₦airaland Forum

SystemSpecs, Africa’s leading financial, human resources and e-commerce software technology giant, has extended the deadline for submission of entries for the 2022 Children’s Day Essay Competition till April 29, 2022.

According to Oluwasegun Adesanya, Group Head, Corporate Services, SystemSpecs, the extension is in response to the call by many participants, parents, proprietors of schools and other stakeholders from across the country who claim the second term holidays and overlapping activities have challenged the adequate supervision and coordination of entries’ submission.

Existing in two categories – Junior (age 9-12 years) and Senior (age 13-16 years), the Competition is open to primary and secondary school students who are to write on the 2022 topic, “Improving the Quality of Education in Nigeria through Technology.” All entries are to be submitted through the competition portal, www.systemspecs.com.ng/2022essay. Only submissions made through this portal are valid.

Entries into the junior category should not exceed 1,000 words, while the senior category should not exceed 1,500 words. Essays must reflect participants’ original ideas, devoid of plagiarism, written in English and endorsed by an accredited school official, parent, or legal guardian.
According to Adesanya, “the school that produces the most number of top winning entries in the junior and senior categories would be rewarded with 10 and 20 high-capacity personal computers, respectively, aside from other benefits.”

The top 3 individual winners in both categories will win high capacity laptops, topnotch headphones, free uLesson coding certificate courses, monthly 40 gigabyte Internet data for 1 year, travel suitcases, unique keepsake hoodies, school bags and much more. They will also gain automatic admission to the SystemSpecs National Summer Coding Camp.

The uLesson Coding Certificate Courses for the 3 top winners in each category are the product of a recent collaboration between SystemSpecs and uLesson Coding School, a frontline ed-tech startup that provides high quality, affordable and accessible online coding classes. “uLesson Coding School, in addition to other prizes, will not only equip participants with hands-on relevant technology skills but also help to unleash their creative minds,” Adesanya added.

In recognition of SystemSpecs’ 30th anniversary celebration, there shall be 30 honour roll awardees in 2022 against 20 in prior years. Honour roll awardees are essay winners whose scores are in the very top bracket among participants.
In its third year, the Competition aims to provide Nigerian children with an opportunity to contribute to addressing national issues through technology-led thinking and initiatives.

Some winners of the past editions include Onuoha-Okoro N. David of St Anthony Grammar School (Private), Esure, Ijebu Imushin, Ogun state; Kalu Derrick Ugochukwu of Fosla Academy, Karshi, Abuja; Chetachi Best Mbalu of Lagooz College, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos; and Uchenna Rita Ohiaeri of Queensland Academy, Okota, Lagos for the junior and senior categories of the 2020 and 2021 competitions respectfully.

The organiser of the Competition, SystemSpecs, is a 30-year-old pioneer in financial and human capital technology solutions and services developed in Nigeria for the rest of Africa. The firm recently spun off its operations into two subsidiaries – Remita Payment Services Limited (RPSL) and SystemSpecs Technology Services Limited (STSL).

Exactly.Oil dey your head.

Sadr:
It is time for the UN to be disbanded just like those before it or better still the US should be kicked out for the organisation to be taken serious.

IN YOUR DREAMS

VictorUSA:
This isn't working out in any time soon.Russia and China should be removed from the UN permanent security council and be replaced with other countries.

VictorUSA:
The US only liberated those countries from the hands of chronic dictators just as it's about to liberate Russia through proxy.

Wake up and smell the coffee man. You are being manipulated

VictorUSA:
Nothing great in this.India is becoming increasingly close to Russia and that's bad.

Please shut up your dirty mouth there. I thought US said the whole world has condemned Russia. Turns out Russia still has friends.

This Ukrainian war is 40% military war and 60% media war and it seems the better liar will win the hearts of people while the better military side will win the actual war. In the end we may never know the actual truth of the war. Both Ukraine and the West on one side, and Russia on the other side, are lying. However, the west has more capacity to lie given the huge capacity of their media, which completely supports Ukraine. I see that Russia is gradually stepping up its own propaganda and I will encourage them

Ukraine’s economic output will likely contract by a staggering 45.1% this year as Russia’s invasion has shuttered businesses, slashed exports and destroyed productive capacity, the World Bank said on Sunday in a new assessment of the war’s economic impacts.

The World Bank also forecast Russia’s 2022 GDP output to fall 11.2% due to punishing financial sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies on Russia’s banks, state-owned enterprises and other institutions.

The World Bank’s Eastern Europe region, comprising Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, is forecast to show a GDP contraction of 30.7% this year, due to shocks from the war and disruption of trade.

For Ukraine, the World Bank report estimates that over half of the country’s businesses are closed, while others still open are operating at well under normal capacity. The closure of Black Sea shipping from Ukraine has cut off some 90% of the country’s grain exports and half of its total exports.

The World Bank expects Ukraine’s economic output to be cut almost by half, as Russia’s invasion of the country has shut or destroyed businesses and cut off its maritime shipping.

More than half of Ukraine’s businesses are closed, while others still open are operating at well under normal capacity, the World Bank said. The closure of Black Sea shipping from Ukraine has cut off some 90% of the country’s grain exports and half of its total exports.

Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Twitter that he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, marking the first in-person meeting between Putin and a European Union leader since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

Nehammer visited Ukraine and met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday. Austria has been providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the war.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/10/russia-ukraine-live-updates.html

Newly engaged Nollywood star, Rita Dominic was spotted recently at the premiere of the documentary, ‘Earth Women,’ mingling with prominent personalities in entertainment, media, business and government. The 45 year-old actress’s engagement to Fidelis Anosike, founder of Folio Media Group, has been confirmed by several media sources and she has revealed something about her upcoming wedding. The veteran thespian has finally found the love of her life and fans cannot wait to know the date and venue of the wedding.

Earth Woman is a docudrama that explores the plight of women living in areas impacted by extractive activities, including oil and gas exploration and mining. The premiere was held alongside the third Community and Human Rights (CAHR) Awards, which honours individuals and organisations contributing selflessly to community development and inclusion in Africa; both initiatives of CSR-in-Action Advocacy, the development-focused arm of the CSR-in-Action Group.

The grand event had in attendance, prominent personalities from business, entertainment, the media and the public sectors. Prominent guests at the event include the Erelu Kuti of Lagos, HRM Abiola Dosunmu; Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji; Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Lere Odusote; Lead Pastor, The Elevation Church, Godman Akinlabi; Founder, Erinla Ecosystem, Yomi Awobokun; CEO, Landwey, Olawale Ayilara; and Managing Director of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Nigeria, Tokunboh George -Taylor.

Read more: https://www.todaysecho.com/entertainment/what-rita-dominic-said-about-her-upcoming-wedding-at-the-earth-women-premiere/

Russia already announced that it was withdrawing. How does this translate to Ukrainian troops liberating those territories and inflicting damages on Russian troops. The current narrative in the west does not favour Ukrainian civilians who are the real victims of this war. Russia invaded your land and you accuse it of committing untold atrocities but claimed you are winning. after Russia has seized territories it decides to listen to pleas and withdraws for the sake of peace yet you keep saying you are killing the Russians. Do you want them to vex and return?

Africa’s foremost sustainability consulting and advocacy outfit, CSR-in-Action, is set to premiere its expository docudrama, ‘Earth Women’, as part of its drive to tell the stories of women affected by the activities of the extractive industries in Nigeria and empower them.

Funded by Ford Foundation, the 30-minute documentary explores the brutal impact of extractive activities such as oil exploration and mining, on women in communities where those activities are taking place. It also addresses issues such as Gender-Based Violence (GBV), discrimination, oppression, health and safety, rape, prostitution, economic disadvantage, and other challenges faced by women in artisanal mining and exploration.
“Women are often the worst victims of the adverse effects of mining and oil and gas exploration, but their stories have remained largely untold because their voices are often silenced in male-dominated societies,” said Bekeme Masade-Olowola, Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action and the documentary’s Executive Director, “Earth Women is aimed at educating and driving the Nigerian leadership and populace into taking systemic action on social issues such as gender discrimination and gender-based violence in extractive communities.”

According to Masade-Olowola, who visualised the concept for the documentary, it is the result of almost two years of hard work; researching, navigating dangerous terrains, and having very difficult conversations. “As an African woman and reformer, I embrace my calling to use storytelling to bring focus to issues that matter to us most in Africa. No one but us must tell those stories in our own voice”.
“Earth Women is a thrilling exposé on challenges and discrimination faced by women within the extractive communities,” said Dolapo Adeleke, award-winning filmmaker and the documentary’s creative director.

Adeleke, whose 60 minutes Valentine's Day Digital film, PLAN B, won Best East African Film at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards 2019, added that, “There are disturbing revelations and eerie tales told by the women who live in these communities and have faced generational marginalisation and discrimination. This docudrama unearths their struggles and aims to highlight very important issues that have continued to plague women and children even in these supposed modern times.”

Earth Women, also executive-produced by veteran thespian, Ego Boyo and communication expert, Meka Olowola, is part of the ‘SITEI-Woman’ project, a series of initiatives targeted at empowering women, especially those impacted by the extractive industries in Nigeria, while SITEI-Woman itself, is an offshoot of 10-year-old Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) Initiative, of CSR-in-Action which is aimed at fostering fiscal and social justice for communities with oil and gas and mining resources.

CSR-in-Action will alongside the docudrama premiere host the third Community and Human Rights (CAHR) Awards, which honours individuals and organisations contributing selflessly to social justice and community development and inclusion in Africa. The awards were postponed from 2021 due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The awards are in seven categories, each dedicated to a historically prominent personality. Categories include the Ken Saro-Wiwa Environmental Management Award, MKO Abiola Community Engagement Award, Hajiya Gambo Sawaba Community Impact Award, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Human Rights Award, Aminu Kano Leadership Award, Josephine Nkemdilim Equal Rights Award, and Apostle Hayford Alile Humanitarian Award. Past award winners include Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote; Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu; and Agip Oil Company Ltd.

The CAHR Awards 2021 jurors include popular rapper and community activist, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens known as Ruggedman; community organiser and women rights activist, Emem Okon; radio personality and musicologist of Classic FM, Sola Mogaji; renowned communications expert, Tokunbo George-Taylor; Chairman/Council member, Mining Solid Minerals Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Otunba Engr. Babatunde Alatise; and Community Development Specialist, Dr. Mina Ogbanga.

Watch the documentary trailer:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt_2Qj4ajuQ

The Elevation Church (TEC), a non-denominational Christian ministry, says it did not invest in Imagine Global Solutions Limited, a lending company.
There have been rumours on social media that the church allegedly invested N500 million in the scheme, but the church said “there is no iota of truth” in the speculations.

Reports had alleged that one Bamise Ajetumobi and Elizabeth Ajetunmobi, his wife, founders of Imagine Global, fled with billions of naira belonging to their investors.

The company claimed to be among microfinance institutions licenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Similarly, PiggyVest, an online savings platform, was linked to Imagine Global — but the company swiftly denied the reports.

In a statement, the trustees of The Elevation Church urged the public to disregard the report.

They emphasised that the church has no business interest or any investment whatsoever in Imagine Global.
“The attention of the Trustees of The Elevation Church has been drawn to an online news item purporting to directly link The Elevation Church (TEC) with a company known as Imagine Global Solutions Ltd (Imagine Lenders) as an investor; with an alleged investment sum of five hundred million naira,” the statement reads.

“We would ordinarily not respond or indeed join issues on such matters in the media. However, to prevent the public from misconstruing the silence of the Church as an admission of the unfounded publication, we, recognising the Church’s moral and legal obligation of accountability, probity and transparency in the conduct of her affairs, have decided to provide this response.

“The Elevation Church is an Incorporated Trustee registered under the extant Companies and Allied Matters Act (‘CAMA’) with the object of charities and the advancement of the kingdom of God.

“In other words, the mandate of the Church for the past eleven years of existence has been centred around the propagation of the gospel of Christ and meeting the spiritual and physical needs of members and non-members through charitable outreaches and programmes.

“It is in view of the foregoing that we refute in its entirety the publication that the Church has any business interest or investment in Imagine Global Solutions Ltd.

“We urge the public to totally disregard the report as there is no iota of truth in the publication. The Elevation Church has no such investment, whatsoever.”

https://www.thecable.ng/like-piggyvest-the-elevation-church-denies-investing-n500m-in-imagine-global

To attend this seminar, register for free at:
https://tlp.org.ng/

You can also call 09062634118 for more info

Renowned American Leadership coach and Human Resource consultant, Liz Wiseman and a host of top Nigerian business strategists will share insights on strategies for growth and productivity with Nigerian business leaders and top professionals at the second West African Business Leaders’ Summit (WABLS), taking place virtually on September 29, 2021.

Themed, ‘The Multiplier Effect’ and organized by The Leadership Project (TLP) in collaboration with Zenera Consulting, the seminar will examine strategies by which current and aspiring business leaders and professionals can grow their productivity and influence by empowering those around them.

Liz Wiseman is a researcher, author and executive advisor who teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the author of New York Times bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. Based in the Silicon Valley, her firm, the Wiseman Group, provides leadership research and development to a wide range of clients including Apple, AT&T, Disney, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Nike, Salesforce, Tesla, and Twitter.

At the WABLS, Wiseman will be joined by some of Nigeria’s most brilliant business strategists, including renowned branding expert and Chairman, Zenera Group, Meka Olowola; writer and CEO of Touchstone Limited, Tunde Ojo; human resource expert and Divisional Director, Human Resources at Leadway Assurance, Kunbi Adeoti; Management Consultant and social innovator, Leonard Thomas; and Director of Administration & Communication for Vision International.

“At the upcoming second WABLS, business leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals will gain insights on how to be a multiplier. As a multiplier, you will use your skills to amplify and inspire people around you, to become better and do their best work thereby growing your organization by giving room to your staff to bring out their best in achieving the overall goal of your organization,” said Piboere Okukulade, who will be moderating the sessions.

According to Meka Olowola, who is one of the panelists, the leader who achieves the most is the one who makes all the people around them leaders.

“Helping others around us to realize and maximize their creativity is one of the key strategies for increasing productivity. Join me and other business strategists as we unravel the ‘Multiplier Effect’ , together at this upcoming business discourse,” Olowola added.

The Leadership Project is an international consortium of project managers and think tanks, powered by the Global Leadership Network (GLN). The Leadership Project aims to bridge the leadership gap in Africa, especially from the perspective of the private sector by vouchsafing stakeholders with the requisite tools for first-rate growth.

https://businessday.ng/companies/article/liz-wiseman-top-business-strategists-to-converge-for-leadership-project/

Join one of the world's leading human resource management experts alongside some of Nigeria's most brilliant business strategists, to learn how to grow your business by building those around you. This free online seminar is being sponsored by the Global Leadership Summit (GLS). Hurry now and register! Limited slots available.

Theme: The Multiplier Effect
Date: 29th September 2021
Venue: Virtual (Big Marker)

Register for free at:
www.tlp.org.ng

Renowned American Leadership coach and Human Resource consultant, Liz Wiseman and a host of top Nigerian business strategists will share insights on strategies for growth and productivity with Nigerian business leaders and top professionals at the second West African Business Leaders’ Summit (WABLS), taking place virtually on September 29, 2021.

Themed, ‘The Multiplier Effect’ and organized by The Leadership Project (TLP) in collaboration with Zenera Consulting, the seminar will examine strategies by which current and aspiring business leaders and professionals can grow their productivity and influence by empowering those around them.

Liz Wiseman is a researcher, author and executive advisor who teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the author of New York Times bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. Based in the Silicon Valley, her firm, the Wiseman Group, provides leadership research and development to a wide range of clients including Apple, AT&T, Disney, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Nike, Salesforce, Tesla, and Twitter.

At the WABLS, Wiseman will be joined by some of Nigeria’s most brilliant business strategists, including renowned branding expert and Chairman, Zenera Group, Meka Olowola; writer and CEO of Touchstone Limited, Tunde Ojo; human resource expert and Divisional Director, Human Resources at Leadway Assurance, Kunbi Adeoti; Management Consultant and social innovator, Leonard Thomas; and Director of Administration & Communication for Vision International.

“At the upcoming second WABLS, business leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals will gain insights on how to be a multiplier. As a multiplier, you will use your skills to amplify and inspire people around you, to become better and do their best work thereby growing your organization by giving room to your staff to bring out their best in achieving the overall goal of your organization,” said Piboere Okukulade, who will be moderating the sessions.

According to Meka Olowola, who is one of the panelists, the leader who achieves the most is the one who makes all the people around them leaders.

“Helping others around us to realize and maximize their creativity is one of the key strategies for increasing productivity. Join me and other business strategists as we unravel the ‘Multiplier Effect’ , together at this upcoming business discourse,” Olowola added.


About The Leadership Project (TLP)
The Leadership Project is an international consortium of project managers and think tanks, powered by the Global Leadership Network (GLN). The Leadership Project aims to bridge the leadership gap in Africa, especially from the perspective of the private sector by vouchsafing stakeholders with the requisite tools for first-rate growth.

sapientia:
The #ENDSARS protesters on the list might boycot the award

You cant list them with ACCESS BANK

A completely coward Bank that might have some dirty secrets

If not, i dont know why they would freeze people's account without a valid court order.

They are clowns.

No. I doubt if they will. Awards like this are usually based on public nomination and votes. The same people that chosed access bank are the ones that chosed Aisha Yesufu. There must be something they see in the bank, especially its sustainability footprints.

This is serious. You can imagine how much the company would have lost after mistakenly grounding their aircraft. NCAA should not only lift the suspension, they should also return the money they have lost. Nonsense!

Zimbabwe has awarded a concession to explore for and mine platinum to a company linked to a Nigerian billionaire as the country speeds up investment in a mining sector it hopes will transform the country's struggling economy.

The concession comes just over a year after President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government signed an agreement with Cyprus-based Karo Resources to develop a $4.2 billion integrated platinum mine.

Zimbabwe is seeking to quickly exploit its reserves of platinum, which is used in catalytic converters for limiting emissions at a time vehicle manufacturers are moving to electric cars powered by lithium batteries.

The information ministry said Bavura Holdings, in which Nigerian billionaire Benedict Peters is a major shareholder, would on Thursday sign an agreement to mine platinum on Zimbabwe's mineral-rich Greak Dyke. It did not give details.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-7061609/Zimbabwe-awards-platinum-concession-firm-linked-Nigerian-billionaire.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Peters, who is based in Ghana, is the founder of Aiteo Group, which has interests in oil.
Mines Minister Winston Chitando said last month the government would name two new investors to develop separate platinum mining projects west of the capital.

Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum Holdings already mine platinum in Zimbabwe. Impala also owns a joint-venture mine with Sibanye-Stillwater.

A Russian consortium and Zimbabwean investors are developing a platinum project in Darwendale near Harare.

Many are feared dead after operatives of the supposedly disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad shot live bullets at protesting supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) at a collation centre in Rivers state.

Today’s Echo gathers that a PDP agent has been confirmed dead from the incident

A highly disturbing video shared on social media by the PDP shows protesting young men and heavily armed police men threatening them, Suddenly, hell is let lose as the scary sound of unending gunfire continued for several seconds.

“Make una leave here. make una go home!” a voice rings out in the background.

As the gunfire dies down, a young man, apparently a PDP agent, is seen lying down, gasping for breathe as fellow young men rushed to carry him to the hospital.

See video here:
http://www.todaysecho.com/crime/many-feared-dead-as-sars-operatives-shoot-people-at-rivers-collation-centrevideo/

The incidence that occurred on Saturday, March 2 in Nembe Community, Bayelsa state may have been caused by a breach, fresh reports have revealed.

On Saturday, there were media reports that an oil pipeline had exploded in Nembe with scores of people missing.
However, subsequent media reports indicate that the incidence was not a pipeline explosion but a fire at an oil well in the area, which had been quelled with no loss of lives.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), had on Saturday, said it has no record of any pipeline explosion in the Niger Delta.
“I have cross-checked with our downstream unit that manages our pipelines and they said that they didn’t have such records,” Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC’s Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Nigerian energy giant, Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCo), which operates the Nembe Creek Trunk Line corroborated NNPC’s statement.

In a statement signed by its management and released to the media, Aiteo said the Saturday, March 2 incidence was a fire in its oil well, and not a pipeline explosion as earlier stated in the initial media reports.

“On 2 March 2019, a suspected explosion occurred within the vicinity of Nembe Creek Well 7, behind Mile 1 community in Bayelsa State, which is not too far from Nembe field logistics base (FLB). This incident did not occur at or involve any part of the NCTL or other pipelines,” Aiteo stated

Aiteo also debunked earlier reports that many people were missing or feared dead and that the incidence caused serious damage to the community.
“Preliminary investigations confirm that there were no fatalities; human incidents or damage to community property. All the wells and facilities in the immediate vicinity have been inspected and secured. It is important to note that prior to this incident, all facilities have been shut down since 28 of February 2019 due to NCTL outage.”

Meanwhile, as investigations continue on the source of the fire, an anonymous source close to Aiteo has revealed that third party infraction is strongly suspected.

“Although investigations are still ongoing, many people strongly suspect a breach. The explosion was not from a pipeline but from a flow station in the oil well, and the valves were intact. Judging from the point of explosion, only a third-party infraction could have been responsible,” the source said

Aiteo’s press statement also hints at the possibility of a breach.
“Full investigations to determine the cause of the fire and, in particular, to determine whether this may have been caused by third-party infractions, remain ongoing. These investigations are being pursued with the utmost urgency and have been given the highest priority,” part of the statement from reads.

Fires at oil facilities, arising from oil theft and with huge losses to oil companies and the government, are common in the Niger Delta.

In May 2014, the former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in one of her numerous appearances at the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Appropriation/Finance in Abuja stated:

“We are losing revenue; 400,000 barrels of crude oil are lost on a daily basis due to illegal bunkering, vandalism and production shut-in.”

Her words: “I have to clarify that it is not as if the entire 400,000 barrels is stolen, no. What happens is that whenever the pipelines are attacked and oil is taken, there is a total shutdown. All the quantity of oil produced for that day will be lost because it means government cannot sell it and it means a drop in revenue.”

http://www.todaysecho.com/business/third-party-infraction-suspected-in-nembe-incidence/

Nigerian energy giant, Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCo) has successfully quelled a fire in the vicinity of its Nembe Creek Well-7, thereby averting danger to the communities in the area.

The fire started in the early hours of Friday March 1, 2019behind Mile 1 community in Bayelsa State.

According to sources close to the site, Aiteo responded to emergency calls from the community and mobilized its team to the area. It was later discovered that the fire was caused by an explosion at the oil company’s Well-7, which produces about 3,500 barrels per day. The fire went out around 1:30 pm on Friday, dousing the panic earlier generated by the incidence in the community.

Initial reports in the press claimed that scores of people were missing in the incidence, which caused tension among the indigenes of the communities in the area.

http://www.todaysecho.com/features/aiteo-puts-nembe-creek-fire-under-control-with-no-lives-lost/

However, according to a source close to the company, who spoke from the area, the initial media reports on the incidence were untrue.
“Although we are still investigating the cause of the fire, what has been reported in the media is largely false and misleading. We have confirmed from the community that no lives were lost, no property was damaged, and nobody is missing,” the source said.

”Fortunately for the company, the fire was at a location where there were no human elements and other assets belonging to the community. The fire was pretty much under control within a few hours without damage to anyone. The report in the media alluding to loss of life is just sensational reporting,” the source added.

These assertions have also been corroborated by some members of the community, who blamed the media reports on some unscrupulous individuals.
“Aiteo is trying its best and has always done so to have a cordial working relationship with the community. Contrary to the earlier media reports, we have not recorded any deaths in this incidence. However, there will be certain elements who have criminalized these things and will continue to look for ways to siphon money through them,” a community member who pleaded anonymity said.

“Now, things are calm and peaceful, and the company is free to carry on work as usual. I’m sure any moment from now the facility will be working as they usually move fast to fix these things,” he added.

Crude oil and gas fires, mostly caused by theft and pipeline sabotage and leading to huge losses for oil companies and the government, are quite common in the Niger Delta

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, speaking at an event on 15 April 2016, estimated that around 250,000 barrels of oil was stolen daily. Even at the time, the value of that level of theft, on a daily basis, was approximately N5 Billion.
In February 2007, the Egwa Flow station in Warri South local government council area of Delta State, was gutted by fire when an Oil Well Head went up in flames

Militants fighting for a larger share of the country’s oil resources have also been involved in setting fires to oil installations. In October 2016, attackers set fire to a crude oil pipeline near Ughelli in Delta state, threatening more attacks until their conditions are met.

The Court of Southern District of New York has summoned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)’s powerful head of crude oil marketing, Mele Kyari, who is representing the government petroleum giant in a suit against it by two of the world’s largest oil companies.
A prolific offshore oil block; Oil Mining Lease (OML) 133 is the source of the unending dispute between an alliance of two international oil giants; ExxonMobil and Shell, and the NNPC.

The Dispute
As is usual in Nigeria’s upstream oil sector, the duo is in a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with the NNPC, aimed at the exploration of oil from OML 133. In these contracts, tax is paid in form of oil, lifted by the NNPC as proceeds to the Nigerian government. Also, under these arrangements, the NNPC is the holder of the concession while the International Oil Companies (IOC) are the contractors.

ExxonMobil and Shell are accusing NNPC of breaching the contract by over lifting tax oil from OML 133.They have dragged the NNPC before the court of southern district of New York to enforce what they see as their right to a $2.5 billion claim from a Court of Arbitration’s judgement on the case in October 2011.

According to a legal report on the issue, the Contractors initiated arbitration against NNPC in 2011 on the basis that the Corporation was lifting more tranches of oil (including Tax oil) than it was entitled to lift under the lifting allocation prepared by the Contractors, and that the Corporation had unilaterally prepared and submitted Petroleum Profit Tax(PPT) returns to the FIRS in breach of PSC.
The contractors demanded that NNPC stop further wrongful over-lifting and refund the over-lifted crude oil to them.
In October 2011, the Arbitration tribunal sitting in Abuja ordered the NNPC, and by extension the Nigerian government, to pay $2.5 billion to the duo.

After several years of suits and countersuits, a Nigerian Court of Appeal suspended the judgement in March 2017 on the basis that it was not a contractual issue, but an issue related to tax, and is therefore, not within the jurisdiction of the court of arbitration. Not satisfied with this judgement, ExxonMobil and Shell took their case to New York.

OML 133
OML 133, formerly Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 209, is located in the western part of the Niger Delta, approximately 100 kilometres offshore. The block contains three deep-water oil fields: Erha Erha North and Bosi.

In 1993, the NNPC awarded the block, known then as Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 209, to Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL), a subsidiary of ExxonMobil. Today, OML 133 is jointly operated by EEPNL and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
Findings show that EEPNL has a 56.25 per cent working interest in the block while SPDC holds 47.75 per cent.
“Development has focussed on Erha and Erha North, which comprise subsea wells tied-back to the Erha floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. Production began in March 2006, and Erha North started producing in October 2006, “a Wood Mackenzie report stated.

In 2015, EEPNL started producing from Erha North Phase 2, which includes seven wells from three drill centres tied back to the existing Erha North FPSO vessel, reducing additional infrastructure requirements. In 2017, the media reported that Erha North Phase 2 has added 65,000 bpd to Nigeria’s oil production.

http://www.todaysecho.com/exclusive/new-york-court-summons-nnpc-in-2-5b-shell-exxonmobil-tax-suit/

Oil Majors Take Case to New York
ExxonMobil and Shell have hired arbitration specialist, Elizabeth Snodgrass as they ramp up their case against the NNPC in New York.
Today’s Echo gathers that Snodgrass, who is an international specialist in the fields of energy and mining, has worked for the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Snodgrass is partner at Three Crowns, an American law firm after joining in October 2017. She had previously worked for about 14 years in another law firm; Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer.
According to our sources, Snodgrass had also represented the two oil majors in the previous case at the court of arbitration in 2011.
One of the first things the oil majors aim to prove is that American courts have the jurisdiction to make the NNPC pay out.

To prove that their case against the Nigerian state-owned firm falls under US jurisdiction, the duo has submitted new items to the court. These include three archives of payment orders NNPC had sent to oil companies; Sahara Energy, Trafigura and Tridax Energy between 2011 and 2014. They have also presented evidences that the sums NNPC paid corresponds to taxes and royalties received from the Erha oilfield located on OML 133, the files show that the corporation asked buyers to pay the money directly to a JP Morgan account in New York.

They have also called into question, the independence of Nigeria’s courts, citing the case of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, who was suspended by the president in January.

Meanwhile, NNPC is also fighting back. To refute the American court’s competence, NNPC’s legal defence submitted a memorandum to the court stating that the majors had been unable to identify any transaction connected to OML 133.
As the parties in the suit await the New York Court’s judgement, experts are watching keenly while the NNPC continues to attract more scrutiny to its dealings with the IOCs.

Moroccan-born Rachid Benmessaoud of the World Bank is the person supervising the administration of $322 million recovered Abacha loot, Today’s Echo has gathered.

Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, when he died of Cardiac arrest. His five years regime is probably the most oppressive in Nigeria’s history. Many politicians, activists and journalists were killed, allegedly on the orders of Abacha or some of his subordinates.

Abacha’s regime was also probably the most corrupt, with hundreds of millions of dollars in oil money stashed away in Swiss bank accounts. During Abacha’s regime, he and his family reportedly embezzled between $2 billion and $5 billion from the country’s coffers. In 2004, Abacha was listed as the fourth most corrupt leader in history, right next to Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, according to Wikipedia.

Most the funds were looted through Abacha’s national security adviser, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, who made fake fund requests which he approved. The money was then taken to Abacha’s house in cash or cheque and Mohammed Sada, his friend laundered them to foreign accounts.

Subsequent Nigerian governments after Abacha have insisted on getting back the looted money that had been stashed in these overseas accounts without success.

In August 2014, the United States department of Justice announced the return of $480 million to the Nigerian government. This money had been labelled as proceeds of corruption by Sani Abacha and other Nigerians.

However, it had been more difficult to repatriate the funds stacked in Switzerland because of the European country’s financial secrecy policy.
Nevertheless, in March 2016, The Swiss Government signed an agreement with the Nigerian government under president Muhammadu Buhari to repatriate a sum of $322 million. The money was then transferred to the Bank for International Settlement (BIS) and subsequently to an account at the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN).

Rachid Benmessaoud
According to our sources, World Bank’s Country Director for Africa, Morroccan- born Rachid Benmessaoud has been appointed by the institution to supervise the spending of the money. This makes it impossible for the Nigerian government to make use of the money without his consent.

Although it is unlikely that Benmessaoud’s nationality will influence his administration of the money, there has been increased tension between Nigeria and Morocco in recent times. Morocco is trying to join the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), a move opposed by Nigerian diplomats.

According to the World Bank, Rachid Benmessaoud joined the Bank in 1990 as an Energy Planner in the then Europe, Middle East and North Africa Vice Presidency. Since then, he has held various positions in the Bank, with his most recent assignment as Country Director for Pakistan in the South Asia Region.

“In this new position, Benmessaoud’s priorities will be to lead the World Bank Nigeria country team to continue to improve the impact of the Bank’s large portfolio in Nigeria in supporting the government’s development priorities including education, the power sector, and trade and regional integration, work with the Government of Nigeria to further consolidate macroeconomic gains by improving budget allocation as well as the quality of public spending, and lead and support staff in implementing the priorities of the new Africa Strategy while adjusting to corporate realities and opportunities,” a statement on the international institution’s website says.

In July 2018, Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo described how the recovered fund would be redistributed to poor Nigerians under the Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme.

Today’s Echo understands that Benmessaoud had given the go ahead for $33 million to be issued to Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance in October 2018.

http://www.todaysecho.com/exclusive/meet-the-moroccan-overseeing-the-spending-of-322-million-recovered-abacha-loot/

Nigerian banking stocks slumped the most since June 2016 a day after the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, as some investors showed disappointment at the defeat of his market-friendly opponent.

An index of Nigeria’s 10 largest banking stocks dropped 4.6 percent by the close in Lagos Thursday, while the country’s benchmark stocks index retreated for a third day.

The Lagos market’s biggest laggers by index points were Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, which dropped 6.9 percent, Zenith Bank Plc, which fell 4 percent and Nigerian Breweries Plc, down 4.5 percent
“We are seeing investors react negatively in the short term” to the election results, Olabisi Ayodeji, an analyst at Exotix Capital, said from Lagos.

Buhari easily won a second term as president of Africa’s biggest oil producer with promises to revive an anemic economy and tackle security
threats including a devastating insurgency by Islamic State. His main opponent, Atiku Abubakar, who was seen as favored by investors, has rejected the results of the weekend vote.


"The legal challenge to last weekend’s vote promised by his main rival, Atiku Abubakar, is the least of his worries. Add to that a listless economy, Islamist State attacks wreaking havoc in the northeast and an explosive cocktail of worsening poverty and rapid population growth," Bloomberg stated in a recent article.


The 76-year-old former general came to power in 2015 on a wave of optimism after becoming Nigeria’s first opposition leader to win at the ballot box, with promises of fighting endemic corruption and ending the economy’s addiction to oil. So far, progress has been slow.

“President Buhari can expect an even briefer honeymoon than he did in 2015,” said Matthew Page, a former U.S. State Department specialist on Nigeria, who’s based in Cambridge, U.K. “Unless Buhari experiences an epiphany and adopts a more dynamic, reform-minded, and business-friendly strategy, we can expect Nigeria’s socioeconomic situation to stagnate during his second term.”

In his first four years, Buhari was a strong proponent of a statist economy. He called on the central bank not to let the naira weaken and made clear he disagreed with the pledges of multimillionaire Abubakar to privatize inefficient and loss-making oil refineries and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., which dominates the local energy industry.

His administration’s drive to clean up business practices brought him into conflict with some foreign companies. South Africa’s MTN Group Ltd. is fighting claims that it owes $2 billion of backdated taxes, which have dragged its shares down. And the government is suing firms including JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc in Europe for what it says was a corrupt oil deal in 2011. All companies deny the allegations.

http://www.todaysecho.com/business/buharis-victory-sparks-fall-in-bank-stocks-unprecedented-since-2016/

Green Book has been named best picture ahead of Black Panther, during an Oscars ceremony that lacked a host but was filled with diversity and historic wins.

Black Panther won in 6 categories, including Best Picture at the SAG Awards, eliciting hopes that the comic adaptation could also win at the Oscars

Green Book, the feelgood comedy drama, starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen and directed by Peter Farrelly, had been dogged by problems during awards season, and some people have questioned the veracity of its supposed true story, about the friendship between pianist Don Shirley and his chauffeur Tony Lip.

Ali also took home the award for best supporting actor, dedicating his win to Shirley, whose family have come out against the film’s portrayal of him. The actor, who also won for Moonlight in 2017, has become the first black man to win the best supporting actor award more than once. Green Book also won the Oscar for best original screenplay.



Roma, the intimate Netflix drama that many had predicted would make Oscars history as the first foreign-language best picture winner, took home three awards, including best director for Alfonso Cuarón. Cuarón’s younger years inspired the film, which tells the story of a domestic worker’s relationship with the family who employs her. “As artists, our job is to look where others don’t,” Cuarón said. “This responsibility becomes even more important at times when we are told to look away.”

Roma became Mexico’s first winner for best foreign language film, while Cuarón also picked up the award for best cinematography. The night was also a game-changing moment for Netflix, containing their biggest Oscar wins to date.

In the night’s other big shock, predicted best actress winner Glenn Close lost out to Olivia Colman for her role as Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos’s dark comedy The Favourite. “It’s genuinely quite stressful,” she said, arriving on stage. “This is hilarious – I’ve won an Oscar!” She thanked co-stars Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, naming them “the two loveliest women in the world to go to work with”. Despite The Favourite entering the night with 10 nominations, it was the only award given to the film.

See the full list of winners here: http://www.todaysecho.com/oscars-green-book-wins-best-picture-ahead-of-black-pantherfull-list-of-winners/

Once again, Nigeria is at the crossroad of history. President Muhammadu Buhari, who broke history as the first opposition figure to unseat a ruling party through the ballot box, is battling to prevent the return of a resurgent PDP; the party he defeated four years ago.

There have been several polls and analyses, including one from Today’s Echo that clearly predicted a win for Atiku Abubakar. The write-up on this publication mentioned brand appeal, party cohesion, and the backing of the international community and former presidents as some of the factors that will guarantee an Atiku win.

What many analysts and citizens fail to realize is that this election is not about Buhari and Atiku, neither is it between APC and PDP. It is between two different ways of doing things. To be succinct; it is between an old, familiar order and a new one that many Nigerians still find difficult to adjust to. This article does not in any way aim to promote Buhari, nor does it excuse some of the misdemeanours of this government, but to describe how things have changed and why it has been difficult for us to change with them.

Before things get better in an already flawed system, they will first get worse. For a long time, the most common method of wealth distribution in Nigeria was through a network of allies and family members in a largely informal manner, creating a black economy that is opaque to scrutiny and promotes nepotism at all levels. This has put pressure on highly-placed government workers to misappropriate funds to satisfy their dependencies, who in turn pump the money back into the economy by patronizing other businesses. A young man without a job for instance, but who has a corrupt relation can live large in this economy and even stimulate the growth of some businesses with his patronage.
This kind of economy is unsustainable and cannot lead Nigeria to self-dependency. It encourages consumerism and is susceptible to external forces, which is why the economy nosedives every time oil prices go down.

When the APC came into power, one of the first things to be implemented was the Treasury Single Account(TSA), which centralizes government revenue and accounting in a way that opens it up for scrutiny. This is one of the greatest threats to the old system of doing things. TSA plugged leakages and made it almost impossible to steal from the treasury. This blocked the magnitude of extra-income for many public officers and forced them to cut down drastically on spending. It also made it difficult for the private sector to bribe public officials. The processes for contracts and licences have become more transparent and this government has produced a new crop of billionaires by merit instead of the briefcase businesses that we saw thriving under the past regimes.

The second thing the government did was to go after past officials that have been involved in fraud. It is only natural that most of the victims would be from PDP; a party that was in power for 16 years. It is also natural that this will have a significant impact on the economy. In the early days of the administration, the economy was plunged into a recession that was caused by many factors including falling oil prices. This was after several years of oil boom under previous PDP regimes. What made the recession worse was the shortage of dollars in the system. As government cracked down heavily on corrupt officials and businessmen, those that had previously stolen huge sums of money and had converted it to dollars refused to spend out to their loot in fear of being hounded for corruption. This is a clear case of corruption fighting back.

Let us get the facts straight; It is true that this government has presided over one of the worst recessions in Nigerian history, but it is also true that it is taking Nigeria out of it. As statistics show, the Nigerian economy has been growing since late 2017. The growth rate is slow, but its climbing steadily. Latest data from the Nigerian Bureau of statistics indicate that growth rate increased to 2.38 per cent in the last quarter(Q4) of 2018 from 1.81 in the Q3 of the same year. The Nigerian economy is also outperforming international media projections. For instance, Bloomberg’s projection for Q4 2018 was 2.10 per cent.

Although it will take a little more time before the effects of these improvements are felt significantly on the streets, we are beginning to see the signs in the rush for employment by corporate organizations at the beginning of 2019. It is just unfortunate that the time when the economy is just picking up has coincides with the elections. With a little patience, Nigerians will soon start enjoying the dividends of a resurgent economy.
It is pertinent to note that I have opted not to use Buhari in my above analysis but use government instead. The biggest problem Nigerians have against Buhari is his personality. Many have used words like austere, aloof, uncharismatic, unintellectual, conservative and rigid to describe the man, who spent several months in and out of the hospital. People say he allowed himself to be controlled by a nepotistic, kleptocratic cabal. This is just an allegation that cannot be proven. What is obvious is that Buhari has left the operation of the economy largely in the hands of a highly efficient deputy called Yemi Osinbajo.

The beauty of democracy is that everything does not have to be in the hands of the president. We are already used to personality-focussed democracy. What is emerging right now is a democracy focussed on building institutions rather than people. Is it not a good thing that Buhari does not interfere with the running of the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and even the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Buhari regime has its security flops and I believe the government must be regretting some of its actions and inactions. It is true that things have deteriorated in some cases. However, things have gotten a lot better in many cases. In 2015, Boko Haram held 17 Local governments across three states. Today, they are not presiding over any. Also, armed robbery has reduced in the urban centres. One of the issues that caused a dent on the image of the government was the poor handling of the farmers-herdsmen clashes in 2018. It is pertinent to note that the framing of reportage by bloggers and some media outfits aggravated the crisis, making it seem like the government supported one side. Since August, 2018, cases of herdsmen attacks have become quite rare.

With his genius, Osinbajo spearheaded what will go down as one of the most economic recovery projects in Nigerian history if allowed to completely unfold. Through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan(ERGP), the economy is gradually coming back. Latest reports from both NBS and the World Bank indicate that the diversification policy of the government is working as the non-oil sector now contributes a bigger quota to the economy. In Q4 2018, non-oil sector grew by 2.7 per cent against 0.76 per cent in Q1 2018. Recession is bad everywhere and would have been worse in Nigeria without pro-active moves from the government; Venezuela is a classic example.

Osinbajo and his economic team have helped to cushion the effect of recession by implementing a massive, innovative set of Social Investment Programmes (SIPs), which include the National Home-Grown School Feeding(NHGSF), Tradermoni, N-power and Conditional Cash Transfers.

Through Tradermoni and its brother, Marketmoni, the Federal government has provided soft, non-collateral loans that can be paid back in bits to over 1.1 million traders and artisans. Under the NHGSF provides jobs for 95,422 cooks, who feed about 9.4 million pupils in 49, 837 schools across the country. Under the N-power scheme, 500,000 youths have been provided internship placements with government stipends in various sectors including construction, education and technology. Under the CCT, the government has spent N15 billion on N1.8 million vulnerable women across 20 states, enhancing the livelihood of 326,000 households.

If you are highly placed, or upwardly mobile, you may not be a beneficiary of these programs because they are not for you. With time, everybody benefits but it is only fair that the most vulnerable in the society benefit first.

This bottoms-up approach to governance is alien to us and differs from the top-first, trickle-down approach we are used to. This election is, therefore, a choice between the two different systems of doing things. We can go back to the old system that rewards the big guys on whose generosity the poor rely? We can also stick to the new, more sustainable system that gives first to the less privileged.

http://www.todaysecho.com/2019-presidential-election-a-case-for-buhari-osinbajo/

Dayo Ifayemi writes from Ibadan

The Senate President and Director of the Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign, Bukola Saraki has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) of plotting to postpone the presidential election rescheduled for February 23.
Saraki, a prominent chieftain of the PDP spoke during a meeting of the PDP National Executive Committee(NEC) at its National headquarters on Monday. The party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and National chairman, Uche Secondus were among prominent party members present at the meeting.
“We know all that drama you saw yesterday, all the Nollywood caucus meeting of APC yesterday, was because they are looking for another postponement. They don’t want election to hold on Saturday,” Saraki said

Watch the video here: http://www.todaysecho.com/apc-held-caucus-meeting-because-they-want-another-postponement-saraki/

Nigerians head to the polls on February 16, 2019 to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice. Despite optimistic conversations about choosing from a new crop of politicians, Nigerians realistically have only two major options available. The battle is between President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Although both candidates come from the North and are septuagenarians, they are different in almost everything else. Buhari is a socialist-oriented conservative who believes in government frugality while Atiku is a liberal capitalist, who favours free market policies. They also have different support bases: Buhari has his stronghold in the North-West and North-East while Atiku is more popular in the South-South and South-East.

One year ago, it would have been easy to conclude that Buhari would be re-elected for a second term but the political calculations have shifted a great deal since the businessman-politician from Adamawa emerged the PDP candidate in October 2018.
Current realities indicate that the two contestants are neck to neck in the contest, which makes this probably the most difficult election to predict in the history of Nigeria.

Today’s Echo examines the 10 major factors that will determine who emerges winner after February 16.

1. Branding
Both candidates have created different themes for their campaigns and have consistently pushed their messages to Nigerians. However, the question remains, which brand has more distinctly communicated its benefits to the Nigerian people?
Buhari’s campaign slogan; ‘Next Level’ resonates well with those who are already supporters of the government. A lot of people believe the government has made significant efforts and therefore, it is time to step things up to the next level. However, statistics and reality have shown that the economy has been in bad shape for the past three years.

Atiku’s campaign slogan ‘Get Nigerian working again’, depicts that all is not certainly well but he is the person who can fix things. His brand also relates with his unique selling points, which are his business experience and liberal disposition.
Atiku’s branding resonates better with those who are not already supporting a particular candidate. This opens up the population of Nigerians who are dissatisfied with the current situation but are not sure who to vote for. To reach this demography, made up majorly of young people, Atiku’s campaign team have been using the Social media. This is probably why his campaign seems to be increasing in momentum.
Verdict: Atiku’s campaign has stronger branding

2. Popularity
It is very difficult to really gauge how popular the two candidates are, especially outside their strongholds. Both of them have been campaigning across the country with huge crowds at their rallies. We have however, seen a shift in response to campaigns by the PDP in recent times, especially in certain areas perceived as APC strongholds. The huge crowd at the Kano rally is a good example.
A Buharimeter poll conducted by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in May 2018 reveals that 40 percent of Nigerians approved of the President’s performance; a decline of 17 percent from 2017. Nevertheless, some presidents in the United States have won re-election with lower ratings. The opposition has also grown in popularity since May 2018 and this is reflected in several recent online polls in which Atiku has defeated Buhari. In a presidential poll conducted by Today’s Echo on its website, 38 per cent of respondents say they are voting for Atiku while 28 per cent say they are voting for Buhari. 34 per cent of the respondents say they are voting for the other candidates.
Verdict: From our observation, Atiku is slightly more popular.

3. State Apparatus
The influence of state institutions is a vital determining factor of elections in Africa. This is clearly an advantage for President Muhammadu Buhari. In Nigeria, past incumbents have won elections partly because they control state institutions, including the military, police, and other law enforcement agencies. This is because of the tendency for people to withdraw in the face of harassment by state forces. Even when they have not been deliberately deployed to harass the opposition, certain members of these state agencies feel it is their duty to protect the incumbent. The degree to which they determine the course of election will be determined by how the government use them. Hopefully, Democracy has grown to the level where state institutions are not deployed to significantly influence elections.
Verdict: Buhari clearly has an edge here.

4. Party Cohesion
The extent to which a party is cohesive and organized is a vital determining factor of its success in elections. Internal strife within the PDP contributed to Goodluck Jonathan’s loss in the 2015 presidential election.
As at May 2017, it was difficult to believe the PDP would even have a chance to give APC a fight. Things have changed since July 2018 when the party held a national convention and chose Uche Secondus as its National Chairman. The party has been experiencing more cohesion since then.
The opposite has been the case for APC, which has been battling with crises since the emergence of Adams Oshiomole as National Chairman. First was the gale of defections which swept many prominent politicians including Abubakar Atiku, Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Aminu Tambuwal to the PDP. Next was the multitude of crises arising from the chaotic gubernatorial primaries. Several APC state chapters including Zamfara, Imo, Ogun, and Rivers now have bitter internal crises that have jeopardised the chances of the party in the governorship elections. Between the candidates, who benefits from these crises in the APC? Your guess is as good as ours.
Verdict: Atiku!

5. Money
Money is a vital factor in election because it is used to obtain resources for the mobilization of electorate. It can also be used in vote buying and bribery of election officials. The two candidates seem to be balanced in this.
Being the incumbent, Buhari and the APC have access to state resources but his austere personality may however, create a restraint on the use of those resources. However, he is supported by several APC governors, including in Lagos, which has the largest internally-generated revenue.
Atiku is one of the richest men in the country and can easily mobilize considerable resources. He is also supported by 15 PDP governors, including some from oil-rich states. Money has not been an issue for both parties.
Verdict: draw

6. International Community
Key pronouncements from international bodies and Western figures are results of close observations on Nigeria and may influence the outcome of elections. Towards the 2015 presidential elections, many international media agencies correctly predicted the emergence of Buhari.
Although, International institutions and Western countries have explicitly declared their neutrality in the 2019 election, the body language of some Western institutions indicate a careful and quiet condemnation of the government. This does not mean they support the opposition directly but that they are more optimistic about regime change than the continuation of the incumbent.
The international community, including the United Kingdom and the United States, recently expressed concerns over free and fair elections in Nigeria when President Buhari abruptly suspended the Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen, who is facing corruption charges after accusations he did not disclose his assets, including several foreign bank accounts.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit(EIU), the research arm of the Economist magazine, a general election on February 16th is expected to yield a change in government, implying that Atiku will win.
In September 2018, before Atiku emerged as a major contender, London-based HSBC released a report, saying Buhari’s second term poses risk to Nigeria’s economic development.
According to HSBC, “a second term for Mr. Buhari raises the risk of limited economic progress and further fiscal deterioration, prolonging the stagnation of his first term, particularly if there is no move towards completing reform of the exchange rate system or fiscal adjustments that diversify government revenues away from oil.”
The ruling party’s want of support from key international entities is reflected in its aggressive reactions to statements emanating from outside the country. Highly inciting utterances from prominent party members, like El-Rufai’s ‘body-bags’ comment are also clear indicators. The ruling has also kicked against the composition of foreign observers, accusing some of them of affinity with Olusegun Obasanjo.
Verdict: Atiku clearly leads here.

7. Elite Support
Support from Nigeria’s elite is another crucial factor in determining who carries the day. Former presidents, religious leaders, retired military generals, academic elite, and business leaders have vested interests in various facets of the country. Both Buhari and Atiku have their fair share of support from the elites.
Former presidents, including former dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan have pitched their tents with Jonathan. Yakubu Gowon, and Abdulsalami Abubakar who heads the Peace Forum have declared their neutrality. For Buhari, a group of retired generals including former Lagos State military administrator, Buba Marwa have endorsed him.
Socio-cultural organizations, made-up of elderly elites from an ethnic group, have also endorsed either Buhari or Atiku. The Afenifere from the South-West have endorsed Atiku, the Ohanaeze from the South-East have also done same. Buhari retains the support of the Northern Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF). Meanwhile, Buhari has not gotten enough support from elites in his Northern base as expected.
Verdict: Atiku has more elites behind him

8. Corporate Nigeria
Corporate Nigeria is the main provider of employment in the country and the driving force behind Nigeria’s economy. The support of key business figures is therefore, vital in the outcome of elections. Although most companies seem to favour Atiku’s proposed policy of free economy because it is good for business, key business figures are also behind Buhari.
Powerful businessmen who support Buhari include Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and billionaire founder of Forte Oil, Femi Otedola.
Atedo Peterside, former Chairman of IBTC recently wrote a commentary on a presidential poll conducted by the ANAP foundation, which he founded, for the NOI, West Africa's first country-specific opinion survey firm.
According to Peterside, “That PMB actually had an overall lead in our polls is cold comfort for his supporters because further analysis confirms that only approximately one third of the electorate nationwide claimed to be certain to back his candidacy,” he wrote, adding: “Atiku was lagging behind PMB but the fact that the Undecided votes are concentrated outside the two zones where PMB is strongest (NW & NE) must give Atiku cause to believe that PMB’ s lead might not be unassailable after all.”
He also said that contrary to Buhari’s economic ideology, it is not the plugging of Government sector leakages that really jumpstarts economic activity. Rather, it is the institutionalization of an enabling business environment that stimulates all-round business confidence and new investment activity from the private sector that generates economic growth.
Verdict: Corporate Nigeria favours Atiku

9. Governors
Governors are the lifeblood of political parties. They mobilize people from their territories and provide resources to support political campaigns. Both the PDP and APC have their own governors, although APC has more. However, one dangerous trend with APC is a situation where a governor is supporting his party for the presidential election but throws his weight behind the gubernatorial candidate of another party. Such is the case in Ogun and Imo States. Issues got dramatic recently at the Ogun State APC rally when supporters of the governor, Ibikunle Amosun threw water bottles at the president and the National Chairman of the party.
Verdict: Buhari has more governors

10. Religious Leaders
Religious leaders are highly respected figures with hordes of followers who take their pronouncements seriously. Both Atiku and Buhari have their own share of support from religious figures.
Key Muslim figures including the head of the Muslim Rights Concerns(MURIC) have endorsed Buhari. Atiku is also not lacking in endorsement from Muslim figures, with vocal support from prominent leaders like Sheik Gumi.
Christian leaders have also thrown their weights behind each candidate. Christian leaders explicitly supporting Atiku include David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel, Johnson Suleiman of the Omega Fire Ministries and David Ibiyomie of Dunamis. Recently, Tunde Bakare of the latter rain Assembly and a long-time ally of Buhari has castigated his government for its insensitive stance on the Fulani herdsmen attacks. Buhari has his own support base within the Christian community. The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo is a pastor from the powerful Redeemed Church but Pastor Adeboye has decided to be silent about politics. However, radical Catholic priest, Father Mbaka has been vocal in his support for the president. Lastly, the Shiites, under the umbrella of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), are no friends of the president, having faced persecution and oppression from his government.
Verdict: Overall, Atiku seems to have more support of leaders from both major religions.

Conclusion
Just like several international media outfits, we think Abubakar Atiku will win this one. Out of 10 factors we have analysed, he clearly leads in 7.


**To be continued

American actor, singer and songwriter, Donald Glover, who is more known as Childish Gambino stole the show at the 61st Grammy awards ceremony on February 10 with four awards, and he didn’t even show up.

Childish Gambino won Record Of The Year for “This Is America.” The track also won Song Of The Year, Best Music Video and Best Rap/Sung Performance.
Childish Gambino also made history at this year’s Grammys with hip-hop’s first ever wins in the song of the year and the record of the year categories.
“No matter where you’re born or what country you’re from, you connect with ‘This Is America,’” said producer Ludwig Göransson during his acceptance speech on Gambino’s behalf. “It speaks to people, kind of right to your soul; It calls out injustice, celebrates life and reunites us all at the same time.”
Göransson also went on to thank a number of people throughout the industry including rapper 21 Savage “who should be here right now.” The statement was the only one of its kind of the evening, coming on the heels of recent news alleging that 21 Savage was detained by the ICE for overstaying a visa.
Hip-hop dominated this year’s record of the year nominees, which featured the likes of Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin’s “I Like It” alongside Drake’s “God’s Plan,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All The Stars,” and Post Malone’s “Rockstar,” featuring 21 Savage. Also in contention was Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” and Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey’s “The Middle.”

See the full awards list here: http://www.todaysecho.com/breaking-childish-gambino-steals-the-show-at-the-grammys-doesnt-show-up/