02062021 - Attacks on INEC offices won’t stop 2023 polls —BUHARI

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18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 INEC’s deregistration of 74 political parties With the affirmation of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s, constitutional power to deregister political parties, the Commission is now in a stronger position to moderate the excesses of some political actors in our democracy and sanitise our electoral process. On February 6, 2021, the INEC had removed 74 political parties from its register in line with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). That section empowers the Commission to deregister any party that (a) violates the terms of its registration, (b) fails to win at least 25 per cent of votes cast in one state of the federation during a presidential election, (c) fails to win 25 per cent of votes cast in one LGA in a governorship election or fails to win at least a seat in a State Assembly or National Assembly election. The aggrieved political parties had sued INEC. The May 7, 2021 Supreme Court verdict, while validating the Commission’s power to deregister political parties after due processes, does not vitiate the appeal still pending from the suit filed by 22 of the 74 political parties at the Supreme Court. We have been calling for INEC to be empowered to control the unwieldy number of registered parties subject to thorough assessment of their performances in elections. The amendment of the Constitution which spelt out the conditions for deregistration of ineligible political parties is welcome. It will not only enable INEC to clean up the clutter of parties vying for elections, it will also prevent INEC from deregistering parties with impunity. The liberalisation of multi-partyism under the 1999 Constitution following the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s legal battles for the registration of his National Conscience Party, NCP, had initially yielded the welcome emergence of more political parties to enable Nigerians exercise wider choices beyond the two or three dominant parties. However, as with all things Nigerian, this was abused. Political jobbers flooded the terrain. Rather than these parties broadening the democratic space, most of them resorted to the cashand-carry “endorsements” of candidates of the dominant parties, especially the ruling parties. Many of them remained dormant till election times only to engage in these unwholesome endorsements. Some of them still insisted on being put on the ballot papers though they fielded no candidates or fielded candidates who were proxies of bigger parties or were simply there on a jamboree. This increased the INEC’s logistical headaches as ballot papers became avoidably difficult to handle during elections. Now that their continued existence is based on electoral performance, political parties and candidates will be forced to shape up or ship out. We hope the 18 remaining parties will be further whittled down to make it easier to identify the serious parties and their candidates. OPINION Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com COVID-19 test kits, contract tracing for safe NYSC camps BY MURTALA MUSA ON May 17, 2021, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, orientation camps re-opened across the country. The NYSC continues to remain one of Nigeria's leading schemes aimed at fostering unity, harmony and an appreciation for our Fatherland. But the Corps has been threatened by the COVID-19 global health pandemic as we witnessed a few unfortunate incidents a few months ago which were only nipped in the bud by the proactive leadership of the new DG of NYSC, Brigadier General Ibrahim Shuaibu. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the NYSC orientation calendar as its management had proactively shut down orientation camps with the hope of preventing further transmission of the disease. The closure of the camps on March 18, 2020 affected the orientation of the 2020 Batch A Stream 1, and subsequent batches across the 37 centres in the country. The Victims Support Fund chaired by Gen. T.Y. Danjuma(rtd), through its Emergency Task Force on COVID-19 has been engaging in a series of interventions across multiple sectors since last year to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable populations. As part of the NYSC scheme's design, qualified young Nigerians are assembled in camps across the country for a three-week orientation programme and those sorts of gatherings pose threats of community transmission of Coronavirus. How then could we have ensured that the youth service scheme was not disrupted further, especially as the country tries to implement strategies to return The VSF COVID-19 Taskforce considered youth corps members as one of the critical demographics in the fight against COVID-19, hence its decision to support the safe re-opening of NYSC orientation camps across Nigeria with the donation of 60,000 Rapid Test Kits different sectors to some semblance of normalcy? Already, educational institutions had re-opened and new batches of graduates were already exiting the gates of tertiary institutions. On May 17, 2021, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, announced that it had been able to test about two million Nigerians since the pandemic broke out. With a population of over 200 million, Nigeria has only tested one percent of that number. "With a high population density environment (orientation camps) across the country, the VSF COVID-19 Taskforce considered youth corps members as one of the critical demographics in the fight against COVID-19, hence its decision to support the safe re-opening of NYSC orientation camps across Nigeria with the donation of 60,000 Rapid Test Kits. "The main objective for this donation is to strengthen infection prevention control in NYSC camps and promptly identify outbreaks of COVID-19 in camps for treatment,” Mrs. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, the Chairperson of the VSF's Task Force on COVID-19 said, while explaining the rationale behind the VSF's decision to support the NYSC with ramping up testing nationwide. The NYSC was already staring down the barrel of a two-year suspension as proposed by the Federal Government. On June 16, 2020, it was reported that the Economic Sustainability Committee, ESC, led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, recommended the suspension of NYSC’s orientation camp exercises for two years. "The VSF COVID-19 Task Force in its wisdom, thought donating these kits to the scheme is a very important initiative, as it will diversify the way testing is done in Nigeria, especially one that can deliver results within a short period of time, with a high degree of accuracy, and specificity because many hospitals have been refusing to treat patients without COVID-19 results," Akerele-Ogunsiji further added. Professor Nana Tanko, the VSF Executive Director said that the donation to the NYSC was made through the Presidential Steering Committee on April 27, 2021 and total cost of the test kits was N210 million and is the single largest donation of test kits to the Federal Government by any organisation since the beginning of the pandemic. The NYSC Director General, Brigadier-General Shuaib, demonstrating palpable excitement while receiving the test kits, acknowledged that all our brothers and sisters deployed in villages and remote areas for their mandatory one-year national youth service programme can be conveniently tested through a rapid diagnostic test, RDTs, as approved for use in specific settings by WHO to screen members of every NYSC orientation camp community as resumption commences. It is worthy to note that Nigeria has Africa's largest population and has tested only about two million people. "It is, therefore, expected that these donations, which come at no cost to the beneficiaries, would support the ongoing efforts of the government in scaling up the overall testing capacity, with a view to identifying, isolating and treating positive cases, and ultimately reducing community-to-community transmission of the pandemic across the country," he said. The VSF COVID-19 Task Force says an effective monitoring and evaluation system has been developed to ensure that this, as with all other VSF COVID- 19 interventions are being implemented strictly in tandem with laid down protocols. For the COVID test kits, this translates to a process that involves the NCDC, VSF Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, MEAL, Officer, in conjunction with State NYSC officials, State Ministries of Health and other relevant stakeholders. Their joint responsibility is to implement plans to carry out a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation exercise across the NYSC camps in their respective states for robust data collection and reporting during the orientation period to ensure a proper coordination and impact assessment of the use of the test kits. •Musa, a civil servant, wrote from Wuse 2, Abuja
CBN intervened in textile to halt $4bn annual forex flight — Emefiele Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief ECONOMY THE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has said it intervened in the Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) industry to halt the annual import bill of $4 billion in the sector. Disclosing this at the stakeholder meeting of the CTG sector resuscitation programme in Abuja yesterday, the CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Mr. Edward Adamu, also said the apex bank is determined to return the textile industry to its golden era when it provided the largest employment in the manufacturing sector of the country. According to him, the industry was already making a positive impact in returning the Nigerian economy to the path of growth. He noted that the economy was witnessing a gradual turn around but that, “we must focus and channel our resources towards reviving critical industries like the CTG in order to firm up economic recovery, improve employment and create wealth for our people.” Adamu who represented the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, at the meeting said that following the inclusion of textile materials to the list of items ineligible for foreign exchange from official windows in 2019, and the CBN intervention in the sector, the textile industry could now record an average output of between 150, 000 and 300, 000 metric tonnes (MT), with a ginning capacity of 479 MT at 51 per cent capacity utilization from 19 per cent. He disclosed that over 278, 500 hectares was financed in 2019 and 2020 with over 90,000 MT of cotton seed harvested, adding that nine ginneries have been brought back to life and ginned cotton all year round for the first time in 10 years. The governor said that over 620,000 direct and indirect jobs were created in 2 years, while the textile sector got 100% of their major raw material (cotton lint) at a CBN-subsidized rate of N440,000 as against the market price of N593,000 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 —19 Heirs Holdings enters insurance market By Cynthia Alo INSURANCE THE Heirs Holdings (HH) has launched its entrance into the insurance market with two institutions, Heirs Insurance Limited (HIL) and Heirs Life Assurance (HLA), yesterday. The group said it will bring a dynamic, digitally driven offering to the general and life insurance sectors, providing clients with a real choice of products, pricing, channel, and claims handing. Heirs Insurance Limited (HIL) provides general insurance, offering policies covering vehicles, homes, SMEs, business risks, and other properties. Heirs Life Assurance (HLA) offers insurance-backed savings plans and life insurance security for individuals, families, children’s education, debtors, creditors, entrepreneurs, and employees. Both companies leverage the business track record of Heirs Holdings, the pan-African investment group, chaired by leading investor and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, Heirs Holdings’ portfolio includes companies transforming financial services, power, oil and gas, real estate, hospitality, healthcare, and technology. At the launch, the companies announced a series of product innovations, including a web portal enabling customers to get an insurance quote in minutes and receive claims settlement in less than 24 hours, from their mobile devices. Dr. Adaobi Nwakuche, Ag. MD/CEO, Heirs Insurance, said: “We are delivering insurance that is easy to understand, quick and reliable, simplifying our customers’ lives. Our mission is simple: make insurance accessible.” Niyi Onifade, MD/CEO, Heirs Life, said: “Our goal is to integrate life insurance products into people’s daily lives to create financial inclusion and bring quality financial services to the many, not just the few.” NIMN confers Fellowship on Tunde Olufowora, 26 others MARKETING THE National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), has conferred its highest professional honours on Tunde Olufowora, the Chief Executive Officer of Brand I Communications Limited, as part of its annual congressional activities. Olufowora was inducted alongside 26 other persons who have distinguished themselves in the field of marketing, while the Institute admitted one person as Honorary Member into its Body of Fellows at the 2021 edition of Conferment of Fellowship Award and Dinner last weekend in Lagos. NIMN is the highest professional body for professionals and institutions involved in marketing activities and related fields in Nigeria. Olufowora, an accomplished communications and marketing expert with over 29 years cognate experience spanning Media, Public Relations and Marketing, has worked with major flagship brands in Nigeria including, The Guardian and ThisDay Newspapers as well as FCMB Bank, pioneering a number of initiatives that have strongly positioned and distinguished the brands in the market. He was the Head of Corporate Communications of FCMB for a period 16 years (1997-2013) within which period he had responsibilities for managing all the marketing communications activities of the bank. He spearheaded almost all the transformational stages in the life of the bank, from a small privately owned merchant bank to becoming a renowned commercial bank in Nigeria and Africa today. Some of those transformational changes include the Initial Public Offer of the shares of the bank and its listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange after its successful Public Offer campaigns; the change of name from “Merchant” to “Monument”, the various mergers & acquisitions exercise and the rebranding campaign of the bank which gave it the current brand appeal. *Tunde Olufowora
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02062021 - Attacks on INEC offices won’t stop 2023 polls —BUHARI

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