NLNG: With Decade of Gas Plan, Nigeria

Can Catch Up with Industrialised Nations

Says plan requires FG to commit about $2bn initial funding annually Urges next govt to stick with initiative on assumption of office
Peter Uzoho in Abuja Executive Officer of the Nigerian expressed optimism that Nigeria's developed and industrialised Mshelbila, also explained that would require strong collaboration
Liquefied Natural Gas Limited Decade of Gas policy would enable countries of the world if successfully implementing and realising the
The Managing Director/Chief (NLNG), Dr. Phillip Mshelbila has the country to catch up with the implemented as planned. ambitious decade-long gas plan Continued on page 12

FEC Approves N1.535tn for Rehabilitation Of 700 Kilometre Roads Under NNPCL Tax Credit Scheme... Page 6
Thursday 20 April, 2023
Vol 28. No 10235. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com
TR N
UT H
& RE A S O

DMO: Nigeria Has Not Defaulted in Debt Repayment to China... Page 12

Buhari Seeks Due Judicial Process on Ararume, NNPCL Matter
Says Justice ministry yet to be served copy of ruling Sues for calm among parties involved
Deji Elumoye in Abuja yesterday said he has taken due Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the Company Limited (NNPCL). the President, Femi Adesina, while Justice was yet to receive a formal
notice of a judgment by the Federal non-executive Chairman of the According to a statement yes- the Office of the Attorney General
President Muhammadu Buhari High Court, Abuja, that restored Nigeria National Petroleum terday, by the Media Adviser to of the Federation and Minister for Continued on page 12

Tinubu: Police Must Investigate Adamawa

Guber Rerun Given Attendant Controversy
Commends poll’s peaceful atmosphere, congratulates Fintiri, Idris Military saved democracy,
says governor-elect, blames APC Receives certificate of return Lai Mohammed: Why Buhari
didn't interfere in poll crisis PDP victory is triumph of democracy, Elumelu celebrates
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha,
Adedayo Akinwale and Udora
Orizu in Abuja
President-elect Bola Tinubu, yesterday,
called on the police authorities to fully
investigate what transpired during
the supplementary governorship
election in Adamawa State because
of the controversy associated with
the exercise.
Tinubu, in a statement he per-
sonally signed, also congratulated
the governor of Adamawa State,
Ahmadu Fintiri, and the Kebbi
State governor-elect, Nasiru Idris,
as well as senators-elect, House
of Representatives members-elect,
and state Houses of Assembly
members-elect. He commended
the “largely peaceful atmosphere”
that encompassed the last round of
elections held on April 15.
But Fintiri, who spoke yesterday
IWUANYANWU BECOMES NEW OHANAEZE PRESIDENT...
L-R: His Royal Majesty Eze Cletus Ilomuoanya; Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma and consensus candidate for the post of President, Ohanaeze
Continued on page 12 Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, after he was presented to the governor at the Government House, Owerri... yesterday

Senate Presidency: Opposition Parties Not Planning to Frustrate APC Leadership on Zoning, Lawmaker Declares... Page 33
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T H I S D AY
Group News Editor: Goddy Egene
Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580
2023 NIGERIA OIL AND GAS OPPORTUNITY FAIR...
L-R: Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Akintunde Adelana; Managing Director of Jake Riley, Funmi Ogbue, and Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Simbi Wabote,
during a press briefing on the 2023 Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF), themed "The Oil and Gas Industry: Catalyst and Fuel for the Industrialisation of Nigeria" in Abuja ... yesterday PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI
FEC Approves N1.535tn for Rehabilitation Of 700
Kilometre Roads Under NNPCL Tax Credit Scheme
Okays granting of citizenship to 385 foreigners Approves e-customs modernisation project despite court order
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Federal Executive Council
(FEC) rose from its weekly meeting
presided over by the Vice President,
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in Abuja,
yesterday, with the approval of
the sum of N1.535 trillion for the
construction and rehabilitation of
11 roads across the country, under
the Nigerian National Petroleum
Company Limited (NNPCL) Tax
Credit Scheme.
Works and Housing Minister,
Babatunde Fashola, who disclosed
this to newsmen at the State House,
Abuja, after the FEC meeting, said
over N1.5 trillion would be spent
on some major roads totalling over
700 kilometres, which would soon
be completed to link11 States in
the country.
According to him, the benefiting
states include Edo, Delta, Kano,
Kaduna, Borno and Adamawa,
among others
He explained: “The Council gave
approval for the construction and
rehabilitation of 11 roads totaling
737.242 kilometers in the sum of N1,
535, 154, 247, 234.48 under phase
II of the NNPC tax credit scheme.
“Recall that in January this year,
the council approved a memo for
the NNPC to invest N1.9 trillion
on our roads. That amount was
then about 44 roads that had been
awarded and the balance of those
roads that had to go through
procurement between then and
now are the 11 that have now
Buhari Returns to Abuja After Eight-
day Official Trip to Saudi Arabia
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari
yesterday returned to Abuja, after
his eight-day official visit to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where
he also performed the Umrah
(Lesser Hajj).
The presidential aircraft landed at
the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport at 5:08 pm, after nearly
seven hours for a four to five
hour Jeddah-Abuja flight due to
the ongoing situation in Sudan
that warrants the avoidance of
the country’s entire airspace by
air traffic.
According to a statement issued
been approved by the council."
Some other road contracts
were approved following memos
presented at Wednesday’s FEC
meeting by the Federal Ministry
of Works and Housing.
The contract awarded also
included an augmentation cost
for the Ogun Shagamu road project.
Giving an insight into the projects,
Fashola said, "the Ministry of Works
presented four memoranda, all of
which were approved. The first
was for the augmentation of an
existing contract in Ogun - Shagamu
road. The contractor has run out
of quantities, needs augmentation
to finish the road.
"I think out of about 32 kilometers
they completed over 20 kilometers
which has been open to traffic. So
council approved is N6.972 billion
augmentation for them to complete
the road. That was one."
Explaining further, the Works
Minister said a memo on behalf
of the Federal Road Maintenance
Agency (FEMA), a statutory Cor-
poration under the supervision of
the Ministry of Works and Housing,
sailed through Council with respect
to the rehabilitation of five roads
and the construction of one road.
He listed the roads to include
Orogun -Owerugbo and associated
roads in Delta state in favor of Mrs.
UYK in the sum of N2.99 billion.
Others were the rehabilitation
of Gege to Garage road in Yobe in
favor of Mother Cat N12.926 billion
then the rehabilitation of Geshua
by presidential spokesperson,
Mallam Garba Shehu, the rerouted
aircraft flew from Jeddah, in Saudi
Arabia through Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Uganda, DRC, Central
African Republic, Cameroon and
eventually Nigeria.
Upon his safe arrival in Abuja,
the president was received at the
presidential wing of the airport by
top government officials including
the Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim
Gambari; Deputy Inspector General
of Police, Danmallam Mohammed,
representing the Inspector General
of Police and the Director General,
Department of State Services (DSS),
Yusuf Magaji Bich
to Potiskum road in Yobe in favor
of Thinker Point N2.986 billion.
"The rehabilitation and con-
struction of Onitsha-Aguleri to
Adani road in Anambra in favor
of Commerce Steel and Construction
N2.499 billion and the rehabilitation
of Geshuwa-Yusufani road in Yobe
in favor of Saha Continental Civil
Engineering Limited at the sum of
N1.99 billion and the rehabilitation
of Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe road section
one, Oba UG 35 kilometres in favor
of messes Ferotex Construction in
sum of N2.499 billion. That was
the second memorandum which
was approved," he noted.
On the third memorandum FEC
approved, Fashola said it was with
respect to the augmentation of the
Potiskum to Damaturu section
four part of the Kano-Maiduguri
highway which is about 600
kilometers.
"Shuware to Azare and Azare
Wabote: How NCDMB Summit Raised In-
country Participation in NLNG Train7 to 50%
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian
Content Development and Monitor-
ing Board (NCDMB), Mr Simbi
Wabote, yesterday disclosed that the
floating of the biennial Nigerian Oil
& Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF),
partly helped boost in-country
participation to 50 per cent in the
ongoing $5 billion NLNG Train 7
project.
Speaking during a press briefing
in Abuja, on the 2023 edition of
the event coming up in Yenagoa,
Bayelsa state, next month, Wabote
posited that while the involvement of
Nigerians in the building of the Trains
1-6 was near zero, the gas facility
under construction has Nigerians
now largely represented.
The fair brought together major
players across the upstream, mid-
stream and downstream sectors of
the Nigerian oil and gas industry,
including government agencies,
industry regulators and the National
Assembly to showcase opportunities
in the sector and present available
in-country capacity.
“One of the greatest successes that
we did record in this programme is
that if you look at the NLNG Train
to Potiskum will be open to traffic.
This section Potiskum to Damaturu
is also almost completed. There's
just an augmentation of N2.577
billion to cover escalation of cost
in materials and to provide for
lane markings.
"So that the road can be fully
finally handed over. That was a
third contract that was approved.”
When asked why such contract
awards when the lifespan of the
administration was almost coming
to an end, Fashola made attempts
to justify it, saying, " if the question
is posed to Nigerians whether these
projects should be left undone
and transferred to the incoming
administration, majority of the
citizens would prefer it comes
now because of the implications
of job creation and stimulating the
economy".
Also briefing the media, Minister
of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola,
1-6, during its construction phase,
if you go and check the level of
Nigerian participation, it was near
zero because LNG technology was
alien to us and the activities there.
“Everything practically was done
outside the country, if you take it
from trains 1-6, but with the advent
of NOGOF today, 50 per cent of the
activities in LNG Train 7 is being
done by Nigerians.
“This is because we provided the
information which enabled them to
prepare themselves to participate in
that project and I sincerely believe
if we want to build another train,
I can assure you that almost 70 per
cent of it will be done by Nigerians
in-country,” Wabote stressed.
He explained that in line with
previous editions, this year’s
NOGOF would foster institutional
collaboration, maximise participation
of Nigerians in oil and gas activities,
link the oil and gas sector to other
sectors of the economy and also
maximise the utilisation of Nigeria
resources.
“Talking about the LNG, if
you want to extrapolate the value
that the 50 per cent is, I think the
LNG project is a total of $5 billion
end-to-end and 50 per cent of that
NEWS
said FEC approved the granting of
Nigerian citizenship to 385 foreign
nationals residing in the country.
He said 317 of the applicants
were granted citizenship by natu-
ralisation while 68 were granted
by registration, adding that all the
applicants met the requirements
for such an honour.
“FEC at its meeting today ap-
proved the granting of Nigeria’s
citizenship by naturalisation to 317
applicants and Nigeria’s citizenship
by registration to 68 applicants.
“Those granted citizenship have
met all the constitutional and admin-
istrative requirements for the grant
of Nigerian citizenship,”Aregbesola
explained.
The minister also disclosed that
the council approved a special fire
detection and alarm system to be
installed in all firefighting stations
across the country.
“At the same meeting, the council
is being handled in-country and by
Nigerians. That's a significant leap
and this only happened because we
provided a lot of Nigerians the
opportunity,” he added.
The event, the fourth in the series,
holding on May 18th and 19th, he
said, has its theme as: “The Oil and
Gas Industry: Catalyst and Fuel for
the Industrialisation of Nigeria.”
He explained that the theme
was important as it highlights the
critical role of the oil and gas industry
in fuelling industrialisation and
overall development of the Nigerian
economy, with its focus on linkage
industries even beyond Nigeria.
He noted that NCDMB was also
helping other African countries build
their local content development
models, stressing that while in the
past, the industry spent $21 billion
year-on-year, less than five per cent
remained in the country.
“Virtually everything was done
outside this country. Today, 54 per
cent of that is retained in-country
in terms of monetary value and
activities,” he explained.
The executive secretary noted
that the agenda for this year's event
include technical opportunity sessions
for various stakeholders and exhibi-
approved the full business case for
a project on National Fire Detection
and Alarm System, incorporating
life safety systems, networking,
monitoring and dispatching at
real time.
“This will be through a Public
Private Partnership arrangement.
At the completion of the project,
Nigerians who so desire would
subscribe to an automatic fire
alarm system that if you have in
your house, will raise an alarm
at each of the fire service stations
nationwide,” Aregbesola stressed.
The Minister said the project will
be at no cost to the government
and it will be fully digitized thus
facilitating prompt response to any
fire emergency.
FEC also approved E-Customs
Modernisation project despite a
court order.
Continues online
tion that would enable networking
opportunities for delegates and give
organisations the opportunity to
distinguish themselves and pres-
ent their activities or products to
delegates.
Stressing that Artificial Intel-
ligence would not take over the
job of humans, he argued that the
world should take advantage of the
advantages that come with the AI
space, explaining that humans will
still build robots and operate them.
He, however said the challenge
was in retooling and reskilling to
meet with the new demands.
Wabote stated that the NCDMB
would review the progress made
by the board sometimes by taking
counts of how many local businesses
are growing in the oil and gas sector
in terms of engineering, fabrication,
procurement and construction.
“Last year, we got into the statistics
and it was 54 per cent in terms of
local content and our plan is that
we will hit the 70 per cent mark
by 2027. We're very much on track,
because within that plan, we had
short, medium and long term things
that we must do to be able to achieve
that 70 per cent. So we're very much
on track on that,” he said.
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY 7
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T H I S D AY
NEWS
2023 KPMG CFO FORUM AGENDA...
L-R: Partner, Tax, Regulatory and People Services, KPMG Nigeria, Mr. Ajibola Olomola; Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Access Holding Plc, Morounke Olufemi; Senior Partner, KPMG West Africa, Mr. Tola Adeyemi;
Partner and Chief Economist, KPMG Nigeria, Dr. Yemi Kale; CFO, Development Bank of Nigeria, Ijeoma Ozulumba; Associate Director ESG KPMG Nigeria, Merilyn Obaisa-Osula; and Partner, Audit Financial Services,
KPMG Nigeria, Oseme Obaloje, during the 2023 KPMG CFO Forum Agenda themed "Achieving Economic Stability in a Transition Year" held in Lagos ...yesterday
NNPC: PIA Grew Oil Industry FDI
from $775m in 2018 to $4bn in 2022
Targets $10 per barrel production cost
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum
Company Limited (NNPC) yesterday
stressed that the Petroleum Industry
Act (PIA) aided the growth of inflow
of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
from a paltry $775 million in 2018
to $4 billion in 2022.
Speaking on Day 4 of the ongoing
Nigeria International Energy Summit
(NIES), in Abuja, the Chief Upstream
Investment Officer, NUIMS, Bala
Wunti, stated that despite the chal-
lenges, the NNPC unit was targeting
$10 per barrel production cost in
the near term.
Lawmakers Threaten to Arrest AGF, Finance
Minister for Shunning $2.4bn Crude Oil Sales Probe
Summon duo over alleged payment of $200m whistleblowers’ consultancy fees Demand details of transaction from CBN
Udora Orizu in Abuja
The House of Representatives may
issue warrant of arrest on the At-
torney General of the Federation
(AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr.
Abubakar Malami and the Minister
of Finance, Budget and National
Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, if
they again fail to appear before its
ongoing probe on the alleged illegal
sale of 48 million barrels of crude
oil amounting to over $2.4 billion
to global destinations.
The House Ad-hoc Committee
investigating alleged loss of over
$2.4 billion from illegal sale of 48
million barrels of crude oil exports
in 2015, including crude oil export,
gave the warning at its resumed
hearing yesterday.
The lawmakers had on April 11,
summoned the duo to appear before
the parliament to give clarification on
the operation of the whistleblower
policy and approvals being made.
The Chairman of the Committee,
Hon. Mark Gbillah, while reacting
to their absence at the resumed
hearing, said if the ministers failed
to honour its invitation again, the
panel would be forced to invoke
the instrument of summons and
all other necessary powers the
National Assembly could exercise
which includes warrant of arrest.
"We will make this further
appeal to the Minister of Finance
and the Attorney General of the
Federation and all others who have
not responded or who have not
honoured the Committee's invitations
Through the instrumentality of the
PIA, Wunti, who was represented
by the NUIMS Head, Finance,
Chisoma Elewa-Ikpakwu, stated
that the unit was also beginning
to see enhancements in its operations.
According to him, the host com-
munities are now more friendly since
the PIA clearly specified the role
and responsibility of stakeholders,
which is helping to provide the
much-needed peaceful investment
climate.
“So also in Nigeria, we’ve seen
a new trend in the movement of
money. Foreign direct investments
into our sector had gradually peaked
to do so in the national interest.
“In the event that they fail to
do so, we will be constrained to
invoke the instrument of summons
and all other necessary powers the
National Assembly can exercise in
this regard.
"We want to make this formal and
final notice to those concerned - the
Minister of Finance and the Attorney
General of the Federation - to cause
appearance before the committee
to give evidence with regard to the
allegations that have been laid with
regard to the questions the committee
has requested for them to answer
and to respond to," Gbillah said.
The committee also invited
Malami to appear before it to
respond to the allegations that
he approved the payment of the
sum of $200 million to two private
firms as consultancy services fees
on whistleblowers’ recoveries.
The panel equally demanded the
appearance of the finance minister,
Ahmed, to explain her role in the
said approvals and payment without
providing details of actual recoveries
from whistle blowers.
The committee's chairman,
Gbillah, expressed displeasure over
the uncooperative attitude of the
ministers to the ongoing investigation
despite several letters of invitation.
"We have not been getting
any form of cooperation from
the Ministry of Finance and At-
torney General's office regarding
this investigation despite series of
correspondents sent to them on this
matters that we are investigating.
at $8.8 billion in 2011. This went
down to as low as $775 million in
2018. But with the PIA and all the
reforms that are going on, we saw
it beginning to gradually increase to
$3.8 billion in 2021 and last year, we
saw it hovering around $4 billion.
“At the NNPC, what are we
doing? The PIA has empowered
us and then the NNPC is now
profit-driven, more commercially
oriented and what the NNPC has
done in turn is to empower its
subsidiaries,” Wunti added.
He stated that for NUIMS, a
service unit of NNPC limited
with the responsibility of managing
“We have seen documentations
from the Accountant General's office,
where the Minister Finance approved
the payment of substantial significant
amount of money to so-called whistle
blowers where details of monies
recovered were not provided.
"We have heard media reports
by the federal government indicat-
ing that millions of dollars were
recovered through whistle blower
revelations on behalf of the country.
But we as a parliament have not
seen where those monies were
routed through the constitutional
FG Approves N3.4bn Surveillance Aircraft for Customs
Okays N15bn concessionaire for e-NSITF infrastructure
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The federal government has ap-
proved the sum of N3.4 billion for
the procurement of a surveilance
aircraft for the use of the nation’s
Customs Service.
Minister of State for Budget and
National Planning, Clem Agba, made
this known yesterday while speaking
with newsmen at the end of the
weekly Federal Executive Council
(FEC) meeting chaired by the Vice
President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
According to him, “The Ministry
of Finance Budget and National
Planning presented a couple of
memos for which approvals
were obtained. The first one was
for the award of contract for the
NNPC's investment in the upstream
sector, it has many advantages that
make the unit unique.
He listed the advantages of the
unit as a broad resource base and
location in diverse operations,
including land, swamp and shallow
water, stressing that energy remains
a key enabler of developments.
In the last one year, the NUIMS
head stated that the NNPC has
established a hydrocarbon industry
security architecture, which has seen
production improving from about
1 million barrels per day in the last
quarter of 2022 to about 1.6 million
per day in February this year, with
appropriation process before they
were expended. The constitution
is very clear about the receipt and
expenditure of Nigeria's money,"
he said.
The committee chairman further
said the panel was interested in
knowing where the Attorney General
derives his powers to approve
payment of funds meant for the
federation without recourse to the
legislature through formal request
by the executive.
He said: "We have looked at the
functions of the Attorney General's
procurement of a Cessna Caravan
aircraft by the Nigerian Customs in
the sum of N3,447,442,710 inclusive
of 7.5 percent VAT with a delivery
period of 12 months."
He said the aircraft would help
a lot in carrying out air surveillance
as well as curb the activities of
smugglers.
“This aircraft is an addition to
the current fleet in the Customs
Service and it is aimed towards
combating smuggling activities and
enhancing intelligence gathering. It
is also to provide aerial surveillance
and reconnaissance for the customs
across our borders,” Agba added.
He further disclosed that N45.9
billion was approved as augmenta-
tion for the cost of contracts for
PHOTO; ETOP UKUTT
a daily average of 1.5 million barrels
per day currently.
He listed other achievements as
the signing of Production Sharing
Contract (PSC) agreements, stressing
that prior to 2022 there were a
lot of uncertainty in the industry
because PSC were ‘sparing’ and
partners didn’t really know how the
renegotiation will go satisfactorily.
Wunti added that the NNPC was
one of the first on the continent
to be ISO certified, because it is
determined to make the processes
its procedures world class.
He noted that NUIMS has
achieved an industry-wide electronic
management solution which all
partners in the industry have keyed
into and has a shareholder level
agreement for a logistics base in
Akwa Ibom.
“And this is geared towards
reducing costs of production.
Our short term objectives include
increasing our production and we
want to ensure that as we are doing
this, all assets produce positive cash
flows.
“We intend to increase our gas
monetisation. As for us in Nigeria,
we believe that gas is not just a
transition fuel but it is our destina-
tion energy. So we’re also working
towards increasing our shareholders
returns, we are invested with huge
resources of over $60 billion assets.
“We need to satisfy shareholders
and we want to do all these with
zero incidents. This is underpinned
by our philosophy of doing every-
thing we are doing with efficiency,
trust and sustainability of operations
and we do it with speed and comply
Endorses amendment of obsolete labour laws
the construction of the Nigerian
Deposit Insurance Corporation’s
(NDIC) Head office Building in
Abuja and Lagos, including its
training institute in Lagos.
“The augmentation amount is a
total of N45, 937, 319, 279.44. There
are three different projects here; the
first one is the NDIC Head Office
Annex project in Abuja, the Lagos
Office project and the Lagos Training
Centre project in Lekki-Lagos," he
said.
On his part, Minister of Labour
and Employment, Dr Chris
Ngige, told journalists that FEC
approved the phase two of the
electronic Nigeria Social Insurance
Trust Fund, e-NSITF, which would
enable concessionaire to upgrade
with all known regulations and at
world class standard.
“Our long term and midterm
objectives are to increase output to
2 million barrels per day and to
increase gas production by about 1.5
billion SCF per day while working
towards a $10 production cost per
barrel,” he added.
On his part, the Group Chief
Executive Officer of the NNPC,
Mallam Mele Kyari, who was
represented by the Managing
Director of the Nigerian Gas
Infrastructure Company Limited
, Seyi Omotowa, stressed that
the NNPC plays an active role in
realising the intended benefits of
the Decade of Gas initiatives.
“The opportunities to be unlocked
from the Decade of Gas are nu-
merous with significant benefits
for Nigeria. With over 200 tcf of
natural gas reserves and a potential
of growing to 600 tcf, there will be
enough resources for the numer-
ous gas utilisation projects being
developed by NNPC Limited and
its partners
“NNPC is therefore taking
advantage of the huge reserves to
support growth in the power and
industrial sectors, address energy
poverty, reduce carbon-footprint
and create more employment
opportunities.
“Accordingly, NNPC has invested
heavily in gas infrastructure as a key
driver for gas development with our
wide network of pipelines across the
country such as the Escravos-Lagos
Pipeline System (EPS), in the Western
Network and the Oben-Sapele linked
by Ajaokuta/Geregu Interconnector
the infrastructure for N15 billion.
Ngige also said the council
granted approval for the amendment
of obsolete laws in line with the
International Labour Organisation
(ILO) standard.
He said, "The second memo is the
memo or what we call the electronic
NSITF, Nigerian Social Insurance
Trust Fund. Nigeria now operates
the old workmen Compensation
Act, which is now Employee
Compensation Act 2010.
"Therefore, what we are trying
to do is to align the contributions
of NSITF to make it fraud-free.
People should be able to make the
contributions of workers with ease
even from the comfort of their office
and generate certificates.”
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY 9
10
NEWS
MEETING OF THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL...
L-R : Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Mariam Katagum; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola
and Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, during the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja....yesterday
PwC Report: FIRS Paid N69.926bn Tax Refund in Three Years
Received N321.34bon, $862.61m, €114m refund applications within the period under review
Dike Onwuamaeze
A PwC Nigeria’s report released
yesterday has disclosed that the
Federal Inland Revenue Service
(FIRS) paid a total sum of N69,
926,345, 255,45 in tax refunds in
2019, 2020 and 2021.
The report titled, “Tax Refunds
in Nigeria – Myth or Reality,” also
stated that the FIRS received N321,
344,546,103.68; $862,612,748.63 and
€114,000.31 tax refund applications
in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The PwC’s report also showed
that the federal government pro-
vided a total of N75 billion for the
payment of tax refund in 2019, 2020
and 2021. This was at a fixed rate
of N25 billion per year irrespective
of the sum being claimed for tax
refund.
The report also showed that
the FIRS received 911 requests
for tax refund out of which 362
were processed and paid.
A breakdown of the figures
showed that 284 applications were
received in 2019, for the repayment
of the sum of N211, 305,047, 504.44
and $18,041,869.81 in 2019. However,
only 192 applications were processed
and the sum of N23,605,897,863.40
repaid.
In the same vein, a total of 242
requests were received in 2020 for
the repayment of N52,584,000,991.28,
FG Asks Immigration CG to
Hand over to Most Senior DCG
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The federal government has
directed the Comptroller General
of the Nigeria Immigration Service
(NIS), Idris Isah, whose tenure is
expected to expire on April 24, to
hand over the affairs of the Service
to the most senior officer.
This directive was believed to
have been given to placate those set
to protest the alleged plotting by
the ongoing CG to further extend
his tenure.
The CG who was due for
retirement April 24, last year, had
gotten an extension for a year and
is presently alleged to be plotting
another extension.
But in order to checkmate the
alleged move, some concerned
officers had written to President
Muhammadu Buhari against this,
insisting that it would lead to bad
$6,416,999.31 and €57,453.00 in
tax refund. But 125 requests
were processed and the sum of
N27,883,524,254.05 repaid.
Also, in 2021, 385 applications
were received by the FIRS for the
repayment of N57,455,497,607.96,
$838,153,879.51 and €56,547.
However, only 45 applications
were processed and the sum of
N18,436,923,135.00 were repaid to
deserving tax payers.
The report indicated that the
value of tax refund applications
received by the FIRS increased by
almost 10 per cent from 2020 to
2021, and in each of the two years,
the applications received exceeded
the budget amount of N25 billion
in each year.
The PwC stated that, “it appears
that there is no data driving the
fixed budget amount of N25 billion,
despite the increase in demand
cases. This may cast more doubts
in the minds of taxpayers about the
willingness of the tax authorities
to make refunds.”
The audit firm stated that the
FIRS annual reports for the periods
under review also showed that “the
payment of approved refund applica-
tions was subject to the availability
of funds released to the FIRS in
the annual budget/appropriation.
“The question then is whether
the government has made adequate
blood and indiscipline within the
Service, and even threatened to
come out in large numbers to
protest the illegality.
Reacting to the development
through a memo issued by the
Civil Defense, Correctional, Fire
and Immigration Services Board,
dated 17th of April, 2023, and
addressed to the NIS boss, the
federal government directed him
to, “hand over to the most senior
officer, the Deputy Comptroller
General on or before Monday
24th April, 2023, pending Mr.
President’s appointment of a
substantive Comptroller General
of the Service.”
The memo signed by the act-
ing secretary to the Board, Obasi
Edozie Edmund, reminded the
outgoing CG of his one-year tenure
extension granted to him in 2022
by the President.
provisions to cater for situations
where the approved refunds exceed
the budget.”
It stated that a taxpayer might
request a refund for various reasons,
including tax remittance made with
mistaken tax identification numbers,
withholding tax deductions in excess
of income tax payable, when input
VAT exceeds output VAT and for
other computation or payment
errors.
The PwC also compared the
Nigerian situation with what
was obtainable in Germany and
South Africa.
It added: “In Germany, refund
payments are usually made within
two to six months of an application;
and there is an interest of 0.15 per
cent that is charged for late refunds
payments.
Yemi-Esan Urges NIPSS to Allocate Additional
Training Slots to Federal Civil Servants
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Head of the Civil Service of
the Federation (HoS), Dr. Folasade
Yemi-Esan has appealed to the man-
agement of the National Institute of
Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS)
to reconsider the entry position, as
well as allocated slots for federal civil
servants into the Senior Executive
Course (SEC).
She also decried the seven slots
being offered the service annually.
The HoS made the appeal when
the Director General of NIPSS, Prof.
Ayo Omotayo and the institute’s
management staff paid her a courtesy
visit, in Abuja
She complained that only sub-
stantive Directors are considered
eligible for admission, while the
bar was being lowered for public
servants, especially the military and
paramilitary.
Yemi-Esan urged the NIPSS to do
a comparative analysis of posts in the
federal civil service vis-a-vis those
of the public service with a view
to correcting the anomaly, adding
that the data is readily accessible.
She also commended NIPSS for re-
tooling the personnel in government
through the conduct of courses for
middle and top level officers with
the understanding and application
of modern policy formulation and
strategic management skills to
problem solving in the pursuit of
“South Africa has made
remarkable progress with its tax
refund administration. The South
African Revenue Service (SARS)
reported in April 2022 that it paid
out its highest-ever amount in tax
refunds in 25 years, representing
an estimated 5.1 per cent of gross
domestic product.
“According to the reports, the
refunds reflected a growth year-
on-year of 10 per cent mostly
dominated by VAT (R262.4 billion),
Personal Income Tax (R33.7 billion),
CIT (R17.7 billion) and Customs
duties (R58 billion).”
The PwC, however, recom-
mended that the timeframe from
verification of refund to the payment
of the tax refunds should not exceed
12 months. It also recommended
that taxpayers should ensure that
national developmental goals.
She added that a collaboration
between NIPSS and the Office of
the Head of Civil Service of the
Federation would make for a better
understanding of government policies
and their effectiveness noting that
in the last three years, a substantial
number of the present crop of
transformative federal permanent
secretaries were products of institute.
Responding to Omotayo on the
proposed certification of Directors
undergoing SEC as policy analysts,
the HoS said it would be economi-
Ndiomu Seeks EU Collaboration on Amnesty Programme
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Interim Administrator Presi-
dential Amnesty Programme (PAP),
Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd)
yesterday visited the European
Union (EU) office in Abuja, as
part of the efforts to reposition
the amnesty programme and
improve the lives of ex-agitators
in the Niger Delta Region.
At the strategic meeting, he
solicited institutional and technical
support from the EU, especially in
the PAP’s proposed Cooperative
Scheme that is set to commence.
The interim administrator
highlighted how the cooperative
would create sustainable livelihoods
THURSDAY,


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T H I S D AY
PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI
proper and relevant documentation
is maintained to aid refund requests.
“Also, taxpayers should conduct
a tax health-check before applying
for the tax refunds. The FIRS should
adopt a proper revenue recognition
mechanism where WHT from
companies (except where the WHT
is final tax), are properly treated as
liabilities until the relevant entities
have filed their annual returns, or
other appropriate criteria are met.
“This results in more accurate
reporting, increases transparency
and improves taxpayer confidence.
“Commercial interest should
apply on late payment of refunds,
similar to interest imposed on
taxpayers for late payment of taxes.
This encourages accountability, and
aligns our tax system with global
best practices.”
cally unwise to spend funds training
officers, who have less than three
or four years to exit the service,
given that the certificates were
for proficiency and not career
progression, which negates the
primary purpose of value addition.
Regarding the replacement of
staff that had left the service of
the Institute, Yemi-Esan asked them
to apply for a waiver, since there
was an embargo on employment,
while highlighting that the process
of authorised establishments starts
towards the ending of each year.
for youths in the Niger Delta and
make them more self-reliant, noting
the persistent problem since the
laying down of arms which is
how to meaningfully engage the
ex-agitators, is the cardinal focus
of his administration.
He informed the EU that the
figure of existing beneficiaries
was reviewed upwards to
cover indigenes of impacted
communities, adding that over
five vocational training centres
have been established across the
Niger Delta Region, with some
at various completion stages of
completion.
He said the cooperative scheme,
once fully operational, would
The PwC noted that taxpayers
would begin to feel a deeper
sense of trust and confidence in
the government if an efficient tax
refund system is put in place.
It added that “from an equity
perspective, it is generally accepted
that if a legal remedy or equitable
relief is available to a deserving
party but is not provided in good
time, it is effectively the same as
having no remedy. Essentially, justice
delayed is justice denied.
“A proper refund system becomes
increasingly critical as the govern-
ment starts focusing on fostering
the ease of doing business and
encouraging foreign investment and
participation in Nigeria. Investors
will feel more confident where they
know that overpaid taxes can be
refunded.”
She further directed the institute to
make a presentation to the Salaries,
Income and Wages Commission
concerning the peasant emolu-
ment of its staff as raised by the
Director General, stressing that the
OHCSF only has responsibility for
establishment matters.
Earlier, while soliciting for more
effective collaboration, Omotayo,
stated that the OHCSF, being the
think-tank of the government,
should ensure that policies are well
articulated, as well as executed to
the latter.
discourage ex-agitators from
continuously depending on the
monthly N65,000 stipends, and
look to more sustainable ways
of living.
Ndiomu regretted that successive
leaderships in the region appear to
have applied short-term measures
in their approach to tackling the
problem of youth restiveness.
Responding, Agnieszka Tor-
res De Oliveira, Politics, Press
and Information Officer of the
EU Delegation to Nigeria and
ECOWAS, acknowledged that the
initiatives of the PAP fall in line
with the pillars of the EU, which
include security, peace-building and
human development.
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY 11
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TWELVE
DMO: Nigeria Has Not Defaulted in Debt Repayment to China
$1.38bn paid as interest on foreign loans in 2022 FG, states, LGs share N714.629bn March revenue
Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Debt Management Office
(DMO) has debunked a media
report that Nigeria had defaulted
in its debt repayment to China for
which the purported "penalties stand
at N41.31 billion.”
According to the report, Nigeria
failed to service its debt to China
which had accumulated to N110.31
billion in the last two years, adding
that from January 2021 to December
2022, the principal fee stood at N69,
009,417,500 ($153.85million), while
the interest charges amounted to
the sum of N41, 311,455,000 ($92.1
million).
However, the DMO in a rebuttal
via an official statement made
available to THISDAY yesterday,
NLNG: WITH DECADE OF GAS PLAN, NIGERIA CAN CATCH UP WITH INDUSTRIALISED NATIONS
of all stakeholders and would need
the federal government to make
initial funding commitment of
between one to $2 billion every
year to support the project.
The NLNG boss stated this
yesterday, in Abuja, during his
keynote presentation at the 13th
International Conference and
Exhibition organised by the Nigeria
Gas Association (NGA), with the
theme: "Ensuring the Realisation
of Nigeria's Decade of Gas."
The NGA conference was
subsumed into the sixth Nigerian
International Energy Summit (NIES),
holding at the International Confer-
ence Center (ICC), Abuja.
Mshelbila, who highlighted the
importance of the Decade of Gas
agenda to Nigeria's push for eco-
nomic growth and industrialisation,
however, appealed to the in-coming
administration not to disrupt the
plan but stick to it and drive it to
full implementation.
The Decade of Gas agenda is
ambitious programme of the federal
government launched in 2021 by
President Muhammadu Buhari
and the immediate-past Minister
of State for Petroleum Resources,
Chief Timipre Sylva to help Nigeria
achieve industrialisation, economic
prosperity and tackle energy poverty
by using gas as an enabler.
The programme is being powered
by the government in conjunction
with a broad team of stakeholders
from the Nigerian oil and gas
industry and other linkage sectors.
Nigeria currently boasts of having
about 209 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of
natural gas reserve and ranks as
the ninth world’s largest gas nation
by reserve, but the country is only
able to produce between seven to
eight billion standard cubic feet per
day (bscf) of gas.
BUHARI SEEKS DUE JUDICIAL PROCESS ON ARARUME, NNPCL MATTER
copy of the ruling, the president
affirmed that due judicial process
would be followed, adding that the
NNPCL had already taken steps
to go on appeal.
He said his administration
respects the rule of law, adding
that nothing would be done outside
it to resolve the matter.
Buhari therefore called for calm
from all sides involved.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal
High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday,
set aside the removal of Ararume
as the Non-Executive Chairman of
the Board of NNPC Ltd.
Justice Ekwo in a judgment had
held that Ararume's removal by
Buhari contravened provisions of
the NNPC Ltd laws as well as the
Company's and Allied Matters Act.
The judge consequently made an
order reinstating Ararume as the
Non-Executive Chairman of the
NNPC Ltd Board with immediate
effect.
Ararume had last year dragged
Buhari to court over his removal
as the Chairman of the Board of
the NNPC Ltd. Ararume had
demanded a whopping sum of
N100 billion as damages caused him
due to the unlawful manner he was
removed as Board Chairman after
his name was used to incorporate
the entity.
The president had in a letter
dated January 17, and signed by the
said its attention was drawn to the
publication.
While advising the public to
ignore the story, the DMO noted
that a closer look at the publication
showed that the body of the report
was completely detached from the
headline.
"The public is advised to ignore
the publication as it is false. A closer
look at the media publication shows
that the body of the publication
is completely detached from the
headline which gives the impression
that the publishers of the report may
have set out to mislead the public.
“The public is assured that
Nigeria is fully committed to
honouring its debt obligations
and has not defaulted on any of
its debt service obligations.
While many gas nations of the
world have successfully used their
gas potential to develop, industrialise
and tackle unemployment, economic
and energy poverty challenges,
Nigeria is still wallowing in all
forms of underdevelopment.
Nigeria, Africa's largest nation by
population and natural resources
is still grappling with acute energy
poverty, hunger and starvation,
massive youth unemployment, lack
of quality education and health-
care, and alarming infrastructure
deficit despite its huge oil and gas
resources.
According to Mshelbila, the
Decade of Gas agenda has a more
detailed plan and was so crucial
to Nigeria achieving the expected
future for all Nigerians.
With the initiative, he said
Nigerians now have the opportunity
to take control of their destiny,
describing the plan as probably
the most comprehensive plan the
country had put together to date.
"And the reason is because
in putting together this plan,
we have gone back in time and
looked at every other plan that
was developed in the past. And
we've taken the valuable elements
from those ones, and then looked
at today's reality, which includes
things like the energy transition
and put together a plan that we
believe is indeed the single most
comprehensive plan.
"We realised that if we don't
act now, the social acceptability of
what we have traditionally done is
waning. Funding for the types of
activities that we have traditionally
done is disappearing", Mshelbila
said.
Unfortunately, he said Nigeria
had already lost three years out
of the 10 years' plan, maintaining
Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, withdrawn Ararume's
appointment without any reason
whatsoever, hence legal action was
commenced by the former Imo
State senator.
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/
CS/691/2022 was instituted on
his behalf by a group of Senior
Advocates of Nigeria (SANs)
comprising Chief Chris Uche,
Ahmed Raji, Mahmud Magaji,
Ogwu James Onoja, K.C Nwufor
and Gordy Uche.
Delivering judgment in the suit
after dismissing a total of seven
applications against its hearing,
Justice Ekwo held that the case
of the plaintiff had merit and
subsequently ruled in his favour.
According to the judge, the laws
guiding the NNPC as well as the
Petroleum Industry Act did not
empower the president with powers
to arbitrarily remove a director from
the board of the NNPC, adding
that with the new status of the
NNPC under the Company's and
Allied Matters Act, NNPC is not a
statutory agency under the federal
government.
Furthermore, Ekwo held that
Buhari was wrong when he went
ahead to remove Ararume as Board
Chairman without following the
due process of the law.
According to the judge, before
a member of the board of the
"The media report should
therefore be disregarded," the
DMO admonished.
Meanwhile, interest payments on
foreign loans grossed $1.384 billion
($1.384,755,373.26) between January
and December 2022.
The amount was expended as
interest accruing to multilateral and
bilateral as well as commercial loans
(Eurobonds).
While multilateral loans which
are largely concessionary in nature
accounted for $113.23 million of
the interest payment, bilateral and
commercial took the larger chunk.
In another development, the
Federation Account Allocation
Committee (FAAC) yesterday
shared a total sum of N714.629
billion March Federation Account
that with the need to also address
the environmental pressures, the
programme now has about seven
years left in the window, with a
change in administration now
waiting to happen.
"The key promoters who
launched this are on their way out.
We will have a new administration,
but we cannot afford a disruption
in the plan. And so the biggest
challenge that we have is to ensure
that this plan remains on track and
is also implemented as plan," he
noted.
He some countries had used
gas to turn their fortunes around,
pointing out that the United States
deployed technology that completely
changed the gas industry through
fracking, which was enabled by
the use of gas.
TINUBU: POLICE MUST INVESTIGATE ADAMAWA GUBER RERUN GIVEN ATTENDANT CONTROVERSY
at the Governor’s Lodge, Abuja,
blamed what he described as the
Abuja system, the ruling All Progres-
sives Congress (APC), and corrupt
security officials for masterminding
the drama that played out during
the supplementary election.
He, however, singled out the
military for praise, saying they saved
democracy and allowed the will of
the people to triumph.
Fintiri spoke after receiving his
Certificate of Return.
The governor said he had resolved
to prosecute and jail the Adamawa
State Resident Electoral Commis-
sioner (REC), Mr Hudu Yunusa
Ari, following his sordid role in
the rerun poll.
Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
said President Muhammadu Buhari
did not intervene in the Adamawa
State gubernatorial election crisis
NNPC including the non-Executive
chairman can be removed from
office; there must be a concrete
allegation against him or her, the
person must be confronted with
the said allegation and provided
with an opportunity to defend itself.
Ekwo dismissed the claim of
the NNPC Ltd that Ararume was
removed because he was not quali-
fied, involved in contract fraud,
amongst others, noting that no
evidence of such was contained
in the January 17 letter, for his
withdrawal.
According to the judge the
defense by NNPC was an exercise
in futility at manufacturing reasons
for Ararume's removal.
The judge held that the removal
of Ararume without fair hearing
by the president was, "wrong and
cannot be tolerated by a court of
law", adding that the, "plaintiff has
proved his case, he was not legally
and properly removed. I determine
question 1 in the positive; 2 in the
negative; 3 in the negative and 4
in the positive".
Justice Ekwo also held that the
plaintiff having proved his case
was entitled to damages.
The court held that the president's
letter of January 17, without comply-
ing with the NNPC's and CAMA
laws, "is wrongful, illegal, null and
void and of no consequence and
is hereby set aside.
Revenue to the federal, states and
local governments.
Citing a communiqué issued at
the end of the meeting for April, the
Director (Press and Public Relations),
Office of the Accountant General
of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa,
said the N714.629 billion total
distributable revenue comprised
distributable statutory revenue
of N497.448 billion, distributable
Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue
of N202.693 billion and Electronic
Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) of
N14.488 billion.
Total deductions for cost of
collection stood at N31.355 billion
while total deductions for transfers,
refunds and consultancy fees
amounted to N126.567 billion.
From the total distributable
While Qatar, which has one
of the biggest reserves of gas in
the world has now gone into an
expansion project that's going to
take them from 77 million tonnes
per annum (mtpa) of LNG export
to 126mtpa, Mshelbila argued that
Nigeria, through the NLNG, was
just trying to ramp up its LNG
supply to 30mtpa though the Train
7 project.
However, with the Decade of Gas,
he said Nigeria has its own plans
to achieve development like Quatar
and the rest, noting specifically that,
"we do have our own plan. And we
can catch up with these countries
that are doing these tremendous
and amazing things."
According to him, the Decade of
Gas was ambitious, but achievable,
adding that the agenda focused on
because it was not in his character
to micromanage any institution of
government. He said the president
believed that the task of dealing
with the infraction committed by
the suspended REC rested with
the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
At the same time, the Minority
Caucus in the House of Represen-
tatives, led by Ndudi Elumelu,
congratulated Fintiri on his re-election,
saying it is victory for democracy.
As repercussions continued to
unfolded following the controversies
that attended the Adamawa State
supplementary governorship poll,
Commandant General of the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi,
summoned the state Commandant
of the corps, Muhammad Bello, to
the national headquarters of the
organisation to explain his role in
the election.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor,
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Tuesday, led
a special prayer session for the
incoming administration of Tinubu.
Sanwo-Olu prayed for a peaceful
transfer of power and progress in
the country.
Tinubu, in the statement, said the
victorious men and women from the
last elections had earned the trust of
their people. He called on them to
rededicate themselves to the service
of their respective constituencies.
According to president-elect,
“The supplementary polls have
now brought the 2023 elections to
a final, fitting conclusion. I observed,
with satisfaction, the largely peace-
ful atmosphere that pervaded the
supplementary election on Saturday.
It was further testimony that our
citizens have accepted democratic
norms and have unalloyed faith in
the electoral process.
"However, I note the matter of Ad-
amawa supplementary governorship
election and I urge police authorities
to fully investigate all that transpired
in the election given the attendant
controversy. In every democratic
contest, there has to be one winner.
I call on those aggrieved to pursue
legitimate means of addressing their
grievances."
Tinubu said with the conclusion
of the 2023 elections, those elected
should prepare to serve the people
with diligence and dedication. He
implored the elected officials to join
hands with him in the pursuit of a
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T H I S D AY
revenue of N714.629 billion, the
federal government received
N276.141 billion, states got N232.129
billion, while the local government
councils received N171.257 billion.
A total sum of N35.102 billion
was shared to the relevant states
as 13 per cent derivation revenue.
According to the communique,
gross statutory revenue of N638.673
billion was received for March 2023,
N151.567 billion higher than the
sum of N487.106 billion received
in the previous month.
From the N497.448 billion
distributable statutory revenue,
the federal government received
N243.564 billion, states received
N123.539 billion and the local
governments got N95.243 billion.
The sum of N35.102 billion was
four pillars, had looked extensively
at the demand side and where the
demand was going to be by 2030
or 2050.
Mshelbila explained, "It's looked
at the demands across all of the
different sectors. It looked at the
supply side and then looking at the
supply side not just on weaving
around reserves to under TCF
and so on, but actually gone to
the level of identifying what are
the 10 key projects that if unlocked,
will ensure that we achieve our
objective within the decade.
"So, it's down to specifics for each
of these 10 projects. The intent is
that the key stakeholders for each
of those projects will sit down with
all the relevant stakeholders: be it
Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of
Finance, the regulators, particularly
better, stronger, more secure, economi-
cally vibrant, and prosperous Nigeria.
Fintiri: Military Saved
Democracy, Blames Abuja,
APC
Adamawa State Governor,
Ahmadu Fintiri, yesterday, blamed
the Abuja system, APC, and corrupt
security officials for the drama that
played out during the April 15
supplementary governorship election
in the state. Fintiri said it was the
military that saved democracy by
allowing the will of the people to
prevail.
The governor made the assertions
while addressing newsmen shortly
after he was issued his certificate of
return by INEC. He commended
some INEC officials for their upright-
ness and transparent conduct.
Fintiri attributed the controversial
events that played out during the
elections to desperation, saying, "I
give God Almighty (glory) for today.
Democracy has won at the end of
the day, the will of the people of
Adamawa State prevailed."
He, however, vowed to prosecute
Ari, saying, "I will direct the state
attorney to file charges against him,
prosecute him and make sure he
is jailed."
The governor said the state
government would have preferred
to have Ari prosecuted in the state,
and not Abuja, since the offence was
committed in Adamawa State. He
said he was confident that despite the
initial delays, he would have won the
election at the first ballot on March
18, but for Ari, who stoked crisis
and, allegedly, got most of his votes
pushed to the APC governorship
candidate.
Fintiri apologised to the INEC
national commissioners who were
injured in the fracas that took place
on Sunday, April 16. He said despite
the injustice meted out to him, he
pledged to be fair to all residents
of the state.
Alleging that there was external
manipulation from Abuja, the
governor admitted that the external
influence made the election the
toughest in his political career
He stated, "It is unfortunate that
we have to go through all these to
arrive at this moment today. This
should have been finished and
done since on the 18th of March.
But, unfortunately, because of the
shared to the relevant states as 13
per cent derivation revenue.
For March 2023, the gross revenue
available from the Value Added
Tax (VAT) was N218.786 billion,
N22.013 billion lower than the
N240.799 billion available in the
preceding month of February.
The federal government received
N30.404 billion, the state govern-
ments received N101.347 billion
while the local government councils
received N70.943 billion from the
N202.693 billion distributable VAT
revenue.
In the same vein, the N14.488
billion Electronic Money Transfer
Levy (EMTL) was shared, with the
federal, states and local governments
receiving N2.173 billion, N7.244 bil-
lion and N5.071 billion respectively.
Nigerian National Petroleum Com-
pany Limited and all of the different
stakeholders that are necessary to
enable those 10 projects to happen.
"And the specific tailored plan
will be developed and agreed and
put into implementation that's been
defined. We've also identified what
infrastructure is needed to connect
supply and demand. Some of them
are in play as has been mentioned.
Because the AKK is under construc-
tion already, but there are a number
of others that need to happen and
need to happen quick.
"If this is to work. The key ones
have also been identified. We have
an idea of the costs and there's an
understanding that government
needs to lead. But there's a recogni-
Continued on page 33
attitude of some individuals among
us, and indiscretions of some politi-
cians, it had to drag this long for
us to be here.
"But thank God, INEC, with very
wonderful and excellent personnel,
has redeemed the whole process.
They redeemed the image battered by
so-called REC and today, Nigerians
have cause to celebrate democracy.
“Going forward, we should
learn from the lessons that we
went through in the last one week
so that we can continue to build on
the process and on our democracy
as stakeholders.”
The governor thanked Nigerians
and the international community
for standing for democracy during
the whole saga. He alleged that
external forces from Abuja wanted to
strangulate democracy in the state.
Fintiri explained, "Yes it was
my toughest election because of
the external manipulation that
was coming from Abuja. They
were interested in seeing that they
strangle democracy. And you can see
to your dismay that even the security
agencies that are supposed to protect
our democracy were involved in
strangling the democracy in Nigeria.
Unfortunately, the military had to get
involved to save the democracy in
Adamawa. It is quite unfortunate."
The governor said he had become
a veteran of inconclusive elections,
and had learnt a lot.
"I know that I won the election
on 18 March, 2023 squarely from
the beginning,” he stated.
Fintiri added, “The REC, from the
beginning, has been manipulating
the election to give it to the APC.
Unfortunately, because of the
quantum of voting, he became
confused and had to declare the
election inconclusive, believing that if
he is given the second opportunity,
he will be able to manipulate. But
God did not allow him.
"We won the inconclusive election
again squarely and he had to do
what he did disgracefully. I think
INEC has taken steps and they are
going to prosecute him, but I think
the right place to prosecute him is in
Adamawa, because he committed the
offence in my land and I am going
to instruct the Ministry of Justice to
ensure that he is prosecuted and
taken to jail."
Meanwhile, INEC’s National Com-
Continued on page 36
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY 13
14
POLITY
The 2009 Ekiti State Guber Poll Fiasco
In April 2009, during the court-ordered supplementary poll to conclude the Ekiti State gubernatorial election between then incumbent
Governor Segun Oni of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Dr Kayode Fayemi of the opposition Action Congress (AC),
the Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Mrs Olusola Ayoka Adebayo suddenly disappeared with a letter of ‘resignation’ surfacing in
the media where she alluded to a plot to manipulate the election. With the current debacle in Adamawa State, the drama of Ekiti as
captured in the book, ‘Power Politics and Death: A front-row account of Nigeria under the late President Yar’Adua’, is worth recalling.
Memory of the Ekiti Guber Poll and REC Fiasco
…With the foregoing controversy as a backdrop,
the April 2009 gubernatorial re-run elections in
Ekiti State where the PDP and AC had equal
members in the House of Assembly was bound to
be seen as a real test of government’s political will
and ability to reform Nigeria’s electoral system.
The tribunal ruling had left the AC leading by
about 10,000 votes after results from five local
governments had been cancelled. This gap led
to the belief in the media and civil society that
the only way the outcome could be in favour of
the temporarily ousted PDP Governor Olusegun
Oni was if the polls were manipulated.
As he did in every other state where there
were re-run gubernatorial elections, the president
was in Ekiti to flag off the PDP campaign for
Oni. But in the process, Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, broke
into a Yoruba song that seemed to suggest the
federal government would deploy troops to
prosecute the election. “We will use soldiers (for
this election), the other time we used MOPOL
(mobile policemen), we will use soldiers,” Bankole
sang to a thunderous applause from the PDP
supporters at the rally in Igede-Ekiti.
Once the Speaker’s allusion to troops’ deploy-
ment had been made, I knew there would be
a media backlash and not surprisingly, it was
the headline news throughout that day and the
next. Incidentally, other speakers at the campaign
also made veiled threats about the deployment
of troops. Launching an attack against former
Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,
believed to be the backer of Dr Kayode Fayemi,
(AC candidate for the rerun polls), Osun State
governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said the
PDP would deploy every resource available to it
for the Ekiti election to ensure that Oni emerged
victorious. “We will use the resources at our
disposal to ensure that he overcomes. Whatever
support he needs, we will give to him. We shall
be victorious. We will win the election by all
means possible.”
It was not unexpected that the AC would
dwell on the faux pas in Bankole’s song about
deploying troops. The Director of Communications
for the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation,
Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, set the tone for this: “We
wish to remind the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, that Ekiti people
have never been known to succumb to the threat
of armed soldiers. The ruling clique tried their
luck in the act of intimidation with soldiers and
police in the past and got their fingers burnt. It
is still the same people that inhabit the space
called Ekiti today and they are more than ready
to defend their votes.”
The party also advised the president to refrain
from deploying troops which in their reckoning
was for the ulterior motive to rig the election
for his party. When we got back to Abuja, I
was convinced the presidency had to wade in. I
outlined the implications of bringing the military
into partisan politics to the president and he
assured me that troops would not be deployed.
He had already met with the Inspector-General
of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, and directed him to
increase the strength of the police in Ekiti State
with additional squads from five neighbouring
states, he told me. Since the election was going
to be held only in a fraction of Ekiti state, the
president had been assured that the police
could offer adequate security. I therefore told
the media that troops would not be deployed
in the conduct of Ekiti election, but that security
would be adequate to take care of any eventuality.
This, of course, outraged many people within
the PDP and some security chiefs sympathetic
to the ruling party who had already labeled me
“a closet AC member”. The same charge was
leveled against the Minister of State for Finance,
Mr Remi Babalola after openly expressing his
concerns about the management of the Ekiti
election crisis.
The truth of the matter was that I was neither
an AC sympathizer nor opposed to the re-election
By Olusegun Adeniyi
Olusegun Oni
of Governor Oni. What I considered paramount
was the danger inherent in unwittingly dragging
the military into the conduct of election in just
a section of one state. I knew the president
was opposed to deployment of troops, yet
I had been reliably informed that there was
already a plot to send soldiers to Ekiti on the
eve of the election. When this illegal order was
eventually carried out, I rushed to the ADC
in the presence of whom the president had
directed that soldiers were not to be seen on
the streets of Ekiti on the day of election. He
had to speak with the Chief of Army Staff
(Lt General Abdulrahman Dambazau) who
was then abroad and had also not been kept
abreast of the situation. Counter orders were
then issued, and the troops were withdrawn
immediately.
But the AC had already released a statement
that essentially highlighted the party’s disap-
pointment on the reported presence of troops
in Ekiti State, which it noted was inconsistent
with the earlier assurance by the president that
he would not deploy soldiers to the state. The
party added that such development had called
to question the credibility and integrity of the
president. Knowing that the president had not
ordered any deployment of troops, this was not
something I could take lightly. I made another
statement that troops had not been – and would
not be – deployed for the Ekiti elections. Curi-
ously, the Director of Army Public Relations,
Brigadier-General Chris Olukolade, had told
the media that the Army headquarters was
aware of the presence of soldiers in Ekiti State.
“Their going there should not be politicised.
It is not about elections. Their being there is
purely for security reasons.”
While some within government queried
my motives, the basis for my intervention
was basically because I knew the instruction
did not emanate from the president who as
commander in chief was the only person who
could authorise deployment of troops. I also knew
those behind the entire plot, and I suspected
they were not doing so for altruistic reasons.
Owing to the malicious campaign internally
launched against me, I had to seek audience
with Governor Oni to reassure him I was not
covertly working against him, and that I was
only doing my job. We met in Abuja, and he
expressed appreciation that I would explain
my role as he had been told tales about me.
Oni no doubt is a very decent man, but the
forces involved in Ekiti election really did not
care much about him. All the cold calculations
were based on PDP ‘stopping Tinubu in the
South-west’ and not about the governor securing
back his mandate. While I had no problem
with PDP attempting to win the South-west, I
couldn’t possibly stand aloof if the tactics being
adopted would call to question the integrity
of the president.
Following the stalemate that dogged the
election, these same people would put the
whole blame on me with the argument that
the election was mismanaged because of my
announcement that troops would not be
deployed. Without deference to my position
as Spokesman to the President, I was directed
to report to SSS headquarters for interrogation
on my role in the Ekiti saga. When I received
the letter the first emotion that I felt was rage.
I called the CSO to inform him about the letter
and the fact that I was going to ignore it, warning
that if any attempt was made to arrest me, I
would resign but not quietly. He came to my
office to withdraw the letter which he said
I should ignore while pleading with me not
to inform the president. On reflection later, I
decided I would honour the SSS invitation but
at a time of my choice. I went on a Saturday
and spent about two hours with the panel
investigating the fall-out of the Ekiti election. Of
course, I was not surprised that the question the
investigators wanted me to answer was who
gave me authority to announce that soldiers
would not be deployed. My response was quite
simple: they could go and find out from the
president!
I happen to have known most of my inter-
rogators, some since my days as a journalist. Air
Vice Marshall Moses Akinola Akinsanmi, who
left the villa a few months before as Commander
of the Presidential Fleet was also in the panel,
so the session itself was very friendly as I used
the opportunity to also extract information about
the Ekiti debacle and what they considered the
problem. I realized that my role became crucial
because there were allegations that Tinubu had
imported some Niger Delta militants and a lot
of arms into Ekiti State and that only soldiers
could enforce peace in the election. Even while I
was not aware of this at the time, I still felt that
politicizing deployment of troops could bring
incalculable damage to the image of a president
who had promised electoral reform. Besides, I
could not have envisaged that the police would
find it difficult to monitor elections in just a
few wards within five local governments in
a small state!
The election itself had featured a major drama
which began when the Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo,
disappeared midway into collating the results
and afterwards a letter of resignation purportedly
written by her appeared in the media. She was
believed to have rejected some of the results
from Ido Osi Local Government Area, the home
base of Governor Segun Oni, and was allegedly
inclined to cancel election in tensed Oye-Ekiti
because of violence. To rationalize the unfolding
event, INEC chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu said
he had been informed “that as a result of the
pressure of the exercise, the REC broke down
and took ill, the commission had no choice but
to postpone the remaining election.”
With this situation, it was not lost on critical
observers that a government that pledged
electoral reform in the country was finding
THURSDAY,


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˾
T H I S D AY
it difficult to conduct transparent election in
a fraction of a small state. That displeased the
president. But all the briefs he was getting on
the botched polls dwelt on the activities of
Tinubu who was labeled the brains behind
the whole controversy. Media reports were
however different; but it didn’t seem to mat-
ter as the perception within government also
was that Tinubu had the media on his side.
With the situation, I advised the president that
the wise thing to do would be to reject Mrs
Adebayo’s resignation and that she be allowed
to conclude the process. Since the insinuation
was that there was pressure on her to declare
a false result, what was needed, I reasoned,
was for the security agencies to embolden her
to do the right thing.
In the course of the impasse, the president
summoned a security meeting and Iwu was
invited to brief them. Before this meeting com-
menced, I had prepared for the worst because
I knew that some people would still press the
charge that I was to blame for the fiasco. So,
when the ADC rushed to my office I was
surprised when he said: “oga (the president)
said he wants another copy of the letter from
that your Harvard friend you enclosed for him
this morning.” This gave me some comfort.
Early that morning, I had received a mail from
my friend, Waziri Adio, who was then a Mason
Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and
had found his advice very instructive. I printed
the mail and put it in the newspaper reports
for the president with a note that he should
read it. This was the letter he was asking me
to reprint for him, which I did.
Waziri had written: “Dear Sege, I must
apologise for bothering you on this but after
wrestling with this Ekiti State saga for a few
days, I decided I should share my concerns with
you even if you can’t do anything about them.
I know the situation in Ekiti is complicated.
Even from afar, I can see that neither party is
completely innocent and that the struggle is
beyond the interest of Ekiti people. I can see the
struggle for/against dominance in Yorubaland;
I can see dress-rehearsals for 2011; I can see
clash of big and fragile egos.
“For all these reasons and more, Ekiti State has
become a battleground and may well become
a tipping point for something quite ominous,
if we allow the situation to degenerate. But
I also see opportunities written all over this:
to show that the talk of electoral reform is
sincere; to demonstrate that votes will count
in future elections; to underscore that rule of
law is not a mere convenient rhetoric. More
than at any other time, this is the time to show
real leadership. Let the votes be counted and
the winner duly declared. Who will listen to
you when you talk about electoral reforms and
decent elections when we needlessly bungle
elections in just one state? This is not a time for
dilly-dallying. It is the time for clear, forthright,
and open instructions.
“If PDP is losing (I say if), this is the time
to be strategic in conceding a battle to win the
war. If this is the case, let the president instruct
INEC to do the right thing, and call Oni to
concede and compensate him. If PDP is not
losing, then let this whole process be clear and
transparent. It is a tough call. But that is what
leadership is all about. If well handled, I see a
huge opportunity for this administration and
Mr. President, as the attendant goodwill can
then be spinned positively.”
How the president used the letter at the
meeting I had no idea, but the conclusion at
the end was that Mrs. Adebayo should be
persuaded to conclude the election. Eventually
she did by announcing Oni as the winner, but
the whole process had been sullied already while
the image of government bore an embarrassing
taint. The result itself did not endure for long as
Fayemi ultimately won at the Court of Appeal
but by then the president had left the scene.
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY 15
16
POLITICS
Ojikutu: Why I Fell Out with Tinubu
Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, in this interview with Segun James speaks on
the genesis of the frosty relationship between her and President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
R
ecently you addressed a press
conference and raised the alarm
over threat to your life and some
other issues. Why did you decide
to speak out?
For some time, I have been observing the
gradual degeneration into anything goes in
Nigeria. Some people have abused me over my
last interview, saying I granted the interview
because I want to be seen to be busy.
I don’t need to malign anybody to be seen.
I know I have done a lot of public works that
are commendable by the grace of God and
people are still remembering me; that keeps
me in people’s memory over many years.
God brought me into public life in 1981. I
was known for my work ethics in the private
and public sectors and that was what made me
to be nominated as deputy governor. I abhor
corruption. I was once in charge of the Lagos
State Transport Corporation and the land use
in Lagos State.
If I wanted to be stinkingly rich with land, I
would have compromised. I didn’t take any-
thing from anybody. I have apathy towards
corruption.
I hate anything that is fraudulent. I don’t
tolerate corruption at all. I don’t believe you
have to be corrupt to be okay in this world
because God has given all of us the ways and
means to be okay in the world. You only have
to look inwards and find your own clue into
how to be okay and contented. I thank God
for contentment.
Based on my experience in private and public
sectors, corruption has been on for a long time
but it was not supported by the powers that be
many years ago. That is where the difference
is now. In those days, corruption was on but
a lot of people were frowning at it. So it didn’t
gain ground but now corruption has become
an accepted way of doing things. That is what
is frightening me. And this is what has led to
me coming out to say where is Nigeria heading
to? Where are we heading to?
I was part and parcel of the Peoples Demo-
cratic Party (PDP) before I stepped back when
my mother said you will not steal and you
will not allow others to steal, what are you
doing in politics? Don’t let them kill you; come
out, especially after Funsho Williams’s death.
So, I listened to my mum and I refused the
appointment that was given me to continue
with the Federal Character Commission and
then came out of politics.
It is believed in some quarters that your
recent outburst against Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu may be a result of your political
differences. What can you say about this?
When I was in the PDP in 2002, I was one
of the gubernatorial aspirants under PDP but
at the same time, I was Commissioner of the
Federal Character Commission, representing
Lagos State, and the data we were receiving in
the Federal Character Commission, showed
that Lagos indigenes were being displayed
for one reason or the other. So I have to pay
a courtesy call to the Governor as the Com-
missioner representing Lagos State; that was
the norm then.
In my letter requesting the courtesy call, I
stated that I am coming to discuss indigeneship
affairs with him and we have data that showed
that they have been marginalised in Lagos.
Bola Tinubu, the then-governor granted
the appointment and we went there. When I
stood up to present my address, he was very
visibly angry, saying I have come to play politics
because I am a PDP governorship aspirant. I
told him, I am not there to play politics but to
present data to him. He said he didn’t see any
data. I told him I have already sent ahead what
I came to present.
He said he didn’t get anything and I am only
playing politics. It was so bad that day and I
was shaking. Then one of the commissioners
sitting in front sent him a note; I don’t know
what was on that note.
After reading the note, he calmed down and
told me to present what I came to discuss with
him. I said we will send it Sir. The courtesy
call finished and when I got to the office, we
Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com (08033025611 SMS ONLY)
Ojikutu
packaged everything again and sent
it to them. I wasn’t playing politics;
it was the fact and figures then. I did
not know that it had a fallout.
A few years later something hap-
pened. I had land allocated to me on
Victoria Island by Raji Rasaki. My
governor, Michael Otedola took over
that land and gave me another land.
It was when I got the C of O that I
realised that Governor Otedola has
changed the land that was given to
me.
I sent him a note that this is not the
land on my allocation letter. He was
on his way out of the country and told
me that when he comes back, we will
talk about it. That was in 1993. He
never came back as governor.
So I was stalked with land that was
not my original allocation. And that
land had a problem because there was
a squatter on it; a Lebanese squatter,
who was making building blocks on
it. He said the local government al-
located the land to him. Local govern-
ment has no business and allocating
land to anybody according to the law
of Lagos State. So, I had to take him
to court to recover the land from him.
That case went through for about a
couple of years and I got judgment.
Shortly after I got judgment to take
The issue of my pension also came up. Tinubu didn’t
pay the pension. He said all of us who were elected
before him were not entitled to the pension that
was drawn up that addressed all those who were
elected. He said the elected only means those who
were elected with him and after him. So, he didn’t
pay Jakande, Jafojo, Otedola and myself. They said
Baba Jakande said he was not interested and Baba
said he didn’t tell anybody that
Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE
over the land from him, some people came to
me as developers; actually, it was my husband
that they approached. They paid some money
and went to do the search.
After doing the search, they came back to
say the land C of O has been revoked. I told
them I am not aware. When we looked at the
date of revocation, it was shortly after the issue
between me and Governor Tinubu. So that
means he dealt with me after the event by
revoking the C of O of my land.
I told them to approach him since I have
already given them the document to the land
to see what can be done. They went to him
and he said I must have known that he took
the land. He said I did something and I didn’t
approach him to apologise. I asked what did I
do wrong and why should I apologise to him.
Were you able to reconcile the issue?
I contacted Oba Akiolu and he stepped
in. He said he doesn’t know what we can do
because he doesn’t know what is between me
and Governor Tinubu and that he doesn’t want
to hear anything about me. I said there is nothing
between us except the issue of me saying Lagos
indigenes have been marginalised.
While the issue was on, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, the then President wanted to visit
Lagos on tour. During that period, I was the
most senior PDP public officer in Lagos. The
Governor’s Office invited me to be part of those
to meet President Obasanjo. It was supposed
T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023
to be an Elders Committee meeting and State
Banquet.
It was during Ramadan like this, so my hus-
band and myself, dressed up for the meeting,
which was supposed to start at 4pm so that it
will end up breaking of fast. When we got there,
my husband went to the sitting room and I was
with the elders where the meeting was to take
place. The Governor’s aides came to meet me
and said, ‘Your Excellency, you come for the
dinner. This meeting is for elders.’ I told them
I was invited to it. It is in the letter that I was
given and the aides went away. I didn’t know
something was brewing outside. Apparently
Chief Molade Okoya Thomas saw me at the
meeting and went to tell Governor Tinubu I
was there. That was when they told the aides
to come and tell me to leave the meeting. And I
gave the aides the information that I was invited.
In the meantime, I have already sent my
aide to go to the house to get a copy of the
letter, because I didn’t bring it along. So when
President Obasanjo arrived and they entered the
venue; as they entered, Governor Tinubu left.
President Obasanjo walking in; walked to
me where I was sitting and told me to leave
the venue. I asked him why he said I was not
invited. He turned to the elders towards where
Chief Molade Okoya Thomas was and asked
was she invited? Chief Molade Okoya Thomas
said, “No. She was not invited. She shouldn’t
be here. She is not one of us.” I challenged
him based on his three sentences – ‘She was
not invited. She shouldn’t be here. She is not
one of us.’
Governor Bola Tinubu turned to me and said;
you hear that, you have to leave. I said I was
invited to the meeting, but as your Excellency
pleases, if you say I should leave, I will leave.
So I took my bag and went out. A lot of people
who were there including Professor Fafunwa
were surprised and nobody understood what
was going on but they had the statement by
Chief Molade Okoya Thomas and also had
the statement by Governor Tinubu telling me
to go out.
After the meeting, when my husband tried
to approach Chief Okoya Thomas, he took to
his heels. I have never seen an elderly man
run like that because he probably thought my
husband wanted to attack him. So since he
(Tinubu) walked me out of the meeting, our
relationship has not been cordial.
The issue of my pension also came up. Tinubu
didn’t pay the pension. He said all of us who
were elected before him were not entitled to
the pension that was drawn up that addressed
all those who were elected. He said the elected
only means those who were elected with him
and after him. So, he didn’t pay Jakande, Jafojo,
Otedola and myself. They said Baba Jakande
said he was not interested and Baba said he
didn’t tell anybody that.
That at least they will give him what they
want to give him before he will now say, I am
not interested. I took Lagos State Government to
court after I approached Governor Raji Fashola,
and he said I should write a letter requesting it.
I wrote the letter requesting it and they wrote
me back to say I was not entitled.
I gathered all my information together and
went to court and I got judgement that they
should give me my pension; that the pension
is for all the elected officers and up to today,
no pension.
All the governors have no power to pay it.
Bola Tinubu is the one who puts them there and
they dare not go against whatever he wants.
So this has been the situation between us
and all of them know that he doesn’t want to
hear my name. So in many of their functions,
when they are introducing dignitaries, it is
either they don’t mention my name or they
don’t acknowledge that I am there. You know
all sorts of humiliating situations that I was
accommodating. I have been stomaching so
many usual incidences, innuendoes and snide
remarks from those who believe they are doing
things to gain the favour of Bola Tinubu.
NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the
online edition on www.thisdaylive.com
T H I S D AY ˾
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023
Oludare: Nigeria Needs Leadership, Not Power Shift
US-based Nigerian medical practitioner and Convener/National Coordinator of Social Rehabilitation
Gruppe (SRG), Dr Marindoti Oludare, in this interview, speaks on expectations of Nigerians from the
President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Excerpts:
Oludare
H
ow would you like the President-
elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to
improve on Nigeria’s health
sector when he takes charge?
Asiwaju Tinubu is the man
with the juice. He’s got the panacea for all ails
that afflict Nigeria, including the malaise in the
health sector.
While there’s no one pill that fixes the totality
of the problems faced in the health sector hence,
we will have to continue innovating, I believe
we need to make up for what we lack in desired
material resources in required creative resources.
The most important factor in healthcare is
financing, because healthcare has never been
free. As a finance guru, Asiwaju will bring his
expertise to bear, we need to create a more robust
health insurance scheme.
The federal government needs to not just invest
in doctor/healthcare worker’s training but be
interested in its investment in their training and
ensure it yields the desired outcome.
Some of the infrastructure needs of the sector
are general, like electricity, good roads. Others
are specific like CT scan, MRI etc.
The current hospital financing structure is not
sustainable, there’s need for a greater account-
ability in the sector.
Eradication of common diseases like malaria
is a smart economic move that will need envi-
ronmental reforms. And most importantly, the
president should not sign that asinine doctor five
year licence ban bill. I can bet my life fortune that
he will veto that bill should it be passed by the
National Assembly.
The bill in the House of Representatives
calling for a mandatory five-year service in
Nigeria for all medical doctors before they
are licensed has caused so much controversy.
As a Nigerian-born medical doctor in the
US, what is your assessment of it?
Simply put, this bill is STOOPEED. Forrest
Gump told us “stupid is as stupid does”.
So let’s examine the aims and premise of this
bill for its flaws and “stoopeedeetea”. It aims to
ban Nigerian doctors from being given a perma-
nent Nigerian medical license for a period of five
years. It is called a Nigerian medical license for a
reason, that’s because it is only valid in Nigeria.
The UK, US, Canada, Germany, UAE, etc, don’t
need your Nigerian license. You’ll have to take
multiple exams and interviews and apply to get
their own licenses in order to practice in their own
environment. So this bill won’t hurt migration.
The only people who need the Nigerian medical
license are those who intend to practice medicine
in Nigeria. Hence it will only end up punishing
those who want to stay because they are the ones
that will be offered half salary and can’t progress
with their career because they don’t have a full
license hence there are legal implications for
allowing them practice unsupervised.
Honorable Johnson and his cohorts in the Green
Chamber committed a fallacy of causation called
“post hoc ergo propter hoc”. Because doctors left
after housemanship, they assumed doctors left
because they were waiting to get their permanent
license hence they hoped in denying
them that license it would prevent
doctors from leaving but they are
dead wrong.
I hope these politicians are smart
enough to accept the fact that they
are wrong and change course. I often
say “smart people have the humil-
ity to acknowledge their stupidity
while other people have the temerity
to disacknowledge theirs”. In order
words, one must be smart enough to
feel stupid because in feeling stupid
you’re being smart while in feeling
smart you’re being stupid.
What is the philosophy behind
your group, Social Rehabilitation
Gruppe (SRG) which worked re-
lentlessly for theTinubu/Shettima
presidential campaigns?
SRG aims to change the mindset of
the average Nigerian and educate our
citizens on a constant basis on what is
going on within their environments.
This is why we supported Asiwaju
and campaigned vehemently for him.
We saw the deception in Lagos
too and strategically intervened.
We believe Tinubu’s lifelong political
struggle has always been and still
remains the way out for Nigeria.
I for one never really intended on
participating actively in politics until I
saw a video where Asiwaju lamented
on the acerbic nature of the person
insults he receives constantly on social
media to the point where if he read
them, his blood pressure will rise.
That was a man who’s around
my father’s age complaining about
unfair insults and criticism, I just
couldn’t take it. I seldom fight for
myself because I believe I’m tough
but I don’t take lightly to bullies. And
Our current democratic structure is an existential
threat to the Nigerian economy. You cannot ask
a relay team to run at the pace of its slowest
runner. Each member of the team needs to be
allowed to explore their God given abilities to
run the race as fast as they can, doing this is the
only way the country being represented by the
team can hope to achieve victory. Restructuring
the democracy will also bring about effective
policing which will give us the security of lives
and properties that we yearn for
Tinubu
I’m happy I got in the fray because for one, I won
the intellectual battle online and Asiwaju won
the electoral victory.
Before the election, Asiwaju shared the ques-
tions, after the election his opponent shared the
tears, at least we can say they learnt the art of
sharing from him.
What should be the urgent priorities of
the incoming administration?
Restructuring. Decentralization of democracy.
Our current democratic structure is an existential
threat to the Nigerian economy. You cannot ask a
relay team to run at the pace of its slowest runner.
Each member of the team needs to be allowed to
explore their God given abilities to run the race
as fast as they can, doing this is the only way the
country being represented by the team can hope
to achieve victory. Restructuring the democracy
will also bring about effective policing which
will give us the security of lives and properties
that we yearn for.
Asiwaju told us he wanted to compete with
Russia, there’s no competing with Russia while
Nigeria is a member of the OPEC cabal, whose
disruptive actions in the oil sector has twice
destroyed our economy in the 80s and their ac-
tions in 2014 has led us to the point we are today.
We need to pull out of OPEC and allow foreign
investment in our oil production.
Asiwaju should use his vast mind to deal with
the subsidy cabal. An unsubsidized oil that is
available and affordable is a million times better
than a subsidized one that is neither available
nor affordable.
Some agitators in the East feel power
should have been ceded to that part of the
South, alleging marginalisation. How would
you rationalise such agitations?
These agitations are based on the premise that
a leader only represents the niche constituency
where he originates.
These agitations are of a people dejected, who
have lost hope in government and what it por-
17
POLITICS
tends. The centralized structure of the Nigerian
democracy also makes people feel they don’t
really have the power over their own fate unless
they get to the center.
With á decentralized democracy, these agitations
will slowly but surely dissipate. The political
leaders are trying to exploit there demographic
identity for political gains. That’s why they throw
religion and culture in the mix, we even had one
candidate caught on tape calling the last election
a religious war.
While answering a question about the multiple
exchange rate at the Lagos Business School, that
same candidate said it was á necessary measure.
This candidate hails from a region known for its
business exploits, these multiple exchange rate
policy has damaged the business prospects of
Nigeria(hence his tribesmen) yet this candidate
got over 90% of the vote from that region.
Can it then be said that this people have made
the right decision in supporting their kinsman
who supports a policy that has imperiled their
own bottomline!? Did they make the right decision
for the future of their own economy?
Your state, Ondo, has the highest percent-
age of votes given to Tinubu. What are the
expectations of your people?
Our people are smart, we supported Asiwaju
because of his lifelong political positions and
his commitment to them. What we want from
him is to follow through with his promise of
decentralization of democracy.
We should be able to exploit our resources and
protect our farmlands and the lives of our people.
Ondo State people are not beggars, we are proud
and self sufficient. We want to continue helping
Asiwaju achieve his goal of turning Nigeria into
a viable global economy. We just need our hands
untied, we need to be free of the shackles of the
current Nigerian system and thank God, Asiwaju
has broken the shackles so we will run on our own.
Already, ahead of the 2024 governorship
election in Ondo State, a debate has begun
on where power should shift to. Where do
you stand?
When it comes to power shifting, that’s one
thing that I’ll agree to. Power should indeed shift
but not in favor of any geographical region.
I agree that power should shift to the people
from the politician. There’s no difference between
an Akure man and an Akoko man or an okitipupa
man. However, the politicians will try to divide
based on this geographical differentiations for
political expediency.
What the people want is a good life, politicians
should focus on enacting policies and creative
ideas that’ll give their people good things of life,
create jobs, re-engineer education and reimagine
the health sector.
We have all been endowed by our creator with
some inalienable rights among which include
life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. The next
government of Ondo state needs to do its work
hard to secure these rights for its people. There’s
no geographical definition of these, it is universal
amongst all people of all ethnicities.
18
FEATURES
IWD 2023: Placing Female Employees on Pedestal of Recognition, Reward
As part of the recently commemorated 2023 IWD, Olam Agri, a leading agribusiness, transforming food, feed and fibre
with a global origination footprint, processing capabilities and deep understanding of market needs built over 33 years
ago, chose to fete and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of its female staff members under the ‘Supercharger’
and Globally Reaching Olam Women, GROW, initiatives. Precious Ugwuzor reports
T
he world over, women’s role in
society is fast evolving. More
women are going to college,
taking up employment outside
the home, climbing up the ladder
in the workplace, and making
significant contributions to the global
economy. It is reported that 10 percent of
Fortune 500 companies are presently being
led by women.
Women's sports are also gaining more
traction as seen in the wild celebrations that
followed the English Women's football team's
triumph at the Euro Cup in 2022.
Narrowing this down to Africa, there has
been an improvement in women’s participa-
tion in the economy and politics. Notably,
about 20 per cent of the African Union (AU)
member states have accomplished a 30 percent
women's representation in parliament.
Strategic state administrative roles in
finance, defence and foreign affairs, which
were usually filled by men, are being occupied
by women in some states on the continent.
The remarkable leap in the female gender's
socioeconomic participation in Africa is not
unattached to the segment's access to formal
education, vocational training, and adoption
of technology on a wider scale.
The annual International Women’s Day
Celebrations (IWD) presents an opportunity
to celebrate the impressive achievements
of women. It draws attention to women’s
economic, social, cultural, and political contri-
butions across communities. It recognises the
progress that has been recorded in creating
a level playing field for both the male and
female genders to advance their careers in
whatever industries they choose.
Hence, to commemorate IWD, businesses,
governments, and regional and global agen-
cies unfurled their women empowerment
credentials as well as spotlighted the women
driving change and providing inspiration
for others in the category. Olam Agri in
Nigeria, a leading agribusiness, chose the
commemorative day to demonstrate its
commitment to providing opportunities
for women to access equal opportunities
and positively impact society.
One of the pillars of the agribusiness
Seeds for the Future (SFTF) Foundation's
corporate social and sustainability drive
is economic empowerment of women.
The firm's women empowerment focus
has seen it embark on strategic empower-
ment programmes comprising equipping
women with baking skills, supporting
female smallholder farmers with irriga-
tion facilities, and sponsoring women to
acquire useful certifications, such as the
one offered by National Business and
Technical (NABTECH) board to women
bakers.
To commemorate the 2023 IWD, the
agribusiness chose to fete and celebrate the
extraordinary achievements of its female
staff members under the ‘Supercharger’
and Globally Reaching Olam Women
(GROW) initiatives.
The Olam Agri ‘Supercharger’ initiative
is targeted at recognising high-performing
staff members who are leveraging their
job roles and responsibilities to make
meaningful impact on the business.
These women are seen as rare breeds
who constantly suggest more efficient
ways of getting work done, serve as role
models, leaders, and coaches, promote
positive energy, and demonstrate integrity,
accountability, a growth mindset, respect
for others and responsiveness at the
workplace.
We are proud to have some of the women emerge
as superchargers in commemoration of the 2023
International Women’s Day. Superchargers are
high-performing staff members who leverage their
roles to drive organisational strategy & growth
Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi
Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430
The women who emerged as
'Superchargers' for March 2023 and
were celebrated as part of the IWD
commemoration are Ayotomilola
Oyebanji, Uduak Joshua Eyo-Ansa,
Oluwakemi Oni Human Resource
Managers in the Group’s Animal
Feeds’ business, Jimoh Rasheedat,
a Microbiologist in the Quality
Control unit. These women are
growing leaders who have taken
up the opportunity availed them
to make impactful contributions to
the business.
Elated by the recognition, Ayot-
omilola captured the mood of the
three other women superchargers.
According to her, “We are so excited to
be recognised for our contributions to
the business. Olam Agri motivates its
staff members to grow. The business
is always willing to recognise and
celebrate everyone notwithstanding
gender. The ‘supercharger’ recognition
will inspire me and my colleagues
to perform even better in our roles.”
Speaking about the business’ gender
equality focus and IWD commemo-
ration, Ashish Pande, the Country
Head for Olam Agri in Nigeria, said,
“When you empower a woman, you
are indirectly empowering a nation.
We understand the role of women
in achieving growth. We support
our women with access to the right
tools, capacity-building trainings, and
T H I S D AY ˾ DAY, 
Ͱͮ˜
ͰͮͰͱ

growth opportunities that are necessary to
advance their careers and lives.”
“We are proud to have some of the women
emerge as superchargers in commemoration
of the 2023 International Women’s Day.
Superchargers are high-performing staff
members who leverage their roles to drive
organisational strategy & growth,” he added.
Jaideep Biswas, the Regional Head of
Human Resources at Olam Agri, com-
mented, “We prioritise diversity and equal
opportunities for all our staff members.
Of course, that is one of the reasons we
have been recognised as an Employer of
Choice by the Top Employer Institute for
three consecutive years. It is a delight to
see our women thriving in their roles as
we provide them with the right tools and
environment to make useful contributions to
the organisation and advance their careers.”
Olam Agri continues to provide valuable
pathways for women to advance their
socioeconomic relevance.
Without a doubt, recognising women’s
contribution to their sector is vital to inspiring
more women to raise their productivity levels.
Such recognition holds a huge advantage,
and the impact would be felt on the nation’s
GDP.
Olam Agri is a leading agribusiness,
transforming food, feed and fibre with
a global origination footprint, processing
capabilities and deep understanding of
market needs built over 33 years.
With a strong presence in high-growth
emerging markets and products across grains
& oilseeds, animal feed & protein, rice, edible
oils, specialty grains & seeds, cotton, wood
products, rubber and commodity financial
services, Olam Agri is at the heart of global
food and agri-trade flows with approximately
40 million MT in volume traded annually.
Focused on transforming food, feed,
and fibre for a more sustainable future, it
aims at creating value for customers, enable
farming communities to prosper sustainably
and strive for a food-secure future.
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY 19
20
T H I S D AY THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023
TR
UT H
& RE A S O
N
www.thisdaylive.com
The national census exercise should be postponed
by at least two months, argues UMAR ADAMU
TINUBU’S DEBT TO
THE NORTHWEST
AWAAL GATA canvasses
adequate compensation for
their loyalty to the APC 2023 CENSUS: WHAT BUHARI
SHOULD DO
One of the best legacies that President
Muhammadu Buhari is bequeathing to the
nation is to have conceived the idea of a
national housing and population census, a
good 17 years after the last census of 2006.
Even more edifying is the fact that the
president has chosen to make this year’s
census a digital, tech-driven headcount to
See page 21 give it more accuracy. For this alone, the
president deserves some commendation.
But there is a challenge. It’s the matter of
time and timing. Already, the census date
has been joggled by the National Population
Commission (NPC). It has been pushed
ONLINE TOOLS forward from the initial date of March 29 to
April 2nd. It’s now to hold from May 3rd to
FOR THE LEGAL 5th. A three-day job that will task both human
capital, technology and money.
COMMUNITY However, because the NPC and its many
Online platforms with DGKRFVWDͿVHHPWREHUXQQLQJDJDLQVWWLPH
there is an overriding and overwhelming
digital tools are providing need to, once again, shift the date of the
census by two months or three. This is
easy access to vast quantities purely a matter of national interest above
of legal information, writes personal ego. Postponing the census by
two months will never erode the credit
JUDITH UFFORD to the Buhari government; neither will it
discredit the brilliant work and tremendous
energy deployed by the NPC and its
technical partners. Rather, it will provide all
stakeholders ample time to make the most of
this moment in our national life.
Many reasons support this argument
of postponement. As I write this, the
outstanding 40 percent local content of the
aggregate contracts for the census is yet to
EHUDWLÀHGE\WKH)HGHUDO([HFXWLYH&RXQFLO
(FEC). There is not much time between the
DQWLFLSDWHGUDWLÀFDWLRQE\)(&DQGWKHDFWXDO
supply of the technologies by the technical
See page 21 partners. Already, the NPC has shown
diligence and trustworthiness in the manner
LWKDVVRIDUH[HFXWHGWKHSURMHFWHGHVSHFLDOO\
ZLWKLWVWDNLQJFXVWRG\RIWKHÀUVWEDWFKHVRI
the personal digital assistants (PDAs) from
EDITORIAL =LQR[7HFKQRORJLHVDPDMRUWHFKQLFDOSDUWQHU
in the project. Several local and international
agencies have commended NPC for showing
BUILDING MORE SURIHVVLRQDOLVP13&FDQQRWDͿRUGWRORZHU
WASTEFUL its standard just because it wants to beat
a timeline for the census. If Nigeria must
AIRPORTS conduct a census this year, it must be done
very well to compensate for the 17 years wait.
Nigeria is currently writhing in severe
convulsion from a poorly managed general
elections which was roundly condemned
by international watchers, local observers
and a majority of Nigerians as a charade.
The election was adjudged generally as
below par and not in conformity with spelt
out procedures and rules as captured in the
2022 Electoral Act and the Rules of INEC, the
HOHFWRUDOXPSLUH7KLVFRXQWU\FDQQRWDͿRUG
another international and national ridicule
22 by embarking on a hurriedly planned census.
This is not, however, to say that Nigeria does
not need a census now. The nation needs
opinion@thisdaylive.com
a reliable and credible census. So far, both
President Buhari and the NPC have taken
the right steps to ensure that this headcount
unlike the previous ones is counted as worthy
of the time and resources. By infusing a great
deal of technology into the process, President
Buhari is writing his name in petals of gold.
But he must not insist that the census happens
under his belt. He can make provision for the
funds and other resources required to deliver
the census, but he must not stick to May 3-5
date. To do so is to invite another national
anomie worse than the one created by the
2023 general elections.
Without a doubt, Nigeria needs a proper
and credible headcount. It is the best tool
for national planning and development
mapping. Any country without a reliable
DQGYHULÀDEOHFHQVXVLVPHUHO\JURSLQJLQWKH
dark as far as development is concerned.
A credible census gives you the
demographics of any population. The
number of men and women, age brackets of
the populace, number and calibre of persons
in urban, semi-urban and rural areas. On
DFFRXQWRIWKLVDQDWLRQLVDEOHWRHͿHFWLYHO\
distribute infrastructure and services to
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healthcare, water resources, housing,
transportation infrastructure and services are
XVXDOO\ H΀ FLHQWO\ GHSOR\HG ZKHUH WKHUH LV
reliable headcount data.
Post-Independence Nigeria has had several
censuses, but they usually turned out as
censored census. Contentious! The 2023
census presents NPC a rare opportunity to
play the hero. Nigeria’s last census was in
2006. This year’s census would be happening
17 years after the last headcount. This is
unacceptable and does not portray Nigeria as
a serious nation.
No nation can develop without reliable
population data. Such data is needed for
HͿHFWLYH SODQQLQJ DQG ZKHUH WKHUH LV QR
planning, development is a mirage. Just
think about it; how do you deploy resources
in moments of emergencies? How do you
determine where housing projects are needed
more; or where certain categories of hospitals
should be sited on account of diseases
1
Thursday April 20, 2023
Vol 27. No 10235
UHODWLYH WR VSHFLÀF HQYLURQPHQWV ZKHUH
do you have more aged (elderly) persons;
which demographics of the population are
in the city centres? Where do you have more
women than men and vice versa? These
and many more are usually captured in any
credible national headcount. And they help
the relevant development agencies to plan,
allocate resources and provide solutions.
One of the complaints of foreign investors
about Nigeria is the lack of current and
reliable data on Nigeria’s demographics.
At international conferences and business
meetings, many investors have bemoaned
the absence of contemporary data on Nigeria
that would help them make intelligence-
based decisions on where, what and when
to invest in the country. A corollary to this is
that cancelling the 2023 census amounts to
keeping development in abeyance.
Holding a national census more than 10
years apart is not ideal for national planning,
going by the recommendation of the United
Nations (UN). This makes the case of the 2023
census inevitable.
The Chairman of NPC, Hon. Nasir Isa
Kwarra, had early in February given a strong
hint on the projected outcome of the census.
In his words, the “2023 census would signal a
new dawn in housing and human headcount
in Nigeria as there would be no over-counting
or under-counting.”
Kwarra said that the devices, when
commissioned with the forms, maps and
other digital enhancements, would ensure
that enumerators are unable to go beyond
the areas assigned to them. In addition, he
FRPPHQGHG =LQR[ WKH WHFKQLFDO SDUWQHU 
for the dedication, commitment and
huge capacity displayed in the way it has
FRPPHQFHGH[HFXWLRQRIWKHFRQWUDFW
Another landmark in the census is that
it conforms with the local content policy of
the Buhari government. The NPC chairman
noted that the software (App) that would be
deployed to enable and activate the personal
digital assistants (PDAs – the tablet to be
deployed to conduct the headcount) was
ORFDOO\GHYHORSHG WKXV IXOÀOOLQJ 3UHVLGHQW
%XKDUL·V([HFXWLYH2UGHURQORFDOFRQWHQWDV
well as the National Information Technology
Development Agency (NITDA) regulation
on Local Original Equipment Manufacturers
(OEMs) in the procurement of the PDA
devices.
Cast away all sentiments. Nigeria needs a
census now. But the May 3rd date is no longer
feasible. NPC should not rubbish the fantastic
job done so far. It must tread a higher and
noble ground by postponing the census by
at least two months. President Buhari should
JLYH ([HFXWLYH EDFNLQJ WR VXFK DOWHUDWLRQ LQ
date.
Adamu,
retired journalist and civil servant, writes from
T H I S D AY THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023
AWAAL GATA canvasses adequate
compensation for their loyalty to the APC
TINUBU’S DEBT TO THE
NORTHWEST
It has been acknowledged that the
All Progressives Congress would not
have won the 2023 presidential elections
without the support of the Northwest
towards Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s
campaign. Despite the Northwest being
the country’s largest voting bloc and the
APC’s most reliable stronghold since
2015, the emergence of strong presidential
contenders from the Northern region such
as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Senator
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso made the battle
more challenging than usual. Nevertheless,
against all odds, the Northwest stood by
Asiwaju and provided him with the votes
necessary to secure victory.
In the 2023 presidential election, the
North-West region contributed 2,652,235
votes out of the total 8,794,726 votes cast in
the country. It is noteworthy that Tinubu
received more than 30% of the total votes
he garnered in the country from this region
alone. Consequently, it is imperative that
the North-West region is rewarded fairly
in the upcoming government. Elections
are primarily determined by numbers,
and the All Progressives Congress (APC)
is well aware of this fact. Therefore, the
party strategically selected candidates from
UHJLRQV ZKHUH WKH\ FRXOG EH FRQÀGHQW RI
securing support and engaged in political
FDOFXODWLRQVWRPD[LPL]HWKHLUEHQHÀWV
.DQR 6WDWH ZKLFK KROGV VLJQLÀFDQW
importance as a vote bank in Nigeria, proved
to be a valuable asset to the All Progressives
Congress (APC) during the presidential
election, with only Lagos State surpassing
its contribution in terms of votes. As a
result of Tinubu’s impressive performance,
he secured 517,341 votes, while his closest
rival, Atiku, obtained a mere 131,716
votes, and Peter Obi received 28,513 votes,
consolidating his position as the leading
candidate in the race. Despite the presence
of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from the NNPP,
who was dedicated to preventing the APC
from gaining a substantial number of
votes, the party was able to secure victory,
indicating that the sub-region, particularly
Kano State, is a loyal supporter of the APC
and is not just a fair-weather friend. It was
a hard-fought battle, but the APC emerged
victorious.
If the All Progressives Congress is
genuinely concerned about maintaining
its grip on power beyond 2027, there are
two strategic reasons why prioritizing the
1RUWK:HVWUHJLRQLVFUXFLDO7KHÀUVWLVWKH
JURZLQJLQÁXHQFHRI6HQDWRU.ZDQNZDVR
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be overlooked. To neutralize Kwankwaso’s
politics, it is essential to have a principal
ÀJXUHRIWKHJRYHUQPHQWIURP1RUWK:HVW
particularly in his stronghold of Kano State.
The second reason is that the people of the
North-West region are likely to consider
their position in the Tinubu-led government
when choosing their leaders in the upcoming
HOHFWLRQ$VDUHVXOWWKH$3&FDQQRWDͿRUG
to lose an ally with such a large numerical
VL]HDQGVLJQLÀFDQWYRWLQJSRZHU
Since Tinubu and Shettima have already
taken on executive roles, the struggle for
compensation has shifted to the National
Assembly. Apart from the South-West
and the North-East, each of Nigeria’s six
geopolitical zones has been vying for the
positions of Senate President and Speaker
of the House of Representatives, with the
IRUPHUEHLQJWKHPRVWÀHUFHO\FRQWHVWHG
Senator Barau Jibrin of the All Progressives
Congress is one of the top contenders for
the position of Senate President, and his
impressive legislative track record speaks
volumes. He has been a member of the
National Assembly since 1999 and possesses
the necessary experience to not only support
the Executive branch and coordinate the
UXOLQJ SDUW\·V SROLWLFV EXW DOVR HͿHFWLYHO\
PDQDJHWKHDͿDLUVRIWKHOHJLVODWLYHFKDPEHU
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Senator Barau’s victory as the Senator
representing Kano North despite the
political turmoil caused by the NNPP in the
state is a testament to his political pedigree.
He is the heavyweight that the APC needs
to re-establish a strong presence in Kano
State and across the North-West region. He
won his election by a landslide, securing
234,652 votes and defeating the candidate
of Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria People’s
3DUW\ 1133 $EGXOODKL%DͿDZKRSROOHG
177,014 votes.
Senator Barau’s experience extends
beyond the Senate as he has also served
in the House of Representatives from 1999
until 2015, before running for Senate and
winning. This extensive experience in both
legislative chambers makes him a familiar
and adept leader in managing relations,
which gives him an edge over any of his
colleagues vying for the position of Senate
President.
Another factor that sets Senator Barau
apart from his colleagues vying for the
position of Senate President is his emotional
maturity and impeccable record. He has
no history of engaging in any dubious
DFWLYLWLHVDQGWKHUHDUHQRÀQDQFLDOVFDQGDOV
or court cases that could potentially ruin his
career. Nigeria’s next President of the Senate
must show that they are not burdened
by such distractions, and Senator Barau
ÀWV WKH SURÀOH SHUIHFWO\ DV D JHQWOHPDQ RI
exemplary character.
The decision of who becomes Nigeria’s
next Senate President is crucial for the All
Progressives Congress (APC) as it will
determine their electoral future and chances
of retaining power beyond 2027. Therefore,
the party must take their time to weigh their
options and consider the importance of
adequately compensating the North-West
region. Failing to do so may lead to a loss
of support and votes from the region in the
next election. It is important for the APC
to make a wise decision that will ensure
the party’s continued success and hold on
power
Gata
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Online platforms with digital tools are
providing easy access to vast quantities of
legal information, writes JUDITH UFFORD
ONLINE TOOLS FOR THE
LEGAL COMMUNITY
The legal profession in Nigeria has
DOZD\VEHHQDFKDOOHQJLQJÀHOGZLWKLWV
vast array of information and practice
resources. It requires legal practitioners
to be highly skilled in their practice
and have access to a plethora of legal
materials, such as judgments, statutes,
and precedents, among others. The
legal community in Nigeria has been
hampered in the past by the lack of
access to such resources, which has made
WKH SUDFWLFH RI ODZ PXFK PRUH GL΀FXOW
than it needs to be. However, the advent
of online platforms with digital tools
has revolutionised the legal community
in Nigeria, providing easy access to
vast quantities of legal materials, legal
practice resources, and other important
information.
Online platforms with digital tools
provide legal practitioners with the
convenience of accessing relevant legal
materials with just a few clicks, unlike
traditional legal libraries, which require
the physical presence of the practitioner.
This digital transformation has made it
possible for legal practitioners to work
remotely, conduct legal research, and
access legal resources from any location,
ZKLFK KDV VLJQLÀFDQWO\ LPSURYHG WKH
H΀FLHQF\ DQG SURGXFWLYLW\ RI OHJDO
practice in Nigeria.
The importance of online platforms
with digital tools for legal practice in
Nigeria cannot be overstated. According
to a recent article by Bscholarly,
“technology has brought about a lot of
positive changes in the legal profession”
and has “made law practice more
H΀FLHQW SURGXFWLYH DQG FRQYHQLHQWµ
Thus, legal practitioners can now easily
access a wide range of legal materials
such as judgments, statutes, precedents,
and other legal practice resources with
just a few clicks. This has made it easier
for legal practitioners to keep up with
GHYHORSPHQWVLQWKHOHJDOÀHOGDQGVWD\
abreast of changes to legal practice.
One such online platform is
LegalDigitalNg.com, which was
launched in Nigeria on April 3, 2023.
This platform provides Nigerian legal
practitioners, researchers, and students
with on-demand digital legal tools
and resources. It boasts of what would
soon possibly be the largest curation of
judgments from Nigerian courts, and
321
also provides tools for automating
the daily tasks of legal practitioners in
Nigeria, such as downloadable forms
and precedents that subscribers can
edit and customize for their own use.
Furthermore, subscribers to
LegalDigitalNg.com also have
access to a premium service that gives
access to cloud-based diaries and law
ÀUPPDQDJHPHQWWRROV
$QRWKHU NH\ EHQHÀW RI RQOLQH
platforms like LegalDigitalNg.com
is the promotion of legal education.
LegalDigitalNg.com has a dedicated
section for law students that provides
access to study guides and summaries
for exam revision. Students of the
Nigerian Law School in particular
can use the platform to access study
guides and summaries for exam
revisions.
LegalDigitalNg.com is accessible
to everyone, and users can create
accounts and subscribe to gain full
access.
Overall, online platforms with
digital tools are an important
development for the legal community
in Nigeria and LegalDigitalNg.
com is raising the bar for the legal
community in Nigeria by providing
easy access to legal information and
practice resources, promoting legal
education, and making law practice
PRUH H΀FLHQW DQG FRQYHQLHQW $V
the legal profession continues to
evolve, it is clear that platforms like
LegalDigitalNg.com will become
increasingly important to lawyers,
legal researchers, and students.
As someone who subscribes to
the leading online platforms in
the industry, it is clear that, with
its cutting-edge technology, and
provision of access to vast quantities
of legal materials, legal practice
resources, and other important
information, LegalDigitalNg.com will
VLJQLÀFDQWO\ LPSURYH WKH H΀FLHQF\
and productivity of legal practice
in Nigeria. Indeed, the addition of
LegalDigitalNG is a move towards
VRSKLVWLFDWLRQ RI RQOLQH RͿHULQJV IRU
the legal community in Nigeria.
8ͿRUG
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22
4 T H I S D AY
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
BUILDING MORE WASTEFUL AIRPORTS
Most of the airports do not make economic sense
R
eports that 12 states in the country
recently secured licences from the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities
(NCAA) for the construction of
airports should worry critical
stakeholders. One of them is by the
outgoing government of Sam Ortom in Benue State.
According to the Commissioner of Information
and Culture, Michael Inalegwu, “The site for this
airport is going to be at Kura, along Naka Road,
about 12 Kilometres from Makurdi town because
of the proximity to the Industrial layout”. We do
not know how airport has become a priority for
the state when there is little or no patronage for
the current one in Makurdi. But it appears that the
priority project for every
governor is to build an
airport in their state.
Building airports is
capital intensive and Huge resources which would have been used to provide other
so is their maintenance.
Airports need essential infrastructure are spent on unprofitable ventures
permanent technical
and administrative
personnel who must
work to sustain the cost of their existence, even if
they are not generating money. For instance, Kebbi
State built an airport some years ago with state-of-
the art facilities, but today it barely has scheduled
UHJXODU ÁLJKWV H[FHSW FKDUWHU VHUYLFHV 8QDEOH WR
break-even, the airport was handed over to the
Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
WR PDQDJH DW KXJH GHÀFLW WR WKH DYLDWLRQ DJHQF\
It is the same experience with other state-owned
airports in Bauchi and Gombe that have been taken
over by the agency.
Looking at market projections, there is not going
to be sudden rise in air transport in Nigeria because
of low per capita income, even if alternative means
of transport like rail and road do not expand. Right
now, out of all the airports built by states, only the
RQHVLQ8\RDQG$VDEDFRXOGEHVDLGWREHYLDEOH
and that is because government in both Akwa
,ERPDQG'HOWD6WDWHVVXSSRUWWKHPÀQDQFLDOO\:H
Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send
such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and
international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.
com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.
HAS NIGERIA BECOME A DUMPING GROUND?
8QGRXEWHGO\1LJHULD$IULFD·VPRVWSRSXORXVGHPRFUDF\DQG
economy, faces great challenges, and indeed a race against time to
be considered a developed nation.
$FRQÁXHQFHRIVKRFNVDQGIDFWRUVKDVGUDLQHGWKHFRXQWU\RI
the prodigious promise shown at independence in 1960.
In many ways, Nigeria is a lesson in not how to manage a
country, especially one as gifted with human and material re-
sources. In fact, even the devastating civil war of 1967-1970 could
have been averted if wisdom was engaged. That the scars of that
horrible war continue to mark Nigeria more than 40 years later in
the form of secessionist agitations is testament to a country that
KDVEHHQGHÀDQWDQGGLUHFWLRQOHVVIRUIDUWRRORQJDVWREHIDWDO
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made and how many of them are imported into the country from
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WLRQPDQLIHVWVLQWKHIDFWWKDWIRUDOOLWVEHQHÀWVLWKDVOHIWGHYHORS
ing countries like Nigeria horribly exposed to the antics of some
developed countries who for all their altruism are not immune to
the occasional dollop of opportunism.
)RUPRVWRIWKHHLJKW\HDUVRI3UHVLGHQW0XKDPPDGX%XKDUL·V
DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ1LJHULDKDVEHHQUDFNHGE\IRUFHIXOÀWVRILQVHFX
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023
EDITORIAL
T H I S D AY
EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU
DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU
CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN
MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI
THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE
T H I S D AY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE,
ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI
DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU,
ANTHONY OGEDENGBE
DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI
SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI
CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI
DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO
TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
Letters to the Editor
LETTERS
rity. What Boko Haram has left in the northeastern states of Bor-
no, Yobe and Adamawa, bandits have consumed in the north-
western states of Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara.
What terrorist Fulani herdsmen have left in the northcentral
states of Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Niger, unknown gunmen
have ripped apart in the southeastern states of Anambra, Ebonyi
and Imo.
In fact, the activities of the disparate but deadly non-state ac-
tors in the country in the past eight years have made it look like
the country has been on an all-out war.
Now, it has emerged that the resource curse is hunting Nige-
ria again with the revelation that some Chinese expatriates know
more than they are letting on about the criminals who kill and
maim Nigerians.
In a damning report by the Times, a British national daily, it
ZDVUHYHDOHGWKDW&KLQHVHQDWLRQDOVLQ1LJHULD·VPLQLQJVHFWRU
DUHIXQGLQJWHUURULVWVWRVHFXUHHDV\DFFHVVWR1LJHULD·VYDVWPLQ
eral reserves. The report went further to accuse China of using
EULEHV DQGLOOHJDOWUDQVDFWLRQV WRIXQG WHUURULQ$IULFD·VODUJHVW
economy.
The exhaustive report underpinned by research conducted
therefore do not understand the rationale behind
building more airports for the states beyond
SROLWLFDOFRQVLGHUDWLRQ8QIRUWXQDWHO\WKHVWDWHVDUH
only following the bad example set by the federal
government.
When in 2020 the federal government gave
approval to states to build airports in Anambra,
Benue, Ekiti, Nasarawa and Ebonyi States while
taking over the ones built in Kebbi, Osubi and Dutse
and Gombe states, we queried the rationale behind
the decision. Of the 26 airports being managed by
FAAN, only six of them record above 5,000 aircraft
movement in a year. All the others depend on
WKHVH VL[ WR VWD\ DÁRDW 7KH TXHVWLRQ ZH SRVHG DW
the time remains unanswered: In a period of lean
resources when the same
government is borrowing
to meet commitments,
why does it have to
saddle the country with
more cost centres?
The argument that
states cannot develop
without an airport fails in
the face of reality because
some of these airports have formed a cluster. An
investor travelling to a certain part of Akwa Ibom
may have to land at the Calabar Airport to get faster
WR KLV GHVWLQDWLRQ WKDQ ODQGLQJ DW 8\R $LUSRUW
Asaba Airport is closer to a businessman in Onitsha
WKDQ$QDPEUD$LUSRUWDW8PXHUL,QIDFWLWLVVDLG
WKDW WKH DLU WUD΀F FRQWUROOHU DW WKH $VDED DLUSRUW
FRXOG JXLGH D SODQH WR ODQG DW 8PXHUL DLUSRUW LQ
Anambra.
The consequences of building unviable airports
are that huge resources, which would have been used
to provide other essential infrastructure are spent
RQ XQSURÀWDEOH YHQWXUHV 0RVW RI WKHVH DLUSRUWV
only serve the interest of the governors who travel
through them with charter services, as scheduled
services cannot break even for commercial airlines
due to low passenger throughput. Since many of
these airports do not have critical amenities like
DLUÀHOG OLJKWLQJ LW PDNHV QR VHQVH WKDW VWDWHV DUH
expending huge resources to build new airports.
with SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based think thank showed that
the network that weaves insecurity in Nigeria is indeed a com-
plicated one.
Though the Chinese embassy in Nigeria has debunked the re-
SRUWLWFRQÀUPVORQJKHOGVXVSLFLRQDPRQJHYHU\GD\1LJHULDQV
WKDWSRZHUIXOLQWHUHVWVDUHEHKLQG1LJHULD·VVSUDZOLQJLQVHFXULW\
which has so far proven impossible to contain.
In many states of the country, people are killed every day with
the government showing an embarrassing helplessness.
,QWKH8QLWHG$UDE(PLUDWHVGUHZXSDQDXWKHQWLFOLVWRI
VRPHRIWKRVHVSRQVRULQJWHUURULVPLQ1LJHULD8QWLOWKLVGD\1L
gerians do not know that the law took its full course against those
on the list. That is what obtains in a country that lacks transpar-
ency, a country where impunity thrives because anything goes.
,WGRHVQ·WPDWWHUWKHLGHQWLW\RIWKRVHGULYLQJLQVHFXULW\LQ1L
geria. Nigerians demand accountability from their government
and then from locals and foreigners alike who seed terror in Ni-
geria and have succeeded in turning a once peaceful and prosper-
ous country into a pool of blood.
Ike Willie-Nwobu,
Ikewilly9@gmail.com
T H I S D AY ˾
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023 23

BUSINESSWORLD
Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun
Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com
08056356325

R A T E S A S A T A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 2 3
MONEY MARKET REPO S & P INDEX S & P INDEX EXCHANGE RATE
OPR 11.25% CALL 19.12% INDEX LEVEL 611.31% 1/4 TO DATE -0.07% N462.50/ 1 US DOLLAR*
OVERNIGHT 11.50% 1-MONTH 16.25% 1-DAY 0.03% YEAR TO DATE 0.48% *AS AT LAST FRIDAY
3-MONTH 15.75% MONTH-TO-DATE -0.7%

As More Players Spring Up, Stakeholders Optimistic Nigeria

Will Become Major Internet Exchange Hub in Africa

Emma Okonji
Folowing the rise in the
establishment of Internet Exchange
Points (IXPs) in Nigeria, occasioned
by the increasing demand for data
and internet connectivity, industry
stakeholders are of the view that
Nigeria will soon become the major
Internet Exchange Hub in Africa.
Their optimism is hinged on
the fact that established IXPs in
Nigeria are already extending
access to internet connectivity
across Africa.
The recent historic entrance
of additional two IXPs: AMS-IX
and AF-CIX from MDXi and
Rack Centre respectively, into the
Nigerian internet space, brings the
total number of established IXPs in
Nigeria to seven, a development
that has positioned Nigeria as
future Internet Exchange Hub in
Africa, given the infrastructural
capacities of the international IXPs
that have established in Nigeria.
Pleased with the growth and
expansion of IXPs in Nigeria, the
Chief Executive Officer, Internet
Xchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN),
Mr. Mohammed Rudman, told
THISDAY that the rise of IXPs in
Nigeria would lead to increased
domestication of data, reduction
in the cost of internet access and
exchange cost, with reduced latency
in interconnectivity.
Head, Interconnection and
Exchange Platform at Rack
centre, Mr. Obinna Adumike,
said multiple IXPs in the African
regional markets, would improve
the quality and reliability of the
internet.
According to Rudman, in Africa,
internet access is predominantly via
mobile devices, and the Internet
Xchange Points (IXPs) are connected
to all the network operators in the
ecosystem, for the exchange of
internet traffic.
“IXPs have formed network access
points, through which institutions
and organisations can connect to
the internet. In Nigeria, locally
domesticated internet traffic has
increased from 30 per cent to 70
per cent within the last seven
years. As of today, Nigeria is at
level two, where at least 70 per cent
of the internet traffic from major
service providers is connected to
the IXPN, while only about 30 per
cent of internet traffic is connected
to international exchanges,” Rudman
said. AMS-IX, which launched
in Nigeria last week, is one of the
largest Internet Exchange operators
in the world. It partnered MDXi,
an Equinix company, to launch a
new Internet Exchange in Lagos,
Nigeria.
The new Internet Exchange,
AMS-IX Lagos, is situated in the
carrier-neutral data center of MDXi,
an Equinix Company. Under terms
of the partnership, MDXi will
serve as the commercial partner
of AMS-IX and regional sales and
marketing arm for AMS-IX Lagos.
AMS-IX is expected run the technical
and operational management of the
exchange.
AMS-IX Lagos aims to become
an important content hub for West
Africa, enabling regional and local
Internet Service Providers (ISPs),
carriers, and Internet Exchanges
to aggregate content from large
global content delivery networks,
hosting companies and application
providers.
CEO of AMS-IX, Peter van
Burgel, said: “We intend to add
value to the local carriers and IX’s
by attracting even more content
players to the region and support
the local connectivity community.
This is a very exciting project for
us as we see it as an important
steppingstone for bringing low-
latency affordable internet available
for the West-African region.”
Director, MDXi, an Equinix
Company, Funke Opeke, said:
“The partnership enables MDXi
deliver value to the rich ecosystem
of network operators, carriers,
content providers, cloud services
providers, and enterprises that we
have present in the data center. The
AMS-IX partnership will help MDXi
consolidate its role as content
hub not just for Nigeria, but for
Francophone and English-speaking
West and Central Africa.”
The story continues online on
www.thisdaylive.com

Telecoms Industry Driving Growth, Transforming

Lives in Nigeria, Says Ogunsanya
Emma Okonji
The Group Managing Director
and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel
Africa, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya,
has described telecoms as an
industry that empowers both
individuals and organisations,
by eliminating certain barriers
simply by connecting people and
transforming lives.
Ogunsanya said this in his
keynote address at the Nigerian-
British Chamber of Commerce
(NBCC) Sharing Experience Series
2023 Forum, with the theme:
“Leading to Impact.”
He also shared his experience
and lessons, which he has gathered
over time, sharing how his diverse
work background has given him
a wide-range of perspective that
has helped him to lead Airtel as
an organisation.
He shared practical advice and
leadership principles for developing
effective and impactful leadership.
According to him, “Companies
keep competing with the past, and
capturing market opportunities
requires you to compete into
the future without losing focus
of the present. It’s either you
are satisfied with your previous
experiences or you keep looking
out for future achievements. It is
essential for every individual and
organisation to have a purpose
because something must drive you
asides profit making, and you will
be amazed at how that will drive
you into the height of success that
you intend to accomplish.”
Ogunsanya while speaking
on the impact of telecoms on
driving growth in Nigeria, said:
“Airtel is able to transform lives
by connecting people not only
to their loved ones, but also to
their passion, experiences and
opportunities.
The story continues online on
www.thisdaylive.com

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT W E D N E S D AY, A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 2 3
BONDS BILLS CPS OTC F X F U T U R E S
Change Updated Time MATURITY Dis- Yield Change Updated Time Change Updated Time CONTRACT Current
DESCRIPTION Price Yield count (%) MATURITY Discount Yield TENOR Contract Rate Updated Time
(%) (%)
NTB 27-Apr- (MONTH) ($/₦)
0.00 April
^13.53 23- 14,
0 April 14, JULI CP II 25- 0.07 April
104.04 11.15 3.56 3.56 14,
MAR-2025 2023 23 2023 19.52 21.77 NGUS APR 26 471.38
OCT-23 2023 1 26-Apr-23
NTB 11- 2023
0.00 April
^12.50 22- 14,
0 April 14, ZEDC CP I 0.07 April
99.67 12.62 3.90 3.91 14, NGUS MAY 31 473.56
JAN-2026 2023 May-23 2023 18.06 20.23 2 31-May-23
17-NOV-23 2023 2023
NTB 8-Jun- 0.95 April
^16.2884 14,
0 April 14, NSDL CP IIA
0.06 April
108.25 13.5 5.50 5.55 21.76 25.07 14, NGUS JUN 28
17-MAR-27 2023 23 2023 22-NOV-23 2023 3 475.75 28-Jun-23
2023
NTB 7-Sep-
0.00 April
^13.98 23- 14,
0 April 14, 6.74 6.93 MTNN CP V NGUS JUL 26
99.89 14 23 2023 15.31 16.89 0.06 . 4 477.93 26-Jul-23
FEB-2028 2023 23-NOV-23 2023
^14.55 26- 0 April 14, NTB 26-Oct- 0.00 April
101.11 14.27 14, NSDL CP IIB NGUS AUG 30
APR-2029 2023 7.92 8.27 21.77 25.1 0.06 . 5 480.11 30-Aug-23
23 2023 23-NOV-23 2023
24
BUSINESSWORLD
Nwizu: Subsidy Removal, Smooth Transition Will Enhance FX Inflow
Nigeria recorded a steady decline in capital importation from $2.2 billion in Q4’21 to $1.06 billion in Q4’22.
But the Co-Managing Partner/Founder, Comercio Partners Limited, an investment banking company
during an interview on the performance of the financial markets in the first quarter of 2023, said the
Nigerian economy will soon experience a reversal in the downward trend in foreign exchange inflow.
He explained how the expected removal of fuel subsidy and a smooth transition come May 29, 2023 will
enhance foreign exchange inflow into the economy and hence appreciation of the naira. Excerpts
Given the various challenges that
characterised the economy in Q1 ‘23, what
is your assessment of the performance of
the stock market, vis-a-vis the over 8% YTD
return of the NGX?
D
espite the challenging macroeconomic
environment characterized by
the cash crunch, election jitters,
inflationary pressures, and a
50-basis point hike in the monetary
policy rate by the Central Bank from 17.5% to
18%, the NGX remarkably delivered a year-to-date
return of over 8%. This is even more impressive
considering the reported 25% decline in sales
by manufacturers. The NGX demonstrated its
resilience by ending Q1 on a positive note, as
evidenced by the robust performance of key
market indicators.
The Benchmark All-Share index rallied by
6.33%, closing the quarter at 54,861.87 points,
while market capitalization increased from
N28.11 trillion at the start of the quarter to
N29.65 trillion, indicating an improvement
in investor sentiments. Although the value
traded decreased by 22.04%, the volume traded
increased by 66.04%, reflecting heightened investor
activity. Notably, the consumer goods index
led the sectoral performance, gaining 19.32%,
followed by the oil and gas index at 10.45%
and the banking index at 8.50%, the latter being
exposed to Ghana’s debt restructuring. It is
worth mentioning that stocks such as Tripple
Gee and Company Plc, International Energy
Insurance, John Holt, and Geregu Power emerged
among the top gainers in Q1.
Developments in the FX market were largely
negative in Q1’23. Turnover in I&E window
dropped by 45% year-on-year to $6.5 billion;
external reserves shed 4.1% to $35.57 billion;
Naira depreciated by 50 kobo to N461.5/$ in
I&E window, and by N19 to N755/$ in the
parallel market. What were the factors behind
these negative developments and how soon
are we going to see a reversal of these trends?
Despite CBN’s best effort to stabilize the
exchange rate and its several interventions
through the RT 200 policies and its naira4dollar
scheme the Naira continued to weaken against the
greenback in Q’1 2023. This was quite anticipated
given the political and macro-economic landscape
experienced during the quarter.
Election spending, associated with the conduct
of the presidential and gubernatorial elections
held in Q’1 2023, contributed to the decline in
the value of the local currency. Elections are
usually associated with huge volume of cash
moving around. Aside from campaign spending
by various aspirants, the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) was allocated
over N300 billion to fund the conduct of the
general elections.
The effect of this projected cash movement
was however stalled by the CBN Naira redesign
policy leading to a cash crunch due to limited
supply of the new note. Furthermore, risk-
aversion among investors also contributed
to the slide in the value of the Naira against
the dollar. Rational investors tend to display
risk aversion during pre-election period to
safe heaven asset like the U.S dollar making
other currencies drop in value. Another factor
that contributed to the decline in Naira value
was rising prices.
Despite the CBN’s best efforts to curb inflation
by hiking its monetary policy rate by 150 basis
points to 18%, the Nigeria headline CPI index
printed at 21.91% in February 2023, up from
21.34% in December 2022. Inflation decreases
consumers’ purchasing power and erodes the
value of money. On the global front, the United
States Federal Reserve hiked its benchmark
interest rate by 25 basis points during the first
quarter, significantly strengthening the greenback.
Other macroeconomic fundamental issues like
low crude oil production and low sales by the
CBN at the auction, are identified causes that
contributed to the Naira’s decline in value against
Nwizu
the dollar during the quarter. In the same
breath, total foreign reserve plummeted
to its lowest level since September 2021.
Available data on the CBN’s website reveals
that Nigeria’s foreign reserves decreased to
$35.74 billion on the 24th of March 2023.
This could largely be attributed to the CBN
efforts to maintain exchange rate stability
by selling the dollar at FX auctions. The
sale of the USD at the auctions from the
country’s foreign reserves posed a significant
challenge to the apex bank. There are two
major events that have the potential to
reverse these negative trends in the short
term. The first is the smooth transfer of
power to the next administration. With the
new administration in place, we anticipate
that the political landscape will become
more stable, which will help to soothe the
wave of risk aversion among existing and
potential investors.
The second is the successful phase-out
and removal of fuel subsidies will result
in a savings of more than $6 billion, a
portion of which can be used to bolster
the nation’s reserve. Given the foregoing, as
well as projections of a probable change in
monetary authority and the breakdown of
the multiple foreign exchange rate regime,
we expect to begin to see some reversal as
early as the beginning of Q’3 2023.
The CBN intensified its monetary
tightening with two additional hikes
in the Monetary Policy Rate, in January
and March. How did these hikes influence
interest rate dynamics and performance
of the fixed income investment during
the quarter?
Local investors as well as markets
participants are quite concerned about
the CBN’s monetary policy stance. Most
investors have questioned the effectiveness
of these tools in taming inflation. The rate
hike in January was quite expected but
the market expected the CBN to adopt a
wait and see approach in March to allow
some time to see the effects of the previous
hikes, but again the apex bank monetary
policy committee voted to increase the rate
by half a percentage point to 18%. This
event drove mixed sentiment in the fixed
income market during the first quarter of
2023. Yields were down on the short term
note by an average a full percentage point
while the bears dominated the long end of
the curve during the first quarter of 2023.
Deposit money banks and other financial
institutions in a bid to avoid CRR debit
from the CBN now participate heavily
in the buying of short dated bonds and
Treasury bills and this accounted for the
bullish sentiments in the short-term notes.
The global financial markets experienced
some earth tremor with the collapse of
two regional banks in the U.S while
regulators had to intervene to save a
number of banks. But there are fears
that these developments may spread and
affect banking systems in other countries.
Should investors in Nigeria be concerned
and what is your advice to them in terms
of how to respond to this development?
The U.S economy with a GDP of $23.32
trillion (2021 world bank estimate) stands
to be the largest economy in the world
today. History has also taught many
investors to fear and worry when there
is a crisis in major economy like the U.S.
The CBN however addressed these concerns
and worry in its 147 monetary policy
committee held on Monday 20th March
to Tuesday 21st March 2023 and allow
me quote a section of the Communiqué.
“The MPC hence took time out to
discuss the recent bank failures in
the US and Switzerland, an event that
occurred following the persistent interest
rate hikes in the US, and how this has
adversely impacted the broad portfolio
of banks in the US. It noted that whereas
MPR was increased by 500 basis points
in Nigeria, from 12.5 per cent in 2022
to 17.5 per cent in January 2023, the
Financial Soundness Indicators (FSIs) in
Nigeria shows that the Nigerian banking
system remain resilient due largely the
stringent prudential guidelines put in
place by the CBN which has resulted
in a strong build-up of not only the Cash
THURSDAY, APRIL 20,
ͰͮͰͱ
˾
T H I S D AY
INTERVIEW
Reserve Ratio (CRR) in Nigeria, but also
the Liquidity Ratio and Capital Adequacy
Ratio.” Having established these positions
from the apex bank perspective, investors
are advised not to panic. Historically, what
creates a run; in global events like this is
when investors panic and begin to act on it,
which can cause a wave across the financial
industry. So far, the U.S Federal Reserve has
joined other regulators in lifting the $250,000
per account deposit insurance for customers
of the affected banks, reducing the risk of
a possible financial contagion. Investors are
highly advised, however, to be more diligent
while making financial decisions. They should
desist from investing without conducting
due diligence on the banks. Potential and
existing investors must be aware of the risks
associated with the investments they hold.
Understanding risk is critical to lowering
investor anxiety.
What are your projections for the
financial markets and the economy in
general in Q2’23?
Despite the challenges faced in Q1 2023,
including political unrest, fuel scarcity, and
cash constraints, there are expectations of a
more stable economy for Nigeria in Q2 due
to the swearing-in of a new government that
is expected to implement reforms that would
stimulate growth and investment. Nonetheless,
the global economy’s highly volatile nature
remains a threat to Nigeria’s economy. The
interbank market is expected to receive over
N2 trillion in Q2 2023 of which the most is
concentrated at the end of April from OMO
maturity, bond coupon payments, and bond
maturity.
Despite the projected liquidity, we expect the
market to remain generally bearish during the
quarter. Our position is premised on the central
bank’s hawkish monetary policy stance, which
translates into higher rates on government
bonds. Also, expected CRR debt will mop
up liquidity and reduce banks’ ability to
extend excess cash into the system. Despite
this, there is still a possibility of minimal
demand for the newly issued one-year treasury
bill, as the rate remains relatively attractive.
Overall, it is expected to be a slow quarter for
the fixed income markets. For the Nigerian
stock market, the easing of the cash crunch is
expected to lead to positive financial results
for companies, which should in turn have a
positive impact on Q2 GDP numbers, thus
representing an improvement from Q1.
However, in light of the persistent uptick in
inflation and the high-interest rate environment,
operating expenses and production costs are
expected to remain high, thereby affecting
companies’ bottom line. Nevertheless, there
is optimism for an improvement in the NGX
ASI in Q2. With the proposed removal of the
fuel subsidy, change in monetary authorities
and successful transition of power to the
new administration, we expect to see some
appreciation in the local currency against the
greenback in Q’2. As the nightmare of historic
flooding during the latter part of the year
2022 is now behind us, we expect improved
activities in the agricultural sector while
service sector components like Information
and Communication will act as major catalysts
to non-oil growth.
However, our optimism regarding the
non-oil sector still recognizes the existence
of legacy issues like insecurity and unchecked
disturbances to local food production, poor
road networks and infrastructure as well as
the perennial FX crisis and its ripple effect
on the cost of production. Furthermore, we
expect the improvement in oil production to
continue its positive trend and perform even
better than last year. We expect these improved
activities to nudge the GDP growth above
3.2% reflecting better performance compared
to the 3.1% GDP growth of 2022.
T H I S D AY ˾
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023
BUSINESSWORLD
L-R: Associate Director, Environment, Social and Governance Services, KPMG, Marilyn Obaisa-Osula; Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Lagos Business School, Dr. Henrietta
Onwuegbuzie; Chairman of the United Nation Global Compact Network in Nigeria, Oluwasoromidayo George; CEO Auldon Group and Henley Alumni President, Paul Orajiaka; Program
Administrator Pan Atlantic University, Ify Orajiaka and Executive Director, Head Credit Analysis, Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Tersoo Bossua, during Henley Nigeria Alumni Association
event held in Lagos…recently
NCS Gets Triple Awards on Ethics, Value Orientation
Nosa Alekhuogie
The Nigeria Computer Society
(NCS) has been recognised
with triple awards for its
commitment to work ethics
and value orientation.
Huawei Moves to Enhance Business
Growth with Cutting-edge Technologies
Emma Okonji
In today’s digital age, data is
swiftly emerging as a new form
of oil and currency, providing
businesses with a window
into the needs and desires of
customers like never before,
but most companies are not
well-positioned to turn these
data sets into insights to make
better business decisions and
store and protect them from
cyberattacks, according to
experts who gathered at this
year’s Huawei Information
Technology (IT) Day (Nigeria).
In his welcome speech, the
CEO of Huawei Nigeria, Chris
Neobank, Offers Payment, Management Solutions
Emma Okonji
OurPass, the one-click checkout
company, has rebranded to become
a global neobank for businesses
that will revolutionise commerce
in Nigeria.
OurPass is providing businesses
with access to banking, payment
and business management tools
to enable them start, grow and
scale their businesses.
OurPass was launched in
Motor Africa, OnePipe Partner to
Offer Payment Services in Nigeria
Emma Okonji
Motor Africa, a mobility and IOT
infrastructure startup in Nigeria,
in partnership with OnePipe, a
fintech infrastructure provider,
has launched a lending as a
service (LaaS) proposition to
help mobility entrepreneurs gain
access to working capital in the
The Centre for Ethics and
Self Value Orientation, which
recognised NCS with the
awards, have over the years,
profiled NCS and its leaders
and found them worthy of the
awards.
Lu, said there had been an
explosion of data over the years,
which presents an opportunity
for businesses to start processing
and harnessing data to boost
revenue.
era,
“As we enter the yottabyte
data applications
are multiplying, making
trustworthiness and reliability
a key component of data
infrastructure. At Huawei, we
currently have 12 Research and
Development (R&D) centers, over
4000 R&D engineers, and 3000
patents dedicated to storage,
helping businesses across the
globe,” Lu said.
Huawei’s resilience as Original
2021 after raising a $1 million
pre-seed led by Tekedia Capital
with a goal to helping businesses
increase their sales conversion
rates by eliminating long entry
forms at checkout, using its
one-click checkout solution. The
drivers of the business however
realised that beyond offering a
niche service, they could provide
end-to-end solutions that would
help entrepreneurs grow every
aspect of their business.
form of an overdraft to finance
car repairs, purchase genuine
spare parts, vehicle and personal
insurance, smart phones, and cash
for personal and family welfare
support needs.
The technology, which generates
analytical telemetry and remittance
income data, assists registered
lenders in making informed lending
The awards, which were
presented to NCS President,
Prof. Adesina Sodiya in
Lagos on Tuesday, include:
Ethical Conduct/Leadership
Compliance Certificate,
presented to Sodiya; Integrity
Equipment Manufacturing
(OEM), has had a tremendous
impact on businesses while
it continues to develop new
technologies.
On the issue of data
infrastructure transformation
trend – Huawei F2F2X (Flash
To Flash To Anything), Principal
Storage Architect, Enterprise
Storage Solution, Tang Zhihao,
said: “Ocean Protect is an
all-flash system that offers
lightning-quick performance
with a consistent backup and
recovery time window.
Zhihao said F2F2X would
redefine dedicated backup
storage as a flash-based system,
Giving details of the
rebranding, the Founder and
CEO of OurPass, Samuel Eze,
said: “With a mission to create
a borderless world of successful
businesses, we are committed to
making it easier for businesses,
irrespective of size and location,
to gain access to banking services.
We are not stopping there, we are
also providing them with access
to all the payment and business
management tools they need to
decisions while also managing
seamless credit repayments.
Motor Africa, a trade name of
envio Logistics Inc., has activated
more than 2,000 vehicles already on
its platform and is now poised to
enable those vehicle owners have
access to credit services.
The service manages driver
repayments to the vehicle owner
Icon of Nigeria (IION) Award,
presented to Sodiya and
Corporate Ethics and Integrity
Award, presented to Nigeria
Computer Society (NCS).
Presenting the award, the
leader of the team, Prince
andfacilitate new opportunities
for businesses.”
Regional Coordinator,
Southwest, Galaxy Backbone
(GBB), Dauda Oyeleye, said
Huawei recorded significant
achievements contributing to the
development of ICT in Nigeria
through collaboration with the
Nigerian government and other
industry players.
Oyeleye chronicled the
milestones of Galaxy Backbone-
an agency specialised in hosting,
cloud computing, EDMS, data
centre, and consulting services for
organisations of all sizes, since
it commenced its partnership
with Huawei.
grow and thrive.”
The neobank offers free
business account numbers within
five minutes when businesses
sign up: Access to capital to
build their businesses, and
Investment opportunities with
its fixed deposits offering. Its
optimized payment tools, such
as POS terminals, QR codes, and
instant transfers, also enable
businesses to receive and make
payments seamlessly.
and provides car maintenance
oversights at partnered workshops.
Co-founder and CEO of envio
Logistics Inc, Sylvester Chude, who
has been an active participant
in the mobility industry, stated
that cooperating with OnePipe
will facilitate automatic payout
settlements to vehicle owners
and lending partners.
Salih Musa Yakubu, said the
leaders of NCS, had over the
years, displayed high since of
leadership roles in driving the
principles of NCS. According to
him, the Centre had in the last
17 years, consistently committed
to monitoring public leaders and
holding government officials
accountable to the people, for
the purpose of eliminating
corruption in the Nigerian
system.
Yakubu, who frowned at
the leadership styles of several
past leaders of Nigeria, said
Nigeria was planned to become
a developed nation in 1985,
but explained that such vision
IoT Africa Advocates Adoption
of IoT, Wins Tech Award
Emma Okonji
For its contributions to the
development of the tech ecosystem
in Africa, IoT Africa Networks, the
continent’s leading provider of
Internet of Things (IOTs) solutions
and services, has won the Tech
Innovation Award at the Tech
Unite Africa Conference, which
took place recently at the MUSON
Centre, Lagos.
Executive Director of IoT Africa
Networks, Melanie Ayoola, who
presented the keynote at the event,
used the occasion to advocate for the
increased adoption of IoT solutions
among businesses to efficiently
manage their operations, maximise
resources and assets, optimise costs,
and improve work safety.
25
NEWS
has become an illusion because
past leaders were insincere and
corrupt.
Responding, Sodiya, thanked
the organisers for profiling
NCS and for declaring NCS
worthy of the awards. Some
notable Nigerians who have
been awarded as IION in
the past, include the former
Commonwealth Secretary
General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku;
immediate past Treasurer and
Vice President of World Bank,
Arunma Oteh; Elder Statesman,
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu,
and the current Speaker, House
of Representatives, Mr. Femi
Gbajabiamila, among others.
Ayoola said IoT-integrated
assets would provide real-time
capability and data that improve
decision-making, enhance the
quality of services and solutions,
and drive organisational growth,
adding that this is especially
as sensors provide valuable
information regarding output,
quality, machine conditions,
environmental conditions, and
so much more.
According to her, “Forward-
thinking leaders are adopting
technology in order to utilise all
the innovations of IoT and improve
their business strategy, in line with
the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), fully applying critical
operational insights to harness
key business benefits.
26 T H I S D AY ˾
 AY, APRIL 20 , 2023

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi

Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com,
Tel: 07010510430

Adopting CSR to Impact Healthcare in Nigeria, the NLNG Example @ LUTH

As part of its corporate social responsibility, the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited, NLNG, initiated a multi-billion naira
programme known as hospital support programme to boost the healthcare delivery system in 12 federal university teaching
hospitals cutting across the six geopolitical zones. Uzoma Mba writes that the goal of the the goal of the project was to
support the provision of quality medical care for Nigerians through the improvement of tertiary healthcare delivery system
in the country, with attendant impacts on medical research and retention of in-country medical expertise

L-R: Acting CMD, LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo; former GM, External relations and Sustainable
L-R: GM, External relations and Sustainable Development, Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited,
Development, Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited, Mrs. Eyono Fatayi-Williams; Minister of State
Mr Andy Odeh; former GM, Mrs. Eyono Fatayi-Williams; former Board Member, NLNG Ltd; Dr Mrs
for Health, Hon. Ekumankama Joseph Nkama; former Board Member, NLNG Ltd, Dr Mrs Cordelia
Cordelia Agboti; Minister of State for Health, Hon. Ekumankama Joseph Nkama; and Acting CMD,
Agboti; Board Chairman, LUTH, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali and GM, Finance, NLNG, Mr. Alkali Bashir at the
LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo at the commissioning of Block C (Obstetrics and Gynaecology Wards)
commissioning of Block C (Obstetrics and Gynaecology Wards) of the Lagos University Teaching
of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, Lagos  ˛
Hospital, Idi Araba, Lagos 

C
orporate social responsibility
according to the United Nations
Industrial Development Organisation
is a management concept requiring
companies to integrate social and
environmental concerns in their business operations
and interactions with their stakeholders.
The concept guides a corporate entity to
achieve a balance of economic, environmental
and social imperatives, while at the same time
addressing the expectations of shareholders and
stakeholders.
On this note, it is important to draw a distinction
between corporate social responsibility, which can
be a strategic business management concept as
distinct from charity, sponsorships or philanthropy.
Even though the latter can also make a valuable
contribution to poverty reduction, directly enhance
the reputation of a company and strengthen its
brand, the concept of corporate social responsibility
clearly goes beyond that.
UNIDO actually identifies key corporate social
responsibility issues to include environmental
management, eco-efficiency, responsible sourcing,
stakeholder engagement, labour standards and
working conditions, employee and community
relations, social equity, gender balance, human
rights, good governance, and anti-corruption
measures.
Acting in fulfilment of this concept, the Nigeria
Liquified Natural Gas Limited, NLNG, initiated a
multi-billion naira programme known as hospital
support programme to boost the healthcare delivery
system in 12 federal university teaching hospitals
cutting across the six geopolitical zones.
The programme is in two phases and the
NLNG has begun the inauguration of such
completed executed projects in the benefitting
federal university teaching hospitals under the
phase 1 programme in Lagos, Kano, Bayelsa
and Cross River States.
On March 27, 2023, the project commissioning
started with the inauguration of an obstetrics and
gynaecology ward, reconstructed, upgraded and
equipped by the NLNG at the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, LUTH.
The inauguration of the hospital ward at LUTH
will be followed by the commissioning of an
intensive care unit at the Niger Delta University
Teaching Hospital, Yenagoa; an occupational
therapy and neuromodulation rehabilitation
centre at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital,
Kano, and a neurosurgical and stroke centre
at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital,
Calabar.
Before now, the commissioning of such projects
executed by the NLNG began in 2022, with the
opening of a maternity centre at the University
of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, and a
new intensive care unit at the University of Benin
Teaching Hospital, all of which were selected in
the first phase of the hospital support programme.
“The NLNG Hospital Support Programme is
NLNG’s national corporate social responsibility
initiative which aims to boost the healthcare
delivery system in 12 federal university teaching
hospitals cutting across the six geopolitical zones
in the country. The programme started in 2022”,
a statement by the firm said.
At the LUTH commissioning on March 27, the
NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, represented by Mr.
The goal of the project was to support the
provision of quality medical care for Nigerians
through the improvement of tertiary healthcare
delivery system in the country, with attendant
impacts on medical research and retention of
in-country medical expertise
Andy Odeh, General Manager, External Relations
and Sustainable Development, disclosed that
the goal of the project was to support the
provision of quality medical care for Nigerians
through the improvement of tertiary healthcare
delivery system in the country, with attendant
impacts on medical research and retention of
in-country medical expertise.
He said the company has helped in reshaping
the country’s health sector for a better and more
responsive system on the road to making it a
destination for world-class healthcare delivery
and called on LUTH’s management to ensure
that the facilities were put to practical use for
patients and training purposes.
While expressing delight at accomplishing
another step to move the needle on the nation’s
ailing health sector, Mshelbila, observed that since
the hospital support programme commenced
last year, the NLNG has helped in re-shaping
Nigeria’s health sector for a better and more
responsive approach to healthcare delivery, in
an attempt to make the country a destination
for world class healthcare delivery.
“We are here to commission the obstetrics
and gynecology ward (block C) of LUTH.
This building was a four-storey structure in a
moribund state but it has been re-constructed,
its facilities fully upgraded and properly
equipped to boast of a first-rate obstetrics
and gynecology consulting centre anywhere
in the world.
“This obstetrics and gynaecology ward of
LUTH is the third in the phase one of our
hospital support programme being commis-
sioned. The remaining three projects in phase
one at Calabar, Yenagoa and Kano, have been
completed and will soon be commissioned.
Today, we are glad that the newly recon-
structed and equipped ward will help increase
the capacity of LUTH in admitting and managing
more patients’ ailments. Also, in addressing
the infrastructure shortfall of the hospital,
am delighted that more facilities have been
provided for the teeming number of patients in
this metropolitan city of Lagos; while a more
congenial environment have been provided
for dispensation of efficient healthcare delivery
system. These are parts of grounds for our
setting out to implement the hospital support
programme in our tertiary health institutions”,
the NLNG chief executive added.
He commended the authorities of LUTH
for collaborating effectively with the NLNG
project team in delivering the project within
the timeline and on budget.
Block C houses the obstetrics and gynecology
ward, four-storey building. Presently it contains
120 beds and associated furniture - overbed
table, bedside locker, mattress, and pillows
with Macintosh to serve the prenatal and
postnatal services at LUTH. Moreover,
other facilities that got a facelift include
the waiting room, nurses’ stations, private
wards, consulting rooms, radiation room,
sluice room, doctors and nurses call rooms
and administrative offices and rooms with
associated furniture.
“We are delighted to be part of progress
in giving more Lagosians better healthcare.
As Denzel Washington said it’s not about
what you have or even what you’ve ac-
complished. It’s about who you’ve lifted up,
who you’ve made better. It’s about what
you’ve given back. Healthcare delivery is
one of the four pillars of NLNG corporate
social responsibility interventions. The
rest are education, infrastructure and
empowerment.
“As NLNG delivers value to the world
and revenue to the nation; it is resilient
on ensuring that its basic development
agenda is progressed significantly, through
its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The health support programme came on
board due to shortfalls witnessed in our
health sector during COVID-19 pandemic
in 2020.
The board of NLNG was gracious to
approve the investment of $6 million for
uplifting of specific health facilities in 12
tertiary health institutions across six geo-
political zones in the country. The hospitals
are divided into two phases. Phase one
is made up of six institutions and they
are Lagos University Teaching Hospital;
University of Abuja Teaching Hospital,
Gwagwalada, Abuja; Aminu Kano Teach-
ing Hospital, Kano and University of
Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin. Others
are Niger Delta University Teaching
Hospital, Yenagoa, and University of
Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Cross
Rivers State. The second phase of the
programme which commenced at the
beginning of this year are Jos University
Teaching Hospital, Jos; University of
Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and
University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.
Work in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
University, Bauchi, Federal Medical
Centre, Asaba and Nnamdi Azikiwe
University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi will
commence next year”, Mshelbila said.
He however, acknowledged the
contributions and support from the
Federal Ministry of Health particu-
larly the minister in the success of the
hospital support project, adding that
he is encouraged to believe that the
federal government is determined to see the
nation’s health institutions attain world class
status soon.
The NLNG chief executive also commended
the authorities of LUTH for their resilience,
commitment and determination to ensure the
delivery of the project on time and according
to specification. He also tasked the authorities
of LUTH to ensure that the new facilities are
put to effective use, not just for patients but
also for trainee doctors, nurses and other users.
He concluded by saying that “NLNG believes
this is one of the projects we can all look back
on with pride; which other people will see and
benefit from and which acclaims its key objective
of being a globally competitive LNG company,
helping to build a better Nigeria”.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire,
who was represented by the Minister of State for
Health, Ekumankama Joseph Nkama, stated that
the NLNG has proven to be a reliable partner in
the sustainable development of the healthcare
system in the country. He declared that the
project executed at LUTH by the NLNG has
complimented the efforts of the federal government
in improving the quality of healthcare in LUTH,
stating that the renovation and equipping of
the 120-bed obstetrics and gynaecology ward
at block C section underscores the fact that the
renovated block C was built about 60 years ago
and has not undergone any major renovation
since then.
“The federal government and the ministry of
health are grateful to NLNG for this wonderful
gesture. We are also mindful of the company’s
other efforts in supporting infrastructure renewal
in all sectors, particularly the health sector,” said
the minister.
The newly commissioned LUTH project entailed
the complete renovation and upgrade of the
obstetrics and gynaecology ward, a four-storey
building, and the provision of 120 beds to serve
the prenatal and postnatal services. Other facilities
include a waiting room, nurses’ stations, private
wards, consulting rooms, radiation room, and
doctors and nurses call rooms, among other
facilities.
For the 61-year-old LUTH, the hospital can
beat its chest that the good times are here.
Apart from increased budgetary allocation
from the federal government, as attested to by
the acting Chief Medical Director, Prof. Wasiu
Lanre Adeyemo, the hospital has been lucky
in attracting projects that have contributed to
the infrastructural renewal that are funded by
well-meaning Nigerians, corporate bodies, and
multinational corporations like the NLNG.
Indeed, the ward renovation and equipping
project initiated on January 24, 2022, is part of the
NLNG’s sustainable development programme to
contribute its quota to the hospital’s growth. “Like
we’re all aware, government alone, even in the
developed world cannot fully fund healthcare. I
therefore appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians,
corporate bodies, and multinational corporations
to also extend their social corporate responsibility
to us as an institution”, Prof Adeyemo pleaded.
NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online
edition on www.thisdaylive.com
T H I S D AY ˾ AY, APRIL 20 , 2023
Nordica Fertility Centre: 2 Decades
of Solving Infertility in Nigeria
RebeccaEjifoma
Since its establishment two
decades ago – April 14 of
2003 – Nordica Fertility Centre, a
leading innovative fertility clinic
in Nigeria, has continued to
help couples conceive through
innovative assisted reproductive
technology.
The MD and CEO of Nordica,
Dr Abayomi Ajayi remarked on
the centre’s track records at the
flag-off of its 20th-anniversary
celebration and unveiling of the
anniversary logo at its Ikoyi
office in Lagos state.
Ajayi said, “This is a
milestone in the history of
our great brand, which has
assisted fertility-challenged
couples from all walks of life
and all geographical locations
within and outside the shores
of Nigeria, resulting in the birth
of thousands of babies and still
counting.”
He narrated how the journey
started as the dream of a man
who felt that Nigerian couples
with infertility needed to avail
themselves of the latest technol-
ogy in the fertility management
space at the time.
Not oblivious to the roles
of others, the fertility expert
acknowledged the pioneering
efforts of a few others alongside
himself which eventually led to
the evolution of a world-class
practice in Nigeria comparable
to any leading fertility centre
in developed cities.
Hence, he expressed: “We
are proud to say that our thrust
to bring the latest technology,
techniques and skills to bear
on the fertility management
landscape in Nigeria has seen
us chart a course for innovative
solutions to the benefit of our
esteemed clients over the past
20 years.”
Ajayi listed the introduction of
various male factor treatments,
including IMSI and PICSI, to
help men with low or immotile
sperm parameters achieve
assisted conception.
Meanwhile, the MD gives
his team a pat on the back for
launching a successful freezing
facility to help women achieve
conception at later dates.
“Achieving conception later may
be due to medical or lifestyle
reasons such as cancer treatment.
The review of our 2022 report
showed a post-thaw survival
rate of 92.2 per cent
“Nordica co-founds the
Oncofertility Specialists As-
sociation Nigeria to promote
Oncofertility awareness and
research in Nigeria, and
Margaret, 39 Urgently Needs N10m toTreat Breast Cancer
Margaret Onabe, a 39-year-
old mother of one has
called on well-meaning
Nigerians, nongovern-
mental organisations, as
well as the government
to help her raise N10m
for the treatment of her
stage three breast cancer.
Margaret, who is a
hairdresser, said she was
diagnosed in June 2022,
and that lack of finance
to properly treat it has
pushed the cancer into
stage 3.
investment in minimally
invasive procedures to re-
solve a myriad of fertility
and non-fertility-related
challenges, especially for
our female clients.”
Nordica fertility centre
also invested in the first
non-invasive solution for
fibroid management in the
West African sub-region
and the third on the African
continent, the High-Intensity
Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU),
the latest technology, which
allows women to treat fibroids
without any surgical procedure
globally.
He said: “As the Chief
Responsibility Officer of this
organisation, we are proud to
say that we have weathered
various storms but come out
even stronger by taking steps in
the right direction at establishing
a sustainable enterprise.
“With a clear vision backed
by a formidable team and the
Can Do spirit of the dogged
Nigerian, we are here today as
a testament of what can happen
when men stay focussed on a
divine call to serve humanity
through science. We have built
a knowledge-based organisation
where continuous learning is
the key to our success story.
“With a very heavy invest-
ment in our most valuable
asset, our people, our focus
on building human capital
has been at the heart of all
we do because this gives us
the competitive edge in the
L-R: Client Experience Manager, Grace Bisi-Akinlabi; MD/
CEO Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi; and the Clinic
Manager/Infertility Counsellor, Tola Ajayi
She said doctors at the
Lagos State University
Teaching Hospital (LA-
SUTH) have assured her
that this was the last
stage for her proper
treatment if she wants
to live to train her 10
year old daughter.
“I am running against
time. I do not want to die.
I have gone through five
courses of chemotherapy
already, and I have many
more to go through. Each
therapy costs N114,000.
NEWS
market. Our people make a
difference.
Following its first establish-
ment on April 14, 2003, at the
Victoria Garden City (VGC)
and with a city centre clinic on
Turton Street, Yaba, Nordica has
since set up clinics in Asaba
(Delta State), Abuja the FCT,
Surulere and Lekki (Fibroid
Centre) in Lagos to give more
accessible and more convenient
access to its services.
In the words of Ajayi, “It
has not just been about run-
ning a successful business
but about touching lives and
creating impact in our operating
environment.”
Today, Nordica Fertility Centre
has partnered the Fertility
Treatment Support Foundation
(FTSF), Fertility Awareness
Advocate Initiative (FAAI),
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Ighodalo Foundation and the
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among others, to give access to
free IVF treatments to deserving
Nigerian couples.
“We have vigorously pursued
a knowledge transfer initia-
tive through our Physicians
Roundtable, which is our special
purpose vehicle to help with
the continuous professional
development of specialists
and general practice doctors
to improve knowledge in the
area of fertility management via
virtual and physical training
programmes,” as the centre
plans to do more this year. The
gynaecologist told journalists.
I need urgent financial
support since the cancer
has already spread to the
other breast. I have used
up all my savings and
borrowed from friends
and relatives to cover this,
but I still need N10 mil-
lion to treat the cancer,”
she said tearfully.
Those who are touched
by her plight can reach
her on +2348148947710.
Her account details are:
Margaret Onabe, Ecobank,
account No. 3453001582.
FERTILITY
Hirsutism (Part 1)
A
dults have two types of hair:
vellus hair (soft, fine, short,
and colorless) and terminal
hair (long, dark, and coarse).
Women have vellus hair on
their face, arms, chest, and
back, with terminal hair limited to the armpits
and pubic region. Men have terminal hairs
all over their bodies because their androgen
hormone levels are far higher than females
(usually 4-20 times higher).
Androgens are a type of sexual hormone. They
aid in the initiation of puberty and play a role
in reproductive health and body development.
Androgens are produced by both sexes, but men
produce more. The most common androgen
is testosterone. If a woman’s hair follicles are
exposed to high androgen levels or become
more sensitive to normal androgen levels, her
soft, vellus hairs can transform into terminal
hairs, a condition known as Hirsutism.
WHAT IS HIRSUTISM?
This is a condition in which a woman’s
coarse body hair grows in a pattern similar
to that of men. Increased amounts of soft hair
are more indicative of nonhormonal causes
of hair growth, which are more common
in various ethnicities. Increased amounts of
coarse and often dark hair, such as that seen
in the pubic region, are more indicative of a
hormonal cause of hair growth.
This is most common on the face, back,
midline chest, lower abdomen, inner thigh, and
buttocks. Arm hair can also darken, making the
hair appear thicker. Extra hair growth caused by
excess male hormones (Androgens), primarily
testosterone, is common in hirsutism.
THE ANDROGEN HORMONES
Androgens are a class of hormones that
influence male characteristics and reproduc-
tive activity. The primary androgens found in
both males and females are Testosterone and
Androstenedione. Androgens are sometimes
referred to as male hormone, but don’t be misled
by the name. Androgens are produced by both
male and female bodies, albeit in different
amounts. In fact, androgens have over 200
actions in women and are present in higher
concentrations than estrogens. They are, of
course, much more prevalent in men and play
an important role in male characteristics and
reproductive activity. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT),
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and DHEA
sulfate are some other androgens (DHEA-S).
One of the primary functions of androgens
in a woman’s body is to be converted into
female hormones known as estrogens.
Androgens in Women
Androgens are produced in the ovaries, adrenal
glands, and fat cells in women. Women may
produce too many or too few of these hormones.
Androgen excess and deficiency disorders are
among the most common hormonal disorders
in women. Androgens play an important role
in the hormonal cascade that initiates puberty
27
With Dr. Kemi AILOJE
drkemi@lifelinkfertility.com
www.lifelinkfertility.com
+2348033083580
in women, stimulating hair growth in the pubic
and underarm areas. Furthermore, it is thought
that these hormones regulate the function of
many organs, including the reproductive tract,
bone, kidneys, liver, and muscle. Androgens are
required for estrogen synthesis in adult women
and have been shown to play an important
role in bone loss prevention as well as sexual
desire and satisfaction. Excess androgens can
cause virilizing effects such as acne, hirsutism
(excess hair growth in inappropriate places such
as the chin or upper lip), and hair thinning on
the head (balding).
SYMPTOMS OF HIRSURISM
When high androgen levels cause hirsutism,
other symptoms, known as virilization, may
develop over time. Virilization symptoms could
include:
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CAUSES OF HIRSURISM
Hirsutism may be caused by:
Genetics: Women whose immediate family
members experience symptoms of hirsutism
are more likely to experience it themselves.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): The
most common ovarian cause of hirsutism is
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The syndrome
is characterized by irregular ovulation and, as
a result, irregular menstrual cycles, increased
hair growth or the presence of acne, and, in
some cases, polycystic ovaries (small growing
follicles – not true cysts). The majority of PCOS
women are overweight or obese, resulting in
elevated insulin levels, insulin resistance, or diabetes.
Insulin is closely linked to androgenic hormone
production in PCOS patients. Elevated insulin
levels are frequently associated with increased
levels or activity of androgenic hormones, resulting
in increased hair growth.
Cushing syndrome:Cushing’s syndrome, a
rare disease, can also cause hirsutism. Cushing
syndrome is caused by the adrenal glands producing
too much cortisol. Although hirsutism is seen in
Cushing syndrome patients, high blood pressure,
diabetes, muscle weakness, fatigue, red stretch
marks, and obesity are all common signs and
symptoms. In such clinical presentations, specific
and advanced hormone testing is recommended
to differentiate Cushing syndrome from hirsutism.
Cushing syndrome symptoms can also be found
in women who are on long-term steroid therapy.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: This inherited
condition is characterized by adrenal glands’
abnormal production of steroid hormones such as
Cortisol and Androgen. The most common adrenal
gland abnormality that can cause hirsutism is
Non-classical Adrenal Hyperplasia (NCAH),
which causes the adrenal glands to overproduce
androgens. NCAH, like PCOS, is associated
with irregular menstrual cycles
TO BE CONTINUED
28
BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE
Nigerian Breweries Upbeat Amid Forex Scarcity, Insecurity
Gilbert Ekugbe
Nigerian Breweries Plc has reaf-
firmed its commitment to invest-
ing in Nigeria despite lingering
unavailability of foreign exchange
and heightened insecurity in the
country.
The Managing Director and
Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian
Breweries Plc, Mr. Hans Essaadi,
explained that headwinds have
deepened for businesses in the
country and the nation at large,
but optimistic that the company
would forge ahead with capacity
expansion programmes despite
the harsh business terrain.
Essaadi at Nigerian Breweries’
pre-annual general meeting in
Lagos, said the move is a testa-
ment of the company’s long term
view and commitment to Nigeria.
“For over 77 years, we have
built a strong legacy weathering so
many storms. We have been faced
and still being faced by storms
especially with the Russia-Ukraine
crisis that has made the price of
diesel skyrocket. We are optimistic
AFEX Opens Registration Across Nigeria, Kenya for Ag-Hackathon
AFEX, Nigeria’s leading
commodities market player,
has announced that it is
now accepting applications
from talents in Nigeria and
Kenya for the Ag-hackathon
component of its Code Cash
Crop event.
Also, it unveiled, “Scaling
Market-Led Solutions,” as
the theme for the fourth
edition of its annual Code
Cash Crop event, set to be
held in August 2023.
Code Cash Crop, it
said in a statement, is an
exciting industry event that
harnesses innovation across
the Agriculture, Finance and
Technology sectors, to solve
problems related to Africa’s
food systems.
“The maiden editions
focused on aggregating
sector players to discuss
how their industries align
and opportunities for
collaboration. The third
edition featured discus-
sions around the theme
of Disrupting Agriculture
Trade Infrastructure, in-
cluding considerations of
cross border payment infra-
structure and introducing
efficiency into agriculture
marketplaces. CCC 3.0 also
witnessed the creation of
AXA Mansard Health LaunchesTV Commercial on Health Insurance
Ebere Nwoji
AXA Mansard Health has
introduced a new television
commercial campaign tagged,
“More Wellness for Less,” jingle
targeted at increasing health
insurance adoption in Nigeria.
The new campaign according
to the company is a 1-minute
film that highlights the benefit
Nigerians can get from having
health insurance plans.
According to the firm, over
the years, health insurance
has been known as a tool for
protecting one’s family/loved
ones - particularly during their
working years when children
are younger and financially
dependent, to ensure that they
are properly catered for in the
event of one’s death.
that we would sail through like
we have always done over the
past 77 years,” he said.
He lamented over the scarcity
of foreign exchange for businesses
in the country, stressing that over
50 per cent of its input cost is
largely dependent on imports.
“Global energy crisis is skyrock-
eting with inflation putting lots
of pressure on disposable income
as this also puts pressure on our
revenues. The insecurity situation
is also a major challenge as it is
hindering both local and foreign
investments in the country,” he
said.
He said the long term funda-
mentals for Nigeria are positive,
but lamented that the first half of
2023 has been extremely difficult
for industries.
He advised that a predictable
and sustained excise roadmap
is a significant success factor for
increased government revenue.
In his outlook for 2023, the
Nigerian Breweries boss said
with the benefit of an enabling
environment, the Nigerian beer
the Ag-Hackathon, which
brought together over 350
young people to collaborate
and pitch solutions that
disrupt Agriculture Trade
Infrastructure in Africa.
“This year’s theme focuses
on prioritizing conversations
and ideation around solu-
tions that address a signifi-
cant gap in the market while
optimizing sustainability
and profitability. Both the
ag-hackathon and the Code
Cash Crop main event will
bring the biggest innovators
together to consider efficiency
and competitiveness as key
signposts to a thriving food
system in Africa, “it said.
It added, “For the first
time, Code Cash Crop will
be expanding into Kenya, as
the Ag-hackathon is open to
participants in both Nigeria
and Kenya. Through this plat-
form, young entrepreneurs
have a unique opportunity to
create innovative ideas and
profitable business models
that solve problems in the
ecosystem. The 4.0 chal-
lenge invites technological
inventions and innovations
to cater to pressing needs in
the market, with emphasis
on data and analytics, access
to market and input, as well
Speaking on new develop-
ment, the chief executive
officer, AXA Mansard Health,
Tope Adeniyi, noted that, the
new initiative was driven to
provide quality health insurance
services that were affordable
and hassle-free.
Adeniyi said, that health was
central to the well-being of each
individual, noting that the new
campaign would address the
physical and mental well-being
of Nigerians, so that, they would
be active to perform their civic
duties and responsibilities as
well as contribute to the develop-
ment of the country.
He noted that the service was
available across all its online
channels, agency offices, and
branches nationwide, adding
that products under this initiative
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023˾
T H I S D AY
market fundamentals remain posi-
tive with growth potentials, but
bemoaned that Nigeria’s macro-
economic indicators, security and
infrastructure however continues
to remain high-risk.
He further stated that lower
disposable income and high
input costs as a result of infla-
tion and naira devaluation are
putting margins under pressure,
stressing that additional excuse
burden will further cripple busi-
ness performance in 2023 while
also expressing concerns on the
prolonged forex scarcity.
Also speaking, the Corporate
Affairs Director, Nigerian Brewer-
ies Plc, Mrs. Sade Morgan, said
sustainability is at the heart of
Nigerian Breweries’ business,
stressing that the company has
continued to make steady progress L-R: Managing Editor, Proshare, Teslim Shitta-Bey; Co-Founder & CTO, ThriveAgric, Ayo Arikawe;
on its Brew a Better World agenda Head, Clearing and Settlement, AFEX, Nancy Olisakwe; CEO, Releaf, Ikenna Nzewi ; CEO, Graeme
focusing on raising the bar on Blaque, Zeal Akaraiwe, at the Grand Finale of the 2022 Code Cash Crop held in Lagos...recently
climate action, accelerating its
social sustainability agenda
through community impact
and advocating the moderate
consumption of alcohol.
MARKET INDICATORS
MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA)
AUGUST 2022
Money Supply (M3) 49,356,443.6
as credit facilities.”
The Vice President of -- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors 50,601.36
Corporate Services at AFEX, Money Supply (M2) 49,305,842.3
Mariam Tobun, speaking
about this year ’s edition -- Quasi Money 27,869,678.3
of the event stated, “We
-- Narrow Money (M1) 21,436,164
recognize the shift in the
global and local markets ---- Currency Outside Banks 2,680,236.81
that calls for solutions
that prioritize sustain- ---- Demand Deposits 18,755,927.2
ability and strong unit Net Foreign Assets (NFA) 5,074,909.92
economics, and this is a Net Domestic Assets(NDA) 27,869,678.3
key consideration in our
theme for the year. Code -- Net Domestic Credit (NDC) 61,195,142.4
Cash Crop is undoubtedly
---- Credit to Government (Net) 21,001,401.5
an essential piece of the
Agricultural ecosystem, ---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA 0.00
and for 4.0 we are in-
credibly committed to ---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA) 0.00
promoting conversations ---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS) 40,193,740.9
and engineering profitable
solutions through the Ag- --Other Assets Net 6,785,979.22
hackathon. It is a unique Reserve Money (Base Money 14,040,351.9
opportunity to have the
important voices in the --Currency in Circulation 3,210,664.98
room asking the important
questions”. --Banks Reserves 10,829,686.9
˾

ÙßÜÍÏ
̋


The grand finale will --Special Intervention Reserves 390,557.8
feature a live pitch session
from the Ag-hackathon
participants, networking
Money Market Indicators (in Percentage)
and panel discussions from Month July 2022
industry experts across Inter-Bank Call Rate 13.00
Agriculture, Agribusiness,
Finance, Government and Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR)
other stakeholders, as well
as exhibitions from startups Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) 14.00
within the same industries.
Treasury Bill Rate 2.76
Savings Deposit Rate
1 Month Deposit Rate
1.42
3.64
were very cheap when compared
3 Months Deposit Rate 4.96
with the services offered.
“We also have products at 6 Months Deposit Rate 5.87
N2,000 per month on Easy
Care. 12 Months Deposit Rate 5.76
There is a Bronze Plan that
Prime Lending rate 12.10
you can buy at about N60,000
per annum. So, we have a Maximum Lending Rate 27.61
range of simple products that
enable you to have access
to decent health insurance ˾
ÙØÏÞËÜã
ÙÖÓÍã
ËÞÏ
̋
ͯͱϱ
services; you can configure
them based on your lifestyle,
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 8 MARCH, 2023
“Adeniyi said.
In the same vein, the chief
The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $84.37 a barrel on Tuesday,
client officer, AXA Mansard
compared with $84.59 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.
Insurance, Rashidat Adebisi,
said, the well-being of Nige-
The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend
rians was central to the insurer
(Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon),
which was why it placed so
Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es
much emphasis on creating
Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey
solutions that would address
(Venezuela).
the health status of the people.
T H I S D AY ˾THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023 29

MARKET NEWS

Afriland Properties Declares N1.9bn Earnings as Shareholders Approve N137.4m Dividend

Kayode Tokede
Despite strong economic
headwinds, leading indig-
enous property management,
investment, and development
company, Afriland Properties Plc
has reported an upward trend
for the financial year ending
December 31st, 2022.
The real-estate firm reported
a 19per cent increase in revenue
declaring a total revenue of
N1.9billion from the total
revenue of N1.6billion earned
during the corresponding period
in 2021. The financials of the
company were presented by the
Directors of the Company to
shareholders at its 10th Annual
General Meeting ((AGM) that
took place in Abuja. During the
meeting, the shareholders also
approved the Board’s proposal
to pay a sum of N137.4million
as total dividends payout.
Addressing shareholders, the
Chairman, Afriland Properties,
Emmanuel Nnorom stated that
the company is focused on
delivering adequate returns to
shareholders, while still growing
its retained earnings.
He said the company recorded
a strong operating performance,
growing its revenue by 19per cent
to N1.9billion from N1.6billion in
2021, while its Profit Before Tax
(PBT) rose to N1.8billion from
N1.6billion the previous year. The
Company’s total assets equally
grew by 12per cent to N19.billion
from N17.3billion in 2021.
Managing Director/CEO of
Afriland Properties, Uzo Oshogwe
lauded the Company’s efforts in
the past year, acknowledging the
efforts of staff as well as support
from the Board of Directors and
shareholders as key success
drivers.
The real estate Chief Execu-
tive pointed out that having a
healthy financial statement in
a year of significance for the
company was appropriate, she
stated, “This year is a special one
for us as we celebrate our 10th
anniversary. Over the years we
have remained consistent in our
promise to deliver and sustain
value through people and projects.
Our records speak to notable
achievements in the real estate
sector and we have remained
resilient to record significant
milestones.”
“In line with our growth strat-
egy, we plan on commissioning
some of our projects this year and
believe they will bring real value
to investors and stakeholders.
Oshogwe also spoke on the
company’s efforts to ensure
environmental sustainability. “As
part of our sustainability efforts,
we have focused on increasing
efficiency and reducing emis-
sions. Our steps to accomplish
this include partnering with a
recycling organisation to recycle
our plastic waste and measure
what we generate and recycle
each year.”

P R I C E S F O R S E C U R I T I E S T R A D E D AS O F 1 9 / 0 4 / 2 3
MAIN BOARD DEALS MARKET QUANTITY VALUE TRADED MAIN BOARD DEALS MARKET QUANTITY VALUE TRADED
PRICE TRADED ( N ) PRICE TRADED ( N)
30 THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS
A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment
vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and
Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.
Investors with similar objectives buy units of the
Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities
that willl generate their desired return.
An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type
of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock,
bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency,
etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into
shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the
floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an
investment vehicle that allows both small and
large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.
Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their
investments. The assets are divided into shares that
are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
GUIDE TO DATA:
Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 18-
Apr-2023, unless otherwise stated.
Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or
ETF are bought by investors.
Bid Price: The price at which Investors
redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF.
Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total
return an investor would have earned on
his investment. Money Market Funds report
Yield while others report Year- to-date Total
Return.
NAV: Is value per share of the real estate
assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Coral Balanced Fund 4,385.21 4,412.07 14.24%
Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Coral Income Fund 3,795.98 3,795.98 7.64%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Afrinvest Equity Fund 191.30 192.45 1.17% Coral Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.95%
Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 10.51% FSDH Dollar Fund 1.15 1.15 5.57%
Nigeria International Debt Fund 333.55 333.55 7.81% GUARANTY TRUST FUND MANAGERS LIMITED enquiries@investment-one.com
Afrinvest Dollar Fund 107.62 108.72 2.07% Web: www.gtcoplc.bank; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888
AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.23%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vantage Balanced Fund 3.10 3.16 5.21%
AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.35% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.31%
AIICO Balanced Fund 3.78 3.84 11.07% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 0.00 0.00 0.00%
ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.24 1.28 2.15%
Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.08 1.08 8.15%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com
Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 6.70% Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624
Anchoria Equity Fund 150.58 151.86 3.88% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.23 1.23 0.80% Lotus Halal Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A
ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com
info@anchoriaam.com Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A
Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276)
MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 22.69 23.37 3.39% Web: www.meristemwealth.com/funds/; Tel: +2348028496012
ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 535.18 551.32 2.68% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
ARM Ethical Fund 45.73 47.11 1.36% Meristem Equity Market Fund 12.35 12.44 0.40%
ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.14 1.14 1.58% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.07%
ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.13 1.13 1.96% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com
ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.14%
ARM Short Term Bond Fund 1.05 1.05 1.79% Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026
AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 101.63 101.63 10.03%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 11.33%
AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 95.32 95.32 0.23% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com
AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,135.18 1,135.18 0.78% Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632
AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 PACAM Balanced Fund 1.64 1.69 -116.49%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.65 11.80 6.15%
AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.41%
AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Equity Fund 1.46 1.48 -3.96%
CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com PACAM EuroBond Fund 125.03 128.31 23.00%
Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048
SCM CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.17 2.17 4.44% Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227
Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.36 2.41 6.40% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com SCM Capital The Frontier Fund 131.05 134.14 4.25%
SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com
Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806
Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.02 1.02 11.02%
CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com
Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.03 1.03 2.46% Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A
CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A
Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A
Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund N/A N/A N/A
Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A
Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A
Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) N/A N/A N/A
CHD Nigeria Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A
CHD Nigeria Dollar Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A
CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Stanbic IBTC Absolute Fund N/A N/A N/A
Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Stanbic IBTC Aggressive Fund N/A N/A N/A
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Conservative Fund N/A N/A N/A
Cordros Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com
Cordros Milestone Fund N/A N/A N/A Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876
Cordros Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Cordros Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund 1.03 1.05 7.66%
Cordros Dollar Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A United Capital Balanced Fund 1.55 1.58 13.29%
CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.26 1.28 8.43%
Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.14 1.14 11.74%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.99 1.99 7.28%
Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.35% United Capital Eurobond Fund 127.57 127.57 6.07%
Coronation Balanced Fund 1.15 1.16 -3.90% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.13%
Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.38 1.38 -2.09% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng
EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219
Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 14.53 14.66 4.71%
EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 9.03% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 16.54 16.70 4.62%
EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 9.51% Zenith Income Fund 24.03 24.03 2.01%
EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,134.93 1,143.03 2.71% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.32%
EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com
Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.63% Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund 4.10 4.20 2.31%
Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.10 1.10 10.26% Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund 6.94 7.04 18.63%
Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.12 1.12 13.87% Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund 18.59 18.79 5.12%
Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 106.43 106.43 4.68% Vetiva Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.69%
FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund 24.35 24.55 21.76%
Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082
Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund 142.15 144.15 -9.84%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
REITS
FBN Bond Fund 1521.9 1521.9 11.88% Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn
FBN Balanced Fund 208.16 209.52 4.24% SFS REIT 115.40 1.31%
FBN Halal Fund 127.34 127.34 12.53% Union Homes REIT 53.52 4.74%
FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.74% Nigeria Real Estate Investment Trust 101.31
FBN Dollar Fund 122.72 122.72 7.00% UPDC REIT 9.95 -12.87%
FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 174.87 177.12 5.59%
FBN Specialized Dollar Fund 107.12 107.12 9.56% EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn
Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund 16.97 17.07 9.65%
Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SIAML Pension ETF 40 134.79 137.12 5.62%
Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.62% Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund 107.83 109.66 7.83%
Legacy Debt Fund 3.54 3.54 -11.58% MERGROWTH ETF 17.40 17.50 -3.65%
MERVALUE ETF 16.40 16.50 2.10%
Legacy Equity Fund 2.00 2.04 15.01%
Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.28 1.28 6.10% INFRASTRUCTURE FUND
FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn
Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund 106.75 0.00%
The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on
each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 • T H I S D AY 31
32
GAMINGWEEK
Edited by NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG | ikotibok@gmail.com | Tel: 08114495324
BetWinner Nigeria’s Maha Otu Is
Youngest Director in Sports Betting
At 27 years, Maha Otu is at the top of her career ladder, a position many peers only see
in their dream. This achievement is even more remarkable because she is a woman in the
largely male-dominated sports-betting industry, reports the GAMINGWEEK TEAM
Take us through your work
trajectory. How did you get here?
I
know I appear to be too young.
Maha people are surprised to
know that I am Maha. Nobody
actually expects a young person,
let alone a young lady, to be a
director in a sports betting company
in Nigeria. I never imagined it myself.
I studied Industrial Chemistry.
So, initially, I wanted to work in
a brewery. As a young Nigerian,
that was what I was targeting. I
did my internship in a brewery. I
loved it. That’s what I wanted to do.
But we have to make do with what
we get in Nigeria, so I started out
in sales with a telco company, and
from there, I got a job as a customer
service consultant in a sports betting
company. That was how I got into
the sports betting industry.
Before that, I really had no idea
of something called an industry for
sports betting. I had no idea it was
an industry until I got the customer
service job. And I think that’s the best
way to start; starting from the very
bottom, interacting with customers
and really understanding challenges
that customers may face, both online
and offline.
What year were you a customer
service personnel?
This was in 2019. From there, I
worked hard and was diligent, and
then I got the job with BetWinner. I
joined BetWinner as the Team Lead.
This was in 2020. I was the one who
personally set up the company here
in Nigeria, got the team, employed
everybody here initially, and then
tried to grow the company. I think
the shareholders saw something
in me that, maybe, I didn’t see in
myself and decided to appoint me
as a director in 2021. So that was
how I actually got to this position
as a director for BetWinner, Nigeria.
2020 was a very challenging year
for the world with COVID. How
did you wade through all those
challenges?
For me, at that point in time,
F O R E C AST
Arsenal Set to Return to Winning
Ways Against Southampton
Davidson Abraham
On Thursday, Manchester United will
visit Sevilla as they hope to advance
to the semi-final of the UEFA Europa
League. The red devils face an uphill
task to qualify for the next round
of the competition. Man United
looked set to go to Spain with a
handy two-goal advantage before
capitulating to Harry Maguire and
Malacia’s own goals late in the game.
Man United are the favourites going
into the game, while Sevilla cannot
be written off given their record in
the tournament, which they have
won a record six times. With the
adoring Sevilla fans set to cheer and
rally their team to victory and Man
United having more quality, any
sides could come out on top on
ADVISORY: +18 PERSONS UNDER 18 MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN BETTING, GAMING OR LOTTERY ACTIVITY
Maha Otu
while we were all locked down,
it was a time to learn, and I think for
most people, too… I was working
at the time from home. I initially
was thinking of leaving the industry
and going into tech. So, that COVID
period was the time for me to learn a
tech skill, but when I was appointed
as a director, I had to take up this
full responsibility and understand
that I have a bigger role to play
in the industry than I thought. So
that was how I navigated the whole
COVID period.
Was it the offer to be a director
that made you stay?
It’s not just about the offer. It’s
something that I did not see myself
attaining, being a director is like a
peak in the industry. Being a team
lead, the next position you’re thinking
about is the managerial position.
Thursday. The same thing applies to
Bayer Leverkusen when they visit
Union St. Gilloise Vs Leverkusen;
After a 1-1 draw in Germany, the
encounter between these two sides
is a winner-takes-it-all event.
In the Europa Conference League,
Fiorentina and West Ham have been
tipped by bookmakers to dispatch
Lech Poznan and Gent, respectively,
easily.
If there are no surprises, Arsenal
and Paris Saint-German should
pick up all three points against
Southampton and Angers. Liverpool,
Real Madrid and Porto face easy
games that they expect to win
easily. Real Madrid should have
no problems beating Celta Vigo at
home, while Porto and Liverpool are
expected to beat Pacos De Ferreira
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023 ˾ T H I S D AY
request is coming in, we needed
to employ the best hands. I did
“I just want to make BetWinner
employ the best hands. I have
a successful company in people in the company who I
believe in and who I trust and
Nigeria.That is my major goal. who also ended up earning the
trust of the company, as well. I
That will determine a whole feel all of that contributed to my
getting this position because I
lot of things for me, and it will earned that trust. They believed
that they had someone that they
determine how I am seen in can trust here in Nigeria because
the industry and how to also the shareholders are not here. So,
they needed eyes on the ground,
measure other women in the and they saw me as an individual
who has earned their trust to
industry; for people who might handle this position.
want to consider giving women Do you own part of the company
the same role. BetWinner, now? Do you have shares?
Not at the moment. No.
Nigeria, is majorly an online What were some of the challenges
sports betting company. We’re of setting up the team?
Setting up the team was post-
not looking at going retail COVID. That was September 2020,
after the lockdown. There was not
for now. So, we want to first much of a challenge setting up the
understand and gain that company and employing people at
the time. A lot of people lost their
online audience.” jobs. And I also had a pool of people
who I have worked with, who I
could trust to come and work with
Let’s say customer service manager So I wasn’t going to give up all of you to be the director!’? me as well, and who believed in
at the time, and then I am appointed that and go and chase something I think it was about me being my vision and my goals for this
as the director. So that means there else I wasn’t even sure about. ambitious and not giving up… company. There was not much of
is something that I have personally because we were just coming a challenge setting up the company
to offer. There’s something that I What would you say are some out of COVID, and I set up at that time.
personally didn’t see in myself that landmarks or those out-of-the-box this company during that time.
probably the shareholders saw and things that you did that made them Doing everything diligently and
believed that I could actually do it. say, ‘You know what? We want being really smart about it. As a
Stakeholders Advocate Safer
Gambling for Young Gamers
Vanessa Obioha about their safety, particularly in make money among gamers. representatives from gaming
gambling. One of the main attractions To address this issue, Virtually companies such as Betway, Gamble
As the gaming industry continues to of gaming is the promise of rewards, Safe, a tech platform that advocates Alert, and LEAP Africa to discuss
attract young players, stakeholders often cash prizes, which can lead for internet safety for young people, ways to promote gaming as a form of
are becoming increasingly concerned to a mindset of playing to win or recently convened a workshop to entertainment and build a protective
discuss the importance of a safer platform for young players.
gambling environment for young “Young people are vulnerable.
gamers. Some of them do not realise
“We did a vox pop during our
Safer Internet Day campaign and
realised that a lot of young people
are into gambling, and some of them
that they are already addicted
to gambling. Every money they
get is channelled into gambling
are already addicted to it,” said the
founder of Virtually Safe, Damian
because gaming is easily accessible
on their phones,” said Ezirim. “So
we are looking at measures gaming
Ezirim.
The workshop, held in
companies can take to protect these
young gamers.
collaboration with Crucial
Compliance and the Adam
Bradford Agency, brought together
DATE
THU/
FIXTURE BETTING TIPS GAMINGWEEK TEAM
Sevilla Vs Man United Over 1.5
20/04/2023 Nseobong Okon-Ekong
THU/ Union St. Gilloise Vs
Over 1.5 ikotibok@gmail.com | 08114495324
20/04/2023 Leverkusen
THU/ Iyke Bede
Fiorentina Vs Lech Poznan 1
20/04/2023 ikennabede@gmail.com | 0703 044 7714
THU/
West Ham Vs Gent 1
20/04/2023 Akeem Lasisi
FRI/ 21/04/2023 Arsenal Vs Southampton 1
lasaisai@yahoo.com | 08023687884
FRI/ 21/04/2023 Angers Vs Paris SG 2
SAT/ 22/04/2023 Liverpool Forest
Vs Nottingham Over 1.5 Vanessa Obioha
vaysylver@gmail.com | 08069838305
and Nottingham Forest, respectively. defeat Sheffield en route to the FA
In the FA Cup, Pep Gaurdiola’s Cup final as they seek to win their Davidson Abraham
Cityzens are expected to soundly first English Cup title since 2019. davisiano.adm@gmail.com | +971 56 744 6013
THURSDAY,


ͺ͸˜
ͺ͸ͺͻ

˾
T H I S D AY
LAYLATUL QADR (NIGHT OF MAJESTY) SPECIAL...
R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo and his counterpart for Transportation, Dr. Federic Oladeinde, during the Laylatul Qadr (Night of
Majesty) Eve Special Prayer at the Lagos House, Ikeja... on Tuesday
Senate Presidency: Opposition Parties Not Planning to
Frustrate APC Leadership on Zoning, Lawmaker Declares
Vows to support best aspirant from the ruling party Group canvasses support for Barau Jubrin
Segun James and Dike
Onwuamaeze in Lagos
A ranking Senator representing
Osun East Senatorial District in the
Senate, Senator Francis Fadaunsi
has debunked reports of opposi-
tion parties planning to gang up
against the ruling All Progressives
Congress(APC) to produce the next
Senate President.
Fadaunsi, an opposition member
of the parliament, in a chat with
journalists, said rather than scheme
for power, the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) members were united
in their resolve to contribute their
quota to good governance in the
next administration.
"The meeting of the minority
caucus has started but it is not
FG, Groups Raise the Alarm over
Rising TB Cases in Anambra
David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
The Federal Ministry of Health,
in conjunction with some non-
governmental organisations (NGOs)
have raised the alarm over the
high level of tuberculosis cases
in Anambra State.
The NGOs - KNCV Tuberculosis
Foundation and Breakthrough Ac-
tion Nigeria - made the revelation
during a workshop for journalists,
to create awareness on the disease
in the state.
Representatives of the federal
ministry of health, KNCV Tuber-
culosis Foundation, Breakthrough
Action Nigeria, Mrs. Stella Eke, Dr.
Oke Chijioke and Mr Iheanacho
Oji, respectively spoke on the
transmission, treatment and the
stigma associated with the disease.
The facilitators stressed that
tuberculosis was now very prevalent
among children in Anambra State.
The speakers discouraged
members of the society against
stigmatisation of tuberculosis
patients, while urging people who
have symptoms of the disease to
quickly go for tests.
Chijioke said: "The low childhood
tuberculosis awareness and refusal
by parents to have their children
tested has remained a major bane
of eradicating the disease.
"To test children for tuberculosis,
you have to take their stool. This is
because children do not know how
to spit out sputum after coughing,
rather they swallow them.
"But the challenge now is that
to frustrate the APC leadership
move on zoning. We are prepared
to support the best aspirant from
the geo-political zone where the
presiding officers' positions would
be zoned to," he declared.
Speaking in the same vein, a
North Central Senator-elect who
pleaded anonymity, said the
minority caucus would not rock
the boat as far as constitution of
the presiding officers of the Senate
was concerned.
According to him, "What we are
after is the best candidate of the
lot. And as far as some of us are
concerned, the ruling party should
know how to give us the best hand
for the job. We are not unaware of
legislative conventions around the
world. Can we be different? No!"
parents refuse to let doctors have
their children's stool for the test.
Some attribute such demands to
fetishism, while many attribute their
illness to their uncle's in the village.
We need the media to sensitise the
people about this."
Eke, gave some symptoms of
tuberculosis to include: coughing
exceeding two weeks, weight loss,
excessive sweating at night and
others.
Earlier, the Programme Manager
NLNG: WITH DECADE OF GAS PLAN, NIGERIA CAN CATCH UP WITH INDUSTRIALISED NATIONS
tion that government cannot fund
everything itself."
Within the plan, he said the
federal government would put
down, "an initial one to $2 billion
every year, on top of which, it can
attract counterpart funding from the
private sector. So the whole funding
aspect of it is also understood."
Fourthly, he the plan had also
looked at the commercials, which
were very essential and had looked
at the pricing, with regards to how
to move from the current regulated
gas pricing regime to a cost-reflective
pricing, all the way to a market-led
or market-driven pricing system.
Also, within the period of time,
the NLNG boss said the stakehold-
ers had worked out a schedule that
looked at actions that needed to be
taken in the first six months, first
12 months, first 24 months and
had subsequently led to a detailed
schedule with milestones and other
key elements.
Meanwhile, another ranking
Senator from the North East has
raised the alarm over what he
called desperate attempts by few
Senators in opposition trying to
coerce the ruling party to zone
the Senate Presidency to either
the south-east or the south-south.
The Senator who preferred not
to be quoted said the few Senators
have been deploying all sorts of
tactics including guile against
unsuspecting senators-elect into
the zoning issue apparently to
weaken the base of the APC in
the north especially the north-west.
In his words, "The president-
elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu has to
be extra-careful of these tactics
aimed at whipping up religious
sentiments into issues as serious
for childhood TB, Leprosy and
Buruli Ulcer, Dr. Chukwulobelu
Ugochukwu, who delivered an
opening remark during the
programme and also presented
a paper, stated that Anambra has
14 testing centres and over 800
treatment facilities across the state.
"TB is treated through dedicated
oral medication for six months,
but after the first three months
of medication, the patient will
no longer be infectious," he said
He further explained, "There's a
governance that's been put in place
that has the Minister of State for
Petroleum leading. It has sponsors
that cut across industry, including
the regulators and all those who
need to be at the table.
"There are various project streams
led again by multidisciplinary
teams across the industry. All is
set. Three years have gone and
we have continued with piecemeal
implementation of little parts of it.
And yes, certain things are hap-
pening but the coordination is not
there. The speed and urgency is not
there. And most importantly, having
all of the stakeholders coordinating
in putting this together.
"The actual implementation is
something that we're still waiting
for. There is one piece and I must
add this, which is missing from the
decade of gas and that is security.
That has not been included in there.
But it is also an essential piece that
as the leadership of the Senate.
The antics are aimed at ensuring
that the APC in the north loses
out of a strong political position
so the opposition can have a field
day planning and mopping up for
2027. They must not be allowed
to succeed."
In a related development, a
chieftain of the APC in Kano State,
Malam Muazu Dansarauniya, has
advised the leadership of the party
to zone the Senate presidency to
the north-west region.
Dansarauniya told newsmen
in Kano at the weekend that the
performance of the party in the
zone during the presidential election
makes it to stand in pole position
for the top parliamentarian seat.
He said it was only fair, just and
democratic for the party’s leadership
to ensure that the seat for the Senate
presidency goes to the north-west
and to Kano specifically, the political
heartbeat of the north.
He explained that the APC,
despite the votes it contributed to the
election of the president-elect, Sen.
Bola Tinubu, has only one senator,
Sen. Barau Jibril, in Kano state and
any mistake of not making him
the Senate president may affect the
strength and control of the region
by the party.
“The president-elect and leader-
ship of the party is to look at the
votes recorded in the north-west
during the presidential election as
a yard stick in zoning the Senate
presidency to the region.
“We have done very well in
needs to happen."
More so, he said security in
the Niger Delta was also another
important element of the Decade of
Gas Plan that must be addressed,
especially the issue of crude oil theft.
"That, in addition to all that we
currently have in the plan is what
we need to transform not just our
gas industry but our economy as
a country.
"The project has support across
board, it started out with NLNG
sponsoring the work and the
development of the plan," he noted.
With the programme now at the
implementation phase, Mshelbila
maintained that all the different
stakeholders represented in differ-
ent ways were now supporting
financially and otherwise and that
it was an indication of commit-
ment for Independent Petroleum
Producers Group (IPPG).
As the new administration is
about to assume office, he warned
this presidential election. We have
contributed the most votes.
“So you see, even in terms of
reward and recognition, we have
the right to say we need to have
the Senate presidency.
“The Presidency has gone to
our partners in the Southwest,
the Vice Presidency has gone to
our partners in the Northeast, and
the largest voting block and the
largest political block deserves the
presidency of the Senate,” he said.
Dansarauniya described the call
by the NNPP as deliberately geared
towards seizing control of the region
by disallowing the APC to have a
strong political leadership like the
Senate president from the region.
He said calls by the New
Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Reps-elect, Abdulmumin Kofa,
who condemned allotting the
Senate presidency to the north
as a disservice to the nation.
“I believe that is unfair for a
minority party to basically come
in and dictate to the APC what
to do.
“But very importantly, we need
to look at the motive behind this
statement.
“We know that Jibrin is from
NNPP and the NNPP leader is from
Kano and Kano is the heartbeat
of north-western politics as well
as northern Nigeria.
“So what they are trying to do is
to strategically convince APC not to
put a political leader on that space
so that they can monopolise the
politics of the region. We can see
that they should not consider tinker-
ing with the policy or starting a new
one since everybody was behind
it and that all that the policy needs
now was for it to be implemented.
Mshelbila concluded, "And so, I
believe that we're spending today
to deliberate on this decade of gas.
Because it is important that as key
stakeholders, we understand it and
we also support it. And we also
ensure that we're not going back
to the days where every 10 years,
we're either doing gas master plan,
we're doing this other plan, that
other plan.
"We have it and so my appeal
to those who have the ears of the
incoming administration is to come
in and settle down quickly. “Let us
simply pick this up and run with it.
This is probably the best example of
public private partnership that we
can ever have in this country. This
is how we can secure the future
economy of Nigeria."
33
NEWS
their plans,” said the APC chieftain.
“Therefore, if NNPP people are
saying that you don’t love Nigeria
if you say you are giving us the
Senate presidency, it is just a strategy
to mobilise and have the entire
Northwest to themselves, which
is a very important block.
“Now we have seen how close
this election has been, Northwest
votes alone could have physically
doubled what the rest of Nigerian
votes could have given if we gal-
vanise and institutionalise support
in the region.
“So I’m calling on our leaders, the
National Chairman of our party, the
president-elect, to look at what the
president has outlined as a govern-
ment of national competence, and
when we look at competence, we
will not go beyond our senatorial
presentation in Kano in the person
of Sen. Barau Jibril.
“Some people talk about fairness
and equity in terms of politics. I
want to highlight this, democracy
has a principal rule, this rule is
about participation,” Dansarauniya
explained.
“You cannot not participate
and then ask for a reward. The
people that are asking for a reward,
we are asking them to galvanise
themselves, organise themselves in
the next election and contribute to
the success of the party.
“So you cannot basically deny the
party votes and when the party is
basically and equitably and fairly
sharing its positions you now say
because of national unity you want
to take the critical position.
“All I’m saying to our brothers
in other regions is 2027 is not far
away, go back, work hard, join us
to make success of the next election
and you will get your fair share of
reward and recognition,” he said.
Meanwhile, The Rescue North
West APC, (Rescue Group) has
asked that the presidency of the
Senate should be zoned to the geo-
politcal area, saying in view of their
contribution to the eventual success
of the party in the general election,
it deserved to be compensated with
the position.
The group in a statement signed
by the Coordinator, Rescue Group,
Muktar Dahiru-Gore stated: "The
North West contributed the most
votes to help our ever resilient and
politically savy, President- elect,
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to
win the 2023 presidential election."
The group insisted that the North
West zone contributed about 30
per cent of the votes that made
both the president-elect and the
APC to win the election.
34
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2023 PRE-ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MEDIA BRIEFING OF NIGERIAN BREWERIES...
L-R: Incoming Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc (NB Plc), Ayodele Lawal; Finance Director, Ben Wessels Boer; Legal Director/Company Secretary, Uaboi Agbebaku; Managing Director, Hans Essaadi;
Corporate Affairs Director, Sade Morgan; Supply Chain Director, Martin Kochl and Marketing Director, Emmanuel Oriakhi, during the 2023 Pre-Annual General Meeting Media Briefing of NB Plc held
in Lagos…yesterday
Dino Melaye Defends His Victory in
Kogi PDP Guber Primary Election
Promises to boost state IGR, support SMEs if elected
Emma Okonji and Nosa
Alekhuogie
The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) governorship candidate
in the November 2023 election
for Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has
clarified the controversy trailing
his emergence as the party’s
candidate.
Melaye stressed that there was
no manipulation in the primary
election, arguing that the primary
election was the fairest and most
transparent he had seen anywhere.
Melaye said this on ARISE
NEWS Channel, the broadcast
arm of THISDAY News.
He assured the people of Kogi
State of increased Internally Gener-
ated Revenue (IGR), increased
support for Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) and also a
boost in employment, if elected
as the next governor of the state.
According to him, there was
need to rescue the people of
Kogi State from the present
maladministration, insecurity,
corruption and negative vices.
Reacting to the statement of the
governor of Rivers State, Nyesom
Wike, who had criticised his
emergence as the winner in the
party's primary election, Melaye
said he had no response to give
Traders Seek Oba of Benin’s Intervention in
Planned Markets’ Demolition by State Govt
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Traders at the popular Osa market
otherwise known as 'Ekiosa market'
have appealed to His Royal Majesty,
Ewuare II, Oba of Benin, to prevail
on Edo State government to halt the
planned demolition of the market.
This comes on the heels of a
2-week ultimatum handed down
to traders at Oba market and Osa
market, both in Benin City to take
shelters in other markets for their
trading activities.
The ultimatum was issued by
the government, through the leader
of Edo State Market Women As-
sociation, Madam Blacky Omoregie
Ogiamien, pending when the
markets are rebuilt.
Spokesperson of the traders,
Blessing Owie, who staged a
peaceful protest to the palace
to a man who was suffering from
post-election trauma.
Melaye added that regardless
of the governor’s support in 2019,
he owes the party a lot.
He further said he was being
witch-hunted by Wike because
he refused to support his 2023
presidential ambition.
Speaking about his plans and
what he would do differently if
voted as the next governor of
the state, Melaye said: "There are
no plans to be dependent on the
federal allocation that comes from
Abuja, neither am I going to be
an Abuja-based governor like the
present governor.
“I am going to live in Kogi
State and hold monthly meetings
with key stakeholders across every
local government of the state."
Melaye also promised to be a
people’s governor by allowing
people determine the policy
implementation and direction.
He also talked about revolution-
ising the education sector in the
state and revealed that the state
education curriculum would be
changed across schools in the state.
The PDP governorship
candidate also noted that the
foundation of education in the
country was faulty, adding that
he would begin to initiate changes
of the traditional ruler in Benin
City, said the government’s plan
to demolish the Osa market would
send traders into indebtedness
and penury having obtained loan
facilities to reconstruct their shops
when government intervention
was not forthcoming after the fire
disaster that engulfed the market
on December 19, 2019.
She appealed to Oba Ewuare II
to request the state government to
provide a perimeter fencing, gate
and standby fire service station in
the market as alternative to the
planned demolition.
The spokesperson also appealed
to the Oba to send a delegation of
chiefs to the market for an on-the-
spot assessment of the markets in
order not to leave anyone in doubt.
According to her, they were
excluded from the state govern-
in school curriculum from Kogi
State if elected as governor of
the state.
Concerning the issues of Inter-
nally Generated Revenue (IGR)
and unemployment in Kogi State,
he said he would boost the state's
IGR and concentrate on small and
medium scale enterprises (SMEs)
for women.
Edo Government Warns Residents
against Use of Norvasc 5mg Tablets
Debunks false claims on HIV prevalence, says only 0.6% of pregnant women living with virus
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Edo State government has warned
residents against the sale and usage
of Norvasc 5mg tablets produced by
United States-based drug developer
Viatris Inc, following the discovery
of iron wires in samples taken from
the shipment.
In a statement, the Edo State
Commissioner for Health, Prof.
Obehi Akoria, said the warnings
followed the alert by the National
ment’s N100 million livelihood
support loan meant for traders
who incurred losses in the disaster.
"We cry to the palace for help as
our last resort. When fire inferno
occurred in Ekiosa in 2019, we
lost our shops and goods. I lost
four shops with goods. We hustle
under the rain and sunshine, trading
along the road and at times, the
government taskforce came and
drove us away. We had to borrow.
We took loans to rebuild our shops.
"Each trader was made to pay
N20,000 levy to market security
before permission was given to
rebuild the shops with blocks.
We also pay security and waste
levies and taxes to Oredo Local
Government Council daily.
"We didn't get support from the
government; we did not benefit
from the N100 million that was
“We are going to make sure we
get funds from donor agencies
across the globe, NGOs all over
the world to make sure we partner
with international donor agencies
to ensure we increase SMEs in
Kogi State.
“We are going to access these
opportunities because many
governors and local governments
Agency for Food and Drug Admin-
istration and Control (NAFDAC).
Akoria said, “NAFDAC has
issued an alert and warning
that the Taiwan Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has ordered
the recall of six million tablets from
two batches of Norvasc 5 mg tablets
produced by U.S-based drug
developer Viatris Inc, following
the discovery of iron wires in
samples taken from the shipment
and claims from Taiwan Norvasc
given to traders who lost their
shops in the market fire.
"We have widows, single mothers
and breadwinners amongsy us. Our
father should help us to talk to the
Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki not
to demolish the market. Rather,
he should fence the market and
provide gates for us. Our businesses
are our lives and only means of
survival," Owie pleaded.
Responding on behalf of Benin
Palace Chiefs who received the
protesting market women, Chief
Uyi Okungbowa, the Ogua of Benin,
stated that their grievances have
been duly acknowledged and
communicated to concerned
authorities.
Okungbowa however, advised
the traders to shun violence, as-
suring them of amicable resolution
of the issues canvassed by them.
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T H I S D AY
do not know that these funds are
available to be accessed,” he said.
Speaking further on the politics
of zoning, Melaye said it would be
fair that the governorship should
naturally be zoned to Kogi West
as they have never been given
an opportunity to produce the
Governor of the state like Kogi
East that have had the seat for
users that the tablets when cut into
halves contain iron wire.
“The above information makes
the two batches of Norvasc 5 mg
tablets substandard.”
The Commissioner added, “All
persons, pharmaceutical outlets and
health facilities who may have
any of these batches of Norvasc
5 mg tablets in stock should im-
mediately dispose of them using
the appropriate channels.
“Please be vigilant!!! Do not
use this product. Please contact
your doctor to discuss suitable
alternatives. The State Ministry of
Health can be contacted using the
following numbers: 09016350001;
09114972470; 09116076093.”
Meanwhile, the state govern-
ment has described as false
and misleading comments by a
purported doctor that 30 out of 50
pregnant women in Edo State are
persons living with the Human
Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV).
Akoria, in a statement, urged
residents to disregard the false and
deceptive claims, noting that only
0.6 percent of pregnant women
were living with the virus in the
state.
The statement read: “The at-
tention of the Edo State Ministry
of Health has been drawn to a
video on social media in which a
purported "doctor" stated that 30
out of 50 pregnant women in Edo
State are persons living with HIV.
“This claim suggests that the
prevalence of HIV in pregnant
women in Edo State is an alarming
60%, which is completely untrue.
sixteen years and Kogi Central
that have had it for eight years.
He added that this was one
of the reasons he decided to run
for the office of the governor of
the state.
Melaye therefore urged Kogi
people to support Kogi West in
producing the next governor for
peace, inclusivity and equity.
“According to the National AIDS
Indicator Survey (NAIS), 2018 - the
most recently updated survey on
HIV in Nigeria, Edo State has an
estimated 44,000 persons living
with HIV: a prevalence rate of
1.8 per cent.”
Akoria further noted, “So far, in
2023 in Edo State, 10,019 pregnant
women have been tested for the
HIV virus, out of which 59 tested
positive, giving a positivity rate
of 0.6 per cent.
“The State Ministry of Health
and its agencies actively work with
partners to prevent and reduce
transmission of HIV, provide
treatment, and other required
support for Persons Living with
HIV/AIDS (PLHIVS).
“There are personal, social,
cultural, and societal factors that
underlie poor disclosure of HIV
status. Individual, couple, and
family counselling are in place
at every level in our healthcare
system to provide the necessary
support for PLHIVS.”
She added, “We urge all
residents in Edo State and other
concerned persons to completely
disregard unfounded claims
made by persons of questionable
credentials whose motives may
not pass integrity tests.
“The State Ministry of Health
will address the professional and
regulatory concerns that the video
has raised. Please contact us using
the following phone numbers if
further clarification is required:
09016350001; 09114972470;
09116076093.”
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T H I S D AY
COALITION FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE...
L-R: Country Director, Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice (CGGEJ), John Mayaki; Co-convener, Ayobami Oyalowo; Convener, Mr. Kasim Afegbua and Co-convener, Cletus Obun, during
a press conference by CGGEJ on the zoning of Senate President to South South political zone in Abuja... recently
Sultan of Sokoto Felicitates Muslim Ummah
Segun James
The President-General, Supreme
Council for Islamic Affair (NSCIA)
and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji
Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has
felicitated Muslim Ummah on
the occasion of ‘Idul Fitr.
Abubakar, in a statement signed
by the Director of Administration
Etsu Nupe Charges Muslims to Keep
Showing Kindness, Love After Ramadan
Laleye Dipo in Minna
The Etsu Nupe and Chairman of
the Niger State Council of traditional
rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has
charged Muslims to continue to
Iwuayanwu: I Never Said
Yorubas Are Political Rascals
Says turn of Owerri to produce next Imo governor
Alex Enumah in Abuja
Several weeks after he was
reprimanded for allegedly calling
Yoruba political rascals, foremost
Igbo leader and Chairman of
Council of the Igbo sociocultural
group, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief
Emmanuel Iwuayanwu has denied
ever referring to the Yoruba as such.
Iwuayanwu, who made the
clarification yesterday night while
speaking on a Channels television
stated that his statement at the
height of political tension occasioned
by the recently concluded general
elections was manipulated by some
persons for reasons best known
to them.
Speaking on 'Politics Today', a
Channels Television programme,
the Igbo leader, who noted that he
had had to assure his people in
Lagos of their safety, maintained that
the Igbos had never had problems
with the Yoruba, amongst whom
they have been living peacefully.
"When I spoke in Awka, I didn't
say Yoruba are political rascals, I
never said it," he said.
He recalled that at the time, Igbo
in Lagos were worried about their
investment in Lagos, saying, "most
of them are afraid that they would
be killed, their children were afraid
of going to school because they
are being threatened.
“So as a leader and one who
has a very good relationship with
the Yoruba and having established
businesses in Lagos,” Iwuayanwu
said he had to reassure his people
of the safety of their lives and
of the NSCIA, Zubairu Haruna
Usman-Ugwu, “enjoined Muslims
to search for the crescent of Shaw-
wal 1444 A.H. immediately after
sunset on Thursday, 29th Ramadan
1444 A.H. which is equivalent to
20th April 2023.
“We beseech Allah to grant
everyone the opportunity to
witness many more of it. In the
show love and kindness to others
even after the Ramadan.
Speaking at the final Ramadan
Tafsir held at the Maasaba Jumma’at
Mosque in Bida on Tuesday,
Abubakar admonished the faithful
investments in Lagos.
"I have to arise and I told
our people that I have been in
touch with many Yoruba, I have
businesses in Lagos, I am very
close to Yoruba, I had a Yoruba
director who work in my company
and have relationship with many
Yoruba.
"So, I told them not to worry that
we have no problem with Yoruba at
all but that those who are causing
all these are political rascals. I didn't
say Yoruba. I am shocked that a
man, a Nigerian would go and
cut off my statement. If you read
what was circulated all over the
world I didn't say that, I didn't
say Yoruba are political rascals, I
said that those who are beating
them," he explained.
While noting that he had
prevailed on Igbo not to bother,
but remain in Lagos, because those
causing the crisis were rascals, he
regretted that somebody somewhere
went to join his speech to make it
look like he was referring to the
Yoruba as political rascals.
On the forthcoming gover-
norship election in Imo State,
Iwuayanwu who has been
nominated as President General
of Ohanaeze, disclosed that for
fairness and equity, the Owerri
zone ought to produce the next
governor in November 2023.
According to him, the Owerri
zone was the only zone that has
yet to have its fair share of the
principle of rotation in the state since
in the 1990s, saying the principle
of zoning was adopted in the
spirit of Ramadan, Muslims are
reminded that Zakatul Fitr is a
compulsory food-levy imposed on
privileged Muslims, to be given to
the less-privileged in the society.
“The Council, therefore, appeals
to all concerned to ensure that
they do not only comply but also
comply on time. The stipulated
practice is to give out the prescribed
not to limit their act of giving to
the fasting period but make it a
daily affair.
The monarch also appealed
to wealthy individuals and phi-
lanthropists to continue to show
state to give everyone a sense of
belonging and avoid a situation,
where one group dominated the
others, adding that the principle
also brought about stability.
"We are republican, even in
the village we like to do things
by zoning, we don't want a
situation where one group grabs
everything. We want things to be
done by zoning so that everyone
has a sense of belonging and will
feel happy," he said.
Exparte Order: Group Petitions NJC, Seeks
Sanction against High Court Judge, Imo CJ
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
A civil society organisation, Forum
for Accountability and Good Leader-
ship has petitioned the National
Judicial Council against a judge
of the Imo State High Court,
Justice B. C. Iheka and the State
Chief Judge (CJ) and Justice, T. R.
Chukwuemeka-Chikeka.
The group asked the NJC to
punish the High Court Judge
for granting an ex parte order
restraining the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) from
concluding the election into the Isu/
Njaba/Nkwerre/Nwangele Federal
Constituency of Imo State, despite
his lack of jurisdiction on the case.
The forum equally indicted
the CJ of Imo State over alleged
measurement to beneficiaries in
the last two days of Ramadan and
not later than before the ‘Id prayer.
“Consequent upon the advice
of the National Moon-Sighting
Committee (NMSC), the President-
General enjoins the Nigerian
Muslim Ummah to search for
the crescent of Shawwal 1444 A.H.
immediately after sunset on today,
gratitude to God by helping others
and exhibiting total submission to
God’s commandments.
“Beyond Ramadan, we must
also show the attitude of giving
at all times; we must touch the poor
and we must touch our people,”
Abubakar said.
He observed that many Muslims
became saints during the Ramadan
but would go back to committing
sins after the period, advising that
the faithful should continue to
abstain from sinful acts at all times.
"Many Muslims quit smoking,
drinking alcohol, fornication,
adultery, backbiting and other
negative tendencies during the Holy
month of Ramadan but think sin
is permitted after the season,” he
said, warning that God hates sins,
therefore, Muslims must remain
Holy for all their prayers to be
answered at all times.
Abubakar also underscored the
need for sustainable peace and
unity in the country, arguing that
there was no alternative to peace,
because without peace, meaningful
development would continue to
elude the country.
administrative failures in assigning
a case to a judge who had been
sworn in as a member of the
Election Petition Tribunal.
The group noted that the candi-
date of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) for the federal constituency,
Harrison Nwadike, had filled a suit
marked HOW/274/2023, against
Prof. Mrs. Roseta Okechukwu, the
Returning Officer for the election.
It explained that Justice Iheka,
while ruling on the matter, had
ruled that, “Until the supplementary
election for the entire 133 Polling
Units in the 11 Wards of Njaba Local
Government Area is conducted
by INEC, the defendant, or any
other person, whomsoever and
howsoever, acting in her stead
is hereby restrained from an-
PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN
29th Ramadan 1444 A.H. which
is equivalent to 20th April 2023.
“If the crescent is sighted by
Muslims in accordance with the
moon sighting and verification
standards, then His Eminence
would declare Friday, 21st April
2023 as the 1st of Shawwal and
the day of ‘Idul Fitr. However, if
the crescent is not sighted that day,
then Saturday, 22nd April 2023,
automatically becomes the day
of ‘Idul Fitr.
“In addition to the established
and traditional Islamic leaders
in each locality, the following
members of the National Moon-
Sighting Committee (NMSC) can
Eid-el-Fitr: FRSC Deploys
950 Personnel in Kwara
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Federal Road Safety Corps
(FRSC), Kwara State Command,
has deployed 950 personnel for this
forthcoming Eid El Fitr celebrations
to help manage road uses during
the period in the state.
The Sector Commander in the
state, Mr. Fredrick Ogidan, stated
this in Ilorin in a statement.
He said out of the 950 personnel
deployed, 322 would be Special
Marshalls, 27 patrol vehicles, two
power bike, four Ambulances and
a 70 tonne tow-truck to monitor
all roads during the Eid-el-Fitri
celebrations.
He also said the command has
deployed personnel for traffic
control at strategic location within
Ilorin township and major cities
in the state during the Eid special
patrol scheduled from 20th to 25th
April 2023.
nouncing or declaring the result
of the 2023 Isu/Njaba/Nkwerre/
Nwangele Federal Constituency
election, pending the hearing and
determination of the Motion on
Notice in this case.”
The group, at a press conference
yesterday, said they had written
a petition to the NJC to look into
the actions of the judge.
Speaking on behalf of the group,
Tochukwu Ohazuruike, alleged that
the judge knew he was without
jurisdiction when he made the order.
He cited provisions of the
constitution and the Electoral Act to
back up the claim that State High
courts do not have jurisdiction in
elections matters such as this and
also the fact that INEC being a
proper party was not joined in the
35
NEWS
be contacted to report any credible
and positive sighting of the crescent
of Shawwal 1444 AH:
“The Council encourages all
Muslims to pray fervently to the
Almighty Allah, especially during
the concluding part of Ramadan, for
the peace, security and development
of Nigeria.
“While wishing us all happy
‘Idul Fitr, the Council enjoins
Muslims all over the country
to be on the lookout for the an-
nouncement to be made by His
Eminence, the President-General of
NSCIA on the night of Thursday
20th of April, 2023. ‘Id Mubarak
in advance!”
He enjoined the motorist to obey
traffic rules and regulations such
as avoiding excessive speeding,
overloading, obstruction, use of
phone while driving, passenger
manifest violation, operation of
mechanical deficiency and rickety
vehicles, and lane discipline/route
violation among others.
"In other to achieve free flow
of traffic and reduction in road
traffic crash during the festivity,
the heavy tow-truck, ambulances
and rescue Marshals will be station
along major highway within the
state. The operation is targeted
toward achieving 5% reduction
in road traffic death and injuries
being the corps 2023 Corporate
Strategic Goal.
While wishing the good people of
state of a happy Eid-El-Fitri celebra-
tion, Ogidan advised motorist to
exercise caution and drive towards
''Safer Roads and Fulller Lives.”
suit, yet the judge restrained INEC
from completing the process.”
Ohazuruike further alleged that
the prayers of the plaintiff in the
Writ of Summons were also the
prayers granted by the court in the
ex parte, saying the implication was
that without hearing the defendant
or any other person who was
interested in the case including the
PDP candidate who had filed for
joinder, the court determined the
prayers of the plaintiff.
The group further indicted the
Chief Judge of Imo State Justice,
over what it called administrative
failures in assigning such a case to
a judge who she knew was not
going to be available having been
sworn in as a member of Election
Petition Tribunal.
36
NEWS
PRESENTATION OF AWARD CERTIFICATE...
L-R: Director/Talent Leader for EY West Africa, Jane Onobhayedo; Final Student of University of Lagos and Winner of EY Young Tax Professional of the Year (YTPY) 2023, Moyosoreoluwa Dada; EY Chief
Operating Officer, Oluwabusiayo Layade; and EY Associate Director, Tax Services and YTPY Coordinator, Akeem Ogunseni, at the presentation of Award Certificate ceremony in Lagos... on Tuesday
In Three Months, Bandits Killed 214 People, Abducted 746 in Kaduna
John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has
disclosed that 214 people were killed
while 746 others were abducted by
bandits from January to March 2023.
Commissioner for Internal
Security and Home Affairs, Samuel
Aruwan, disclosed thisyesterday
while presenting the first quarter
of 2023 security report to Governor
Nasir El-Rufai, at the Government
House, Kaduna.
The report showed that Kaduna
central senatorial district recorded
the highest number of casualty with
115 deaths followed by Kaduna
South and Kaduna North senatorial
districts with 61 and 38 deaths
respectively.
The report also indicated that of
T I N U B U : P O L I C E M U ST I N V E ST I G AT E A DA M AWA G U B E R R E R U N G I V E N AT T E N DA N T C O N T R OV E R SY
missioner, Dr. Baba Billa, presented
the Certificate of Return to Fintiri
and his deputy, Professor Kaletapwa
Farauta, in Abuja.
Billa, who represented INEC Chair-
man, Professor Mahmood Yakubu,
also presented Certificates of Return
to National Assembly members at the
commission’s headquarters in Abuja,
while members of the state Houses
of Assembly-elect were directed to
contact the state offices of INEC for
their certificates.
Lai Mohammed: Why
Buhari Didn't Interfere in
Adamawa Poll Crisis
Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
said President Muhammadu
Buhari refused to intervene in the
Adamawa State gubernatorial election
crisis because it was not his style
to micromanage any institution of
government.
The minister said Buhari believed
it was INEC’s duty to deal with
the situation.
Answering questions from
newsmen after the weekly Federal
Executive Council (FEC) meeting,
presided by the vice president,
Professor Yemi Osinbajo, at the State
House, Abuja, Mohammed claimed
ignorance of any petition written to
Buhari on the need to take action
against Ari, whom he said was an
employee of INEC.
Asked to give the reaction of the
federal government to the matter, the
minister said, "I don't think that this
government has ever intervened in
the way the Independent National
Electoral Commission conducts its
elections. So, there's no need for us
to intervene. It was entirely an INEC
matter and INEC handled it.
"The chairman of INEC is in
charge of all employees at INEC
and he's handling it. So, what do
you want the government to do?”
the 746 people kidnapped, Kaduna
central senatorial district accounted
for 492 victims followed by Kaduna
south senatorial district with 221
while 33 people were abducted in
Kaduna north senatorial district.
Receiving the report, El-Rufai
said, the state government did its
best to prevent the sad incidents
“through institutional measures
and pragmatic actions.”
He appealed for intense security
operations over the remaining 39
days of the current administration
and beyond to ensure that, “the
change of baton at the federal level
does not result in a dangerous lull
that criminal outlaws can exploit.”
According to him, “These mea-
sures include persistent pressures on
the federal government to launch
On whether the president was
disappointed by the attitude of
the REC, Mohammed said, "The
president does not micromanage
any institution."
On INEC's alleged report to the
appointing authority, the minister
responded, "I think you go ask INEC.
INEC handles all these businesses.
Honestly, if I were you, I will ask
INEC that question. You said INEC
took certain steps, right; it’s in the
context of INEC to so do.
“I'm not aware that there's a
petition. It was not addressed to
me. That's why I said your best bet
is probably to ask INEC. You see,
the president does not micromanage
every institution. I think I'm the
wrong person you are asking this
question.”
Mohammed also explained why
he accused the presidential candidate
of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi,
of committing treason, saying if
his running mate had called for
insurrection and he did not react,
he was guilty as charged.
Explaining the accusation, which
he made during a recent trip to the
United States, Mohammed said,
"What I said about Mr Peter Obi
is very clear. I said Mr Peter Obi has
every right to seek redress in court,
like Labour Party. But nobody has
the right to call for insurrection or to
threaten to say that if the president-
elect is sworn in, that will be the
end of democracy.
"That was precisely what the
running mate of Mr Peter Obi said
on live television. And I have not
heard Peter Obi rein him in or correct
him. So, if your running mate said
something, of course, he is saying
it on behalf of the party and that
of the candidate.
"That's why it's an act of treason
for anybody to say if a duly elected
president in Nigeria is sworn in, that
will be the end of democracy. It's
treason for anybody to say if you
comprehensive and sustained
military operations against the
terrorists and criminal elements
that are menacing our people and
their lives, liberty and livelihoods.
“There is every reason to
intensify and sustain simultaneous
ground and air kinetic actions across
the seven frontline states of the
Northwest region and Niger which
have continuous and contiguous
forest ranges and are most heavily
impacted by this security challenge.”
The governor, who promised
that the state government would
continue to do everything within
the powers of a state to ensure
security, added: “We have invested
considerable resources and energy
in managing security to the extent
that the Constitution of our nation
swear in a duly elected president,
you're swearing-in the military. It
is crazy. So, I don't see anything
controversial in that."
Commenting on his recent media
tour of the United States and United
Kingdom, Mohammad said, "I went
to the US to balance the skewed
report about the just concluded
elections and everywhere I went,
I said unequivocally that the last
general election in Nigeria has been
most transparent and that despite
the efforts of the opposition to
de-legitmise or soil the elections.
"I stated there that two reasons
why these elections were key were,
one, that the use of technology, BVAS,
made it difficult for anybody to do
the usual thing before by over-voting,
stuffing ballots and the rest because
once it takes your biometrics, you
can't vote twice. Secondly, the
president, before the elections,
promised that he would provide
a level playing ground and he did.
“In the first instance, he did not
confer any advantage on the ruling
party and that is why, as far as we
are concerned, we would rather lose
the election than win at all costs. And
the results showed it. The president
lost the presidential election in his
own state, Katsina.
“It has never happened before
for the sitting president to lose in
his own state. I went further to
say that the president prevented
anybody from using the security
to rig elections. Of course, the last
election was the least violent in the
history of Nigeria."
Minister of Interior, Rauf Areg-
besola, who also addressed the
reporters, said he was not aware
that the Comptroller General of
Immigration, Idaho Jere Idris, had
been removed.
Some reports had it that Immigra-
tion boss had been asked to leave
office following the expiration of
his initial one year extended tenure.
permits a subnational.
“Our interventions since 2015
include supporting the federal
security agencies deployed in
our state with vehicles and other
logistics, collaborating with other
frontline states to fund military
operations in the 2015-2016 period
and investments in security infra-
structure and technology.
“The lessons learnt in the 2016-
2019 period informed our decision
to establish the first sub-national
Ministry of Internal Security and
Home Affairs at the beginning of
our second-term in 2019.
“The mandate of the Ministry is
to manage the state government’s
relationship with the federal security
agencies deployed in the state
and to coordinate their activities
But when asked to clarify the
matter, Aregbesola said, "It is Greek
to me."
Fintiri's Victory is Triumph
for Democracy, Says
Elumelu
Minority Caucus in the House
of Representatives congratulated
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri on his
victory at the just concluded
governorship election. Leader of
the caucus, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu,
expressed delight over the outcome
of the poll, in a statement.
Elumelu said Fintiri’s re-election
marked the triumph of the will of
the people of the state in the exercise
of their democratic right to choose
their preferred leader in an election.
Describing the victory as a triumph
for democracy, he urged Fintiri to
remain focused and continue in his
excellent delivery of service.
Elumelu stated, "From the
results of the main election and the
supplementary poll, it was clear that
Governor Fintiri remains the clear
choice of the people. His ultimate
victory further proves that no matter
how much falsehood, tyranny and
manipulations appear to thrive, the
truth will always prevail at the end
of the day.
"The Minority Caucus again
congratulates Governor Fintiri and
urges him to remain focused and
continue in his excellent delivery
of service, particularly, his massive
legacy infrastructural development
projects and empowerment of citizens
for which the people of Adamawa
State overwhelmingly re-elected him
as Governor."
NSCDC CG Summons
Adamawa Commandant
over Poll Debacle
Commandant General of the
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
THURSDAY,


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T H I S D AY
towards securing our people in
an atmosphere of unprecedented
challenges,” El-Rufai said.
He commended security agencies
for constant collaboration with the
Ministry of Internal Security and
Home Affairs in securing the state.
El- Rufai also commended tradi-
tional and community leaders “for
being the leading and influential
anchors of peaceful coexistence and
intelligence-gathering in our various
urban and rural communities,”
saying, “The security reports
presented today are the last set I
would be receiving as governor
of Kaduna State.
“We would be passing the baton
to Senator Uba Sani in 39 days.
I have no doubt that he would
continue the engagements with the
Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar
Audi, summoned the Adamawa
State Commandant of the Corps,
Muhammad Bello, to their national
headquarters of the organisation in
Abuja, to explain the role he played
in the just concluded election in the
state.
A statement by the corps
spokesman, Commandant Olusola
Odumosu, yesterday, said it was in
connection with the controversy
surrounding the just concluded
Adamawa State governorship supple-
mentary election, where the corps
was accused of complicity along
with other security agencies.
The corps’ helmsman directed the
state commandant to immediately
hand over affairs of the command to
his immediate subordinate to allow
him time to provide the management
of the corps with an explanation of
the role he played in the exercise.
Audi emphasised that NSCDC
was a non-partisan and non-political
organisation that would not tolerate
the involvement of personnel or
any of its formations in political
controversies, as widely alleged.
The statement quoted the NSCDC
helmsman as saying, “I have sum-
moned the state commandant to
national headquarters to face the
management team and explain
himself in clear terms. We are
known for our integrity, neutrality
and non-partisanship in election
matters, that is why we will not
take the case of Adamawa lightly.
“I have ordered him to hand
over the command to his immediate
deputy because his role in the rerun
election is currently being investigated
and if he is found culpable, then he
will have himself to blame.”
Sanwo-Olu Prays for
Guidance, Progress as
Tinubu Takes over May 29
Lagos State Governor, Babajide
federal government to decentralise
policing, put more boots on the
ground and significantly improve
the equipment and technology
deployed in the security sector.”
He, however, expressed concern
over the failure of traditional rulers
in Zangon Kataf Chiefdom to pre-
vent youths from taking laws into
their hands, saying action would
be taken to send clear message to
them in that regard.
“We note with concern the
continued failure of traditional
and community leaders in Zangon
Kataf Chiefdom to prevent resort
to self-help by recalcitrant youths,
and assure you all that we will
take some actions to send a
message in this regard,” the
governor said.
Sanwo-Olu, Tuesday, led a special
prayer session for the incoming
administration of Bola Tinubu,
supplicating for peaceful transfer
of power and progress in the country.
Sanwo-Olu also committed his
second term to God, seeking divine
guidance in adequately addressing
challenges confronting Lagos.
The prayer was held during the
yearly Ramadan lecture organised by
Lagos lesser Hajj pilgrims in Makkah,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where
the governor was represented by
the deputy governor, Dr. Obafemi
Hamzat.
Dignitaries at the event held at
Makarem Ajyad Hotels, included
Chief Judge of Lagos, Hon. Justice
Kazeem Alogba; Commissioner for
Home Affairs, Hon. Anofiu Elegushi;
Special Adviser to the Governor
on Islamic Affairs, Hon. Abdullahi
Ahmad; Chairman of Governance
Advisory Council (GAC), Prince
Tajudeen Olusi; Prince Rabiu Oluwa;
and Chairman of Lagos Muslim
Pilgrim Board, Alhaji AbdulGafar
Mofesaiye.
Hamzat said Makkah remained
the rallying point for the Muslims,
noting that Muslim pilgrims from
Lagos used the occasion of the
spiritual journey to offer prayers
for the country, Lagos and their
fellow countrymen.
He said, “We believe prayers have
been helpful for us to achieve our
objectives and sustain our unity. In
Lagos, we usually commit everything
we do to prayer and God-willing,
things have been really promising
for us.”
Hamzat described Tinubu’s victory
in the last general election as an
“answered prayer” for Nigerians,
stressing that the former Lagos State
governor has comprehensive plans
towards improving the conditions
of the citizens.
Continues online
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 ˾
T H I S D AY
NEWS
IMPROVED OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY ON THEIR MINDS…
Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Council, Gbenga Komolafe(left), and Chairman, Independent Petroleum Producers Group and Waltersmith, Abdulrazaq Isa,
at the sixth edition of the Nigeria International Energy Summit held in Abuja…recently
Police Arrest Woman for Allegedly Defrauding German Man of $220,000
Rebecca Ejifoma
The Police Special Fraud Unit
(PSFU), Ikoyi-Lagos, has arrested
21-year-old Cynthia Chioma
Atuonah, for alleged fraudulent
conversion, stealing, and obtaining
$220,000 by pretence from a
German man.
The Police Public Relations
Officer for the Commissioner of
Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi in
Lagos, SP Yitayo Johnson disclosed
this in a statement issued yesterday.
You’re Home Makers, Nation
Builders, Cleric Tells Women
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The President and General
Overseer of the United Apostolic
Church of Christ (UACC), Rev.
James Owoyemi, has said that the
role of women as home makers
and nation builders could not
be over emphasised.
Owoyemi stated this while
speaking with journalists
during the thanksgiving of the
church’s maiden National Women
Conference with the theme
“Christian Family in Times Like
This,” held at Oke-Ola, Powerline,
Moniya, Ibadan.
He maintained that charity
begins at home and said that
women play significant roles
in how their children turn out
in future.
According to him, since
children are regarded as leaders
Eid-el-Fitr: FG Declares Friday,
Monday Public Holidays
The federal government yesterday
declared Friday, April 21 and
Monday, April 24 as public
holidays to mark this year’s
Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
This is contained in a statement
by the Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib
Belgore, said in a statement that
the minister, Rauf Aregbesola,
made the declaration in Abuja.
The minister congratulated
Muslims for the successful
completion of the holy month
of Ramadan, urging them to
imbibe the virtues of kindness,
love, tolerance, self-denial and
sacrifice as exemplified by the
Holy Prophet Muhammad.
“The self-restrain, self-denial,
sacrifice and deep spiritual
consciousness that accompanied
the fasting period should not end
but be maintained and improved
The suspect, a 2019-graduate
of Economics, Nnamdi Azikiwe
University (UNIZIK) and also
claimed to be a model and
proprietress of a Massage Spa
known as The-Chi-Place, was
said to have lured the 50-year-old
victim on Instagram by feigning
romantic intentions towards him,
thereby gaining the victims’ trust
and goodwill.
According to the statement,
Atuonah promised to marry the
victim, invited him to Nigeria for
of tomorrow, it is incumbent on
parents, particularly mothers, to
set them on the right path in
order to be able to contribute
their quota to nation building
in future.
The cleric, who spoke on the
topic: “Don’t Allow the Current
Situation to Stop You from Taking
Care of Your Mother,” reminded
children on the need to have
respect for their mothers, adding
that “your inward estimation of
your mother should be outwardly
expressed at all times by your
proper and respectful conduct
toward her.”
He said: “God has nothing
good to say in His Bible about
the child who does not honor
his mother. On the contrary, He
has much bad to say and many
dire pronouncements about the
future of such children.”
upon.
“This is for you to be a better
person and true worshiper,” he
said.
He gave assurance that
President Muhammadu
Buhari was fully committed to
peaceful transition of government
following successful elections.
He also assured Nigerians
of government’s commitment
to the provision of security for
the lives and property of every
citizen as well as foreigners in
the country.
The minister commended
security agencies on the successes
recorded in the fight against
criminals across the country,
urging Nigerians to be part of
the nation’s security architecture
by being vigilant.
He pointed out that security
was everybody’s responsibility.
visits on several occasions, and
then convinced him to relocate
permanently to Nigeria to live
together as husband and wife.
“In a ploy to dispel suspicion,
the victim was made to meet with
Uzodimma: Govt ‘ll Help Implement Imo Charter of Equity
Governor Hope Uzodimma has
promised that the government
under his watch would religiously
help to implement the recent Imo
Charter of Equity as proposed and
endorsed by the Imo State Council
of Elders at its first quarterly meeting
held recently.
The Governor gave the assurance
when he received in audience a
delegation of the Imo Elders Council
Two Remanded for Allegedly Killing Colleague over N65,000 Theft in Kwara
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
A Magistrate Court in Ilorin,
the Kwara State capital, has
remanded Mr. Olasunkanmi
Olarewaju (aka Abore) and Mr.
Adeniyi Juwon ( aka Jboy) for
allegedly beating one Abiodun
Oyinloye to death for allegedly
stealing N65,000.
They were dragged to court
on a two-count charge of
Angry Mob Kills Tricycle Operator for Stabbing Man to Death in Bayelsa
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
junction of the ever busy abdomen and attempted to flee normalcy as youths were
There was pandemonium
in Okaka area in Yenagoa
metropolis as angry mob beat
a Keke (tricycle rider) to death
after he allegedly stabbed his
passenger to death over minor
argument of N50.
The incident, which
happened at the Saptex
10th Assembly: Group Charges APC on Zoning Formula
AdedayoAkinwaleinAbuja
TheAll Progressives Congress (APC)
Integrity Group has called on the
leadership of the party to rise to the
occasion by putting proper structure
and machinery in motion to ensure
acceptable zoning formula and the
emergence of the right leadership
in the 10th National Assembly.
Police Arrest 42 Suspected Cultists in Two Weeks in Lagos
The police operatives in Lagos suspects before newsmen in Ikeja. Ebute-Metta area of the state, while them to be culpable of cultism.
State have arrested no fewer than
42 suspected cultists in different
parts of the state in the last two
weeks.
The Commissioner of Police
(CP) in the command, Idowu
Owohunwa, disclosed this
yesterday while parading the
Atuonah Chiomas’ parents at Ikot-
Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, where he
received their blessings to marry
their daughter,” the statement read
in part.
Atuonah was also said to
led by the Chairman, HRM Eze
(Dr.) Cletus Ilomuanya, in Owerri
yesterday.
According to a statement,
members of the Imo Elders Council
had come to formally present to
the Governor the communique
on the outcome of their meeting
with regard to the Imo State Charter
of Equity, and to also present to
him their choice, Chief Emmanuel
criminal conspiracy and culpable
homicide contrary to Sections
97 and 221 of the penal code.
According to the Police First
Information Report (FIR), “On
April 9, 2023, at about 0700hrs,
one Olasunkanmi Olarewaju
aka Abore ‘m’ called him on
the phone that he (Olarewaju)
and Juwon have killed Abiodun
Oyinloye ‘m’ for stealing his
N65,000.
Mbiama-Yenagoa road at about
5pmyesterday, caused heavy
gridlock at the expressway,
with many people running
for safety as the mob moved
towards the Amarata axis.
The Keke rider, who is said
to from the Northern part of
the country reportedly stabbed
the young man in his lower
The group in a statement issued
yesterday and jointly signed by
its Coordinator, Malam Dawu
Mohammed and Secretary, Chisom
Nwakanma, said the ruling party
must prove to Nigerians that it was
capable of taking care of the people
through robust legislations and
execution of public-interest policies.
The group said: “For our party,
Owohunwa said that the
suspects were arrested after he
distributed the tactical operatives
from the command headquarters
to different police divisions, cultism
was commonly mentioned.
He said the suspects were
arrested in Ikorodu, Ijora and
have convinced the victim to
return to Germany to sell his
house in Stuttgart and forward
the proceeds of the sale, together
with his pension and life savings, to
her domiciliary account in Fidelity
Iwuanyanwu, as the replacement
for the late President General of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide,
Prof George Obiozor.
Uzodimma thanked the elders for
proposing and adopting the Charter
of Equity which he strongly believes
“is a road map towards political
stability, peace and inclusiveness of
all the zones in Imo State.”
He said he was convinced that
“Immediately, police action
led to the arrest of Olarewaju
and Juwon of different addresses
in Omu-aran town.
“During discreet investigation
conducted at SCID in Ilorin, it
was revealed that you Olarewaju
conspired with Juwon and
attacked Oyinloye for stealing
sixty-five thousand naira being
the proceed of dried leave
suspected to be Indian hemp
before he was apprehended
by the mob.
He was subsequently beaten
to death and his body set on
fire when they found out that
the man he stabbed has given
up the ghost.
The Bayelsa State Police
Command has to deployed
Anti Riot squad to restore
the APC, we call on the leadership
to rise to the occasion, and to
remember that it is not enough
to win the presidency, and to have a
majority of lawmakers in the Senate
and House of Representatives.
“To do this, it is time to set the
proper structure and machineries
in motion. First, we must put the
right leadership at the National
10 arms, 13 cartridges, knives and
assorted charms were recovered
from them.
The police boss said many
persons were arrested during
the raids, stressing that after
thorough screening, the police
found hard evidence against
37
Bank Plc to buy a house in Nigeria
where they would both live as
husband and wife as well as to
establish a joint business outfit
as indicated in the bank transfer
narration.
Imo Charter of Equity will ensure
equity, help douse political tensions
and ensure peace and promised
to help to ensure it is applied to
the letter.
“The Charter of Equity is not
intended to muscle the political
ambition of any person, rather it
is to ensure harmony, peace and it
will enlarge the political space for
all,” he said.
which you were selling.
“It was further revealed that
you, Olarewaju, after you and
Juwon killed Oyinloye you
concealed the deceased body
in a room within his compound.
“During investigation, you
Olarewaju and
Juwon both confessed to
have conspired together to beat
Oyinloye till death for stealing
N65, 000.”
mobilising to storm places
occupied by Northerners in
the state capital.
In a statement by the
Command’s Spokesman,
Asinim Butswat, the Command
condemned the action of the
tricycle rider and appealed to
members of the community
to be calm.
Assembly.”
The group said this was not just
to give the necessary impetus to the
realization of the campaign promises
made, but to ensure stability, focus,
progress and a robust legislative
machinery to oil the wheel of the
country’s social, economic, political,
security, and other vital sectors, in
the years ahead.
Owohunwa said that cultism
had been identified as one of the
major security challenges in the
state, stressing that investigations
revealed that the suspects used
semi automatic and automatic
shotguns to bring tears and
sorrow to innocent people.
38
NEWS XTRA
EKITI VARSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION VISITS OYEBANJI…
L-R: Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ekiti State University (EKSU) Alumni Association, Dr. Wale Jegede; Secretary to Ekiti State Government/ EKSU alumnus, Dr. (Mrs) Habibat Adubiaro; Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun
Oyebanji; Gloabl President EKSU Alumni Association,Mr. Dipo Bamisaye, and a national officer, Chief Kemini Doubra, during a visit by the leadership of EKSU Alumni Association to the governor in Ado- Ekiti…recently
Killer Police Officer Dismissed, Remanded, to Face Trial in Delta
Omon-Julius Onabu inAsaba
andSylvester Idowu inWarri
A Magistrate Court in Asaba,
the Delta State capital, yesterday
ordered that a dismissed police
officer be remanded in connection
with the alleged shooting to death
of a phone dealer, Mr. Onyeka
Ibe, at a checkpoint mounted by a
stop-and-search team of police on
Ugbolu-Illah Road two weeks ago.
Following the reported killing of
IPPG Pledges Partnership for
Growth of Oil and Gas Industry
Yetunde Bello
The Independent Petroleum
Producers Group (IPPG)
has pledged to continue to
partner with relevant industry
stakeholders towards the
growth and development of the
Nigerian oil and gas industry.
The Chairman of the IPPG,
Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa, stated this
at the 6th edition of the Nigeria
International Energy Summit
(NIES) 2023 recently held in
Abuja.
According to a statement
issued yesterday, he said:
“The year 2023 promises to
be a very important year for
ourindustry; not only will our
dear country be witnessing a
political transition come May
2023, but we shall begin to see
numerous changes across the
entire oil and gas value chain.”
He explained that IPPG has
an important role to play going
NYSC Begins Free Medical Services in Sokoto
Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
The National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) has commenced
free medical services targeting
at least 500 residents of Sifawa
community in Bodinga Local
Government Area of Sokoto State.
THISDAY gathered that the
medical outreach exercise is
taking place under the NYSC’s
Health Initiative for Rural
Dwellers (HIRD).
The state NYSC Coordinator,
Alhaji Usman Yakubu-Yaro, said
the outreach was to reach at least
500 members of the community
with free treatment and other
healthcare talk Yakubu-Yaro
said ailments to be attended
to include malaria, typhoid,
hypertension, diarrhea, cholera,
diabetes, among others.
According to him, “Any
other ailment that cannot be
Ibe by Inspector Ubi Ebri attached
to the Area Command Asaba
Patrol Team on April 5, 2023,
the State Police Command had
ordered an orderly room trial
at the command headquarters
in Asaba.
The state police authorities
subsequently announced the
dismissal of the accused on April
18, 2023, promising to charge him
to court the next day.
The state Police Public Relations
forward and is best placed to
ensure the optimal development
of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon
resources as its members have
demonstrated financial and
technical capability to develop
the country’s hydrocarbon
resources, with proven appetite
for supporting the government’s
energy security vision through
building a broader value-adding
midstream and downstream
businesses.
Meanwhile, the group
has called on the incoming
administration to address the
bottlenecks mitigating against
industry growth and energy
security.
“The administration’s agenda
for the industry should be
geared toward improving
investor confidence through the
effective implementation of the
Petroleum Industry Act (PIA)
and strengthening regulatory
institutions,” Isa said.
handled by the Corps’ Medical
Volunteers would be referred to
a more competent hospital for
treatment.”
He said a team of NYSC
medical corps members
comprising medical doctors,
nurses, pharmacists, laboratory
scientists and other auxiliary
health personnel, were deployed
for the exercise.
Yakubu-Yaro explained that
the exercise was part of the
visions of the NYSC Director-
General, Brig. General Yusha’u
Ahmad, to support vulnerable
families, especially in the rural
settlements.
The coordinator also said the
programme was established
in 2014 among other reasons;
utilised NYSC’s medical
personnel as volunteer agents
in the provision of healthcare
services for rural communities.
Officer (PPRO), Bright Edafe, a
deputy superintendent of police
(DSP), who disclosed this to
journalists in Asaba, stated that
the court ordered the suspect’s
remand in prison custody at the
Man Jailed Two Years for Stealing a Tuber of Yam in Niger
Laleye Dipo in Minna
A 30-year-old man, Mr. Mande
Zaki, of Kuta in Shiroro Local
Government Area of Niger
State, has been sentenced to
spend two years in the Minna
Correctional Centre for stealing
a tuber of yam.
In addition, Zaki is to spend
another one month jail term or
Kidney Transplant: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Appeals to UK for Mercy for Ekweremadus
SundayOkobi
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has
written to the United Kingdom
(UK) Government through the Chief
Clerk of the Central Criminal Court
in London, appealing for mercy
in the sentencing of Senator Ike
Ekweremadu and his wife, Lady
Beatrice, in the kidney transplant
case in the UK.
The Igbo apex group, through
Two Persons Dead in Perimetre Wall Collapse in Abuja
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Two persons were pronounced
dead yesterday after a perimeter
fence of a building collapsed
on the site workers at Ademola
Adetokunbo Crescent in Wuse
2, Abuja.
The Director-General Federal
Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), Abbas Idriss,
A’Ibom Gov Gives Reason for Developing Rural Communities
Okon Bassey in Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr.
Udom Emmanuel, has stated
that rural communities in the
state will continue to reap the
dividends of their support to his
administration and the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), with
more rural development projects
Kogi Judiciary Uncovers Syndicate Behind Issuance of Fake Enrolment Orders
Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
Following the anti-fraud
mechanism put in place
by the Chief Judge of Kogi
State, Hon. Justice Josiah Joe
Majebi, to sanitise the state
judiciary, especially the High
Court of Justice, the state
meantime.
However, Edafe noted that
there was need for members of
the public to know the actions so
far carried out by the command
on the matter with the state police
pay N1000 fine for trespass.
The sentences were
pronounced by Chief Magistrate
Aishatu Loko Ibrahim after
an encounter between Zaki
and the Niger State Chief
Judge, Justice Halima Ibrahim
Abdulmalik, who was on a
prison decongestion exercise
of correctionl centres.
Justice Abdulmalik had been
the Chairman, Council of Elders of
the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide,
Chief Emmanuel lwuanyanwu,
in the letter of appeal for mercy
for the Ekweremadus, stated that
the group believes in the supreme
worth of the individual, in his right
to life and liberty and pursuit of
happiness, as well as the belief in
the sacredness of human life and
human right.
“I am therefore, in sympathy with
confirmed the incident.
While giving accounts of
what transpired, Idriss said the
emergency agency received a
distress call at about 10 a.m. that
there was a building collapse
in the affected part of the FCT.
He said when its rescue team
got to the scene, they discovered
that it was a perimeter wall that
was inadvertently breached that
to be unveiled.
The governor gave the
assurance yesterday while
inaugurating a 3.5km Afaha
Iman-Leprosy Hospital road
completed with a 0.715Km
outfall drainage in Etinan Local
Government Area of the state.
According to him, “The
reason we are concentrating
judiciary has uncovered the
syndicate behind issuance of
fake enrolment orders.
This move was in line
with the vision of the
Council of Judges of the
state, and has begun to yield
unprecedented results as
hitherto underground dealings
THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023 ˾
T H I S D AY
boss promising that the matter
would not be swept under the
carpet but openly prosecuted.
The PPRO said: “The
Command wishes to inform
members of the public as promised
told that Zaki was awaiting
trial for stealing and criminal
trespass, an offence the convict
owned up to.
Zaki told the Chief Judge
when asked if he actually stole
“yams” that “it is true that I
stole a tuber of yam because
I was seriously hungry.
“I stole one yam from the
place when I went to search for
the case of Mr. David Nwamini,
who was taken to the UK for a
kidney transplant, appealing for
mercy.
“Ekweremadu must have learnt a
lesson from this painful experience.
We will appreciate it if a prerogative
of mercy is extended to him and
his wife, even if for the sake of their
daughter who is ill, who would still
need their support and parental love
to survive this difficult time in her
fell on the artisans working on
a building still at foundational
level.
He said six persons were
evacuated from the debris with
two persons confirmed dead
on the spot.
The four persons, who
sustained varying degrees of
injuries, were rushed to Asokoro
General Hospital where they
on inaugurating community
rural roads within this period
is to make two categorical
statements-to show the world
that we have kept out promise
that in our second term, our
concentration will be a lot on
rural development and today,
this is one of those outcomes.
Secondly, it is to come back to
are beginning to be uncovered
in the high court system.
Justice Majebi is not taking
lightly the discovery that has
just been made of a syndicate
behind the issuance of court
Enrolment Orders to the
public, and has directed that
the culprits be investigated
that the said Police Inspector has
been dismissed from the Nigeria
Police Force (NPF) after the
conclusion of the orderly room
trial at the state headquarters in
Asaba.
my goat. This is the first time
I am getting involved in this
kind of problem. I have never
stolen anything before. I was
hungry and this pushed me
to steal the yam, please have
mercy on me.”
But Justice Abdulmalik
asked the chief magistrate to
“summarily” try Zaki, which
led to his conviction.
life. Please, accept the assurances
of my highest esteem.”
The letter stated that the
Ohanaeze Ndigbo is aware of
the legal issues involving one of
its illustrious sons, Ekweremadu,
and his wife, Beatrice, adding
that “Ekweremadu is one of our
illustrious members. From my
contact with him, he is intelligent,
patriotic, and kind; please temper
justice with mercy.”
were receiving treatment.
According to him, “The
uncompleted building was not
the one that collapsed, rather
it was the fence of a building
close to it. What happened was
that they (contractors) excavated
deep into the foundation of the
fence of the building housing
the bank and caused the wall
to fall on them.
the community to tell them
thank you with projects launch.”
Emmanuel said the Ekpene
Obom Leprosy Hospital in
Etinan Local Government Area
established by the Qua Iboe
Church since 1927 was of great
significance being among the
first generation mission hospitals
in the state.
by the police.
Preliminary investigations
has revealed that that Court
Enrolment Orders were being
issued without passing
through the required process
of formal application to the
court for issuance of same
by recipients.
THURSDAY, 

ͺ͸˜
ͺ͸ͺͻ

˾
T H I S D AY 39

THURSDAYSPORTS
Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe
Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com
0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Inter Set up Milan Derby

Champions League S’final
Man City beat Bayern aggregate 5-3 to face holders Madrid
Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency
report
Inter defeated Benfica aggregate 5-3
yesterday to set up a Milan Derby in
the Champions League semi-finals.
The un-replied two goals the
Italian side scored in the first leg
in Lisbon saved Simone Inzaghi
wards from exiting the competition
as Benfica fought a bruising battle
at San Siro to hold Inter 3-3 in
the second leg of the quarter final
last night.
Earlier on Tuesday, AC Milan
had snatched the other ticket to
the semi final from Napoli at the
Diego Maradona Stadium with an
aggregate 2-1 victory over Victor
Osimhen’s Napoli.
As he did in the first leg, Nicolo
Barella gave Inter the lead with
an excellent finish, before Fredrik
Aursnes equalised for the visitors
with a powerful header before
half-time.
Lautaro Martinez put Inter back
in front, before substitute Joaquin
Correa added another with a fine
effort, though late goals from Antonio
Silva and Petar Musa meant Roger
Schmidt's men at least ended their
recent losing run with the 3-3 draw
scoreline.
Elsewhere last night, Manchester
City set up a Champions League
semi-final clash with holders Real
Madrid as Erling Haaland's goal
ended Bayern Munich's hopes of
a comeback.
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel
felt his side needed a miracle to
go through after losing the first leg
3-0 - and they squandered plenty
of opportunities to get back into
the game.
Haaland made them pay as he
lashed home a shot into the top
corner to cap off a swift counter-
attack, 15 seconds after Ederson had
saved Kingsley Coman's shot at the
other end.
That was the Norwegian's 48th
goal for City this season, but he could
have reached that figure earlier in
the game but blazed over a penalty
after a Dayot Upamecano handball.
Just like in the first leg last week,
Upamecano - who was also beaten
easily for the 57th-minute goal - had
a nightmare.
The French centre-back was
UCL RESULTS
Inter 3-3 Benfica
B’Munich 1-1 Man City
EUROPA (Q’finals)
Sevilla v Man Utd
Roma v Feyenoord
Sporting v Juventus
St. Gilloise v Leverkusen
CONFERENCE
AZ Alkmaar v Anderlecht
Fiorentina v Lech Poznan
Nice v Basel
West Ham v Gent
shown a red card early in the game
for a professional foul on Haaland,
but it was overturned because the
City striker was offside.
Joshua Kimmich scored an 83rd-
minute penalty for Bayern after a
harsh handball decision against
Manuel Akanji, but the German
champions were never going to
find three more goals in the last
seven minutes as the game ended
aggregate 4-1.

Drogba Sad, Says I Don’t

Recognise My Club Chelsea
Following losing run of Chelsea in
the on-going season and exit on
Lautaro Martinez celebrating scoring Inter Milan’s second goal as the Italian Serie A club defeated Benfica aggregate 5-3 to Tuesday from the UEFA Champions
qualify for the semi final of the UEFA Champions League last night League, former team striker, Didier
Drogba, has said that he does not
"recognise the club" compared with
have some experience. Here the
strategy is different, they bet on
young players.
"I think they certainly lack charis-
matic players and leaders. It needs
players who take responsibility."

Rivers Utd Battle Enyimba

when he played at Stamford Bridge. Former Chelsea midfielder
Drogba won 12 major honours Gus Poyet told BBC Radio 5 Live
between 2004 and 2012 under previ- Breakfast: "Under Abramovich, 90%
ous owner Roman Abramovich, of the players coming in needed

in Star Match of Round of 64

Nigeria’s only remaining flag-bearers
in African club competitions this
year, Rivers United FC will be up
against two-time CAF Champions
League winners Enyimba FC of
Aba in what is indisputably the
star match of Round of 64 of this
year’s Federation Cup competition.
The ‘Pride of Rivers’ host Tanza-
nia’s Young Africans in the first leg
of their CAF Confederation Cup
fixture in Uyo on Sunday, and will
then have the clash with Enyimba
FC as vintage preparatory match
for the return leg in Dar es Salaam.
At the draw held inside the
NFF Secretariat on Wednesday,
Akwa United FC were drawn to
play Wikki Tourists of Bauchi in
another big game, just as multi-title
winners Rangers International of
Enugu will take on Adamawa
United FC.
Heartland FC of Owerri have
been drawn to play Jedo FC of
Sokoto while Kogi United square
up to Mailantarki FC of FCT.
The women’s Round of 32
fixtures were also drawn yesterday,
with Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt
up against Golden Sun of Bayelsa
State and Naija Ratels of FCT to
play Adamawa Queens
All Round of 64 matches in the
men’s competition and Round of 32
matches in the women’s competi-
tion will hold on Wednesday, 26
April. The Round of 32 matches
in the men’s competition have
been scheduled for Wednesday,
3 May, with the Round of 16
on Wednesday, 10 May. Quarter
final matches are to take place on
Wednesday, 17 May.
The semi-finals of both
competitions will come up on
Wednesday, 24 May with the
men’s and women’s grand finale
on Saturday, 27 May.
Cynosure FC (Ebonyi) Vs Kano Pillars Jnr (Kano)
whose generous backing turned
the Blues into serial trophy winners
following his takeover in 2003.
The 56-year-old was forced to
sell the club last year after he was
to perform straight away. And if
you don't, you are out.
"Now there is a group of players
who arrived in January, except
perhaps Enzo (Fernandez) and
FEDERATION CUP Lobi Stars (Benue) Vs FC One Rocket (Akwa Ibom) sanctioned by the UK government
over alleged links to Russian
Joao Felix, that look like they are
more for the future.
Jama Utd (Zamfara) Vs Plateau Utd (Plateau)
ALL THE ROUND OF 64 FIXTURES (MEN) Rivers Utd (Rivers) Vs Enyimba FC (Abia) President Vladimir Putin. "The future is what, next year?
Ingas FC (Enugu) Vs Novia FC (Adamawa) "It is not the same club anymore," Two years? Chelsea fans are not
Heartland FC (Imo) vs Jedo FC (Sokoto) Drogba, 45, told Canal+. "I don't used to waiting."
Bayelsa Utd (Bayelsa) Vs Essien Ayi FC (Cross River) El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) Vs De Cardinal FC (Rivers)
Nasarawa Utd (Nasarawa) Vs Kebbi Utd (Kebbi) recognise my club. There is a new Speaking before Tuesday's match
Ahudiya FC (Abia) Vs Jigawa Golden Stars (Jigawa) owner and a new vision. against Real, Frank Lampard
ABS FC (Kwara) Vs Bendel Insurance FC (Edo) DMD FC (Borno) Vs ABJ FC (Bauchi)
Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Crusader FC (Bayelsa) "We try to compare with what dismissed suggestions the club
Standard FC (Kaduna) Vs Ekiti Utd (Ekiti) was done under the Abramovich is "broken", though he admitted
FC Basira (Nasarawa) Vs Sunshine Stars (Ondo) Gateway Utd (Ogun) Vs Kwara Utd (Kwara)
FC Ebedei (Ekiti) Vs Hope of Glory FC (Cross River) era, where there were many acquisi- they are "not where we want to be".
EFCC FC (FCT) Vs Katukan Tsafe FC (Zamfara) tions of players, but the choices Speaking after the game the
Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) Vs Akwa Utd FC (Akwa Ibom) Yobe Desert Stars (Yobe) Vs Igbajo FC (Osun)
Adamawa Utd (Adamawa) Vs Rangers Int’l (Enugu) were very intelligent. former midfielder added: "There are
Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs Beyond Limit FC (Ogun) "Bringing in players like probably reasons for the transition.
3SC (Oyo) Vs Adamimogo FC (Ondo) Ilaji FC (Oyo) Vs Kano Pillars (Kano)
Green Berets FC (Kaduna) Vs FR Ebunuja (Imo) Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, We can't be too short-term with it.
Mighty Jets (Plateau) Vs Niger Tornadoes Feeders (Niger) Hernan Crespo, Michael Essien, "People will make a lot out of this
Malumfashi FC (Katsina) Vs Gombe Utd (Gombe) Ozalla FC (Anambra) Vs Doma Utd (Gombe)
Kogi Utd Feeders (Kogi) Vs Edel FC (Anambra) Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, season for Chelsea because we've
Osun Utd (Osun) Vs Katsina Utd (Katsina) and I go on. It was to win titles had so much success. The reality is
Bendel Insurance Feeders (Edo) Vs Maikunkele FC (Niger) Mailantarki FC (FCT) Vs kogi United (Kogi)
and they are players who already that this club is going to be back."
Rainstorm Wreak Havoc at National Stadium in Lagos Eight Persons to Stand Trial
Duro Ikhazuagbe
The rain storm that swept through
Lagos yesterday brought down
Over Maradona’s Death
one of the floodlight poles at the An Argentine appeals court on Tuesday that neurosurgeon
51-year old National Stadium in yesterday confirmed that eight Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist
Surulere, Lagos. health professionals will stand Agustina Cosachov and six other
Eye witnesses at the National trial over their alleged role in health workers, all involved in
Stadium told THISDAY that there the death of football legend Diego Maradona’s medical care, will
were no casualties from the crash- Maradona, ESPN reports. be tried.
ing of the mighty floodlight pole. As requested by prosecutors, The date of the trial has yet
A staff of one of the National the eight are accused of “simple to be set but is expected to start
Sports Associations dotting the homicide with wanton disregard” in 2024.
Sportscity said that it was the and could face between eight and Carlos Fabian Blanco, one of the
grace of God that there were no 25 years in jail if found guilty. judges of the San Isidro appeals
human beings and cars parked Maradona died on Nov. 25, 2020, court, said that there was enough
near the site of the crashed pole. Remains of the collapsed floodlight after the rainstorm at the National aged 60 from heart failure after evidence brought forward by the
“As the rain became heavy, we Stadium in Lagos...yesterday he had undergone brain surgery prosecutors for the eight health
had to seek refuge in the Squash earlier that month. An autopsy professionals to stand trial.
Association building. We were as Sunny. It took the intervention of revealed that Maradona died in his Nursing coordinator Mariano
waiting for the rains to subside The National Stadium in Lagos outgoing Sports Minister, Chief sleep of acute pulmonary edema, Perroni, nurses Ricardo Omar
when suddenly we saw one of the which has been in the news for the Sunday Dare to get billionaire a buildup of fluid in the lungs, Almiron and Gisella Madrid,
floodlight pole crashing down. But wrong reasons for weeks now used sports betting company owner, because of congestive heart failure. psychologist Carlos Diaz, medical
thank God there was nobody near to be the pride of sports loving Chief Kessington Adebutu, to After a unanimous decision coordinator Nancy Forlini and
where the pole fell,” observed the Nigerians. For years, the complex adopt the main-bowl pitch for not to dismiss the case, the San clinical doctor Pedro Di Spagna
staff who gave his name simply was abandoned to rot away. repairs. Isidro Board of Appeals confirmed will also be tried.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI
THE VERDICT
Adamawa: When the Umpire Goes Rogue
R
esidents of Yola woke up last Sunday
morning to the announcement of the
ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
candidate, Aisha Binani as ‘winner’
of the Adamawa State gubernatorial
election. It didn’t matter to the errant Resident
Electoral Commission (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari,
that the results were still being collated as of the
time he made his pronouncement. The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) was quick
to suspend Ari and reported him to the Inspector
General of Police for possible prosecution and
the president for further disciplinary action.
The commission has also concluded the results
tabulation and announced the incumbent Governor
Ahmadu Fintiri of the main opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) as the real winner of
the election.
As unfortunate as the Adamawa debacle may
seem, this is not the first time we have witnessed
the sordid scenario of electoral officials going
rogue. That nobody has ever been punished
for it perhaps explains why the problem has
festered in a nation where citizens have come
to accept that there are no consequences for
bad behaviour. During the 2019 presidential and
national assembly elections, INEC sacked one of
its collation officers, (name withheld) assigned to
Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The professor of physics at the University of Jos
had attempted to abscond without declaring the
results but was apprehended by some youths
who forced him back to the collation centre.
“We had to remove him because he was drunk
and could not perform the assignment,” the
then Head, Voter Education, of INEC in Plateau,
Mr. Osaretin Imahiyereobo, told the media. “We
are waiting for him to come to Jos and explain
why he behaved the way he did,’’ he added.
By the time the professor was forced back, he
could only give a cock and bull story of why he
needed to visit a friend. I am not aware that he
has responded to the allegation of being drunk
and is probably still at the university.
Perhaps the most controversial electoral fiasco to
date remains the ‘resignation’ in 2009 of the then
Ekiti REC, Mrs Olusola Ayoka Adebayo during
the conduct of a court-ordered supplementary
gubernatorial election in the state. In the letter,
dated 28th April 2009 addressed to the late
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (who only
read about it in the media), Mrs. Adebayo caused
a crisis by absconding from duty during collation
of results. “Unfortunately, the circumstances
changed in the middle of the process; therefore,
my conscience as a Christian cannot allow me
to further participate in the process” she wrote
in the letter she gave the media. I detailed that
episode in my book, ‘Power, Politics and Death:
A front-row account of Nigeria under the late
President Yar’Adua’, because I was caught in
the crossfire of the dirty intrigues.
The challenge of course must be located in
the desperation of our politicians who will do
anything for power. During the 2019 general
election, the returning officer for Imo West
Senatorial District said he had been detained
at the collation centre for days while announcing
the results. “My name is Ibeabuchi Izuchukwu
Innocent, a professor at the Federal University
of Technology Owerri (FUTO), the returning
officer for Imo West (Orlu) senatorial zone. I have
been held hostage here for days so I’m trying
to ease off and take my life home back to my
children and for the sake of that I am calling
these results under duress,” the returning officer
said, as he announced the name of then outgoing
Governor, Rochas Okorocha of the ruling APC
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TR
UT H
Thursday, April 20, 2023
MISSILE
Yomi Awoniyi to Abdul Ningi
“About 158 delegates who emerged from the state ad hoc congress of March 29 were replaced
by the Senator Abdul Ningi Congress Committee working in concert with (Dino) Melaye’s
enablers within the party hierarchy at the highest level. To gift any aspirant a total of 158
votes in a contest for 739 votes involving eight aspirants is fraudulent, duplicitous, sinful, and
unwholesome because it confers undue advantage on the favoured aspirant”—former Kogi
deputy governor accusing PDP of rigging the primaries for Melaye
olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com
Binani
as winner. For securing electoral victory under
duress, INEC withheld Okorocha’s certificate of
return. He approached the Federal High Court
which ruled that the commission had no such
powers before he received his certificate of return.
But to forestall such brazen acts of brigandage
in future elections, a new enactment (Section 65
of Electoral Act, 2022) now empowers INEC to
review results. That clause may have saved the
day in the Adamawa debacle.
Meanwhile, an issue often ignored is that RECs
are appointed by the president and given the little
that I know from another life, they are primarily
nominees of connected people, including those
in the ruling party. And because of that, many
of the RECs see themselves as untouchable.
I don’t know how the suspended Adamawa
REC got his job, but Ari is a lawyer and retired
permanent secretary from the Bauchi State civil
service who has also attended the Executive
Course at the National Institute for Policy and
Strategic Studies (NIPSS). He was one of the
19 RECs sworn-in last November.
Like some of the new RECs, I understand that
Ari came with a mindset, probably aided and
abetted by those who nominated him for the
job. The same people may also have given him
assurances of protection from any transgression in
his assignment. Since the supplementary process
By shopping for an order ex-parte in Abuja to restrain
INEC from concluding the electoral process in Adamawa,
Binani has shown that the do-or-die mentality among our
politicians is in their DNA, irrespective of gender.That’s
why we must commend the judiciary for not abetting
the brazen illegality. If Justice Inyang Ekwo had granted
Binani’s request, Adamawa would have been boiling today.
N
& RE A S O Price: N250
began, Ari, according to INEC sources, has failed
to respond to any official correspondence from
the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. That Ari
had support in what he was doing could be seen
from the way the withdrawn Commissioner of
Police for Election Security, Mohammed Barde,
aided a brazen violation of the law. One of the
security personnel who assisted Ari was also seen
on television wearing a face mask, ostensibly
to disguise his identity.
Even when a total of 15 political parties
contested the Adamawa State gubernatorial
election, Ari made it appear as if it was between
only the APC and PDP. And last Sunday, he
offered no details about accredited observers
or breakdown of results before pronouncing
his choice of next governor for Adamawa
State. Although Ari was invited to appear at
the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday,
I confirmed last night that he was yet to show
up, perhaps afraid the commission would order
his immediate arrest. But everything appears to
have been well choreographed. Accompanied by
security officials, Ari swiftly flew out of Yola in
a private jet the moment he pronounced Binani
as ‘governor-elect’ last Sunday morning (I have
the video evidence). Who paid for the jet? That
the purported winner gave an “acceptance
speech” immediately after the declaration by
the suspended REC is very telling.
The swift suspension of the results collation by
INEC saved Adamawa State from descending
into violence. However, the REC must be held to
account for his action. As Reuben Abati argued
in his column, ‘Supplementary elections and the
debacle in Adamawa’ on Tuesday, Ari is liable
for prosecution given specific penalties dealing
with electoral offences in the Electoral Act, 2022.
Section 120(4) which prescribes imprisonment
for a term of three years applies to Ari: “Any
person who announces or publishes an election
result knowing same to be false or which is at
variance with the signed certificate of return
commits an offence and is liable on conviction
or imprisonment for a term of 36 months.”
Since a signed certificate of return will now
be issued to Fintiri by INEC, Ari has infringed
on this provision by his fraudulent declaration
of Binani as winner.
INEC has taken decisive steps by concluding
the process as provided by law and reporting
Ari to the IGP for investigation and possible
prosecution, and to the president for further
action which should be instant termination of his
appointment. The commission has also withdrawn
the delegated powers that RECs exercise under
the Third Schedule, Part I, 15(h) to the constitution
and warned Ari to stay away from its Yola office.
In any case, it would be suicidal for him to even
contemplate going back to the state after such
misadventure. Ari has thus effectively ended
his career in INEC.
Now to Binani. On Tuesday, the National
Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released a report on
the decline of female participation in politics and
decision-making in Nigeria. No woman has ever
been appointed as secretary to the government
of the federation despite constituting almost half
of the country’s population. No woman has been
elected president, vice president or governor.
“Female ministers appointed in 2018 were six
and in 2019, only seven were among the 43
appointed ministers,” according to the NBS
report which examined female representations
within the three arms of government. “The years
2018 and 2019 have the same figure of seven
women and 72 men as principal officers (in the
National Assembly). Only nine women out of
106 members of the House of Representatives
occupied principal positions in 2019.”
Given such lopsidedness in the distribution
of political opportunities, it was no surprise that
many Nigerians were rooting for Binani to win
the gubernatorial election in Adamawa State. But
not in the manner she elected to do it. I have
been told by some of her friends that Binani is
suffering from a vicious campaign of calumny
from Fintiri and his supporters. That may well
be true. I have also read Binani’s rebuttal to the
allegation that she bribed the REC and other
INEC officials. In the absence of any proof to
the contrary we should believe her. But there
is only one way to interpret her part in this
sordid drama: She has only inverted the positive
cliché that “what a man can do, a woman can
do even better” into something negative: “what
a man can do, a woman can do even worse”.
The male dominated politics of Nigeria has
been about desperation for power at all costs.
By shopping for an order ex-parte in Abuja to
restrain INEC from concluding the electoral
process in Adamawa, Binani has shown that
the do-or-die mentality among our politicians
is in their DNA, irrespective of gender. That’s
why we must commend the judiciary for not
abetting the brazen illegality. If Justice Inyang
Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja had
granted Binani’s request, Adamawa would have
been boiling today. But the man who should be
held accountable is the suspended REC.
Since we live in a country where officials tend
to believe their actions are beyond public scrutiny,
I will not be surprised if Ari gets away with
his infractions on the Adamawa election. But it
would be a tragedy if he does. If a lawyer and
retired permanent secretary who goes about with
the mni lapel could engage in such a blatant
attempt to manipulate an election, where lies
the hope of the country? Security agencies must
find out what motivated Ari to act in the way
he did and seek out his accomplishes.
As I stated earlier, the Adamawa gubernatorial
fiasco reminds me of a similar crisis during
the 2009 court-ordered supplementary poll to
conclude the Ekiti State gubernatorial election
between then incumbent Governor Segun Oni
of the then ruling PDP and Dr Kayode Fayemi
of the opposition Action Congress (AC). For the
benefit of interested readers, I have excerpted that
section of my book because there are interesting
parallels to draw.
Overall, if there is anything that has come out
quite clearly from the misconduct of the suspended
Adamawa REC, it is that in Nigeria today, both
the codes of morality and the boundary between
right and wrong have simply disappeared for
many public officials. That is what should worry
all of us.
NOTE: Please see page 14