Emefiele Rallies Industrialists in Rebuilding the Economy

James Emejo in Abuja
The Governor of the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr.
Godwin Emefiele, has urged
industrial conglomerates to
support efforts aimed at
revamping and growing the
Nigerian economy.
He also warned that the
CBN would not support the
importation of items that can
be produced in Nigeria as it
could not spend the nation's
foreign exchange reserves on
what would not boost the
economy and generate jobs
for Nigerians.
A statement from the central
bank yesterday quoted the
CBN governor as saying
this while speaking during
a virtual meeting with chief
executive officers (CEOs) of
conglomerates in Nigeria.
Emefiele said the CBN,
in line with President
Muhammadu Buhari’s desire,
was determined to return
the economy to the period
when the manufacturing and
agricultural sectors formed its
base.
The governor, while
acknowledging the challenge
of low crude oil prices to
major economies of the world,
expressed confidence that the
price of crude would not
remain low for a long period.
While also emphasising that
the low crude oil prices were
surmountable, he added that
Nigeria’s foreign reserves of
about $37 billion remained
robust to support the economy.
He, therefore, enjoined the
conglomerates to key into
the current administration’s
drive to diversify the Nigerian
economy by taking advantage
of its large population to
Continued on page 10

FIRS Extends Deadline for Financial Institutions to Submit Reports... Page 8

Wednesday 20 May, 2020
Vol 25. No 9172. Price: N250

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

Police Embark on Strict Enforcement

of Curfew, Interstate Travel Ban
Bow to pressure, amend no-exemption directive against journalists, health workers
FG holds self-medication responsible for most COVID-19 deaths Trains 12,000 health
workers on infectious diseases control 226 new cases push total to 6,175 with 1,734 discharged,
192 dead Buhari celebrates 'irreplaceable' Nigerian professor who recovered in UK
Omololu Ogunmade, Olawale Ogun States as well as the
Ajimotokan, Onyebuchi Federal Capital Territory (FCT),
Ezigbo in Abuja, Chiemelie acting on the directive of the
Ezeobi, Segun James and Inspector-General of Police, Mr.
Martins Ifijeh in Lagos Muhammed Adamu, locked
down their areas of operation
Saying it was tired of taking from 8 pm, insisting that there
the blame for the flagrant was no exemption for anybody
violation of COVID-19 restriction including essential workers.
guidelines, the police yesterday The virus’ infection tally
began strict enforcement of increased by 226 to 6,401
the nationwide curfew and yesterday sparing 1,734 that
interstate travel ban imposed had been discharged while
by President Muhammadu 192 had died.
Buhari two weeks ago. The new cases were reported
The police commands,
particularly in Lagos and Continued on page 10

Enahoro: It’s Time to

Restructure Nigeria
Martins Ifijeh
A veteran journalist and
activist, Mr. Peter Enahoro,
yesterday called for the
restructuring of Nigeria with
a warning that the continued
delay to address the issue was
dangerous for the country.
He said there was no better
time to make the drastic
decision for equity between
the North and South than now.
He, however, explained that
for this to happen, militant
southerners and progressive
northerners must collaborate
to rejig the country.
Speaking yesterday on
PRESIDENTIAL CONSULTATION...
ARISE NEWS Channel, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (left), and Senior Special Assistant to the President on
National Assembly Matters, Hon. Umar El-Yakub, during the speaker’s visit to the president at the Presidential Villa,
Continued on page 10 Abuja...yesterday godwin omoigui

Buhari Obliges Senate, Approves Military Offensive on Bandits in North-west... Page 9

2 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 •T H I S D AY
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY 3
4 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 •T H I S D AY
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY 5
6 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 •T H I S D AY
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY 7

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8 WEDNESDAY, 
ͺ͸˜
ͺ͸ͺ͸
˾
T H I S D AY
NEWS
FIRS Extends Deadline for Financial
Institutions to Submit Reports
James Emejo in Abuja
The Federal Inland Revenue
Service (FIRS) has extended the
deadline for the submission of
2019 financial accounts reports
under the Common Reporting
Standard (CRS) to September
30, 2020.
Financial institutions were
initially directed to file their
reports under the Automatic
Exchange of Information
Common Reporting Standard
(AEOI-CRS) regulations on
May 31.
However, Executive
Chairman, FIRS, Mr.
Muhammad Nami, in a
statement posted on Twitter
yesterday, said the adjustment
in submission deadline was in
recognition of the challenges
faced by financial institutions,
which may result in the delay
in reporting financial account
information.
He said the service had been
inundated with requests for an
extension of the time of filing
reports by the institutions.
Nami explained that the FIRS
was committed to providing,
as a priority, support to all
taxpayers to ease their tax
compliance obligations at all
times, particularly during the
COVID-19 restrictions.
He urged all financial
institutions to take advantage
of the extension to prepare and
finalise relevant information as
required under the Income Tax
(Common Reporting Standard)
Regulations 2019 and its related
guidelines for reporting by
September 30.
COVID-19: FAAN Proposes
Guidelines for Flight Resumption
Chinedu Eze
The Federal Airports Authority
of Nigerian (FAAN) has
proposed what it described
as a new standard operating
procedure (SOP), which would
be followed on resumption
of flight operations even as
the country grapples with
COVID-19.
The procedure, which is
awaiting the approval by
the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA), is aimed at
protecting passengers and other
airport users from contracting
COVID-19 after the resumption
of flight operations.
Airports and aircraft have
been identified globally as
critical places that can enhance
the spread of the virus.
This has fuelled the need for
stringent efforts being made
by governments, airlines and
airport managers to ensure that
the spread of the virus by air
travellers is checked.
FAAN, which is managing
about 22 airports in the country,
intends to unveil the new SOP
before flight service would
resume after endorsement
from the NCAA.
The agency said it has put
together the SOP, which would
be followed on resumption of
flight operations, noting that
the main objective of the
procedure is to protect all “our
stakeholders and prevent further
spread of COVID-19.”
In order to protect passengers
and other airport users,
FAAN said it has established
coordinated and monitoring
team at its headquarters to
ensure smooth take-off of
passenger facilitation.
The service had earlier
outlined measures to support
taxpayers in managing their tax
obligations during the current
challenging times occasioned
by the effects of COVID-19.
Earlier this month, it had
announced a decision to waive
interests accruable to debts as
well as the related penalties
for defaulting taxpayers if they
fully settle their indebtedness
on or before May 31.
Nami had said the concession
was only valid for taxpayers
who make full payments within
the deadline.
He had previously directed
businesses to commence
payment of their annual returns
earlier than the due date, apart
from their normal monthly
obligations.
The revenue agency had
earlier issued the Income
Tax (Common Reporting
Standard (CRS)) Regulations,
2019 pursuant to its powers
under Section 61 of the FIRS
(Establishment) Act, 2007.
The regulations, which took
effect from July 1, 2019, gives
effect to the provisions of many
instruments.
The regulations require a
financial institution in respect
of the 2019 calendar year and
every subsequent calendar year,
to file an “Information Return”
with the FIRS.
However, where a reporting
financial institution has
identified no reportable account,
the regulations require such an
institution to file an Information
Return with the FIRS, stating
that it maintained no reportable
“Airports would also establish
their team that would report
to headquarters. This team
would consist of the following:
operations, aviation security
(AVSEC) to ensure crowd
control and enforcement
of directives, safety and
environmental protection.
“The Corporate Affairs
Department would sensitise and
educate our stakeholders and
the travelling public on new
travel procedures and guidelines
at our airports. This would be
done using media such as radio
jingles, handbills, newspaper
publications as well as social
media handles. "Announcements
would be made intermittently
from the announcement rooms,
on the new guidelines and
procedures at our airports,”
FAAN said.
On departure and boarding
procedures, FAAN proposed
a minimum of two metres
apart between passengers to
ensure physical distancing,
which would be designated
by floor markings and guided
by ropes and signage.
FAAN also proposed that
officials from aviation medial
and port health would screen
each passenger’s temperature,
and ensure the use of other
personal protective equipment
such as hand gloves.
“Passengers are required
to wash their hands before
proceeding into departure
halls. Hand sanitisers would
be provided for passengers’ use
before entrance at the waiting
halls, lounges and pre-boarding
gate. All passengers luggage
must be disinfected before
entry into the departure halls,”
FAAN said.
accounts for that year.
The deadline for the
submission of the Information
Return under the regulations
NEW LORDSHIP...
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai (left), and a new High Court judge, Justice Amina Ahmad-Bello, during the swearing-in
of new judges in Kaduna…yesterday
House Recommends Recall of
Sacked Warri Refinery Workers
Investigates recent recruitment by NNPC
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The House of Representatives has
recommended to the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) and the Warri Refining
and Petrochemical Company
(WRPC) to reinstate the over
300 persons whose appointments
were terminated, pending the
investigation by its Committee
on Public Petitions.
The House also mandated
its Committee on Petroleum
Downstream to carry out a
forensic investigation into the
recent recruitment of graduate
trainees by the NNPC with a
view to determining how many
persons were recruited from the
various host communities.
The resolutions of the House
followed the adoption of a
motion on the urgent need to
investigate the termination of
the employment of over 300
Rivers Withdraws Charges against Caverton Pilots, Passengers
Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Government
has withdrawn the charges it
preferred against two pilots of
Caverton Helicopters Limited, Mr.
Samuel Ugorji and Mr. Samuel
Buhari, and their 10 passengers
before the Port Harcourt Chief
Magistrate’s Court.
The state government had
arrested the pilots and their
passengers in the wake of the
imposition of restrictions on
movements and closure of the
state borders to check the spread
of COVID-19.
They were subsequently
arraigned before a Chief
Magistrate’s court on April 7
and remanded in custody for
allegedly intentionally disobeying
Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268
was initially May 31, of the year
following the calendar year to
which the return relates.
The regulations further
casual staff of WRPC, moved
by Hon. Thomas Ereyitomi.
In his lead debate, Ereyitomi
said in the heat of the COVID-19
pandemic that is ravaging
Nigeria and the world at large,
the WRPC sacked over 300
casual staff despite the federal
government’s directives that no
government agency or private
establishment should sack or
lay off any of its staff.
He said all the affected
persons are indigenes of the
host communities where the
refinery is located, which is
made up of Itsekiri and Urhobo
communities.
The lawmaker recalled that
in July 2019, Hon. Ben Bakpa
presented a petition to the
House on behalf of the host
communities seeking amongst
other things de-casualisation
of the employment status of
indigenous workers with WRPC.
the Executive Order issued by
the Rivers State Governor, Chief
Nyesom Wike, aimed at checking
the spread of the virus in the
state.
The Chief Magistrate
Court, presided over by D. D.
Ihua-Maduenyi, on April 14,
granted the two pilots and their
passengers bail.
At the resumption of the
trial yesterday, the Rivers
State Government, through
the Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice,
Professor Zaccheus Adangor,
withdrew the case.
A statement issued by the state
Commissioner for Information
and Communications, Mr.
Paulinus Nsirim, yesterday stated
that the state had withdrawn and
Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike
stipulated various penalties for
non-compliance with reporting
requirements, up to a maximum
sum of N10 million in the first
He explained that NNPC
despite the petition, went
ahead to recruit 1,050 graduate
trainees against the resolution
and recommendations of the
committee.
"This recruitment did not
reflect the principles of fairness
as enshrined in Section 28(2)
of the Nigerian Oil and Gas
Industry Content Act, which
provides inter alia that the board
shall ensure that the operator
or project promoter maintains a
reasonable numbers of personnel
from areas it has a significant
operation.
"While the casualisation
status of these workers and
the non-concession to the
host communities in the
recent recruitment of graduates
trainees is a matter before the
House Committee on Public
Petitions, the Warri Refining
and Petrochemical Company
discontinued the two separate
charges: PMC/532C/2020 and
PMC/533C/2020 preferred
against the two pilots and the
10 passengers on board before the
Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate's
Court.
“Consequently, the presiding
Chief Magistrate, D. D. Ihua-
Maduenyi, has struck out the
two charges and discharged all
the defendants,” he stated.
The court had remanded the
two pilots in prison custody
for allegedly disobeying the
Executive Order.
However, Caverton Helicopters
had denied any wrongdoing,
explaining that it received
approval from the Minister of
Aviation to operate essential
services during the lockdown.
month of the default and N1
million for each subsequent
months in which the default
continues.
has gone ahead to lay off over
300 indigenous staff against the
clear and unambiguous directive
of the federal government that
no worker should be dropped
or sacked at this precarious time
that the country is passing
through," Ereyitomi noted.
The lawmaker expressed
concern that if the House does
not step in immediately to arrest
the situation, there might be a
breakdown of law and order
and interruption of the smooth
operations of Warri refinery and
its subsidiaries.
The House, therefore, directed
the "Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) and the
management of Warri Refining
and Petrochemical Company
(WRPC) to reinstate the over
300 persons affected by this
action pending the investigation
by the House Committee on
Public Petitions."
But the pilots were on trial on
a four-count charge of conspiracy
to commit misdemeanour to
wit: disobedience to lawful
order, intentionally disobeying
the lawful order issued by the
Governor of Rivers State as
contained in paragraph 8 of the
Executive Order RVSG -01 2020
made pursuant to Sections 2, 4,
and 8 of Quarantine Act Cap.
Q2 Laws of the Federation of
Nigeria, 2004 and Regulation 11
of the Quarantine (Coronavirus
(COVID-19 ) and other infectious
diseases) regulations, 2020, by
flying the Twin-Otter Caverton
Helicopters into Air Force Base,
Port Harcourt and thereby
committed an offence punishable
under Section 5 of the Quarantine
Act Cap Q2 LFN , 2004.
WEDNESDAY, 
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ͺ͸ͺ͸
˾
T H I S D AY
Buhari Obliges Senate, Approves Military
Offensive on Bandits in North-west
Deji Elumoye, Omololu
Ogunmade and Chuks Okocha
in Abuja
Hours after the Senate called
for special military operations
in the North-west, President
Muhammadu Buhari approved a
plan by the Ministry of Defence
to flush out bandits that had
been terrorising the region.
The Senate had yesterday
flayed the continued bandits'
attacks in various parts of the
North-west of the country and
urged the federal government
to extend the ongoing special
anti-banditry military operations
to Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and
Niger States where banditry is
now rife.
The president responded
swiftly, approving the defence
ministry’s “Operation Accord,”
a major military offensive
conceived to flush out bandits
in the troubled region.
A statement by Senior Special
Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity, Malam
Garba Shehu, described the
proposed beneficiaries of the
operation as contiguous states of
Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Zamfara,
Sokoto and some parts of Kebbi
State.
The statement which described
yesterday’s Senate resolution
which commended Buhari on
the military offensive, he ordered
in Katsina State, as perfectly
in order, explained that the
president in his duty as the
Commander-in-Chief had already
approved the commencement
of this North-west operation.
According to him, no other
details on the mode, scope,
timing and other essentials of
the operation would be revealed
beyond this announcement to
avoid compromising its success.
He stated: "It is, however,
important to outline the fact that
all the states of the federation
are equal and important before
the president.
"None has suffered any
discrimination up to this point,
and none will be made to suffer
any such discrimination in
dealing with security and all
other matters on the account of
their political differences with
the government at the centre.''
The Senate had yesterday
flayed the continued bandits'
Ban Ki-Moon Hails
Gambari's Appointment
Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
Former United Nations (UN)
Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-
Moon, yesterday described the
appointment of Prof. Ibrahim
Gambari as Chief of Staff to
President Muhammadu Buhari
as a great asset to Nigeria and
Africa.
Presidential spokesman,
Malam Garba Shehu, in a
statement, said Ki-Moon,
in a congratulatory letter to
Gambari on Monday said he
was confident that the experience
the new chief of staff gained
at the UN would be useful to
Nigeria this period.
He said: ''I would like to
sincerely congratulate you on
your recent appointment as
Chief of Staff to H.E. President
Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.
''Your appointment is a great
asset not to the president of
Nigeria but also your country
Nigeria and Africa in a broader
sense.
''I am confident that your
invaluable experience gained
attacks in various parts of the
North-west of the country and
urged the federal government
to extend the ongoing special
anti-banditry military operations
to Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and
Niger States where banditry is
now rife.
It also urged President
Muhammadu Buhari, who last
weekend directed the military to
flush out bandits from Katsina
State, to order them to extend
the operations to Sokoto and
Niger States.
The call was a sequel to the
adoption of a motion moved by
the Senate Deputy Chief Whip,
Senator Sabi Abdullahi, who
had in the motion anchored on
orders 42 and 52 of the Senate
Standing Rules, lamented that
the daily occurrence of banditry
in Niger State requires urgent
intervention of Buhari.
Abdullahi said the Senate
was “aware through a
presidential spokesman that
President Muhammadu
Buhari has authorised the
commencement of a major
military operation to sweep
bandits and kidnappers out
of Katsina State; as major
proactive measures by Special
Forces to replace the reactive
strikes against the camps of
these bandits and criminals.”
According to him, “the
criminalities by these bandits
and kidnappers are carried out
mostly under the cover of the
contiguous forests reserves and
areas stretching from Katsina,
Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger
States with pockets of safe
havens in Kebbi and Sokoto
states.”
The lawmaker expressed
concerns that “a major offensive
in Katsina State alone is likely
to make the armed bandits and
kidnappers seek safer haven in
Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger
States, which host the Zurmi
and Kamuku forests among
others, further compounding
the plight of hapless and poor
communities along these forest
corridors.”
While seconding the motion,
Senator Ibrahim Gobir (APC
Sokoto East) had told the Senate
that his constituents were at
the mercy of Nigerien soldiers
protecting them against bandits,
as the Nigerian Army had
while serving the UN, with
various important leadership
roles, will help your leadership
in addressing these challenging
times caused by COVID-19.
''I shared this good news
with the former Minister Yoo
Chong-ha, your good friend
and former Foreign Minister of
Korea. He sends his warmest
congratulations to you.''
The statement added that
Ki-Moon, who wrote his
congratulatory letter from his
base in Seoul, South Korea’s
capital, said he looked forward
to meeting his former colleague
at the UN again and wished him
success in his new assignment.
The statement also said
the UK High Commissioner
to Nigeria, Catriona Laing,
expressed delight over the
appointment of Gambari as
the chief of staff to the president.
"The High Commissioner said
the Mission looks forward to
working closely with the chief
of staff on 'our shared agenda
in the challenging COVID-19
times," the statement added.
allegedly abandoned them.
He described the security
situation in Sokoto East
senatorial district as being
worse than in any other parts
of the country.
According to him, within the
last three months, no fewer than
300 people have either been
killed or kidnapped daily by
the bandits.
"The situation in Sokoto
East as far as armed banditry
is concerned, is pathetic and
tragic because it is only Nigerien
Army that had been coming to
their rescue while the Nigerian
Army looks the other way.
"In fact, based on very reliable
and verifiable information from
the area, many at times, that
the people of the affected areas
SECURING THE PLATEAU...
Nigerian Air Force Special Forces personnel deployed in Plateau State during their arrival at the 205 Combat Search and Rescue
Group Headquarters in Kerang village, Mangu Local Government Area…yesterday
Rewane: Nigeria Needs $200bn
Investment to Reduce Poverty Level
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
A member of Nigeria's
Economic Advisory Council
(EAC) and Chief Executive,
Financial Derivatives Limited,
Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has said
that to reduce the growing
number of poor persons in
Nigeria, the current $88 billion
investment threshold must be
increased to between $160 billion
to $200 billion.
Speaking during a web
conference tagged, “Strategies
to Navigate the Oil and Gas
Business Through the Global
Pandemic," witnessed by
representatives from First
Bank of Nigeria, Oando
Energy Resources, Banwo and
Ighodalo, Standard Chartered
Bank PLC and others, Rewane
stated that the low investment
in the country’s economy was
responsible for the nation's high
poverty rate.
According to him, Nigeria
will continue to depend on
oil revenues, noting that
because of the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic, the federal
government must begin to
'nurture' the proceeds from
the oil sector to grow other
areas of the economy.
The economist explained that
with a meagre 14 per cent of
total investment to the country’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
there is no end in sight to the
increasing number of severely
impoverished Nigerians.
He said: “Nigeria will
called on Nigerian Army for
help and protection against the
bandits, no response.
"But graciously, the Nigerien
Army has been assisting in
wading off the bandits, the
very reason no fewer than 5,000
people in the affected areas have
migrated to Niger Republic for
safety," the lawmaker said.
He added that hundreds of
cows and other animals, worth
about N2.5 billion, have been
rustled by the bandits.
"The fallout of this is grinding
poverty ravaging the affected
people in the form of serious
hunger since their cows and
other animals are on a daily
basis being stolen while some of
them are even made to hurriedly
sell some of the cows.
continue to depend on oil,
but the question is why is oil
contributing 10 per cent to GDP
and 90 per cent to export and
76 per cent to revenue?
“The truth is that GDP is an
output measure; therefore, the
Nigerian government now is
going to incentivise upstream,
midstream and downstream
. We need to nurture this
goose (revenues from oil).
So, we can use the proceeds
of this nurturing to invest in
other sectors. Investment as a
percentage of GDP in Nigeria
is only about 14 per cent.
“For you to have an
investment multiplier that has
an impact on poverty, people’s
lives, growth and inequality, we
need to take it from the current
$88 billion to at least $160 to
$200 billion. That is what will
make an impact.”
Reeling out the grim
economic indices occasioned
by the ravaging COVID-19,
Rewane said the managers of
the Nigerian economy were in
a dilemma because any decision
taken to rev up some of the
indices would negatively affect
others.
“Nigeria already had a
recessionary gap. What we
are facing today is that we are
going through a situation of
stagflation, which is a recession
plus an inflation. It is a very
difficult situation to have both
at the same time because if you
lower interest rates you will
push up inflation.
"The situation is so bad that
we only get help from Niger
Republic and not from Nigeria
at all, be it from the military or
the police.
"The affected people cannot
be perpetually at the mercy
of Nigerien soldiers and still
be expected to proudly see
themselves as Nigerians.
"Very urgent drastic action is
required from President Buhari
through the military in form of
expansion of the anti-banditry
operation currently being
carried out in Zamfara and
Katsina States to Sokoto State,"
he said.
The Senate accordingly
appealed to the president
to expand the scope of the
military operations to include
“If you keep interest rates
tight, you kick people out of
work. So, it’s a typical dilemma”
he noted.
According to him, projected
economic growth around the
world will not only slow
down, but be in the negative,
adding that the efficiency with
which companies and countries
manage their situations will
determine whether they will
survive.
“Globally, what we have
today is a situation where
in 2019 global growth was
projected at 2.9 per cent, now
the projection is -three per cent,
a contraction of about six per
cent. For the US, it is about
eight per cent. It is the largest
economy in the whole world
with a GDP of about $22 trillion.
“The US is contracting by
eight per cent. China is going
down from 6.1 per cent to about
1.2 per cent, a contraction of
about five per cent . The EU
was growing at 1.5 in 2019,
but is now projected to grow
at -7.5, so, it’s almost like that
of the United States.
“For Sub-saharan Africa,
we are going from 2.1 to 1.6.
Now, no oil no Nigeria. It’s
responsible for 10 per cent of
GDP, 90 per cent of export and
seven per cent of fiscal revenue.
For Nigeria, GDP growth was
2.27 in 2019 and IMF says it
will be -3.45, but we see it as
-five, others are saying -eight.
Whichever way you look at it,
we are looking at a contraction
9
NEWS
Niger and Sokoto states and
any other surrounding areas or
states that the bandits may want
to seek safe haven following the
massive operation in Katsina
State.
It also called on the military
and the police to increase their
surveillance operations to track
the bandits' movements to
prevent them from relocating to
other states they considered safer.
In his remarks, the President
of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan,
said the security challenges were
enormous but surmountable.
"Nigeria is definitely up to
the task and Mr. President will
deploy military in the areas for
restoration of sanity as gradually
being witnessed in Zamfara and
Katsina States," he said.
of -six to –seven per cent in
GDP growth for the entire
economy.
“The balance of trade was
$2.9 billion, it’s expected to be
-$5 billion this year. Inflation
was 11.39 last year, the high
side was targeted at 19 per
cent, but by June we think it
should be at 15 per cent. The
average exchange rate last year
was N360, it’s trading at N430.
But it is projected to come to
N412 averagely in the first half
of this year” he explained.
He advised oil companies to
raise their efficiency level so as
to survive the current impact
on their finances, adding that
only then will they thrive.
“In Nigeria, there is a whole
range of producers. Inefficient
producers cannot survive,
efficient producers will thrive in
the situation. If your marginal
revenue is higher than your
marginal cost, you are under
water,” he said.
As for the most impacted
sectors, Rewane said: “Impact
on aviation will be very
negative, hospitality negative,
for trading, 15 per cent of the
Nigerian economy is trading
and trading is affected by the
exchange rate, oil and aviation.
“Impact on trading and
outdoor activities will be high
in the negative because there
are no celebrations because of
social distancing. Real estate
is down. Transportation, will
be medium, pension fund the
same and health insurance.
10
PAGE TEN
EMEFIELE RALLIES INDUSTRIALISTS IN REBUILDING THE ECONOMY
market their products, which
he noted could be produced in
Nigeria and exported to the
rest of the world.
He also pledged the CBN's
willingness to provide foreign
exchange to companies that
required such for raw materials
ENAHORO: IT’S TIME TO RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA
broadcast arm of THISDAY
Newspapers, he said the far
North had depended on the
South for too long and that
some parts of the country had
suffered the decision since the
British rule.
He said: “Nigeria cannot be
great without restructuring. If
we had militant southerners,
by now we will be on the brink
of breaking up. But right now,
we don’t have them and no
one is ready to do it. The only
people who tried it are the Igbo
and they were defeated. I don’t
think anyone will try it again,
but power has to be taken away
from people who squander it.
POLICE EMBARK ON STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF CURFEW, INTERSTATE TRAVEL BAN
from 16 states, including Lagos
131, Ogun 25, Plateau 15, Edo
11, Kaduna seven, Oyo six, FCT
five, Adamawa five, Jigawa
four, Ebonyi four, Borno four,
Nasarawa three, Bauchi two,
Gombe two, Enugu one, and
Bayelsa, one.
The president had with
effect from May 4 relaxed the
lockdown of FCT, Lagos and
Ogun States he had imposed
on March 30, emplacing a
nationwide curfew from 8
pm to 6 am and a ban on
interstate travel. He, however,
maintained the exemption of
essential workers, including
health workers, and journalists
as well as movement of food,
medicines, and other essentials.
However, state governors and
the Presidential Task Force on
COVID-19 complained loudly
that security agencies were
not enforcing the guidelines
effectively, leading to rampant
disobedience by citizens.
Yesterday, the task force
ordered strict enforcement of
the curfew and the travel ban.
Complying, police boss
Adamu had a teleconference
with the top brass of the force
and directed strict enforcement
of the restrictions, rescinding
the pass given to journalists
and health workers to operate
beyond 8 pm and warning that
anyone, including ministers
found on the road during the
curfew would be arrested and
prosecuted.
But following outcry and
pressure, Adamu last night
rescinded his non-exemption
directive and restored the
privilege of essential workers
to move during the curfew.
In a terse statement by the
Force Public Relations Officer,
DCP Frank Mba said: “All
essential workers including
medical personnel, firefighters,
ambulance services, journalists,
etc are exempted from the
restriction of movement
associated with both the partial
lockdown and the national
curfew across the federation.
“The IG, Mohammed Adamu
has therefore directed all Zonal
Assistant Inspectors General
of Police and Commands
Commissioners of Police to
give effect to these exemptions
whilst enforcing the restriction
orders.”
The Lagos State Command
Commissioner, Mr. Hakeem
Odumosu, had earlier yesterday
confirmed that there would
be no movement of essential
workers by 8 pm, stressing that
“once it is 8 pm, there will be
no more human or vehicular
movement.”
When contacted, the Force
spokesperson, DCP Frank
Mba stressed that the curfew
had now been extended to
everyone, including policemen
and machinery that could not
be obtained in Nigeria.
With the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCTFA)
now billed to commence in
January 2021, Emefiele said
Nigeria provided the companies
with immense opportunities
How long can this go on? This
has got to stop if Nigeria is
to progress, and it will only
be done if an alliance is made
between militant south and the
progressive north. This will
not happen without pressure.
Nationhood takes time, and
this is the time.
“A colleague was
interviewing someone on
restructuring recently, and the
interviewer said North-west
will not permit restructuring. I
almost fell from my bed. Who
is the North-west to decide for
the whole country? We must
accept the fact that it cannot
go on like this anymore. If you
and government officials.
Mba made this disclosure after
THISDAY sought clarifications
on the strict enforcement
directive reeled out by the IG.
He said: “Nobody is exempted
from the curfew - absolutely
nobody. Even policemen who are
not on duty have been warned
to stay back in the office once
it’s 8 pm.”
When asked about journalists,
he reiterated that nobody was
exempted, including government
officials, adding that the
policemen will enforce the IG’s
directive to the letter.
In a press statement issued
by Mba, the IG ordered strict
enforcement of the national
curfew and interstate movement
restriction orders emplaced by
the federal government.
The IG gave this directive to
the zonal assistant inspectors
general of police and state
commissioners of police during
a virtual conference.
According to the statement
issued by Mba, the police
hierarchy reviewed operational
strategies and took decisive
measures aimed at evolving
customised security solutions
to cope with crime trends and
other security challenges relating
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The IG, while evaluating
security reports from various
states commands, charged
the Commissioners of Police
particularly in states with
recent incidents of attacks
on communities, to rejig
their security architecture to
forestall further attacks and
keep the communities safe and
secure for the citizenry. The IG
also expressed concerns over
reports bordering on human
rights infractions between the
public and personnel of the
force. He, therefore, called
for mutual respect between
the public and members of
the force and charged the
strategic managers to place more
premiums on the supervision
of police personnel under their
watch,” the statement explained.
FG Holds Self-
medication Responsible
for Most COVID-19
Deaths
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie
Ehanire, has linked most of the
COVID-19 deaths recorded in
the country to self-medication
and delayed reports of cases to
treatment centres.
He told reporters yesterday in
Abuja during the media briefing
by the PTF that Nigerians should
be prepared for the best or worst
outcomes in the days ahead.
He said whatever the progress
that would be recorded or lack of
it would depend on the level of
compliance with safety measures
and health advisories outlined
to produce their items and
make huge profits through
the Nigerian market, which
he noted was large enough
to support their respective
businesses.
The CBN governor also
assured the companies that
are from the Delta region, you
will see that your waters and
fishes have been polluted. You
will have to go several miles
to get fishes. When these same
people need something from
the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), they will
have to go to Daura for help.
This is a country where fellow
citizens say they were born
to rule over others. This got
to stop.”
According to him, the kind of
restructuring Nigeria needs is
the type where states or regions
that work hard would have
to benefit more.
He said the present situation
by the authorities.
Ehanire noted that there
had been a disturbing picture
emerging whereby many of
the casualties were drawn
from well-to-do persons who
chose to remain at home to
receive treatment until their
cases became worse.
He said: "Even though this
(fatality) figure seems low
compared to other countries,
a disturbing picture emerging
from statistics is that not only
are most fatalities observed
to be linked with pre-existing
diseases, many are educated,
well-to-do people, who chose
home-based care where they
develop sudden complication
and have to be rushed to the
hospital. Experience is showing
that breathing complications in
COVID-19 patients can arise with
little or no notice. This is an
added reason why all persons
should seek medical attention
when they test positive."
He advised infected persons
not to delay action but to seek
immediate medical attention.
On the status of recovered
health workers, the minister
explained that the practice is
for them to observe 14 days of
monitoring during which they
are expected to recover fully
from hospital stress.
The minister also spoke on the
use of hand sanitisers, adding
that some of the brands in the
market do not meet the required
specifications.
He advised members of the
public to always check out
for the approving stamp by
NAFDAC.
"A study carried out by a
department in the Ministry
of Health has shown that not
all the hand sanitisers are up
to standards. So in buying
sanitiser, there is an advisory
on it. You must look out for
the NAFDAC number.
"Secondly, it should have a
place where the ingredients
are displayed, among these
ingredients, you must see that
it contains about 60 per cent
alcohol," he said.
Ehanire also cautioned that
Hydroxychloroquine should
only be used based on a doctor's
prescription.
FG Trains 12,000
Health Workers
The Director-General of the
NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu,
at the press conference, said
about 12,000 health workers
nationwide had so far received
special training on tackling
infectious diseases.
He added that some key
aspects of healthcare services
have also benefited significantly
from measures being adopted to
curtail the spread of COVID-19.
He said adequate and proper
the bank will collaborate with
government agencies to help
check smuggling, while also
promising to protect their
businesses to ensure they
succeed in Nigeria.
Similarly, he assured the
CEOs of the bank’s willingness
makes it possible for the far
North to always live at the
expense of the South, which
has the resources.
He said: “People go to Mecca
virtually every year when the
Koran has said you can go
once in your lifetime. Where
do you think the money for
the waste is coming from? It
is from oil. This is a scandal
and that is where we are today.
What is needed is that states
which work hard should be
the richest. The richest public
officeholder in America is
not the president. When
Bill Clinton was governor
for 12 years, his salary was
use of personal protective
equipment was necessary to
prevent health workers from
contracting the virus from
patients.
“Given that we didn't learn
sufficiently from Lassa fever
outbreak, now is for us to learn
collectively from COVID-19.
Today, we have trained close
to 12,000 health workers and
this is an ongoing process," he
stated.
Buhari Celebrates
'Irreplaceable' Nigerian
Professor Who
Recovered in UK
The president yesterday
joined the United Kingdom
to celebrate a Nigerian-born
renowned and "irreplaceable"
consultant surgeon in the UK,
Prof. Olagunju Ogunbiyi, who
was discharged from a hospital
in London after recovering from
COVID-19.
A statement by presidential
spokesman, Malam Garba
Shehu, said Ogunbiyi had
taught several generations of
UK doctors and had remained
an eminent surgeon at the Royal
Free Hospital, one of London’s
leading reference hospitals.
According to him, he was
under care for two-and-a-half
weeks and has now recovered.
Shehu said a hospital
source described Ogunbiyi as
“irreplaceable” adding: "Such
was the regard he was held in
the UK healthcare community."
The president, on behalf of
all Nigerians wishes Ogunbiyi
quick recuperation and early
return to work.
A message circulating on
social media about the professor
and colorectal surgeon at Royal
Free Hospital, yesterday, said
after being infected with the
virus, the best of UK doctors
battled to save Ogunbiyi's life.
According to the message,
aside from being humble
despite being highly placed,
Ogunbiyi, upon his discharge
from the hospital was received
by a large gathering of hospital
staff celebrating his recovery.
NCDC Conducts
35,983 tests, Says Only
One Done in Kogi
A situation report released
yesterday by the NCDC showed
that out of 35,983 tests carried
out in 36 states and the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) so far,
Kogi and Cross River states have
the lowest figures of samples
tested.
The two states are yet to
record any positive COVID-19
case.
While Kogi has only tested
one sample, Cross River has
tested seven samples, all of
which returned negative for
WEDNESDAY, 
ͺ͸˜
ͺ͸ͺ͸
˾
T H I S D AY
to collaborate with other fiscal
authorities to improve on
their ease of doing business
in Nigeria, with a view to
simplifying their import and
export processes.
On the issue of Direct Foreign
Investments (FDIs), Emefiele said
less than that of a mayor in
New York because New York
had more money. Nigeria has
deteriorated because we have
leaders without a clue.
“We have allowed the far
North to dictate to this country.
The amalgamation of the North
and South was only because
the North had no money and
it was always broke, whereas
the South had a surplus, and
Lord Lugard at the time just
merged the two.
"Money from the South was
used in assisting the North.
The far North is the spoilt child
of the federation.”
He explained that without
COVID-19.
According to the data, Lagos
has tested the highest number
of persons with 14,886 samples,
followed by the FCT and Kano
with 4,688 and 2,653 samples
tested, respectively.
No Invoice from
Madagascar for Herbal
Drug, FG Insists
The federal government has
denied receiving any invoice
from Madagascar in respect of
the consignment of the herbal
mixture touted as a cure for
COVID-19, which was delivered
at the weekend to Buhari by
the President of Guinea Bissau,
President Umaru Embalo, who
was in Abuja on an official visit.
Reports had claimed that the
Indian Ocean Island country
had handed Nigeria an invoice
of 170,000 Euros (N78 million)
as the cost of five cartons of
COVID- organics.
But Mustapha said at the
press briefing that he did
not receive any invoice for
the drugs.
"In terms of the question
of whether it comes with a
cost, well it was handed to me
without an invoice. So, I assume
it doesn't come at any cost. That
is my assumption. For that, I
think the Madagascar issue
and the Chinese issue should
be laid to rest because these
two issues are not central to
the problem that we have at
hand now. So, we should try as
much as possible to minimise
the judicious use of our time
to deal with important issues.
"I am going to engage the
Minister of Health who has
the responsibility of validation
through his institutions that are
chartered by law to do that and
the president was upfront with
that even when he took the
delivery from the President of
Guinea-Bissau. He said it quite
clear that what we were going
to do with the consignment
will be guided by science. After
the processes of validation, we
will now know where to go,''
Mustapha stated.
He urged Nigerians to learn
from the history of global
pandemic, notably the plaque
of 1919-20, which was replete
with evidence of an exponential
rise in pandemic upon early
lifting of restrictions.
Mustapha said the decision
by the federal government to
extend the curfew and restrict
interstate movements for
another two weeks until June 1,
was inspired by caution, current
experiences from different
countries and the lesson from
the influenza pandemic of 1919,
which claimed more than five
million souls following a spike
in the cases after restrictions
were lifted.
the bank was not opposed to
the conglomerates seeking
alternative but legitimate sources
of foreign exchange to boost
their businesses, just as he said
the CBN would not hinder the
companies from repatriating
their dividends.
restructuring, the brilliant
Nigerians in certain states
would not get their dues
because of the present quota
system.
He stated that such
persons could not get into
institutions of learning they
deserved to because people
from other regions with fewer
qualifications would also have
slots to fill.
He described the system
being operated in the country
as one where the hardworking
ones were being pulled down,
adding that this was reflective
in the standard of education
and healthcare in the country.
"This well-considered
decision was taken out of an
abundance of caution, current
experiences from different
countries and expert advice.
I must add also that we were
persuaded by the history of
global pandemics because it
is replete with evidence of
exponential rise in pandemic
upon early lifting of restrictions,
for which the 1918 – 1920
influenza remains the most
recent example in human
history.
"Nigeria, judging from
these historical perspectives,
must in our present approach,
delicately maintain a balance
between safety and economic
considerations before we reopen
the economy fully. Again, I wish
to repeat that the decision is not
punitive; we share your pains
and also share your concerns.
However, our future remains
in our hands and compliance
is one of the keys to opening
that future," Mustapha said.
National Coordinator of
the PTF, Dr. Aliyu Sani, at
the briefing said: “The PTF
certainly appreciates the
adverse impact this is having
on people’s livelihood but
as I keep on saying, we are
trying to balance saving lives
with saving livelihood. We
are in the process of moving
towards further relaxation of
the lockdown but as far as the
next two weeks are concerned
nothing has changed.
“We have been given
approval by Mr. President to
extend those same conditions
we had two weeks ago for very
good reasons. One, being that
we are not convinced that the
time has come in terms of the
impact of the pandemic to
further relax those restrictions.
Continued on page 30
TOP GAINERS NGN NGN %
CAVERTON 0.25 2.75 10
OKOMUOIL 5.85 64.40 9.9
UNILEVER 1.35 15.05 9.8
C & I LEASING 0.45 5.05 9.7
CUTIX 0.13 1.49 9.5
TOP LOSERS NGN %
LASACO 0.02 0.23 8.0
NAHCO 0.11 2.33 4.5
WAPIC 0.01 0.29 3.3
INTERBREW 0.15 4.85 3.0
WEMABANK 0.01 0.58 1.6
HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,000.00
Volume: 339.756 million shares
Value: N3.921 billion
Deals: 4,784
As at yesterday 20/5/2020
See details on Page 27
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY 11
12 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 •T H I S D AY
T H I S D AY ˾

WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020
MIDWEEKPOLITICS
Travails of ‘O To Ge’ Movement in Kwara
Hammed Shittu writes that the lingering crises of confidence within the leadership of the All
Progressives Congress in Kwara State has taken a turn for the worse
Abdulrazaq
K
wara, the State of Harmony is
one of the states in the federation
that witnessed a paradigm shift in
political leadership on May 29, 2019
after several years that opposition
groups in the state had been making frantic
effort to wrestle political leadership from the
Saraki political dynasty.
The 2019 effort yielded positive result fol-
lowing the combined efforts of the leaders of
the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the state
and the formation of pressure group popularly
known as “O to Ge” movement in the state.
The APC leaders, the movement and some
elements within the state jointly fought and
ensured that the last general election was used
to send the Saraki dynasty back to political
oblivion with the massive votes cast for the
APC and all its candidates during the elections.
For the first time in the last 40 years of politi-
cal domination of Saraki dynasty in the state,
these elements in political opposition worked
in unity, purposeful confidence and zeal of
enthusiasm to ensure that the game was up for
the Saraki dynasty in the state thereby leading
to defeat of the scion of late Dr. Olusola Saraki
and immediate past Senate President, Dr.
Bukola Saraki and his party, Peoples Democratic
Party(PDP) in that election.
The APC recorded electoral victory in all
the state and national assembly seats and also
crowned it with the governorship position of
the state with the election of one of the sons
of the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria from
the northern region, former private secre-
tary to late Sardauna of Sokoto and former
Nigerian ambassador to the Cote D’Ivoire,
Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunso Abdulrazaq,
Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq under the
banner of the APC in the state. The governor
who had been trying for many times under
different political platforms in the past politi-
cal dispensation could not get it until the last
general election.
Although, several factors have been raised
over the defeat of the Saraki political dynasty
during the polls but the only singular factor
was that, the opposition elements and some
residents of the state were said to have been
tired over the continued control by the dynasty
and therefore sought for a change of leadership
in the state.
Apart from this, the perceived continued
stay of Dr. Bukola Saraki in Abuja where he
believes that those that he left the home for
to be managing his political dynasty did a
lot of harm to the dynasty, coupled with his
crisis with some of his former political foot
soldiers in the state, among others effected
his total defeat.
Prior to that election, the members of the “O
to Ge” movement who were mainly those that
had benefited a lot from the Saraki political
A N A LY S I S
Oyedepo
dynasty in the past years formed themselves
into a pressure group to ensure the downfall
of the dynasty, believing that, it will be to their
advantage at the end of the day to the control
the political leadership of the state.
Radio stations in Ilorin especially the private
ones were awash with various comments
against on the activities of the government
then led by the Share town born politician and
immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji
Abdulfatah Ahmed and the administration
of the Dr. Saraki when he was the governor
of the state.
The movement also sponsored series of
programmes in one of the private radio stations
in Ilorin and ensured that they criticised the
administrations of Saraki and Ahmed. This
development provided the needful information
that inspired the masses to turn against the
dynasty and candidates of the PDP during
the polls. At the end of the day, victory was
recorded for the APC in the state.
However, the present administration in the
state which came into office through the “O to
Ge” movement has been enmeshed in series
of crisis as the centre cannot hold again in the
last one year of the administration. There is
Yoruba proverb that says the house that is built
with falsehood, will not last? This is seriously
manifesting in the movement now in the state.
The believe of the members and leaders of
the movement that worked for the “sacking”
of Saraki political dynasty was that they would
be in the forefront in determining who gets
what political position with the support of the
governor. But the reverse has been the case.
The development however turned many
of these leaders into despair in view of the
fact that, what was happening to them was
not what they bargained for as the governor
allegedly refused to look their way as the
administration commenced its programmes
for the people of the state.
The administration operated for almost four months
without any cabinet member but later the governor
announced top political office holders in the state
like Chief of Staff, Secretary to the State Government,
Senior Adviser/Counsellor and cabinet members
without allegedly consulting the major stakeholders
in the election victory. This ugly development
disrupted the prevailing harmony within the APC and
“O to Ge” movement in the state. All the appointees
were directly picked without input either from the
ruling party or the movement
Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG
Email nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com
08114495324 SMS ONLY
Eshinrogunjo
The administration operated for almost four
months without any cabinet member but later
the governor announced top political office
holders in the state like Chief of Staff, Secretary
to the State Government, Senior Adviser/
Counsellor and cabinet members without
allegedly consulting the major stakeholders
in the election victory. This ugly development
disrupted the prevailing harmony within the
APC and “O to Ge” movement in the state.
All the appointees were directly picked
without input either from the ruling party
or the movement. The governor was allegedly
having a running battle with some of the lead-
ers of the party that worked for his election
in the state. All efforts by the stakeholders of
the party both at the national secretariat of
the party and the presidency is yet to yield
positive results.
The exclusion of the APC leadership and
movement in the day-to-day administration of
the state in the last one year of the overthrown
of Saraki dynasty from the political control of
the state has continued to cause disaffection
within major stakeholders in the state.
The scenario recently evolved into another
dimension as one of the members of the move-
ment, Hon. Musibawu Eshinrogunjo in a viral
video released and circulated in Ilorin issued
a damning threat to the state governor, Alhaji
Abdulrazaq, who he accuses of harbouring
ill feelings against his mother.
Eshinrogunjo was one of the APC chieftains
and strong members of the “O to Ge” move-
ment in the state and worked day and night
for the success of the party during the last
general elections.
His outburst according to THISDAY checks
might not be unconnected with the fact that he
was not considered for any political position
in the current administration in the state.
Some people close to the governor told
THISDAY that, the governor was said to have
13
offered him the position of special assistant and
commissioner but he declined the positions.
It was gathered that, Eshinrogunjo is deter-
mined to contest the chairmanship position of
Ilorin West local government area which he
previously sought, but could not win.
Based on this issue, the politician was said
to have released a voice video where he cas-
tigated the governor on a number of issues
especially that, he worked for the governor
during the election but was abandoned. He
said the governor has rewarded people who
contributed nothing to the success of the party
with the governance of the state.
Apart from this, he alleged in the video that,
there was a meeting in Abuja with the governor
and other two APC chieftains where he alleged
that, the governor allegedly sought to enter
an understanding for financial gain in return
for ensuring that he gets the chairmanship
position.
However, following the leak of the video
to the whole world recently, Eshinrogunjo
was invited by the state Director of the State
Security Service(SSS) ,Ilorin to substantiate
all the allegations.
Sources said that, Eshinrogunjo was said to
have denied the video in question.
But, Hon. Kehinde Mogaji Ibrahim, one
of the aides to Hon. Eshinrogunjo came out
through another video to defend the governor .
He said that, “Eshinrogunjo was not a sincere
leader because he has benefited immensely
from the governor before and since he assumed
office as the governor of the state.
“Apart from this, the governor has bought
him many cars and even gave him unfettered
access to him through various empowerment
that Eshinrogunjo had benefited from the
governor”.
Hon. Ibrahim added that, “All what he said
in his video were tissues of lies and wondered
how he can be attacking his benefactor like that.”
Another leader of the movement and former
Chief Whip of the state house of assembly,
Hon. Iyiola Oyedepo in his reaction to the ugly
development said that, “The last time I saw
Esinrogunjo was 31st January 2020 and that
was the day I unveiled my Institute, Nations
Leadership Institute, Ilorin.
“The Speaker of Kwara State House of As-
sembly, Rt Honorable Danlad Yakubu, did
the unveiling. Esinrogunjo was one of the
invitees.”
He said that “When the young man (Eshin-
rogunjo) complained about his frustrations
about the government, I told him about the
brewing intra party crisis which I said could
be worse than inter-party crisis.”.
NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the
online edition on www.thisdaylive.com
14 T H I S D AY ˾
˜


Ͱͮ˜
ͰͮͰͮ

COMMENT Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

COVID-19, BILL GATES AND THE FAMILY (2)

Abortion, by whatever name called, is illegal in Nigeria, writes Sonnie Ekwowusi

R
emember Ms. Margaret Louise Sanger (1879-1966), founder
of Planned Parenthood of America? Remember Sanger’s
racist philosophy of exterminating the black population
through imposed legal abortion, contraceptives and
sterilization of black women? If your answers to the above
queries are in the affirmative, you will probably recall
also that Sanger’s racist philosophy inspired Adolf Hitler in his view of
eugenics and murdering of the “socially undesirable people”. Except that
while Hitler committed his havoc against European Jews and others in
the Nazi regime, Sanger directed her Planned Parenthood of America
specifically to the extermination of Afro-Americans through forced
abortion and sterilization of black American women. I have met Alveda
C. King, niece of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. several
times in the U.S. On one occasion I met her at a coffee shop in New
York City. In fact, she invited some of us who had attended a conference
in New York City to have a taste of New York City coffee. On learning
I was a Nigerian, she turned to me and said, “Don’t let what happened
to us happen to you”. By “us” she meant the Afro-Americans. And by
“you”, she meant Nigerians.
The infanticide in the U.S. otherwise called the black genocide is
aimed at the elimination of Afro-Americans. For example, the No. one
abortion clinic in New York City is called Dr. Emily’s Women Health
Centre. This clinic is situate right in the black neighbourhood in the
Bronx, NY 10455. It is a clinic that specializes in killing the babies of
Afro-Americans and black American girls. I have been to this clinic a
few times. Whenever I am in New York City and have some free time
I do not hesitate to go to this clinic to campaign against the murder of
defenseless babies. Every day especially on weekends Afro-American
girls and other black girls including some Nigerian girls are seen
pouring in uncontrollably like water into this clinic to have their babies
killed through abortion and painful abortificient injections.
Undoubtedly the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is continuing
where Margaret Sanger stopped in the elimination of the so-called “so-
cially undesirable people” who, in its “wisdom”, are unfit to live. From
Microsoft business Bill Gates has moved into the abortion contraception
and eugenic business. Even Bill Gates’ dad, William Henry Gates II,
better known as Bill Gates Sr., was on the board of abortion promoting
giant called Planned Parenthood of America before the popular case of
Roe V Wade which legalized abortion in the U.S was decided. It appears
as if abortion runs in the DNA of the Gates family. By the way, I want
you to google, “Bill Gates is continuing the work of Monsanto”. If you
do, you will listen to Vandana Shiva, 1993 Nobel laureate, environmental
activist and author of Oneness Vs The 1%, explain to you the “nefarious
strategy” of Bill Gates to destroy agriculture and agricultural yields in
Africa. She said that her aforesaid new book contains avalanche of evi-
dence substantiating Bill Gates’ destructive impact in Africa. Prior to the
outbreak of coronavirus and the raging controversy about Fauci-Gates
Moderna Vaccine-mRNA-1273 and all that, Bill Gates had viva voce
admitted both in his action and words that he is on a mission to reduce
the African population. For example, in his article entitled: Did Bill
Gates Admit Vaccination are Designed so Governments can depopulate
the World and written as far back as 10th March 2017, Alex Kasprak,
who in fact is defender of Bill Gates, clearly admitted in his said article
that Bill Gates and Melinda Gates advocate that pregnant mothers
can kill any “unwanted baby” in their wombs through the process of
medical abortion or contraception in order to limit the number of babies
mothers could have and so doing depopulate the world. According to
Bill Gates:” When a mother can choose how many children to have, her
children are healthier, they’re better nourished, their mental capacities
are higher — and parents have more time and money to spend on each
child’s health and schooling. That’s how families and countries get out
of poverty”. At an international Family Planning Summit co-hosted by
the British government with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and
the U.N. Population Fund in London on July 11 2017, Melinda Gates
told the summit that birth control and abortion empower women, and
that she was “deeply troubled” by U.S. President Donald Trump’s
decision to withdraw funding for abortion and birth control in Africa.
In Nigeria, under the cover of “family planning” conference, Bill and
Melinda Gates have been mounting pressure on the Nigerian govern-
ment to encourage pregnant Nigerian women to kill their babies either
through abortion, abortificients and sterilization of women. This is not
a conspiracy theory. It is the truth. If you are in doubt you may google,
“Bill Gates, Vaccines, abortion and population control in Nigeria” to
ascertain the veracity of my assertion. You see, a lot of people are yet to
understand that the over-bandied phrase, “family planning” or “family
planning services” is a euphemism or dodgy phrase for abortion. Bill
Gates and others are hiding under it to promote their abortion atrocities.
Because the word “abortion” is repugnant in Nigerian socio-cultural
and religious setting, Bill Gates and his cohorts have resorted to using
euphemisms and dodgy words such as “family planning” or “family
planning services” in order to avoid incurring the wrath of the Nigerian
people. What is most incomprehensible is that abortion, abortificient,
sterilization of women are illegal in Nigeria yet Bill Gates and others are
habitually violating these laws. More importantly, the consensus reached
at the various United Nations Conferences, is that the law passed in
every developing country including Nigeria must reflect the diverse
social, economic and environmental conditions of that country, with
full respect for their religious, cultural backgrounds and philosophical
THE CONSENSUS REACHED AT THE VARIOUS convictions. With the greatest respect, I think it is improper for Bill Gates
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCES IS THAT to violate Nigerian laws and begin to impose abortion on Nigerian
girls all in the name of population control. Can multi-billionaire Aliko
THE LAW PASSED IN EVERY DEVELOPING Dangote dare violate any American law and get away with it? Can he
COUNTRY INCLUDING NIGERIA MUST dictate to American families the number of children they should have
REFLECT THE DIVERSE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC in the name of population control? No. So, why is Bill Gates violating
AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF THAT our laws and getting it away with it? Why is he dictating to Nigerian
COUNTRY families to reduce the size of their families?

FORESIGHT, CREATIVITY AND COVID-19

Adebayo Ojo-Iyara argues that lack of leadership is hindering the fight against the pandemic

T
he most elementary challenges facing
mankind since ages are food, clothing
and shelter. However, here we are in
Africa and Nigeria especially, as we are,
battling with these basics. We are all
living witnesses to our historical condi-
tions in the 21st century today, and I need not bother
readers with the pathetic details and all the sordid
whys. Still, at these challenging and unprecedented
Covid-19 pandemic times, the big vacuum of fore-
sight and creativity in leadership, governance and
policies in our land becomes extremely worrisome.
If only for enlightened self-preservation interests, one
would think most of our elites in decision-making
positions should have done better.
The Yoruba have a proverb, “Igi ganganran ma
gun mi loju, okere la ti n wo,” literally meaning
you must see far ahead the path if you don’t want
a protruding twig to smack your face. Foresight,
simply put, is seeing ahead correctly, while creativity
is doing something new, differently, positively. Vision
and innovation are fundamental needful for effective
and efficient decision-making and impactful actions
in government. Good leaders do not wait for things
to happen before reacting. For meaningful progress
and development in their society, leaders analyse
realities minutely and comprehensively, anticipate
emerging realities and innovatively plan ahead to get
the better and best of it. This does not immune them
and society from emergencies but those patently
unforeseen or unforeseeable developments and force
majeure will be few and far between. A credit to
their deep vision, creative plans and anticipatory
policies and actions.
On April 16, 2020 at the daily Presidential Task
Force briefing on Covid-19, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola
spoke about the Tropics and how heat and humidity,
especially considering the housing type of the
majority of citizens, make outdoor life compelling
and protracted total lockdown difficult. He then
enunciated that since such lockdowns are presently
inescapable, one component of the needful to make
it successful in getting rid of the virus is mass
production and enforced usage of the face mask
nationwide in public places, complimentary to all the
other guidelines and rules of hygiene; that if done
and rigorously enforced, the virus can be contained
within two weeks of total lockdown thereby making
way for easing the lockdown. He even postulated on
the economic benefits across several value chains of
systematic mass productions of 100 million quality
face masks from local fabrics, which at N500 each
approximately equals a N50 billion injection into
business and productivity.
Ogbeni Aregbesola was not the first to sensitise
the global community on the potential of containing
the virus with informed and enforced, total face
mask use in public places. One of the most vocal
advocates of this solution is Dr Jonas Sharma of the
Philippine Academy of Family Physicians.
Once every citizen is sensitized or
compelled to wear the mask once outside his
house doorsteps and no one can spread the virus
in public places, the spread is then limited to family
and small communities where it can quickly be
isolated and suppressed. Note that the solution is not
advocated as a stand-alone solution in disregard of
all the other rules of hygiene and physical distancing.
Despite that this idea was articulated since middle
of April, it took most state governments and the
federal government till May 4 to announce the
compulsory usage of face masks in public places
to coincide with the easing of the lockdown, rather
than a precondition for it. We all know that during
the preceding “total lockdown,” millions of people
in the states of Lagos, Ogun, the FCT and others on
“lockdown” continue to move around, essential and
non-essential workers alike, even as distribution of
so-called palliatives in rowdy conditions abound;
such that public spaces are littered with millions of
people in close contacts without face-mask usage.
That was when the most community spread of the
virus took place without a doubt.
The Yoruba have another proverb: “Ogbon
Ologbon ni ki je ka pe Agba ni were,” literally mean-
ing “it is the aggregate of other people’s wisdom
that saves the elder from being adjudged insane.”
A leader worth his onions does not always need to
lean exclusively on his personal knowledge-resources
to make wise, timely decisions.
Intelligent, resourceful and innovative thinkers
abound in Nigeria, much else on the global online
platforms. Why leaders in decision-making positions
in Nigeria fail to tap into these resources for making
smart, timely decisions, especially when saving lives
and fortunes is at stake baffles the mind.
It is not the first time Ogbeni Aregbesola is
identified with making visionary policies far ahead
of time to avert human sufferings. It is on record that
the Minister of Interior, as Governor, State of Osun
exhibited similar foresight in leadership and efficient
management in anticipating and nipping in the bud
the threat to peaceful coexistence posed by age-old
and increasing tension between herdsmen and
farmers, long before it became a national calamity
that wasted several billions of naira in resources and
thousands of human lives.
In June 2014, he set up a Special Committee on
Peaceful Coexistence tagged “Committee for Peaceful
Coexistence between Fulani/Bororo and Crop Farm-
ers in the state of Osun” under the Chairmanship of
Hon. Mudasiru Oguntola Toogun, having appointed
the Seriki Fulani for Osun State, Alhaji Oluwatoyin
Sule Muhammed as personal assistant on Peaceful
Coexistence Between Fulani/Bororo And Crops
Farmers in the State.
The result of the bold step taken by Ogbeni
Aregbesola was recognized and popularized through
the publication of a research conducted by Johns
Hopkins University, Maryland, United States on
Nigeria Social Violence Database (NSVD) in
relation to death from Herdsmen and Farmers
Conflict (2016). The report showed that Osun is one
of the few states with no ‘Death’ at all in the country
during the year under review. Whatever happened
later was after his exit as a governor for reasons that
are open.
The award-winning “Opon Imo” Tablet of
Knowledge launched in 2013 is another such
exercises in foresight and innovation. The portable
touchscreen Android powered e-learning device,
first of its kind in Nigeria and unique globally,
contains all the books in every subject needed by
Senior Secondary School Students. It has written
and audiovisual teaching/instructions by teachers
in all those subjects and WAEC and UTME past
questions and answers from inception till date. With
900 minutes of virtual classroom lessons, it has
self-learning tools and exercise platforms as well as
other materials on civic and general knowledge.
You don’t have to be online to access its
contents and it can be solar-charged when there is
no electricity supply. The import of the deployment
of this powerful learning tool is already manifesting
in the performance of Osun students in the last
six years as they produce award and scholarship
winning feats as some of the best secondary school
graduating students in WAEC/UTME results.
How good, pleasant and effective it will be if all
terminal Senior Secondary School Students in Nigeria
today have these tools in the era of Covid-19? The
Online alternatives being touted in a country with
woeful power supplies and network services even if
parents can afford data charges are simply turning
out as exercises in futility.
Ojo-Iyara wrote from Akowonjo, Lagos
T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 15

EDITORIAL
AFRICA AND COVID-19 PREPAREDNESS
The continent could do more to contain the pandemic

I
n spite of the relatively low numbers of infection is a typical evidence.
and death on the Continent, Africa may eventual- Indeed, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
ly be overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. last week raised concerns that the “smart testing” op-
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said last tion adopted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
week that about 250,000 million people in Africa (NCDC) has not revealed the real incidence of the virus
would be infected with the deadly viral disease in the country. The NMA opted for a “a fast -tracking of
out of which some 190,000 could die in the first testing using innovative specimen collection and transport
12 months. This projection is not all-inclusive as modalities to ameliorate this deficit in technique.”
some north African countries like Egypt, Sudan and Libya

were left out. According to the study published by the
British Medical Journal, more than five million Africans
would be hospitalised with the continent’s fragile health
care systems gradually being overwhelmed.
These figures are consistent with the earlier report by
the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). In April,
the ECA said over 300,000 Africans could lose their lives
due to COVID-19. Vera Songwe, United Nations Under
Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, ECA said
the continent is particularly susceptible because a large
percentage of its urban population is concentrated in
slums or informal dwellings. In addition, only few African
households have access to basic handwashing facilities,
essential preventive
COVID-19 HAS DIVERTED measures on the
ATTENTION AND FUNDS spread of the disease.
FROM OTHER MAJOR According to the
HEALTH ISSUES LIKE latest figures from
MALARIA, MALNUTRITION the WHO, Africa has
AND AIDS WHICH about 90,000 cases of
KILL HUNDREDS OF Covid-19 with 2,900
THOUSANDS OF AFRICANS deaths. South Africa,
YEARLY the most industrialised
on the continent,
conducts about 16,000 tests daily while Nigeria with
more than three times the population of South Africa
has conducted less than 40,000 tests since the outbreak
of the pandemic. The number of deaths on the continent
represents less than one per cent fatalities worldwide even
though Africa accounts for about 14 per cent of the world’s
population. Experts are of the view that the low number of
tests, a mere fraction compared to those in the developed
countries, is masking the true picture of the crisis. Nigeria
T H I S DAY
EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI
DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI AJAYI, DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN,
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE
CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN
MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE
T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE,
ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI
DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU,
ANTHONY OGEDENGBE
DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI
SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH
ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO
CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI
DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO
HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA
TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
B
esides, there is the need to create more awareness
among the populace and reinforce measures
instituted to contain community spread of the
disease. Since the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and
the Federal Capital Territory was partially lifted, many
people have been crowding public places with little regard
to social distancing and other directives of government
and health authorities. Despite the Presidential order
banning interstate travels, many still indulge in the risky
business. The uncontrolled movement of some Almajiri
across the country is a case in point. Some states in the
South east recorded their index cases of Covid-19 during
the course of the lockdown. The situation is not helped
by the uncoordinated management of the pandemic as
evidenced in the confused orders and counter-orders
across the country.
This is why we welcome the public enlightenment
campaign of the Lagos State government to strengthen
the advocacy on physical distancing and other preventive
measures in communities to engender compliance with
directives on Covid-19. Even with the limited number of
cases, bed spaces are increasingly becoming scarce and
many of the health professionals we can boast of are being
consumed by the pandemic.
Already, Covid-19 has diverted attention and funds
from other major health issues like malaria, malnutrition
and AIDS which kill hundreds of thousands of Africans
yearly. Only last week, the federal government expressed
concern on the steep decline in the number of outpatient
population of non-Covid-19 ailments in hospitals nation-
wide. The time has come for the states to act collectively to
mitigate the crisis as well as the depressing projections by
the World health body.

TO OUR READERS
Letters to the Editor Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested
readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and
opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950-
1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

Southwest, Northeast And The Presidency My NYSC Experience

R N
ecently a political group of 10 Northern APC
organizations called upon the All Progressives
Congress (APC) to present a ‘new young face’
from the Northeast as its Vice-Presidential
candidate and zone the Presidency to the
Southwest in 2023.
One interesting thing about the politics of 2023 presidency
is the massive campaign in the Northeast to have the vice
presidency zone to the geo-political zone instead of the
presidency, though, it is mostly an APC affair.
For example, the 10 Northern APC groups’ spokesman
Musa Aminu Azare, said in a press release sent to local and
international journalists, that for fairness and to be politically
correct for the APC, the southwest should produce the next
president while the northeast should get the slot of the vice
president.
Why is the group so much concerned about APC
presenting a new face as its vice- presidential candidate?
The answer is anybody’s guess- the APC must play new
cards to convince most Nigerians.
For instance, the APC group of 10 cautioned that if the
party failed to use this opportunity for a paradigm shift in
producing a young man from the northeast as its vice-
presidential candidate, the PDP, and its coalition will have
an easy ride because they will utilize that opportunity and
the poor reward system in the APC-led central government
to campaign against the APC in 2023 presidential election.
Many political analysts and people on the streets share this
view as well.
Pundits believe that the APC and its leadership including
President Muhammadu Buhari himself will never imagine a
situation where power will slip from their hands after being
in power for just four years. The APC group also shares this
view:
“The 2023 presidential election is expected to be very
tough because both APC and the PDP will be assessed on
the same scale. Our group is determined and is insisting that
next vice president should come from the Northeast and, we
also call on ex-governors and serving senators not to think
of vying for the slot because it is now the time for a young
new face. I am making that very clear to you,” Aminu said.
There are many groups popping up in the northeast
agitating for the post of the vice president, but the APC
group of 10 is the most powerful. The group’s leaders
said that their group will be at the forefront of the quest by
Northeast to produce the next vice president in 2023, adding
that even the youths and many groups in the Northwest
and North central are clear in their calls for the northeast
to produce the next vice president. And, the group will
strongly campaign for the southwest as well to produce the
next president. “All of us have this very tough and common
agenda,” he explained.
The battle in the southwest will be very interesting
looking at contenders like Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo and the many interests in the APC.
Zayyad I. Muhammad, Jimeta, Adamawa State
YSC exposed me to
Nigeria’s diverse tribal
nationalities at the three
weeks boot camp in Taraba
State. I had never been
to the North of Nigeria,
prior to my service year. I later redeployed
to Osun state and did the rest of my 11
months mandatory service at the Osun State
Broadcasting Corporation, Ile Awiye, Oke
baale, Osogbo. There I was deployed to the
Radio News and Current Affairs department
of the media conglomerate, where I served
from June 2019 - May 2020.
With a background in Mass Com-
munication at the ND level and English
and Literature Studies at the degree level, I
served my country as a news reporter, and
I love the job. Mastering the trade of news
writing, gathering and sourcing wasn’t
difficult for me as I took my time in learning
from my intelligent bosses. I can vividly
remember snapping their news script and
studying them when I got home. In no time
I could source, gather and write news report
for the radio station. The management and
staff of the media outlet which include the
radio news that was headed (as at the time
of writing this) by the Director of News and
Current affairs, Mrs Abimbola Babatunde,
the Editors, newscasters, and reporters
were all generous to me and supported me.
They made me understand that anything is
possible with hard work, smart work and
dedication. I can’t thank them enough.
In my capacity to learn, I also partially
worked to acquire more knowledge at the
ICT and TV arm of the media conglomerate.
In fact, NYSC opened opportunities for me
to learn and I learnt diligently, even when
most of my colleagues felt putting in extra
effort was a waste. I can truly say it wasn’t
for me because it was a period of learning to
work with people and above all, I learnt to
be more patient with myself and the people
I worked with. I decided to share my story,
because I believe NYSC is a great scheme
and to youths, who are yet to serve, they
should look forward to their service year and
pray for the best.
With all that I have learned, I can
conclude that NYSC isn’t a scam as
erroneously believed in some quarters, rather
it’s a platform for personal development and
connection.
Lanre Akinbo, Osogbo
16 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 •T H I S D AY
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY 17
18
FEATURES
Bandits’ Onslaught on Katsina Puts
Residents on Edge
Francis Sardauna writes on the need for the federal government to beam its security searchlight
on Katsina State to end bloodletting orchestrated by bandits and kidnappers
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, George Akume; Gov. Aminu Ma-
sari and others during the commissioning of Daura Isolation Centre
I
n the past month, more than 200 people
were massacred and scores kidnapped in
fresh onslaughts orchestrated by armed
bandits in some communities of Dutsin-
Ma, Danmusa, Safana, Batsari, Sabuwa,
Faskari, Kankara, Dandume and Kurfi Local
Government Areas of the state.
The renewed attacks have forced hundreds
of residents of the affected local governments
who survived the deadly invasions to flee
their ancestral homes to the headquarters of
the council areas including Katsina, the state
capital.
Sadly, these local government areas have
been under siege by the armed bandits and
kidnappers with repeated attacks, killing, and
maiming of women at many local communities
in the areas, forcing thousands of farmers to
abandon their farmlands.
For instance, the latest simultaneous on-
slaughts on Batsari communities, according
to residents, had killed 34 people and forced
residents of Kurmiyal, Yandaka, Maidoriya,
Tashar Kadanya, Garin Goje, Watangadiya
and Dutse Maizane to abandon their villages.
Hundreds of residents, mostly women and
children who survived recent deadly invasions
in Batsari communities are currently taking
refuge in Batsari town and some of them
have relocated to Shagari-low cost, Modoji,
and Sabon Gida in Katsina metropolis.
One of the survivors of the attacks in Batsari,
Tasi'u Farouk, said the hoodlums had within
one month killed over 50 people and kidnapped
several others in various communities in the
council area, rendering hundreds homeless.
Farouk, whose wife and three children were
killed in a recent attack in Tsauwa village
lamented that Batsari has become a theatre
of war due to prevailing attacks orchestrated
by the armed bandits.
He said: "The bandits burnt my wife and
three children beyond recognition in Tsauwa.
I left the village after the attack on February
14 and I am now taking refuge in Shagari-low
cost with some of our relatives without food.
"They kill our people every day and cart
away all their means of survival. We are
appealing to the state government to come
to our rescue because these attackers are bent
on eliminating us all."
Another refugee, Sefinatu Idris, whose father,
Idris Yusuf, and Uncle, Kabir Isa, were killed
in Kurmiyal village, explained that banditry
and other heinous activities have made life
unbearable for her and the entire family.
Sefinatu, who wept uncontrollably while
narrating her ordeal, said: "Since the untimely
death of my father and uncle, I and my mother
have resorted to begging as our means of
survival. We hardly eat in a day. The government
should please assist my mother."
The armed bandits had on February 15,
2020 launched attacks on Tsauwa and Dankar
villages of Batsari, where they killed 30 people
and burnt many children beyond recognition.
While the bandits met stiff resistance in Dan-
kar from the security operatives and residents,
they had a field day in Tsauwa where they
sacked the village and looted shops, houses
and rustled unspecified numbers of cattle.
Similarly, the hoodlums had last March,
killed 73 people and rustled hundreds of
cattle belonging to residents in Dutsin-Ma,
Safana, and Danmusa Local Government
Areas of the state.
The multiple attacks, which started at Kuraichi
village of Dutsin-Ma Local Government spread
to 12 other villages across the three local
government areas.
Residents said the miscreants invaded the
affected villages on motorcycles, firing gunshots
into the air and then started moving from
one house to another killing people. Shortly
afterward, they rode their motorbikes with
abducted people and disappeared into the
forest.
One of the residents, Turaki Sedique said:
"The bandits killed five persons at Kuraichin
Giye, six at Kuraichin Malam. They also killed
one person at Dogon Ruwa and seven persons
at U/Bera. All these villages are in Dutsin-Ma
Local Government.
"While in Danmusa Local Government, they
killed 17 at Gurzar Kuka and 13 at Gurzar
Gamji. In Safana Local Government, the bandits
killed 19 people at Makanwaci village and
five were also killed at Daulai village. The
total number of dead bodies evacuated in all
the villages is 73."
He explained that the bandits attacked
Kuraichi village but were repelled by residents
and the vigilante, saying: "some residents went
after Fulani houses, burning them and their
foodstuff, which resulted to multiple attacks”.
Sedique said: "The bandits mobilised
themselves as early as 6am and burnt down
Balza, Gurzar Kuka and Gurzar Gamji villages
and Makurachi. The bandits numbering about
100 on motorcycles, also injured many people
in the villages".
Three days after the killing of 73 persons
in Dutsin-Ma, Safana and Danmusa local
governments, the bandits stormed Sabon Layin
Galadima in Faskari Local Government Area
of the state and killed three persons.
Residents said the bandits in large numbers
on motorbikes invaded the village about 4:39
pm and launched the deadly operation for
two hours, burnt down houses, and rustled
many animals.
Malam Ibrahim Tsauri, who survived the
attack said: "They killed a medical worker,
Sanusi Bello, at Unguwar Doka; the two others
are Safiyanu Abdullahi and Hassan Sani".
The marauding bandits had on April 12,
2020, also massacred 11 local hunters in Dajin
Giwa forest of Kankara Local Government
Area, injuring five others.
The victims, according to reliably sources
were hunting in Dajin Giwa forest when the
hoodlums ambushed them with sophisticated
weapons, killing 10 on the spot.
The slain hunters, who were from Kaurawa,
Gidan-Goge, Tashar Tsamiya and Zan-Bago
villages, went to the forest for their normal
hunting activities on Sunday night when the
bandits launched attack on them.
A source said: "They (bandits) killed 10 on
the spot and injured many others, we brought
their corpses and those injured to Kankara
General Hospital. Unfortunately, one of the
injured persons died the following day, bringing
the number of death to 11".
Governor Aminu Bello Masari, while speaking
on renewed attacks by bandits in the state,
lamented that the state was under siege again
by bandits and kidnappers.
The governor explained that in the last 14
days, the marauding bandits have killed over
Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi
Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 08038901925
Equipment at isolation centre in General Ahmadi Specialist Hospital
50 persons and rustled an unspecified number
of animals in some communities bordering
the deadly Rugu forest.
Masari, was speaking when he received the
Chief of Defence Training and Operations in
the Army Headquarters, Major-General Leo
Irabor, who paid him a courtesy call at Govern-
ment House recently, said heinous activities
orchestrated by the bandits were worrisome.
He added that because of the resurgence of
banditry and kidnapping in the state, citizens
were losing confidence in the ability of govern-
ment to protect them and are threatening to
resort to self-defense.
The governor who affirmed that the state
was in a serious and desperate condition
considering the resurfacing of banditry and
kidnapping said food shortage might engulf
the state following the inability of farmers to
access their farmlands.
He added that the bandits converged on
Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina before launch-
ing onslaughts on communities within the
states, saying the recalcitrant among them
were overpowering those who accepted the
peace accord.
He said: "We are in a very serious and
desperate condition. As the raining season
approached, even those who can access
their farms cannot because of the activities
of bandits who have now taken over major
parts of the state.
"Two weeks ago, we lost over 50 people.
The bandits now carry out operations on a
daily basis. People are losing confidence in
us and are threatening to take arms. Unless
these miscreants are flush out of the state by
security personnel, if not there will no be peace
in Katsina".
Meanwhile, the evolving strategies put in
place by Governor Masari aimed at tackling
bloodletting and the heinous activities of
armed bandits and kidnappers cannot be
overemphasised.
The governor in his doggedness to restore
peace in the state, granted amnesty to bandits
after a tour to Fulani settlements and strong
enclaves of the bandits in Rugu Forest on
September 4-9, 2019, during which the famed
bandits and their forest commanders denounced
banditry.
He thereafter banned the activities of the
volunteers popularly known as Yan'sakai, who
were accused of extra judicial killings in the
open markets and warned unrepentant bandits
to stop their nefarious act of kidnapping and
killing of innocent citizens.
The peace accord was adopted by the North-
west Governors following a Peace Summit
convened in Katsina by the Inspector-General
of Police, Mohammed Adamu, that facilitated
discussions with representatives of the bandits
from the affected states of Katsina, Kebbi, Niger,
Sokoto, Kaduna, and Zamfara States.
Accordingly, agreements were reached between
the state government and the bandits. These
agreements include the release of their (bandits)
members detained by security operatives by
government, the release of all kidnapped persons
in their custody as well as to surrender their
arms and ammunition to security agencies.
Others were the provision of social amenities
—schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, water to
Fulani settlements and rehabilitation of houses
destroyed during the skirmishes between bandits
T H I S D AY ˾



Ͱͮ˜
ͰͮͰͮ
and Hausa farmers and establishment of RUGA
settlement in some communities in the state.
Accordingly, 70 per cent of the agreements
are fulfilled by the state government and the
bandits had so far released over 250 captives
in their custody while the government, in
turn, freed more than 50 bandits detained
by security operatives in Katsina, Kano, and
Kaduna correctional centres.
The governor, flanked by the Secretary of
the State Security Council who is also the
Secretary to the State Government (SSG),
Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, after the dialogue tour,
held a series of security meetings with security
chiefs, repentant bandits and their leaders to
ensure the sustainability of the peace accord.
Despite the rapprochement between the state
government and the hoodlums, banditry, and
kidnapping resurfaces between November and
December 2020 in Dutsin-Ma, Danmusa, Safana,
Batsari, Sabuwa, Faskari, Kankara, Dandume,
and Kurfi.
Irked by the resurgence of the menace, the
governor quickly summoned security chiefs,
repentant bandits and their leaders to an
emergency meeting at the Old Government
House, where he issued a two-day ultimatum
to the bandits to desist from their evil ways
and release the remaining captives in their
custody.
Masari, who was represented at the meeting
by Dr. Mustapha urged the unrepentant bandits
to end the resurgence of banditry and other
nefarious activities bedeviling the state or face
unprecedented fire-fight by the army and other
security agencies in the state.
Interestingly, barely 48 hours after the
government's ultimatum, the bandits released
two Customs officers who were kidnapped
on January 8, this year at Mallammawa town
in Jibia Local Government Area of the State
to troops of 17 Brigade of the Nigeria Army.
To further restore peace in the state, the
governor had on January 15, 2020, signed into
law an executive order restricting the movement
of commercial motorcycles between 7 pm to 6
am every day across the 34 local government
areas of the state.
The restriction was as a result of continuous
effort in tackling cases of violent crimes in the
state, particularly the influx of armed bandits
from the neighbouring states which adopt the
use of motorcycles to unleash mayhems on
communities across the state.
Despite these measures by Governor Ma-
sari, there is an urgent need for the federal
government through the Chief of Army Staff,
Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, to
deploy adequate and well-trained personnel
to Katsina State with sufficient modern war
equipment that will crush the bandits and
kidnappers terrorising communities in the state.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Moham-
med Adamu should also deploy additional
personnel to support the overstressed officers
on the ground. Police in the state lack tools to
fight the bandits and kidnappers. They need
averagely 30 armored personnel vehicles to be
stationed in eight frontlines local governments
bordering the deadly Rugu forest.
Therefore, rather than dishing out mere
orders, effectively containing the Katsina crisis
in the immediate requires more serious practical
security measures that are outside the ordinary
approach of the federal government.
T H I S D AY ˾


Ͱͮ˜ 2020
BUSINESSWORLD
MONEY MARKET
OVERNIGHT
OBB



THIS IS OUR SCORECARD
L-R: Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman; Chairman, Board of Directors, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, and Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, at the
firstpublicAnnualGeneralMeetingofMTNNigeriaCommunicationsPlcheldinLagos…recently
Pandemic Hurts Experiential,
Outdoor Advertising Companies
Raheem Akingbolu
Employees of major outdoor
companies and experiential
agencies are currently in panic
over job security as a result
of negative signals from their
employers due to decline in
fortune during the lockdown.
According to THISDAY
findings, some firms in the
sub-sector have stopped their
existing activities.
Reacting to the current chal-
lenge facing his industry, the
President, Experiential Marketing
Agencies of Nigeria (EXMAN),
Tade Adekunle, said the industry
has started experiencing hardship
because clients have suspended
most of their projects, adding
that what matters now to agency
owners and their clients, is to
keep safe.
He said: “Unfortunately, the
lockdown, as a resort of the
global pandemic, has started
having effect on our businesses
Report: Loan Recovery May Be Challenging for
Fintechs Post COVID-19
Obinna Chima
Financial technology (Fintech)
companies may have a harsh
time in loan recoveries post
COVID-19 as majority of them
do not have transparency
mandates that would support
their loan recovery process, a
report has stated.
This was disclosed in the
latest edition of a report by
Debtors Africa – an independent
searchable database of recalcitrant
and delinquent debtors in Africa
was at the weekend unveiled in
Nigeria, that was carried out in
partnership with Proshare.
It pointed out that a situation
where many people would
have lost their jobs during the
COVID-19 period would make
it difficult to enforce recovery as
the delinquency would be more
of a problem of revised individual
    
 
 
  
ͯ ͳ ˜
Ͱ ͮ Ͱ ͮ
REPO
3.42 CALL 2.50
2.75 1-MONTH 6.50
3-MONTH 7.75
ECONOMY
because almost all projects are
being suspended right now. The
fact that the year was just about
to kick off for most of us when
this pandemic started made things
worrisome,”
While calling on all to keep
safe and keep hope alive due to
the pandemic, the EXMAN boss
admitted that post COVID-19
would bring its own challenges
and that it would certainly not
be business as usual.
“No doubt, there are still
challenges ahead, especially in
our own area of business be it
activation or event aspect of it.
“No doubt there will be drastic
loss in consumer spending which
will affect revenue of most of
our clients. To survive, we need
to retool our thinking caps and
come up with ingenious ideas
for consumers to still experience
the brands irrespective of cultural
ECONOMY
cash flows than any deliberate
attempt at the avoidance of loan
repayment.
It stated that post COVID-19,
lenders would be condemned to
a new age where the character of
borrowers must be established as
a more critical and pronounced
part of the lending process.
“The review of a borrow-
ers’ character as depicted by
a borrowing history (captured
by Credit Bureaus) and a
digital registry of delinquency
(captured by debtorsafrica.com)
will combine to add rigour
and sharpness to the process
of approving loans.
“In the post COVID-19 period
loan default and delinquency
will naturally escalate. However,
part of the process of default
S & P INDEX
INDEX LEVEL
1-DAY
MONTH-TO-DATE
nuances. And the time to start
thinking about it is now,” he
added.
Another practitioner and the
chief executive officer of GDM
Experiential Company Limited,
Victor Afolabi, expressed fear
that if the crisis persists, it may
lead to budget spending on
marketing being frozen because
of the business rejig that would
be necessitated by the pandemic.
“However, budget spend
on marketing as a whole may
be frozen as companies are
currently struggling with lack
of raw materials. Besides, there
is slow consumer spend and
weak demand. As things are,
the problem is not only about
experiential agencies but the entire
marketing industry, including
advertising.
“All the sub-sectors of the
marketing communication
industry will heavily be impacted
at the end if the global problem
continues.
mitigation would be debt resolu-
tion compelled by negotiations
around loan workouts, this would
be the preferred option for most
borrowers as a digital registry
of delinquency would provide
a permanent public record of
hardcore loan indebtedness
until resolution with the lending
institution.
“The register would be updated
by the lending institutions as the
borrower makes good on pay-
ing down agreed outstanding
liabilities,” it explained.
According to the report, some
sectors that would likely be
most severely affected by loan
delinquencies once the pandemic
is over would include fintechs
because they offer short-term credit
payments and financial services.
“If there is one characteristic
that will define the success of
winners and losers in the new
S & P INDEX
504.49% 1/4 TO DATE
- 0.03% YEAR TO DATE
- -0.42%
“But for experiential, this
will be more imparted except
agency Managers come up with
creative and innovative ways to
engage consumers without direct
contact,” he stated.
Speaking further, Afolabi
predicted that digital would no
doubt be a leading channel of
engagement at this time, adding
that consumers will naturally
spend more time consuming
social media.
Meanwhile speaking recently
on the Global Business Report
segment of Arise News, Assistant
General Manager, Corporate
Communications at the Lagos
State Signage and Advertising
Agencies (LASAA), Temitope
Akande, admitted that the effect
of the coronavirus pandemic and
by extension, digital have dealt a
terrible blow on Lagos outdoor
business.
Akande, who pointed out that
Continued on page 20
loan ecosystem it is transparency,
banks hiding delinquency behind
a stump of grass will soon dis-
cover that their nakedness is as
clear as that of a day-old baby.
“The only way for banks and
their borrowers to create a sustain-
able credit environment is for
them to stand digitally undressed,
with the delinquent borrower’s
character open to the world to
see and make judgment calls.
“A bank must become as
transparent as its borrowers to
validate its credit process, no bank
can claim transparency without
a digital footprint that enables
engagement with recalcitrant
and delinquent borrowers in
the court of character evaluation
and credit history.
“If banks do not publish the list
of their delinquent debtors on a
Continued on page 20
19
Group Business Editor Obinna Chima
Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com
08152447875
EXCHANGE RATE
8.34% N361/1US DOLLAR*
4.85% ̩


Quick Takes
TICT Supports COVID-19 Fight
The Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) has donated N100
million to the federal government’s Covid-19 Relief Fund. TICT, a
multinational port operating company with its terminal located
at the Tin Can Island Port Complex Lagos, made the contribution
to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
“The donation to the federal government is in line with the company’s
collaborative approach to act and be recognised as a proactive and
pioneering change agent, keen and able to positively contribute
to the development of Nigeria and the well-being of the citizens.
“We must also observe all other precautionary measures including
social distancing, frequent hand washing with soap under running
waterandtheuseofmasksandglovesasmaybeapplicable,”Managing
Director of TICT, Etienne Rocher said.
In addition to measures taken by TICT to prevent the disease, the
company has also advised port workers and port users to adhere
strictly to safety guidelines issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease
Control (NCDC) and other governmental authorities to stop the
spread of the virus.
TICT ensures continuity of Nigerian supplies and is unwaveringly
committed to continue investment in port development in Nigeria,
even as it positions itself as a recognized industry player within
the African continent. TICT has made significant investments in
infrastructure work and equipment and employs nearly 625 people,
with the goal of making its terminal the most efficient terminal
in Nigeria’s economic capital, linking with the metropolitan area
and its industrial centers through motorways and the promotion
of waterways development.
Life Beer Unveils New Campaign
Nigerian Breweries Plc, makers of Life Continental Lager beer, has
launched a new campaign for the beer brand in the country, Ndu
ka, which connotes, Life Is Important. The new campaign, which
heralds the launch of Life Continental beer’s new look executed by
popular music duo of Flavour and Phyno recently, during their live
talk-show, Beer Parlour Conversations, on Instagram, speaks to the
global Covid-19 pandemic as well as the attendant socio-economic
challenges, ravaging world economies with the messages of hope
and optimism of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, so long as we stay
safe and alive as a people in readiness of progressive pursuits in
the days and years ahead. The live Instagram show, anchored by
Igbo music genre sensation, WAGA-G, saw Phyno and Flavour,
extolling the relevance of the newly embedded features on the
brand’s label design to the commerce of Eastern Nigeria and their
everyday enterprise pursuit to their fans, who participated in the
online conversation in their thousands.
‘The Golden Crown on the new label symbolises Life beer’s ‘market
leadership in the country and the people’s unyielding spirit in the
pursuit of success’, while the Sun Rays represents ‘the bright future
ahead,’ Flavour explains.
DAT Launches Delivery App
The Digital Afrique Telecom (DAT) has announced the successful
launch of a smart delivery app to enable businesses to simplify
their order and delivery process.
This smart delivery application allows each customer to place an
order based on the available stock and select its date and place
of delivery. Besides, one can control its order status in real time.
“DAT makes the life of both customers and businesses simple. A
company can now save time and money through this innovative
app when it comes to generating extra business with a delivery
service,” a statement from the company explained.
The Founder and CEO of DAT, Simplice Anoh, emphasised: “The
Smart delivery app is bringing together customers and businesses
on a whole new level of delivery service experience. Consumers can
remain safe at home in these critical times and receive their order
while businesses keep track of their sales objectives”
Smart delivery is also geared to manage the delivery staff, knowing
in real time who is delivering what and calculating at the end of the
day the stock depending on each order delivered.
“In the Nigerian school
curriculum there is a
gap and absence of
personal finance courses,
a situation that has left
many individuals with
no training on personal
finance”
General Manager, Nairametrics,
Mr. Chris Pemu
20




PANDEMIC HURTS
EXPERIENTIAL,
OUTDOOR
ADVERTISING
COMPANIES
the sector contributes between
four and five per cent of the
state’s internal generated revenue
said the last few weeks have
been challenging but the agency
is coping with the situation.
President of the Outdoor Ad-
vertising Association of Nigeria
(OAAN), Mr. Emmanuel Ajufo,
also corroborated the position
of the LASAA spokesman, but
was optimistic that his members’
partnership with government at
various levels would help the
industry to bounce back.
“One of our unique strengths
is that we are outdoors where
our audience is. Now that
coronavirus has forced us to
stay indoors, the audience we
used to use as our strength has
been forced to stay indoors.
“Of course, this means
that our clients will look for
more appropriate channels to
reach their audience. To this
extent, we are receiving a lot
of suspension and cancellation
orders.
“Indeed, our sector is seriously
hit and we hope that things will
normalise soon enough for the
lockdown to be lifted,” he added.
REPORT: LOAN RECOVERY
MAY BE CHALLENGING
FOR FINTECHS POST
COVID-19
searchable data base, they create
a systemic challenge that hurts
all lending institutions and gives
delinquent debtors an avoidable
advantage in gaming the credit
system,” it added.
The report represents a
culmination of a detailed review
of the credit experiences of local
Nigerian banks in the last two
decades and revealed the chal-
lenges of a local lending cycle
that has seen lenders become
victims of the tyranny of bad
and delinquent debtors.
The report makes a case
for a new approach to the
lending cycle to ensure that
integrity, professionalism and
evidence-based best lending
practices are strictly followed
to guarantee the sustainability
of the financial system and
the prosperity of the larger
economy. Credit agencies can
also make use of the data base
as a source of quickly searching
the credit position of a number
of loan applicants across lending
institutions.
Group Business Editor
ÌÓØØË
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Capital Market Editor
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Comms/e-Business Editor
××Ë
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Senior Correspondent
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(Advertising)
Correspondents
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(Aviation)
ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ
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(Maritime)
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×ÏÔÙ
(Finance)
ÌÏÜÏ
áÙÔÓ (Insurance)
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̙(Energy)
Reporters
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(Money Market)
ÙÝË
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(ICT)
MTN Commits N600bn to
Network Expansion in Nigeria
Oluchi Chibuzor
MTN Nigeria plans to spend
an estimated N600 billion on
technical infrastructure over the
next three years as it looks to
expand its network coverage
across the entire country by
2024.
Speaking at the company’s
first public Annual General
Meeting which held in Lagos,
recently, a statement quoted
the CEO, MTN Nigeria, Ferdi
Moolman, to have said: “Due
to the nature of our business,
we always have to keep up
and innovate new technology
which is capital intensive, our
target is to have coverage across
the country and a minimum
of 4G network service across
all locations.
“Cash collateralised Letters of
Credit, Forwards contracts, and
favourable credit rating with
major partners and vendors
will make funding relatively
easy for us, but we will also
be cautious in our approach to
limit foreign currency exposure.”
The statement pointed out
that presently, the company’s 4G
network covers approximately
BudgIT Launches COVID-19 Fund Tracking Portal
Peter Uzoho
BudgIT, a civic organisation com-
mitted to fiscal transparency has
launched its COVID-19 platform
for tracking and monitoring of
the utilisation of all donations
from both local and international
donors for COVID-19 response.
It stated that the platform
hosted on a website, through the
network of its project tracking
officers across the country, would
also monitor the distribution of
palliatives to the underprivileged
and vulnerable communities
across all states.
Mr. Bayo Olugbemi has been
sworn in as the 21st President/
Chairman of Council of the
Chartered Institute of Bankers
of Nigeria (CIBN).
Olugbemi, recently took over
the CIBN leadership from Dr.
Uche Olowu, where he outlined
the strategic focus of his admin-
istration in the next two years
into the acronym “A-TEAM”.
The new CIBN leadership
would oversee affairs of the
institute for the next two years.
Olugbemi was sworn in by
Justice Adesuyi Olateru-Olagbegi
(Rtd) in Lagos.
He is expected to bring his
knowledge of over 38 years’
Ebere Nwoji
AIICO Insurance Plc has an-
nounced gross written premium
of N50.1billion for the year
ended December 31, 2019.
This represented a 33 per cent
growth from a gross premium
of N37.7 billion gross premium
recorded by the company in the
same period in 2018.
40 per cent of its coverage loca-
tions which translates to about
65 million data customers.
It noted that a significant
amount of investment would
be made to not just extend the
4G network, but to also cover
more rural locations in Nigeria.
The telco expressed excitement
STOCK-TAKING
L-R:CompanySecretaryWemaBankPlc,JohnsonLebile;MD/CEO,AdemolaAdebise,andNon-ExecutiveDirector,SamuelDurojaye,duringthebank’s2019
AnnualGeneralMeetingheldbyproxyinLagos…recently
The organisation noted that the
recent crash in global oil prices
and reduced demand for oil in
the global market had resulted
in at least a 60 per cent cut in
oil proceeds, which is the federal
government’s main source of
revenue. This invariably means
that the economy is now stretched
thin of resources, thus, every fund
earmarked by the government
for COVID-19 response out of
the already limited resources and
donations from external bodies
need to be judiciously spent and
accounted for, it stressed.
According to the Lagos-based
Olugbemi Sworn in as CIBN President
experience as investment banker
to bear on the Institute.
Olugbemi, who is also the
Managing Director/CEO, First
Registrars & Investor Services
Limited had served as the First
Vice President and Chairman,
Board of Fellows and Practice
Licenses at CIBN as well as the
President/Chairman of Council,
The Institute of Capital Market
Registrars and Treasurer, Lagos
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (LCCI).
He has also served and is still
on several committee of Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission,
Nigerian Stock Exchange; Central
AIICO Insurance Posts N50bn Premium
According to the company,
the performance was driven by
growth across all lines of business
within the Group.
AIICO Managing Director /
Chief Executive Officer, Babatunde
Fajemirokun, said profit before
tax (PBT) of the company rose
to N6.2 billion, an increment of
78 per cent, compared to the N3.5
billon achieved in 2018.
about the possibilities that the
transition to digital platforms
presents it as growth in voice
revenue was also expected to
remain healthy.
“We closed the year with 132
cities covered by 4G and became
the first mobile network operator
in West Africa to demonstrate
organisation, to ensure proper
monitoring, it has launched the
COVID-19 platform, to ascertain
if funds are being expended on
not only measures that effectively
combat the COVID-19 pandemic,
but also on citizens’ welfare.
“So far, the federal government
and sub-nationals have received
a sum of over N200 billion from
local and international do-
nations in cash and in kind,”
BudgIT’s Principal Lead, Gabriel
Okeowo revealed. Recently, the
IMF also approved its largest
COVID-19 emergency financing
package of $3.4 billion Rapid
Securities Clearing System (CSCS);
Institute of Directors; Institute
of Chartered Secretaries & Ad-
ministrators of Nigeria (ICSAN)
and Institute of Capital Market
Registrars (ICMR) among others.
Olugbemi in his acceptance
speech paid tributes to the
founding fathers of the Institute
who sacrificed and contributed
immensely to its growth and
development over the years.
He recognised the enormity
of the tasks ahead of him and
pledged to transform and propel
the Institute into global limelight
through his administration’s
strategic focus.
Olugbemi told over 700
Also, profit after tax (PAT)
grew by 88 per cent to N5.9
billion, compared to N3.2 billion
in 2018. Basic earnings per share
(EPS) increased by 89 percent from
44k in 2018 to 83k in 2019.
Speaking further, Fajemirokun
said: “Over the course of 2019, we
undertook a thorough review of our
businesses with a clear aspiration
to attain market leadership through
T H I S D AY ˾


Ͱͮ˜
ͰͮͰͮ
the capability of 5G technol-
ogy,” said Moolman. “We are
excited about its potential for
our customers and the country’s
national development plans.”
“We maintained our leader-
ship position in network net
promoter score (NPS) as we
continue to invest to improve
Financing Instrument (RFI) for
Nigeria. This financing package
is primarily meant to support the
health care sector and assist to
cushion the effects of revenue
decline on the economy.
“It has therefore become
expedient to hold the govern-
ment accountable on every penny
dispensed for the COVID-19
response
“If these emergency dona-
tions are not properly tracked,
monitored and accounted for, the
funds can be misappropriated,
embezzled and diverted into
private coffers, without any
participants who connected to
the event through Zoom and
YouTube across the globe that,
“Our strategic focus is crafted
into an acronym “A-TEAM”
in line of the 2020-2024 strategic
plan of the Institute which
encapsulated in the acronym
A-TEAM - Accelerated Develop-
ment, Technology and Digital
Enhancement, Engagement for
Growth, Accountability and
Transparent Leadership and
Membership Drive for Value.
“Our desire is to be a global
referenced point, an institute that
everyone is proud to associate
with, one that sets the agenda
for the banking industry, for
profitable growth. “Stemming from
the progress made so far, it is my
belief that we are on course and
have the right strategy in place
to deliver even more sterling
performance in the years ahead. “In
accordance with our commitment
to fulfilment of our obligations to
our clients, gross claims grew by
six per cent from N29.0 billion in
2018, to N30.6 billion in 2019.

service quality and drive expan-
sion and innovation.
“This investment in infrastruc-
ture will enable the company
to accelerate its 4G network
expansion, deepen population
coverage, and support the
federal government’s broadband
initiatives,” it added.
tangible impact or benefit to
the health sector, citizens and the
economy as a whole,” Okeowo
added.
He implored the government
to ensure its commitment to open
data and full transparency by
making available, comprehensive
and detailed breakdown of how
funds are dispensed on health
infrastructure and citizens’ welfare.
He also enjoined members of the
public and other CSOs to col-
laborate, support and join BudgIT
in demanding accountability from
both the federal government and
the sub-nationals via the platform.
businesses and the economy
as a whole.”
He promised stakeholders
to explore the possibilities of
developing physical structures
for the various branches of
the institute where they have
landed properties and to pursue
acquisition of lands for the vari-
ous branches where they have
prospect.
He further assured members
that he would further explore
an advance technology-driven
mode and channel of conducting
and monitoring the institute’s
examinations without prejudice
to the integrity and acceptability
of the certificates.
“From this amount, about 75
per cent was for benefits and
claims payment in our Life
business with the remaining
25 percent incurred in the
Non-Life business.” He said the
group, however, experienced an
underwriting loss of N6.34 billion
in 2019, driven by the increase in
life technical reserves (change in
life funds) in the Life business.
T H I S D AY ˾


Ͱͮ˜
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Kuru: Timing Essential in Polaris Bank Sale

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Asset Management Corporation
of Nigeria, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, in this interview speaks about the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic on the corporation’s debt recovery drive and provides insight into the
planned sale of Polaris Bank Limited. Obinna Chima brings the excerpts:
How will you assess the country’s
response so far to the challenge posed
by the coronavirus?
Honestly, personally I think they have done
very well. Don’t forget our environment and
don’t forget what was the situation in this
country before this pandemic surfaced. We had
budget deficit, the price of crude oil was also
low and other challenges. And you saw that
immediately the virus came into the country, the
Central Bank Governor mobilised the private
sector and they immediately raised substantial
amount of money. Along the line, people were
motivated, some were sensitised and even
brought in to see the extent of the challenge
the country was faced with. You can see that
everybody in his or her on little way has
contributed to this fight. We saw how very hard
decisions such as closing the airports, stoppage
of inter-state travels, lockdown and others were
taken. Again, look at the palliatives by both
the government and private sector. Even the
National Assembly, despite the pandemic, they
were still sitting almost every day. We also
saw the engagements between the National
Assembly, the CBN Governor and the Ministry
of Finance, just to ensure that the economy
doesn’t suffer. Really, if you look at what has
happened outside this country and compare
it with what the federal government has done
so far, I think the Nigerian government has
done very well. We also see daily, all the efforts
by the Presidential Task Force as well as the
state governors. Honestly, I think they have
all done well.

Has this pandemic in any way affected

AMCON’s drive for debt recovery?
It has and I can explain that to you. There
are two types of obligors. We have the willing
obligors that we had arrived at settlement
with and they have a payment plan and they
have been paying. For example, somebody
has a brewery at Aba and he is paying let’s
say N100 million monthly and now because
of the pandemic, the factory is closed and he
cannot meet his obligation. Or someone that
has a factory and is producing roofing sheets in
Kano and was paying us N200 million monthly,
but because of the lockdown, the factory is
closed, you don’t blame such persons. That is
because when we entered into a resolution with
him, we knew his sources of repayment and
we now know that the sources of repayment
are challenged. Obviously, for those kind of
obligors, just like what is happening in the
banking industry, we have to give them respite
and a moratorium of about six months. And
if in six months this virus doesn’t go away,
you may have to extend it. So, we have to
give such persons moratorium to the extent
that this pandemic is addressed. This is one
angle. Another angle are those obligors that
have refused to sit down with AMCON to
negotiate. Those ones, you have to continue
fighting them, regardless of the pandemic.
That is because, even when there was no
pandemic, they were hiding. So, we have to
continue pursuing them. If it is their assets or
anything we can hold on to, we would seize
them through the legal system. We have to
pursue such persons up to the extent that in
our judgement we now discover that such
persons have been challenged by the pandemic,
before you can turn back and then give him
respite. So, for those categories of people, we
would continue to pursue them as if there
is no pandemic. When their businesses were
booming, they were not listening to us, which
means that they never intended to pay. We
have quite a lot of court cases going on and
the courts have been very cooperative and
they have been giving us priority hearing. So,
generally, like every other thing, the situation is
affecting everybody. It is affecting the judiciary,
the physical visits to assets, valuations and
every other thing. And you must understand
that recovery is primarily driven by the human
element. But we still go to work to look at the
Kuru
cases and we now do meetings with wider
group of our staff. What this pandemic has
also done to us is that it has shown us that
we can hold a meeting and have a larger
number of staff. We are now running training
programmes online and everybody will be
involved. We now have more engagements
with our staff than it used to be before.
So, far how much has AMCON recovered?
So far we have recovered N1.1 trillion as
at the end of first quarter 2020 and that was
before the lockdown was announced. But,
even within the lockdown, we have recovered
between N5 and N10 billion. There are some
people that are still meeting their obligation
and there are assets that were forfeited that
we have sold. So, even within this period,
money is still coming in.
AMCON wholly-owned bank, Polaris
Bank Limited recently released its first
full year financial statement which was
positive. I remembered last year you spoke
about commencing the sale process for the
bank. How far have you gone with that?
It is work in progress. Like I always tell
So far we have recovered
N1.1 trillion as at the
end of first quarter 2020
and that was before
the lockdown was
announced. But, even
within the lockdown, we
have recovered between
N5 and N10 billion
people, once you put money in a bank, the
most fundamental is that you try and see how
you can improve the financials of the bank.
This is because those that would come to buy
the bank would not be buying it based on
the money that you put in there, but they are
buying the value that has been created in the
bank. So, you try to see how you can improve
on the financials. But once you improve on the
financials, you don’t keep it too long because
nobody wants a temporary situation. The staff
would not want a temporary situation; the
board would not want a temporary situation;
the exco and even the customers. And you
know banking is a highly competitive sector,
if the tag, ‘AMCON Bank’ hangs around you,
it becomes a challenge, even in marketing.
So, we are hoping that very soon something
would happen. The positive figures they
just churned out shows that this is a good
time, but again, you can’t ignore the global
economic situation. You don’t sell your as-
sets in a distressed economy. If you have a
house that you wanted sell last year, but you
couldn’t sell it then and you now want to sell
it, you must know that by default you want
to give the buyer special discount. So, timing
is very important. I believe that any asset that
is of value at this stage, you should extend it
because there are very few people that want
to take risk now. So, what they would do is
to price in the risk because nobody knows
how this pandemic is going to end and if they
don’t know, they would price the asset lower
because of the risk of the pandemic. So, this
is not the best time to sell any asset really. As
expected, people would want to hold on to
cash to know which of the industry or sector
would pick up and where to invest before
any decision. So, on the issue of the sale of
the bank I would not be too categorical. Left
for me, really the sale should be concluded
this year, because the longer you keep it, the
more problematic it becomes because it is a
competitive industry. So, what will determine
it would be how we are able to manage this
COVID-19 pandemic.
If this pandemic prolongs, do you foresee
a situation whereby some banks may have to
go back to AMCON to sell their bad debts?
No, I don’t foresee that. AMCON is not an
undertaker. If they do, then the whole essence
of the asset management framework is defeated.
We shouldn’t have a situation whereby if any
bank has a challenge it would come to AMCON,
because that comes at a cost and doesn’t make
sense anymore. A bank is a business. Unless
there is a general global kind of situation that
government needs to strongly intervene, then a
case would be made. Otherwise, we shouldn’t
have a situation whereby if any bank has a
challenge it should just walk up to AMCON.
Compared to what we saw in 2008 that
led to the creation of AMCON, do you
think the banking system today is more
prepared to absorb the shock that this
pandemic is going to create?
The previous crisis was economic-based,
but this one is health-based. So, they are
totally different situations. With this pandemic,
quite a number of people are learning how
to walk around it and some pundits have
said we may come out of it in the next 12
months, some have even said it would take
two years for us to come out of it. So, there
are so many things that are not known. But
people are now strategising on how to operate
within this framework. Now, some people
have taken loans from banks and some of the
banks have given moratorium for six months
or one year, because of the situation. Obviously,
it is affecting the economy. But one cannot
sit down at this stage to compare both crisis
because they came with different challenges
and different situations warranted them. It is
always good to make such comparison towards
the end. Really, that is why you see in some
developed countries that in spite of the fact
that they couldn’t control the pandemic, they
were very eager to open the economy because
they don’t want to have an economic crisis
in addition to a health crisis.
 22







Examining Impact of COVID-19 on Insurance Sector
As business operators globally battle the Covid-19 pandemic, Ebere Nwoji writes on
the impact on the insurance sector
As the global business community looks
forward to returning to their normal daily
business activities after months of lockdown on
account of the coronavirus pandemic, insurance
sector operators have continued to weigh the
impact of the virus on their businesses.
The COVID-19 has got both positive and
negative impacts on the sector.
Indeed, industry stakeholders viewed that the
pandemic, has thrown up challenges which if
embraced by the operators would reposition the
industry for better growth and development.
Clearly, one of the major fallout from the
COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria is that it has
brought about upsurge in health, travel and
business claims. There were reports of insurers
paying millions of naira claims through their
e-payment channels notwithstanding the lock
down on businesses occasioned by the virus.
For instance, companies like AIICO Insurance,
FBN Insurance, Leadway, among others, were
paying claims notwithstanding the lockdown,
just as firms such as Wapic Insurance, Allianz
Nigeria, Leadway, OldMutual refunded some
percentage of claims to their clients as a way
of cushioning the effect of the lockdown.
One of the leading professional services
companies, PWC, in its recent report on the
impact of the COVID- 19 on Nigerian insurance
sector, stated that in addition to other impacts,
there was pressure on sales from reduced business
activity, and less use of face-to-face channels.
It further observed that the gathering economic
slowdown emanating from the pandemic was also
driving interest rates even lower and increasing
credit risk exposures from businesses facing
possible default.
“This raises the possibility of regulators
asking for extraordinary solvency tests to
ensure insurers can withstand the immediate
and knock-on impacts.
“Put together, this daunting list of issues
represents a stern test of resilience for an
industry already weighed down by enduringly
low interest rates and slow growth in mature
markets,” the PWC report added.
Recently, the industry regulator, the National
Insurance Commission, said it was studying
the impact of the pandemic on businesses
and would come up with new guidelines on
recapitalisation of the industry.
Furthermore, within and outside the shores
of Nigeria, one of the negative impacts of the
pandemic on insurance is that whereas it is
a new development that is not covered by
any known insurance policy, based on special
consideration, members of the insuring public
are insisting that insurers pay some business
interruption claims.
For instance, in Nigeria, most aviation
passengers, insist that insurers should refund
premium they paid on their travel insurance
policy because of cancellation of their flights
due to the state ordered lock down, whereas
insurers are saying that legally, the only premium
that should be refunded is that paid under
COVID-19: Capital Market, Key to Economic Recovery
Augustine Arunah
With the downturn of the economies around
the world, businesses are operating below capacity
and, in some cases, downsizing and shutting
down as funds are running out. The question
now is, does the Nigerian capital market still
have the capacity to revive the economy? Now
more than ever is the time to show it.
A main idea behind the creation of a stock
market was for capital and wealth mobilisation
for corporate bodies, individuals or groups and
societies. The Nigerian Capital Market has had
its own ups and downs (more downs in recent
years), reflecting the Nigerian economy at large
and suffering from low patronage due to shortage
of household savings from individuals, while
corporate bodies chose the option of attracting
foreign investors and foreign debts in recent years.
The capital market is an important part of the
financial system that provides the mobilization of
long-term funds from the private sector (Individu-

#VTJOFTT
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ug als, corporate bodies and mutual Funds) and
ng
ow
Thomas
aircraft hull insurance as stipulated by aviation
insurance contract regulation.
This they will do under the Premium Adjust-
ment Agreement with their airline clients in
order to effect return premium to them.
Outside Nigeria, in United States for instance,
insurers are currently battling with demand
for payment of business interruption claims.
The insuring public is even pushing for a
legislation on compulsory payment of such
claims which is officially not covered.
This has compelled the United States Treasury
to write an official letter to state legislators
through the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary,
Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department
of the Treasury, Fredrick W.Vaughan opposing
the wholesale forcing of business interruption
claims on insurers.
The letter opposes any legislative moves that
could force retroactive business interruption
claims related to the Covid-19 pandemic onto
the insurance and reinsurance industry.
Part of the letter reads: “As we explained last
week, any legislative moves to force retroactive
business interruption claims into the insurance
and reinsurance industry could cause significant
damage.”
Meanwhile, global rating agency, A.M. Best,
had estimated that if such business interruption
claims are to be paid by insurers and reinsurers,
as much as 50 per cent of re/insurer capital
could be wiped out with just two months worth
the public sector too. Noting that the Nigerian
Capital Market was setup for provision of a
well-structured and regulated market place
where promoters can source equity investment
of long term nature needed for the financing of
businesses, industrial sector and the economy
at large.
The capital market plays a strong role in
promoting economic development and corporate
growth through an efficient and effective exchange
of savings for securities, offering opportunity
for government to finance projects aimed at
providing essential amenities for socio-economic
development, attracting foreign investments and
stress free exit plans.
The benefits that could be derived from the
capital market option of post Covid 19 recovery
cuts across all levels of business and investment
participants in the country. These benefits includes
sourcing of long-term equity investment cash by
the business community, thus attracting foreign
capital through investments; providing the public
and interested investors an organized platform to
of claims being forced through.
The US treasury in the letter to the legislators
argued that it’s not just the volume of claims
either, it’s the fact that forcing coverage of a
risk that was never designed to be covered
in the insurance product would go against
contract law, potentially opening the floodgates
for class actions in other lines of business.
On the positive side, the Managing Director
/Chief Executive officer, Anchor Insurance plc,
Mr. Ebosa Augustine, has said that the impact
of COVID-19 has created deeper awareness
for insurance, noting that it has made most
people to come to terms with the importance
of risk coverage.
He expressed optimism that with everyone
now knowing the damage which situations
like the pandemic could cause to businesses,
economy and human lives, more persons were
likely to embrace insurance post COVID-19.
Ebose, who expressed displeasure over govern-
ment’s nonchalant attitude toward insurance
and welfare packages for its workers, stated
that some state governments have no health
insurance, public liability, group personal accident
or even group life policy for their staff just as
he called on them to learn from the experience
so far from COVID-19 to provide the necessary
insurance covers for their workforce.
According to him, before now, most business
looked away from taking business interruption
covers for their operations.
invest their savings in wide range of stocks and
other instruments. On the economic side of the
capital market, Nigerians can achieve economic
growth through the promotion of capital formation,
wealth mobilization and distribution.
Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic,
businesses and governments (Federal, States
and municipals) will need operating funds,
development funds, growth funds, and recovery
funds (or whatever it will be termed) and they
will preferably be long term funds. The capital
market, through the Nigerian Stock Exchange, is
the only institution in the country that has the
capacity to adequately and sustainably handle
Nigeria’s industrial and economic development
needs post Covid-19 for the coming years.
This is the time that business promoters should
be evaluating their entire business operational
process and planning for restructuring, coming
up with focused and realistic 10-year projections
that would be attractive to both local and foreign
investors. They should consider the engagement
of a good and experienced financial and business
T H I S D AY ˾


Ͱͮ˜
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Furthermore, Ebose anticipated increased
adoption of information technology.
“Before now, face mask and hand sanitisers
were not in our budget, but now we have to
add them,” he said, adding that the need for
social distancing would see firms buy more
vehicles for their staff to avoid getting caught
up with the issues that attend to using public
transport and to ensure they remain healthy
and productive.
The National Insurance Commission (NAI-
COM), recently said it was studying the impact
of the pandemic on businesses worldwide and
would at the end of the study come up fresh
regulations.
The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday
Thomas, said post COVID-19, there would be
change in regulation, adding that the commission
aside reviewing its recapitalisation, consolidation
initiative would focus attenuation on market
development responsibility and knowledge
based development.
He also said the commission would pay
priority attention to fast claims settlement
and would consider interest paid on delayed
genuine claims.
“Things cannot remain the same, the distribu-
tion pattern cannot be the same for brokers,
underwriters cannot continue from end to end
systemic terms of products patterns and claims
management, there will be data extraction for the
industry, consumers will know there is benefit
in insurance currently, illiteracy is generally
felt more in insurance even by the educated
class,” he added.
Brokers, according to him must change their
way of doing things looking at collaboration
with underwriters in creating products and
reduce competition.
Also, Managing Director Cornerstone Insurance
Plc, Mr. Ganiyu Musa, said the COVID -19 will
no doubt bring about job loss and pay cuts.
He said its major concerns now is revenue
challenge, observing that there would be
escalation in claims just as its devastating
impact on investment and investment returns
is unspeakable.
For Managing Director, Scib Insurance brokers,
Mr. Shola Tinubu, the pandemic has ushered in
the era of digitalisation in insurance business.
He also said post COVI-19, opportunities
would abound in areas which operators were yet
to explore. He listed some areas of COVID-19
emerging opportunities as technology and in-
novation, opportunity in both life and health
insurance, increased government investment
in health sector.
He also noted that there would be major
changes in pattern of businesses in the sector,
pointing out that value creation would be critical,
while pricing would be more competitive.
He said under this circumstance, insurers
should strive to achieve maximum penetra-
tion of their product by making their policy
statement concise, be conscious of claims as
well as transparent in claims’ handling
adviser to guide and plan their growth process.
Capital Market Regulators need to look inwards
to see where roles can be adjusted to attract
and accommodate potential listings, while The
Federal Government (Ministries and Agencies)
needs to make adjustments to policies that would
encourage such developments and growth within
their industries and sectors.
The Nigerian capital market has the capacity
for the provision of long-term capital for private
and public sectors, which in turn can stimulate
a sustainable economic growth and recovery,
this is the road to be followed moving ahead.
Leaving government to focus on governance
and viable economic policies. N250 billion govern-
ment advances can go a long way to solve a
handful of business problems with very little
impact on the economy. Anybody who doubts
the ability of the Nigerian Capital Market should
think back to 2005 - mid 2008 era.
t"SVOBI
CBTFE
JO
-BHPT
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY 23
24
EDUCATION
Physically Challenged Teacher Makes Maths
Exciting, Records Outstanding Results in FourYears
Disability has turned to ability for a physically challenged teacher who brings enthusiasm and
performances to the teaching of mathematics, resulting in successful outcomes for his students.
Michael Thompson Showunmi shared his teaching experience with Funmi Ogundare
I
n four years, all the students he taught
mathematics passed with good grades in
the West African Senior School Certificate
Examination (WASSCE) or the Basic
Education Certificate Examination. Mr.
Michael Thompson Showunmi has turned
his disability into a basis for teaching and
inspiring a cohort of students who now take
to mathematics with delight.
He walks with the aid of crutches; though
life threw stones at him, he has not allowed
this to deter his hope and dreams of making
sure that his students succeed in the subject.
His success story in teaching mathematics is
inspirational. As an assistant maths teacher in
Good Shepard School, Lagos, where he taught
students in terminal classes, he recorded 100
per cent score in the subject.
For instance, at the 2017 WASSCE, out of the
eight students that sat for Further-maths, three
had a B3, while five others, scored C. In the
2018 examination, out of seven students that
sat for the subject, four had B2, while three
others got C. For the 2017 Basic Education
Certificate Examination (BECE) for students
in the junior secondary school, out of the 51
students that sat for the 2018 Mathematics
examination, 12 got distinction (A1), 18 had
B, while 21 had credit score. In the 2018 and
2019 mathematics examinations, out of the
46 students that sat for the subject, 16 had
distinction, 12 had B, and 18 had credit score;
six had distinction, 17 had B, while 23 had
credit score in both examinations.
The Chemical Engineering graduate of Ladoke
Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH),
said since he started teaching in 2016, he has
not felt that he is physically challenged, but
has made his disability his ability.
“In fact, I use to forget I’m using crutches. I
teach with enthusiasm, I dance in class, I use
rhythms to teach at times to aid in remembering
the topic. I teach with all my energy. I feel
my mind and soul when I am teaching, and
it makes me forget about other things that I
am supposed to be worried about because it is
what I love doing; it is my passion,” he said.
His zeal and energy go to any length to
see his students successful and filled with
knowledge and understanding.
Before the closure of schools and lockdown,
THISDAY encountered him in the school located
at Alakuko area of Lagos, where he teaches.
He narrated his experience to this reporter of
how he had been teaching in many low-income
community schools after closing hours just to
help the schools.
“When I started teaching, my students
pitied me so much to the extent that they
thought I wouldn’t be capable of teaching them,
considering the number of periods per day
that I had to teach Mathematics and Further
Mathematics,” he said.
As time went on, when they saw his zeal in
imparting knowledge in them, they loved him
more and even fell in love with the subject.
“My worst experience is resuming in this
school, and at the first instance, it brought
tears to my eyes. The students said it right
in class, ‘gow can they employ a guy using
crutches to be our maths teacher? What can
he teach us?’ They made a jest of me each
time I went to their class, especially when I
wanted to write the day’s date because my
hands could not reach the top of the board.
They called me ‘crutches’ to my face.
“At first I felt awful and almost crying in
every class because it’s my first experience
in such kind of hostile environment within
the school. Later, I changed my perspective.
I stopped reacting, and I started focusing on
things I can change. I wore a blooming smile to
the class and even responded with enthusiasm
each time they called me crutches. “With time,
the students not only loved me, but they also
fell deeply in love with Mathematics. You will
Mr. Michael Thompson Showunmi in the classroom with his students
always see them solving maths or going along
with maths textbook even during break time
because none of them wants to score the least
even in classwork.”
On teaching with a physical challenge,
Showunmi said, life does not happen to us,
it happened for us. Being physically challenged
did not occur to me or my mind, it happened
for me to let the whole world know that despite
my challenges, I can choose to be whatever
I want to be. I have gone beyond the level
of ‘there is ability in disability’, I believe and
act as ‘my disability is my ability.
“Sometimes, it is incredibly stressful,
especially transportation, climbing the stairs
to and from, but the truth is that I only feel
the stress when I get home, especially in my
arms. I leave school around 7/8 pm or 9 pm
because I must mark my students’ assignment
to motivate them for the next day. Principals
always pity me at first, but later, when they
saw the level of my performance through the
students’ performance in exams, they gave
me more subjects to teach.”
Showunmi has taught more than Mathematics
and Further Mathematics in his career. His
teaching assignments include Physics, Chemistry,
Basic Science and Technology and Physical
Health Education (PHE). He has also taught
Biology and Agricultural Science in some schools.
“My impact on my students is ever-lasting
because I’m not only a teacher to them. I
serve as a source of inspiration. Some watch
me walking to school, mounting on bikes,
crossing the expressway, climbing the staircase,
playing football, playing tennis and they tell
me personally, ‘if you didn’t give up despite
going through all these struggles, I will never
give up’. I also do share some of my story
with them graduating as a Chemical Engineer
with CGPA of 4.21/5.00.
“There is this empathy between my students
and I such that none of us wants to disappoint
each other when it comes to mathematics exam.
None of my students wants to disappoint me,
and that is why till now, none of my students
has ever failed in the subject I teach at both
internal and external exams like WAEC.
“What I impact on my students is beyond
just Mathematics within the walls of the school.
I affect empathy, kindness, love especially each
time I donate sanitary pads, sandals and school
uniforms to the students in my community from
the little income I earn”, Showunmi stressed.
His Supervisor and Head, Department of
Mathematics and Science at Good Shepard
School, Lagos, Mr. Friday Evbotokhai Ohien
lauded Showunmi’s resilience, saying that he
has a good determination for success. “He
possessed some exceptional qualities while
he worked with the school,”Ohien stated.
“He had a good interpersonal relationship
with the students. This quality made him
accessible and approachable to the students.
They were able to discuss their problems with
him even after classes freely.”
He noted that Showunmi had a mastery of
the subject and taught with pleasure.
“He had good determination for success.
This also reflect in the performance and results
of his students. He made the students to love
Mathematics and learn with ease. I discovered
that some students who hardly talk or respond
to questions in other classes, find it exciting
and easier to express themselves in his class,”
he stressed.
During the lockdown, THISDAY also met
with some of his students. They told this
reporter how their grades had improved for
the better in Mathematics and Further-maths.
The improvement affected their academics
generally.
Master Timilehin Adeyemi said: “He taught
me Further Mathematics from SS1 second
term and since then, there has been a gradual
improvement in my academics. He inspired
me greatly. He taught me more as time went
on and it was fun. Even those who were not
good in the subject initially started improv-
ing, and they were able to solve questions
independently.”
He described Showunmi not just as a teacher,
but a motivational speaker and an inspirational
teacher who helped him in various aspects of
his life. “He affected my life positively with
positivity and determination and helped us
T H I S D AY ˾




Ͱͮ˜
ͰͮͰͮ
wholeheartedly when we were preparing for
WASSCE when he taught us overnight. This
enabled us all to share our thoughts with him
and learn from one another. I can call him
an all-round teacher because he teaches me
all subjects. No one is an island, but he is a
definition of a true teacher.”
Master Oluwapelumi Olaosebikan said: “Mr.
Showunmi taught me Further Mathematics.
The impact he had on me was a perfect one.
It could have been a lot better if he had been
the one who taught me from the beginning.
I was nowhere near success, that is, I was
an ‘F’ student before he started taking me
Further Mathematics. Afterwards, I witnessed
an improvement, and my F grade moved to
a C.”
Olaosebikan, now an undergraduate of
Physics Education, University of Ibadan, also
described his maths teacher as one who has
inspired and motivated him to work harder
towards achieving success.
“What I admired about Mr. Showunmi
in and out of the class were his good vibes.
He is friendly, nice and an inspiring teacher.
I believe if he could make his disability an
ability, then who am I not to make it. I have
got no excuse. I am still in touch, and he’s
been accommodating all along and always
there to offer his advice.”
In her words, Miss Eniola Ajayi described
Showunmi as a great teacher, who made her see
Mathematics differently and simply, making it
easier for her to solve problems related to the
subject, especially in Physics and Chemistry.
“Further Mathematics was a massive problem
for me before, but when he started teaching
me, I improved a lot more in it, and most
importantly in mathematics. It has brought
a great change in my academic life.
“As a matter of fact, before Mr. Showunmi
started teaching me Further Mathematics, my
result was not satisfactory at all, it became
a problem for me to take my report sheet
home to my parents to see, but afterwards,
my results improved a lot, and I was delighted
and confident enough to take my report sheet
home to my parents.”
She described her maths teacher as a very
bright and knowledgeable man. “He tries
to explain every topic in the simplest way
he could, using real-life situations to explain
mathematical problems and making it easier
for students to understand.
“He even takes his time to teach us overnight
in school, and out of class, he is a very cheerful
and fun-loving person. It’s effortless to get
along with him, but when it is time for work,
he gets serious,” she said.
Master Oluwaseyi Akinlade said: “Mr.
Showunmi taught me Mathematics in 2016,
while I was preparing for my WASSCE. His
impact on me was that I understood the subject
better and there was a big and positive change
in the way I saw Mathematics. The truth is,
I had issues with the subject while I was in
SS2. I was asked to repeat the class in my old
school, but my dad just decided to change
my school. On resuming at the new school,
I met Showunmi, and I got better in maths.
I believe that if someone like Showunmi can
take out time to go over a topic till you get
it, why shouldn’t I now go back to study it,
and it got simpler,” he stressed.
He described his teacher as hard working;
made maths fun and could go over a topic as
many times as possible in class till students
get it.
“We had jokes in between solving equations,
not just the regular writing on the board,
and you will see yourself assimilating what
he is teaching you. Outside the classroom,
he would sit with us to laugh, talk and tell
stories of how he survived in the university.
I loved how friendly and generous he was
to us.”
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY 25
26
BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE
RenCap Foresees Crude Oil Price at $40 by Q4
Obinna Chima
Analysts at Renaissance Capital,
an international financial advi-
sory company have predicted
that crude oil price will rise
to about $40 per barrel by the
fourth quarter of this year and
higher by 2021.
They stated this during
an online press briefing held
recently. The benchmark Brent
crude closed at $34.45 to a barrel
yesterday.
The research and investment
firm, however, pointed out that
lots of damage has already been
done to the Nigerian economy
due to the disruptions caused
by the coronavirus.
“But we are assuming oil
will go back to about $40/bl
by Q4 and higher in 2021. But
this is not an ideal scenario for
Wema Bank Assures Stakeholders
of Improved Returns
Wema Bank Plc recently held
its Annual General Meeting
where it assured stakeholders
of higher returns on their
investments.
Coming several days after
the bank’s 75th anniversary
celebration, the meeting availed
the investment community an
opportunity to gain insight into
the performance of the bank in
the 2019 financial year.
The AGM, which held in proxy,
in compliance with the guidelines
of the Corporate Affairs Com-
mission (CAC), was moderated
by the Chairman of the bank,
Mr. Babatunde Kasali, with few
shareholders and members of
the bank’s board and executives
in attendance. Others joined
remotely via live streaming.
9mobile Partners Mobihealth in Kano
Nume Ekeghe
9mobile and telemedicine pro-
vider, Mobihealth international,
have gone into a partnership
with the Association of Resident
Doctors at the Aminu Kano
Teaching Hospital, AKTH, SHYO,
and Northfield Health Services,
to support the efforts of Kano
State government to fight the
COVID-19 pandemic and other
health care challenges in the state.
The partnership was part
of efforts aimed at protecting
healthcare workers and citizens by
providing access to telemedicine
consultation to curb the further
spread of the COVID-19 in Kano
state.
Polo Luxury Group Supports Frontline Workers
In a bid to support efforts of
the federal and Lagos state
governments to cater to the
needs of Nigerians most
vulnerable to the COVID-19
scourge, food items and
essential commodities were
distributed to members of the
Nigeria Police Force resident
at the Ikeja Police College by a
delegation from Polo Limited.
The initiative by the luxury
and lifestyle company, Polo
Limited, was in alignment
with its multi-level approach
geared at providing assistance
to frontline workers whose means
Nigeria until it turns itself into
an industrial economy, it’s going
to be a few challenging years
for Nigeria, with the budget not
being sustainable at this exchange
rate, in order to keep that budget
manageable.
“Nigerian authorities have
done well to take the Interna-
tional Monetary Fund loan, to
unify the exchange rate and to
suggest that the fuel subsidy
is gone forever – that is an
improvement for Nigeria in the
mid-term. However, Nigeria is
going to be in a difficult phase,”
they added.
Commenting on the impact of
lockdowns in large-population
low-income emerging and
frontier markets, the Global
Chief Economist, Head of
Macro-Strategy Unit, Renaissance
Capital, Charles Robertson, said
For the year under review,
Wema Bank announced gross
earnings of N94.89 billion, which
was a 32.65 per cent increase from
the previous year. The bank’s
profit after tax (PAT) grew by
56.16 per cent to N5.2 billion,
while profit before tax (PBT)
year-on-year grew to N6.76
billion in 2019, up from N4.8
billion in 2018. The bank also
reported an increase in customer
deposits by 56.35 per cent in the
year under review, to N577.28
billion.
The Managing Director/Chief
Executive Officer, Wema Bank,
Mr. Ademola Adebise, attributed
the performance to the bank’s
strategy.
He added that the increase
in customer deposit was as a
The service would enable
doctors to diagnose, conduct
investigations, treat and remotely
monitor patients for general medi-
cal problems. It will also help to
decide the order of treatment for
COVID-19 and non-COVID-19
related illnesses.
The Chairman of 9mobile, Mr.
Nasir Bayero, in a statement,
explained that citizens and
residents of Kano would have
access to highly-trained and
experienced medical doctors for
primary care consultation via web,
app, voice or video call from the
comfort of their homes simply
by downloading Mobihealth
Consult App or dialling to the
toll-free lines for consultation.
of livelihood have been deeply
affected by the various lockdown
measures put in place to curb the
spread of the COVID-19 virus
in Lagos State.
Speaking during the visit,
the Managing Director of the
Group, Mr. John Obayuwana,
expressed appreciation to the
frontline workers for their tireless
and unrelenting efforts to enforce
the Nigeria’s Centre for Disease
Control prevention’s guidelines
by members of the society in
containing the contamination
and spread of the Coronavirus
disease.
T H I S D AY ˾

Ͱͮ˜ 2020
testing data suggests lockdowns
do not work in lower income
countries where the virus has
arrived in significant numbers
already, but clearly do in high
income countries.
The reality is that running
lockdowns is not an option for
many emerging and especially
frontier markets, he added.
Also, in terms of epidemic’s
political implications, he said,
“while we cannot estimate the
economic toll yet, we can for sure
anticipate political consequences
across countries with upcoming
elections, including Ghana,
Ivory Coast and Romania. As
for oil producing countries, if
oil remains low long enough,
this may result in improved
democracy or regime change,
as was the case with the Soviet
Union back in 1980s.”
MARKET INDICATORS
MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA)
result of the aggressive marketing SEPTEMBER 2019
campaigns around the bank’s Money Supply (M3) 35,029,779.72
digital platform, ALAT.
The shareholders in attendance -- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors 7,374,356.91
endorsed the dividend payout Money Supply (M2) 27,655,422.82
earlier recommended by the bank.
Adebise assured the sharehold- -- Quasi Money 116,533,891.21
ers of continuous growth for the
-- Narrow Money (M1) 11,121,531.60
bank.
He noted that, “despite the ---- Currency Outside Banks 1,625,047.69
current challenges brought on
by the global pandemic, the ---- Demand Deposits 9,496,483.91
underlining strength of bank, Net Foreign Assets (NFA) 13,911,335.83
the quality of our assets and
our position as the parent to Net Domestic Assets(NDA) 21,118,443.89
ALAT, the first-ever digital -- Net Domestic Credit (NDC) 35,918,179.45
bank in Nigeria has given us
the competitive advantage to ---- Credit to Government (Net) 10,452,199.38
continue to deliver excellent
---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA 11,007,422.79
banking services to our customers
and gain the confidence of our ---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA) 25,465,980.07
shareholders.”
---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS) -14,799,735.56
--Other Assets Net
Reserve Money (Base Money
7,000,253.07
2,005,600.83
He said: “Mobihealth’s
Telemedicine service marks a --Currency in Circulation 4,677,530.81
new beginning for the people --Banks Reserves 317,121.43 ˾

ÙßÜÍÏ
̋


of Kano because it provides them
access to doctors both in Nigeria
and diaspora.
“We encourage residents to
Money Market Indicators (in Percentage)
download ‘Mobihealth Consult Month March 2018
app’ from their device app Inter-Bank Call Rate 15.16
store or by registering on app.
mobihealthinternational.com to Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR)
enjoy the service.
“9mobile recently, granted its Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) 14.00
customers free access to health
Treasury Bill Rate 11.84
and educational websites to
support the increasing recourse Savings Deposit Rate 4.07
to online learning by a growing
number of academic institutions 1 Month Deposit Rate 8.82
during this period of restricted
3 Months Deposit Rate 9.72
movements.
6 Months Deposit Rate 10.93
12 Months Deposit Rate 10.21
Prime Lending rate 17.35
Obayuwana, also urged
other businesses operating in Maximum Lending Rate 31.55
the region to live up to their
corporate social responsibility
obligations to society at large by ˾
ÙØÏÞËÜã
ÙÖÓÍã
ËÞÏ
̋
ͯͱϱ
also reaching out to members
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE 

˜
ͯͶ


of the community most hit by
the crisis.
In a statement to the Lagos The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $28.21 a barrel on Monday, compared
State government, the Group’s with $26.54 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.
Executive Director, Ms. Jennifer The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan
Obayuwana, commended all key Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light
stakeholders at the forefront of (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait),
combating the COVID-19 pan- Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and
demic in Nigeria and worldwide Merey (Venezuela).
for their courage and service to
SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna
humanity.
T H I S D AY ˾

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ͰͮͰͮ 27

MARKET NEWS

BUA Cement Records N61bn Profit, Recommends N1.75 Dividend Per Share
Goddy Egene
BUA Cement Plc yesterday
announced a dividend of N1.75
per share for the year ended
December 31, 2019. The dividend
announcement followed the
presentation of the audited
results to the Nigerian Stock
Exchange (NSE) and capital
market community.
Details of the financial
performance showed that BUA
Cement recorded revenue of
N175.518 billion in 2019, up from
N119.013 billion in 2018. Cos
of sales jumped from N59.060
billion to N93.075 billion in 2019.
Gross profit stood at N82.443
billion in 2019, compared with
59.952 billion in 2018.
The management strived to
contain administrative expenses
from N12.522 billion to N10.516
billion in 2019. However, dis-
tribution and selling expenses
soared from N6.081 billion to
N11.844 billion in 2019.
Operating profit printed at
N71.428 billion in 2019, up
from N42.842 billion in 2018.
Net financing cost increased
from N3.675 billion to N5.192
billion.
But a tax payment of N5.625
billion in 2019 as against a tax
credit of N24.905 billion in 2018,
made BUA Cement to end the
year with profit after tax of
N60.610 billion compared with
N64.072 billion in 2018. Based
on the performance, the board
has recommended a dividend
of N1.75 per share.
When the company was listed
early this year, the Managing
Director of BUA Cement, Yusuf
Binji, said the company was
poised to add even more value
to the Nigerian economy as a
whole through this listing.
“Over the past few years, we
have significantly ramped up
capacity and currently boast the
most efficient and integrated
operations in the Nigerian
Cement Industry. This new
publicly listed company will
continue to deliver exceptional
value to all stakeholders in the
foreseeable future.”
According to him, the
merger provided a compelling
opportunity to capture significant
synergies and create value for
the benefit of the shareholders of
both companies in the form of
stronger competitive position of
the enlarged company, economies
of scale, enhanced operations
and administrative efficiencies
that will accrue.
Meanwhile, the stock
market sustained its positive
performance yesterday as the
NSE All-Share Index (ASI)
gained 1.09 per cent to close
at 24,202.87. Similarly, market
capitalisation added N100.4
billion to close at N12.6 trillion.
Activity level advanced as
volume and value traded rose
2.7 per cent and 33.9 per cent to
339.8 million shares and N3.9
billion respectively. The most
active stocks by volume were
Access Bank Plc (80.6 million
shares) GTBank (41.9 million
shares), and Zenith Bank Plc
(39.7 million shares).

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 A S O F 1 9 / 0 5 / 2 0 2 0
MAIN BOARD DEALS MARKET QUANTITY VALUE TRADED MAIN BOARD DEALS MARKET QUANTITY VALUE TRADED
PRICE TRADED ( N ) PRICE TRADED ( N)
28 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 •T H I S D AY
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2020 ˾
T H I S D AY
NEWS
Rivers Alleges Plot to Declare State of
Emergency
Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government has alleged
plot by some citizens of the state
who reside in Abuja to cause a
breakdown of law and order to
make the federal government declare
a state of emergency in the state.
A statement issued yesterday by
the Commissioner for Information
and Communications, Mr. Paulinus
Nsirim, said the politicians planned
to create unnecessary tension to
Buhari Removes TCN
Managing Director
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and
Peter Uzoho in Lagos
President Muhammadu Buhari
yesterday relieved the Managing
Director of the Transition Company
of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Usman
Mohammed of his duties, and
replaced him with Mr. Sule
Abdulaziz, an engineer.
Astatement issued by the Minister
of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman, and
signed by his Special Adviser, Media
and Communications, Aaron
Artimas, however, did not give
specific reason for Mohammed’s
removal, but said it was part of
the reorganisation of the company.
In the statement announcing
the removal of Mohammed,
the minister said that Buhari
INEC to Release Policy
Framework on Edo, Ondo
Guber Elections
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) has
restated that the Edo and Ondo
States governorship elections will
take place as earlier scheduled.
However, after its meeting
yesterday, the commission said
it would on Thursday release
policy framework of its operational
activities.
According to a statement signed
by the National Commissioner
in charge of Voter Education
and Public Informational, Festus
Okoye, the commission said:
“Based on this, the commission
will on May 21, 2020, issue a
policy framework for engagement
with stakeholders on the conduct
of the two governorship elections,
outstanding bye elections and
Bandits Kill 12 People in
Zamfara
Bandits have attacked three
communities in the Tsafe Local
Government Area of Zamfara
State, killing 12 people and
carting away animals.
The affected communities
are Kurda, Unguwar Rogo and
Bidda.
Confirming the incident, the
state’s police Public Relations
Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu,
said, “It was a reprisal from
the Fulani whose people were
also killed by the Yansakai of
Unguwar Rogo community.”
Shehu said the people of
Unguwar Rogo village had
intercepted some Fulanis
create the impression that the
indigenes of Ahoada, Eleme and
Port Harcourt are fighting with
northerners and stopping them
from carrying out their legitimate
businesses.
Nsirim wondered why politicians
in the state would want to cause
more problems in the state rather
than unite to find solutions to the
common challenges facing the state.
He said attempts by the
politicians to declare state of
personally approved the sack of
the erstwhile TCN boss.
“As part of the continuing
measures to reposition and improve
the performance of the power sector
in the country, the Minister of Power,
Sale Mamman hereby announces
major changes at the Transmission
Company of Nigeria.
“Accordingly, the Managing
Director of the TCN, Usman Gur
Mohammed has been removed
from office with immediate effect.
He is being replaced with Sule
Ahmed Abdulaziz, as Managing
Director, in acting capacity” the
statement noted.
The minister also confirmed
the appointment of four directors
who had been in acting capacity
at the company.
future electoral activities.”
INEC reiterated its commitment
to conduct the Edo and Ondo
governorship elections on
September 19 and October 10,
2020, as contained in the timetable
and schedule of activities released
on February 6, 2020.
It reassured Nigerians of its
resolve to provide the requisite
guidance, innovation and
leadership in conducting elections
in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic.
The national commissioner
said that the commission is
committed to fulfilling its
constitutional responsibility
of conducting elections, but
without jeopardising the
health and wellbeing of the
citizens, stakeholders or its
valued staff.
migrating from Daza village in
the Bungudu Local Government
Area of the state three days ago.
“Five of the Fulani people
were able to escape and the
remaining two were killed by
the Yansakai.”
According to him, the
Yansakai refused to surrender
the two dead bodies to their
people for burial, despite appeals
by the Divisional Police officer
in charge of the area.
Shehu said the aggrieved
Fulani people attacked the three
communities in order to retrieve
the dead bodies of their brothers
and also avenge their killings.
emergency in the state since 2015
have not succeeded because of
God’s intervention.
“People forget history quickly.
Since 2015, there have farmers/
herdsmen clashes in Nasarawa,
Plateau, Taraba, Ebonyi, Cross River,
ROYAL VISIT...
L-R: Representatives of Ooni of Ife, Princess Kemi; Oba Adetokunbo Babatunde; Secretary to Delta State Govenment, Mr. Chiedu Ebie;
Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Chris Onogba; and Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources , Mr.Julius Egbedi, during the
presentation of motorised fumigators to Delta State Government by the representatives of Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi in Asaba...recently
Guber Aspirants to Pay N22.5m for APC Forms in Edo, Ondo Elections
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress
(APC) yesterday released the
timetable and schedule of activities
for the forthcoming Edo and
Ondo governorship elections,
pegging the form at N22.5 million.
THISDAY had reported on
Monday that the ruling party
would issue the timetable and
schedule of activities yesterday.
Senate Seeks Reversal of Power Privatisation
Wants suspension of new tariffs
Deji Elumoye and Chuks
Okocha in Abuja
The Senate yesterday asked the
federal government to suspend
forthwith the proposed increase
in electricity tariff scheduled to
take off on July 1, 2020, bearing
in mind the increased hardship
associated with the COVID-19
pandemic.
It also clamoured for the
immediate reversal of the power
FAAN Fumigates Airports ahead of Reopening
The Federal Airports Authority
of Nigeria (FAAN) has disclosed
that it has commenced fumigation
of International Airports in Lagos,
Abuja, and Port Harcourt ahead
of reopening of flight operations
in Nigeria.
General Manager, Corporate
Affairs of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta
Yakubu, made this known
Kwara Loses FCC Commissioner-designate
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Kwara State Government
has lost a Federal Character
Commission (FCC)
Commissioner-designate, Mr.
James Kolo.
The late Kolo died yesterday at
the University of Ilorin Teaching
Kaduna, Yobe and Borno states.
“Throughout this COVID-19
pandemic, states like Enugu,
Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom,
Edo and Kaduna States have been
intercepting lorries carrying human
beings instead of foodstuffs.
In a statement issued yesterday
by the National Organising
Secretary of the party, Mr. Emma
Ibediro, the party said that the sale
of form for Edo State governorship
election would commence on
Wednesday, May 20, and end
on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.
According to him, “in line with
the provision of the Electoral
Act 2010 (as amended) and the
Independent National Electoral
sector privatisation exercise carried
out by the President Goodluck
Jonathan administration due to
what it called “failure to deliver.”
Adopting a motion entitled:
‘Power sector recovery plan and the
impact of COVID-19 pandemic’,
sponsored by the Chairman of
the Senate Committee on Power,
Gabriel Suswam, and 24 other
senators, the upper legislative
chamber also urged the federal
government to consider
yesterday in a statement in Lagos.
Yakubu explained that the
fumigation exercise was in line
with the efforts to contain the
spread of coronavirus pandemic
ravaging the world.
She said though, it was
not yet clear when the ban
on flights would be lifted,
the authority was taking the
Hospital (UITH) after a brief
illness.
He hailed from Patigi, Patigi
Local Government Area of the
state.
Governor AbdulRahman
AbdulRazaq, has commiserated
with the Patigi community and
the All Progressives Congress
“This is the same thing that the
Rivers State Government is doing
to protect the state from COVID-19.
Bandits have been killing innocent
people in Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara
and Kaduna states and indigenes of
these Ssates no matter their political
Commission (INEC) guidelines, the
All Progressives Congress (APC)
hereby releases this timetable and
schedule of activities for the
conduct of the 2020 Governorship
Primary Elections in Edo and
Ondo States.”
He said the last day for the
submission of completed forms
and accompanying documents
at the national secretariat of the
party in Abuja is June 3, while
additional tariff support to
cushion the effect of the shock
over a fixed period to allow time
required for TCN and Discos
to access funds and implement
performance improvement
investments that would support
increased tariffs to certain classes
of customers especially during
the pandemic.
The Senate declared that if
the privatisation exercise in the
power sector is not reversed,
proactive steps.
“This is to ensure the safety
of passengers and other airport
users when the airports eventually
reopen.
“In March this year, the
authority embarked on a similar
exercise of disinfection and
fumigation of all the international
airports,” she said.
(APC) on the sudden death of
the politician
AbdulRazaq, in a statement
by his media, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye
described Kolo as a loyal party
man and a team player whose
death yesterday morning was a
great loss to his family, the people
of Patigi Local Government, and
29
differences, are working together
to protect their States.
“But here in Rivers State, instead
of supporting our efforts, these Abuja
politicians are busy looking for a
state of emergency because they
want to acquire power.”
publication for claims and
objections is scheduled to hold
between June 8 and 9, 2020.
Ibediro said that the screening
of aspirants would take place
between June 10 and 11, 2020,
while screening appeal is slated
for June 12.
He noted that primary
election is slated for June 22,
while election appeal is slated
for June 24.
Nigeria might stop having
electricity in the next ten years.
The Senate also mandated
its Committee on Power
to investigate all federal
government interventions
in the power sector since
the privatisation of the
sector to date with a view
to ascertaining the adequacy
of such interventions and their
desired impact, and report back
within four weeks
The News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) reported that the
Chairman, Presidential Task
Force on COVID-19 and
Secretary to the Government
of the Federation, Mr Boss
Mustapha, had in April
announced the extension of
the ban on flight operations
by four weeks.
the entire state.
“We are devastated by the
death of Kolo after recently
falling ill. He was a staunch
party man and a bridge
builder who worked hard
alongside other patriots for
the success of the APC in
the state.
˜

ͺ͸˜
ͺ͸ͺ͸
˾
T H I S D AY
WEDNESDAYSPORTS
Ighalo’s Deal at Man Utd to Decide
Martin’s Fate at Shanghai
Duro Ikhazuagbe
As Odion Ighalo and his
Manchester United teammates
are due to return to the club’s
Carrington ground today to
begin group trainings ahead
of the restart of the Premier
League middle of next month,
whatever happens between
now and end of the month
may also decide the fate of
another former Super Eagles
Star Obafemi Martins in China.
Ighalo’s dream of a
permanent deal with his
boyhood team Manchester
United is reportedly been
hampered by the £20million
fee reportedly demanded by
his Chinese Super League side,
Shanghai Shenhua.
While talks have been stalled
on a permanent deal due to
the Covid-19 pandemic that
Obafemi Martins...fate tied to Odion
Ighalo’s fortunes at Man Utd
disrupted sporting activities
globally, Ighalo’s loan spell is
expected to end this month end.
Only an agreement with the
Chinese team to allow him finish
the season restarting middle
of June in England can make
the AFCON 2019 qualifiers
top scorer stay at Old Trafford
beyond May 30.
However, if Ighalo misses out
on a permanent deal at United,
his return to Shanghai where
an improved $400,000-per-week
deal is awaiting him could also
put an end to the dream of
Olafemi Martins to rejoin the
Chinese team.
Martins has continues to train
with Shanghai Shenhua ahead
of a possible move before the
start of the 2020 season in June
or July.
The former Newcastle United
player who has not seen topflight
action in roughly two years since
leaving the team, looks sharp in
training with Shanghai.
Martins has scored twice in
the last three friendly games he
has been involved in, including
Monday’s 5-2 victory against
the White team in the Blue and
White Competition.
The 35-year-old is waiting to
see whether or not he will be
offered a contract by Shanghai
Shenhua.
“I am still working hard to
see what happens next,” Martins
was quoted as saying by Sports
Sohu.
“I’m very excited to come
back here, and I am very happy
to be able to score goals to help
Liverpool’s Manager Juergen Klopp (front, right) and his players doing light walk on fire day of resumption of training after two months of
lockdown due to Covid-19
Six Fresh Covid-19 Positive Tests in Premier League
Man Utd beg fans to stay away from Stadiums
There were six positive tests
for coronavirus (Covid-19)
across three Premier League
clubs on Sunday and Monday,
Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com
the team. This game helped me
adjust my state and recover to
the best.”
as the top flight prepares to
resume in June.
The unnamed players or staff
who have tested positive will
now self-isolate for seven days.
A total of 748 players and staff
from 19 clubs were tested. The
remaining club did their tests
on Tuesday so will be included
in Saturday’s results.
Squads started non-contact
trainingfrom yesterday.
The Premier League has
been suspended since 13
March because of the Covid-19
pandemic, with 92 fixtures
remaining.
Meanwhile, Manchester
United have urged fans not
to travel to stadiums when the
Eboigbe Gets More Medical Support
Ailing former Super Eagles
defender, Sunday Eboigbe may
soon be back on his feet following
the intervention of the Minister of
Youth and Sports Development,
Mr. Sunday Dare, and Edo State
Deputy Governor, Comrade
Philip Shuiabu to raise a team
of medical experts to look into
his medical condition.
Eboigbe had been bedridden
as a result of a strange ailment
that had made it impossible for
the ex Bendel Insurance of Benin
player to use his limbs.
His plight had attracted the
attention of the Minister who sent
Watford Captain Refuses to Return to Training
Watford Captain, Troy Deeney,
has insisted that he will not return
to training this week over fears
he could pass coronavirus on to
his five-month-old son.
Deeney has consistently voiced
his concerns over the speed with
which the Premier League hopes
to return to playing matches
despite the United Kingdom
having the second-highest death
toll in the world.
England’s top-flight clubs were
to due to return to training in
Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe
0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY
In 59 outings for Shanghai
Shenhua before he was released
at the end of the 2018 season,
Premier League resumes after
admitting remaining matches
this season will be played behind
closed doors.
United have written to season
ticket holders to confirm they
will be offered a refund for
their remaining four home
league games.
But within their
correspondence, the club has
also urged supporters not to
turn up to grounds whenever
they do take place.
It has still to be decided
whether games will take place
at ‘home’ grounds or at neutral
venues, although it is anticipated
Old Trafford would be used in
either situation.
a staff of the Ministry to hand
him some cash and also ascertain
areas of further assitance.
After due consultations, the
minister contacted the Edo State
deputy governor who then raised
a medical team to do a proper
evaluation of the state of health
of the former player.
A medical team visited Eboigbe
at his Benin City residence on
Monday for proper evaluation
and will soon commence
treatment to get him back on
his feet.
The Minister promised to pick
the medical bill of the former
small, socially distanced groups
yesterday and today.
Training will then be stepped
up to full contact with the aim
of resuming the season by the
middle of next month.
“We’re due back in this week.
I’ve said I’m not going in. It’s
nothing to do with financial
gain,” Deeney said on the Talk
The Talk podcast.
“My son is five months and
he’s had breathing difficulties. I
don’t want to come home and
31
Martins was involved in an
impressive 41 goals (32 goals,
9 assists).
Given their fan base, it is
accepted no matter where United
played their games, there is a
chance local supporters may
turn up.
“We ask for your co-operation
not to travel to any stadiums
at which we are playing on
match-days,” United told fans.
“By supporting from home
and following government
guidance, you will be playing
your part to keep your friends,
your family and all United fans
safe.
“This united effort to stay at
home will give us the best
chance of protecting the
health of everyone in our
community.”
International .
Eboigbe who played alongside
the likes of Bright Omokaro,
Stephen Keshi, Augustine
Eguavoen, Friday Elaho among
others was a member of the Super
Eagles squad to the Morocco
‘88 and Algiers ‘90 Africa Cup
of Nations tournaments.
The poor welfare of ex
internationals had prompted the
Ministry of Youth and Sports
Development to request the
Nigeria Football Federation
to come up with a welfare
incentives for injured and ailing
ex international footballers.
put him in more danger,” the
Watford Captain said.
All players and staff will be
regularly tested, but Deeney
highlighted the contradiction
of contact sport returning at
a time when the public are
told to continue following
social distancing guidelines.
The 31-year-old also
added he is willing to take
a financial hit if not playing
results in a reduction in
wages.

KAYODEKOMOLAFE
THE HORIZON
The Case for Moral Capital
T
here is a point that is often unstated
in the discussion of the socio-economic
consequences of the novel coronavirus.
It is the fact that the pandemic
caused by the virus will worsen the
crisis of global capitalism. Before the outbreak
of the pandemic, the socio-economic landscape
 ŠœȱŠ•›ŽŠ¢ȱŽę—Žȱ‹¢ȱ™˜ŸŽ›¢ȱŠ—ȱ’—ŽšžŠ•’¢ǰȱ
two social scourges which are also virulent.
The microbial globalisation of the virus is
™žĴ’—ȱ‘Žȱ•˜‹Š•’œŠ’˜—ȱ˜ȱŒŠ™’Š•ȱ’—ȱœŽ›’˜žœȱ
jeopardy. When global capitalism was deemed
to be booming, there was no distributive justice.
It was a game in which 1% gained while the
poor became poorer especially in most countries
of the south.
So, when politicians and their experts put
together economic recovery packages, forces
of human progress should insist on the clear
Žę—’’˜—ȱ ˜ȱ ›ŽŒ˜ŸŽ›¢ȱ ’—ȱ ‘Žȱ •’‘ȱ ˜ȱ ‘Žȱ
momentous changes that would take place.
옛œȱŠȱ›ŽŒ˜ŸŽ›¢ȱœ‘˜ž•ȱ™žȱ‘Žȱ‹Šœ’Œȱ—ŽŽœȱ
of the people at the centre. The class content
of the dreamt economic sustainability should
be examined.
Recovery should not only mean good news
from the stock exchange and board rooms of
banks amid increased growth rates.
The real indices of development should
be considered. At least, a lesson from this
crisis is that economic prosperity should also
encompass the provision of basic needs of the
people including an inclusive quality healthcare
delivery system, potable water supply, social
housing, nutrition and sanitation.
From the rhetoric of the socio-economic and
political establishments, the twin anxieties about
coronavirus and its socio-economic impact have
primarily focussed on the havoc being wreaked
by the coronavirus on the economic capital.
‘Šȱȱ’œȱ ‘¢ȱ˜ĜŒ’Š•ȱŠ—ȱŽ¡™Ž›ȱ™›˜—˜ž—ŒŽ–Ž—œȱ
and statistics are more about the size of the
economy: the economy is shrinking. Not much
is heard about the expansion of poverty and
inequality, which is making lives miserable
for the people.
Yet, there is another important societal asset
’œȱŠœœŽœȱ Ž›Žȱȱ‘ŽȱŒ˜—ꍮ—ŒŽȱŠ—ȱ‹Ž•’Žȱ˜ȱ
that the establishment and the people should
think about in tackling the current crisis of
capitalism. That is the moral capital. Here
we are talking about the realm of institutions,
values, virtues and morally-based choices to
promote the common good.
Moral capital is often considered as the
fulcrum of social capital.
In the context of the present crisis moral
capital represents the people’s perception of
the trajectory of governance and the habits
of politicians.
That is why beyond rebuilding the structures
of economic capital, moral capital should also
be bolstered as a vital resource.
This current crisis has proved that when
the moral infrastructure for common good
is decimated the whole society including the
capitalist structures are imperilled. Hence, even
rich countries that failed to invest adequately
in universal healthcare are now overwhelmed
by a public health emergency.
Take a sample of the essential elements of
moral capital and assess how much of each
is embodied the Nigerian polity and society.
The results should interest the leadership
and the people alike.
Save for the element of solidarity which is a
salutary lesson of COVID-19, Nigeria would be
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Wednesday May 20, 2020
MISSILE
Enahoro to FG
“We have allowed the far North to dictate to this country. The amalgamation of the
North and South was only because the North had no money and it was always broke,
whereas the South had a surplus, and Lord Lugard at the time just merged the two.
Money from the South was used in assisting the North. The far North is the spoilt child
of the federation” – A veteran journalist, Mr. Peter Enahoro, advising that the continued
delay to address issue of restructuring of Nigeria is dangerous for the country.
kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com
Buhari
rated low in other fundaments of moral capital.
It is even more worrisome that the remnants
of this crucial capital are still being squandered
by the leadership at all levels in the most
insensitive manner.
Trust of the leadership and the establishment is
‘Š›•¢ȱŒ˜—œ’Ž›ŽȱŠȱŸ’›žŽȱŠ—¢ȱ–˜›Žǯȱ‘Žȱ’ĜŒž•ȱ
process of breaking the chain of coronavirus is
further bedevilled by lack of trust in leadership
and institutions. Factoids have submerged facts
in the public sphere. The other day, a survivor
of COVID-19 reported that his sibling, a well
educated person, said but for the experience of
her brother (the survivor) she wouldn’t believe
the pandemic was real. Even professors and
some scientists are in this club of deniers. The
activities of those studiously misleading the
public in this crisis are , in fact, a continuation
of what Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway
describe eloquently in their book, Merchants
of Doubts: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured
the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke and
Global Warming. The social media is replete
with conspiracy theories. Not a few believe
‘ŽœŽȱ‘Ž˜›’ŽœȱŽœ™’Žȱȱ‘Žȱ˜ĜŒ’Š•ȱœŽ—œ’’œŠ’˜—ȱȱ
about COVID-19.
Among the plethora of falsehoods in the
cyberspace is that this pandemic is hyped in
’Ž›’Šȱ‹¢ȱ˜ĜŒ’Š•œȱ ‘˜ȱœŽŽ”ȱ˜ȱ–Š”Žȱ–˜—Ž¢ȱ
from the crisis. Some state governors are openly
hostile to the national agency at the forefront
of the anti-COVID-19 war, the Nigeria Centre
˜›ȱ ’œŽŠœŽȱ ˜—›˜•ȱ ǻǼǯȱ ȱ—ȱ ˜ĜŒ’Š•ȱ ˜ȱ
a state government alleged without proof on
television that NCDC bribed members of the
public in her state to pretend to have tested
™˜œ’’ŸŽȱ˜›ȱȱŒ˜›˜—ŠŸ’›žœǯȱȱŒ’Ž—’ęŒȱꗍ’—œȱ
are treated with contempt. Fighting coronavirus
has become more political than epidemiological
in Nigeria.
Civility is fast disappearing in the public
space. Those in position of authority talk
down on the people. The manner in which
this anti-COVID-19 war has been prosecuted
by some state governors is anything but civil.
Some governors elect to stage theatrics on a
–ŠĴŽ›ȱ˜ȱ•’ŽȱŠ—ȱŽŠ‘ǯ
Respect begets respect, as they say. So does
•ŠŒ”ȱ ˜ȱ ›Žœ™ŽŒǯȱ ’Ĵ•Žȱ œž›™›’œŽȱ ‘Ž—ȱ ‘Šȱ ȱ ‘Žȱ
public response in some instances has also been
extremely disdainful. In this ugly reciprocity,
insults, curses and abuse are rained on political
˜ĜŒŽȱ‘˜•Ž›œǯȱȂœȱŠ•–˜œȱ’–™˜œœ’‹•Žȱ˜ȱ‘ŠŸŽȱŠȱ
civilised and productive debate on any issue.
Yet this country has a rich history of great
debates mostly inspired by the leadership
N
UT H
& RE A SO Price: N250
0805 500 1974
Šȱ’쎛Ž—ȱ™Ž›’˜œǯȱ
‘Žȱœ˜›¢ȱ’œȱ’쎛Ž—ȱ˜Š¢ǯȱŠ‘Ž›ȱ‘Š—ȱŽ—ŠŽȱ
in logical disputations, all that you have now
is a shouting match laden with prejudice and
hate speech. Scholars also participate in this
purveyance of hate. Even the legislators cannot
be accused of rigorous debates of issues in a
memorable and enlightening way.
Doubtless, in the public interest there are
many valid grounds on which to criticise the
handling of the Nigerian political economy by
the administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari. However, many otherwise legitimate
critics miss the point when they begin their
criticisms with the nonsense that the president
‘˜•œȱ—˜ȱœŒ‘˜˜•ȱŒŽ›’ęŒŠŽǯȱ˜–Žȱ˜ȱž‘Š›’Ȃœȱ
Œ›’’ŒœȱŠ›Žȱœ˜ȱę¡ŠŽȱ‘Šȱ‘Ž¢ȱŠ›Žȱ¢Žȱ˜ȱ–Ž—Š••¢ȱ
concede that he won the 2015 presidential
election, much less the one of 2019.
From the other polar end, the response from
the presidential villa to the critics is sometimes
supercilious. Arrogance of power is often on
display instead of engagement of the public
with truth and reason.
To reverse the current massive erosion of
moral capital in the society, the leadership
itself needs a lot of moral authority.
Buhari should endeavour to accumulate moral
ŒŠ™’Š•ȱ‹¢ȱ™Š¢’—ȱȱŠĴŽ—’˜—ȱ˜ȱ ‘Šȱ–Š¢ȱŠ™™ŽŠ›ȱȱ
now as imponderables, but which are already
tangible to the public given the groundswell
˜ȱ Ž˜Ȭ™˜•’’ŒŠ•ȱ ’œŠěŽŒ’˜—ȱ ’—ȱ œ˜–Žȱ ™Š›œȱ ˜ȱ
the country. These lacking elements of moral
capital include social justice and commitment
to national unity.
The President’s moral choices on these
factors could foster or reduce the moral
capital Nigeria needs to develop as a nation
even within the framework of the present
capitalist system.
The President cannot inspire Nigerians to pay
allegiance to national unity when complaints
against nepotism and lopsided appointments
and recruitment into sensitive agencies and
departments are routinely ignored. The
alienation of any part of Nigeria on the account
of being discriminated against is a categorical
derogation of the nation’s moral capital.
To be sure, as an ideal, the ethnic or regional
˜›’’—ȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ–Š—ȱ˜›ȱ‘Žȱ“˜‹ȱȱ–Š¢ȱ—˜ȱ–ŠĴŽ›ȱ
provided there is the evidence of capacity for
good performance. After all, someone once
observed that no one would raise an eyebrow
if all the members of the national football
team were from the same village and they
won the FIFA World Cup for Nigeria. This
is an ideal. It’s hoped that the Nigeria of the
future would function that way.
However, the reality now is that there is a
The Yoruba and
Sovereignty Question
Jimoh Ibrahim
Amotekun: The six states of the Yoruba ethnic
group of Nigeria recently demanded from the
central Government more powers to control
security in their region; despite the Nigerian
Police and the Military already in place, the
Yoruba states now set up the Amotekun
paramilitary forces.
The question remains: could this be the security
provision in the constitution that appointments
œ‘˜ž•ȱ›ŽĚŽŒȱŒ‘Š›ŠŒŽ›ǯȱ
Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution makes
it quite clear:
“The composition of government of the federation
˜›ȱŠ—¢ȱ˜ȱ’œȱŠŽ—Œ’ŽœȱŠ—ȱ‘ŽȱŒ˜—žŒȱ˜ȱ’œȱŠěŠ’›œȱ
œ‘Š••ȱ‹ŽȱŒŠ››’Žȱ˜žȱ’—ȱœžŒ‘ȱŠȱ–Š——Ž›ȱŠœȱ˜ȱ›ŽĚŽŒȱ
the federal character of Nigeria and the need to
promote national unity and also to command
national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall
be no predominance of persons from a few states
or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in
that government or in any of its agencies.”
The historical background to this was to forge a
sense of belonging in all parts of Nigeria.”
This provision is meant to boost Nigeria’s
moral capital.
˜ȱ ˜›œŽ—ȱ–ŠĴŽ›œǰȱ˜›ȱȱŠȱ•˜—ȱ’–Žȱ‘ŽȱŽŽ›Š•ȱ
Character Commission remained comatose. Even
a complaint rumbles on that the composition
of this constitutional body that should monitor
compliance with the federal character principle
–Š¢ȱ—˜ȱ‘ŠŸŽȱ›ŽĚŽŒŽȱŒ‘Š›ŠŒŽ›ǯȱ
Perhaps, more fundamentally as a factor of
moral capital is the pervading sense of social
injustice in the land. To garner the needed
moral authority in the eyes of the millions of
poor people who believed in Buhari during
the elections, Buhari should do more to
fundamentally structure policies against mass
poverty and inequality.
The socio-economic structure of Nigeria is
structured against the majority who are poor
and denied the basic needs for decent living.
Meanwhile, members of the establishment
squabble on the control of the levers of economic
and political powers invoking the name of
the poor in vain.
That’s not the way a leader can build moral
capital.
Come to think to think of it, Buhari should
be the last Nigerian leader that should need
any persuasion about moral capital. In 2015
when he defeated an incumbent president in
an election, all that he had then was his moral
capital. The multitude of followers trusted him.
the people in him as a candidate capable of
being president and commander-in-chief.
In this crisis, the President certainly needs
immense moral capital so as to optimally mobilise
the creative energies of the people and the
national spirit for development and progress.
It is time, therefore, Buhari stopped
squandering his moral capital.
The president should instead be consciously
building more moral capital as the bedrock
of the legacy he would like to leave behind
three years from now.
arm of the proposed ‘Oduduwa Republic’ in
the face of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
Again, the Biafra Republic had once attempted
a failed succession from Nigeria despite the
support of some sovereign states. The author
is worried about the consequences of a failed
demand for sovereignty for a second time in
Nigeria.
NOTE: This piece is concluded in the online
edition on www.thisdaylive.com