By Victor Umanah

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, amongst other things, in the years past, was a prefect at Victory High School in Ikeja, Lagos, where amidst his daily tour of duty as a hawker and shop minder for his enterprising mother, honed skills in street credibility, leadership, management and the worth of education

Today, as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, his growing up experiences seem to be the driving force behind his resolve to revive public education in the state and give students a feel of what was enjoyed in days of yore.

The strength of his vision and dreams for the sector, as revealed in this ARISE agenda, his all-encompassing blueprint, is not just in words but actions. His vision is a new Akwa Ibom where pupils and students are equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills to compete and excel with their peers anywhere in the world.

He started these interventions from an unscheduled visit some months ago to Christ the King Primary School,(CKS) along Wellington Bassey Way in Uyo, a few metres away from the Government House, which led to his decision to not only renovate the school but birth the idea of building model public primary schools across the state.

That remodeled school has been completed, equipped with modern facilities like a welcome centre and reception hall, fully furnished six classrooms blocks, administrative block, Library, an ICT Centre, laboratories, staff quarters, and sick bay among others.

Some other models schools, including one completed at Ewet, in Uyo Local Government Area and ongoing in Ukanafun, are expressions of his commitment to this cause.

He also announced the distribution of free school uniforms and shoes (produced locally) and one million exercise books to primary school pupils.

In addition, the governor recently paid bursaries to students of the state origin in public tertiary institutions in the state. A total of over N127 million has been paid since the commencement of the exercise.

This is besides the N100 million educational trust fund for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) who are studying in the state. Additionally, Governor Eno approved the payment of N250,000 and N300,000 each to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as scholarship, respectively.

While also approving and releasing various sums to offset the fees of 13 medical students that were on the verge of dropping out of school.

Another N100 million scholarship was given to the winner of the 2023 Heirs Life National Essay Competition and N5 million law school grant to a physically challenged graduate of the University of Uyo.

Governor Eno has equally ended the lamentations of retired primary school teachers who have sacrificed 35 years to lay a solid foundation for elementary education in the state by the payment of gratuities. In addition, the free and compulsory education policy at primary and secondary school levels has been sustained.

He further released an initial N778.9 million for the payment of the 2023/2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for 48,797 candidates participating in the sub regional examination in the state.

The payment will cover NIN registration fees, biometric registration, funds for administrative cost, as well as 50 per cent WASSCE fee. In fact, the increase in sundry charges for the examination has raised the yearly payment fee from N1 billion to N1.5 billion, an amount that has not discouraged the government’s commitment to the arrangement.

To ensure Akwa Ibom Children compete favourably with their counterparts all over the world, the governor initiated a United Kingdom Education Exchange Programme, to give foreign exposure to some bright but not-so-privileged Akwa Ibom children and encourage them to believe in hard work.

Over 271 students from public secondary schools across the state were selected for the programme after their participation in a paper-based examination. Justifying the funding of the programme despite the cost, Eno said human capital development and the benefits for Akwa Ibom children outweigh the cost of such investment.

As part of the exchange programme, a two-day capacity-building workshop on Education Skills Upscaling for principals of public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom state which was organised by the Ministry of Education had in attendance the Mayor of the London Borough of Southwark, Michael Situ, and David Bromfield, senior education advisor of Southwark Council.

The UK Education Exchange Programme has been described as the fulfilment of the governor’s promise of creating an exchange programme where participants will experience, learn and adopt global best practices aimed at improving the state’s education system and giving exposure to intelligent students from the rural areas.

School heads, including the Chairman, All-Nigeria Conference of Principals of Public Schools (ANCOPPS), Mr. Stephen Akpabio, affirmed that the value gained from the robust engagements and knowledge sharing sessions have propelled them to a new level of renewed commitment as direct implementers of government policies, noting that schools would perform better as a result of the engagement

Indeed, the training programme opened new vistas of development in the state’s education sector as more human resource programmes were introduced to equip principals and teachers to stay abreast with contemporary trends.

Stakeholders say the Governor’s show of compassion is very commendable. A pensioner, Imaobong Udofia said, ” If nothing, the payment of gratuities and pensions promptly by the Governor has motivated teachers to do more in training children for the future.” A parent, Elder Archibong Umoh, says parents are happy that the burden of paying examination fees for WAEC and the bursary to students has been lifted of their neck.

Commissioner for Education, Idongesit Etiebet, however, believes education, exposure, and experience have guided Governor Eno’s step in the sector.

“When you have a well-educated, exposed, and experienced man as Governor, there is no how the education sector will not thrive.”

That is not all, Governor Eno understands the nexus between education and entrepreneurship, which was why, in his first few months in office, he established the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre fondly called Ibom-LED.

This Centre, which was in fulfilment of a campaign promise, is equipped to provide essential business, leadership, and professional skills. Through its Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (EAP), it has so far trained 800 participants. The participants have all benefited from a N400 million grant from Governor Umo Eno. His goal is to equip 5000 budding entrepreneurs in four years and send them off with a total grant of N2.5 billion.

That was not all, in spirit of continuity, he has now completed the state-of-the-art Dakkada Skill Acquisition Centre ( DASAC).

The Centre which has the University of Lagos as Consultants, is equipped to train people in agri-business, ICT, mechanical works, woodwork, plumbing, fashion design etc.

With its Governing Council, staff quarters, hostel and other facilities in place, the Centre which is adjudged as first-of-its kind in Nigeria, would certainly reduce the unemployment gap in the state.

For Governor Eno, fighting educational inequality is very critical, and he believes he has a unique opportunity of achieving two key SDGs: 1 and 4 by effectively funding and enabling access to quality education.

Umannah, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Uyo

By Kunle Oshobi

Two weeks ago, I woke up to receive an invitation from Aare Dele Momodu via WhatsApp, requesting my presence at his inaugural leadership lecture in celebration of his sixty-fourth birthday. I was really excited about the initiative because such forums tend to serve as incubation rooms where wealth of ideas that can be used to propel the country forward are consummated.

I was even more excited about the topic “The politics of energy and the way forward” but what really thrilled me was the choice of Prof Bartholomew Nnaji as the guest speaker given his phenomenal exploits in the Nigerian power sector which is already transforming the economy of Abia state and promises to serve as a template that can be used to resolve the power sector challenges in Nigeria.

I waited with abated breath till the sixteenth of May when the event was scheduled to take place at the prestigious Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA) in Victoria Island, Lagos. The day couldn’t come early enough, it actually felt as if I was the one going to be the celebrant given how excited I was about it. The day eventually came and there was a heavy downpour that morning which resulted in a bit of traffic congestion but it wasn’t enough to deter me as I looked forward with excitement to the event of the day.

On getting to the premises of the NIIA, the ambiance of the venue was augmented by a beautiful collage of photographs of the celebrant with leading past and present, national and global leaders which showcased him as a man with vast networks and influence even though he has always downplayed this with his exceptional humility.

As expected the ambiance of the auditorium was congenial as it had been well decorated to suit the occasion and the Master of Ceremony was no less than Dr Reuben Abati who is one of the top and most respected journalist in the country. The occasion was graced by three former governors who have also been leading presidential candidates in previous elections namely Peter Obi, Donald Duke, and Rabiu Kwankwaso while the Chief Host of the occasion was the governor of Osun state, His Excellency Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The royal father of the day was no less a personality than the Oonirisa, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi who brought pomp and pageantry to the occasion. The chairman of the occasion was Dr John Dramani Mahama the former president of Ghana who did a lot to transform the power sector in Ghana, while as mentioned earlier the guest speaker was Professor Bartholomew Nnaji who is probably the most qualified Nigerian alive to give a lecture on the subject matter.

The event started with a brief welcome from the MC, Dr Reuben Abati who added a lot of flavour to the occasion with his wit and charm as he dexterously handled the affairs of the day. Next was the celebrant, Aare Dele Momodu who told us about his dream for a better Nigeria and wanting to leave a legacy of contributing to the country’s development being the inspiration behind opting for leadership lectures to celebrate his birthday going forward, to the applause of the audience.

The chairman of the occasion Dr John Dramani Mahama was the first to speak and he shared with us his experience in solving the power problems in Ghana during his administration while he advocated for greater cooperation between Nigeria and Ghana in resolving our economic challenges in the ECOWAS sub-region. He also emphasized that Nigeria being the big brother has a bigger role to play in developing the sub-region.

Next was Prof Bartholomew Nnaji giving us his keynote address in which he first spoke about the politics of energy at the international level, the issues regarding the quest for renewable energy to protect the planet while he pointed out the hypocrisy and double standards of Western powers when their interests conflict with the ideals that they have set for the rest of the world. He then delved into the power sector challenges in the country and what can be done to assuage them.

He was particular about the availability and the cost of gas which the government and the oil companies prefer to export rather than making it abundantly available for local use. However, he didn’t delve into the specific challenges he had in setting up Geometric Power Limited in Abia state and how he was eventually able to overcome these challenges which was what I really looked forward to hearing about from the horse’s mouth. I guess that he didn’t want to shake the table so he avoided a topic that could end up being controversial.

A few eminent personalities were then called upon to respond to the keynote speaker’s address starting with Mr Peter Obi who emphasized the critical role the power sector will play if we were to move our country from a consuming one to a producing one. Next was His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi who dazzled us with his charm and eloquence as he emphasized the importance of the power sector while he advocated that we unite as a people to solve the country’s problems.

On his part, Donald Duke told us of how Nigeria lost a major investment opportunity from America in the mid-eighties when they proposed to build a gas pipeline from Nigeria to Europe due to the arrogance of our leaders at the time while inferring that the problem persists today. The pipeline was meant to evacuate over 25 billion cubic feet of gas that was being flared away at the time which was equivalent to about 25 million litres of diesel being frittered away daily, instead of harnessing it to add value to the country’s economy.

Contributing further, Kola Karim the chairman of Shoreline Group a major player in the Nigerian energy sector emphasized the need to develop infrastructure so that we can fully harness our resources to produce an efficient and stable power supply in the country.

It was indeed a very elucidating event but like all good things, it had to come to an end and our ever-so-professional MC was determined not to keep us waiting beyond the timeline planned for the occasion even though most of us wouldn’t have minded spending more time learning from the brilliant minds that spoke at the event.

At this juncture, I would like you to use this opportunity to once again congratulate my boss and egbon, Aare Dele Momodu on the auspicious occasion marking sixty-four years of his sojourn on this planet and celebrate him for the giant strides that he has made within the period. More commendable is the passion he has for our beloved country Nigeria and the desire he has to contribute to the development of the country which he has continuously demonstrated over the years and has now decided to institutionalize it by making the leadership lecture an annual event on the occasion of his birthday.

I pray that the almighty will continue to prosper him and reward his labor of love for the country even as we pray for good leaders that would turn the country to the path of progress and prosperity.

This is also a call out to other influential Nigerians to endeavor to use their means to contribute to the development of the Nigerian society. With what Aare has done with this leadership lecture, he has demonstrated that you don’t need political power to contribute effectively towards the development of the country. Where there is a will, there will surely be a way.

Oshobi writes from Lagos.

By Bashorun J. K. Randle

It is self-evident that whatever the Governor of the Central Bank is doing (or not doing), the backing (and banking!!) of the President is critical. On that score, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not pull any punches when he spoke at the Hague, Netherlands during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team, led by Prime Minister Mark Dutte.

“I am ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if with initial pains. I am a determined leader; I will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is a short-term pain. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.”

Hence, we must recognize the over arching influence of Mr. President in economic, financial and political matters. When he was sworn in on 29th May 2023, he released an unscripted bombshell while delivering his inaugural address at Eagle Square, Abuja: Shortly afterwards, he spilled the beans in Paris while addressing Nigerians. According to AFP [Agence Francais-Presse]

“When I got to the podium, I was possessed with courage and I said fuel subsidy is gone. Also, no more parallel (black market) for dollars.”

On November 22, 2023, when President Tinubu addressed German-Nigerian Business Forum again he did not pull any punches:

“Nigeria voted for me for reforms, and from day one of my inauguration, I started the reforms. To me if you didn’t mention me in the Guinness Book of Records, I’d strive to find a way to insert myself because I did it without expectation.”

The endorsement of the IMF [International Monetary Fund] followed on February 14, 2024.

“The new Tinubu Administration has made a strong start, tackling deep-rooted structural issues in challenging circumstances. Immediately it adopted two policy reforms that its predecessors had shield away from: fuel subsidy removal and the unification of the official (dollar/naira) exchange rates.”

Front page editorial of “Nigerian Tribune” newspaper.
Headline: “BRIBES : TINUBU’s CHARGE TO INVESTORS”

“President Bola Tinubu recently set tongues wagging when, during his just concluded trip to Doha, the Qatari capital, he told the country’s captains of industry to report directly to him if any Nigerian official demanded a bribe from them in order to facilitate a business transaction. Revealed in a signed statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the president’s message to Qatari investors at the Nigeria-Qatar Business and Investment Forum could not have been clearer: “Do not offer a bribe to any of our people, and if it is requested or taken from you, report to us. You will have access to me.”

Eager to drive home the point that the country is open to business and will adopt a business-friendly approach on his watch, he added: “Whatever is the obstacle or problem that some of you might have experienced; it is in the past because there is no obstacle in the future. We are removing obstacles today, and we are going to continue to remove all obstacles. We have done so much within nine months. And I assure you, it is free entry, and free exit. Your funds will flow smoothly into and out of our country. Bring your investments.” Finally, he urged Qatari investors not to allow “perceptions” about the country to “become a hindrance to [their] will to invest,” since “Nigeria is serious about revolutionizing investment promotion.”

We could not be more delighted to read this promise of radical transparency from the president since, at the very least, it shows that he is not unaware of the tremendous odds typically faced by any entity- individual or corporate- seeking to do business in Nigeria. While, as the president mentioned, corruption is the most significant among these challenges, it goes without saying that it is just one of many tangible and intangible obstacles to investment.

Accordingly, not only do we welcome the president’s statement, for nothing could be more timely, we urge him to do everything within his capacity to ensure that the book is thrown at whoever flouts it, no matter how highly placed such a person is in the current administration. In other words, nothing is more important than the president backing his rhetoric with action, for understandably, many Nigerians are bound to sneer, saying that they have heard such soaring rhetoric before and that when the time came for egregious misdemeanors to be punished, the government lost its nerve. Since such skeptics have a point, the task before the president is to show that their skepticism has no basis, and that he will let the hammer fall on whichever official demands inducement to do their job.
Until then, he can, as a matter of fact, do something about the current situation in the upper legislative house, where rumours of budget-padding and dubious awards to senators have cast a shadow upon the integrity of the lawmakers. If the government is truly interested in fighting corruption, it can do no better right now than to act on the many cases of corruption dotting the landscape, including those affecting and relating to those within the inner circle of government. This would send the right and correct signals that Nigeria is ready for positive change and a new approach to public life rather than following the usual ineffective and tawdry public assertions that mean nothing in reality.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria used to boast of an excellent Research Department with a world class library. The King’s College Old Boys Association [KCOBA] would not take matters for granted. Here is a list of books which are to be delivered to the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Yemi Cardoso and Deputy Governor, Mr. Phillip Ekeazor (who are both old boys of St. Gregory’s College, Lagos:

(i) “Curse of Cash” by Kenneth S. Rogoff
(Harvard University)

(ii) “The Origin And Prevention of Major Wars” by Professor Robert Rothberg
(Harvard University)

(iii) “The Bottom Billion” by Professor Paul Collier
(Oxford University)

(iv) “What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing The Threat” by Professor Louise Richardson
(Oxford University)

(v) “The Elite Africa Project” by Professor Peter Lewis
(John Hopkins University)

(vi) “WONDER DRUG”
(7 Scientifically Proven Ways
That Serving Others Is The
Best Medicine for Yourself) by Stephen Trzeciak M.D.
and
Anthony Mazzarelli M.D

(vii) “THE ROAD TO FREEDOM, ECONOMICS
AND THE GOOD SOCIETY” by Joseph E. Stiglitz
(Winner of Nobel Prize)
Professor at Harvard; Yale;
Emerson College, University
Of California, Berkeley

From the archives we have the following vignettes:
(i) When the British Bank For West Africa
(now known as First Bank of Nigeria Plc)
was formed in 1894 among its founding
shareholders was Dr. J.K. Randle. The
inaugural meeting was held at the Colony
Hotel, in London.

(ii) When British Bank of West Africa launched a branch in Kano in 1929, Alhassan Dantata (Aliko Dangote’s grandfather) opened an account by depositing twenty camel-loads of silver coins.

(iii) “The Chairman of EFCC [Economic and Financial Crimes Commission] has announced that the embattled former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello withdrew funds from the government treasury and obtained U.S.$720,000 from a Bureau de Change to pay for his children’s school fees in advance at American International School, Abuja”

“Business Day” newspaper of May 8, 2024
Headline: “CHIKE-OBI CAUTIONS AGAINST POOR EXECUTION AMID BANKS’ RECAPITALISATION”

Mustapha Chike-Obi, chairman, Bank Directors’ Association of Nigeria, on Friday lauded the Central Bank’s latest bank recapitalisation policy but warned that poor execution could scuttle the gains.

Chike-Obi spoke at a roundtable assessing the bank recapitalisation policy organised by BusinessDay Media Limited in Lagos. He noted the 2004/2005 recapitalisation exercise was a good policy but was poorly implemented due to governance issues.
The CBN on March 28 announced new capital requirements for Nigerian lenders from commercial to merchant banks. The last such exercise was in 2004/2005, two decades ago.

During the recapitalisation of 2004/2005, a surge in liquidity occurred without adequate investment opportunities, leading to an asset bubble and subsequently the dismissal of several bank chiefs.

“A good policy that brings bad results means execution was problematic along the way. We are seeing bad results from good policies and nobody is taking responsibility for that. We should celebrate the policy and the results,” he said.

Speaking further, he said, “I encourage more engagement from the CBN, it’s better if they talk to the banks about why retained earnings are not considered at this point in time.

I think there should have been better engagement, some things need to be explained. Why does an international licence require more capital than a national licence? If you’re diversifying across nations, does that mean more risk? If I have one branch in London as Fidelity, am I in the same boat as a UBA who has many branches in many countries?” Chike-Obi, Chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc, said.

The CBN said all international banks should move their capital to a minimum of N500 billion; national banks up to a minimum of N200 billion; regional banks (N50 billion); merchant banks (N50 billion) and N20 billion for non-interest banks operating nationally and N10 billion for those operating regionally.

In his keynote address, Ike Chioke, Group Managing Director Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited, noted that “after the announcement of the last recapitalisation we had 89 banks operating with N311 billion total capital, which was equivalent to $2.4 billion at the time.

We ended up by December 31 2005 with 25 commercial banks each with a minimum of 25 billion and a total capital of N932.0 bn.
He said that commercial banks have a capital gap of N3.7 trillion to meet the capital requirements while the merchant banks have N200.6 billion.

There is some scepticism that banks will take on significantly more lending to the private sector once their minimum capital is raised given the risk in an economy battling with accelerating inflation and a severe cost-of-living crisis.

“We can still lend, but we’re limited in how much. As a banker, it’s more attractive to buy Treasury bills at 25 percent than to lend to people,” Chike-Obi said.

“There’s a reluctance by banks to lend. I would have reduced CRR, and told banks they can’t buy more than 10 percent of T-bills. This will force them to lend to people.”
He also said the notion that banks give people money to buy FX is not true.

“People only buy FX because it makes sense to them. It’s a rational economic decision. What we have to do is to make it more rational to hold assets in naira than in dollars. I’ll raise short term rates to 30%, and prevent banks from having more than 10 percent in T-bills.

What we have doesn’t allow growth and banks aren’t lending. I believe GDP growth will be lower in the fourth quarter than predictions. The raise in capital is necessary because the FX adjusted basis has gone down. So, the recapitalisation isn’t as massive as it looks from the outside,” he said.
Front page of “The Punch” newspaper of April 22, 2024
Headline: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria

Recommendations made by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria on the New Minimum Capital Requirements for Banks in Nigeria: Our Position.

“Given the above, the following recommendations are made to ensure a successful implementation of the programme:

1. The CBN may consider allowing the inclusion of retained earnings on the condition that they are not impaired by losses, to make it easier for the banks to comply with the new capitalization policy.

2. The two-year period allowed is considered sufficient to implement the programme. However, in view of the young age of non-interest banks in Nigeria, they should be allowed a longer period, probably three years, to meet the minimum capital requirements.

3. The Institute urges the CBN to extend the 30-day period it gave banks to come up with an implementation plan to 60 days given that it would take some time to obtain the consent of shareholders.

4. It is also important that the CBN provides some incentives to banks to facilitate the recapitalization exercise as was done in 2005. This can take the form of tax incentives and ensuring that the overall cost of recapitalization is low by seeking the cooperation of relevant stakeholder institutions such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Nigerian Exchange as well as the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission given that banks have the option of raising funds through the Capital Market or Mergers and Acquisitions.

5. The CBN should adequately supervise the banks to ensure that the costs of recapitalization are not transferred to their customers by way of higher bank charges.

6. The CBN is advised to engage the Bankers Committee on measures to put in place to ensure adequate compensation to staff of banks that may be disengaged as a result of the recapitalization exercise.

7. Exercise due verification to ensure that corrupt and laundered money do not find their way int the capitalization.”

Frontpage of “ThisDay” newspaper of April 13, 2024
Headline: AUDIT REPORT: SENATE PROBING 774 FEDERAL AGENCIES OVER AUDITOR GENERAL’S QUERIES”

“The Senate is currently scrutinizing the financial records of 774 Federal Agencies based on the queries raised against them in the 2019 report of the Auditor General for the Federation.

The Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), Senator Aliyu Wadada, disclosed this yesterday in his Keffi, Nasarawa State, country home while speaking with journalists. He noted that his committee was not out to witch-hunt anyone but pledged that members of the panel would discharge their responsibilities diligently in the best interest of the country.

Wadada, also disclosed that the 10th National Assembly with the support of President Bola Tinubu and critical stakeholders in the nation’s economy would soon embark on the amendment to the 2007 Procurement Act so as to curb financial infractions before they take place.

He nevertheless appealed to leaders at all tiers and heads of government institutions at the Federal, State and Local government levels to embrace the spirit of self-discipline and fear of God in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The Senator, who is representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said no matter how beautiful a law is crafted, it needed godly people to implement it.

Wadada said, “When I became the Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), I was emphatic on the need for President Bola Tinubu to appoint the substantive Auditor General for the Federation (AuGF).

“I even wrote a letter to that effect to the President and he responded by appointing a substantive AuGF.

The AuGF report for the 2020, 2021, 2022 fiscal years were not all ready. It was only the 2019 Auditor General’s report that was then ready for us to take actions on.

The Auditor General’s report for 2020 was ready at the time I became the Senate Public Account Committee but it could not be signed by the acting Auditor General for the Federation.

As we talk, the 2020 Auditor General’s report is ready and the substantive AuGF has appended his signature to it. The development is a confirmation that the Presidency under the stewardship of President Bola Tinubu is available, is responsive and supportive of the Committee on Public Accounts in the two chambers of the National Assembly. We have since started work on the 2019 Auditor General’s report before us.

Under my chairmanship of this sensitive and strategic committee, I have repeatedly said that we are not out to witch-hunt or pull down anybody.

Our ultimate objective vis-à-vis the primary focus of the committee is to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.”

Front page of “The Punch” newspaper of April 12, 2024
Headline: VIETNAM TYCOON SENTENCED TO DEATH IN
$12BN FRAUD CASE”

“A court in Vietnam sentenced real estate tycoon Truong My Lan Thursday to death over her role in a 304 trillion dong ($12.46bn) financial fraud case, the country’s biggest on record, state media reported.

CNN reports that her trial, which began on March 5 and ended earlier than planned, was one dramatic result of a campaign against corruption that the leader of the ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, has pledged to stamp out.

Lan, the chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, was found guilty of embezzlement, bribery and violations of banking rules at the end of a trial in the business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, state media said.

We will keep fighting to see what we can do,” a family member told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Before the verdict, he had said Lan would appeal against the sentence.
Lan had pleaded not guilty to the embezzlement and bribery charges, Nguyen Huy Thiep, one of Lan’s lawyers told Reuters.

“Of course she will appeal the verdict,” he added, noting she was sentenced to death for the embezzlement charge and to 20 years each for the other two charges of bribery and violations of banking regulations.

Vietnam imposes the death penalty mostly for violent offences but also economic crimes. Human rights groups say it has executed hundreds of convicts in recent years, mainly by lethal injection.

The Thanh Nien newspaper said 84 defendants in the case received sentences ranging from probation for three years to life imprisonment. Among them are Lan’s husband, Eric Chu, a businessman from Hong Kong, who was sentenced to nine years in jail, and her niece, who got 17 years.

Lan started as a cosmetics trader at the central market in Ho Chi Minh City, helping her mother, she told judges during the trial, according to state media.

She later founded her real estate company, Van Thinh Phat, in 1992, the same year when she got married, according to state media. She was found guilty, along with her accomplices, of siphoning off more than 304 trillion dongs from Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank, which she effectively controlled through dozens of proxies despite rules strictly limiting large shareholding in lenders, according to investigators.

From early 2018 through October 2022, when the state bailed out SCB after a run on its deposits triggered by Lan’s arrest, she appropriated large sums by arranging unlawful loans to shell companies, investigators said.

The defendant’s action not only violate the property management rights of individuals and organisations but also put SCB under scrutiny, eroding people’s trust in the leadership of the Party and State,” state newspaper VnExpress cited the jury as saying.

The bank is currently propped up by the central bank and faces a complex restructuring under which authorities are trying to establish the legal status of hundreds of assets that were used as collateral for loans and bonds issued by VTP. The bonds alone are worth $1.2bn.

Some of the assets are high-end properties, but many others are unfinished projects. Before her fall from grace, she had played a key role in Vietnam’s financial world, getting involved in the previous rescue of troubled SCB more than a decade before she contributed to the bank’s new crisis.”

Front page of “Africa Voice” newspaper of 29 April, 2024
Headline: “PROF WINS TOP AWARD FOR ISLAMIC MORAL ECONOMY”

“Professor Mehmet Asutay has been selected as the first-place winner of the 2024 Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics and influential contributions to the field of Islamic economics and finance.

The prize laureate is a Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Political Economy & Finance at Durham University, United Kingdom. He is an internationally recognized academic who produced pioneering and impactful scholarly works.

Professor Asutay was selected in recognition of his novel work on Islamic moral economy and the articulation of Islamic finance to be supportive of sustainable development and the welfare of human beings. This year’s prize cycle aims to recognize, reward and encourage significant knowledge contributions in Islamic economics with the potential to solve major development challenges of IsDB member countries. The prize comes with a US$50,000 award for the first prize winner, US$30,000 for second prize, and US$20,000 for third prize. However, the second and third-position prizes are withheld this year.

Every year the winners of the IsDB Prize are selected by a different committee of experts from outside the IsDB Group, whose work is coordinated by the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDB).

The winner of this year’s prize will receive the award during the IsDB Group Annual Meetings, scheduled for 27 – 30 April 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In his comments on this occasion, the President of the ISDB, H.E. Dr. Muhammad AI Jasser, congratulated the laureate for his impactful knowledge contributions and wished him success in this various endeavours. Acting Director Generl of IsDB, Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, also congratulated H.E. Dr. Al Jasser for guiding the Institute towards the successful coordination of the prize.”