Egypt, Cameroun ignite AFCON 2017!…See full details

Camerounians celebrate their victory against Ghana on Thursday

I am writing this on Thursday night, a few minutes after watching The Indomitable Lions shoot down the Black Stars from their mountaintop of illusion.

The Ghanaian players will wake up in the morning feeling they have had a nightmare. They would not be wrong, because the Lions have indeed become a nightmare for teams in this African Cup of Nations (Afcon 2017) championship.

Like most other analysts and commentators I was one of those that did not envisage or see it anywhere on the radar screen of my predictions that Cameroun would come anywhere near the finals of the championship when it started.  Two matches into the group stage of the championship, the Lions had put up some of the most uninspiring performances I have ever seen of that great African team. So poorly did they play that I committed a journalistic faux pax by writing them off as one of the fallen giants of Afcon 2017 even before they played their last group match.

I have learned my lesson the hard way with the team resurrecting from the ‘dead’, playing some truly dramatic matches, qualifying against all odds and making a mockery of a pundit like me that takes the ‘risk’ of daring to predict the result of matches in a championship given its fillip by its absolute unpredictability.

Cameroun, with their phenomenal rise from the brink of ouster from the championship in the first round to the pinnacle of the possibility of ultimate success at the end, have left me groping and forlorn.

I apologise to readers and all the fans of the Indomitable Lions for my seeming disrespect!

Starting with some internal crisis that threatened to combust the team, and a string of poor performances necessitating last-minute assembly of new and relatively untested players that were considered too young and too inexperienced, the Indomitable Lions have travelled a long, rough road to arrive at the final match. 14 of the members of the team are attending their first African Cup of Nations.

Through the group stage matches they continued to build up a team grounded in a defensive football tactics that have worked wonders for them. They put up their best performance in the last match against Ghana!

Arriving the knockout stages Cameroun bounced back into serious reckoning. Such has been the transformation of this team of relative unknowns that going into the final match many now think their momentum of success may be hard to halt even by the most experienced team in the championship, masters of the African game, winners of the coveted trophy more times than any other country and now deserved finalists – Egypt!

The Pharaohs of Egypt!
Egypt on the other hand have been absolutely consistent, demonstrating once again their mastery of African football and the art of winning championships in Africa.

They conceded their first goal only in the semi-final match against Burkina Faso, and may be presenting, probably the oldest player in the history of Afcon, their 44- year old goalkeeper.

The finals – between youth and experience!

Between Egypt and Cameroun are two outstanding African national teams and traditional rivals on the continent.
The final match is a clear contest between the experience of Egypt and the youth of Cameroun.

They, surely, will produce an exciting spectacle to mark the end of a colourful championship that has turned out at the very end to be a feast of the best of African football punctuated with some poor grounds, scanty crowds, mostly average teams playing very physical, mostly defensive football, a shortfall in emerging new stars, and a littering of the State boxes with the same old, battered faces of an army of tired CAF leadership to remind all progressive minds that that only a new kind of leadership in African football can guide the continent  into the new dawn it yearns for and deserves!

As the myth of the rise of minnows in African football subsides, two traditional giants, Egypt and Cameroun, have ignited the fire of Afcon 2017, as the championship gets to the finish line.

Afcon 2017, Nigeria and World Cup 2018!

Permit me to digress a little! Two things have come to the fore since watching the semi-final match that produced Cameroun.

The first is that we can start to glimpse a new course in the Group of Death for the African qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup involving Algeria (failed woefully at Afcon 2017), Cameroun (rose dramatically to the fore in Afcon 2017) and Nigeria (did not qualify for Afcon 2017).

Following the disillusionment and disappointment of a catastrophic outing in Gabon (leaving after the group stage matches without winning a single match) Algeria may not rise again and pose a serious challenge in the rest of the qualifying matches for the World Cup. The burden may be too much to overcome in time to still overtake and head the group ahead of Cameroun and Nigeria.

It is Cameroun that have now totally disrupted the initial computations and calculations before Afcon 2017 that was almost handing representation from the group to Nigeria!

It was a temporary lapse in memory to have assumed such a position with two matches against Cameroun still to be played. The Cameroun national team did not earn the sobriquet ‘indomitable’ from such casual assumptions.

Here is a team saturated in the tradition of never giving up, of uncommon determination and fighting spirit, a nightmare for most opponents around the world for their very physicality, pace and power.

To play against Cameroun, anywhere and anytime, is to come face to face in a bruising battle with a hard-fighting machine that no team confronts and departs unscathed and unscarred.

They are a well-oiled team with a reputation that has flourished anew at Afcon 2017.

The team has grown and improved steadily match after match in quality of individual player’s performances and general team tactics, particularly since arriving the quarter-finals and deservedly earning the right to become worthy finalists and serious contenders for the coveted title of African Champions.

With the growth of the Indomitable Lions the fate of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and their quest to be at the World Cup in Russia now hangs on a delicate balance. It can no longer be considered a fait accompli even by the most optimistic and fanatical of the country’s supporters.

Unlike the feelings a few months ago when the Eagles resurged and started to win important matches, and the Lions were struggling and fumbling, things have changed dramatically in the past two weeks.

The Indomitable Lions are back!

This is now boldly written across the face of Afcon 2017.  The Lions now pose the most serious threat to the Eagles’ march to Russia!

The two countries will be playing against each other over two legs in the coming months and whilst the confidence of the Camerounians may be boosted by their performance during Afcon, the confidence of Nigerians may be badly shaken by the same factor – the emergence of a new set of Lions from the shadows of a fading, ageing generation that existed and they were used to before Afcon 2017.

These new cubs are young, fit, very compact, determined and a team in the true sense of the word.  They will pose a real threat to the Super Eagle when they start their battles in the next few months.

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The Lions now pose the most serious threat to the Eagles’ march to Russia! The two countries will be playing against each other over two legs in the coming months and whilst the confidence of the Camerounians may be boosted by their performance during Afcon, the confidence of Nigerians may be badly shaken by the same factor – the emergence of a new set of Lions from the shadows of a fading, ageing generation that existed and they were used to before Afcon 2017.

Demolition of waterfront communities in Lagos inhuman, violation of right to dignity, says court (Read full details)

Otodo Gbame community Lagos

A Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere has held that the demolition of Otodo Gbame, a  Lagos waterfront community by officials of Lagos State Government was an inhuman and degrading treatment .

Delivering a ruling last Thursday in a fundamental rights enforcement suit brought in October 2016 by the communities against the government, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo also held that the action violated the right to dignity as enshrined in Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

But balancing his responsibility to protect the fundamental rights of citizens against the duties of the State Government, Justice Onigbanjo ordered the parties to attempt mediation through the Lagos State Multi-Door Courthouse and report back to his court in one month’s time.

Speaking after the verdict, Megan Chapman, Co-Founder and Director of Justice & Empowerment Initiatives Nigeria, alongside Akinrolabu Samuel, Bimbo Oshobe and Sani Mohammed of Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation expressed joy that Justice Onigbanjo has aligned himself with such established jurisprudence to find that such evictions constitute inhuman and degrading treatment.

“We welcome the opportunity for the threatened waterfront communities to enter into dialogue with the State Government to explore amicable settlement to find win-win solutions to any legitimate concerns the State has that can be settled through alternatives to eviction.

“We firmly believe that partnership and collaboration between communities, civil society, and the Government is the best way of solving social and developmental problems that face the city. Just as firmly, we know that demolition and forced eviction are not the answer to any social problems.

“As we approach the court-ordered mediation, we fervently hope that the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Command of the Nigerian
Police Force will distance themselves from the recent smear campaign that has attempted to misrepresent waterfront residents as criminals and spread lies that waterfront communities are full of “Boko Haram,” “Niger Delta militants,” and “kidnappers.”

“As members of these communities and civil society organisations working in the waterfronts on a daily basis, we decry these false allegations and condemn those who stoop to spreading such falsehoods in order to try to justify land grab and furtherance of selfish interests”, they added.

It will be recalled that the threat to the Lagos waterfronts began when Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode announced on October 9, 2016, Government’s intention to “start demolishing all shanties on waterfronts across the State within sevendays,” citing recent kidnapping incidents as the purported justification.

Accordingly, more than 20 member communities of the Federation joined together to write to Governor Ambode calling for retraction of the threat and requesting for dialogue to explore alternatives to eviction.

Demolition of waterfront communities in Lagos inhuman, violation of right to dignity, says court

Interpreting the ‘change’ we voted for! (Read full details)

The world had barely settled down to the reality of Brexit when Donald Trump trounced Hillary Clinton to clinch victory in an election that would eventually shame the power of opinion polls. Trump purportedly played a fast one on unsuspecting Americans and the world was left to grapple with ‘Trump Trauma’. A few weeks after, Fidel Castro was done with the wildness of this world and the world, with the exception of those who felt threatened by his Marxist-Leninist disposition, mourned the passing of a great humanist. Along the line, Yahya Jammeh happened to our democratic psyche and that tragically revived memories of sit-tightism that has all along been the bane of our Africanness. Elsewhere in Europe, Italy stunned the world with a referendum which, though looked and sounded marginal in shape and size, has, in all the important ways, changed the face of global politics. And, uninterested in being uncounted, Nigeria continues to grapple with recession even as economic juggernauts catwalk excuses!

Indeed, the global village is in a mess and all eyes can see it! Nations are waging wars against nations! Diseases are defying medical prescriptions! Conflicts, endless droughts, hunger and deprivations are separating us from our journey and it is as if signs of the end time scare already staring us in the face.

With a special attention on Nigeria, that our dear country is experiencing a siege revolution is no longer news! Willingly or by happenstance, the town is tough while the glory of the gown is tormented. In addition to the global uncertainty which has shaken Nigeria to her foundational relevance, politics, not policy, threatens her existence and it is as if godly minds have eloped with their prudent counsels. Like a steering-less vehicle, inflation has gone to an unbearable level and it is as if those witches and wizards of the military-era Nigeria are back at work! To make matters worse, Africa’s foremost giant, and world’s 10th biggest oil reserves, now joys in having more than 60 per cent of her people living on less than $1 a day. In 2016, unemployment rose from 12.1 per cent in the first quarter to 13.3 per cent in the second quarter. Only God knows where it now stands!

Truth be told, events of the last few months have again compelled bewildered Nigerians to debate the particular nature of the ‘Change’ they voted for! Of considerable worry is their inability to discern whether or not the events of March 28, 2015 were destined to take Nigeria to her Promised Land or Muhammadu Buhari was merely ordained to act Nigeria’s Moses. For God’s sake, why has a bag of rice, which sold for N7,500.00 in December 2015, now gone beyond double and how come less than 500 people are sitting on not less than 20% of Nigeria’s 2017 budget, all in the name of constituency and other meaningless projects? Widening the scope of our worries, why has Cuba, in spite of her travails, become a socio-economic success while Nigeria, despite its touted giantness, continues to look Northwards, not inwards, for succour? All said, will Nigeria get out of this miasma unbowed and where lies the road to comfort?

An Igbo proverb says: “you don’t need a mirror to see what you are wearing on your hand”. Agreed! The times are quite unusual. But Nigerians must have work together for their teeth to chew the meat! Bola Tinubu struck the right chord when he urged the government to “re-engineer the economy bottom up, diversify the economic base, strengthen our industrial base, modernize infrastructure, enhance agriculture, and provide employment and of course, ease of doing business.”It is interesting to note that Buhari has been there before. Therefore, that he knows what to do to navigate the country out of the economic turbulence is not in doubt. But he has to act fast and the earlier he does this, the better for the ruling party and this fractured microcosm.

Assuming without conceding that government at the centre is currently moving beyond sharing our pains to making genuine efforts at restoring Nigeria’s political and economic credibility, keying into Osun State’s ‘government unusual’ which has made the business of governing and growing the state an exciting experience will not be out of place. With its adoption of some of the state’s initiatives like the School Feeding, Elderly Welfare and Youth Empowerment schemes, Nigerians will agree with me that the Federal Government is on the right track. But, more still need to be done, especially, in the area of massive infrastructure development, if it must timeously deliver on the promised dividends of democracy. The president must come to terms, not only with the details and the intricacies of ‘cash’ in the people’s “pockets and food in their belly” but also the basics of the “promises of a brighter future.” After all, a naked man does not put his hands in his pocket.

Platitudes aside, for any country in the world to develop, the socio-economic benefits of good road network can never be overemphasized. Apart from getting people, markets, services and knowledge connected, it is also advantageous in the economic growth of the society.

Well, this is not to say that hypocrites and pathological naysayers whose portion is in attitudes that bring failure will not attack the president for taking a bold step like the aforementioned. Unfortunately, that’s their professional calling and there’s nothing one can do to cure their mischief. Beyond their disjointed preachments, they see politics as a game of death even as they represent all the bad things that poverty can give.

Warren Buffet made a strong statement when he remarked that no one gets credit for predicting rain but for building the ark. In other words, how Buhari goes about fulfilling his election promises to Nigerians will go a long way in determining how posterity will remember him.
May principalities and powers, assigned to rubbish our leaders’ efforts, scatter!

Komolafe writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria.

Interpreting the ‘change’ we voted for!

Unity Bank leads gainers as NSE records N18.8 billion turnover (Read full details)

Doyen of Stockbrokers, Willie Sam Ndata (left);President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Olunseyi Abe; Acting Head, Corporate Services Division, Pai Gamde;  Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar N. Onyema; Executive Director, Market Operation and Technology, NSE, Ade Bajomo; Head, Council Secretariat/Council Secretary, NSE, Mojisola Adeola; and Head, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Lagos Zonal Office, Steven Falomo, at the Induction Ceremony for Newly Qualified Authorised Dealing Clerks at the NSE on Friday.

Transactions in the shares of Unity Bank Plc emerged the highest price gainer at the end of last week’s transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
It led other stocks with 15.63 per cent to close at N0.74 per share. Following Unity Bank was Oando, adding 12.47 per cent to close at N5.14 per share.
Stanbic IBTC gained 8.57 per cent to close at N17.48 per share. Champion Breweries garnered 8.26 per cent to close at N2.49 per share.

Forte Oil added 8.09 per cent to close at N71.88 per share. Wema bank gained 7.84 per cent to close at N0.55 per share. NPF Micro Finance Bank added 6.67 per cent to close at N1.12 per share.

Total gained 6.39 per cent to close at N298.96 per share. Neimeth appreciated by 4.29 per cent to close at N0.73 per share. Seplat added 4.11 per cent to close at N380 per share.

Consequently, a total of 990.584 million shares worth N18.823 billion were traded in 14,917 deals by investors on the floor of the Exchange last week.
The volume shares traded was, however, higher than the 1.340 billion units, valued at N8.903 billion that changed hands in 15,733 deals during the preceding week.

Last week, the financial services industry led the activity chart in volume terms with 664.647 million shares valued at N3.896 billion traded in 8,056 deals; thus contributing 67.10 per cent and 20.70 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The consumer goods industry followed with 133.641 million shares worth N2.602 billion in 2,653 deals. The conglomerates industry ranked third with a turnover of 63.189 million shares worth N88.834 million in 635 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely – Zenith International Bank Plc, Champion Breweries Plc, and Diamond Bank Plc accounted for 252.189 million shares worth N1.822 billion in 1,841 deals, contributing 25.46 per cent and 9.68 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Also traded during the week were a total of 8,519 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N527,483.35 executed in 10 deals, compared with a total of 44 units valued at N79,568.30 transacted last week in 12 deals

A total of 59,299 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N56.379 million were traded this week in six deals, compared with a total of 6,449 units valued at N6.652 million transacted last week in nine deals.

The NSE All-share index and market capitalisation appreciated by 0.40 per cent to close the week at 26,328.22 and N9.059 trillion respectively.
Similarly, all other Indices finished higher during the week with the exception of the NSE Premium Index that depreciated by 0.13 percent while the NSE ASem Index closed flat.

A total volume of 5,970,000 units at N100 each belonging to the SIAML Pension ETF 40 were admitted to trade at the Exchange on Tuesday January 24, 2017.
Trans-Nationwide Express Plc (Tranex) through its stockbroker; Meristem Stockbrokers Limited, submitted an application to the Exchange for approval and listing of a rights issue.

Of 298,230,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at 80 Kobo per share on the basis of three new ordinary shares for every two ordinary shares held. According to the Exchange, the qualification date for the rights issue was Wednesday, January 25, 2017.

Unity Bank leads gainers as NSE records N18.8 billion turnover

Tale of the unexpected (Read full details)

Tale of the unexpected

Fashola and the demystification of power (Read full details)

Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing.

Power – as a synonym of electricity – is a mystery in Nigeria. Even the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, seems to be aware of this, as shown by one of his remarks at a recent forum in Abuja organised by NEXTIER, a power think tank. The forum, with the self-explanatory theme of “2016 Power Sector Review and 2017 Power Policy Direction,” brought the minister into a broad-based interaction around this theme with stakeholders in the power sector.

Fashola made the remark, which gave rise to this piece, during his presentation that preceded the interactive session, revealing the plan of his ministry to “demystify power.” He said, “The ministry intends to demystify power so that when there is no power even the layman understands why.” This is not only an indirect acknowledgement of the mysteriousness of Nigerian power by the minster but also of the need to rid it of that arcane attribute.

However, to fully demystify Nigerian power, we must understand the components of its mysteriousness. One is the component of inscrutability at which the minister hints in that remark. This is reflected by the general lack of understanding of power issues by the Nigerian public, especially issues related to the inadequacy or unavailability of power due to such factors as power outages, system failure, vandalisation, and other technical and non-technical issues some of which, like vandalisation and the sabotage it amounts to, border on the abnormal.

The other is the even more important component of near-invisibility that makes power seem a phantom to the Nigeria people, such that they hardly see it, though they hear so much about it. The minister said nothing about this other component of the mysteriousness of Nigerian power during his presentation. But it must be acknowledged that his ministry will do well to incorporate it into its power-demystification programme, which suggests a plan to launch or sustain some public enlightenment campaign aimed at simplifying ideas about power for the understanding of the general public. For the impact of such a campaign would be greater if the public understands why “there is no power” as the minister would wish, as well as what his ministry and other agencies in the power sector are doing to make power available.

To rid Nigerian power of the mysteriousness of its inscrutability while letting it retain the mysteriousness of its near-invisibility would be comparable to retrieving a flute from a menacing lunatic while leaving him with a bludgeon, the more dangerous object.

A true, because full, demystification campaign must take on both components of inscrutability and near-invisibility. It must, for emphasis, enlighten the public in clear terms on various issues related to the chronic paucity of power in the country, as well as action being taken to reverse the situation – to, as it were, exorcise the ghost of darkness from the country.

Indeed, perception management, which this anticipated or ongoing public enlightenment programme hints at, can be an effective means of encouraging Nigerians to bear the burden of inadequate power with hope, like hungry guests at a feast being hosted by a wealthy man to whom must be explained why they do not have enough food and also informed of the steps being taken to bridge the gap of edibles.

To succeed, the public enlightenment campaign the minister’s remark suggests must forge a new alliance with language as a means of simplifying even the most complex ideas about power for the layman’s comprehension. And it must be a language that invests heavily in tropes, especially similes, to bring home its point, using such figures of speech to simplify technical concepts and make them accessible to everyone, a language that integrates mass communication and creativity and thoroughly achieves the elucidatory and outreach goals of the former.

With this new language, it might suffice to explain for general comprehension the reasons Nigerians do not have sufficient power by using an extended simile to compare the situation to a man who has invited a large number of guests to a feast. But it turns out that there was not enough water and gas to cook for all the guests, and some of the pipes that conveyed gas to his kitchens had been perforated by his enemies to sabotage the feast. And that such acts of sabotage only compounded the undersupply of gas to the kitchen.

Then, that fewer plates and cutlery had been supplied by those the host paid for such supplies, resulting in the shortage of such items to serve all the available, yet insufficient, food to the hungry guests. And that it was discovered that there were far less cooks and stewards to withstand the pressure of such a great feast.

If the host or the organisers of the feast would, acting on his behalf, follow the above explanation with that of the actions being taken to resolve the guests’ genuine dissatisfaction with the situation, it would encourage the guests to bear their distress with calm and even sympathy for the host, especially in consideration of those causes bordering on sabotage for which he may be considered a victim.

I hope we can see how, with this new approach to communication, we can use the metaphors of food, cooking and a feast, to which everyone can relate, to create an extended simile that would explain for everyone’s comprehension how such complex issues as low water level and lack or undersupply of gas are responsible for low generation from our hydro power stations and gas-powered plants respectively, which is partly to blame for our not having enough electricity.

The bit about the perforation of gas pipes would explain vandalisation as one of the causes of our power malaise, while that about insufficient plates and cutlery would explain inadequate infrastructure, and the low number of cooks and stewards the inadequate staffing that continues to plague the generation, transmission and distribution companies in our power sector, resulting in low productivity across the sector.

In all, Fashola’s plan to demystify power must not only simplify the explanation of such causes of the lack or inadequacy of power supply. It must also simplify the explanation of what is being done to improve the situation to make for a thorough demystification of power.

Oke, a former employee of the National Electric Power Authority, poet and power sector analyst, lives in Abuja.

Fashola and the demystification of power

With Grandmother, Alfie Nze sets to end immigration slavery via film (Read full details)

Nze

Theatre director and playwright, Alfie Nze, has a new film project in the works that deals with the issues of illegal immigration across perilous routes, mostly from Africa, to Europe across the desert and the Mediterranean Sea. His project ties neatly with what the Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who is doing her best to enlighten parents and young people alike on the dangers of illegal immigration.

However, the more enlightenment there is, the more young people embark on these risky journeys. This is where Nze is stepping in with his film project, Grandmother, having had first hand encounter with some of the illegal immigrants in Italy, where he resides. For Nze, the crisis has not been given the desired attention as the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. Having lived in Italy for 20 years working with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR) as an interpreter, Nze said he knows enough about the crisis to give it filmic attention to enlighten Nigerians.

According to him, “Constantly on a weekly basis, there are at least three boats loaded with Nigerians that are rescued from the Mediterranean seas with dead bodies.”

Nze, who was in Lagos last October for a photo festival and presented a performance called Igbo Communion, and said his first project in Nigeria was in 2013 titled, Devil Comes To Koko, which was on the toxic waste disaster that was deposited in that town by some unscrupulous businessmen in 1988. The incident caused a major diplomatic row between Nigeria and some countries in Europe.

The social commentator said he was shocked to find a sticker on a tricycle which read, ‘study and work in Canada,’ with a phone number attached. He also cited the example of a friend, whose brother called him from Nigeria and said he heard on the radio that Nigerians were needed in Italy, asking interested persons to go through the Mediterranean Sea by boat, stay in a camp for about six months before getting their papers to start work. He said if this information was true, then it meant that it was Nigerians that organised these death-trips for gullible citizens.

Nze’s passion, borne out of the desire to save his generation from ignorance and needless deaths, said, “This project I am working on is not an idea I picked from newspapers. I am dealing with firsthand information on the Nigerian immigration crisis in Italy. Not just that, but the educational crisis as well. It will interest you to know that boys and girls that have passed through secondary school cannot spell their names.

“A good percentage of our young boys are on the streets of Italy begging for money. Of course, the girls go into prostitution. This is real. If the Nigerian government decides to block the land borders, they can do it but I think the import of what is happening has not dawned totally on them yet.”

Nze also visited the issue of a Tunisian, Mohammed Ali, who was sentenced to 18 years in jail recently over the deaths of migrants after a boat carrying 700 migrants sank. Out of the lot, at least 40 percent were Nigerians.

As he put it, “In 2016 alone, Nigeria had the highest percentage of migrants through that route, more than Syria that is at war and other nationals. So, if you were living outside Nigeria, you would think Nigeria is at war. My question is, why are we not aware of these facts and why is the highest percentage from Edo and Delta States?”

Nze also stated the unwillingness of Nigerian illegal migrants to do legal jobs. He said when he wanted to make a documentary and wanted Nigerians to tell their story, he went round Milan without getting anyone to audition for roles as none of them turned up on the day of the audition.

“I ended up using boys from other African countries,” he said. “I want to tell the real story of these people’s lives in Italy that no one wants to tell. Most of what the mother or grandmother in the village knows is all lies, but by the time she sees it in a film, she would understand better.”

The theatre director emphasised that Nigerians live the worst lives in Italy, as most of them engage in illegal businesses and bring back big cars and build mansions, as this makes people believe that life over there is easy.

According to him, Granmother is the story of a young Igbo boy of about 18 years old, born and raised in Lagos. He is trying to make a break in the music arena when his life is transformed by the sudden death of his cousin, who went on the perilous trip to Europe. He defies all odds by also embarking on the same trip. Fortunately, he makes it and through him, the story of his life in Italy unfolds.

According to Nze, “Italy has made very strict laws to prosecute cartels that bring ladies over for prostitution. And now, they are moving against boys, who are into male prostitution. Recently, a gang was busted in Sicily, another in Madrid. This gang had made an accord with the mafia to take a portion of the prostitution business.

“What I am working on may not even be safe for me. The mafia is not what you just watch on television; it is real. Everyday someone is killed as a result of Mafia operations, but someone has to do it. We cannot over-emphasise this issue since it has persisted. As long as the issues are not in the mainstream media, it will continue. People will continue to cajole others with fast and easy wealth.

“In some states, almost every family has someone in Italy or on the way there. In fact, you are looked down upon if you don’t have someone there. As a result, some parents sell lands and other possessions to send their children on these death-trips. This is a social issue that should concern everybody. I could decide to just sit there in Italy, where I am also a citizen and watch. But at the end of the day, whatever passport you hold, you remain a Nigerian.”

With Grandmother, Alfie Nze sets to end immigration slavery via film

Looking chic for office (Read full details)

<img src="http://ift.tt/2kcr695&quot; alt="untitled-1" width="1280" height="720" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-236247" srcset="http://ift.tt/2kcr695 1280w,http://ift.tt/2jH5TRh 640w,http://ift.tt/2kc9UAj 1062w,http://ift.tt/2jGTOvt 320w,http://ift.tt/2kc5GIS 281w,http://ift.tt/2jGYGkd 562w,http://ift.tt/2kcmYWe 531w,http://ift.tt/2jGRIvq 487w,http://ift.tt/2kckzet 974w,http://ift.tt/2jGQErI 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"http://cdn.gdn.ng/, but a lady can still look chic yet professional and polished in her outfit. The following tips will guide you.

How to dress up for the office:
Firstly, know your company’s dress code, as this will help you on the kind of clothes to wear. Some companies prefer that their employees maintain more formal appearances, while other companies allow employees to dress casually throughout working days.It is important to present yourself appropriately at work as this makes you look good.

A way of looking unique in your office wear is to mix and match colours but ensure it is work appropriate.
Also ensure that your top is not low cut to avoid showing cleavages as this is inappropriate for the office. Looking modest is advised. The good thing is that you can still look good in fun tops without exposing your chest.

Knee length dresses and skirts or midi skirts and dresses are appropriate for work. You can also wear something slightly above the knee but avoid wearing mini-skirts to the office.

Adding statement jewelry to a dull outfit will give it a new look.Invest in nice trousers and pair with marching top.Go for a well-tailored blazer to give that sharp look.

Depending on your job, for the casual business look, you can opt for a silky blouse or structured top and pair with a blazer, a nice heel and structured bag.

Go for comfortable shoes that you can walk in at the office.Avoid too much makeup for the office. Appropriate makeup can actually help to give you a neat and professional appearance. Also wear a nice hair do.

Looking chic for office

Nigeria’s petrol import drops by nine million litres in 2016 (Read full details)

•Saves N1.3tr from fraud related volume

The volume of importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also called petrol, dropped from 14 billion litres in 2015, to 4.89 billion litres in 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The difference in the volume of petrol import in the country was only possible through federal government’s ongoing reform of the downstream sector, which eliminated fraud in the system.

At the pump price of N145 per litre, Nigeria effectively saved a whopping N1.3 trillion from the nine billion litres dip in importation.
Analysts believe that import volumes can be drastically reduced even further, if government revamped the local refineries, while new ones are underway.

With the five existing refineries performing below their installed capacities, Nigeria currently imports more than 90 per cent of her domestic fuel needs estimated at over N3 trillion annually, almost half of the national budget.

For decades the country has struggled with getting the refineries to work at optimum capacity without much success, as the turnaround maintenance (TAM) for the refineries were abandoned for almost the same length of time, which plunged them into the current state of dilapidation.

But the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), owners of four of the refineries, has promised to get them to work to at least 60 percent of their installed capacity this year, amid serious scepticism, while the fifth refinery, a private plant of just 1,000 barrels daily only produces automotive gas oil (AGO) or diesel.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had earlier disclosed that the present administration was able to block unaccounted fraud impacted volume for petrol in 2016, which is nearly 40 per cent of the country’s consumption.”

Savings from fraud-impacted volume, Kachikwu said, could be directed toward infrastructure development in the country’s downstream sector.

According to him, “We noticed that the consumption of PMS has shifted from over 50 million litres a day to about 28 million per day. This means we have been able to take away unaccounted fraud impacted volume of petrol, which is nearly 40 per cent of the country’s consumption.”

Meanwhile, the NBS report the highest importation of petrol in May 2016, with 2.02billion litres worth N249.88billion.

This coincided with the Federal Government’s announcement of the partial deregulation of the PMS sub-sector on May 11, 2016, aimed at improving its supply nationwide.

Statewide distribution of truck-out volume for Q4 2016, showed that 4.83billion of PMS, 1.00 billion litres of AGO and 182.95 million litres of kerosene were distributed nationwide during the period under review.

Specifically for the Q4 2016, 4.83billion litres of PMS, 1.00 million litres of AGO and 182.9 million litres of HHK, valued at N629.6billion, N136.1billion and N24.7billion respectively, were imported into the country.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, revealing his strategy to achieve 60 percent capacity utilisation, said: “We are putting together various programmes to ensure that we achieve at least 60 per cent local refining by the end of this year. It is the procedure or methodology that we are changing a little bit, we are focusing on the process licensors to come and audit our processes and they have already started auditing most of our process units in the various refineries.

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Nigeria’s petrol import drops by nine million litres in 2016

Labour moves against Enugu DISCO, pickets offices (Read full details)

Joe Ajaero

The epileptic power supply situation in the South-East may worsen if organised labour makes good its threat to pull out workers from all zonal offices of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) by next week in protest against alleged anti-worker stance of the utility firm.

Signs that all was not well between the workers and management was manifest yesterday with the picketing of the headquarters of the company in Enugu, causing total blackout in the zone.

Also, unions shutdown the Abakaliki office of the distribution company for labour-related issues, leading to disruption of commercial activities in the Ebonyi State capital.

Thousands of workers drawn from the various unions – United Labour Congress (ULC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) among others – blocked entrances to the utility firm in Enugu as early as 7:00 a.m. with placards carrying various messages.

The Guardian gathered that the present action of the workers was triggered off by the alleged sacking of about 300 of their colleagues two weeks ago.

Led by the president, United Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the workers said the decision to occupy the company headquarters and other outlets in the zone followed the alleged refusal of the management to accede to their various demands bordering on welfare.
Denying the allegations in a statement by its Head of Communications, Emeka Ezeh, the company noted: “EEDC embarked on a restructuring exercise last year. This was brought to the attention of representatives of the union at some of our sessions last year. After this exercise, some job positions were abolished, as they were no longer relevant. Staff were assessed and some of them that could not defend their positions/jobs were eventually disengaged while we also hired additional staff to beef up our technical and customer service team.”

Labour moves against Enugu DISCO, pickets offices

Agriculture stakeholders allege re-emergence of fertilizer cabal (Read full details)

Fertilizer

Stakeholders in the Agricultural sector have raised the alarm over the resurgence of cabal under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration which was disbanded ‎during the tenure of former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.

This was just as they alleged that the federal government was about to be defrauded to the tune of N46 billion in a fertilizer production agreement entered into by the federal government of Nigeria.

The stakeholders, who are representatives of three groups the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers‎ Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Organic Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (OFSAN), and Inorganic Fertilizer Suppliers and Producers Association of Nigeria (IFSPAN), made the disclosure while briefing newsmen at the National Assembly, Abuja.

Felix Okonti who led a four-man delegation said ‎the cabal which regrouped under the present administration had perfected plans to monopolize the production and sales of fertilizer in the country following a recent partnership between the federal government and Morocco on chemical fertilizer production to boost agriculture in Nigeria.

Okonti alleged that a governor (names withheld) was a major player in plot to defraud the federal government, called on the Senate committee on Agriculture and Rural Development to immediately investigate the agreement between Nigeria and Morocco.

He went on: “The process leading to the signing of some of these Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) were not made known to most stakeholders, but we’re actually open to non-stakeholders out of the agric sector of our economy. Why is that so in this government of Change?

“The federal ministry ‎of agriculture and rural development, the Senate and House of Representative committees on Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as stakeholders are in the dark while the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NISA) have been in the know with several secret meetings held. In whose interest is that level of non-transparency? And by our calculations, the federal government will be sleazed about N46 billion naira and the farmers will carry the brunt.”
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He added that Central Bank and NIRSAL have since created the national anchor borrowers programme, while the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies and departments have been relegated to the background.

Okonti also lamented that the modalities for the‎ attainment of the perceived benefits of these MOUS have remained non-transparent with a very negative tendency of creating fertilizer monopolies to detriment of the majority of stakeholders who have invested hugely in the inorganic and organic fertilizer business.

Agriculture stakeholders allege re-emergence of fertilizer cabal

Aubameyang attributes AFCON ouster to poor preparation (Read full details)

Gabon's forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reacts at the end of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group A football match between Cameroon and Gabon at the Stade de l'Amitie Sino-Gabonaise in Libreville on January 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS

• Gabon’s coach Camacho gutted by exit

Gabon were stronger than the other teams in their Africa Cup of Nations finals group but were undone by poor preparations, leading forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang said yesterday as the hosts headed out of the competition.

“We had everything to qualify, we had chances. Unfortunately, there are days where it does not work out, like my first opportunity two metres from the goal,” Aubameyang said of a golden early opportunity in Sunday’s final Group A game against Cameroun.

It ended goalless to add to two other draws for the hosts, who were the first home side eliminated in the first round of the Nations Cup for 23 years.

“We struck the post, the goalkeeper made an array of saves. I think we’ve been stronger than the other teams in the group,” Aubameyang said.

“But the preparation, the change of coach, it was not easy, we started late,” lamented the Borussia Dortmund player.

Gabon fired Jorge Costa, the former Portuguese international, 70 days before the tournament started and appointed Jose-Antonio Camacho to replace him with only one month to go.

“It’s all very disappointing because I think we were growing in power. The last two games, we were not bad, each player gave everything.

It’s frustrating when you make the efforts but the conditions are not there to make a great tournament,” Aubameyang added.

Aubameyang, who scored in the opening two games, admitted that his own contribution could have been better.

“I know there was a lot of expectation around me,” he said. “I’m not entirely satisfied with my performances, I think I could have brought a little more. Sure I scored two goals but I wasn’t at 100 percent.”

Gabon next host Cote d’Ivoire in August in a 2018 World Cup qualifier.

Meanwhile, Gabon coach Jose Antonio Camacho has sent a passionate appeal to the Gabonese fans asking for forgiveness for failing to qualify for the quarterfinals.

A visibly shaken Camacho who took over the helm in December just a month to the tournament said he was disappointed for having failed to take the team to the last 8 despite his team playing extremely well in all the three matches.

Camacho also was bold enough to praise Cameroon for qualifying for the quarterfinals after the hard fought draw.

“It’s a sad day for me and I want to sincerely apologise to the entire country for failing to qualify for the quarter finals. We played very well in all our three group matches but we were just unlucky “Camacho told supersport.com

“It is a very difficult time for the players and especially that we were the hosts and you could see how emotional they were but again that’s football we have to accept the results “he added.

Prodded to suggest what would be his next step after being eliminated Camacho brushed off the question “we have to start again and move on I have my long term plans for Gabon after AFCON though the players have to take a break now, “he concluded.

Aubameyang attributes AFCON ouster to poor preparation

FG moves to tackle graft at Nigerian ports (Read full details)

Maritime

The Federal Government plans to instal anti-corruption mechanisms at Nigerian ports to tackle fraudulent and criminal activities.

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, said at the weekend that the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption would soon open an office in the NPA in line with a report submitted by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) on the corruption index in ports administration.

Usman, who is also a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, affirmed that the Authority would embark on strong anti-corruption measures in 2017.

The NPA boss, who visited major customs agents and freight forwarders at the weekend, assured that the authority would interact more with stakeholders in 2017, to keep abreast with happenings at the various ports.

To this end, she said the NPA would introduce quarterly stakeholders’ meetings to know what is on ground at the ports, and be better informed on the plight of operators. Usman also acknowledged the need to block revenue leakages.

The National President of ANLCA, Olayiwola Shittu charged the NPA MD to address some of the problems at the ports, which include: corruption, bad roads and high port charges at the port leading to un-competitiveness of Nigerian ports, compared to neighbouring West African ports.

“We want to appeal to you to use your God-given approach to battle corruption at the ports,” he said.

FG moves to tackle graft at Nigerian ports