WEDNESDAY 2ND NOVEMBER 2022

Kwankwaso Unveils Blueprint, Promises Improved Security, Better Education, Restructuring, Others

Buhari,

Tinubu:

The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu yesterday assured business leaders in the country that if elected in the February 2023 election, he would phase out Nigeria’s controversial petroleum subsidy regime.

He also told members of the private sector that his adminis tration would reinvent Nigeria’s industrialisation and make the country a leader in the fourth industrial revolution by accelerating the production of made-in-Nigeria goods.

Tinubu declared these yesterday in Lagos during a town hall meeting with the business community/ organise private sector (OPS).

“I am determined to give you affordable and reliable power to light

Subsidy

EFCC Probing $6bn MambillaPower Project, Says Minister

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently investigating the $6bn Mambilla Power Project despite the legal tussle on it.

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu made this known when he appeared before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Power to defend 2023 budget, after the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gabriel Suswan raised concern over the situation of Mambilla Power Project.

The Minister said the Ministry had met with stakeholders and all issues of concern were currently being resolved.

He added that the issue of litigation on the Mambilla Power was hampering the project.

Aliyu said, "Regarding the Mambilla Project, we have met with stakeholders and we are resolving the situation. It has something to do with litigation, there is nothing going on as regarding moving to site.

"EFCC has stepped into the matter and we have given them information about it, we have given them history of the power project, our lawyers have interfaced with the anti-graft agency, unless we are able to pull out of litigation, we can't do anything.

"I don't think the investor will bring their money where there is encumbrance."

Speaking on the project, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswan, described the project as a mirage as far as the nation was concerned.

He lamented that money had been budgeted year in year out but there was nothing on ground to show for it.

Suswam said, "The Mambilla power project has become a mirage to us at the National Assembly and to Nigerians. Monies are provided

year in, year out, but nothing is certain about Mambilla.

"The initial scope of the project was slightly about 3,000 megawatts. There were issues and we were told that it was going to be recouped. Even the re-scoping of the project has not been done.

"In essence, it means that there is no project that is on ground like Mambilla. It's all about talks and lips service. That is why we are concerned about the money that is provided for consultancy and the money used for the training of staff that supposed to be utilised if Mambilla was in place.

"Why provide monies all the years when nothing actually is on ground?"

He, however, said his committee has directed the Minister of Power to ask the ministry's permanent secretary and other desk officers to appear before it to explain how the yearly budgetary allocations for Mambila had been utilised.

He said, "Since 2017, monies have been provided for Mambila but nothing has done on the project despite the pressure we have been mounting on federal government from the National Assembly. "

The federal government awarded a $6 billion Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract to Sunrise Power and Transmission Co. Limited and its Chinese consortium partners on May 22, 2003.

Sunrise consortium had secured $5.5 billion in Chinese Eximbank loans in 2005, while the Nigerian government, on May 28, 2007, signed a $1.46 billion civil works contract with the Chinese firm, Messrs China Gezhouba Group Corporation/ China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGGC/ CGC).

This was in clear violation of Sunrise’s BOT contract.

In November 2007, Sunrise filed a petition to then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the $1.46bn

EPC contract was terminated in 2009.

The federal government signed a General Project Execution Agree ment (GOEA) with Sunrise and its Chinese consortium partners for the execution of the Mambilla hydropower project.

However, on November 12, 2017, government signed a $5.8 billion EPC contract with another Chinese Consortium, despite numerous written warnings from the current Attorney-General of the Federation to the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in 2016 and 2017 to respect the GPEA contract with Sunrise. Sunrise resorted to

arbitration against the Nigerian State and Sinohydro consortium of China in 2018, claiming $2.3 billion in damages.

With the intervention of the Chinese president, who sent a special envoy to President Mu hammadu Buhari in July 2019, federal government and Sunrise signed a settlement agreement in January 2020, and this settlement was advised to both the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria and Chairman of China Eximbank, who had made the settlement condition precedent to any loans for the Project.

However, the federal government

defaulted and Sunrise, in September 2021, withdrew the $500 million settlement arbitration on the condi tion that the federal government makes a financial commitment towards the project and respects its right as the exclusive local content partner.

But the federal government failed again to make any payments to the EPC contractors and/or the counterpart funds to China Eximbank.

While the federal government has been unable to defend its failure to honour its agreements to Sunrise, the government requested that the ICC should direct, “that Sunrise

produce certain information show ing its true legal and beneficial ownership.”

The request, according to the government, was based on the allegation that there exist Pandora papers suggesting that Mr. Leno Adesanya secretly transferred an interest in Sunrise to the family of Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki. This claim was objected to by the claimant (Sunrise). In a decision dated October 13, 2022, the ICC said there were no “sufficient sensitive elements” adduced by the Federal Government of Nigeria to prevent the matter from proceeding.

Court Orders Accelerated Hearing in Copyright Infringement Suit against Asa, Three Others

Justice L. O. Lifu of a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered an accelerated trial in an alleged copyright infringement suit brought against popular musician, Bukola Elemide aka “Asa” and three others.

Justice Lifu made the order for accelerated hearing after declining to vacate his order of July 1, 2022, wherein he had ordered that two songs “IDG” and ‘Love Me or Give Me Red Wine,” the subject matter of the suit filed by music producer, Michael Chigozie Alagwu (“Tempoe”) be taken down from all online platforms pending the commencement of trial.

The orders were part of ruling in a motion on notice dated August 1 and filed by Asa and other defendants in the suit marked: FHC/L/CB/1262/2022.

In an enrolled ordered dated October 18, 2022, a certified True Copy seen by THISDAY, the judge

amongst others, had held that the, “application of the 1st, 2nd and 4th defendants praying for the vacation of the Interim order granted on July 20 fails as same has been determined by effluxion of time”.

The judge also held that, “Plaintiff’s motion on notice of July 1, praying for interlocutory injunction pending the determina tion of the substantive suit fails and is accordingly dismissed.

“The defendants are hereby mandated to continue with the sales and distribution of the musical works, the subject matter of this suit and give monthly/periodic financial report and status of the subject matter with affidavit of facts of this court pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit which is hereby given accelerated hearing.

“The defendants shall ensure the publication of this order in one national daily widely circulating in Nigeria within 14 days from

the date of this order.”

The court subsequently fixed January 26 and 27 for definite trial.

Tempoe, had in July 2022, dragged Bukola Elemide (Asa), Peace Emmanuel Oredope (P.Priime), Platoon Ltd and Rue 11 Ltd to court over alleged infringement of his copyright in the above two songs.

The plaintiff who claimed to have produced the two songs had initiated legal action against Asa and the order defendants who are music produces and distributors respective for going ahead to produce a version of the two songs for Asa in 2022.

According to reports, trouble had started following disagreement regarding rights and financial considerations between Tempoe and Asa over the two songs - IDG and Love Me or Give Me Red Wine”. The disagreement was said to have led Asa to approach the second defendant (P.Prime) for the

production of the two songs which was done and distributed by the third defendant Platoon Ltd in 2022.

Dissatisfied, Tempoe com menced legal action against the defendants and filed a motion on notice praying the court for, “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants jointly or severally whether by themselves, their assigns, agents, and servants howsoever from using, distributing, offering for sale, performing any of the said musical works titled “IDG” and ‘Love Me or Give Me Red Wine” in whatever manner pending the determination of the motion on notice.

He also prayed the court for another order for leave to be granted him to, “publish the enroll order that may be made pursuant to this application in at least one national newspaper circulating in Nigeria’.

TINUBU MEETS BUSINESS COMMUNITY...

Addax Signs Settlement Deal with NNPC,Assets Revert to National Oil Company

FG targets 10,000 bpd from facility by December

After a prolonged dispute that hobbled oil production at Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 123, 124, 126 and 137, operated by Addax Petroleum Nigeria Limited, the company has reached a close-out and signing ceremony of an asset transfer, settlement and exit agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

A statement from the national oil firm stated that the dispute has now been amicably resolved to pave way for the much-needed investment and growth on the oil blocks.

“Today, a new page was turned in the history books of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“The protracted dispute on OMLs 123/124, 126/137, operated by Ad dax Petroleum Nigeria Limited, has finally been laid to rest, paving the path for much-needed investment and growth on the oil blocks,” the statement noted.

The Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the blocks was initially signed in 1973 between the NNPC and Ashland but was terminated after 25 years. Subsequently, the NNPC signed another PSC with Addax in 1998 on the blocks which were operated through Addax Petroleum for another 24 years.

However, the Addax PSCs were associated with significant intricacies and complexities and attendant disputes, the statement added.

The disputes associated with the Addax assets, the statement noted, were deeply sown to the extent that they threatened the cordial

diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China.

“Consequently, the assets have suffered a significant lack of invest ment as multiple historical litigations have hindered the attainment of the desired objectives of value creation to the PSC parties, government, and other stakeholders.

“In 2021, issues around the revocation of the licences were reconsidered and the upstream industry regulator, the NUPRC, advised that the asset be returned to the Concessionaires, NNPC Limited, to ensure clean and amicable exit for Addax,” it stated.

It added that on January 25, 2022, the NNPC Limited commenced formal engagements with Addax and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Company (NUPRC), followed by series of meetings to ensure a swift closeout of the exit discussions and formalities.

This, it stated, culminated in the preparation and signing of a Transfer, Settlement and Exit Agreement (TSEA) by both parties.

According to the NNPC, the agreement received the support of the presidency, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, NUPRC, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Economic and Fi nancial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

Eventually, it noted that this led to a clean and amicable exit for Addax, by resolving the PSC contractual issues in a ‘robust, organised, and tactful manner.’

“This is an occasion where all stakeholders and government agencies have shown camaraderie to achieve a common objective,” it explained.

Looking into the future, the NNPC Limited pointed out that it has assembled a transition management team to oversee oil production and develop the gas potential of the acreages.

It disclosed that in his address at the close-out and signing ceremony, the NNPC Group Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari, charged the transition management team to hit the ground running towards restoration and fulfilment of the promise of the assets.

“Readjustment is expected to be swift and efficient, and there will be

no excuses for production losses/ deferment as NNPC Limited has proven that it is ready to provide all the necessary support required,” it stressed.

Due to multiplicity of challenges witnessed by the assets over the years, most especially in recent past, it explained that the facilities are currently producing an average of 6,000 barrels per day.

However, it noted that with good asset management in place, a production increase of circa 10,000 bpd was expected before the end of the year, and total production was expected to be doubled in 2023.

“This is another laudable achievement by NNPC Ltd that is set to deliver additional value to the nation through increased oil

production and gas monetisation from the resource-rich acreages,” it explained.

The drama trailing the Addax assets had begun last year, when the NNPC wrote President Mu hammadu Buhari to reverse the then Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) revocation of the OMLs and reject a reallocation to another company.

The NNPC in a letter to the president on April 20, had argued that the revocation of the oilfields would have implications for the Ni gerian economy and the diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and China. Addax is owned by Sinopec, a state-owned Chinese firm.

Three days after the letter was sent, the president overruled the

revocation by the DPR, and cancelled the reallocation of OMLs 123, 124, 126, and 137 to Kaztec Engineer ing Limited/Salvic Petroleum Consortium, a firm DPR picked as a replacement.

The defunct DPR cited Addax’s inability to comply with agreed targets. A panel set up by the Ministry of Petroleum to review the case concluded that Addax had caused the country significant losses in revenue and jobs.

The committee led by a former senator, Magnus Abe, had said $1 billion had been invested in the contract but Addax Petroleum called it off over an issue that was unrelated to the project. The action put over 3000 Nigerians out of work, the committee said.

Nigeria, Others Move to End Tax Incentives, Waivers to High Net Worth Individuals, Businesses

Nume Ekeghe

The federal government of Nigeria and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) have announced their resolve to stop tax waivers and incentives to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and multinationals in Nigeria and other African countries.

The Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), Mr. Logan Wort, and the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) Muhammad Nami disclosed

Osun PDP suspends political activities

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his coun terparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and Labour Party, Peter Obi, have sent condolence messages to Davido over the death of his son, Ifeanyi.

The three-year-old son of the music star reportedly drowned in a swimming pool at his father’s residence in the Banana Island area of Lagos State on Monday.

Reacting to the sad incident on Tuesday via his verified Twitter page, Atiku wrote, “My thoughts and prayers are with Davido and

Chioma and the Adeleke family at this time. I pray for God to strengthen and comfort them.”

Also reacting through his verified Twitter handle, Tinubu wrote, “Oluremi and I send our heartfelt and deepest condolences to David, Chioma, and the entire Adeleke family over the tragic loss of their son, Ifeanyi. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. May the Lord grant them the fortitude and strength to deal with this painful tragedy.”

In his message, Obi prayed that God grant Davido and his partner Chioma healing.

“I send my sincere condolences

to Davido and Chioma, over the death of their son Ifeanyi. I cannot begin to imagine the pains they are going through at the moment. May God grant them healing, strength and comfort in this trying time. My thoughts and prayers are with the family,” the former Anambra State governor wrote on his verified Twitter page.

Meanwhile the police said about eight domestic workers of the singer have been invited for questioning.

“No arrest yet but domestic staff have been brought in for questioning,” Hundeyin added.

Meanwhile, the Osun State

this yesterday at the 7th ATAF General Assembly where tax professionals and stakeholders converged to discuss ‘Rethinking Revenue Strategies: The Human Face of Taxation.’

They both agreed that the continent was in need of fund ing to cater to its various budget deficits and funding for critical infrastructure across the continent.

They also noted that resources from tax are better alternatives than borrowing to fund deficits, adding that ATAF has created an automated information-sharing mechanism to expose high-net-

worth individuals and their companies’ direct and indirect assets in a bid to tax them ap propriately.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Wort said: “On tax incentives, it is true that tax incentives are responsible for a lot of leakages and a major cause ofillicit financial flows out of Africa. It puts it at 3.5 per cent of GDPthat Africa loses in tax incentives.

“There are things on the hori zon. Firstly, the discussions on the inclusive framework dealing with a digital economy have proposed a global minimum tax of 15 per

cent and should that come into play, all companies will have to pay a minimum of 15 per cent.

“So, when an African country gives a tax incentive of zero to a company, that company will have to pay 15 per cent of tax to someone in the world. So, if we give zero per cent tax incentive, that 15 per cent will simply go to another country. So, we are now being discouraged from doing these tax incentives.

“Secondly, we are developing a proposal for an African minimum domestic tax. We are proposing to the African Union (AU) that we introduce on the continent a minimum domestic tax so that nobody pays zero tax. Those are the two ways in which we thinkthe issue of tax incentives will be dealt with.”

chapter of the PDP has suspended political activities for the week over the tragic passing of Davido’s son.

PDP Caretaker Chairman in the state, Adekunle Akindele in a condolence message to the Adeleke family on Tuesday described the incident as “a very sad occurrence”.

He, therefore, directed all party organs and committees to suspend activities in com miseration with the family,

“Our condolence goes to Davido, our youth ambassador. We commiserate with our father figure, Dr Deji Adeleke and the

entire Adeleke family. We pray the good Lord grant the family the strength to bear this irreparable loss,” Akindele said.

Ifeanyi, the son of Davido and his fiancée, Chioma Rowland, drowned on Monday whilst the parents were out of the house and left him with his minders.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state Benjamin Hundeyin said about eight domestic staff have been brought in for ques tioning over the tragic incident.

In 2018, Nigerian music star, Daniel Oyebanjo, aka D’banj, lost his son, Daniel Jr. in similar tragic circumstance.

Speaking further multinationals and high-net worth individuals, Wort said: “If you focus on taxation such as value-added tax (VAT) and others, you are regressively taxing poorer people more, but if you tax wealthy people more and better, you bring them into the net, your ability to collect and to make tax pay is better.

“High net-worth individuals and multinational companies largelyhave their businesses and their money outside of the country. Now that is legal, and that is fine, but the tax burden and the tax obligations are in the national jurisdiction.

to Davido over Son’s Death

FIRST INDUCTION CEREMONY/OATH TAKING FOR NURSING GRADUATES OF PAMO UNIVERSITY...

Fashola: FG Owes Highway Contractors N10.4trn

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola yesterday revealed that the federal govern ment owes highway contractors the sum of N10.4 trillion.

Fashola, who made the revela tion at a Budget Defence session with the House of Representatives Committee on Works in Abuja, also lamented that shortage of young

engineers and technical officers due to the embargo placed on employment by the government was adversely affecting the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

He explained: “The shortage of younger engineers/technical officers in the ministry as a result of embargo on employment is affecting proficient project supervision at the sites. It is expected that more sources of funding of highway

projects be explored as well as lifting the embargo on employ ment of needed engineers/technical officers at middle level to enhance supervision of projects.”

Speaking further, he said “the main challenge to highways development in the country remains inadequate funding. As at date, the government is committed to highway contractors to the tune of about N10.4trillion while a total

of about N765billion are unpaid certificates for executed works."

He noted that, “As at October 2022, the Ministry had a cumulative unpaid certificate in the sum of N765,017,139,752.92 for ongoing highway and bridge projects. Apart from the pressure of resources to pay, there is the inadequacy of annual budget provisions where N100 million or N200 million was provided for roads costing N20

2023: Media Critical to Free, Fair, Credible Elections, Says Malami

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami has reiterated the crucial role the media alongside other critical stakeholders play in the conductof a free and fair elections.

Malami also said the administra tion of President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to end all forms of violence meted out to journalists and other election monitoring groups as well as the electorate in order to sustain and deepen the nation's democracy.

The AGF was speaking at the opening of the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists with the theme: “Media, Civil Society and Violencefree Election in Nigeria”

More than 500 media practitioners from various media organisations in the country are participating at the 2-day event.

While observing that, “no ef fective measures have yet been developed for preventing such violence and malpractices, or for investigating and prosecuting perpetrators,” he commended the federal and some state govern ments for precautionary and proactive steps taken in tamingthe tides of undemocratic culture and activities.

According to the minister, media practitioners, civil society organisations and voters are alwaysat the center of election-related violence, hence the need for their protection.

"We noted, with dismay, reports of some forms of attacks on jour nalists and voters by suspected hoodlums during elections in some parts of the “Presidentcountry.Muhammadu

Buhari-led federal government is committed to bringing to anend these undemocratic and

uncultured activities through the administration of legally justifiable approaches on the perpetratorsin order to serve as deterrence to others.

"I am pleased to say that the federal and some state govern ments have taken precautionary and proactive steps in taming the tides. It is imperative to renewour call on those involved in electioneering process to appreciate the fact that political activities areto be observed in accordance with the provisions of the ElectoralLaw" he said.

He could on all to ensure

that all campaign utterances are humane and in conformity with global best practices, and by so doing contribute to violence-free electoral process.

He disclosed that the theme of this year's celebration was chosen to revolve around, “Media, Civil Society and Violence-free Election in Nigeria", because of the 2023 general elections barely few months away.

"It is important to note that recent developments in Nigeria proved that the federal govern ment has laudable initiatives to end impunity for crimes against

Nigerian citizens.

“Committee to Protect Journal ists’ (CPJ) report says Nigeria was the only country to get off the index of nations with impunity for crimes against journalists in 2020.

"The federal government renewed commitment to end impunity for crimes against journalists.

The 2020 global index for impunity for crimes against journalists by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), released on November 28, 2020, indicated that Nigeria is the only country that came off the index from 2019.

billion or more.

“In spite of all odds, 20 major highways projects have so far been completed in 2022 and are ready for commissioning. The total cost of the completed projects is in the sum of N444,322,123,808.61 and they cover a total length of 379.677km. Additionally, there are 59 major highways/bridges priority projects that are at an advanced level, to be completed within 2022-2023 with a total contract sum of N60,961,187,130.71.”

According to the former Lagos state governor, "the ministry is cur rently undertaking a total of 1,642 highway contracts at a total contract sum of N10,395,294,937,624.20 spread over the six geo-political zones explaining that the 1,642 ongoing contracts are categorised according to special funding mechanisms.

“A total of six selected critical projects are being funded under the 2022 PIDF Project, which is managed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Author ity (NSIA). As at date, the total sum of N754,790,502,612.80 has been certified out of the sum of N1,314,753,921,766.72. This translates to a performance of 57.41 per cent.

“A total of 71 selected critical projects are being funded under the 2021 Sovereign Sukuk Is suance, which is managed by the Debt Management Office (DMO). As at date, the total

sum of N157,920,183,472.88 has been drawn out of the sum of N210,565,000,000.00. This translates to a performance of 75 per cent." Furthermore, he told the law makers that, “the NNPC joined the Road Infrastructure Development & Refurbishment Tax Credit Scheme programme by undertaking to finance 21 roads in the total sum of N621 billion with a total length of 1,804.6km. These roads were identified by key stakeholders such as the NNPC, Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association (PTDA) and the ministry, etc as being crucial for the efficient distribution of petroleum products across the nation.

“As at date, the sum of N196,052,918,202.51 has been paid by the NNPC out of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved sum of N621,237,164,794.59 repre senting 31.56 per cent performance.”

Fashola, however added that for 2023, attention would be paid to ongoing road projects that are on the nation's major arterials but not having any alternative source of funding apart from the budget. These he said included the llorin -Kabba -Obajana road, Okene -Itobe road and dualisation of Ibadan (May Fair Junction)-Lagere-IremoErinwu-Ilesha road.

"The completion of ongoing high way bridges has been prioritised in the 2023 budget, particularly the Murtala Mohammed Bridge, Nupeku Bridge, Marine Bridge and Eko Bridge."

NPA: Export Processing Terminal Will Boost Nigeria’s $2.5bn Non-oil Export

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Belo-Koko yesterday in Lagos, stated that the Export Processing Terminal at Lilypond in Ijora, would further enhance Nigeria’s non-oil exports currently in the region of $2.5 billion.

In a bid to ensure prompt and seamless processing of export cargoes accessing Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports in Lagos, the NPA yesterday inaugurated Nigeria’s first Export Processing Terminal at Lilypond in Ijora, Lagos.

The terminal operator, Diamond Star Export Processing would serve as a pre-gate from where export goods would move directly into the port.

Bello-Koko said the export terminal would help Nigeria optimise the benefits inherent in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, saying greater efficiency would be infused into the logistics surrounding the entry of export boxes into the ports

for onward loading on vessels.

Bello-Koko who inaugurated the terminal, said the facility would help reduce wastages and rejection of Nigeria’s exports and also reduce the time wasted before exports gain access to the port.

According to him, there have been several cases of rejection of export originating from Nigeria, which could be attributed to time wastages and spending longer time at the port, but the terminal will ensure speedy processing of exports.

He added that the initiative was in line with the NPA’s commit ment to the implementation of the National Action Plan on agro-export and the federal government's desire to diversify the national economy from oil to non-oil export.

He said the NPA was also working to integrate the Central Bank of Nigeria’s NXP (Nigeria Export Proceed Form) into the electronic call-up regime.

According to him, “The need for Export Processing Terminals is underscored by the limitations of current port facilities in the

Lagos area which are operating beyond their built capacity for cargo handling.

“The export terminals will serve as holding areas positioned in Lagos and Ogun States to help exporters prepare the arrival at port terminals in view of the traffic management challenges that are visible in Lagos.”

He said the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) served as the technical partner of the NPA throughout the journey of setting up the terminals.

Also, he applauded the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for creating an export command, saying the authority would work with the Customs' export command to bring up seamless modalities that will govern export trade.

“We are also working to inte grate barge and train movements to complete the circle in collaboration with Nigerian Customs. The movement of export boxes from the Lilypond Export Terminal shall be directly through Warehouse Road to cut down on time for arrival at the port. Similarly, movement of export

boxes to Tin-Can Island Port shall be from the DiamondStar consolidation point at Emmadunamix Terminal in Okota,” he added.

Also speaking, Executive Direc tor/CEO of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Ezra Yakusak, who was represented by Haruna Ali, said the terminal would help create more room to increase the volume of non-oil export in Nigeria.

On her part, the Assistant Comptroller General NCS, Zone A, Adeyanju Aremu, said the service had developed Standard Operat ing Procedure in line with global standards to remove impediments along the export value chain.

Aremu however urged users of the port to take advantage of Customs’ commitment to the facilitation of legitimate trade to excel in their business and put Nigeria on the global map of top non-oil exporters.

“We are confident this terminal will serve the purpose for which it was established as the initiative is quite apt and coming at a time the country really needs a paradigm

shift. Nigeria is no doubt blessed with enormous natural agro-based resources which if well harnessed can lead to accelerated growth in our GDP,” she said.

She advised exporters of agrobased products to adhere to both regional and international market standards to enable them to compete favourably in the international market.

In his opening remarks, Manag ing Director of Diamond Star Port and Terminals Limited, Olatunji Baale said the company has the capability and competence to render prompt services to exporters and other stakeholders in the value chain.

He promised that there would be seamless delivery of export boxes, and the terminal is a one-stop-shop that houses all the government agencies in the export value chain.

Baale said the terminal could handle about 50,000 boxes of export containers on a weekly basis and would help to grow Nigeria's export trade by reducing the trade imbalance.

FG will bring perpetrators of violence against journalists, others to book

Aramco, BP Beat Expectations with Record Quarterly Profit of $42bn, £8bn NNPC signs healthcare deal with RPM

Saudi Aramco’s continued its historic run yesterday , achieving a profit surge of 39 per cent in the third quarter of 2022 and surpassing the average forecasts.

Profits of the most profitable oil company in the world hit $42 billion after revenue soared 51 per cent during the period under review. Aramco said the results were primarily driven by higher crude oil prices and volumes sold.

The company stated that it was partly offset by a higher average effective royalty rate, due to stronger crude oil prices and increased sales volume, which resulted in an increase in production royalties.

“Aramco’s strong earnings and record free cash flow in the

third quarter reinforce our proven ability to generate significant value through our low cost, lower-carbon intensity upstream production and strategically integrated upstream and downstream.

“While global crude oil prices during this period were affected by continued economic uncertainty, our long-term view is that oil demand will continue to grow for the rest of the decade given the world’s need for more affordable and reliable energy,” said Chief Executive, Amin Nasser.

Capital expenditure during the quarter grew from $7.6 billion to $9 billion as Aramco continued to invest and capture growth opportunities.

In terms of nine-month perfor mance, Aramco outperformed with

the entire economy as we cannot produce without constant electricity. We have what it takes to bring it to you all; we have the gas, sun, wind and water. As for petroleum subsidy, it has to be removed and my administration would see to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA),” he said.

He wondered why him that has six cars would still be paying same amount for petrol as some that doesn’t have any car.

The APC presidential candidate said his administration would carry out large-scale infrastructural renewal in a manner that would enable the country maintain a minimum of six per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. He also promised that his administra tion would collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the commercial banks to spur a massive consumer credit revolution in the economy.

Tinubu told the private sector players at the meeting, “We have to revive our industry. We shall bring the nation’s industrial policy to life. Key to this is our aim to create major and minor industrial hubs in each geopolitical zone.

“We shall not be satisfied by bolstering traditional sectors. We will foster productive excellence in new areas, such as light manufacturing

and the Nollywood entertainment sector.

“Through active participation in the digital economy, we shall make Nigeria a leader, instead of a bystander, in the fourth industrial revolution.

“We must target double digit GDP and in the minimum six per cent economic growth to begin to reduce the poverty rate and I am determined to accomplish that.”

Tinubu also pledged to promote the agricultural sector by continuing to press for “reforms in the sector that will increase productivity, improve farm incomes while lowering food prices and bring ing enough food to the tables of ordinary people.”

He said his administration would end the dismal state of the country’s power sector that had been the greatest undoing of Nigeria’s economy.

Tinubu added that the country must be enabled to produce and buy made-in-Nigeria goods through infrastructure development and consumer credit.

He said his government would empower citizens to, “Produce and buy made-in-Nigeria. We seek a consumer credit revolution, work ing in concert with the banking industry lead by the CBN. Credit at affordable rates enables the purchase

an 68 per cent profit surge from a year earlier.

During the quarter, Aramco produced 14.4 mmboed of hy drocarbons, demonstrating its efficient and reliable operations, as it continued its gas expansion strategy to meet growing domestic demand.

But the earnings went down from the $48.4 billion reported within the second quarter, however Saudi Aramco has now reported income of greater than $130 billion within the first nine months of the 12 months.

Oil costs have dropped from greater than $120 a barrel in June to about $90 a barrel as recession fears in Europe hit financial exercise, whereas gasoline costs have softened from report ranges earlier within

of more cars and the construction of more homes. The standard of living shall rise and the strength of the business sector shall increase in similar measure.

“We must continue with the expansion of infrastructure com menced by the current government. From our roads and ports that will path the way to more commerce, to improvement in irrigation and water management/catchment systems to stem the humanitarian and economic tragedy visited on us by seasonal flooding.”

Tinubu assured the business community that his administration would continue the fight against insecurity, “by redefining our counterinsurgency doctrine and practice.”

He added that Nigeria’s response to terror, kidnapping, and violent criminality would be defined by the following elements: enlisting of “more people in the armed forces, security services and the police.

“Our forces will be given better tactical communications, mobility as well as improved aerial and ground surveillance capacity.

“Through these and other measures, we shall better identify, monitor, track, and defeat these evil groups where they are. They shall have no respite until they surrender or are utterly defeated.”

the 12 months. However, costs for each commodities stay far above historic averages.

Meanwhile, British Petroleum (BP) has maintained profits through the September quarter and announced another $2.5bn (£2.17bn) in share buybacks.

The underlying replacement cost profit, BP’s preferred profit measure, was maintained at $8.2 billion for the quarter, only slightly behind the second quarter and almost triple the figure from a year ago.

This was also a third above analyst expectations, driven by the “exceptional” trading result in the gas business.

In a sign of the political pressure on the energy majors, the company specified it had paid an extra $800 million in tax due to the energy

Tinubu said Lagos State was the appropriate location for the private sector engagement, because the state’s economic growth had become his visible experiment that could support his claim of competency and ability.

He said, “We turned this Lagos into a safer, more prosperous place where people can go about any legitimate vocation or venture regardless of their ethnicity, religion, region or prior social station.

“We did more than open Lagos for business. We opened the door for all Nigerians to join and experi ence the decent things progressive democratic governance can bring.

“May I remind you that when I first entered office, Lagos was a different story. My team and I developed a development master plan for Lagos. I can say that plan has been largely successful. The pragmatic problem solving and teamwork that has improved the fortunes of Lagos is what I want to bring to the nation.

“I ask for your help, as the task ahead is doable but also difficult.”

Tinubu ended his address by saying, “What I have shared today is a brief overview of some thoughts on how to improve and protect our beloved nation.

profits levy. BP did report a slowdown in earnings from its refining business and a flat result for oil, given the lower price in the September quarter, but the gas and low carbon energy division saw its underlying profit double compared with the June quarter to $6.2 billion.

Chief financial officer Murray Auchincloss said there had been “quite a bit of demand destruction” in Europe within the gas market through the period, and that this had continued into October.

There has been some constraint on BP's liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the US because of the continued outage of the Freeport terminal. This made the gas trading result “particularly impressive”, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Biraj

“This town hall meeting is but the first of many sessions I would like to hold with you, the business community.”

In his own remarks, the APC vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, told the busi ness leaders that his joint ticket with Tinubu was not promising them “heaven on earth, but we are promising a hope for a better tomorrow” attainable through respect for the sanctity of contract and rule of law. Shettima said this would help to attract foreign direct investment to Nigeria.

Shettima added, “The economic growth we are targeting can only be achieved by prioritising improve ments in our judicial system. Our policy shall be based on judicial independence, access to justice for all, and equality before the law.”

The former Borno governor likened the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to the leader of the opposition in Kenya, Raila Odinga who failed to become president of the country after several attempts.

Odinga contested a series of elections, but lost, including the presidential election of this year won by President William Ruto.

Borkhataria. Shareholders will see continued high levels of returns, although this quarter’s buyout programme of $2.5 billion is down $1 billion on the previous period. BP’s payout policy is 60 per cent of surplus cash flow going to buybacks, with a medium-term forecast of around $4 billion a year.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the ongoing Adipec 2022 in Abu Dhabi, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has signed a deal with Response Plus Medical (RPM) for health delivery to its staff and other stakeholders.

Announcing the deal on NNPC's Twitter handle yesterday, the Group Chief Executive, Mallam Mele Kyari, stated that it was in line with its diversification moves.

According to Shettima, Atiku is more of Raila Odinga and not Abraham Lincoln of the United States of America.

“Leadership goes beyond glamourising poverty. We won’t glamourise poverty, we tackle poverty. I won’t tell you I have two pairs of shoes or I have a single wristwatch. Leadership goes beyond spewing dubious statistics or showcasing a mediocre performance as the governor of Anambra State.

“I respect Atiku Abubakar, but leadership goes beyond high-scale antics. A man who can’t unite his party, I wonder how he can unite a country.

“We are talking about artificial intelligence or big data or nano technology, but the training that an elder statesman got from Kano School of Hygiene was that of wole wole. The ability to sell bottled water doesn’t make one an expert on the economy. My parting shot is that Atiku Abubakar is not Abraham Lincoln; he is Ralia Odinga and come May next year, we are going to permanently retire the political tourists to Dubai,” he added.

Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; foremost

Continued on page 44

ORTOM TO PDP: IGNORE FIVE GOVS, LOSE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (PDP) to address the grievances of some hurt members of the party, particularly the aggrieved five governors, or forget the 2023 presidential election. Ortom said this yesterday in Makurdi during the inauguration of the Benue PDP Campaign Council.

But the PDP Presidential Campaign Council responded by telling Ortom not to compare the circumstances that led to the defection of five governors of the party to All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 elections to the current crisis in PDP spawned by seemingly ir reconcilable differences between party and Rivers State Governor Nyrsom Wike and his loyalists. The problem started since Wike failed to get the vice presidential running mate.

Wike and four of his colleagues, Ortom, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), had resolved not to work with Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of PDP, unless the alleged marginalisation of the south was redressed.

Ortom said while addressing PDP supporters that those who felt the five aggrieved governors did not matter were doing the party a disservice.

He said, "There is no way PDP will win elections with the kind of massive conflict they had, especially, the five governors we are talking about are those who won elections in their respective states and you think you can ignore them?”

He called on the national

leadership of the party to rise to the occasion and resolve the issues at stake, as it was impossible to move forward without addressing the issues the five governors had raised.

Ortom said, “But if a particular candidate said Governor Ortom does not matter, the leader of the party in Benue did not matter, Benue votes do not matter, that is where we will have issues.”

The governor, however, can vassed support for the Benue State PDP gubernatorial candidate and assured supporters that the party would win the governorship election in the state. He hinted that the five PDP governors would be in Benue next Monday.

The director general of the PDP campaign in Benue State, Dr Cletus Tyookia, appreciated the party for finding him and others worthy to pilot the campaign. Tyookia assured that the team would work hard to deliver the party’s candidates.

But addressing a press conference at the PDP presidential campaign organisation's headquarters in Abuja, yesterday, Director, Strategic Communications of the campaign, Bashorun Dele Momodu, said the threat by the five governors not to work for the election of Atiku in the 2023 election would not have the consequences the 2013 situation had on the 2015 election.

Momodu also expressed worry at the implications the redesign ing of the Naira would have on Nigerians. He explained that 2022 was not like 2015, because APC had

ruined Nigeria, to the extent that the economy had become comatose, with insecurity all over the country, and the Naira exchanging at almost N800 to a United States Dollar.

Momodu said while the prevail ing circumstance in 2015 was such that there was nothing PDP would have done to win the election, with Atiku, the 2022 situation was different from the President Goodluck Jonathan era.

He said the exit of the seven governors and Atiku in 2013 played into the hands of the opposition, noting, "What you have today is a candidate who's the most experienced, most net worth, and governors angry is personal and not about PDP not delivering on its mandate."

He said the Naira was already taking a hit against foreign cur rencies, especially, the United States Dollar, because the current administration had shown gross incompetence in the management of the economy.

Momodu stated that despite denials by the federal government, the security situation in the country was terrible.

One of the spokespersons of the campaign, Charles Aniagwu, said at the press conference, "The PDP and its leadership are very much concerned about the level of poverty in Nigeria and the APC administration is doing badly in trying to get our people out of the trenches, that is why we invited you. And we are going to give you the alternative to be able to reverse this trend.

enough manpower for tackling the deteriorating security situation of the country and provide job op portunities for youths that would be recruited into the security forces.

"In a country of over 200 million citizens and with a Police force of less than 230,000 personnel and an Armed Forces of less than 250,000 men (combined — army, navy and air force), one needs not go any further to see where the main problem lies!

"And where these grossly inadequate forces are not fully equipped, not properly motivated, and not thoughtfully deployed, the threats will only be aggravated.

"The size of the Nigerian Armed Forces will be built to about one million active service men and women. The size of the Nigerian Police will also be built to about one million active service men and women.

"This will bring the policeto-citizen ratio to 1:220 (much better than the UN recommended minimum of 1: 450). The numbers can easily be obtained from the pool of able-bodied unemployed youth that are roaming our streets in all the 8,809 wards,” the presidential hopeful stated in the document.

Kwankwaso also vowed to tackle the dwindling economic situation of the country by assembling the best brains and hands that could drive his administration's economic policies and tackle inflation as well as other economic quagmires.

"The Ministries of Finance, Trade and Investment, the Central Bank

of Nigeria, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Port Authority will be handled by Nigerians with the highest level of competence while a sound and knowledgeable National Economic Adviser will also be appointed," he said.

He added: "We will run an emergency rescue plan to salvage the economy, protect the citizens’ savings, restore fiscal discipline, improve crude oil and gas produc tion, improve non-oil revenue, target inflation, save the Naira from the current uncontrolled devaluation, and limit capital flight from the country.

"We shall expand the tax base and the tax net by ensuring that businesses that are actively avoiding and/or evading tax are brought into the tax system

"We shall create the enabling environment where trade, investments and businesses will blossom and manufacturing (reindustrialization) will be the pivot upon which the Nigerian economy will stand. More and more jobs will be created through targeted investments, special accelerated projects and programmes.

"The economy will be actively diversified. Aggressive effort will be made to strengthen the non-oil sectors, hone the potentialities, harness the opportunities and harvest the yields for the good of all Nigerians

"Recognising that our debt profile is quite unhealthy, we

shall renegotiate and reschedule the debt repayment portfolio so as to run our economy on surplus to allow the rebuilding of the country infrastructure post-insurgency and terrorism."

On education, the presidential candidate said there would be free registration of West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and National Board for Technical Education (NATEB).

He said JAMB examination would have a moratorium of four years and all scholarships would be harmonised to reach the less privileged, adding that 20 million children of school age would be mopped out from streets and improve girl child education in the next four years.

"Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (RMK) administration believes that examination bodies are not revenue generating agencies and must not operate as such. The notion that any examination body will gener ate income and contribute to the federation accounts is a misnomer.

"For our administration, no Nigerian child shall be denied the opportunity to write WAEC, NECO, JAME, etc. because of their inability to pay exorbitant registration/ examination fees. These examinations shall be free and all application forms for admission into tertiary education institutions (TEls) shall also be free.

KWANKWASO UNVEILS BLUEPRINT, PROMISES IMPROVED SECURITY, BETTER EDUCATION, RESTRUCTURING, OTHERS

FINANCE SUMMIT...

UN: Flooding in Nigeria to Increase Food Insecurity for over 19.5 Million People

The United Nations (UN) yesterday raised the alarm that flooding in some states in Nigeria was expected to shoot up the already estimated 19.5 million people considered to be food insecure in the country.

A statement by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mathias Schmale, noted that “there can be no doubt that climate change is real and is already affecting millions of people in Nigeria alone. Vulnerable people in Nigeria, as elsewhere in the Sahel, are on the frontline of the climate

crisis for no fault of their own.”

The most senior UN official in Nigeria said discussion on present global warming that had caused flooding in different parts of the world should be on the front burner as the world gathers in Egypt next week for the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27),

He said: “Over this past week, I spoke with people that have lost all their possessions as a result of devastating floods, during visits to Adamawa in the north-east and Anambra in the south-east.

“It was humbling to observe the determination of flood devastated

communities who are seeking longer term solutions to the flooding menace in the face of great adversity.

“With more than a quarter of all affected people (close to 730,000 people), Anambra is the state most affected by the worst floods in Nigeria for more than a decade. I saw houses, shops, schools, and fields underwater.

“I met people temporarily living in camps in Ogbaru who are hoping to safely return home to salvage what is left. This is a challenge they now face every year.

“As the world gathers in Egypt next week for the 27th Conference

of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27), there can be no doubt that climate change is real and is already affecting millions of people in Nigeria alone.”

He added: “Vulnerable people in Nigeria, as elsewhere in the Sahel, are on the frontline of the climate crisis for no fault of their own.

“The staggering devastation caused by the current floods in Nigeria and the profound impact on people’s lives are a stark reminder of the humanitarian, development, and socio-economic cost of the climate crisis on people who do the least to contribute to climate change.”

Sex for Grades on the Rise in HigherInstitutions, Research Reveals

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The findings from an investigation into the increase in cases of sexual harassment in institutions of higher learning in Nigeria has revealed that male students are ahead of their lecturers in sexual harassment and rape of their female counterparts.

The research report and advocacy strategy for higher institutions on ending sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) was conducted by Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa.

The report, however, stated that there was also grossly underreported sex for promotion and other sexual and gender-based violence among staff.

“The major reason for not report ing is a lack of knowledge of where to go and who to tell, the expectation of not being believed, followed by fear of negative consequences.

“In some quoted instances, reporting lead to further injustice for the victim. Some institutions have set up guidance and counsel ling units and instituted patrols to monitor classes and offices after hours, however, there is a lack of trust because when perpetrators are

caught, the systems do not seem to lead to sanctions for them or justice for their victims,” it stated.

According to the report, “some universities have set up legal services units and mentoring schemes for students which is an encouraging trend.”

The report showed that nonacademic staff of higher education institutions were neck-deep in sexual harassment and rape in the campuses.

The report observed that, “There are different manifestations and prevalence of SGBV among dif ferent categories of people in the university community. All forms of SGBV are present on campus and with unacceptable frequency.

“The most prevalent forms are sexual harassment followed by rape. The main perpetrators of SGBV are predominantly students and academic staff, although it is also common for non-academic staff to sexually harass students during the admissions process and when securing accommodation. There is also grossly under-reported sex for promotion and other SGBV amongst staff.”

While stating that the factors responsible for the rise of sexual harassment and gender-based

violence were a combination of issues, the report noted that, “SGBV is misunderstood, even among women within the university community who are its greatest victims.

“For example, the notion that dressing in a certain way translates to students offering sexual favours re-enforces victim blame and seems to be promoted by women. Several universities have bought into this misconception and consider a dress code as an appropriate policy measure to prevent SGBV.

“There is a lack of awareness about sources of protection and redress on campus, the power dynamics and institutional process mean that power over the progress of students and staff resides in too many hands, and the culture of silence means that there is impunity when abuses or violence occurs.

“Also, there are still respondents who have normalised the expecta tion of violence to the point where they believe there is no need to report incidents when they occur.

“An increasing number of institu tions have policies to combat SGBV. Nevertheless, sexual harassment is rampant and victims do not report it. The analysis suggests that reporting mechanisms are

disparate and unstructured and students, in particular, faulted the reporting systems because they are not considered transparent or confidential.

He lamented that. “The flooding has affected more than three million people. Over 600 people have lost their lives and another 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

“The floods have extensively damaged houses, farms, and basic infrastructure and decimated people’s livelihoods. Some 34 states are affected. The floods are increasing humanitarian needs in north-east Nigeria where people are already grappling with alarming levels of hunger and malnutrition driven by conflict, displacement, and high food prices.”

Schmale said: “In Anambra, I saw huge fields of damaged crops, a situation mirrored across the county, where over 108,000 hectares of farms have been destroyed or damaged by floods ahead of the October harvest season. “The damage to staple foods such as cassava, rice, and plantain among other crops risks aggravating the already alarming food and nutrition crisis across Nigeria. Before the floods, an estimated 19.5 million people were considered food insecure.

“The devastating floods have also struck at the same time as a worrying cholera outbreak that has killed more than 465 people and affected over 18,000 others in 31 states across the country since January.

“Without urgent interventions in public health and the provision of clean water and sanitation facilities, the cholera outbreaks will worsen.”

The Humanitarian Coordinator who admitted that the front-line local government and state workers as well as humanitarian actors were doing the best they could do to provide relief, noted that it was clear that the humanitarian response had been too slow.

He said: “Floods will occur again, and important lessons need to be learned for mitigation and preparedness for a better response the next time.

“As the waters are slowly reced ing, the most important priority now is to help people to get back to what is left of their homes and to regain lost assets and livelihoods. Immediate humanitarian assistance has to include shelter, clean drink ing water, and livelihood support, including seeds, farming tools and cash assistance.

“We must ensure that aid reaches those most in need through the State Governments and their respective State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) with the support of the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).”

Glo to Dole Out 20 Houses, 24Cars in Festival of Joy Promo

Globacom yesterday announced that it was giving out 20 houses, 24 brand new cars, 100 generators, 200 sewing machines and 1,000 rechargeable fans, amongst others in its 2022 end of year promo.

The company announced the commencement of its annual End of Year promo which is tagged Glo “Festival of Joy” at a media briefing in Lagos, yesterday.

Globacom noted in a statement made available to THISDAY that, “empowerment is encoded in our DNA and this year we are set to empower thousands of Nigerians with prizes that will change their lives with a never-before experienced promo.”

Continuing, the company which celebrated 19 years of revolutionary impact in the telecoms industry in August, stated that, “lucky subscribers who take part in our End of Year promo which will run from October 2022 to January 2023 will be eligible to win fantastic life-changing prizes.”

It added: “To take part in the promo, voice and data subscribers only have to dial the dedicated short code *611# and recharge between N3,000 and N15,000 (voice and data during the promo period) and be eligible to win the prizes on offer. The more recharges, the higher the

chances of winning.

“To win the grand prizes of 20 units of 3-bedroom houses, subscribers must make data subscription(s) of at least N20,000 during the promo period.

“There will be draws in Lagos as well as other cities including Abuja, Port, Harcourt, Onitsha, Ibadan, Kano, Benin, Uyo, Calabar, Enugu, Ilorin, Jos and Warri.”

Last year, the company in commemoration of its 18th an niversary delighted Nigerians with its Joy Unlimited Extravaganza promo during which hundreds of Nigerians received amazing prizes with the top winners going home with Kia Rio cars.

non-academic staff fuel sexual harassment, rape Declares students ahead of lecturers in rape saga, others

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

Acting

Tinubu’s Endorsement By Afenifere Amid Controversy

Asthe 2023 general election approaches, the race to clinch the presidential crown is getting tougher as the quartet of Atiku Abubakar of PDP, Bola Tinubu of APC, Peter Obi of LP and Rabiu Kwakwanso of NNPP, who are to slug it out at the February poll continue to engage in clandestine horse-trading to enlarge and expand their support base.

October, 2022 closed in a seemingly symbolic and emotive moment for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when he took a benedictory pilgrimage to Akure, the Ondo State capital to receive the all-clear from the leader of Yoruba Soci-political Group, Afenifere, Pa Rueben Fasoranti—an endorsement that is presently generating furore.

To underscore the enormity of the occasion and the weight of support he enjoys, the former two-time governor of Lagos State was received at the country home of Pa Reuben Fasoranti by the newly sworn-in Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, Deputy governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Deputy governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, former Ogun state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the Minister of state for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye; a former Minister of state for Niger Delta, Chief Tayo Alasoadura and a former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, among other Afenifere leaders.

Fasoranti, who was made the leader of Af enifere In November 2008 and had stepped down for Chief Ayo Adebanjo in 2021, while performing the greybeard invocation, had his two palms firmly placed on Tinubu’s clean shaven head and wished the APC national leader a smooth glide in the race for Aso Rock, even as Tinubu put forward his 80-page manifesto before the nonagenarian with other prominent Yoruba leaders present.

The meeting came after Chief Adebanjo, the current leader of the group had earlier endorsed Peter Obi of the Labour Party as the preferred candidate of Afenifere for the 2023 presidential election.

It is incontestable to say that the two endorse ments supposedly representing the opinion and interest of the Yoruba race, is another confusion propelled by politics and interests other than what is good for the people.

Recall that some members of the group, including the group’s leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and the Secretary-General of the association, Chief Sola Ebiseni, were not at the Akure meet ing. This, some say renders the endorsement inconsequential.

In other words, while some people do not see anything wrong with the action of Afenifere, others see the posture of the group as an act of betrayal which is at variance with the wishes of the majority of the Yoruba people both at home and in the diaspora, who believe that it was high time the APC was replaced at the Federal level with another political party that can effectively tackle the problems of insecurity, harsh economy and corruption confronting the nation.

To give credibility to the endorsement, the

former Secretary General Secretary of Afenifere, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, invoked the popular Yoruba proverb, saying “Omo eni ki sedi bebere, ka lo fi ileke si idi omo elomiran”— loosely meaning, the love and extension of kindness with limited slot can not be given to outsider while your child is suffering.

Arogbofa charged Tinubu to be a leader that will unite Nigeria and work for the progress and develop ment of the country, “You are not just a Yoruba man but a Nigerian. When you become President take Nigeria into consideration in all you do but never forget home. Our demands are what you know already. Restructuring, security and fixing the economy. Our country is no longer safe. We want state police so that the country will be safe”, he submitted.

While some critics have con demned the endorsement by Afenifere, others claimed the group’s support for Tinubu is due to his remarkable performance as governor of Lagos State and his remarkable human capital development.

A chieftain of APC in Ondo State who preferred anonymity said the endorsement was a plus for Tinubu and shows that the Yoruba people are solidly behind him.

He said: “For leaders of Afenifere from the six South West States includ ing Kwara and Kogi to be present at the event shows that Asiwaju Tinubu is the man of the moment.

“The presence of Deputy governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae who are from PDP and SDP respectively at the event underpinned the seriousness the group attached to the endorse ment of Tinubu—suggesting that the action of the group could automati cally translate to a resounding victory for the APC candidate in the region”.

Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who re ceived Tinubu and his delegation on behalf of Governor Rotimi Ak

eredolu, said Ondo State people are Afenifere and will support Tinubu to win, saying, “Asiwaju has the reach, the competence to lead Nigeria”.

Adebanjo’s Faction and Obi’s Endorsement.

In a swift reaction, the acting leader of Af enifere, Ayo Adebanjo, described the Akure meeting as diversionary, saying the intent was to create a wedge between him and Fasoranti and he was not bothered about it, stressing that the “real Afenifere” has made its position known about endorsing the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, and that has not changed.

He said, “The Yoruba People know their leader. I’ve spoken, the National Secretary has spoken. This is no the time to engage in polemics. The way forward is my position. What happened was a diversion. They want us to be engaged in arguments. Is that the issue now?”.

Adebanjo insisted that in the interest of fairness and justice, it is the turn of the South East to produce the next President.

“Can he (Tinubu) deny it that the South-West has not had its turn? Can he deny it South-South has not had its turn? They should answer that. As far as I am concerned, the meeting does not concern us as Afenifere. Afenifere is not divided. That was why I said I don’t want to engage in polemics. They want to throw a wedge between me and Pa Reuben Fasoranti and I won’t allow it. The man phoned me yesterday and I warned him, don’t get yourself involved, those in attendance at the meeting were Yoruba APC chieftains”.

What Could Makinde Possibly Want In An APC Organised Forum?

Deputy governor of Oyo state, Adebayo Lawal, at the meeting said his principal, Seyi Makinde supported Afenifere leaders on their preferred choice of presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.

Lawal, who represented Makinde at the meet ing, said the Oyo governor has always been in support of the decisions taken by Afenifere.

“Since he (Makinde) has become governor, he hasn’t played with issues concerning Yo rubaland. There is no time Baba (Fasoranti) calls him that he doesn’t answer. Whatever they are doing, whether it’s under Afenifere or another group, Governor Seyi Makinde has always been doing.

“Now, we are not of the same party, but we are connected by race. For this reason, the message

he (Makinde) sent is that in Yorubaland, whatever you do, he is in support of it,: Lawal stressed.

Now, the point is, If Makinde, a supposed ally of Governor Wike of Rivers state has thrown his weight behind Tinubu, does this represent a subtle endorsement of Tinubu by the Wike camp, considering his earlier endorsement of Governor Sanwolu of Lagos state?

Another point is that could Fasoranti had taken a cue from Akeredolu who said earlier that there were no Obidients in Ondo State?

Recall that Afenifere backed Buhari when he contested in 2011 but lost the election to Good luck Jonathan. Meanwhile, in 2015, the group supported Goodluck Jonathan for president, but he lost the election to Buhari. Also, in 2019, Afenifere backed Atiku Abubakar for the race to Aso Rock, but he lost to Muhammadu Buhari.

The PDP Position

The spokesman of Atiku/Okowa presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr Daniel Bwala, picked a hole in the endorsement noting that the absence of Adebanjo and others was an indication that the endorsement was faulty.

He disagreed with the Afenifere leaders for inviting only Tinubu outbof all other presidential candidates to an event where they could have hosted frontline candidates and listen to their plans for the country.

Bwala in a statement said: “In what seem like the crawling of a rat at night to steal meat from the pot, Tinubu paid a strange visit to Pa Fatoranti; strange because it was not an organized setting of the usual meeting of the highly respected Afenifere; needless to say the leader of the group Pa Adebanjo and the secretary were obviously absent when he went in a Gestapo manner.

First off, the Afenifere we know has through their leader made known their position as to who they support and it was certainly not Tinubu.

Secondly, if it were a meeting seeking to know the right person to support or endorse among the candidates it ought to have at least invited the leading candidates to hear their take on what plans they have for the country that caters to the interests of Afenifere.”

Bwala also described Tinubu as a “tribal evangelist”, saying the former Lagos State governor’s comment that he “would bring the trophy home” at the meeting was a “clear ethnic insinuations and divisive remarks”.

“So to Tinubu, the race to become the president of Nigeria is a trophy to be won and taken to his ethnic enclave. He was not only wrong in his tribal insinuation that not a single Yoruba opposed the ticket, but he also lied because lots of Yorubas took strong objections to the same faith ticket and to his divisive and religious politics. To say that his ticket is supported by all Yorubas is, to say the least disingenuous, false, and condemnable. Tinubu has made no secret about his tribal championship and utter disregard for other ethnic people in southern Nigeria. This to say the least is sad and terribly troubling and Nigerians should rise and condemn this rhetoric at the polls”, he noted.

Fidelis David writes that the recent pitching of tent with the presidential flag of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, by Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has continued to be mired in heated controversy.

While some critics have condemned the endorsement by Afenifere, others claimed the group’s support for Tinubu is due to his remarkable performance as governor of Lagos State and his remarkable human capital development. A chieftain of APC in Ondo State who preferred anonymity said the endorsement was a plus for Tinubu and shows that the Yoruba people are solidly behind him

2023 Presidency: Taming Wike’s Fury, Atiku’s Daring Spirit

Sayingthe People’s Democratic Party is embroiled and gradually being shattered by crises ahead of the 2023 presidential poll remains an understatement.

The animus within the party seems to be so intense that it has pushed the party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, to the precipice and it requires divine intervention and outstanding political dexterity to extricate himself out of the current political conundrum.

Most rattling was the fact that most of the leaders who ought to maintain neutrality and wave the olive branch to the feuding parties had taken sides in the internal squabbles rocking and ripping the party apart.

The main opposition party is behaving like an entity under a spell and requires maximum wisdom to redirect it to the path of sanity and civility.

But good enough, not all the party leaders had taken sides in this fierce battle. Some are still posing as troubleshooters trying to extinguish the inferno that is about to consume the party.

The Senator representing Ekiti South Senato rial District, Biodun Olujimi, belongs to the group of these mediators. She had spread the olive branch to Governor of River State, Nyesom Wike and his backers to embrace a middle course approach in their insistence that the party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, must be removed to pacify the southern region.

The arrowhead of the anti-Atiku forces and the boisterous Rivers State Governor looks strong and untiring in pursuing his onslaught against the ex-Vice President for daring to despise his group and considered them inconsequential in the realization of his ambition.

Wike was not alone in the game. He is be ing solidly backed by the Governors of States like Benue, Samuel Ortom; Abia, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu; Enugu, Ifeanyi Igwuanyi, and Oyo, Seyi Makinde.

The hoopla elicited by this infighting is on daily basis dimming the chances of the PDP ahead of 2023 poll. While some leaders saw some proprieties in Wike’s actions and con sidered it apt and appropriate, some believed the Rivers Governor was only constituting himself into a huge clog tearing the wheel of progress in the main opposition party.

Most disturbing is the fact that the internal squabbles has seriously affected the party down the line.

In Ekiti State, the party is polarised into pro and anti-Atiku forces. Before he moderately softpedalled, former Governor Ayodele Fayose led the Wike’s foot-soldiers. But his estranged former Deputy, Prof Olusola Kolapo Eleka and others are solidly holding forte for the former Vice President.

Prior to the presidential primary that Atiku won, Fayose was backing the River State Gov ernor. He never hid his disdain for the party’s presidential candidate as his utterances and barefaced hatred suggested someone who is determined to rock the boat. But recently, a picture surfaced on social media, where Fayose and his son posed with the Vice President, signposting that underground efforts were being contrived to broker truce between them.

Sensing that this could be interpreted to mean that he had ditched Wike, Fayose quickly is sued a statement and clarified that nothing would make him betray his conscience in the fight to ensure that all the forces in the party are respected and deferred to in the running of the PDP.

As the crisis rages like a bush fire in the harmattan, with foot-soldiers and political warlords taking sides, Senator Olujimi seemed to be cau tious and circumspect of her action. She remains a force sitting on the fence and trying to unify the party in Ekiti, and even beyond.

In Ekiti, the task of ensuring unity looks like an uphill task because some forces that were loyal to Fayose in the past might find it herculean to work with the for mer governor. The likes of former member of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Samuel Omotoso, former Council Chairman, Deji Ogunsakin, former Speaker, Hon Kola Oluwawole, former Commis sioner, Segun Akinwumi and a host of others are embittered about how Fayose piloted the affairs of the party during his second term. They were also incensed about how he allegedly imposed his favourites as candidates for the party in the last primaries.

They were also livid about the shoddy way with which the last governorship election was prosecuted. Many party leaders owed serious grudges against the former governor on the premise of the ill-feeling about the choice of Hon Bisi Kolawole as the candidate. Kolawole came third behind the Segun Oni-propelled Social Democratic Party in the June 18,2022 governorship duel.

Some of these PDP leaders believed that the party’s choice really emasculated the PDP and cre ated a huge burden for the party’s campaign to gain traction for it to

make remarkable difference in the poll.

In fact, the last PDP primaries were so tele guided to the point that the national leadership of the party, including some powerful governors like Wike had to meddle and persuade the former Governor before Senator Olujimi was given the re-election ticket. They had to wade in swiftly to pacify Fayose, who then perceived Olujimi as one of his political adversaries. The fact that Fayose has the Acting Chairman of the party, Lanre Omolase under his control made the job easier for him.

To underscore how resolute these emerging anti-Fayose forces were, they had succeeded in propping up Hon. Ogunsakin as the factional party chairman and leader of the Pro-Atiku forces. This was done to give the presidential candidate some leverage in the state. They also have the likes of former Deputy Governor Sikiru Lawal, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, Chief Idowu Faleye as some of the leaders who were working zealously to ensure that Atiku secures not only above 25% in Ekiti, but win the state.

However, all the leaders had come out stoutly to defend their actions and the stands they took in the fierce and raging political battle. While some said they are supporting Atiku in the interest of the PDP, Senator Olujimi posited that her mediatory stand could be predicated on the fact that removing the National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu could trigger constitutional crisis in the PDP.

The party’s constitution stipulates that should any National Chairman be abruptly removed, the National Deputy Chairman of his zone will take over. As the PDP is configured today, should anything happen to Ayu in his current position, the Deputy National Chair man, Alhaji Illiya would take over. With this, Wike’s efforts would be futile and that was the position Olujimi was trying to canvass.

Archoring this argument on constitutionality, she suggested that anything done outside the above permutation would be extra legal which could have a dire consequences on the party. This also has always been the grand stand ing of the Pro-Atiku governors like Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.

But some people were of the opinion that the Constitution was only being deployed as a facade to wreak havoc on the party on the strength that the PDP has a way of rising

and responding to emergency situations to reduce the rippling bedlam and the emerging conflagration that may consume the party.

Let the truth be said, the PDP would find it difficult to win the presidential poll if the five governors should back out and remove their support for Atiku. In the 2019 election that he lost, Atiku won the Southeast and Southsouth by almost 75%, but hardly could he poll 25% today with the electrifying popularity mustered by the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who has ethnic attachment to the two regions.

Periscoping the entire scenarios from the spectrum of North and South configurations, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu also enjoys reasonable and temperate measure of regional attachment to the Southeast and Southsouth, which may help him perform better even than PDP this time.

The general feeling now is that, the South should take the plunge after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari for political balancing and strong unification force.

In the last general election, APC couldn’t muster 25% in majority of the Southeast states, but the pendulum seems to be changing with the raging infighting rocking the PDP that had hitherto controlled the area before it slipped off due to laxity and for lacking dexterity to quench internal crisis.

Despite the forlorn hope and gravitas be ing exhibited by Wike and his allies, who are posing as if they have crossed the rubicon, the Ekiti Senator held that unflagging belief that orderliness, unity and oneness can still be restored into PDP. It was on this premise that she made passionate appeal to Wike and other aggrieved governors to sheathe their sword and embrace peace over their consistent pressing for the removal of Ayu.

Olujimi, who praised Wike and other gov ernors for trying to instil justice, equity and fairness in the party, said the PDP may run into constitutional crisis if Ayu is removed based on structures recognised by the party’s constitution.

She said Wike and other Governors are true lovers of the PDP, but pleaded that the festering internal upheaval could emasculate the PDP and deprive it of victory in 2023 if not well managed.

According to her: “Political parties are like families and there is nothing you can do without bruising each other. We have a lot of internal crisis caused by ego bruising. I believe we are working on it. Despite that we have problems, the party is working. We are meeting with the people that are yearning for our return to government. We are working hard to ensure that the right things are done.

“We can’t go to the extent of destroying the house we have built. I am optimistic that we will achieve our set goals. The people who are agitating may be right, because the agree ment is that, when a candidate of Northern extraction emerges as presidential candidate, it will be wrong to retain the Chairman in the North . But we didn’t think through our constitution.

Victor Ogunje writes about the options open to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to right the wrongs ahead of the 2023 poll and the call by ranking Senator Biodun Olujimi, for warring factions in the party to sheathe their swords

The hoopla elicited by this infighting is on daily basis dimming the chances of the PDP ahead of 2023 poll. While some leaders saw some proprieties in Wike’s actions and considered it apt and appropriate, some believed the Rivers Governor was only constituting himself into a huge clog tearing the wheel of progress in the main opposition party. Most disturbing is the fact that the internal squabbles has seriously affected the party down the line.

FEATURES

Email

Group

Editor:

Improving Standard of Living for Rural Women

Nestlé Nigeria, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies in Africa, is changing the narrative for more rural women traders in Nigeria to find themselves, build financial security and improve their standard of life. With the launch of the fifth phase of the Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria, it has equipped 250 women in Port Harcourt, Osun, Enugu, Abuja and Bauchi States, with a goal to reach 300 women across Nigeria by the end of 2022. Rebecca Ejifoma reports on the impact of that drive

Thedrive to attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth for a well-rounded nation has continued to give Nestlé Nigeria, a food and beverage manufacturing company, an edge. This is because the firm understands the fringe benefits of investing in women's economic empowerment.

Therefore, in line with its vision, Nestlé Nigeria and her implementation partners, FDConsults empowered 250 women traders from across Nigeria to intensify their take-home pay. First, the project took off the ground last August in North Central Nigeria, Abuja, with the induc tion of the first 50 women beneficiaries from Abuja-Kubwa, Nyanya and Gwagwalada.

Then in November of the same year, it progressed to the Southwest and impacted 50 women selected from Oshogbo, Ede and Ilesha in Osun State. And in February this year, 50 women from Nsukka and Obollo-Afo axis of Enugu State in the Southeast benefited and advanced to the Northeast where it empowered another 50 women in Bauchi State. They were equipped with requisite skills including merchandise, bookkeeping and marketing.

Voices of Beneficiaries

For Mrs Joyce Nwaiwo, one of the beneficiaries in Port Harcourt, her joy knew no bounds fol lowing the new skills acquired. She expressed, “I feel so happy about this opportunity. I still cannot believe that this is true, because it is just like a dream. I want to say a big thank you to Nestlé.”

For another beneficiary, Mrs Hairat Bashiru, in Oshogbo, the Osun State capital, this has eased her financial despair, as she sent gratitude to Nestle. “I want to thank Nestlé for doing a lot for my family. I am so happy that I was selected to participate in this program. The grant will increase my business and income which will enable me to improve my standard of living and that of my family.”

Mrs Peace Eze is another fulfilled beneficiary in Obollo-Afor, Enugu State. In her words, “I am very happy to have been selected to benefit from this programme. I am going home with good news. With what we were taught today, I now have the knowledge to support my business to grow."

According to Eze, Nestlé also provides them with goods as a push. "With the help of the goods that Nestlé is also giving to us, I have everything I need to make my business succeed. I thank Nestlé for this important initiative. It will help all the women benefiting from the programme a lot.”

These women among the others will receive grants valued at 300 per cent of their monthly sales in the form of Nestlé’s products. They will also participate in training and mentorship programmes which will enable them to scale up their businesses, thereby increasing their household incomes.

While Nestlé Nigeria is not reneg ing on its promise to expand the Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project to reach more women in other parts of the country, the Corporate Communications and Pub lic Affairs Manager, Nestlé Nigeria, Victoria Uwadoka chipped in, "The project aims to help these women to attain opportunities within their market. Before they were selected, there was an analysis done on the potential of their markets and we found out that they were not able to scale because they didn't have enough funds to buy more products."

Because the women were oblivious to merchandising, customer service, bookkeeping and marketing skills, "We took them in for training to give them an overview of all those

areas of doing business then we placed them with mentors and coaches for three months to help them display the behaviours they have learnt". Uwadoka expressed, "It's amazing because some have made over 400 per cent of what they were doing."

Demonstrating trust in the recipients, Nestlé Nigeria’s Commercial Manager, Mr Khaled Ramadan said, “We are happy to fulfil our promise."

While these women are currently carving a niche for themselves from the training and mentorship, the commercial manager highlighted that they have recorded faster turnover, increased revenue and stronger visibility of their outlets within their locations. "We are, therefore, confident that these additional 50 selected retailers in South-South will also reap the full benefits of the support we are providing through training, mentorship and grants," says Ramadan.

Taking a cue from Ramadan, the Head of Partnerships and Training at FDConsults, Mr Phranklin Audu, hinted “The Nestlé Empower ing Rural Women project is such an amazing initiative. The progress and growth recorded by the women in the several states where the project is already ongoing are quite refreshing to see.

"We are talking about visible growth. Grade-C retailers are moving up the distribution ladder and more importantly, these women are doing more sales turnovers thereby earning higher incomes for themselves. We must commend the visioners of this project and the entire project team for staying true to the cause."

Project Trajectory

The Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project is designed to help rural women

The Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project is designed to help rural women retailers scale up their businesses and sustain the new level of up to three times the size of their existing businesses. It is one of the Creating Shared Value initiatives that Nestlé deploys to help build thriving communities by improving livelihoods

retailers scale up their businesses and sustain the new level of up to three times the size of their existing businesses. It is one of the Creating Shared Value initiatives that Nestlé deploys to help build thriving communities by improving livelihoods.

To reach 300 women across Nigeria before the end of this year, the training and mentor ship elements of the project are provided by FDConsults who have a track record of helping rural dwellers access information and skills to accelerate their standard of life. Each beneficiary retailer is linked to a mentor for one-on-one guidance and consistent support over three months to ensure their success.

Fulfilling UN SDG Mantra

Empowering women, according to Nestlé, is a key part of its approach in line with the UN's SDG 5. Its goal is to ensure women feel supported, valued and respected. This is because Nestlé has been working to balance the gender makeup of its workforce, and is actively creating a gender-balanced leadership by increasing the proportion of women in managerial positions, including its most senior executive posts.

Today, the food manufacturing company is proud that its Gender Balance Acceleration Plan aims to mushroom the proportion of women in its top 200 senior executive posts. Outside its operations, in the agricultural communities that cultivate and process its raw materials, Nestlé is also working to change the economic, social and cultural outlook for women through a host of different programs that aim to teach the skills required to increase farms’ productivity, build better businesses and improve livelihoods.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) Nestlé was recognised in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. This is as Nestlé achieved an overall score of 78 per cent up from 68 per cent the previous year and above the index average score of 71 per cent.

That is why Nestlé Nigeria continues to forge ahead in its empowerment project. "We have reached 250 women so far," Uwadoka confirmed. "For security reasons, we should target another region while we await things to stabilise." This is as it hopes to sew up the project with the last batch of 50 women by November 2022, thereby providing women tickets to better lives.

CITYSTRINGS

Beefing the Navy, Army's Operational Capacity in Tackling Insecurity

The Government of the People’s Republic of China recently donated military equipment and a 46-meter Patrol Vessel to the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy respectively. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that the gesture did not only cement the robust relationship between both nations, but also boosted the capacity in fighting insecurity and other forms of maritime crimes

TheGovernment of the People’s Republic of China recently donated military equipment and a 46-meter Patrol Vessel to the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy respectively.

For many, this was a welcome gesture because any force is only as good as its military hardware and in the case of the NN, its platforms. This is because in improvingthe domestic and even external maritime environment, aggressive fleet recapitalisation strategy must be enabled.

Moreover, this recent boost was in line with the fleet recapitalisation drive of the Nigerian Navy under the Chief of Naval Staff, ViceAdmiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo.

Defence

In his address at the joint handover ceremony in Lagos, the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of DefenceDr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, said it further consolidates the Defence bilateral agreement between the People’s Republic of China and Federal Republic of Nigeria especially with the donation of these high-grade military equipment and a maritime platform.

He said; "I am also pleased to note thatcurrent efforts of the Federal Government towards supporting the military to combat insecurity has been impactful and yieldingtremendous successes.

"With the support and donation of equipment and platforms from strategic partners like the People’s Republic of China, capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would be further improved. These will no doubt boost socio-economic develop ment for enhanced national security as well as regional stability.

" This means that the impact of these donated equipment will not only be felt in Nigeria but in the West Africa Sub regionas well as the whole continent of Africa. The platform will be deployed to enhance operations effectiveness of the Armed Forces for improved security."

Nigerian Navy's Recapitalisation Drive Stressing that the vessel would be deployed

to fight crime in the nation's waterand the Gulf of Guinea, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (CFR), he said the relation ship with the People’s Republic of China which started years ago towards enhancing capability of the Nigerian Navy to bolster presencewithin the maritime domain has been tremendous.

He said: "It will be recalled that as part of the fleet recapitalisation efforts through the uncommon sup port of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal of Nigeria, the Nigerian Navy acquired 2 x 95.6m OffshorePatrol Vessels from China.

"These are NNS CENTENARY and UNITY, which joined the Nigerian Navy Fleet in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Sequel to these acquisitions, a 46m Patrol Vessel, NNS SAGBAMA was donated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to support Nigerian Navy operations.

" I am happy to state that thesevessels and others in the fleet have enhanced Nigerian Navy’s Maritime Security operations efforts, which significantly reduced piracy within Nigeria’s maritime domain as well as the Gulf of Guinea and eventually culminated in delisting Nigeria from the list of Piracy Prone countries this year by the International Maritime Bureau.

"The donation of this 46M Patrol Vessel to the Nigerian Navy marksanother milestone in the bilateral collaboration between our two countries and also attests to the People’s Republic of China’s willingness and resilience to ensurea safe and secure maritime environ ment for socio-economic activities to thrive.

"I am optimistic that this vessel will further enhance Nigerian Navy presence at sea towards curbing

insecurity within the nation’s maritime domain and beyond."

Partnership that Works

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Godfrey Onyema, who was represented by the Nigerian Ambassador to China, Mr. Babatunde Mustapha, noted that the donation of the 46 metre patrol boat and other military equipment attest to the cordial relationship between both nations.

He explained that out of the other arms of the military, the navy and the foreign service have special relationship in the fact that when naval ships enter foreign port,it is the ambassador and the officers at the embassies in the foreign port that usuallyreceive them.

He stated that over the years, those in the foreign mission has developed very cordial working relationship with the Nigerian Navy.

He revealed that the relationship between Nigeria and China has been very cordial sinceit was established in 1971.

"Nigeria and China celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations which is very cordial and it resulted in the signing of 16 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) between Nigeria and China and one of them is Defence cooperation, the result of which we are witnessing today.

"Nigeria is committed to China's policy and China is currently undertaking ten major progress in Nigeria under the Focal programme. This include the AKK gas pipeline, Nigeria railway modernisation project, airport modernisation project and many others."

Chinese Government's Take on Col laboration

Also speaking, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jian Chun, harped on the collaboration between both nations. According to him, the relationship between China and Nigeria has lasted for 50 years, adding that there has not been any fundamental problems between the two great nations.

He said the government of both countries are currently working on how to work together and fight together to achieve a common goal, adding that "the second is about economic cooperation. This is very, very important for the material conditions for Nigeria people

and for the Nigeria society, China with about 1.4 billion people under the leadership of a Communist Party. We have accomplished the first centenary, eradication of absolute poverty.

"We would like to share our experience with Nigeria and how you can achieve this great goal by the year 2030. So you have to understand that the economic sector is really important. I believe that both countries can work together in the following five aspects. The first is technology, because technology is to drive dreams not only for Chinese military, but also for Nigerian armed forces.

"Second is body equipment. We need a state of the art equipment to equip our military men and women to fight in the battle. And also we need the human resources. Lastly is about foreign aid. Today is a very good example China donated patrol vessel to Nigeria. So we would like to expand our cooperation".

Commencement of Military Hardware Manufacturing in Nigeria

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador said they will commence manufacturing of military hardwares in Nigeria in collaboration with Nigeria.

He said the in-county production of military would greatly enhance the performance of the Nigerian Armed forces in it's quest to end terrorism in Nigeria

Boost for Nigeria- China Trade Volume

Expectedly, the partnership will ensure thatthe trade volume between both nations soar.

According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Godfrey Onyema, already, the trade volume between Nigeria and the Peoples' Republicof China now stands at 25 Billion Dollars, about N10.91 trillion.

The minister also stated that with the robust relationship between both countries, the tendency that the trade volume between the two countries would expand beyond it's present state.

With the induction of the new platforms, the Nigerian Navy continues to beef up its operational capacity as well as the scope and depth of its activities both in Nigeria’s watersand the GoG.

FOREIGN DESK

Greece: Dozens Missing After Boat Carrying Migrants Sinks

Greek authorities have launched a major search and rescue operation for dozens of migrants missing after a boat they were travelling on from Turkey overturned and sank in rough weather overnight between the islands of Evia and Andros.

The coast guard said Tuesday that nine people, all men, had been found on an uninhabited rocky islet in the Kafirea Straits between the two islands, which lie east of the Greek capital. The survivors, who were picked up by a coast guard patrol boat, told authorities there had been a total of about 68 people on board the sailing boat when it sank and that they had initially set sail from Izmir on the Turkish coast.

Authorities were initially alerted by a distress call in the early hours of Tuesday from passengers saying the boat they were on was in trouble, but they did not provide a location. Weather in the area was particularly rough, with gale force winds. The coast guard said a helicopter, a coast guard patrol boat and two nearby ships were participating in the search and rescue operation.

Ukraine Calls for Isolating Russia AfterLatest Missile Attacks

Ukrainian officials called for Russia to be isolated from international bodies after Russian forces carried out attacks on infrastructure targets in multiple Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said Tuesday that Russia should be expelled from the G-20 group of nations, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to this month’s G-20 summit in Indonesia should be revoked.

“Putin publicly acknowledged ordering missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure,” Nikolenko tweeted. “With his hands stained in blood, he must not be allowed to sit at the table with world leaders.”

Disease Outbreaks Threaten Millions of Pakistani Flood Victims

World Health Organisation officials warn infectious disease outbreaks and malnutrition pose serious health threats to some 8 million Pakistani flood victims.

Historic flood waters are receding in Pakistan, but the impact of the catastrophic event on millions of survivors is far from over.

The World Health Organization reports diseases are rampant, a food crisis is looming, and the economy is deteriorating. This, it says, when winter is fast approaching, putting at further risk the people who lack shelter, fuel for heating, medical care, and other essentials.

WHO’s regional emergency director, Richard Brennan, said public health risks are increasing. Speaking from Cairo, he said damaged infrastructure, stagnant water, and inadequate sanitation facilities are providing breeding sites for mosquitos. Since July, he noted, more than 540,000 cases of malaria have been reported in 32 of Pakistan’s flooddrenched districts.

India PM Visits Collapsed Bridge asFamilies Mourn

India’s prime minister on Tuesday visited the site in western India where a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge collapsed into a river, sending hundreds plunging into the water and killing at least 135 in one of the country’s worst accidents in years.

Narendra Modi inspected the collapsed bridge in Morbi town in Gujarat state and talked to rescuers. He also visited injured people at a hospital. Security was tight as police and paramilitary soldiers blanketed the area.

Gujarat is Modi’s home state, and he was already visiting it at the time of the accident. He said on Monday that he was “deeply saddened by the tragedy,” and his office announced compensation for families of the dead. Angered and bereaved families mourned the dead as attention turned to why the pedestrian bridge, built during British colonialism in the late 1800s and touted by the state’s tourism website as an “artistic and technological marvel,” collapsed Sunday evening and who might be responsible. The bridge had reopened just four days earlier.

Police Inspector-General Ashok Yadav told The Associated Press that no one was missing according to an official tally, but emergency responders and divers continued to search Tuesday.

Halloween: South Korea Admits

Failures in 156 Crushed to Death

South Korea’s police chief acknowledged failures in handling last week’s deadly Halloween crowd surge as officials try to

contain public outrage over one of the country’s deadliest peacetime disasters.

Earlier Tuesday, the death toll from the crowd surge rose to 156 people after a 20-year-old Korean woman was pronounced dead, Seoul officials said. Twenty-nine people remain in serious condition.

An initial investigation revealed police received several emergency calls from frightened partygoers before the accident occurred late Saturday, according to Yoon Hee-Keun, the commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency.

The earliest phone call was received at 6:34 p.m., police said, adding they received 10 more calls over the next three and a half hours. The worst of the crowd surge reportedly began at around 10:15 p.m.

“The calls warned about the danger from a large crowd gathering. We judged that the [local police station’s] response to the…reports was insufficient,” Yoon told a news conference Tuesday.

Bowing deeply before reporters, Yoon said he feels a “heavy responsibility” for the disaster and an “infinite responsibility” for public safety. “We will do our best to prevent such a tragic event from happening again,” he said.

Iran’s Currency Hits New Low AgainstDollar Amid Unrest

Iran’s currency dropped to its lowest value against the dollar on Tuesday after weeks of nationwide unrest roiling the country. A stalemate in negotiations to revive Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers has also weighed heavily on the rial.

Traders in Tehran exchanged the rial at 338,000 to the dollar, up from 332,200 on Monday. Iran’s currency was trading at 32,000 rials to the dollar at the time of the 2015 nuclear accord that lifted international sanctions in exchange for tight curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program.

The rial’s new low comes amid protests first sparked by the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police. She was detained for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.

The demonstrations have swept the country, morphing into one of the boldest challenges to Iran’s ruling clerics since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Security forces have sought to quash dissent, killing at least 270 people and arresting some 14,000, according to rights groups.

Death Toll Rises to 121 in Somalia Al-Shabab Attacks

The death toll from two al-Shabab bombings in Mogadishu has risen to 121, Somalia’s Health Minister Dr Ali Haji Adam, said Tuesday.

In an interview with VOA’s Somali Service, Adam said 10 people had been recorded as missing from the Saturday bombings. He said the National Response Committee appointed by the government also recorded 333 injuries.

“This morning there are 142 injured people in the hospitals, some of them in

the intensive care unit,” he said.

Adam said the government set up a call centre for people who are missing their loved ones to contact. He said the government has also been distributing food and water to the wounded and their relatives coming to the hospitals.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has appealed to the international community to send doctors to help treat the wounded. Adam said Turkey was the first country to respond to the appeal made by the president.

G20 Nations Pushed to Make BiggerClimate Commitments at COP27

The UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, starts in Sharm elSheikh, Egypt, next week, and climate change activists are pushing major emitters in developed countries to make bigger commitments at the conference.

According to a recent report by the UN Environment Program, the international community is still falling far short of the 2015 Paris Agreement goals, with no credible pathway to keep the rise in global temperatures below the key threshold of 1.5 C.

Carbon-cutting plans by governments are still inadequate and environmental leaders are asking developed countries to do more.

“Seventy-five per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions are from the G20, the biggest twenty economies,” UN Environment Executive Director Inger Andersen told VOA in an exclusive interview. “They need to do more. And that is the conversation we need to have at the COP in Sharm el-Sheikh, Africa’s COP as we call it. They need to lean in, both with money but also with their own emissions reduction.”

The conference comes at a time when the Horn of Africa endures record drought and famine warnings in Somalia. Africa produces less than four per cent of global emissions yet still suffers the effects of global warming, including food insecurity, increased conflict and more severe weather events.

Israelis Vote Again, as Political CrisisGrinds On

For the fifth time since 2019, Israelis were voting in national elections on Tuesday, hoping to break the political deadlock that has paralyzed the country for the past three and a half years.

Although the cost of living is surging, Israeli-Palestinian tensions are boiling over and Iran remains a central threat, the foremost issue in the vote once again is former leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his fitness to serve amid corruption charges. His main rival is the man who helped oust him last year, the centrist caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

Polls have predicted a similar result: stalemate. But a powerful new player is threatening to shake things up. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a leading far-right politician, has recently surged in opinion polls and will

seek a harder line against the Palestinians if he helps propel Netanyahu to victory. With former allies and proteges refusing to sit under him while he is on trial, Netanyahu has been unable to form a viable majority government in the 120-seat Knesset or parliament. His opponents, an ideologically diverse constellation of parties, are equally hamstrung in cobbling together the 61 seats needed to rule.

That impasse has mired Israel in an unprecedented political crisis that has eroded Israelis’ faith in their democracy, its institutions and their political leaders.

Malaysia Mulls Closing UN RefugeeAgency, Sparking Refoulement Fears

Malaysia says it is considering plans to shutter the local office of the United Nations refugee agency amid accusations the government is forcibly returning Burmese asylum seekers who have fled Myanmar for their lives.

The military regime that seized power in Myanmar early last year says Malaysia has repatriated hundreds of its nationals on chartered flights in recent months. The junta claims they’re coming home by choice. But rights groups say Malaysia is forcing them back — after arresting them for entering illegally — and that some are probably asylum seekers who will be arrested and possibly tortured or killed on their return.

Myanmar’s military is accused of arresting and killing thousands of its people in a bloody bid to crush a dogged civil and armed resistance to its rule. Dissidents, journalists and military defectors have been pouring into nearby countries, including Malaysia, for sanctuary.

Burkina Faso ‘Fighting for Survival’Against Jihadists

Burkina Faso’s defence minister on Tuesday declared the country was fighting for “survival” in its seven-year-old battle with jihadists as he urged the public to throw themselves into the campaign.

“If for a long time, the fight against terrorism has been seen as a combat pertaining only to the defence and security forces, it is time to change that view and strengthen the effectiveness of public support for the fighting forces,” Defence Minister Kassoum Coulibaly said.

“Every citizen should be aware that this is essentially a war in which our common destiny is at stake, meaning the survival of our nation,” Coulibaly said at ceremonies to mark the armed forces’ 62nd anniversary.

The country is struggling with a jihadist offensive launched from neighbouring Mali in 2015.

Thousands of soldiers, police officers and civilians have been killed. Around 2 million people in a population of some 21 million have fled their homes, and more than a third of the country is outside government control.

Disgruntled army officers have carried out two coups this year in a show of anger at failures to roll back the insurgency.

www.thisdaylive.com

NIGERIA AND THE NEW NAIRA NOTES

On Wednesday 26, October 2022 at a hurriedly organized press conference, the Governor of the Central Bank transmitted the news that new Naira notes will be introduced on December 15, 2022 to replace the existing 200, 500, and 1,000 Naira notes. The old notes would remain legal tender currency till the end of January 2023. He urged citizens to take advantage of the window before the introduction of the new notes.

The Governor explained that change of currency is recommended within the interval

embarked on this exercise was in 1984, about 20 years ago. And therefore this exercise is overdue going by received wisdom.

The Governor gave other reasons for the introduction of the notes as due to the need to correct urgently the existing scenario whereby 85% of the currency in circulation is outside the banking system. He emphasized the urgency of the need for the Central Bank to reclaim currency management which as per the Act establishing the Bank is its exclusive preserve and could not have been more pressing. And it is expected in the process to deal a deadly blow to the thriving and dangerous burgeoning kidnappings and ransom payment industry. It is also expected

who have turned currency counterfeiting as a major occupation.

Some of the other anticipated positive fallouts of the exercise are reduction in the rate

the exchange rate a boost. The possibilities of this exercise are there waiting to be tapped for as far as all concerned are prepared to act timeously. Intelligence gathered from the exercise is expected to impact positively the Treasury situation as an opportunity could be seized to expand the tax net leveraging on inherent intelligence. This will assist in getting some economic agents who have not been paying tax to begin to do so. In fact a trail on heavy cash users could throw open a vista of possibilities.

As should be expected the reactions have been fast, furious and thick. The Central Bank has been accused of misplaced priority as it has left the urgent business of defending the value of rate of exchange of the Naira which has been on a free fall at the parallel market. Of course with the inevitable demand that the Governor of the Central Bank should be immediately sacked for his crass incompetence. With some organized bodies calling for policy reversal and that the date allowed for the exercise is unrealistic considering the extent of work load envisaged and that available infrastructure might not be able to cope. Honestly one must not envy anyone charged with the responsibility for taking such decisions in our polity.

Some have claimed that it is a grand strategy to put the President’s portrait on

the new notes particularly as his in-law is now the Managing Director at the MINT. Some have also alleged that it is a ploy to remove the controversial Islamic inscription (Ajamin) on the currency. There is also the accusation that the ruling party wants to seize the opportunity to starve the opposition parties of cash to undermine their electoral fortunes. And that all this is an attempt to disrupt elections 2023 just as insecurity is claimed to be stage-managed for confusion to reign in the land leading to the inevitable postponement of elections 2023 for preferred Interim Government to be headed by General Dambazau (rtd).

We shall now look at some of the reactions particularly those that border on technical knowledge while dodging those that have a tinge of wild speculations. Managing the rate of exchange should be prioritized. Those who make this suggestion forget to remember that the Governor has made it clear on more than one occasion that the Central Bank does not take its bearing from the parallel market rates. Besides the considerations that the market is illegal, we are informed that it lacks the depth to command the attention being now accorded to it. And what is more important consideration is that there is really nothing the Governor could do at this material time to stem the slide in value of Naira. The country has rather limited ability currently to earn dollars. What is imperative and urgent now

foreign exchange. And to eliminate as quickly as possible those aspects of our economy that are heavily dependent on foreign exchange

Did someone announce that Dangote

That is music to the ears as we cannot wait to

On the issue of timing as it is likely to and the possibility that the currency change exercise could be used to undermine the fortunes of the opposition parties as they are denied access: the legitimate monies

which belong to parties should be safe with the banks. The only currency stock likely to

to deemphasize even criminalize the use of money at the polls. As we expect elections 2023 to deliver expected results we are not too concerned with such possibilities.

There had been some arguments raging with regard to the possibilities of the exercise

as well as exchange rates. And we are a bit surprised. The whole idea behind the Open Market Operations (OMO) undertaken by the Central Bank is based on the same

surging, Central Banks raise interest rates to mop up liquidity and the reverse is the case if

funds. This is exactly what is happening in many countries today. Currency change would brutally reduce liquidity particularly of the nature of illegally accumulated funds as they are demonetized. And therefore such a development should lead to a reduction

demand for dollars is reduced as Naira is drained from outside the banks. I didn’t therefore quite honestly understand the rationale for the disputation.

An immediate outcome of this announcement as should be expected is that rates cascaded at the parallel market as economic agents in possession of large amounts of Naira particularly illegally earned sought safety in dollars. Why the Central Bank must show some concern is that the arbitrage opportunities will be so more tempting as to make round tripping almost irresistible. May be if at all possible some dollars could be released to Bureau de Change to increase supply and mitigate the free fall which the Naira is currently experiencing.

The monetary authorities must move to make the entire exercise as seamless as possible by being intentional with confronting any obstacles that might arise. We must ensure that the notes are available in the right quantities on the commencement date and that the banks are encouraged to be ready to undertake the task through the deployment infrastructure. Beyond this deadline we must adopt a mindset that no one in legitimate possession of Naira should lose value for as long as they are in a position to approach the banks. Therefore anything that could be done including deadline extension must be all on the table. I wish us God’s speed to conclude this exercise and achieve most of its key objectives.

Dr. Chizea

a management consultant

ELON MUSK, TWITTER ACQUISITION AND THE THREATS AHEAD

It

an open

Twitter, reckons SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE

THE PRESIDENT’S MEN SALIHU NATARO

What is imperative and urgent now is to find opportunities to export and earn foreign exchange, writes BONIFACE CHIZEA

It may be goodbye to an open and people-friendly Twitter, reckons SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE

ELON MUSK, TWITTER ACQUISITION AND THE THREATS AHEAD

After long delays and court procedures, Elon Musk closed the $44 billion Twitter acquisition deal last Thursday.

top management including the CEO of their positions thus creating what could be likened to a management vacuum and a distance from the status quo with palpable fears of heightened extremism and enthronement of hate speech.

On March 27, 2022, Musk had criticized Twitter and its management for unnecessary censorship saying he would change all that as an apostle of “free speech” when he eventually acquires the global blog.

This began to manifest right from last threats ahead despite his avowed advocacy open platform for “right thinking people “ in pursuit of democratic ethos.

The Tesla boss had threatened critical

Against Defamation(GLAAD). “GLAAD remains deeply concerned about the safety of LGBTQ people on Twitter and we join other organizations that are now questioning Twitter’s future policies and actions against extremist content,” the statement added.

GLAAD: A MUSK-OWNED TWITTER WILL NOT ‘HELP HUMANITY’

press@glaad.org GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, a...

In what appeared as response to the growing fears about the Twitter acquisition, Musk twitted last Thursday to douse tension, saying most of the speculation surrounding his motivation to buy Twitter has been wrong and that the platform “obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.”

Instead, he said, “Twitter must follow the laws of the land” and “be warm and welcoming to all.” He was however silent on how these goals would be accomplished.

Even though Musk is yet to announce any content moderation policy, analysts fear the new Twitter may become a platform for radicalized content. “Twitter is now on a glide path to becoming a supercharged engine of radicalization,” Angelo Carusone, President of Media Matters for America said in a statement adding “Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter will become a fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery, and operationalized harassment.”

Ministers, close aides of lower ranks and other high appointees of every president are usually appointed based, basically, on the following consideration: the appointee as a team player by virtue of his being a citizen of Nigeria and a member of the cabinet or of some cabinet-rank, representing a state or a President must necessarily relate with him as a matter of duty because the appointee has a duty to perform for his constituency and for the president.

Second, the appointee may have some technocratic ability, expertise or gift with which

a noise maker but a quiet worker whose focus is his responsibility to deliver what is expected of him.

As an admirer of Minister Muhammadu Bello, I have taken a keen interest in how the man and his boss, Buhari, relate and have found the partnership between them an admirable model. I was, therefore, not in the least surprised when along with other Nigerians, he was recently conferred with the national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger by the President

credentials of his devoted aide.

As the Buhari government begins a countdown to its glorious exit next year, the stocktaking must begin. This piece is a step in that direction. Which are the possible ‘materials’ that Buhari will bequeath to a succeeding administration, especially if the APC candidate who has said publicly that he is going to build his administration on the foundation laid by Buhari can inherit, may be not necessarily in the same capacity but in another to help him succeed?

he is expected to deploy in the service of his country and the achievement of a president’s

and representational angle, some ministers or appointees get to enjoy a unique kind of relationship with a president. A president may decide, based entirely on his perception of that appointee, to bring him close to himself and cultivate a mentor-mentee relationship with

Bello. The next Buhari man for possible consideration is the former minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu who stuck to Buhari for a considerable length of time but had to leave the cabinet because of the requirement that whoever wanted to contest for the presidency must

Buhari devotee of a high pedigree.

when they said things that were not in tandem with his worldview.

The days ahead therefore portend dangers and freedom of speech on Twitter for the global community and those for platform for communicating their messages.

speech but with a track record of silencing employees who disagree with him, a more regulated and or closed Twitter is underway and the weeks ahead will determine all that.

It may be goodbye to an open and people friendly Twitter.

Before the acquisition, Musk’s professional reputation for silencing critics with retaliation and threats of lawsuits was legendary.

He criticized Twitter’s content moderation policies and partisan censorship on the platform, including the decision to ban former President Donald Trump and said in May this year that he would reverse all that.

Advocacy groups have reasoned for months that Musk’s purchase of the platform would encroach heavily on data privacy including a rise in harassment, extremism, and hyperpartisanship, and have renewed their calls following last week’s completion of the deal.

Musk claimed he wanted to buy Twitter to ‘help humanity,’ but strangely he has a record of posting and defending harmful anti-Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) content as well as content that harms other marginalized communities, according to a statement

Some of the fears ahead are reports of

of Twitter’s 7,500 shown the exit gate with payment of stock grants due for November 1, 2022 (yesterday) but as at the time of this report, it was not clear if the threats of

Billionaire Musk, who also leads the electric carmaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX, had explained in general, early in the acquisition talks, that he would make Twitter a private entity by reducing its work force, reignite its content moderation rules and create new revenue streams for the company to ride on.

Part of the income streams being proposed by Musk is increment of monthly subscription and deadline to be met by workers.

Meet up deadlines on introducing paid leave, Musk was quoted to have threatened Twitter workers at the weekend.

to charge $19.99 for the new Twitter Blue subscription. Under the current plan,

subscribe or lose their blue checkmark. Employees working on the project were told on Sunday that they need to meet a deadline of November 7 to launch the

He twitted on Sunday too that “the revamped right now “. All of these suggest the directions of the new Twitter.

Aragba-Akpore is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board

on his part, may admire a president and from his distance, choose to be like the man who appointed him and begin to carry out his work in a manner that would please him; he will show him exceptional loyalty and by so doing, gets himself drawn to the president and they commence a relationship that is beyond

personal. It is in the nature of man to impart his virtue into another and seek his mentee to become a person of impact upon the world.

Since President Muhammadu Buhari came in 2015, he has had to forge a relationship with scores of Nigerians based on those stated consideration. As to be expected, his relationship with some of these high appointees are deeper and more fruitful than with some others. Any keen watcher of what is going on in our governance realm would have realised that one of the men with whom President Buhari has had some of his most chummy relationship with is none other than

and attitude to life, Bello is very much like Buhari. In fact, he is more of Buhari than any of the other ministers. This is perhaps traceable traceable to the same bloodline. The mother of Bello is a granddaughter of Raji of Yola who is from whose roots Buhari is also traceable to!

given to just anybody. It is always given to President’s. Bello is not just Buhari’s team player, he has pursued his work with a rare sense of humility, and uncommon commitment to please his father/boss with a panache of a man with a pan -Nigeria mandate. He is not

to an incoming administration that needs people of high commitment to help it succeed. These are all Buhari bequeaths to an incoming administration.

Another key Buhari ally that can be a suitable bequeath to another administration is the man in-charge of Customs and Excise, Hameed Ibrahim Ali. The Customs under Ali, became one of the highest revenue generating agencies of the country. Surely, there is something Ali did that none of his predecessors never did to have the type of results we got under him. It may be integrity; it may be managerial ability such as the use of motivation. It may be all of these and even more.

Although a later comer to the Buhari fold, the Minister for Humanitarian Development is another of Buhari’s key allies that can be ‘signed’ by another of administrative ‘managers. These are the people one may look back and say these are Buhari’s people. They are a people of whom Buhari can look back and say “these are men and women in whom I am well pleased’’. They speak most eloquently of what Buhari has been able to achieve for Nigeria. With these men and a woman, Buhari has been able to imprint his DNA on public life in Nigeria.

In politics and in governance, these men and a woman have stuck to Buhari since 2015 and after as they were always re-appointed at every cabinet change. But Muhammad Bello seems to be one of the closest to President Buhari.

Nataro was a former candidate for the Governorship of Kebbi State

ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN

SALIHU NATARO recommends some ministers for the incoming administration

peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

EDITORIAL

DANJUMA’S RECIPE FOR ANARCHY

Democratising ownership and usage of arms will worsen the security challenges

Minister of Defence, Lt. General T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) last week asked Nigerians, especially residents of Taraba State (where he hails from) to acquire arms and defend themselves and territories against bandits. This repeatedly accused the military and security forces of direct complicity in the spiraling insecurity, especially in his ancestral homeland. And he had on several occasions advocated that citizens bear arms for their self-defence. But Danjuma’s prescription is clearly wrong-headed. Whatever may be his excuse, this is a direct repudiation of the very essence of Nigeria as a nation state and a recipe for anarchy. However, this may be a generational mindset. Even the current Defence Minister, Bashir Magashi, also a retired general, once urged Nigerians to confront bandits. “It is the

Aformer

safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards. At times, the bandits will only come with about everybody runs. In our younger days, we stand to year in a clear admission of failure that would have cost him his job in saner climes. “I don’t know why people are running from minor things like that. They should stand and let these people know that even the villagers have the competency and capabilities to

It is true that the Nigerian state today has been weakened by the proliferation of illegal arms in the hands of sundry non-state actors. But the recipe of principle of the Nigerian constitution. Authority to bear military grade arms remains the exclusive preserve of the federal government. The fact of recent spate of insecurity does not devalue or obliterate this

fundamental constitutional stipulation. What Danjuma may not realise is that already, there is a school of thought that the proliferation of illegal sophisticated arms in the hands of ethnic and sectarian militants and warlords is partly the result of direct sponsorship of people who may have used their vantage positions in the public space to equip thugs to advance the pursuit of their personal, regional or ethnic interests in the national contest for political preeminence. Therefore, the solution to systemic anarchy can never be to endorse and universalise anarchy.

As a newspaper, we have always advocated a restructuring of the country not in line with the argument of ethnic warlords but rather in a bid to have a system that works for all. For instance, there is an urgent need to strengthen the coercive power of the federal government while recognising the right of component states to limited self-determination without armed threat to the nation. A desirable devolution of powers from federal pre-eminence to stronger component state centres must increase the powers of the latter over policing and internal security responsibilities with a more limited level of lethal armament than the federal force which must continue to be the unquestioned guarantor of our national security.

Democratising ownership and usage of arms even for self-defence purposes will worsen the country’s security challenges. With weak institutions in a society that lacks a culture of gun ownership, it may be a formula for anarchy. However, it is not enough to say that Danjuma is wrong. The sentiment driving his advocacy is shared by many Nigerians in an environment of escalating insecurity and a widely held perception that government is not an impartial arbiter in the management of both the nation’s diversity and the security challenges. We therefore urge President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate balance and fairness in handling security-related issues.

Letters in response to

should

with

to

brief

words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such

We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international

provided they

numbers of the writer.

Letters to the Editor LETTERS

also not

longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with

OF RULES, RECTITUDE AND RELIGIOUS BIGOTS

At this stage, it is now beyond every sound argument that education in Nigeria is on a downward spiral. Having cupped many years of decline and neglect to go with incessant interruptions, it is clear by now that it takes courage to go to school in Nigeria. Yet, as ever, education remains the key to so many possibilities that bother on development.

However, those who summon the courage to be educated in Nigeria often know that they will bear witness to all manner of things in the course of getting educated. If they do not know before they start, they are soon rudely awakened by the realities they have to confront.

ed the eight months ordeal of Nigerian undergraduate students which began when the union embarked on strike on February 14, 2022. Many universities have since resumed academic activities with students scrambling to go back to school from all over the country.

Yet, for many of these students, it is a lot of uncertainty that they will go back to, especially as it appears some universities

There is no doubt that for many years now, moral decadence

has slipped in and has continued to seep into the fabric of the Nigerian society. With the institution of the family, that cradle of life where children are expected to be taught right and wrong from so early in their lives crumbly badly, morality has somewhat become a free for all in the country.

In recent times, teaching morality has become a focal point for those who instill discipline in schools. Sound education can never be complete until character is equally formed along the line. However, the question remains: to what extent should schools go to police morality and at what cost, especially within the

ideals within such settings puts freedom and expression above many other ideals?

A long list of prohibited clothing recently hit the public

Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt. The internal memorandum titled `Ban on indecent dressing by students on campus,’ and dated 19th October 2022 prohibited colouring of hair among male and female students, tattoos, spaghetti gowns, short skirts, sagging trousers, among a host of other things no doubt considered reprehensible by those in charge.

It would be understandable if institutions of higher learning in Nigeria take measures to ensure that those who pass through them leave with some measure of decency ingrained into them as human beings who have undergone scholarship. However, extreme care must be taken to ensure that the atmosphere which promotes freedom, academic and otherwise, in those institutions is vigilantly maintained lest the ideals of freedom of expression in its richly varied forms are lost to the theatrics and histrionics of those who mask bigotry and extremism behind noble masks.

Also, the religious bigots who whip up draconian codes of conduct in secular institutions and seek stringent enforcement ty has done in this instance, and divine for themselves whether there is really any correlation between tatoos, eyelashes, spaghetti gowns and academic performance.

As always, eternal vigilance remains the price of freedom. May that day never come when such a price will become too steep to pay in academic institutions within Nigeria.

Authority to bear military grade arms remains the exclusive preserve of the federal government. The fact of recent spate of insecurity does not devalue or obliterate this fundamental constitutional stipulation

Following the increase in Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 15.5 per cent, interest on deposits with banks increased to 4.08 per cent in September 2022, becoming one of the highest since January 1, 2017, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) money market indicators has revealed.

Interest on savings deposit was at 2.93 per cent in August 2022 when the MPR was at 14 per cent, it went up 4,08 per cent in

September, boosting the fortune of savings account holders with deposit money banks (DMBs).

According to the Money Market indicators of the CBN, the interest on saving deposits commenced January 2022 at 1.25 per cent and has witnessed a steady increase amid the increase in MPR.

Analysts believe the increase in saving deposit was meant to encourage banks’ depositors to save more and generate more money amid hike in inflation rate.

Speaking with THISDAY, the Vice

president, Highcap Securities Limited, Mr. David Adnori said the move to increase the average interest on savings deposits by CBN was meant to mop-up excess liquidity in the system, another means of tackling inflation.

On his part, the President of the Association of the Capital Market Academics in Nigeria (ACMAN), Professor Uche Uwaleke attributed the drop in maximum lending rate to excess liquidity in the banking sector, stating that the interventions by CBN also forced banks to cut

interest rate on loans to customers.

He explained that, “When the money supply is high, it is expected to translate into low-interest rates on lending to Bank customers. The numerous interventions by CBN have forced down interest rates in the banking sector. The CBN has a lot of its intervention at single-digit interest rate; moved from nine per cent to five per cent. When the CBN should have ended that regime of five per cent lending rate, it extended it further.

“The CBN has been extending

loan facilities to key sectors of the economy and a lot of interventions are accessing these funds at single digit interest rate. The banks were forced to reduce interest rate in order to remain relevant in their major core business of lending to the real sector.”

He said that the gap between saving and lending rates is massive, stressing that the CBN management have expressed concerns.

The Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN, Aisha Ahmad in her personal statement at the

end of the last Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting stated: “Sustaining banking sector lending to critical sectors of the economy will be paramount as monetary policy tightens to contain inflation.

“Given the positive correlation of market lending rates to the MPR, it is expected that borrowing costs will rise, possibly restricting loan growth.”

The apex banking regulating body had ordered banks to pay savings

James Emejo in Abuja

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Maryam Katagum, has said trade volume among member states of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation also known as the Developing-8, had increased to $129 billion from $13 billion within 25 years of the organisation’s existence.

The minister said trade among the D-8 member states also accounted for $ $4 trillion in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export amounting to $1.5 trillion within the period.

Speaking at the D-8 Forum

on SMEs and Health Market in Abuja, Katagu, said going by the performance, the organisation could now be considered to be a leading global economic player.

This came as the Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agencies of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Olawale Fasanya, lamented the difficult operating environment in which small businesses operate in Nigeria.

According to him, the last survey of MSMEs in Nigeria recorded a drop of more than two million MSMEs largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other local and global

socio-economic interplays.

The D-8 is an organisation for development cooperation among Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey.

The organisation seeks to among other things improve member states’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decisionmaking at the international level, and improve standards of living.

The minister, however, stressed that it has become imperative for the group to more than ever before improve on its strategy for global

economic dominance, adding that this can be achieved through innovative ideas as well as a greater commitment to growth and development among member states.

She said the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which came into effect at the 20th session of the Council remained an important incentive, which is designed to boost intra-trade among member states.

She said it is, therefore, expedient for the member states to complement the initiative with policies that will stimulate economic growth and prosperity.

Specifically, the minister said

priority should be accorded to the development of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises sub-sector as one of the key areas that will accelerate the growth and development of the group’s collective economies.

She said, “It is a fact that SMEs have been known to be critical to the growth and development of not just the D8 member states but also to economies that are regarded as developed.

“This vital sector provides a significant number of jobs, contributes massively to the GDP, broadens revenue base and a major contributor to skills and capacity development.

In member states SMEs contribute an average of 40 per cent of GDP in addition to job creation.”

The minister said aside from the peculiar challenges that MSMEs are faced with, the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine have taken tolls on national economies with MSMEs being the worst hit.

She pointed out that the cost of production by MSMEs is becoming unbearable making them not very competitive in the global market space adding that the situation is

Maigari: It’s Risky to Put Serious Money into Agriculture

In this exclusive chat with James Emejo, the Director-General, Nigerian Agri-Business Group, Mr. Manzo Maigari, laments the inherent risks and loopholes in the agricultural sector, proffering possible solutions. Among other things, he said agricultural insurance in Nigeria is paralytic and required an overhaul.

What really does NABG set out to achieve?

TheNigeria Agri-Business Group is an organised private sector platform that was contrived by the federal government to administer private sector players in agriculture and serve as the voice for their concerns through advocacy and policy direction, and so basically, that is what the NABG does.

Is your membership restricted to agribusinesses operators alone?

Well, over 70 per cent of the industries you see in Nigeria are agri-businesses. For example, the Dangote Group, besides the cement they produce, everything else is agriculture; is it Nestle, Flour Mills, TGI group – but what is important here is that the membership of NABG is not individual, it has to be corporate – you are either an association or a corporate entity –they represent the interests of members in their respective associations. So, when we sit here to do things, we are looking at the generality of the impact of government policy actions on the agricultural sector.

As an active player in the agricultural sector, why do you think food inflation has refused to abate in spite of bountiful harvests in recent times?

What is happening basically is that it is a systemic problem.

We don’t think in form of systems, we think and act individually and in silos. If we have a systems mentality, things would be different. And I am going to tell you; go to Benue today, there is a perpetual glut of cassava, yet a bag of garri in Abuja is more than N30,000; go to Benue today there is a perpetual glut of oranges and mangoes yet one piece of mango or orange sells for N50 sometimes even N100 – why is it so? It is because the farmer that produces it there cannot evacuate it and come and sell it in Abuja, neither can he take it to Kano or Lagos – he relies on a middleman, and he has no connection with the market at all.

Then, the middleman comes and takes it for N5 and he makes N20. Then, you have to factor in issues like diesel, because you move these things over distances on small trucks. Imagine there was a train that can move goods at once – like a hundred trailers at once and you burn diesel just once and move goods worth a hundred trailers -prices would crash… also look at it, a trailer load of 30 cows which may not be more than N2 million, cost about N2.5 million from Maiduguri to Lagos. So, automatically, the cost of diesel has more than doubled the price and value of that cow by the time it gets to Lagos.

But because we do not have a system, we don’t run things systematically, which is why we have problems. Where the system works- all over the world, it is healthier to eat cold meat than hot meat. It doesn’t make sense to move a live cow, which is 65 per cent waste – 35 per cent to 45 per cent of the cow is the meat you eat, yet you move the whole waste to Lagos and you more than double the price and the consumer pays. But if we have a system, the business opportunities will become clear and

predictive…These are the issues but added to that recently also, we have banditry which has reduced production because most of these farmers are in the bush and in fact, because of the clashes between them and these bandits, of course, many of them are not able to produce as much as they should and that has also added to food inflation.

In view of these challenges, what is your organisation doing to change the agri-business narrative going forward?

We are currently in discussions to see how best to make the Nigerian Commodity Exchange private sector-driven and viable because once you have that, all these things I have talked to you about would just key in; farming would become predictive and viewed as a business. And once we have all the standards ratings and certification systems in place, you can get upfront contracts and even get mobilised to produce for specific companies or for a specific off-taker, but as it is now, because of the broken nature of the value chain, it is too risky to put serious money in agriculture. I don’t know whether you are aware that Olam just lost

10,000 hectares of rice in Nasarawa State to flooding. Now, Olam would probably have to bear the whole of that cost because agricultural insurance in Nigeria is paralytic.

But imagine that there was insurance – but who would go and insure a farm of that size when you cannot predict or forecast? All these things are intertwined into the ecosystem. We have to create an ecosystem that enables agri-businesses and businesses generally to thrive. We have to create a community of practice; working in isolation and everybody doing his or her thing somewhere doesn’t solve the problem.

But, most importantly, a commodity exchange will activate a mechanism for price and market discovery. The man in Kano producing tomatoes does not even know the price of tomatoes in Lagos and Port Harcourt at the time that he would harvest. He has no connection with the market at all, let alone know the price. However, once you have this system in place, there would be a system that enables him to receive price predictions for the whole year for his product and he can choose whether to produce tomatoes or

D-8 MEMBER STATES RECORD $129BN IN TRADE VOLUME IN 25 YEARS

even made worse by insecurity, natural disasters (flood and wild fire) occasioned by climate change.

“These underscore the need to pay special attention to our MSMEs to drive employment generation, wealth creation and income redistribution.

As important as the MSME subsector is, there is a need for us to continually remind ourselves of the challenges that it faces in order to

provide the needed panacea for its survival, growth and development.”

Also, speaking at the occasion, the Director General, Small and medium Enterprises Development Agencies of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Olawale Fasanya, said the high cost of production experienced by most MSMEs in Nigeria had further reduced their ability to be globally competitive, adding that

the use of technology has made access to markets borderless with significant negative impact on our local MSMEs.

He said small businesses are not only confronted with the issues of the high cost of production but also reduced access to competitive markets.

According to him, the last survey of MSMEs in Nigeria recorded that

there was a drop of more than two million MSMEs largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other local and global socio-economic interplays.

Fasanya said, “My worry now is that another count of MSMEs in Nigeria may show a further decrease in their number as new emerging global issues are regularly been thrown up. The impact of a stunted

SAVERS GRIN AS INTEREST RATE ON SAVINGS DEPOSIT HIT ALL-TIME HIGH OF 4.08%

deposit accounts an interest rate of at least 4.2 per cent from the 1.4 per cent previously received.

The Director of Banking Supervision, CBN, Haruna B. Mustafa, in a circular titled, “Review Of Interest Rate On Savings Deposits,” stated that the hike in savings interest rates, effective from August 1, was made in light of the return to complete normalcy after taking into account the current macroeconomic conditions.

The circular reads, “It will be recalled that as part of the efforts to ameliorate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBN reduced the minimum interest rates payable on local currency savings deposits from 30per cent to 10per cent of the MPR. This was aimed at stimulating growth in the larger economy following the economic slowdown occasioned by the Pandemic.”

The apex bank noted that Nigeria

has returned to economic normalcy, adding, “following the return to full normalcy and considering the prevailing macroeconomic conditions, it has become necessary to effect an upward adjustment of the interest rate payable on local currency savings deposits.”

“Accordingly, effective August 1, 2022, the negotiable minimum interest rate on local currency savings deposits shall be 30per cent of MPR. This supersedes our letter dated

BSD/DIR/GEN/LAB/13/052 on the subject. September 1, 2020, ”the CBN said.

The money market indicators, however, revealed that interest on Treasury bills has also increased to 5.68 per cent, a 3.19basis points increase from 2.49 per cent in January.

The Money Market indicators statistics also revealed that the maximum lending rate dropped too 28.06 per cent in September

cucumbers…this is how agri-business thrives but we have not been able to achieve that and the reason is simple; since independence, Nigeria has approached agriculture from a development perspective and every time, they were just throwing money into agriculture for a subsidy, you know at a time, the biggest subsidy scam in Nigeria was fertilizers. Now, we’ve gone past that but up till this point in time, we are yet to actually find out where exactly we need to subsidise agriculture.

Most of the time, because the government still has the belief and mentality that agriculture should be a development tool, we have not paid attention to the dynamics that things are changing and that agriculture should be a business.

Are you saying that the government is not funding agriculture as it should?

The government does not even have the money to fund agriculture and I will give you one example – Nigeria has the lowest mechanisation rate in the world. It has been estimated that we need about 10,000 tractors to meet the benchmark for agricultural mechanisation. Do you know how much 10,000 tractors would cost? There’s no tractor that is less than $20 million today. Nigerian budget of both federal and state for five years would not be able to buy those tractors. So, what do we need to do? It is to create an enabling environment where the private sector can come in and provide those tractors. If they are providing them on a lease, they should be able to make their money but for them to also make their money, the food prices have to be such that the farmer would be able to pay and still make a profit.

No doubt, insurance remains a major challenge in agriculture, how best do you think this could be tackled?

Agricultural insurance is very paralytic in this country and I will highlight the anomalies therein. We have the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC). Now, NAIC regulates agricultural insurance in Nigeria but it is also a retail insurance service provider in Nigeria.

So, it’s like you being a player in the field and you are the referee – it cannot work.

What we keep saying is that look, the business of agriculture is a very serious one, and therefore, NAIC should just be a department in the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and focused on agricultural insurance coming up with all kinds of innovations that would meet our peculiarities in agri-business. But instead, they are a player and a regulator, and there’s no way that can work.

Secondly, you’ll find out that in all the interventions that government gives to farmers like the Anchor Borrower Programme and others, government precludes any other insurance company from providing the insurance cover; it’s only NAIC that can provide that insurance and your guess is as good as mine if anybody ever gets compensated. So, these are the issues.

As I speak to you, I have 500 hectares of rice in Benue which is completely submerged for more than three weeks now and it is a total loss and that’s an investment of over N100 million. What are you going to do? So, these are real issues.

or decreasing MSME sub-sector is a dwindling GDP, increased insecurity, high rate of unemployment, and several other social vices, especially among the youth population.

“Globally, the MSME sub-sector plays a major role in job creation, wealth distribution, resource utilisation, and contributions to national Gross Domestic Product.

As emerging economies, the MSMEs

from 28.3 per cent reported in August, while prime lending rate remained flat at 12.23 per cent for the second consecutive year.

The CBN had mandated banks operating in the country to submit their lending and saving rates for publishing.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele had admitted that the hike in MPR would increase cost of borrowing, especially in nonpriority sectors of the economy.

hold the key to development in all the D8 member states as in other developed economies.

“It therefore implies that a welldeveloped MSME sub-sector and integration among D-8 Member States will add value to the cardinal objective of the establishment of the organization with a focus on economic integration among members while also achieving the SDGs.”

Emefiele, however, added that lending to key priority sectors, which had been identified to boost growth and generate employment, would remain at a single-digit interest rate of nine per cent.

He pointed out that the decision to raise interest rate was the last resort and a difficult one for the MPC, which had been crafting policies to stimulate economic growth as well as achieve financial stability.

Osuagwu: Nigerian Businesses are Strategic Drivers of Economic Growth

Can you speak on how your bank supports businesses, especially at these times when SMEs are pivotal to Nigeria’s economic growth?

with them for growth.

How important are SMEs to economic transformation?

Stanbic

IBTC provides broad-based client solutions to a spectrum of small and medium enterprises and large commercial businesses. Our client coverage support spreads across various business sectors, providing our clients with deep insights and financial services. Having partnered with enterprises for years, our approach to client relationships distinguishes us. As a forward-thinking organisation, we understand the vital role of Nigerian businesses as strategic drivers of economic growth, hence our continued provision of support to various establishments across the country. Beyond funding, we have actively provided financial advisory and capacity development to businesses and connected them to opportunities in their sectors over the years.

Can you briefly address the general issues affecting Nigerian businesses and the solutions your bank has proffered?

Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural and human resources but has several challenges that adversely affect businesses. For instance, the power situation is a critical factor. It accounts for a significant portion of the running cost of companies. Other challenges include inadequate infrastructure, lack of funding, high tariffs, and macroeconomic factors like the high inflation rate, currency devaluation and insecurity. Stanbic IBTC continues to partner with our clients in navigating these challenges by offering financial advisory, funding, and capacity building, among other solutions.

Recently, executives from Stanbic IBTC’s Business and Commercial Clients segment visited some clients across the nation. What is the rationale behind the visits?

As an institution that values its clients and

prioritises partnership with them for the growth and progress of their businesses, the visits are not novel. They reflect our commitment to continuously stay close to them to deliver value to their work. We can feel their pulse directly and elicit their feedback around how their businesses are doing, challenges they are facing, areas for improvement in our partnership with them and so on. Such connection is invaluable and helps us serve our clients better.

Stanbic IBTC Bank has shown immense support to those in the

manufacturing, processing and agro-allied industries. Are there plans to extend this support to other sectors?

Our clientele base cuts across industries such as domestic and international trade, agriculture, information & communication technology, healthcare, education, oil & gas manufacturing, emerging markets, and so on. We are extending our support to other industries, and based on a clear understanding of our client’s needs across industries, we come up with appropriate solutions in partnering

Sterling Bank Reaffirms Commitment to Lend more to Agriculture Sector

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman has said the bank is ready and willing to invest more in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, having invested more than N100 billion; a figure that represents about 15 percent of the bank’s total loans portfolio.

He stated this in his closing remarks at the Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA) 2022 with the theme:

“Engineering a Trillion Dollar Agricultural Economy,” which held recently both physically and virtually with more than 10,000 attendees from across the world.

Agriculture is one of the five sectors of the economy that the bank has focused its investments since 2018 as part of her HEART of Sterling strategy. The others are health, education, transportation, and renewable energy.

Suleiman observed that apart from the Bank of Agriculture, he

could not think of any other financial institution that has committed its resources to agricultural financing like Sterling Bank.

“When we started the journey about five years ago, we were very clear in our minds that we did not just want to make it a talk show and we have been changing the focus of the conversation from moving away from identifying problems to providing solutions and now we are bringing stakeholders together in a bid to effectively move the

conversation forward with action.

“We started it because we wanted to focus on agricultural financing where there was a significant gap. Every time we meet a stakeholder or a regulator, we noticed a different perspective of what the problem was and therefore it became clear to us that if we do not bring all the stakeholders together to harmonise their views and understanding, we will continue to remain in the dark,” he said.

‘Financial Literacy, Crucial to Closing Financial Exclusion Gap’

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB), Branka Mracajac has emphasised that financial literacy is an important tool in enhancing financial inclusion in Nigeria.

Mracajac said this at the master

class session on, “Environment, Social, Governance & Risk Management for the Fintech Ecosystem - A Focus on Fintech and Financial Inclusion,” at the Nigeria Fintech Week 2022 Conference in Lagos.

She said: “We take pride in educating the financially excluded and the unbanked, letting them know why they should be part

of the formal financial ecosystem.

Financial inclusion is not just about opening a bank account, but it is about individuals and businesses having access to useful, affordable financial services.

“At 9PSB, we are building the bridge between those who are financially excluded and financial institutions, including the deposit

money banks, by providing access, collecting data and educating the financially excluded. Our bank is eager for all Nigerians to access financial solutions. We are open to partnerships with financial service providers and banks and deliberately seeking out and providing opportunities for students and youths to learn.”

SMEs are the bedrock of business ecosystems in any economy. They account for most businesses worldwide and immensely contribute to job creation and global economic development. In emerging markets like Nigeria, SMEs generate most jobs and account for a large part of the GDP. At Stanbic IBTC, we support SMEs in various ways, such as financial advisory, capacity building and convenient funding.

What should the small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) expect from Stanbic IBTC’s Business and Commercial Clients segment?

Stanbic IBTC’s Business and Commercial Clients (BCC) division is fully committed to supporting the expansion of SMEs. We cannot overemphasise the contribution of SMEs to the growth of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and the country’s GDP. Asides from financing, we also deliberately contribute to their expansion through training and capacity-building sessions for entrepreneurs to empower them with knowledge and information for success. Based on the identified need for funding, we have introduced a financing solution that offers flexibility and convenience to our SME clients. Over 2,400 unique SME clients have benefited from this solution since it launched about a year ago.

Can you share some of your product offerings and how to access them?

We provide a comprehensive suite of transactional (i.e payments and collections), savings, investments, trade, foreign exchange, advisory and financing products, which are easily accessible through our diverse digital and physical channels. Our new and existing customers can always walk into any of our branches or visit our websites to access our array of products available for both individuals and corporate organisations.

Sanlam Life Insurance Holds Customer Appreciation Forum

Sanlam Life Insurance, formerly known as FBN Insurance, recently held a series of customer stakeholder forums in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo, and Kano.

The firm said the purpose of the event was to express gratitude to her clients, stakeholders and partners for their support over the years.

The forum also gave the business a chance to promote customer-management strategies like paying attention to client concerns, issues, compliments, and feedback.

One of the customers, who didn’t wish to be named, said he admired the company’s willingness to quickly address clients’ needs.

“What I love about Sanlam is, they do not just promise, they also deliver. The company gives me peace of mind because the workers always available. I will continue to introduce more

people to insure their trust with this great insurance company, Sanlam,” he said.

Responding to these glowing testimonials, the Managing Director/CEO, Sanlam Life Insurance Nigeria Limited, Tunde Mimiko, expressed delight that the company was satisfying its customers’ needs.

“We are humbled by these heart-warming comments from our esteemed customers. They say, ‘the customer is king’, if these kings and queens find us worthy of these kind words, it shows that we are indeed, doing many things right,” Mimiko stated.

He continued by reaffirming the company’s commitment to providing excellent service to its customers.

“We are grateful, and we promise not to rest on our oars to ensure optimum satisfaction for all our customers,” he added.

Executive Director, Business and Commercial Clients, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Remy Osuagwu speaks on the need for banks to understand clients and their business requirements to provide more appropriate solutions. Nume Ekeghe presents the excepts

Afrinvest: Nigerian Banks Resilient Despite Economic Downturn

The 2022 Afrinvest Banking Sector Report has revealed that despite daunting economic challenges, commercial banks in the country recorded modest improvement in all regulatory indicators.

The report, presented by Deputy Group Managing Director, Afrinvest West Africa, Mr. Victor Ndukauba, showed that the banks beat all the prudential guideline limits set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), demonstrating their resilience and strength during the year.

The report, which was launched at a ceremony to unveil Optimus, Afrinvest’s digital investment app, in Lagos, is the 17th edition of the Nigerian Banking Sector Report.

The occasion also marked the announcement of Afrinvest’s new subsidiaries and expansion of its leadership team as well as the unveiling of Afrinvest’s refreshed logo

The report’s assessment of CBN’s financial stability indicators showed that Industry Liquidity (Liquidity Ratio) and Non-Performing Loan ratios both improved by 130 basis points (up) and 75bps(down), respectively, to 42.6 per cent and 4.95 per cent.

Although, the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR: 14.1 per cent) underperformed the June 2021 level by 140bps, all the indicators beat the

prudential guideline limits of 30 per cent (LR), five per cent(NPLs), and 13.0 per cent(CAR), respectively, despite myriads of challenges in the business environment.

The report said the improvement is expected to be sustained over the coming years.

It explained that the fiscal challenges presented by weak Federal Government earnings have contributed to the muddling of monetary policy and strong use of Cash Reserve Ratio debits as a subtle strategy, in our view, to compensate for the inflationary effect of ballooned overdraft to the government.

It insists that in increasing its developmental financing role, especially in agriculture financing, the CBN risks crowding out banks and private sector financing, which is more effective in de-risking the sector and incentivising growth without moral hazards.

“Importantly, the weak economic growth has robbed banks of the dividend of large and youthful demographics. Over the last 10 years to 2021, real Gross Domestic Product has grown by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of In line with the decline in income level, poverty has risen to 40.1 per cent based on national standards of annual real per capita expenditure threshold of N137,430.

“For banks, this reality means that upscaling would be less efficient than in an economy where growth exceeds population expansion. Not surprising, Nigeria’s financial depth is weak as is for countries with high fertility rates and a fragile economic base.,” it said

“Some other measures advised include the tapering of fiscal deficit financing – credit to the government – to check money supply expansion, alignment of rates across windows and the adoption of market reflective forex rate via the crawling peg regime. We believe that the outcome for banks in the coming decade would rely on the policy actions taken today to address the issues raised,” it said.

On exchange rate management, the report said CBN’s strategy (differentiated rates across market segments and capital control) failed the litmus test over the reviewed period, as anticipated in the 2021 report.

It said the value of the Naira depreciated further by 5.6 per cent and 23.2 per cent to N436.50/$1.00 and N712.00$1.00 (on 19/09/2022) at the NAFEX window and parallel market, respectively. It sated that near-term improvement in the exchange rate is not in sight, given forex supply constraints due to the self-inflicted injuries

in Nigeria’s oil & gas sector (the largest source of FX accretion).

On the economy, the report said that in 2021, the Nigerian economy recovered markedly from the pandemic-induced strain of the prior year.

“Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 3.4 per cent (2020: -1.9 per cent), beating our projection by 0.4ppts. The recovery was mainly driven by the expansion of activities in the non-oil sector (up 4.4 per cent), while the oil sector remained in a recession. This growth momentum was sustained into 2022 albeit with a wider divergence between the oil and non-oil sectors.,” it said.

The report stated that, given the resilient half-year 2022 performance and expectation of sustained positive performance by key non-oil activity sectors in third and fourth quarters of the year, it reviewed the 2022 baseline growth forecast upward by 40bps to 3.3 per cent.

However, it maintained that growth momentum in the medium term would remain short of the level that can meaningfully lift the average well-being of the citizenry due to persistent domestic and external headwinds.

It said oil price level, domestic inflation rate has remained persistently high, averaging 14.3 per cent in the last six years.

Bank of Industry, Lagos Business School Pledge more Support for MSMEs

The Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Lagos Business School (LBS) have reiterated their commitment to developing the capacities of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the country.

The Dean, Lagos Business School, Prof. Chris Ogbechie, made the pledge at the LBS-BOI Entrepreneurship Development Programme Graduation Ceremony- Cohort 1, themed, “Transforming Nigeria through Impact Driven Entrepreneurship,” held in Lagos.

Ogbechie said an integral part of the mission at LBS was to make a significant impact on

the practice of management, which was core to the success of every organisation, big or small.

He noted that the school’s strategic goals placed emphasis on increasing entrepreneurial outcomes, based on the knowledge that today’s society needed more job creators than job seekers.

Managing Director, BoI, Olukayode Pitan, noted that entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa face various challenges, adding that the overarching objective of setting up the Entrepreneurship Innovation Centre (EIC) was to address them.

He noted that with the increasing population of young and dynamic entrepreneurs, it

was imperative that the required financial and business advisory support services were provided in a sustainable manner to enable them to thrive.

He said that the EIC would build the capacity of the entrepreneurs and foster the creation of an ecosystem that nurtures entrepreneurship, by enabling knowledge sharing opportunities.

“At the BoI, we believe that there can be no inclusive growth and sustainable development in Nigeria if we do not deliberately and proactively ensure that existing challenges that hold back a majority of our entrepreneurs from reaching their full potential

are addressed. Therefore, we are always excited in developing strategic partnerships with like-minded institutions, such as Lagos Business School.

“As Nigeria’s foremost Development Finance Institution, we pride ourselves in providing loans with affordable/sub-market interest rates, medium to longtenured loans, and moratorium opportunities. To the graduates, it is time to put the acquired entrepreneurial skills to the test and apply what you have learnt to practical and positive use in your various business ventures and communities contributing your quota to the economic prosperity of our dear nation,” he said.

NAICOM Lists Conditions for Payment of Dividends to Insurance Sector Investors

Ebere Nwoji

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has listed conditions under which payment of dividends to shareholders in insurance shares will be made.

NAICOM said any dividend distribution shall be subject to submission of prior written application by the insurer and approval by the Commission.

It noted that all dividend payments shall be made from distributable profits, adding that an insurer shall not distribute or pay any dividend to its shareholders if it fails to comply with Section 24 and 25 of the Insurance Act, 2003; or the payment or distribution would result in it failing or being likely to fail to comply with Section 24 and 25 of the Insurance Act 2003; or it fails to satisfy any other prudential requirements.

Non-payment of dividends by some insurance firms has remained a battle shareholders have continued to fight. They often express anger over poor return on their investments in low performing insurance companies.

According to the shareholders, the most worrisome part is the usage of what would have amounted to the dividend being used for settlement of

unnecessary fines.

Worried about their losses, they even threatened to commence the recovery necessary fine by some insurance companies from their management team.

The Coordinator Emeritus, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sunny Nwosu, at an insurance firm Annual General Meeting (AGM) implored underwriters to work assiduously to avoid paying careless fines.

According to him, due to the harsh economic situation in the country, it would be inappropriate for companies to pay fines due to carelessness, stressing that it is worrisome that at a time where shareholders are denied dividends, some companies pay huge sum of money as fine over things they have capacity to manage. He noted that shareholders as owners of companies have rights to invoke the recovery of unnecessary fines from management who failed to do what is expected.

Nwosu noted that regulators have in recent time demanded that shareholders take keen interest in the management of their funds without necessarily interfering with day-to-day management of the firms.

Ibom Air: Govt Agencies Struggling to Offer Basic International Airline Services in Nigeria

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Chief Operating Officer, Ibom Air, George Uriesi, has stated that institutional Agencies saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring the smooth operation of Nigeria’s airline industry are struggling to provide basic international standard services.

Uriesi at a breakfast meeting of the Nigerian-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) in Lagos said the basic support and infrastructure available anywhere in the world to ensure a virile airline industry is very difficult to access in Nigeria, adding that the country currently has sub-optimal domestic airlines but could be much better if given the right support it deserves.

According to him, there is a lack of ability to invest in the nation’s airline sector because it requires huge financial investments

In his words: “The financing is heavy for for us who have ordered for 10 brand new aeroplanes. We know how many hundreds of millions of dollars that is. Presently, we struggle to meet ordinary forex obligations to pay for the things that make the airline work and everything on an aircraft is forex-based. If you cannot get forex, you can never have a developed airline like other countries that have access to forex. One of the biggest problems is that instead of running an airline, we are still struggling to access forex.”

Also speaking, the chairman, NSACC, Mr. Osayaba GiwaOsagie, said the current economic situation, foreign exchange scarcity, rising inflation, and

inadequate infrastructure are factors that are plaguing the sector.

He stated further that the government must consider stimulus packages to support airlines towards aiding their smooth operations.

The NSACC boss added that there is a need for the government to implement policies and develop infrastructures that will strengthen the sector.

“Also stakeholders should constantly engage the government on ways to reposition the sector to be profitable and competitive. Air operators should adopt creative initiatives to help manage cost and build efficiencies,” GiwaOsagie said.

He added that the aviation industry is a veritable tool for income generation and economic development in Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Aviation industry has grown in size, capital, investment, safety and quality management system. The sector is fundamental in facilitating trade, investment and tourism,” he said.

On his part, the head of research and intelligence, Phillips Consulting Limited (PCL), Samuel Bamidele, said Nigeria’s aviation industry is growing and recovering faster from the pandemic than global projection.

A Senior partner, PCL, Paul Ayim, said the firm launched the aviation Center of Excellence (CoE) as a vehicle to research and disseminate best practices in the sector and facilitate alignment of structure, processes, people and metrics to strategy.

Alaghodaro: Edo Angles for More Creative Sector Investors, Sign Agreement with ROK Studios

As Edo State prepares for the sixth edition of the yearly Alaghodaro Investment Summit, concerted efforts to open up the state’s creative industry for investors would be on parade after the state successfully secured deals

for production of not less than 50 films in partnership with ROK Studios.

The founder of ROK Studios, Mrs. Mary Njoku, is one of the guests expected to speak on a panel on ‘Capitalizing on Opportunities in Edo State,’ during the three-day economic summit,

NSSF ‘Righting our Story’ Literary Contest Launched

In furtherance of its mission to transform healthcare outcomes in Nigeria, the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) has launched a national Literary contest.

The WeNaija Literary contest titled ‘Righting our Story’ is an initiative that seeks to tell, through written content the vision of a healthier Nigeria. This can be expressed either as poetry, short stories, non-fiction prose or flash fiction.

The General Manager, NSSF, Dr Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko in a statement said, “The campaign will allow the youth to be a part of something inspirational with widespread impact while providing an avenue for empowering and upskilling the Nigerian youth.”

She added that the campaign

will allow for youth to build their capacity on the use of digital tools and applications for writing, editing, publishing, promotion, and skill marketing. The expected outcome is increased opportunities for global employment via the internet.

On what the campaign represents, the General Manager further explained that the campaign would be an opportunity for Nigerian Youths to express their creativity through literature on how a healthier Nigeria can tackle poverty alleviation in relation to the sustainable development goals of no poverty, zero hunger and good health and well-being; healthcare system strengthening in relation to the sustainable development goal of good health well-being and reskilling the workforce in relation to the sustainable development goals of quality education, decent work, and economic growth.

taking place in Benin City, the state capital.

According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie: “Njoku is expected to share insights on how she engaged with the state government on the landmark deal, chronicling how the process advanced from

the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to the shooting of movies across various locations in the state as well as making use of the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub and Sound Stage for her productions.”

He added that the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub is fast-

becoming a rallying point for creatives in the state, as film productions, live productions, musicals, stage plays and entertainment shows are juggling for space at the facility.

Osagie noted that the state is angling to become a hub for the creative industry, which is linked to the tourism sector.

He added that through the partnership with ROK studios, various movies have been produced in the state, including the popular television series –Blood of Enogie – and others including Uwaoma, When God Says Yes, Kissing Frogs, Atonement, Home Coming, Out of Sight, Etebite, The Secret.

Club Seeks N27m to Tackle Drug Abuse

James Emejo in Abuja

The newly installed President of the Abuja Mega Lions Club, Mr. Samuel Egbuchiri, has said the club will work to rid the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of drug abuse and arrest mental disorders in youths.

He said about 30,000 children are currently having health-related issues in the FCT, adding that the new leadership would work to identify and restore them to normalcy.

Speaking during his Investiture ceremony in Abuja, he said the club seeks to scale up the intervention

support to about 1000 patients by October 2023 adding that this and other commitments would cost the humanitarian non-profit about N27 million.

Egbuchiri, said the menace had constituted a real threat to the city adding that the new leadership will join hands to address the issue.

He said, “We need to save our youths from destruction and return them to their God-ordained destiny. We are doing this not in expectation of reward but to derive joy in the sense that smiles are being put back to the faces of the less privileged victims.”

FG Seeks to Boost Synergy with Academia, Industry on Innovative Solutions

James Emejo in Abuja

The federal government has said it working to create better synergy with academia and industry in the area of innovation that addresses societal problems.

The Special Assistant to the Vice President on Innovation, Mr. Ife Adebayo, told THISDAY that it was critical at the moment to have better synergy between research outcomes, academic outcomes and innovation outcomes within institutions of higher learning and industry.

He said this is particularly impotent in view of the government’s current steps in prioritising economic interventions

for growth and development.

Speaking at the Government, Industry and Academia (GIA) workshop organised by the AUSTinspire Business Incubation Center, which was held at the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Adebayo said agreed that institutions of higher learning have contributed to development given the number of talents that have churned out of the system.

But he said there remained major gaps in academia with regard to their funding answers to the socio-economic issues confronting the country.

According to the presidential aide, “What we should look out

for more now is how institutions can contribute directly to industrial outcomes, contribute directly to innovation outcomes and contribute directly to the output of manufacturing for example and contribute directly to the specific priorities of the government in various areas.”

He said given that the federal government has prioritised agriculture, and the development of the knowledge economy, including support for the innovation ecosystem, therefore, the role of the academia in keying into these priority areas of government and driving research and innovation has become really critical.

He also said that the emergence

of the Nigerian Start-up Law which he said was a joint effort of the ecosystem, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, will among other things, provide some form of regulatory protection and insight for the start-up ecosystem.

He said, “The beautiful thing about the bill was that it was the government and private sector coming together to put something on the table that would support the ecosystem.

“The bill is also scheduled to be reviewed annually to ensure there is continuous and incremental improvement to its effect and impact in the ecosystem.”

Sugar Council Courts State Governors as Buhari Extends Masterplan by 10 Years

The Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, has craved the support of governors of sugar-producing states in the country towards the revitalisation of the sub-sector.

The appeal came on the heels of the recent approval granted by President Muhammadu Buhari that the second phase of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) be extended for another 10 years beginning in 2023.

The federal government 2013 began the implementation of a 10-year master plan to revamp the sugar sector.

The policy plan has four major objectives including the attainment of self-sufficiency in

sugar production, stemming the rising tide of sugar importation, creating job opportunities for Nigerians, and the generation of electricity and production of ethanol for industrial purposes.

The first phase of the plan is expected to end in the first quarter of 2023.

Adedeji, however, pointed out that the guidelines for the implementation of Phase 2 of the master plan required the input of critical stakeholders including state governors for it to succeed.

The NSDC boss made the appeal over the weekend when he led a delegation from the Council on a courtesy visit to the Governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman, Forum of Governors of Sugar Producing States, Mr. Sule Abdullahi in Lafia, the state capital.

In a statement by Head, Public Affairs Unit, NSDC, Mr. Abdullahi Abdullahi, he said the state governors as landlords of sugar projects in their respective domains have contributed to the modest success so far recorded in the industry.

While commending the forum for creating a safe and enabling environment for sugar operators to go about their business activities without hitches such as perennial disagreements over land ownership between host communities and operators, communal hostilities and other associated challenges, he stressed that the state governments had contributed to the peace enjoyed across communities hosting sugar projects across states.

Further commenting on the current status of the master plan,

Adedeji said given the importance of the sector to Nigeria’s economy, and the considerable success recorded in the last 10 years, President Muhammadu Buhari recently approved phase 2 of the master plan which is expected to run for another 10 years beginning from 2023.

He said, “Your excellency, sir, we are quite pleased with the invaluable contributions of the forum you chair to the faithful implementation of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan. We’ve made considerable progress in critical segments of the NSMP, especially as it relates to the refining component of the plan. Our next plan of action is to replicate the successes recorded in the area of sugar refining in our field and agricultural operations.”

NCRIB Carries Insurance Campaign to Churches

The Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has carried its on going campaign for patronage of insurance to church.

The corporation said it was using the opportunity of its 60th anniversary celebration to extend insurance message to Nigerians through the church.

Speaking at the event, the

President of the Council, Mr. Rotimi Edu said that against noxious religious beliefs held by many Christians, Insurance stands as the main risk mitigating device against unforeseen circumstances which affect man on a daily basis.

Edu who expressed knowledge about negative religious beliefs militating against the spread of

insurance noted that most of such beliefs were misguided as insurance stands as the main avenue to safeguard the peace of mind which is part of the assurance of faith for Christians.

Edu opined that insurance could be fully maximized if only registered Insurance Brokers who were seasoned in risk management

are engaged by would-be or existing insurance clients.

He stated that the NCRIB, which was Chartered by the NCRIB Act No 21 of 2003 remained the umbrella body that enforces ethics and professionalism amongst the Brokers with a view to positioning them to serve the insurance publics better.

Ugo Aliogo

The AfriLabs Executive Director, Anna Ekeledo, has stated that Nigeria Startup Bill (NSB) which was recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, is an incentive framework to spur private sector investments, reduce regulatory burden, and promote entrepreneurship, while noting that more needs to be done to address the numerous challenges that innovators and entrepreneurs on the continent face.

Ekeledo, who disclosed this AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2022 and Media Briefing, said an ambitious and comprehensive effort across multiple policy areas is especially required to ensure that innovation in Africa yields tangible results.

She stated that AfriLabs’ 10 policy pathways therefore summarises the priorities for entrepreneurs, startups, innovators, and hubs across Africa, which require urgent attention by policymakers, donors, investors and innovation partners.

Ekeledo further explained that in 2021, African technology startups grew faster than any other region, with investments

more than tripling in one year, reaching $5.2 billion, “as we now enter a period of rapid take-off, increased activity in the policy and funding aspects must be stepped up for a sustained impact of innovation in the economic performance of the continent.”

According to her, “Africa’s myriad problems can be solved through the proper use of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Fortunately, the African innovation ecosystem has enjoyed growth in diverse aspects in the last decade. There has been a proliferation of startups, incubation and acceleration programs among others. “This is why we do what we do at AfriLabs. We believe in setting the bar higher, stronger and better for African institutions, for our community and for ourselves as individuals on what’s possible and on how to achieve our mission, no matter the obstacles!”

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Zixtech HUB, Paul Mbua, said AfriLabs has tremendously impacted their hub, staff, and sustainability through AfriLabs hubs learning week during which they learnt and improved their skills, noting that their staff can have access to contextualized courses on the AfriLabs Academy.

FG Lauds DDI for Supporting Renewable Energy Businesses

The federal government has commended the Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI) for ameliorating poverty by providing support for emerging businesses through renewable energy and agro allied businesses.

The Special Adviser to the President on Nigerian Social Investment Programme (NSIP), Mrs Maryam Uwais made the commendation yesterday in Abuja during the commemoration of 20th anniversary of DDI.

Uwais, who represented the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo at the occasion, said DDI had created partnerships and networked with the right people and organisations to create initiatives that impacted on a lot of poorer communities.

She said the initiatives had birthed businesses that are linking businesses to markets and scrutinizing grants management.

“It shows that they actually have it right - creating partnerships and networking with the right people and organisations to ensure impact.

And government has certain aspirations including the fact we want to reduce poverty by 100 million people in 10 years. And this kind of initiative really supports that effort. Efforts like that of the DDI show it can be done in small spaces, so we are very encouraged by what we have seen,” Uwais said.

In his remarks, the Executive Director, DDI, Mallam Adamu Garba, said in the past 20 years, DDI had assisted over 600,000 farmers, groups and cooperative societies.

In addition, he said the organisation has facilitated over 8,000 off-grid energy connections to rural households and funded over 2,000 connections businesses by different sources in different part of the country.

In her address, the DDI Board Chairman, Dr. Lydia Umar, said as a development service provider, the organisation was established in 2002 to complement development agencies and donors with a mission to build a society that provides equitable opportunity for self-actualisation through economic empowerment and sustainable livelihood initiatives.

‘Startup Bill is an Incentive Frameworkto Drive Private Investments’

BIC Nigeria Tasks FG on Infrastructure Devt, Forex Access for Manufacturers

Makers of stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC Nigeria has tasked economic managers to as a matter of urgency address infrastructural facilities for manufacturing concerns to thrive, adding that manufacturers are yet to have easy access to foreign exchange to boost their operations.

Indeed, the company stated that despite these challenges, it would continue to invest in the Nigerian economy.

Speaking at a facility tour of the company’s factory, the General Manager at BIC Nigeria, Guillaume Groues, said Nigeria is a market to be, assuring that BIC Nigeria is in the country to invest in the long haul.

“BIC is here to invest for a long term. This is a place to be

and this is a continent where we want to invest because we know that the future lies here in Nigeria and Africa. In spite the challenges, we are confident that the future is bright for us in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that Nigeria is one of the biggest and most active economies with a young population in Africa and remains at the forefront for the company to drive sustainable growth, in line with its horizon plan.

Also speaking, Plant Director, Peter Ajakaiye, said: “We constantly work to maintain the high-quality, international standards at the plant, while building and leveraging local capabilities and expertise. We are proud of our local production, where 100 per cent of our packaging material is

sourced locally, and the iconic BIC Cristal pen and Lucky pens are locally produced. Our company’s purpose is to bring simplicity and joy to everyday life through creating high-quality, safe, affordable, and essential products – and our facility in Sagamu helps us deliver on that promise every day.”

In Nigeria for over 40 years, BIC pr oducts have become a household necessity in the country. In 2019, the company further expanded its portfolio by acquiring the stationery brand, Lucky and launching its own production facility in Sagamu. The BIC manufacturing facility today employs around 500 team members, the majority of which are Nigerian, with more than 85 per cent female.

CSCS Harps on Technology Devt to Checkmate Rising Cyber Security Threat

The Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, has stressed the need for government at all levels to prioritise investment decisions in advanced technology innovations to address the alarming rise of cybersecurity threats to individuals, institutions, and governments in Nigeria and around the world.

Speaking at the fourth edition of the 2022 CSCS Cybersecurity Conference themed, “Future of Cybersecurity: Emerging issues and solutions,” which coincided with the company’s Silver Jubilee Anniversary as a Financial Market infrastructure, providing depository, clearing and settlement of all financial assets across all recognised

exchanges in the Nigerian capital market, the National Security Adviser, Major Gen. Babagana Monguno, explained that the process to enact laws that would help nurture a robust cyber-ecosystem and ensure adequate protection to boost investors’ confidence and foster economic growth in the face of increasing cyber-reliance and emerging technologies are being put in place by the present administration.

On his part, the Director General, Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Lamido Yuguda, said the Commission clearly takes the issues of cybersecurity very seriously in the Nigerian

capital market due to the increasing volume of data and information that are stored electronically, coupled with the increased adoption of digitisation and its options in processing market transactions on a daily basis.

Speaking at the conference, Managing Director, Nigeria Exchange Limited Group, Mr. Oscar Onyema stressed the impact of technology on people’s lives and livelihoods thereby creating a hyperconnected world. This evolv ing technology continues to revolutionize the financial markets and advance prosperity across most economic sectors.

L-R: First Secretary, Tanzania High Commission, Mr. Philbert B. Peter; Ceo; Sierra Leone, National Tourism Board, Fatima Carew; President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Nkereuwem Onung; Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sierra Leone, Dr. Memunatu Pratt; DG, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe; Chairman, The Guardian, Lady Maiden AlexIbru; Convener/Organizer, 18th Akwaaba African Travel Market, Amb. Ikechi Uko; former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi; and Namibia Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Humphrey Geiseb, during the opening ceremony of the 18th Akwaaba Africa Travel Market at Victoria Island, Lagos...recently

MARKET INDICATORS

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA)

AUGUST 2022

Money Supply (M3) 49,356,443.6

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors 50,601.36

Money Supply (M2) 49,305,842.3

-- Quasi Money 27,869,678.3

-- Narrow Money (M1) 21,436,164

---- Currency Outside Banks 2,680,236.81

---- Demand Deposits 18,755,927.2

Net Foreign Assets (NFA) 5,074,909.92

Net Domestic Assets(NDA) 27,869,678.3

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC) 61,195,142.4

---- Credit to Government (Net) 21,001,401.5

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA 0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA) 0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS) 40,193,740.9

--Other Assets Net 6,785,979.22

Reserve Money (Base Money 14,040,351.9

--Currency in Circulation 3,210,664.98

Towntalk Solutions, a data intelligence company, and Amarante Nigeria, a security consulting firm with headquarters in France, have formally announced a partnership to provide better services in the delivery of real time and data-driven security services.

The partnership was announced at an event with industry stakeholders, themed, “Nigerian Elections 2023: Monitor, Prepare, Respond,” held in Lagos.

Speaking during the event, Chief Executive Officer, Folake Edun, said: “a lot of traditional companies now realise the importance of technology. We must be able to provide services as quickly and as efficiently as possible to clients, especially with regards to security. An

incident’s occurrence now and a six-hour delay in notifying of that incident would be too late. With technology, however, we can provide information in real-time to save lives. That is why it is very important for the industry to have partnerships like this, to enhance security services to clients. We have been around for four years now and have built a database across six countries in Africa which includes about 50,000 data points mainly around security.”

Speaking on the partnership and its impact, Oladisun VeraCruz, Chief Operating Officer, Towntalk Solutions, said “the partnership will bring a lot to both companies, firstly for Amarante, as a French company, seeking to expand

its operations in Africa. Technology will play a critical role in scaling and delivering best-in-class services, which is what Towntalk offers. As a fast-growing tech company, Towntalk will benefit from Amarante’s network, which will further enable us to improve our products. It is mutually beneficial. We look forward to the impact we can both achieve together”.

In his own remarks, Managing Director, Amarante Nigeria, Michael Vetro, said that the essence of the partnership and event was to inform stakeholders about the existing security challenges, using intelligence reports, as well as safety measures available within the specific case study.

His words:

teeming youth.

--Banks Reserves 10,829,686.9

--Special Intervention Reserves 390,557.8

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage)

MonthJuly

Inter-Bank

Minimum

Monetary

Treasury

Savings

Prime

Onuminya Innocent

An NYSC member Beulah Yusuf who got N200,000 from Unity Bank Corpreneurship grants unveiled products in Sokoto State.

Yusuf who was among the three corps members serving in Sokoto State received Unity Bank N1 million for excelling in the bank Corpreneurship challenge.

Speaking Beaulah said she was disturb how old tyres are lying waste hence the need to recycle it into furnitures.

On his part the Manager of Unity Bank, Sokoto State Municipal Branch, Mr Samuel Amana said Unity Bank is concerned about dearth employment in the country hence encourage anything that can create jobs for Nigeria’s

He said, “You know it is not easy to get white collar job in the country now and every time thousands of youth are passing out from universities, polytechnics and college of educations he stated. Governments alone cannot solve the problem of unemployment, it is a collective efforts that is why we as a responsible organization.”

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $92.17 a barrel on Monday, compared with $92.09 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

Sustain Commitment to Corporate Governance, Shareholders’ Value, NGX Urges Int. Brew

Kayode Tokede

The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has urged the management of International Breweries Plc to sustain its commitment to high standards of corporate governance, social impact and shareholder value creation.

Divisional Head, Capital Markets, NGX, Mr Jude Chiemeka commended

the management of Int. Brew. for leveraging the Facts Behind the Figures platform of the Exchange to increase its engagement with the market and its long-term contributions to socio-economic development in the country since its establishment in 1971 and listing in 1995.

According to him, “One of such contributions is the Responsible Beverage Service

(RBS), a first of its kind intervention programme in Nigeria with the objective of contributing to the reduction of alcohol-related harms caused by drunk driving, underage drinking, binge drinking, gender-based violence and alcohol consumption by pregnant women. This programme reiterates the company’s mission of bringing people together for a better world.”

Recalling the drinkmaker’s performance in the first half of 2022, the DH, Capital Markets attrib uted it to the hard-work and resilience of Int Brew’s management. “We would like to recognise these efforts being made by the Board and Management of International Breweries Plc towards achieving continuity by improving business operations and restoring investor confidence in the company.

“With the fast-changing macroeconomic environment in Nigeria and globally, we encourage International Breweries Plc to continue to strive for sustainability by adhering to higher standards of corporate governance, deeper social impact, higher regulatory compliance, and greater returns for shareholders,” Chiemeka added.

The Managing Director/

Chief Executive Officer, International Breweries Plc, Mr Hugo Dias Rocha during his remarks noted that the company would continue to build brands and invest in a sustainable and profitable business for the long term. “Our team is engaged and living in the AB InBev culture of optimising the growth potential of the business and delivering shareholder value,” he added.

PRICES FOR SECURITIES TRADED AS OF 01/11/2022

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA:

Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 31Oct-2022, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF.

Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

Coral Balanced Fund 4,000.83 4,027.74 2.38%

Coral Income Fund 3,657.79 3,657.79 6.56%

Coral Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.56%

FSDH Dollar Fund 1.12 1.12 4.07%

Afrinvest

AIICO CAPITAL

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/AN/A

N/AN/AN/A

ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel:

Fund NameBid

AIICO

AIICO

ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT

info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel:

Fund NameBid PriceOffer PriceYield / T-Rtn

Anchoria Money Market N/AN/AN/A

Anchoria Equity Fund N/AN/AN/A

Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/AN/AN/A

ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel:

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

ARM Aggressive Growth Fund

21.02 0.58%

ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 477.35 491.74 5.80%

ARM Ethical Fund 41.02 42.26 5.30%

ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 0.90%

ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.06 1.06 4.95%

ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.36%

AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 87.5987.59-14.48%

AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Naira 1,071.77 1,071.77 7.18%

AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 137.20 138.17 3.10%

AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.32%

CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.09 2.09 2.12%

Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.23 2.27 1.50%

CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund N/AN/AN/A

CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4

Fund NameBid PriceOffer PriceYield / T-Rtn

CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.031.037.04%

CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691

PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Fund NameBid

Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.88%

Paramount Equity Fund 17.4317.744.42%

Women's Investment Fund 142.81 144.48 0.59%

CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.06%

Milestone Fund 128.10 128.93 3.08%

111.86 111.86 4.99%

GUARANTY TRUST FUND MANAGERS LIMITED enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.83%

Vantage Balanced Fund 2.89 2.93 3.91%

Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 6.00%

Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 143.88 143.88 6.63%

Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.16 1.19 -2.83%

Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.07 1.07 4.37%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.62 1.65 14.25%

Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,162.06 1,162.06 7.75%

MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: www.meristemwealth.com/funds/; Tel: +2348028496012

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.42 11.49 5.24%

Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.00%

NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 100.91 100.91 8.63%

Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 11.41%

PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

PACAM Balanced Fund 1.60 1.64 1.79%

PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.57 11.64 3.72%

PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 9.14%

PACAM Equity Fund 1.31 1.33 -7.97%

PACAM EuroBond Fund 117.36 120.41 3.14%

SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

SCM Capital Frontier Fund 121.92 124.38 0.05%

SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.07 1.07 10.04%

STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,439.97 3,472.61 1.55%

Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 243.47 243.47 3.35% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.33 1.35 6.35%

Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 328.46 328.46 4.90%

Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 249.32 252.65 6.81%

Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.01%

Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,562.39 11,718.70 5.97%

Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.35 1.35 4.48%

Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 120.21 120.21 2.82%

Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 113.61 113.61 6.80%

UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876

Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Cordros Dollar Fund

CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215

PriceOffer Price Yield

Fund NameBid

United Capital Equity Fund        0.89 0.91 0.87%

United Capital Balanced Fund 1.32 1.34 1.33%

United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.14 9.54%

United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.09

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

each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator

the relevant fund

EDUCATION

Abubakar: PAMO University Maintains Excellence in Nurses, Midwives Training

In this interview with journalists during the first induction/oath-taking ceremony for newly graduated nurses at the PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, the Registrar/ Secretary General, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Farouk Abubakar, rated the university high. Blessing Ibunge shares excerpts:

Today, you will be adding more members from PAMO University of Medical Sciences to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, how significant is the event to the council?

From the beginning of this journey that is exactly five years back when the National Universities Commission (NUC) granted approval to this worldclass university and they indicated their interest to commence a programme for nurses which has been the major objective and reform agenda of the NUC to provide university nursing programmes all over the country.

The significance of this programme is a mark of joy to us, especially at the period when the country is facing a higher number of nurses and midwives leaving the country and universities of this magnitude and world class of its kind is adding to the number and that has significantly improved the workforce of Nigeria. I am confident that this university is now injecting highly competent nurses to the country.

What stands PAMO out?

PAMO is exceptionally high because it is founded with the mission of providing highly excellent qualified health profes sionals, nursing inclusive, plus other professionals to the country. From the beginning, NMCN provided advisory approval, provided accreditations and every professional technical advice is invested into the university. I want to say that PAMO is exceptional in the sense that they were able to inject graduates that underwent training within the limited time provided by law, provided by the NUC and NMCN. I believe it is another source of joy not only to the graduate nursing students, even their parents and the entire nation will also benefit and that is what will make PAMO University exceptional because other universities spend 7, 8 and 9 years before they graduate, but PAMO from the inception in early 2018 to now in 2022, we are injecting these highly competent graduate nurses into our health institutions.

How is Nigeria coping with the exodus of nurses?

It is no more news or hallucination that professionals, not only the nurses are leaving the country. But I want to tell you as a council that we have made adequate arrangements in order to checkmate this high level of brain

drain affecting Nigeria’s healthcare system. I want to tell you that NMCN has made adequate arrangements to close that gap by increasing the quota of intake in all the training institutions. We have also approved the establish ment of more colleges, more universities approved by the NUC. We have also facilitated their accreditations and we have also increased the quota of admission to universities, colleges of nursing so that more nurses and midwives will be trained and injected. More graduate programmes have already commenced in most of the universities. All

these are parts of the preparations to close the gap. I want to say clearly that in the last nine months, over 9,000 nurses and midwives have left this country. So, we are not worried.

What is the state of facilities in PAMO?

Without exaggeration, PAMO has invested heavily in terms of material, equipment and human resources for the training and I want to say that PAMO is one of the world-class universi ties that we can be proud of in this country that has provided the latest equipment and instruments needed for nursing education. Models were injected and procured by this university and that is making the training in line with the global trend. So as far as

the injection and provisions of basic training equipment are concerned, they are excellent and that is why their accreditation status was full. When we visited the university, we were granted full accreditation status. We gave them the quota even above their initial admission because we give quota admission based on available human and material resources that are available in these universities. I want to make it clear without exaggeration that PAMO University can be equated with any university in the world you can think of in terms of training of nurses and midwives.

What massage do you have for nursing and midwifery training programmes?

My message and advice is sustainabil ity, and maintenance of the standards. NMCN will not compromise. The standard of training of nursing and midwives will remain strong and inject competent and qualified nurses and midwives that we are proud of. I want to tell you that nurses and midwives produced in Nigeria can be equated anywhere in the world and this can be attested by the higher number of our nurses that have been employed in Europe, America, Australia and all other parts of the world. My advice is that the training institutions should be able to maintain and sustain that standards.

What’s the council doing to encourage more males to become nurses?

As a council, I remember that the Board of Nursing and Midwifery Council at its 57th general meeting had taken a resolution directing that all institutions shall increase their admission of male nurses. At least, a minimum of 25 per cent cut-off should be given to males so that we will be able to allow them the opportunity in line with the SDGs which is talking about gender balance and not to be neglected on that. But certainly, the issue of gender in terms of admission where there are more females is predominant in the south and other parts of the country. If you go to the northern parts of the country, the ratio is almost 50-50 between male and female and that is why we took a resolution and directed the institutions to ensure that the minimum admis sion should be male. So, these are the measures that have been taken and we are committed to it.

Pressurise FG to implement Agreement with ASUU, Falana Tells Gbajabiamila, Others

Mr Femi Falana (SAN), a lawyer for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has appealed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and others to pressure the federal government to meet the union’s demands.

Falana stated this in a lecture, ‘Re making Nigeria: The Youth as Change Agents’, delivered during the fourth convocation ceremony of Augustine University, Ilara Epe, Lagos.

“It is our collective duty as Nigerians to ensure that with the lecturers returning to class, the agreements between the

government and ASUU are implemented. It is imperative for all those who appealed or prevailed in one way or another on the lecturers to return to class, to also do same to ensure that the government keeps to its side of the agreements,” he said While emphasising the strategic importance of youths, he highlighted some of the honours brought to the country by youths in the areas of music, sports,

science, politics etc.

“Today, we have many gerontocrats who are in power, hoping to be in power or assume they are power brokers. But the respect and positive visibilty 25-year-old Tobi Amusan, the African, Commonwealth and World 100 meters hurdles champion has brought to our country is far more than what the totality of these gerontocrats has brought the country,” stated Falana.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Christopher Odetunde, cautioned that ignorance costs more than acquiring education at high fees.

He added that the National Universi ties Commission (NUC) proposed five new undergraduate programmes for verification, including Human Anatomy, Computer Engineering, Medical Labora tory Science, Nursing, and Physiology.

In his remarks, the visitor to the university, the Catholic Bishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr Adewale Martins, com mended the management for the high standard of discipline and education given to the students.

He charged the graduands to follow the path of honour and seek excellence in their careers in godly manners.

Rotarians Donate Educational, Sanitation Materials to Lagos School

Determined to improve the knowledge of pupils through reading, Rotarians from Gowon Estate, Egbe, Egbeda and Ipaja New Dawn, under Cluster 2, Zone 6 of Rotary Club District 9110, have donated books, water, sanitation and hygiene materi als to Ebenezer A/C Primary School, Egbeda, Lagos.

Rotarian Chinyere Madueke Onwo, president of the Rotary Club of Gowon Estate, District 9110, who spoke on behalf of Club Cluster 2, Zone 6, at the presentation ceremony, said the donation and reading exercise are part of the activi ties of the club to celebrate basic education and literacy month.

She said the aim of the read ing was to inspire students to embrace the culture of reading, which is a sure way to groom the next generation of leaders.

Onwo explained that the celebration of the global event allows the club to encourage the culture of reading among primary school pupils. She added that education in Nigeria was on a downward spin.

“Rotary District 9110

under Rotary International is observing this activity all over the world across different locations. We celebrate this special day because we see it as an opportunity to encourage children to do the needful, one of which is to ensure that they read books as often as possible,” she said.

Onwo further stated that by intervening at the primary school level, the club wants to get to the root cause of illiteracy, adding that when the pupils are equipped to read, they will be better children today and better adults tomorrow.

Aside from the reading exercise, the four Rotary clubs also donated books for the school library, and water, sanitation and hygiene materi als such as water tanks and waste bins to ensure that the school environment is clean.

Mrs Bosede Ajibola Ige, the headmistress of Ebenezer A/C Primary School, lauded the Rotary Club for the dona tions and called on other well-meaning organisations to support the growth and development of the education sector.

SSU Hosts American Chemical Society 2022 Festival of Chemistry

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Sokoto State University (SSU) at the weekend hosted the 2022 Annual Festival of Chemistry, organised by the American Chemical Society, Student International Chapter of the university (ACS).

The event, held at the 350-seater Multipurpose Hall of the university, has its theme, ‘Why the chemist is still important’.

During the festival, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bashir Garba, a chemist of interna tional repute, said science and technology remain a focal point around which meaningful innovations and development revolve.

“Science and Technology are the cornerstones for any meaningful innovations and development across the globe, while Chemistry continues to be a catalyst for the realisation of such goals,” he explained.

According to the statement signed by the information officer of the university, Zayyanu Shehu, the vicechancellor, decried the lack of appreciable synergy between researchers and industries in the country, which are primarily the consumers of the outcomes.

He reiterated the univer sity’s commitment to continue encouraging its staff and students to conduct research that would be of tremendous impact on the government and industries for societal growth and development.

Prof. Garba promised to do that by providing enabling environment and funding or sources of funding to them.

While declaring the festival

open, the chairman of the occasion, Dr Abdurrahaman Umar, also the State Secretary of the Chemical Society of Nigeria, said the annual event was specifically designed to catch the upcoming scientists young and inculcate the spirit of Chemistry in them.

Umar commended the ef fort of the organisers, saying that the event changed the participants’ mindsets about Chemistry as a discipline and further motivated the students to study the subject and other chemical-related disciplines.

On the essence of the annual festival, the Faculty Advisor of the University, Dr Thompson Izuagie, disclosed that the society’s membership cut across the entire world, adding that Sokoto State University is fortunate to be one of few universities with a society chapter in the North.

“The American Chemical Society is striving hard to cap ture and retain the attention of the students of secondary schools as young scientists to cultivate the interest of sci ence and technology-oriented disciplines in them, especially, Chemistry,” stated Izuagie. “If adequately oriented, they would be national assets in championing some of the challenges affecting the world.”

In his paper, ‘Why a chemist is still important’, Dr Ibrahim Muhammad of the Department of Chemistry highlighted the relevance of Chemistry in the 21st century and predicted its application to everyday life in centuries to come.

Green Park Academy Wins Seplat PEARLs Quiz Contest

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Edo State Green Park Academy has emerged winner of the 11th Seplat JV PEARLs Quiz contest which was organised for over 50,000 students from 130 secondary schools in Edo and Delta.

The annual competition, one of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, was executed in conjunction with its Joint Venture partner, the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL).

In the 2022 edition of the competition held at the

Imaguero Secondary School, Benin City, Edo State Green Park Academy defeated Deeper Life High School, Warri, Delta State, to win a prize of N10 million sponsored project of their choice, while the three participating students went home with N100,000 scholar ship fund.

Deeper Life High School, Warri, got a N5 million spon sored project of their choice with a N75,000 scholarship to the three participating students.

In the third position, the Uni versity of Benin Demonstration Secondary School, Benin City,

beat International High School, Sapele, Delta, to win a cash prize of N3 million sponsored project with a N50,000 scholarship for each of the three participating students.

All qualified schools and teachers were rewarded with consolation prizes.

Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, the Director of External Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat Energy, Dr Chioma Nwachuku, said the competition was to improve aca demic performance in both host states and rekindle the spirit of academic excellence and healthy

competition among schools and the youth population by motivating, encouraging and rewarding the scholarship spirit.

The Chief Operating Officer of Seplat Energy, Mr Samson Ezugworie, stated that the company took it upon itself to improve education where it operates.

The COO explained the initiative’s impact that the PEARLs Quiz had touched the lives of 51,955 students in Edo and Delta, including over 50 in various universities across the country, while some have graduated.

Nigeria Among Finalists of World’s Best School Prize Contest

The organisers of the Five ‘World’s Best School Prizes’ has announced the overall winners of the contest, of which Nigeria emerged as one of the finalists.

The winners included Project Shelter Wakadogo in Uganda, which won the prize for Overcoming Adversity; Dunoon Grammar School, UK, won the prize for Community Collaboration and Escuela Emilia Lascar in Chile, won the prize for innovation.

Others are Bonuan Buquig National High School in the Philippines, which won the

prize for Environmental Action while Curie Metropolitan High School, US won the prize for Supporting Healthy Lives. T4 Education founded the World’s Best School Prize in collaboration with Templeton World Charity Foundation, Ac centure and American Express. The initiative is acclaimed to be the world’s most prestigious education prize.

According to the organisers, all shortlisted schools across the five prizes from Nigeria and around the world will share their best practices through

School Transformation Toolkits to enable them to showcase their ideas for others to learn their methods to improve education outcomes.

The organisers added that the initiative aimed to celebrate schools everywhere for their pivotal roles in developing the next generation of learn ers contributing to societal progress, especially in the wake of COVID-19.

Project Shelter Wakadogo was founded in the wake of the war in Uganda and now educates over 450 children with one of

the highest student retention rates in the country.

A prize of $250,000 will be shared equally among the winners of the five Prizes, each receiving an award of $50,000.

The founder of T4 Education and World’s Best School Prizes, Vikas Pota said: “It’s time for world leaders to sit up and listen to institutions like this outstanding Ugandan school. Far too many children will continue to be left behind in the wake of COVID unless governments take urgent action to tackle the education crisis.

Makinde Inaugurates Projects as GCIOBA Marks 93rd Anniversary

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Governor Seyi Makinde has lauded the roles played by stakeholders such as old stu dents’ associations in collaborating with his administration to reposition the education sector in the state.

Makinde, while speaking at the inauguration of some projects to mark the 93rd anniversary of Government College, Ibadan (GCI) and the annual reunion of the old boys’ association (GCIOBA), said with

the array of projects in the col lege, he was satisfied with the decisions of his administration to hand over the management of the college to its old boys’ association.

The projects include a block of administrative offices, a standard lawn tennis court and an ultra-modern mosque.

He challenged other old boys’ associations to imitate the GCIOBA, which has helped the college to achieve its fullest potential.

The National President of

GCIOBA, Dr Olawale Babalakin, in his remarks, commended the governor for handing over the running of the college to the association a request which had been on for close to 40 years, stating that the association will deliver on the assurances made to the governor at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Babalakin, unanimously elected unopposed as president of the association for another term at the event, thanked all branches, class sets and indi

vidual members for their various contributions to the college’s infrastructural development and participation in the teachers’ recruitment. At the event, National Merit Awards were conferred on worthy members of the association who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields of endeavour. They include the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Architect Olamilekan Adegbite, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela and Mr Babajide Olatunde Agbeja, among many others.

Tope Dare Foundation Renovates Ondo School Hostel

Tope Dare Foundation (TDF), a non-profit organisation, has built, equipped, and handed over a multi-million naira ultramodern hostel facility to the Ondo State government and the students of St. Peter’s Unity Secondary School, Akure.

The hostel has IP CCTV cameras with night vision for

perimeter security surveillance, fire extinguishers, a fire alarm system with 12 smoke detectors, three units of emergency call points, and three sounders, as well as a renewable power supply (solar system).

The foundation also donated writing materials to the 1,100 students of the school, as well

as drugs to its clinic. Also, friends and associates of the foundation donated laptops to the best female and male students.

Handing over the hostel facili ties to the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Femi Agagu, the founder and a 1992 alumnus

of the school, Mr Tope Dare, said the gesture was aimed at making his alma mater a more conducive place for studies.

He said more than 305 individuals and 15 corporate entities from Nigeria and worldwide had contributed about N17 million to build the hostel.

CELEBRATING OHAJI FESTIVAL...

Buhari, Soludo, Uzodimma, Ngige, CUPP, APGA, Azubogu Mourn as Mbazulike Amaechi Dies at 93

Opposition parties condole with Davido over son’s death

President Muhammadu Buhari, Anambra State Governor, Profes sor Chukwuma Soludo; Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma; and the Coalition of United Political Parties, (CUPP) have mourned the Minister of Aviation in the First Republic, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, who passed on yesterday.

All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige; and member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ekwusigo federal constituency, Hon Chris Azubogu, condoled with the family of the deceased.

Amaechi died at the age of 93 years. He was known for his interventions for Igbo land, including the plea for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, which he failed to realise before his death.

A statement from the family of the deceased, signed by Azeana Tagbo Amaechi, yesterday, stated, “the Zikist died with the regret of not living to see the release of Kanu.

"The Ume Amechi, Ezeana Ihinede families and the Umu Mmara kindred of Amihe Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State announce the peaceful transition of our illustri ous son, father and grandfather, Chief Mbazulike Amechi (Dara Akunwafor).

“We thank God for the fulfilled life that he lived, the lives that he touched and his service to God and country. We respectfully ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers at this time.

"The nationalist and First Republic Minister of Aviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria transitioned peacefully in the early hours of today November 1, 2022."

Buhari sent his condolences to the Amaechi family, the government and people of Anambra State and Ohaneze Ndigbo over the demise of the elder statesman.

The president, in a statement yesterday by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, joined Nigerians in mourning a great patriot who believed deeply in a

united Nigeria, and continued to work for its progress, undeterred by his age and personal circumstances.

Buhari recalled very fond memories of his recent meetings with the respected nationalist, in November 2021 in Abuja and May 2022 in Abakiliki, adding that the words of the deceased on November 19, still resonates, “I don’t want to leave this planet without peace returning to my country. I believe in one big, united Nigeria, a force in Africa. Mr. President, I want you to be remembered as a person who saw Nigeria burning, and you quenched the fire.”

Extolling the frankness, wisdom, honesty and advice of Amechi on the situation in the south-eastern part of the country and the way

Sahara: Africa Needs $40bn Annual Grid Investments for Stable Electricity Supply

African countries will require an average of $40 billion power grid investments annually for about five years to deliver stable electric ity to citizens on the continent, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Mr. Kola Adesina has posited.

Delivering a keynote address on, "The Future of Power in Africa," over the weekend at the Lagos Business School, Adesina said projections indicated an increase in energy demand across Africa in the coming years.

In a statement issued yesterday, which was sent to THISDAY, Adesina noted that in 2040, this demand could be around 30 per cent higher than what was obtainable currently, adding that it was vital for all stakeholders to work towards shoring up the continent’s power grids through continuous investments.

“Massive investment in Africa’s grids is critical to improve system reliability, expand access and facilitate the integration of variable renewables.

"Annual investment in electricity grids should more than triple in the 2026-30 period, compared with 2016-20, reaching $40 billion per year on average. Distribution networks account for over twothirds of this total," he said.

He explained that the projected increase in energy and electricity demand makes access to electricity

a quest that Africa must pursue relentlessly.

"In 2021, 43 per cent of the population of Africa, around 600 million people, still lacked access to electricity, 590 million of them were in sub-Saharan Africa," he said.

According to Adesina, 90 million people, or six per cent of the current total population would need to gain access each year on average from 2022, for every African to have access to electricity by 2030 "Africa needs to generate 575 terawatt-hours more in 2030 than in 2020 to meet the increase in

electricity demand projected, an average rate of growth of five per cent per year," he added.

Power experts say most electricity on the continent are currently produced by thermal plants - gas in many coastal areas, including North Africa; coal in South Africa in particular; and older, generally smaller oil fuel plants almost everywhere.

There are also industry projec tions that the use of drones and digitalisation, including geographic information systems, outage management systems and smart metering is expected to increase

among African power players.

Adesina, however, called for market reforms and outlined the priority areas for action to include tariff structure reform, and use of concession agreements granting rights to private operators.

Others included regulatory carve-outs for private sector in vestment and ownership and the introduction of auctions and competitive tenders.

"Reforms to make electricity tariffs cost reflective has been implemented or is under discus sion in 24 African countries," he concluded.

forward, the President affirmed that the nonagenarian would also be remembered for his warmth, values and devotion to the service of the nation.

Buhari prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed and comfort for all who mourn.

Soludo, in his condolence message, stated, "The late elder statesman lived an impactful and exemplary life worthy of commendation.

"He was a renowned nationalist, an active and staunch voice in the zikist movement as well as an accomplished elder statesman."

Uzodimma decried the death of one of Nigeria's foremost patriots and someone he described as an illustrious son of Igboland.

The late Amaechi, the Imo state governor said, was an advocate of socio-political inclusiveness of the Igbo in the Nigerian political firmament as well as an apostle of equity, justice and fairness.

A statement by Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the governor, Oguwike Nwachuku, said his principal regretted that the late Amaechi passed on when his fatherly counsel was needed most. He stated that those mourning his death should be consoled by the fact that the former secretary of the youth wing of the defunct NCNC led a good and fulfilled life of service to God, community, state, country and mankind, as a whole.

Uzodimma noted that Amaechi’s message of equity, fairness and justice resonated well across the length and breadth of the country, saying there is much to gain and learn from all that the deceased espoused while he was alive.

The governor commiserated with the entire Amaechi family in Amihe Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, the Igbo nation and Nigerians, in general, over Amaechi’s death, and prayed God to grant the family, friends and well-wishers, the fortitude to bear the loss.

Azubogu, in his commiserations said, "He has not only paid his dues in the service of our dear country, beginning from her journey to independence, but also showed the world how hospitable we can be as a nation when he housed the late Nelson Mandela in his private home after he came in search of refuge in Nigeria during the apartheid regime in South Africa.

"His immense contributions to the independence struggle defines him as a Nation builder. Little wonder he subsequently emerged as Nigeria’s premier Aviation Minister. It was gratifying that he went on to lay solid foundations for that important sector."

All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) described the death of Amaechi as a great loss to Nigeria.

In a press statement signed by National Publicity Secretary of the party, Tex Okechukwu, APGA said it felt deeply touched by the death of the last of the, "Titans that laboured tirelessly for the independence of our fatherland."

In a statement by his media office yesterday, Ngige declared the death of Mbazulike as “an end of an era, the exit of the last of the titans from the firmament of the old eastern region.

Continues online

FG Names Transaction Adviser for Ajaokuta Steel Concession

Says steel sector development priority of present govt

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has announced the readiness of the federal government to break the jinx associated with the non-completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Company more than 40 years after its conception by naming transaction adviser for the concessioning of the steel company.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the opening of the sixth Edition of the Nigerian Mining Week where he represented President Muhammadu Buhari as Special Guest of Honour, the vice president stressed that the current admin

istration has prioritised the resolution of all issues constraining the full operation of the Ajaokuta Steel company.

“To this end, a transaction adviser has been appointed to concession the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the Nigerian Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe. The selection process is ongo ing. Our commitment is to break the jinx and actualise the dream of a vibrant steel sector,” he said.

He emphasised that the develop ment of the steel sector remains a huge priority of the presentadministration.

According to him, “our visionfor an industrialised nation cannot

be achieved without a vibrant steel sector. We understand the hugedemand for steel and iron in our domestic markets and across the sub-region.”

Osinbajo added that a fully developed mines and steel sector would not only surpass other sectors of the economy in terms of export earnings, but would also create more lucrative jobs and opportunities for many Nigerians

He said the steel sector would stimulate industrial growth as alocal source of raw materials and improve the quality of lives in rural communities.

Assuring of government’s com

mitment to support mining activities towards shared prosperity for the Nigerian people, the vice president observed that the event was a very significant complement to our visionand sustained effort to accelerate the growth of the mining sector as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economic diversification programme.

“This is why the federal govern ment will continue to intensify its regulatory and supervisory role in ensuring that mining is held to the highest standards of sustainable development and intergenerational equity," he added.

Osinbajo observed that the mining sector has always needed

a transformational leap to contribute meaningfully to the envisioned economic growth of the country, because, despite the glorious contri bution of the mining sector to our national economy in the past andthe abundance of mineral resources found in almost every state of the federation, the growth of the sector stagnated for many years especially since the early 1970s.

“And there have been many notable efforts by previous administrations to wake up the sleeping giant that is the mining industry.”

Clark: Buhari May Plunge Nigeria intoAnother Constitutional Crisis Like Yar'Adua

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja Elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PAN DEF), Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday, warned that President Muhammadu Buhari might plunge the country into another constitutional crisis, reminiscent of the era of former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, who died in office in May 2010 after a terminal ailment. Speaking at a press briefing yesterday at his Abuja residence, Clark Clark called on Bubari to hando ver power to his deputy, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and "allow him act on his behalf in accordance to the constitution". He also enjoined Buhari to declare his health status to Nigerians, whose money he used to run his numerous overseas trips and medical expenses.

Warning Buhari and his handlers that they must by every means avoid dragging the country into another constitutional crisis, as witnessed during the last days of Yar'Adua, the former federal commissioner stressed that whatever actions about the government the president took outside the country was illegal and against the constitu tion of the land.

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday at his Abuja residence, Clark said he was worried that

Nigerians were silent while Buhari continued to take them for granted in the last seven years.

According to the elder statesman, "Laws deriving from the constitution are made to enable smooth run ning of societies and governments. Therefore, all and sundry, especially people in authority, are expected to obey and abide by the laws of the land.

“Once again, yesterday, Monday 31st of October 2022, in the afternoon, the Nigerian nation was greeted with different descriptions of news headlines, such as, ‘Breaking: President Buhari jets out to London for medical treatment’, ’Buhari jets out for two-week medical check in London’, etc.

“But in all of these readings, I did not read where it was reported that for the two weeks President Muhammadu Buhari will be away in London for medical reasons, he complied with the provisions of chapter six, part one section 145 of the 1999 constitution.

"The constitution of the nation is the grundnorm and every aspect of it must be obeyed. Thus, section 145 is mandatory and not discretionary. The transmission of a letter to the National Assembly ought to be automatic. And the president of the country does not have a choice to tinker with it, or whether to comply

or not.

"A president’s inability to perform his functions, even for a few hours, mandates such action of transmitting a letter to the National Assembly. This is what is done by any responsible government. Therefore, it should not be treated as breaking news.

"Taking the whole nation by sur prise, especially, since it was not an emergency, President Muhammadu Buhari must have long secured this appointment with his physicians for the checkup.

"Secondly, the president of Nigeria is constitutionally bound to inform Nigerians of whatever ailment or disease he is suffering from, especially one from which the government money is being spent. Nigerians will understand he is a human and that is why the framers of the constitution provided section 145. Unfortunately, up till now, Nigerians do not know how much of taxpayers’ money is being spent on their president.”

Clark said in spite of the breaches, it was unfortunate that "nobody bothers to take appropriate measures to ensure that the right things are done properly, particularly, in a situation, where the president of the Senate is in partnership with the executive and is willing to do whatever the executive says."

He lamented that Nigerians had

"had more than enough. We are not in a military regime, where people are treated as conquered people”.

Clark said expressed suspicion about a grand conspiracy against the vice president, because of his proven records as acting president.

Clark stated, "One is forced to wonder what are the fears of Presi dent Buhari? He has a competent and fit deputy in person of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who is very able to hold the fort. He has proven this in 2017, when Mr. President was away on one of his numerous medical vacations.

"The nation is bleeding finan cially. The government of the day

undertakes wasteful ventures. We understand that files are taken to Mr. President abroad whenever he is away for him to append his signature. This is spending money and other resources recklessly.

“Not to talk about the cost of parking the presidential jet outside the country with the number of personnel and security detail, who accompany Mr President on these trips. These avoidable expenses must be stopped. Presently, the nation is so indebted that it is feared the debt burden is left for the future generations of Nigerians.”

Citing what transpired during the last days of late President Yar'Adua in

office, Clark recalled how the country was dragged into in constitutional crisis, because the former president did not handover power to then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. He said, "We remember what happened, when Yar'Adua travelled for treatment and did not transmit power. He left the country in a serious constitutional crisis till the Doctrine of Necessity was invoked. This is a mere expression of arrogance of power for Mr. President to think that he can run Nigeria, a country with more than 200 million people, from faraway London. Something he has not done effectively, even when he is in the country.”

IG: Why Police Can't Reopen Alleged Certificate Forgery Case against Tinubu

apex court court in the country had adjudicated on the matter as far back as 2002.

The IG stated this in a counter affidavit he filed in a suit instituted by a Civil Group seeking order of mandamus to compel him to arrest and prosecute Tinubu for alleged perjury and certificate forgery.

Osinbajo Canvasses Closer Cooperation Among Developing Nations

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, said the current trend in the global economy, climate change and the Ukrainian conflict – all presented opportunities for closer ties among developing economies especially, in refocusing attention on trade and energy access for the benefit of the people.

Osinbajo stated this at the State House, Abuja, while playing host to the Nigerian-born Secretary General of the D-8 Organization, Ambassador Isiaka A. Imam.

Nigeria is a member of the D-8, an organisation for development cooperation among eight developing countries comprising Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey.

Speaking on the need for closer ties among developing countries such as those in the D-8, Osinbajo stressed that this was an important time for member-countries to focus on the critical issues – trade and energy.

"But trade in particular, there is a need for greater trade engagements,” he said, noting that Nigeria offered great prospect for expanding trade among the D-8 members, and that, what the nation really needed to do was to look at how to use Nigeria as a point where you’d take off from to the AfCTA and some kind of entry way into the AfCTA.

“We think that Nigeria will be able to coordinate the trade routes and opportunities within the AfCTA. For instance, we are very prominent already in banking services all over

Africa. I think that is one of the many important areas that we must look at,” he said, stressing that, one of the easiest ways of expanding trade routes was really from the services perspective, especially, financial services.

According to him, "I see that the D-8 is trying to build a payment system. I think that this is one area that we can, very quickly, move things along. This is one of the areas you may be looking at, especially engaging Nigerian banks to see in which ways they can function within the AfCTA and all our partners and member countries of the D-8.”

On Nigeria’s advocacy for a just transition to net zero, the VP urged the D-8 to join in the campaign, noting that, “We are at a point,

where we are arguing about the role of gas in this whole transition to net zero. Whether we can, as it is being proposed by the wealthier countries, dispense with gas and use more of renewables. But we, of course, are pushing back and saying, we must continue to use gas.

“Our advocacy in the area of energy access is an important consideration in the whole campaign towards net zero. It is possible for the D-8 to take it up, because all our countries are faced with more or less the same sort of challenges. Our advocacy for consideration of more investments in fossil fuels especially gas (for us) is one that we think can also be taken up by the D-8.”

Currently, two different petitions from a Civil Group, including that of the Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Ad vocacy are before the IG requesting for the arrest and prosecution of Tinubu over allegations bordering on perjury, certificate forgery and related offences.

The IG, through his lawyer, Mr Wisdom Madaki, told the court that Tinubu has no pending petition or criminal matters with the police in anywhere in the country and therefore not a suspect before the force and as such, could not be put to trial.

The affidavit averred that since the alleged perjury and certificate forgery had been resolved by the Supreme Court, there was no need for police to reopen the matter again.

Besides, the IGP said police did not need any court order to make arrest and prosecute since it derived their powers from the Constitution and statutes.

IGP, therefore, asked the Federal High Court to dismiss the suit brought against him and the Nigeria Police Force for want of merit and jurisdiction, adding

that the plaintiff would not be prejudiced if the suit was dismissed.

Specifically, the IGP asserted that the suit on the alleged perjury and certificate forgery was frivolous, vexatious and deserved no attention of the Court.

However, at yesterday's proceed ings, counsel to the Civil group, Mr Eme Ekpu told Justice Inyang Ekwo that the counter affidavit of the police, had just been served on him and that he needed time to peruse it and reply to it formally.

Ekpu asked Justice Ekwo to grant him a short adjournment to enable him react to the counter affidavit properly.

In a brief ruling, Justice Ekwo granted the request and fixed January 19, 2023 for hearing of the suit.

The Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy had dragged the IGP before the Court over his alleged refusal to prosecute Tinubu over allegations bothering on perjury.

The suit dated and filed on July 4 on behalf of the group in Abuja by Mike Nwankwo, has the Nigerian Police Force and the Inspector General of Police as 1st and 2nd respondents.

The NGO said the legal action against the police was necessitated by the IGP refusal to take action on its petitions against Tinubu over an offence it claimed the presidential candidate was indicted by the Lagos State House of Assembly in 1999.

Says nation bleeding, tells president to hand over power to Osinbajo Asks commander-in-chief to declare his health status to Nigerians

D-8 to increase trade volume from $121bn to $500bn by 2030

THINKING RAILWAY SECURITY...

Atiku’ll Ensure Diasporans Vote, InclusiveGovernance, Tambuwal Promises

The Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, has assured Nigerians living in the United States that the presidential candidate of the party,

Atiku Abubakar, would ensure that Nigerians living outside the country vote during national elections. In his speech with Nigerians in Houston, Texas, Tambuwal said, "I have extracted a commitment from Atiku Abubakar that he believes in Diasporans voting and that when we come on board, we

shall commence the process of ensuring and engendering that.

"By the grace of God, we are in it together and, Atiku Abubakar is very well-prepared to lead a team; it is not a one-man-show. Atiku Abubakar is more experienced in managing governance, providing leadership and managing the

private sector. He has what it takes.”

The governor of Sokoto further assured, “I can assure you that when he comes on board, he is ready and prepared to continue to engage with the Diaspora, because we know your importance. We know what you can bring to the

table in terms of human and mate rial capacity; and even economic development of our country.

"We are very well aware of how prepared you are to partner the administration, when it comes on board. We are all very aware of your concerns, out of which, of course, is the Diaspora voting.

Terror Alert: No Smoke Without Fire, Says Defence Minister

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Minister of Defence, Major Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd), yesterday, before the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, reacted to the terror alerts by foreign embassies, saying though there was no smoke without fire, the security situation in the country was under control and therefore, no cause for alarm.

He however, said what Nigeria needed at the moment from the United States government and other foreign countries were words of prayers and not issuance of security alerts, which had confused the citizens.

Magashi, who stated this during the ministry's 2023 budget defence session, had respondedto a ques tion asked by the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Babajimi Benson, on what the ministry was doing to contain the security alert recently issued by some foreign countries.

While noting that the terror alert had caused more public hysteria and scared Nigerians, the minister, however, assured them that the threat was not so dire, and that the government through its security and intelligence agencies was on top of the situation.

Magashi said: "Other countries are also willing to do same. If you remember, yesterday, the security council met and we discussed this threat and it was believed that we will not take it lightly. We tried to verify the source of the threat or the pronouncement made by the US government.

“We tried to identify countries that were also interested in the same remarks made by the US government and we are of the

opinion that the best way to go about it was to continue and where possible, beef up security in Abuja and its contiguous states, that is Nassarawa, Niger and the rest of them.

"However, we believe that there is no smoke without fire and in that regard, we were able to subject the details to our intel ligence organisations and they have provided answers to those areas, which the government in doubt and we realised that what we need is to be extra vigilant to prevent any activity of the bandits, from where the threat is likely, we will be able to provide enough forces that can neutralise those kinds of situations.

"I want to assure members that the government is on top of the situation. Based on security meeting and what we have on the ground, I think what we need is prayers from the United States, not giving us information that will make our citizens to be either confused or not being able to take appropriate action.

“And our minister of foreign affairs is taking that up to ensure that information of such nature is brought to the notice of the ministry before disseminating to the society. I think we are on top of the situation. The threat is not very dire and we are taking it lightly. We are doing all we can to ensure that peace and progress of Nigeria is maintained."

Earlier, Benson told the minister that tension was brewing up in Abuja due to the security alerts, urging the Armed Forces of Nigeria to take note of it.

He advised them to effectively collaborate with sister security agencies to ensure that all security

threats were completely neutralised and Nigerians could live peacefully.

The lawmaker assured that adequate fund will be allocated to the defence sector but within the limits of available resources, adding that they would thoroughly review their performance and painstakingly scrutinise the proposals in the 2023 budget before making conclusions.

"For more than sixteen years, Nigeria has witnessed diverse and unprecedented level of insecurity in which the Armed Forces of Nigeria have been fully involved prompt ing the launch of about thirteen operations and four exercises as well as providing support for tackling several domestic security challenges.

“The House Committee on De fence is delighted with the successes recorded so far, especially, in the last five months. We acknowledge these robust achievements, which is a proof of the level of profes sionalism often displayed by our military in the discharge of their duties,” Benson said.

Also during the budget defence of the Nigerian Army, Chairman of the panel, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, while acknowledging the terror threat charged the army to put their boot on to defeat terrorism.

"As we sit here and deliberate on this budget proposals, Abuja is under serious tension following a security alert issued in certain quarters suggesting that terrorists may launch a major attack on the city. Recall that in response to this alert, some foreign embassies had ordered the evacuation of their nationals from Abuja.

“This is a matter that our security forces must thoroughly

investigate. The Army must put enough boots on the ground to contain any security breaches in Abuja in the magnitude claimed by the aforementioned security alert.

"In doing so, the welfare of personnel should be given topmost priority and never be compromised. The committee is not unaware of the enormous challenges confronting the Army, especially, the main issue of inadequate funding. We are working on improving the funding amid the increasingly scarce resources available to our collective purse.

“We are well aware of the unstable state of the country's revenue earnings today in the wake of the global economic meltdown that has caught up with Nigeria as with many countries. It means we have to earnestly think out of the box in our resource allocation

management.”

In his response, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, said since coming on board, his administration has recorded successes as more Boko Haram insurgents and kidnappers had been captured, adding the Army has developed processes and tactics to overwhelm enemies in kinetic and non-kenetic battles.

This, he said has also evolved strategies to win the heart and minds of the local population and safeguard nation’s integrity, prestige and honour.

He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to pass the Armed forces of Nigeria trust fund bill before the end of the 9th assembly, saying the passage would greatly assist the Nigerian army through improved funding.

TINUBU: I WILL END FUEL SUBSIDY

entrepreneur and investor, Tony Elumelu; and founder of Zenith Bank, Mr. Jim Ovia, were among leading business leaders that graced the event.

Earlier, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, set the tone for the engagement, saying Tinubu’s meeting with the organised private sector put him ahead of other contenders in the presidential race. Sanwo-Olu said the meeting was a demonstration of the APC candidate’s commitment and seriousness to drive the desired change in the national economy.

Sanwo-Olu said his predecessor was no stranger to the needs, concerns, and interests of the private sector. He stressed that Tinubu was a visionary political economist, who

understood the pulse of investors and possessed the magic wand to turn around challenges facing the business community and change their concerns to opportunities.

Sanwo-Olu said, “Asiwaju Tinubu is a man that has been able to combine political acumen with the understanding of the economy and economics of every jurisdiction. As governor of Lagos, Tinubu pioneered several firsts, which still stand till today. During Asiwaju’s tenure, he initiated the idea of the Economic Summit as a catalyst for economic development.

“He started in Lagos with the Ehingbeti Summit in 2001. That summit has continued to lead the successive administrations after him into various applaudable economic

He has the combination of the experiences of the private and public sector for him to manage Nigeria of today and all of its complexities and diversities."

Speaking on the inclusive nature of governance, Tambuwal, said, "Our ticket has addressed the challenges of our country in terms of inclusion, diversity and morality.

"Okowa is bringing on board his own experience, in addition to that of Atiku Abubakar. He will be in charge and Atiku Abubakar will support him in ensuring that we turn around the economy of our country and make Nigeria the destination of choice for investors and people like you to come back home under a very secure atmosphere and prosperous Nigeria."

While assuring Nigerians in the Diaspora of their support, he said, "We cannot thank you enough. But, rest assured that, we shall continue to work with you, because we value you.

"We know what you can do and what you have been doing in not only projecting the image of Nigeria in the United States and all over the world. I’m told and heard that many of you came in from the United Kingdom, Europe and several parts of the globe to attend this very important get-together.

"I assure you that we are very familiar with the issues and when we come on board you will play critical roles. We will recall some of you to come and take positions in government, so that together, we will continue to support our country."

agendas.

“Under the Tinubu’s leader ship, Lagos became the first subnational entity to bring about the Independent Power Project (IPP) and first state to initiate the idea of establishing a seaport. Yesterday (last Monday), that vision came to fruition, as we witnessed the completion of Lekki Deep Seaport.

“This speaks to the sheer dog gedness and audacity of this man of vision.

“Eko Atlantic City is today the biggest real estate developed in this part of Africa through reclamation of the ocean. All thanks to the vision of Asiwaju to turn problems to opportunities.”

Declares situation under control, asks US to pray, not scare Nigerians Lawmakers lament Abuja under serious tension, to probe terror threat Army insists fight against terrorism successful so far

IMPROVED HEALTHCARE SERVICE DELIVERY ON THEIR MINDS…

N2.8bn Fraud: Court Orders Arrest of NAMA MD, Pwajok, Over Alleged Contempt

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the arrest of the Acting Director-General of the National Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), Mr. Matthew Pwajok for alleged disobedience to a court order.

Justice Babs Kuewunmi who

presided over the court made the arrest order following an application by counsel to the third and eighth defendants, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, at the resumed hearing of a N2.8 billion fraud charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) against a former NAMA Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, and 11 others.

N800m Oil Drilling Pipes: Court Issues BenchWarrant against Former Guber Aspirant

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A Chief Magistrates Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has issued a bench warrant as well as a warrant of arrest against a one-time governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Walter Ubaka Okeke.

The former gubernatorial aspirant is facing a trial in suit number PMC/884c/2022, which bothers on alleged stealing of oil drilling pipes and many heavy duty equipment worth over N800 million.

The accused, a native of Enugu village in Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra, but resident in TransAmadi, Port Harcourt, allegedly committed the offense in Rivers.

Part of the suit filed by the Commissioner of Police on May

27, 2022, stated that: “You, Walter Ubaka Okeke, and others now at large, did conspire to commit felony to wit: stealing; and therefore committed an offence punishable under Section 516A of the Criminal Code Law Cap 37 Vol 2, Laws of Rivers State.”

The suit further mentioned the value of the alleged stolen property to be over N800 million, items said to be property of a Port Harcourt business man, Mr. Ifeanyi Amaonye, kept in the open at the accused’s compound in Trans-Amadi.

When the matter was mentioned in court yesterday, before Chief Magistrate Court A.O. AmadiNna, counsel for the accused, Oluchukwu Ulasi raised a preliminary objection, reminding the court of his pending application before it.

Senator Adeola Restates Commitment to Constituents’ Empowerment

The Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, at the Senate, Solomon Adeola has restated his commitment to serve his constituents.

He stated this in Lagos during an empowerment programme for his constituents, adding that he remained interested in any initiative targeted at skills acquisition in 11 vocations.

He said: “Let me state that in the remaining period of my service as senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, I will continue to deliver effective representation to my constituents in all walks of life with available resources for the largest senatorial district in Nigeria in terms of population.”

He said that the aim of the empowerment programme

was for gainful employment for youths and women in his senatorial district irrespective of sex, tribe, religion or political affiliation.

“As a legislator of many years, I have made it of paramount importance that as many youths and women as possible in my senatorial district are given requisite skills and empowered to establish them in gainful selfemployment,” he said.

According to him, this will be the third empowerment programme this year organised by him after the mega one at Police College in Ikeja last February.

The programme, which has empowered over 1,000 graduates in various ICT courses witnessed many more youths receiving trainings on skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development.

Ojo, in the application, alleged that Pwajok shunned a July 2 subpoena issued by the court, commanding him to appear and produce the

documents requested by both defendants.

In a short ruling, Justice Kuewunmi directed the Commissioner of Police, Lagos

and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to ensure Pwajok was arrested and brought to court.

The judge adjourned further

proceedings till January 10th and 11th, 2023.

The EFCC is prosecuting Abdulsalam and 11 others for the alleged offence.

Passengers Stranded as Union Shut Lagos Airport over Sacked Members

Travellers arriving to board early morning flights to different destinations from the major domestic terminal, the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), Lagos, yesterday were stranded, as the facility

was closed to both workers and passengers by the members of the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) due to the sack of their colleagues by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL).

But the management of BASL, the operators of MMA2, has said

the action of the union was illegal and contravened the laid down principles of industrial relations and in total violation of the laws of Nigeria.

Domestic airlines, which operations were disrupted by the closure did not envisage it and were confused about what

to do to airlift their passengers in the critical early morning flights, as the union members defiantly blocked access to the terminal.

They later relocated temporarily to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), known as MMA1.

NDLEA Declares Lagos Socialite, Owner of AdekazHotels, Wanted in Connection with Drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday declared Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Kazeem (aka Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed), wanted over offences bordering on

exportation and trafficking of illicit drugs as well as money laundering.

According to a statement issued by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the decision to declare the suspect wanted followed his failure to honour NDLEA invitations and an order granted to the agency by

a Federal High Court in Lagos on October 17, 2022.

He revealed that “the wanted drug kingpin was uncovered as the sponsor of some traffickers arrested by the anti-narcotics agency in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, UAE, and other destinations outside Nigeria.”

Babafemi said soon after the arrest of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver, on June 27, 2022, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Kazeem, who is also the chairman of Adekaz Global Integrated Services, went underground.

FG Partners NGO to Monitor Social Investment Programme

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has signed a one-year partnership with an international nongovernmental organization(NG), Save the Children International,

to monitor federal government’s National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) in the states as a third party.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Abuja yesterday.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq,

said that monitoring of NSIP and other activities of the ministry will increase the citizens’ trust in the government and hasten the effectiveness of the NSIP to achieve President Buhari’s directive of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.

“The need to closely monitor and evaluate (M&E) these investments is an important component of the NSIP and its role in program implementation cannot be underrated. This is the primary reason why the ministry deliberately launched a strategy on M&E at many levels.”

Gunmen Abduct Retired Permanent Secretary in A’Ibom

Okon Bassey inUyo

A former Permanent Secretary in Akwa Ibom state civil service, Sir Ignatius Brown has been kidnapped in Abak Local Government Area of the state.

The victim, who is the Chairman, Saint John’s Catholic Church Council, Abak LGA was reportedly abducted few metres away from

his home on Monday.

Eyewitness said the incident occurred while Brown was returning home after having a church meeting with members of the church in the evening.

The retired Permanent Secretary who hailed from Etinan Local Government Area, had been living in Abak, for many years before the incident occurred that fateful day.

An eye witness, who identified himself as Mr. Aniefiok Marcus, told Journalists in Uyo yesterday that the hoodlums trailed Brown from the church along Abak-Ikot Ekpene road and overtook his driver some few metres away from his house.

“They (hoodlums) trailed him from the Saint John’s Catholic Cathedral along Abak -Ikot Ekpene road, and overpowered the driver

close to the house at Udokpo street, after shooting sporadically to scare away other vehicles and commuters on the road.

“When they (kidnappers) succeeded in halting the Toyota RAV4 SUV of Sir Brown, they bundled the driver out, hijacked the vehicle and sped away with him lying down on the floor of the car,”he stated.

Sentiments, Anger Can’t Help Igbo Attain Presidency, Anambra PDP Told

David-Chyddy ElekeinAwka

The Director General of Atiku/ Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo has said that sentiments and anger cannot help Igbo people attain the presidency of Nigeria. Also, former Presidential Adviser

to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Ndi Obi who is the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council said it was time for all members of the PDP in Anambra State to make sacrifices to save the country. Okonkwo and Obi stated this yesterday during the inauguration of the Anambra State chapter

of Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council.

Okonkwo, in his acceptance speech, charged all members of the council not to fear because two other Anambra sons were contesting for the presidency, but added that only patience and strategic planning can help

Igbo to attain the presidency of the country.

He said: “This journey is important and you have all taken oath. Sentiments, anger do not give result, it is calculation and patience that makes one victorious. Any decision taken today may look justifiable, but we may regret it later.

MALTINA TEACHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION WINNER HONOURED...

Wike: Marginalisation Fueling Insecurity in Nigeria

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the continuous

marginalisation of the majority Nigerians, especially, from the South-South region will increase the challenge of insecurity being experienced in the country.

Cultists Kill Two in Kwara Community

Two persons were reportedly killed by suspected cultists at Ibagun, Okelele community in Ilorin East local government area of Kwara state.

The incident, according to THISDAY checks, happened between Monday and yesterday. Already, the state police command has deployed detectives to the community to maintain law and order.

Meanwhile, the Alangua of Ibagun, Okelele, Ilorin, Malam Sakariyau Ilufemiloye has condemned the invasion of the community by cultists.

The Alangua, in a statement signed on his behalf by the

Chairman of Ibagun Progressives Union (IPU), Alhaji Kuranga Omomeji Morogun, urged parents and guardians to enlighten their children and wards on the dangers of being involved in cultism.

He also enjoined the heads of various families in the community to counsel their children against involvement in cultism, while appealing to religious leaders in the area to make preaching against youths involvement in cultism a focal point.

Alangua, who traced the unacceptable upsurge in cultists activities in Ibagun-Okeleke community to the infiltration of the area by intruders said the community is noted for its peaceful nature.

Lolo Margaret Ego Korie for Burial

The family of Chief B. I Korie has announced the death of their matriarch, Lolo Margaret Ego Korie, who passed away on August 30, 2022, after a brief illness. The family, in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, noted that she would be buried on November 4, 2022, in Obowo, Imo State.

In her biography, the children stated that their mother was a devoted community leader, kind-hearted and a Christian woman, a devout member of the Catholic Women Organisation “and because of her devotion and steadfast contributions to the church, she was honoured with the title of Ezinne.”

In the statement signed by her daughter, Mrs. Chinasa Ezeogu, the family said a Service of Songs will be held on November 3, 2022, at Chief B.I. Korie’s residence at Umuikeagwu, Umuariam Obowo in Imo State by 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., while the lying-in-state will also take place at the same venue after a brief stop-over at her place of birth, Alike, Obowo by 8 a.m. on November 4. It added that the Funeral Mass will take place at the Queen of Peace Catholic Parish at Umuikeagwu, Umuariam Obowo by 11 a.m, while the interment will take place at Korie’s residence at Umuikeagwu, Umuariam Obowo by 1 p.m..

Group Unveils Book on Peter Obi

All is set for the launch of the second edition of the book on the Nigerian Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate ,Peter Obi titled: ‘The Challenge of Good Governance and Leadership in Nigeria: The Peter Obi Factor.’’

The presentation of the book comes up tomorrow Thursday, November 3,2022 in Lagos.

Those expected at the event include elder statesman and Leader of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo; elder statesman, Dr. Uma Eleazu; Seriki Abdulahi Mohammed; Senator Victor Umeh; Governorship

candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos, Mr. Gbadebo RhodesVivour and the President Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF),Professor Uzodinma Nwala, among many others.

According to the chieftain of ADF in Lagos, Chief Emmanuel Mok, the book in question was put together many months ago by the Foundation without knowing that Obi would enter the presidential race. He said the book will essentially open the eyes of Nigerians and others on the miracle the former Anambra Governor performed in that state.

He said peace and security would remain elusive across Nigeria if the majority tribes, and those who thought they had dominance over others continued to marginalise them.

Wike asserted that, for there to be an enduring future for Nigeria, all Nigerians must see themselves as equal stakeholders in the project called Nigeria.

Speaking at Government House, Port Harcourt, when the management of New Telegraph Newspaper, led by the Managing Director and Editor- in-Chief, Mr. Ayodele Aminu,presented its letter nominating him as the Political Icon of the Year, 2022, he said, “The problem in this country today is not only as a result of the banditry or kidnapping, no. Part of the issue

that has to do with security is the issue of marginalisation.

“And I continue to tell our people or those who believe that they are dominant, you need peace for you to preside over those, who you think do not have the number. You need peace. If there is no peace, it will be difficult.”

The Rivers governor, who cited the ongoing crisis in the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) as an evidence of marginalisation of a section of the country, observed that because the zoning principle had been jettisoned in the PDP, coupled with the lack of seriousness to allow for inclusivity, convincing Nigerians to believe that the party could rescue the country was becoming a more difficult task.

Akeredolu Signs Multi-door Court House Bill into Law

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), yesterday signed the state Multi-door Courthouse Bill into law.

The governor, who signed the bill intåo law at his office in Akure, explained that it was initiated in a bid to promote easier access to justice in line with global trends in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), saying it will encourage the people of the state to explore the alternative dispute resolution

that the multi-door courthouse provides.

He explained that the multidoor courthouse would further boost the administration of justice in the state and allow litigants to settle matters without going through the conventional court process, which in most cases, creates enmity and takes longer time to resolve.

Akeredolu disclosed that the law would assist the legal process which has become cumbersome in the country, charging judges and

other stakeholders in charge of administration of justice to always encourage litigants to make use of out-of-court settlement and explore alternative dispute resolution for the peace and progress of the society.

He observed that it may be difficult for parties involved in cases to become friends again after taking their cases to the conventional courts for adjudication, adding that the newly signed Multi-door Courthouse Law would ensure peace in

the society.

According to him, “Encourage people to explore alternative dispute resolution. Please, take advantage of this alternative dispute resolution. Look at ways of settling matters for them. Make the environment convivial. Don’t let them see themselves as adversaries.”

The governor congratulated the outgoing Chief Judge of the state, Justice Williams Akintoroye, on the signing of the bill into law during his time.

NPC: Insecurity ‘ll Not Affect Conduct of 2023 National Population Census

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The National Population Commission (NPC) has applauded the increasing state of security in most parts of the country assuring Nigerians that the situation if sustained will not negatively affect the conduct of the 2023 census.

The Federal Commissioner in charge of Niger state Alhaji Dattijo Usman, stated this in

Minna at the opening of a seminar on “ The Compendium on Localities” organised for the 25 local governments in the state.

Dattijo said with the prevailing security situation in all parts of the country and in particular Niger state no area will be left uncovered during the head count.

“The issue of insecurity is abating now and we have concluded all the arrangements

to have a successful census exercise. The insecurity issues in the state will not stop us from conducting census in 2023,” he said.

He maintained that the level of insecurity has reduced across the state as such the Commission is working round the clock with relevant security agencies to work out how best the census would be done across Niger state.

The major objective of the

“State-level Compendium of Localities” workshop according to usman “is to compile all the localities demarcated during the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) on local government area basis showing the coverage and location on interactive maps” adding that “the compendium of localities in census taking is a tool for census data dissemination and national planning and development”.

Osun Guber: Tribunal Admits Oyetola’s Documentary Evidence

Osun State Election Petition

Tribunal hearing the suit filed by the Ondo State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has admitted documentary evidence which lends credence to the claim that the governorship election leading to the declaration of Senator Ademola

Adeleke as the governor-elect was manipulated.

Among the documents admitted in evidence were the INEC Regulation and Guideline for the election, INEC Manual for Electoral Officials, and Forms EC8As which are election results for Osogbo, Ede North and Ede South Local Government Areas, among others.

This is just as counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Paul Ananaba (SAN), declined consent to documents issued as Certified True Copies (CTC) by the commission.

At the hearing of the tribunal yesterday, counsel for Oyetola, Chief Lateef Fagbemi,(SAN), informed the tribunal that the

documentary evidence sought to be tendered had been crosschecked by the respondents and they all agreed that it should be tendered from the bar.

He then sought to tender the documents as listed on the schedule already submitted to the tribunal, which included the regulations and guidelines issued by INEC for the election.

Save APC from Crisis in Kano Ahead of 2023, House Majority Leader Begs Ganduje

Ibrahim Shuaibu inKano

Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, has reacted to the clash with the deputy governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Murtala Sule Garo.

Reports alleged that Doguwa attacked Garo at a high-level party meeting at the residence of the

Deputy Governor, Nasiru Gawuna, last Monday.

But, in a press conference at his residence yesterday, Doguwa called on the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to rise up to take charge in order to save the party from crisis ahead of 2023.

Narrating what transpired between him and the former Commissioner for Local Government, Doguwa admitted

there was a clash but said he did not attack him.

According to Doguwa, what transpired between him and Garo was that he called the APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, and asked him to meet him at the Gawuna’s residence.

When he arrived at the deputy governor’s residence, he found that there was an APC stakeholders’ meeting going on, to which he

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Zaidu’s Injury Mars Porto’s Defeat of Atletico to Top Group B

Nigeria and FC Porto left back, Zaidu Sanusi, may have suffered a grievous injury as he was forced to abandon last night’s UEFA Champions League final group match between his club and Atletico Madrid in Portugal. Zaidu was in tears as he was being helped out of the pitch by two of his teammates in the 52nd minutes of the game Porto won 2-1 to top Group B with 12 points. Club Brugges who drew goalless with Leverkusen finished second on 11 points. Both Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid finished on miserable five points with the German team to play in the Europa.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

With Nigeria’s Super Eagles billed to play Qatar 2022 bound Portugal on November 17 in a high-profile friendly, Zaidu will be greatly missed if scan reports today show that the injury is grievous.

Zaidu who has become an integral part of Porto since his switch, showed signs of serious discomfort around his groin before he was eventually taken out last night.

Last week, he also looked like he will be forced out at Club Brugge in another Champions League tie, but played on before he was later replaced in the 77th

Osimhen Fires Blanks as

minute. Another Super Eagles

RESULTS

Liverpool 2-0 Napoli

Rangers 1-3 Ajax

Leverkusen 0-0 C’Bruges

Porto 2-1 Atletico

B’ Munich 2-0 Inter Milan

V’Plzen 2-4 Barcelona

Marseille 1-2 Tottenham

S’Lisbon 1-2 E’ Frankfurt

TODAY

Chelsea v D’Zagreb (9pm)

AC Milan v Salzburg (9pm)

R’Madrid v Celtic (6:45pm)

Shakhtar v Leipzig (6:45pm)

Man City v Sevilla (9pm)

Copenhagen v Dortmund (9pm)

Juventus v PSG (9pm)

M’Haifa v Benfica (9pm)

Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen was effectively caged at Anfield last night as Liverpool defeated Napoli 2-0 to end the Italian league leaders 12-match winning streak last night.

With barely two minutes to end of game, Osimhen was substituted with Giovanni Simeone.

Despite the defeat, Napoli with flawless Champions League record until last night still topped the Group A standing with same 15 points as Liverpool but with better goals difference.

Jurgen Klopp's side were looking to bounce back from Saturday's home defeat by Leeds United and their spirits will be lifted by Darwin Nunez's late winner that ended the impressive La Liga leaders' unbeaten 21-game run.

Liverpool never looked remotely

like securing the four-goal winning margin they would have needed against the impressive Serie A lead ers, who have exerted complete domination over the group, but these three points will act as a real boost to morale.

Thiago Alcantara brought a save from Napoli keeper Alex Meret in the first half, while Napoli thought they had broken the deadlock after the break only for defender Leo Ostigard's header from a free-kick to be ruled out for offside after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) examination.

A game of few chances looked to be heading for a draw but Liverpool snatched the win when Mohamed Salah forced home a close-range finish five minutes from time, with Nunez firing in a second in added time.

Campaign in Style

Leading Pay TV service company, MultiChoice Nigeria, has promised to deliver an all-round experience from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for its customers.

The Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice, Mr John Ugbe, reiter ated the company’s commitment while he spoke at the Qatar 2022 Media Launch Experience which held in Lagos.

Ugbe noted that as the official broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup in Nigeria, MultiChoice is poised to introduce local commentaries for the 64 games from the tournament in a bid to endear its customers to the widely-watched tournament.

“For the first time ever, our customers can listen to match commentaries from the World Cup in the three major Nigerian languages and pidgin English.

That means they can – using their DStv or GOtv remote control devices – either tune into to listen to English, Pidgin English, Igbo, Yoruba, or Hausa commentaries in the comfort of their homes.

“We believe this will improve the overall viewing experience for our customers as they get to enjoy the games in a language they are comfortable with guaranteeing our viewers the best seat in the house throughout the World Cup,” Ugbe added.

Meanwhile, the YaQatar Media Experience anchored by on-air personality, Hero Daniels and Season 7 Big Brother Naija Housemate, Adekunle Olopade saw media personalities battle for the YaQatar trophy in a series of curated games and team sports patterned after the FIFA World Cup.

Flamingos Back in Abuja, Get Support Pledge from Sports Minister

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Nigeria’s Flamingos who returned from Mumbai, India where they won the country’s first bronze medal in the Under-17 Women’s World Cup, have been promised maximum support and encouragement as the players graduate from one level to another.

Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare, made the pledge when he hosted the bronze medallists at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja yesterday.

“We commend you for the way you performed without fear and held up the flag to win a historic bronze for our country in this competition. I praise the NFF for the support to the team right from their screening through the qualifiers and to the arrangements for final camping in Turkey and the final tournament in India. “We must also commend the coaching crew for their steadfastness in imparting the right knowledge to the players.”

The minister stressed that it would be his pleasure to see them graduate through the age grade to the Super Falcons in future because they have the talents to achieve that.

“I will be happy to see these players graduate from this level to the U20 and then to the senior team,

because they have the skills and talent, and demonstrated ability to do very well. The (Sports) Ministry will give NFF the right support to achieve that. They have served well as good ambassadors of our country on and off the pitch.”

NFF Suspends Alleged Match Fixer, Dropped from IMCEdo to Host Kickboxing National Workshop

The Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria (KBFN) has concluded plans to hold it's National Technical Workshop/ Homologation in Benin City, Edo State between November 6 and 10.

With the indoor Sports hall of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, as venue, Secretary General of the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria Mr. Olalekan Faseesin who disclosed this yesterday, said the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria is holding

the workshop inconjuntion with the Edo State Sports Commission. He also confirmed that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has since endorsed the workshop.

Mr. Faseesin hinted that apart from the homologation of athletes and coaches, the workshop would equally serve as prerequisite for selecting referees and table techni cal officials for the forthcoming 21st National Sports Festival in Asaba.

He advised all KBFN technical officials to avail themselves of this opportunity by making themselves available for this all important technical workshop, warning that any coach not certified and licenced by the Federation will not be allowed to second any athlete during the festival.

Meanwhile, President of KBFN, Mr. Wilson Okon, has commended the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth and

Earlier, President of the NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau had

Sports Development, Alh. Ismaila Abubakar and the Edo State govern ment for their laudable interest at developing the sport of Kickboxing in the country.

He stressed that the Federa tion will utilise the opportunity provided by the workshop in Benin-city to honour the Edo State Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu, with a distinguished award for his relentless support for sports in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the suspen sion of football official, Auwalu Baba Jada, from all football-related activities, pending investigations into a video that has been trend ing online for some days now, in which he is apparently the principal character.

“Auwalu Baba Jada has been suspended from all football-related activities pending investigations into the video recording in which he is apparently the principal character.

The investigations will be conducted by the ethics and integrity units of the Nigeria Football Federation.

“Auwalu Baba Jada will have no role in any football activity, event or programme until the investigations are concluded, and this also means he is summarily suspended from his membership of the Interim Management Committee of the Nigeria Professional Football League”, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said on Tuesday.

MISSILE

KAYODE KOMOLAFE

Of Ideas and Manifestoes

Afew

ago, President Muhammadu Buhari made the following observation in Owerri, Imo state: “In terms of time and resources, this administration has done extremely well. I have to say it because those who are supposed to say are not saying it. I don’t know why.”

Incidentally, Buhari was in Owerri to commission some projects executed by the government of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State. Remarkably, the President referred to, among other things, the infrastructural projects of his administration such as roads, bridges and railways. The Second Niger Bridge was conspicuous in the list of projects credited to the Buhari administration on that occasion in the southeast. Buhari didn’t mention the names of “those who are supposed to say” something about his administration’s programmes. Apart from the ministers who are the officers in charge of executing the programmes, it should be the business of Buhari’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to explain and defend the implementation of the programmes.

What Buhari said in Owerri is a consequence of the typical dissonance between the party and the candidate during campaigns on the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes. Given a synchrony of purpose between the administration and the party in power, there should be no such expression of regret by a president.

It is, however, not surprising that the President made the statement. From its inception, the APC has not been held together by any ideological glue. The party seems to exist for virtually electoral purpose. Take a sample. Not a few leaders of the party initially derided the idea of the social investment which has turned out to be a signature policy of the Buhari administration. Some dismissed it as “unproductive” and that it could engender laziness. For some APC elements, the programme was reminiscent of “the poverty alleviation” programme in which billions of naira were sunk with no significant impact during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Buhari social investment programme has not been sufficiently articulated. Hence, critics see it as an opaque policy. Yet for a party that should be socio-democratic in orientation, an efficiently run social investment should be a prominent feature of its policy agenda.

The articulation of the manifestoes of a presidential or gubernatorial candidate could be more effective during campaigns if the programmes were owned by the political party and not just the candidate. Party leaders and members should be educated on the basic ideas underlying the policies and programmes being sold to the electorate. There should be clarity of purpose on the basic idea. In fact, it is this basic idea that is the common thing that party leaders ought to share in giving direction to their organisation as it seeks power.

However the relegation of the concept of the political party in this political dispensation has made matters more problematic. The practice in Nigeria upends what should be the ideal in a multi-party democracy. The political parties have virtually no input into the conceptualisation of policies which their candidates are expected to implement if they win elections. Political parties are not identified by the strategies of

development which they passionately defend. Instead political parties tag along with their candidates on matters of policies and programmes in the course of campaigns for election.

For instance, the economy is an issue for

the 2023 election. The principles informing the policy choices of each presidential candidate should be visible in the various agendas being unfolded. The role of government in economic management is a matter of principle that should be settled in putting together the manifestoes.

The electoral process in particular and indeed democratic practice in general are more than balloting. The casting of ballot is a stage that should be necessarily preceded by a thorough popularisation of the party policies and programmes. A 19th Century editor of London newspaper The Economist, Walter Bagehot, described democracy as “government by discussion.” This description accentuates the importance of reason in the democratic process.

For instance if the thoughts behind the preferred approach in formulating economic policies were discussed by party members before the election, it would be expected that the party would defend the implementation of the policies. It is not enough for the experts who put together the drafts of the competing manifestoes to say that it does not matter if the origins of the ideas informing the policy options could be traced to the left, right or centre in ideological terms.

Indeed, ideas have different loci in the ideological spectrum. Raising or cutting taxes is a deeply ideological question even among liberals. By the way, the denial of the ideological origin of an idea is in itself ideological. Although the “practical” politicians are wont to scoff at the suggestion of ideological politics, yet the fact is

that the absence of ideology partly explains the political underdevelopment of the country and hence poor governance. If you don’t like left or right politics you are bound to be saddled with north or south options in balloting. If the agenda of a party and its candidate is not to be examined for its social democratic or neo-liberal content, the election would be reduced to a contest between a Christian and a Muslim. Yet the ethnicity, region or religion of a president or a governor is not the determinant of the workability of security policies or socioeconomic programmes. Part of the problems of the polity is the lack of popular participation as reflected, at least , in low voter turnouts in the previous elections. Well, the prognosis for next year’s election is brighter because of the of the upsurge in the registration of voters especially young people. It would be a good development if the trend of voter apathy could be reversed in the 2023 elections.

Perhaps, the examination of the ideas informing the policy choices could be a good preface to the discussion of the manifesto of each candidate.

With a clear understanding of the ideas forming the basis a policy, the criticism of the president or the governor when he gets into power would be better informed. The yardstick for measuring success in the course of implementation would be well defined.

Can the campaigns towards the 2023 election be a turning point in which the political landscape is delineated by the philosophy underpinning the manifesto of each political party?

Time will tell, as they say.

Amechi and the Forgotten Heroes

Thelife and times of Chief Mbazulike Amechi, the notable nationalist who died yesterday, represented the heroic story of a generation that contributed immensely into the making of Nigeria. Aged 93, he hailed from Ukpor in Nnewi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Amechi was a member of the Zikist movement, an organisation of youths inspired by the first President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, during the anti-colonial struggle. Amechi later became aviation minister in the First Republic.

One of Amechi’s last major interventions in public affairs was his leading a delegation of Igbo leaders to discuss a political solution to the matter of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Unfortunately, such a solution seemed far to seek as at yesterday when Amechi died.

The essential Amechi, however, was the young radical who along with other members of his generation made the struggle for national freedom their career. The Amechi generation dreamt of a just, united and prosperous nation. The youthful nationalists performed the historic roles in the 1940s and 1950s, at a time many of them were younger than some of those agitating for the sovereign state of Biafra, Odua Nation or any other separatist formation today.

However, the roles of many of these anti-colonial nationalists have not been sufficiently applauded. The matter is worsened in an age in which history is treated with utter contempt.

This point is well made by Amechi himself in his 1985 booklet entitled The Forgotten Heroes

of Nigerian Independence as follows:

“It is not correct to say that Nigeria was granted independence by Britain ‘on a platter of gold.’ We fought for our independence and won. The battle might not have been as bloody and intensive as that of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) or Algeria or Kenya; but we shed blood. Many youths and trade union leaders suffered unjust imprisonment, banishment and other indignities.

Racial segregation or discrimination was deeply entrenched in Nigeria, but people fought to reverse the order. We now talk about ‘sharing the national cake.’ Whether the cake is still there or has been badly dismembered by rats, we hardly ponder for a moment that the recipe for the cake was gathered with the blood and sweat of some nationalist heroes some of whom have bowed out to commune with our ancestors...

“I am in position to testify that none of the eight governments (as at 1985) we have had since independence has done anything to show a simple appreciation of the role which these gallant Nigerians played in our struggle for nationhood.”

Amechi lamented that when two of his comrades - Raji Abdalla and Oged Macaulaydied they were virtually unsung by a nation that couldn’t identify its genuine heroes. He said successive governments had failed to honour the memories of the youth that fought for independence.

The story of the Amechi generation is also a proof that the role of the youths has always been central to the evolution of the Nigerian nation. So there is no point making a fetish of age. Of course, age is biologically a dynamic thing. Nigeria has been built since the colonial days largely with the energies of youths. At various stages of the nation’s history, relatively young people have determined the direction. Here we are talking persons in their 20s and 30s. May the memory of the great sacrifices of the Amechi generation inspire the contemporary youths to embrace nation-building based on social justice.

ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com

N/Delta Youth Vanguard to FG

“How can they constitute a new board when there’s already a boardthat was screened and passed by the Senate in 2019?This is unfair and unjust.We want that board to be sworn in because that is what the region wants.”-TheNigerDeltaYouthVanguardurgingthefederal governmenttoinauguratetheboardoftheNigerDeltaDevelopment Commission(NDDC)confirmed bytheSenate.