society to the book presentation. From the event, he reportedly made a sum of 17 million Naira, which became the seed money for the rejuvenation of his own newspaper, Leadership, which he had founded in 2001.

Leadership newspaper then, was a very modest, subscription-only, effort, not more than a few pages of straggly newsprint, but a popular offering all the same because it was an outright, left-wing anti-Obasanjo newspaper. Day after day, one edition after another, Sam Nda-Isaiah’s newspaper drew blood literally as it highlighted the shortcomings of the Obasanjo administration across Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the policy spectrum. The newspaper pandered to popular sentiments. The launch of the book in 2004 and the gain of N17 million gave the newspaper project a new bump and verve. In those days, N17 million

And he died…If death had wanted money we could have given him, if death wanted Kolanuts, we could have littered his path with the biggest Kolanuts from great grandfather’s barn, but death, the greedy, grim reaper rejected both money and kolanuts and took our beloved most worthy brother instead…and now we mourn. We mourn.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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Tuesday December 22, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE PDP to House “It is disgraceful for the House of Representatives to blame its own members for the blunt refusal of Mr. President’s to honour a statutory invitation by Nigerians through their elected representatives to address them on the heightened insecurity across our nation under his watch” – PDP cautioning the House against sanctioning Hon. Kingsley Chinda, for calling for President Buhari’s impeachment.

ABDUL SAMADRABIU GUEST COLUMNIST

Nigeria Must Become Regional Powerhouse in Value-addition

I

would like to thank the Institute of Directors Nigeria for deeming it fit to admit me as a Fellow of this esteemed institution. It is indeed a great honour.

I remember when I was invited last year as a special guest of honour during the 2019 IOD Dinner; I announced that BUA Cement was preparing to list on the NSE. Since you all began this journey with me, please allow me to report back that BUA Cement listed afterwards and is now one of the most capitalized companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

With a market capitalization of 1.9trillion Naira, EBITDA of N82bn and PAT of N60bn Naira as at FY2019, we are on course to hit EBITDA of 100billion Naira by the end of 2020 despite the dire conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic this year.

Our outcomes are very significant because BUA Cement is a manufacturing and mining outfit and is currently one of the most profitable manufacturing entities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Our successes are exceptional because in mining, you are expected to add a lot more value compared to many other industries due to the use of locally sourced raw materials in your operations. Regardless of the hurdles posed by this global pandemic, we continued to create jobs and sustainable wealth for our workers, investors and by extension, our customers.

I must add that with the presence of

Chairman IOD award resources needed across the country, we have been able to stabilize prices irrespective of where anybody lives in Nigeria and as a result, the price of cement in Lagos is similar or the same as the price of cement in Maiduguri, Yenagoa, Sokoto or Onitsha.

In addition to this, only 5% of our revenues are used for imports in FX; this has freed up necessary funds to pursue further expansion and development across our brand portfolio, particularly in the field of innovative manufacturing.

The cement industry in Nigeria is currently producing about 28 million metric tonnes of cement per annum, which translates to about 120kg per head in terms of consumption per capita. This is lower than consumption per head in the rest of Africa. Based on this, it is very clear that we are not even producing enough cement. Where others see low consumption figures, I see opportunity; it means Nigeria and the surrounding region is still home to huge opportunities in housing, infrastructure, and allied industries.

Demand and consumption currently outstrips supply; our population is increasing, logistics remains a huge challenge, coupled with reduced production amongst some players. This is why the price of cement in the market is currently about 20% higher than the price of cement ex-factory. Plants are aging and BUA is one of the few that have new plants. We have therefore taken it upon ourselves to tangibly bridge the demand gap by 2022. The potentials exist because ideally, Nigeria should be producing at least 300kg per head or about 60million metric tonnes per annum – which is double our current production capacity.

Imagine with me for a second, if we were still importing cement. The cost of logistics alone would have made the price of cement out of the reach of many – especially those in far-flung states. As I said earlier, and many of us have experienced, the retail price Continued on page 38

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Sam Nda-Isaiah (1962 – 2020) S

am Nda-Isaiah, our friend and colleague who died the other day, aged 58, will certainly be remembered as one of the major contributors to the practice and promotion of the journalism profession in Nigeria, in the last moments of the 20th century and the early part of the 21st Century, with his craft, writings, enterprise and involvement in the politics of the trade.

His death was sudden and shocking. A few days earlier, he had been actively involved in the activities of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), precisely at the change of guards ceremony which led to the emergence of a new executive in charge of the association. The communique issued at the end of that NPAN meeting talked about the need for the Nigerian government to take allegations of a second wave of the COVID-19 more seriously, and begin to make arrangements for the procurement, the distribution of vaccines in Nigeria and the inoculation of our over 200 million vulnerable population.

Days later, it was reported that Sam Nda-

Nda-Isaiah Isaiah had succumbed to COVID-19, and had gone the way of ancestors. Some close associates insist that his death had nothing

to do with COVID-19. Whatever it was, his death is an affirmation of the ugliness of the year 2020, an annus horribilis, in which lives were cut short by a virulent, mutating and vicious pathogen called COVID-19 and other afflictions. It is true that many survived, but millions died. The world was taken back to a century earlier: the Spanish Flu of 1918 – 1920, a bad case of history repeating itself as a tragedy. Sam’s death was most painful because he was a man full of life, energy, ideas, passion and promise. In the same week that he died he attended the NPAN meeting, chaired a Board meeting at his company’s headquarters and was in the middle of the formation of new projects. And he died…If death had wanted money we could have given him, if death wanted Kolanuts, we could have littered his path with the biggest Kolanuts from great grandfather’s barn, but death, the greedy, grim reaper rejected both money and kolanuts and took our beloved most worthy brother instead…and now we mourn. We mourn.

Sam Nda-Isaiah was a shining light in our community, that is the literary and

intellectual eco-system. He was the publisher of the Leadership newspapers, an influential newspaper, which literally grew from grass to grace. It was a great pleasure and a delight indeed to have been able to relate with, and engage Sam Nda-Isaiah in the course of my assignment as President Goodluck Jonathan’s media adviser and spokesman.

But I knew Sam Nda-Isaiah, long before then. I met him through his writings before I met him in person. Writers are often led by their own words and thoughts: they unlock doors which may be forever invisible with their turns of phrase; they connect with souls that they may never even meet in physical spaces. Their words can cause revolutions across minds, across generations and yet their only touch with that vast space are the words that they spoke or wrote.

Sam Nda-Isaiah first came into major public reckoning as a columnist, and editorial board member with the Daily Trust newspaper, whose founder is now the President of the NPAN, and whose inauguration he attended Continued on page 38

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