Nigeria Content Online

Mobile phone text
messages warning customers to withdraw their money from Oceanic,
Intercontinental and Unity banks, circulated last Friday, causing a
stir.

“If you know anyone
that has money in Oceanic, Unity and Intercontinental Bank, tell them
to go and withdraw their money because information reaching us is that
they may go in distress soon,” a version of the text message read.

Investigations
revealed that the text message probably went out because the three
banks reporteldy laid off a large number of staff without due process.

Oceanic Bank issued a press statement saying that the text message was the handiwork of mischief makers.

“The management of
Oceanic Bank has flayed misleading text messages on purported
liquidation notice served on some banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria
as the handiwork of mischief makers,” it read.

It stressed that
there was no truth in the purported liquidation notice as no bank
operating in the country was under any threat of liquidation by the
Central Bank. The bank’s management refuted claims of retrenchment,
adding that its inclusion among banks to be picketed as reported in the
newspapers was based on misinformation to labour leaders.

Mohammed Abdullahi, the Central Bank’s spokesperson, equally said that there is no truth in the text message.

“The Central Bank
wishes to state categorically that no such liquidation notice has been
issued and there is therefore no plan to liquidate any of the three
banks and members of the public are advised to disregard these
messages,” Mr. Abdullahi said. “All depositors and customers of
Oceanic, Intercontinental and Unity banks are hereby advised to
continue to conduct their business with the banks,” he added in a
statement issued last Friday.

In other news, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance
and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) said it would continue on its
planned strike, expected to take off on Tuesday,

While the
management of the Nigeria Bottling Company, the bottlers of Coca Cola,
is still unyielding on its plan to delist its shares from the Nigerian
Stock Exchange, some operators have condemned the action saying it is a
bad omen for the market.

NBC had last month
announced that its parent company,Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company
S.A., intends to invest up to N45 billion in Nigeria between 2011 and
2013 in order to strengthen its commercial base.

Consequently, the
proposed transaction will involve the cancellation of part of the share
capital of NBC, so that it would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Coca-Cola Hellenic.

The proposal includes a cash payment of N43.00 per NBC share as consideration to the minority shareholders.

For an investor who
has been a shareholder of the NBC for over a decade, the delisting plan
is “nonsense.” Albert Edun, an executive member of the Nigerian
Shareholders Solidarity Association, said, “I still don’t know why they
are doing that even with all the explanations they have given for the
action. I bought NBC shares longtime ago; over 10 years now. Yes, it is
true that the company paid its shareholders good dividend when the
going was good.

But we must not
forget that the same shareholders endured the pains of no dividend when
NBC could not reward its investors.” “Now they want to delist and pay
us ridiculous N43 per share. All that is nonsense and shareholders must
condemn such act. You see, all these Greek investors are funny.
Indirectly they are telling us they no longer have confidence in the
Nigerian stock market.

They want to delist their company but also want to continue to do business in our country without been listed,” Mr. Edun said.

He said this is the
time investors need government’s intervention. “Government must come to
our rescue and not allow this kind of thing to happen,” he added.

Negative impression

Tunde
Oladapo-Dixon, Chief Executive Officer, StockPicks Consulting, a stock
broking firm, said the delisting plan of the NBC “is a bad omen for our
capital market because the company is one of our defensive stocks. It’s
a blue chip stock.” Mr Oladapo-Dixon said, “For them to be leaving the
market, it creates a lot of negative impression to the likes of MTN,
Glo and other big giant companies that may be wooed to the market. The
delisting plan really does not give our market much reputation, ”
adding that “it will not be a good step if the Exchange and the
government allow NBC to be delisted from the stock market just like
that.” The National Chairman of the Progressive Shareholders
Association of Nigeria, Boniface Okezie, said with government’s
intervention in the matter, “confidence will return to the market and
the market in return can help the government to grow the economy.” Mr
Okezie said, “I think it is time for the government to discover the
importance of the capital market in wealth creation.

Blue chip companies
like NBC should not be lost. In fact, we even need more companies to
come on board.” Victor Ogiemwonyi, chief executive officer of
Partnership Investment Company, a stock broking firm, in an article in
NEXT last Tuesday said that the price of the NBC stock is well above
the N43 offer.

“A great majority
of analysts think investors should get more for their stock if they
sell at all. They put the value at anywhere between N67, an earnings
basis valuation and also closer to its peak price during the last bull
market, or around N105 using its book value before revaluation,” Mr
Ogiemwonyi said.

Profit declines

In its interim
financial result for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010, the NBC
recorded a 76.96 per cent decline in profit after tax of N243 million,
as against the N1.055 billion posted in the comparable period of 2009.
However, NBC’s turnover during the period shows an increase of 15.46
per cent; from N23.199 billion in 2009 to N26.787 billion in 2010.

The Coca Cola
bottler had, in its third quarter ended September 30, 2009
results,recorded a 135.21 per cent increase in profit after tax of
N2.291 billion,as against N974 million in 2008; while its turnover in
the period in view grew by 14.63 per cent from N56.474 billion in 2008
to N64.740 billion in 2009.

NBC last declared
bonus to its shareholders in April 2004 and only proposed a dividend of
50 kobo last year May following its 2009 financial year end. The
dividend was expected to be paid last year December 31.

Meanwhile, the
spokesperson of the NBC, Adeyanju Olomola, has refuted claims that some
Nigerian employees of the company were recently replaced by Greeks and
Europeans following the new investment plan of the company.Mrs Olomola
said, “We did not replace Nigerian employees with Greeks or Europeans.
The company reviewed its operations in a bid to optimise same and
embarked on a restructuring exercise last month (November). This
affected some of our employees; however,we ensured fair and equitable
compensation not only in line with, but beyond what is stipulated by
regulatory requirements.”

The capital market community is waiting
with bated breath for the announcement of a substantive director
general for the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). In the last one month,
names of shortlisted candidates have been bandied, the final stage now
drawn between Bola Onadele, Yvonne Ike, and Oscar Onyema.

A recent release by the NSE signed by
the Interim Administrator, Emmanuel Ikhazobor said that it has
completed a part of the multi- stage process for the selection of Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) for the Exchange while the name of the
recommended candidate has been forwarded to the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) for approval.

The statement also added that the NSE
Council has reached an advanced stage in the selection process for each
of the three executive director positions. “It is expected that this
process will be completed in January 2011. The Council is currently
awaiting approval of its choice from the SEC.” This is the first time,
in the 50 year history of the stock exchange that the emergence of a
new DG is generating so much concern. But investigations revealed that
at no time has the choice of a DG been dependent on the approval of
SEC. The Investment and Securities Act 1999, from which SEC derives its
powers however grants the commission powers to disqualify unfit
individuals from being employed anywhere in the securities industry.

New approach

The new approach is of concern to some
capital market operators. Sunny Nwosu, national coordinator of the
Independent Shareholders Association, an investor advocacy group said
forwarding the name to SEC for another round of approval amounts to
playing to the gallery. “How can they send the name to SEC when SEC was
part of the interviewing panel, selection and shortlisting of the
candidates?” Mr Nwosu said in the case of the banking industry, banks
make public the names of a new helmsman and only forward the name to
the Central Bank for approval or disapproval. “Even if the CBN does
this, the NSE is not a government place. It is a private investment.
SEC cannot say it has not been involved in the process so why all the
drama?” An indication that the interim administrator of the Stock
Exchange was acting outside any statutory guideline is evident in the
statement. Mr Ikhazobor, rather than refer to a statutory provision
that mandates it to get SEC approval, pinned it down to an agreement
reached by both parties. “The position of the Exchange to get the
approval of SEC is in accordance with previously agreed procedures,
that the apex capital market regulator should give its approval to any
candidates the Exchange intends to hire prior to their engagement by
the NSE,” the release stated.

Mr Nwosu added that the interim
administrator cannot do otherwise since he was appointed by the
commission. “SEC cannot convince us that they have not meddled with the
appointment of a new DG.” He said rather than rush into appointing a
new DG whose tenure would be bogged down by legal battles; the parties
should ensure that all legal obstacles are removed. “We are in a
democracy which means that any major decision must get judicial input.”
He said the secrecy that has surrounded the appointment of the new DG
would in no way enhance investor confidence. “It shows the exchange is
unable to take decisions. Policy summersault affects investor
confidence.” At the 49th annual general meeting of the NSE held in
Lagos on November 23, 2010, the interim president of the NSE Council,
Balama Manu, said all formalities about the appointment of a new
helmsman will be concluded by December so that the candidate resumes in
January.

Successful candidate

He however said the assumption of
office of the successful candidate will depend on how soon he can
resume. “This depends on how they will disengage from their current
employment and indicate to us when they will formally resume. If you
are occupying a senior position in an organisation, usually you give a
three months notice. But if they are in a position to disengage as
quickly as possible nothing stops them from taking over office early
January 2011,” Mr Manu had said.

A senior stockbroker who did not want
his name mentioned said the whole procedure smacks of politics and
power game over who eventually becomes the new head. “The matter is
between NSE and SEC. However, for us stockbrokers it does not really
bother us as long as our trading platforms are up and running.” The
battle for who leads the Stock Exchange started last August when SEC
sacked the erstwhile DG, Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke on grounds of “inadequate
oversight of the Exchange, ongoing litigation, allegations of financial
mismanagement, governance challenges, and the inordinate delays in the
implementation of the succession plan for the Exchange,” according to a
statement by Lanre Oloyi, SEC’s spokesperson.

However, effort to get Mr Oloyi’s response on the ongoing choice of the new DG did not yield result.</

Our lives are
shaped by various events that come with financial consequences. Many
people get swept up in such events without being financially prepared.
Life events range from the significant milestones of getting married,
the birth of a child, buying a home, caring for aging parents, to the
loss of a loved one, planning for retirement and your estate. What are
the major life events you anticipate this year? Are you prepared for
them financially?

Getting married?

Are you planning to
get married this year? What a thrill to plan and prepare for a wedding
but far too often an important aspect of the marriage, the merging of
financial lives, is ignored. Money is an important aspect of marriage
and one of the most difficult topics to deal with. Whilst the time
leading up to the wedding is very busy, try to make time to discuss
money matters with your fiancé before the register is signed. Open
communication will help you both to align your goals, which ultimately
makes for a more successful marriage.

As you build
financial security together you will need consensus and compromise for
some money related issues. It may not sound terribly romantic, but
issues such as establishing joint bank accounts are important matters
that ought to be discussed. Home ownership, having children, and
funding their education naturally should be on the agenda for
discussion as well. Remember to review your important documents
carefully to ensure that they reflect your new marital status.

Are you the parent
who is expected to finance your son or daughter’s wedding? Quite often,
much of the financial burden of the actual wedding day is likely to
fall on the shoulders of parents already in retirement. Where will this
money come from? If your child’s wedding is imminent, plan ahead and
try to work within a budget appropriate for you so that costs do not
spiral completely out of control and jeopardise your finances. Do not
be in competition with your in-laws who may have far greater resources
than you do.

Are you expecting a new baby?

The birth or
adoption of a child is one of life’s most fulfilling events. New
parenthood naturally comes with new financial responsibility and
raising a family presents new budgeting challenges. Start to review and
estimate current and future expenses, from nappies to university fees!
An equity mutual fund would make an ideal savings vehicle for all the
early cash gifts that your child might receive as there are strong
prospects for long-term capital growth.

Child-care is
likely to be a major expense, especially as many mothers must return to
work. Even if you are able to stay at home with the children, bear in
mind that an extended absence from work, skills and training, could
limit your future career options, and therefore your lifetime earning
potential. If you do wish to pursue a career, consider part-time work
or pursuing training and education whilst the children are still young.

Although secondary
school and higher education are decades away for your new baby, costs
continue to escalate all over the world and the sooner you begin to
save for your child’s education, the better. You will have the benefit
of luxury of a wider variety of investment and savings options to
achieve your goals.

The birth of a
child is a good time to make a will, if you don’t already have one, and
review your insurance policies to include the latest beneficiary. The
will should make provisions for guardianship if both parents die while
the children are still minors.

Owning your own home

Are you planning to
buy or build your own home? A home is one of the most significant
purchases you will make in your lifetime. If this is on the horizon
this year do make sure it is within your budget and lifestyle and will
not become a burden.

If you know what
your budget limitations are you will not be tempted to look at
properties or houses outside of your price range. Location is
everything, and a wonderful home in an undesirable area may not be
worthwhile from the home value perspective.

Be careful with
whom you deal as the real estate market can attract some unsavoury
characters. Be particularly cautious and deliberate in ensuring that
all essential documentation is in place.

Is retirement on the horizon?

Retirement should
be a fulfilling and exciting time of life. If you plan to retire this
year or fairly soon, I hope you have been preparing long before now. We
should all begin to save for our retirement years as early as possible
in our working life. Time, consistency, and discipline are important to
accumulating enough wealth to sustain you during your retirement years.
This could end up being two decades or more.

How would you like
to live in retirement and how much is it likely to cost? Assess your
sources of retirement income, which should ideally include a pension,
rental, and dividend income. Then calculate how much you must save to
supplement it to be able to afford the lifestyle you envisage. There
are numerous online retirement planning calculators that should help
you in making these estimates. Your Pension Fund Administrator (“PFA”)
will also be able to assist in this regard.

Whilst many
financial advisors recommend shifting more of your assets from
growth-oriented stocks into more stable, income producing investments,
such as money market deposits and bonds, it is advisable to retain some
portion of your assets in stocks to increase your prospects for
long-term growth.

Your investing
style will of course depend on your risk appetite as well as your age
and circumstance and may shift towards less risk. Remember that to
achieve growth of any significance, you cannot afford to be completely
risk averse. Don’t forget to build in issues of aging, such as
provision for medical health care. Estate planning should be on the
front burner, as you age.

As life goes
naturally through its various stages, so too should your financial
planning. Review your financial objectives regularly to keep them in
synch with events that shape your life. Even if you have been fairly
consistent with your planning since your twenties or thirties, by the
time you are in your 50s or 60s you will need to adjust, revise, or
completely change the way you manage your money.

Write to
personalfinance@234next.com with your questions and comments. We would
love to hear from you. All letters will be considered for publication,
and if selected, may be edited.