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Debt: WAEC withholds 13 states’ results

CIIN President, Chukwuma unfolds agenda for virile insurance industry

...records 38.7% pass mark

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est African Examinations Council, WAEC, yesterday released results of its candidates, who sat for this year’s

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

May/June West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, WASSCE. However, the body held CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

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Sagay heads committee on war against corruption ...Buhari queries Jonathan’s diversion of $1bn Chinese loan

Says Nigeria not rich

OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

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resident Muhammadu Buhari has set up a seven-member Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption.

The committee is headed CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Ooni’s passage to be announced tomorrow –Awara of Iwara Ife P.8

Soyinka opens up on Jonathan President Muhammadu Buhari (fourth right); Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (fourth left); Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Eze Duruiheoma (third right) and Board Members of the Commission, during a visit to the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

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2016 Census to gulp N273bn ...FG orders INEC, NPC, FRSC, others to harmonise biometric data

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Seven babies born at Mubi transit camp

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News

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

2016 Census to gulp N273bn OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

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he 2016 national population census will cost N273bn, with N10bn needed urgently to ensure the fidelity of the process.

Chairman, National Population Commission, NPC, Eze Duru Iheoma, SAN, who led other National Commissioners to the Presidential Villa yesterday, stated this in his operational briefing to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Curiously, only about N4bn is allocated for the purpose in the 2015 budget.

Consequently, as part of measures to ensure cost-effective governance, President Buhari has charged government agencies to harmonise collection and usage of biometric data in the country.

The president wondered why each agency would gather its own biometric data, when

such data could easily be shared.

He said: “It will be more cost effective if you work together. It helps even the credibility of the election process, as Nigerians of voting age can be identified easily.”

Several government organisations that currently collect biometric data include the National Population Commission, NPC, National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, among others.

President Buhari added that all the agencies should work collaboratively, instead of going in different directions, stressing that adequate data was necessary for planning and development in any country.

Iheoma had briefed the president on what will be required for the commission to conduct a nation-

al census next year, 10 years after the last exercise, as stipulated by the United Nations.

A national population

census, the chairman said, would cost about N273bn, while about N10bn of the amount would be needed immedi-

ately.

He told the President that a biometric-based census was being proposed because it will

eliminate multiple respondents, and ghost respondents, while making the outcome easy to audit.

Nigerian returnees from Cameroun receiving their meals at NEMA transit camp at Adamawa Red Brick Factory in Mubi, on Sunday.

PHOTO: NAN

Sagay heads committee on war against corruption CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

by Prof. Itse Sagay, a prominent professor of law and civil rights activist.

Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies will serve as the Executive Secretary of the Committee.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

According to him, the committee’s brief is to advise the present administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

The committee, which is expected to develop comprehensive interventions for achieving recommended reforms also, has Prof. Femi Odekunle, a Professor of Criminology, Ahmadu Bello University as member.

Other members of the committee are Dr. (Mrs.) Benedicta Daudu, an Associate Professor of International Law, University of Jos; Prof. Etanibi Ale-

mika, a Professor of Sociology, University of Jos; Prof.

Sadiq Radda, a Professor of Criminology, Bayero University, Kano and Hadiza Bala Usman, a civil society activist.

The statement added that in support of the Federal Government’s efforts, an Anti-Corruption and Criminal Justice Reform Fund has been established by three international development partners namely the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Foundation.

The $5m fund is to assist government in the implementation of key components of the Action Plan and the work of the Presidential Advisory Committee.

Adesina said the fund will be managed by Trust Africa, an international development civil society organisation with programme presence in more than 25 African countries.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has queried the Ministry of Finance over several foreign loans obtained for railway projects but which were allegedly

diverted to other purposes.

The president gave the query yesterday after a presentation by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Mohammed Bashar at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu who confirmed the development in a statement said the president was disappointed to find that foreign loans obtained in line with signed agreements were moved from one project to another.

“I hope that due process was followed before such diversions were carried out.

Taking money from one project to another has to be done properly,” the President warned.

The president was reacting to the specific instance of the diversion of a substantial part of S1.005bn loan from the Chinese Exim Bank, obtained for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos with Kano but which was moved elsewhere.

According to Bashar, only $400m of that loan re-

mained with the Ministry of Finance.

The President regretted that government had, over the years, failed to meet its counter-part funding obligation on some projects, leading to such projects being left uncompleted or abandoned.

“He added that there was a clear need to streamline, harmonise, and prioritise on-going projects in the transportation sector.

“The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry also briefed the President on other challenges facing the transport and maritime sectors, such as encroachment on railway land, lack of security on inland waterways and the confused nature of agreements between the Nigeria Ports Authority and ports concessionaires,” the statement added.

In another development, President Buhari has called on Nigeria’s elite to be prepared to contribute more meaningfully towards helping the country overcome its current challenges.

At an audience with the outgoing President of the African Development Bank,

AfDB, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President Buhari said privileged and influential citizens clearly have to do more now than in the past to help the country deal successfully with its economic and security problems.

“With the shock of falling oil prices, lack of revenues, and insecurity, the Nigerian elites must now wake up and provide the right guidance in their communities, and also lead the economy on the right path more than they used to do,” the President said.

President Buhari also told Mr. Kaberuka that his administration will welcome more support from AfDB for projects in versatile sectors like agriculture that can easily be explored to create more jobs for unemployed Nigerians.

“An impression has been erroneously created that we are a rich country but looking at the economic profile of the country today, you will see that that is not necessarily the case.

“Our social services have to be seriously rehabilitated. We need urgent attention on areas like education

and health services, not only in the north east, but all round the country.

“We will fall back on institutions like the AfDB for support in generating employment. We have vast potentials in the agricultural sector that can be explored to create more jobs.

“We also have small businesses that need funds for expansion,” the President said.

The outgoing AfDB President told President Buhari that some development institutions like the World Bank, German Development Bank and the European Development Bank had already indicated their readiness to provide long term loan facilities to small businesses in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s immediate past Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina will now replace the outgoing AfDB President next month.

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina said the AfDB currently has a strong capital base of $4.8bn.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

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Interview

The past few years have witnessed modest reform in the nation’s insurance industry such that stakeholders believe the industry’s outlook is promising in terms of its contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. In this interview with TOLA AKINMUTIMI, new President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, CIIN, and Managing Director of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, Lady Isioma Chukwuma, speaks on how to grow the industry and her agenda as President of the Institute.

Excerpts:

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CIIN President, Chukwuma agenda for virile insurance

How would you describe the Nigerian insurance industry today in terms of public awareness?

I would say we are not yet at that level that is desirable because the penetration is still low. People are not very conscious of insurance and they do this across the country. The rate of penetration is still very low and that is why everything is being done to create awareness that is necessary and hopefully, people would be encouraged to take insurance policies and give it the attention they require.

NAICOM has taken a lot of steps in the past five years or so, particularly through its Market Development and Restructuring Initiative, MDRI, to restore public confidence in the industry. Where do you think the regulator could do more to achieve the broad policy objectives of the initiative?

It is the area of compliance enforcement because it is one thing to lay down the policy guidelines, and another to enforce them. So, if the regulator can help us impress it upon the necessary organisations and agencies to carry out enforcement, this will also help the industry.

As a seasoned player in the insurance industry, Nigeria’s market is regarded as one of the biggest globally, but the potential is really yet to be fully explored. What do you think could be done through policy regimes to enable operators explore the market better for improved returns on their investments and national development?

It is still part of what we are saying about giving the right priority to insurance matters in the industry. If the people who are involved are not giving the necessary attention or priority to insurance matters it will still continue to play the second fiddle. If those in the position to do this don’t accord insurance matters necessary importance, then definitely nobody will attach that importance to insurance. So, what we encourage the government to do is to lay emphasis or attach some importance to insurance because really, no economy can survive without insurance because insurance is the backbone of any economy.

Now, this brings us to the problem of public sector insurance. The agenda NAICOM is promoting is ‘No Premium No Cover’ but we discovered that the various tiers of government were doing little or nothing to cover their risks. How do you think we can address this challenge such that all insurable assets in the public sector are covered?

It is still enlightenment and encouragement we will continue to give them to educate them more on the need for and importance of insurance. On the issue of ‘no premium no cover’, definitely the industry is suffering from it because it means that we are not able to record the necessary performance. It affects our performance because we will not book business that we have not received payment for. So, if government, as a big

SO, IF THE REGULATOR CAN HELP US IMPR IMPRESS IT UPON THE NECESSARY ORGANIZATIONS A AND AGENCIES TO CARRY OUT ENFORCEMENT, T THIS WILL ALSO HELP THE INDUSTRY player in the market, is not patronizing operators and not paying their required premium, definitely the performance and the income expected by insurance and reinsurance companies will drop. So, once you encourage them and it is through enlightenment programmes, through words of encouragement to enable them realise the important role insurance plays in economic development and give it the

necessary importance and priority in the scheme of things, then everybody will be able to benefit.

Looking at the industry, it has been observed that in oil and gas, aviation and all other key sectors, the level of risk coverage by indigenous insurance and re-insurance companies in the sectors remain low because foreign investors

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Interview

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

unfolds industry

gradually to build capacity and to ensure we have the required capacity to be able to accommodate as much business as possible.

You are a strong advocate of discipline and professional integrity in the industry.

How would you rate the efforts of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria in instilling professional discipline and integrity in its members these past years?

I would say we haven’t done so badly because I don’t think we have any reported cases of indiscipline and if there are, that is not to our notice. So, to a large extent, the professionals have been playing by the rules and they have been holding their heads high as professionals. We don’t really have that problem and I want to ask members, who are professionals, to maintain that integrity and discipline which we have been noted for.

Touting is one of those issues that have become very problematic in the insurance industry. As a professional and someone who will naturally be saddled with big responsibility of championing the cause of professionalism as CIIN President, how do you think the Institute can collaborate with the state and federal governments and other players to tackle this menace?

It is actually the Nigeria Insurance Association that is doing all they can to make sure they reduce the prevalence of fake policy and I know a lot is being done in that regard. So, all we can do as a professional body is to encourage them since the NIA is the right body to champion this cause.

feel they lacked the capacity. What do you think is responsible for this?

Luckily, there is this Local Content Policy in place, which is to ensure that local capacity is exhausted before businesses are placed abroad, but the problem we discover is that people, as you have righty observed, are not really complying with the policy directives. So, it is up to the regulators to ensure strict compliance with the directives, but what again they are saying is that we don’t have the capacity, that is the local capacity. So, where we would encourage ourselves is to build the local capacity so that we do not give them the excuses they always come up with to say we don’t have the required capacity, we don’t have the experience and the expertise. So, our industry is evolving

On the issue of capacity building at tertiary institutions level, what is CIIN doing to encourage students to embrace insurance as a profession?

Luckily, we have this College of Insurance, which has been renamed Centre for Insurance and Management. It is located along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. So, the centre I would say is going to be commissioned before end of this month. One of its objectives is to build human capital for the industry. On awareness for insurance education, we are also proposing one of the short-time courses or one of the foundation programmes that is in place and is being proposed for school certificate holders who don’t readily gain admission into university such that when they come into the Centre they undergo the foundation programme to enable them get admitted into 200 level in the university when they pass out from this Centre. So, specifically, we are trying to prepare these children for insurance and in addition to that, one of the President’s agendas is the establishment of course books for the students. So, books were provided to students in secondary schools and teachers were trained to teach this course. What remains now is to collaborate with Ministry of Education to introduce insurance into the curriculum of secondary schools. So, what we now have to do is to enlighten the students of the availability of this course as an option, as a career option. So, during my own tenure in office, I would like to pursue this agenda further.

During his own tenure, he tried to cover some geo-political zones and the current President also took it up and continued

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IF GOVERNMENT, AS A BIG PLAYER IN THE MARKET, IS NOT PATRONIZING OPERATORS

AND NOT PAYING THEIR REQUIRED PREMIUM, DEFINITELY THE PERFORMANCE AND THE INCOME EXPECTED BY INSURANCE AND REINSURANCE COMPANIES WILL DROP from where he stopped, which had some geopolitical zones carrying out the train the trainers programme in some of these zones. So, when I come, by the grace of God I will also extend it further to some areas that have not been covered thereby taking insurance to these secondary and higher institutions, telling them about insurance as a career or subject and then introducing this subject/course book to them because it is one thing to have a course, it is another to have textbooks available. Another important thing is to have teachers to train these students.

So, what we are doing is to introduce the subject, train the trainers, prepare the teachers that will train them and let the course books be available. All these are geared towards our plan to build human capacity required to grow the industry and improve its contributions to national development.

We expect that during your tenure as President of CIIN, you will naturally be looking at some innovative ways of taking the Institute to loftier heights such that after serving in the highest office, you will want to say I have left this legacy. Could you give us an insight into what you are looking at to bequeath as a legacy?

I’m not looking at starting anything.

Mine is going to be consolidation. I’m going to consolidate on what my predecessors have already done. So, those areas like this education of insurance, for instance, insurance awareness, is also an area of importance and concern and interest for me. So, I will look at where they have stopped and consolidate on efforts of my predecessors.

Finally, can we appraise the performance of your entity, Nigeria Reinsurance Cor-

poration; where are you now and where do you intend to take this industry giant in the next two, three years?

Nigeria Re, unfortunately, is still at a level where I’m not really satisfied with. I know we could do better. So, it is my intention that in the next two, three years, other things being equal, Nigerian Re should at least have been able to gain some, let me say, about 50 per cent of the market. I don’t want to be too optimistic even though there is nothing wrong in being too ambitious. But, if we can gain at least up to 40 per cent or 50 per cent of the re-insurance market, that is our target and this will be good for us as a leading player in the market.

How do you intend to do this?

We have a lot of strategies in place.

One of the strategies is to improve our on service delivery, which we have done and improve on our paying claims ability. Luckily, as at now, we have more or less, I would say, zero per cent outstanding claims. We have almost cleared all the outstanding claims in our books. Before, the issue of rating used to be a problem for us, now we have rating. So, all those have been dealt with. Another issue that used to count against us was the issue of late approval of our accounts, but luckily we have also achieved that. So, all those obstacles have been overcome.

So, it is my intention that now that we have removed all the obstacles on the way, we would step ahead and consolidate on the gains of those things we had been able to achieve. That is why I am hopeful that in the next two, three years, all things being equal, we should be able to gain the lost market share, if not more, at least 50 per cent of the market share.

News

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Debt: WAEC withholds 13 states’ results CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

results of candidates from 13 states for inability to pay their exam fees.

Head of Nigeria’s Office of WAEC, Mr. Charles Eguridu, made this known in Lagos at a press briefing to announce release of the results.

He said those candidates, who are in their hundreds of thousands, would only

have their results released after their states either make full payment of the amount owed the council or present verifiable collateral from reputable banks to pay up at a reasonable period.

He, however, refused to mention the affected states to save them possible embarrassment.

Eguridu said it was disheartening that only six out

of the 19 earlier announced indebted states, including Ogun, which made it own payment public two weeks ago had offset their debts, while some others were not even shown willingness to pay.

“But honestly speaking, the Governors’ Forum has come into the matter with the aim of providing solution and some states on their

own have also approached us and promised to pay very soon but we still a few others that have not even bother at all to show willingness to take up their bills.

“So, at it today (yesterday), only candidates from 23 states would have the opportunity of checking their results from our website starting from tomorrow (today), while those of oth-

Deputy Inspector, General of Police, Logistic and Supply, North West, Mamman Ibrahim Tsafe Inspecting The Quarter Guard at the Headquarters, Kaduna State Police Command, yesterday.

Soyinka opens up on Jonathan OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

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obel Laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka, has given an insight into the administration of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, almost five months after he left office.

He said Jonathan was held captive majorly by those working with him, a situation he noted made him oblivious of some of the critical issues of government.

The Nobel Laureate released this damning verdict against the barrage of criticisms that have trailed the 5-year tenure of the former president.

In an interview granted to Zero Tolerance magazine, published by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Soyinka noted that the nation was compromised and battered during his tenure.

According to him, the former President was not in the know of some of these issues until he brought it to his attention “There were forces around Jonathan, which he

…says ex-President held captive himself did not understand and that is why I stressed that you’ve got to choose your circles of advisers very carefully, when you are in charge. He was caged; things were going on that he did not know about.

“On a lighter note, I asked him, ‘what are you doing about madam’ because that one seems to be embarrassing the nation as usual because that seems to be her function as so called first lady.

“You go to a section of the country and tell your supporters to stone those who campaign for change and you insult another part of the nation by calling them those who produce children that they cannot look after. That woman should be charged for inciting chaos.

It is incredible that she is allowed to run loose,” he said Soyinka also spoke on the alleged telephone conversation between President Jonathan and the King of Morocco.

He said: “I will tell you one interesting aspect of

what we discussed. I will reveal to you that Jonathan did not know that the nation had been compromised so badly in this telephone thing with the King of Morocco.

“I was the one who told him when we met over an issue and I said to him, ‘by the way, how is the king of Morocco? Jonathan didn’t know what I was talking about.

“When I mentioned the telephone issue, he thought what I was talking about is campaign for AfDB managing director for which he was lobbying other heads of states.

“He said ‘I haven’t spoken to him in a long time’, and I said, ‘no, you spoke to him a few days ago.’

“He said, ‘no, I intend to speak with him. I even asked my foreign ministry to link me up with him because I am campaigning for a candidate but I haven’t spoken to the king of Morocco.’ “Then I said to him, ‘you better go and read the newspapers of

last week.’ And I can tell you he did not know.

“So you can imagine that the president did not know that a scandal had developed that involved a withdrawal of an ambassador “And again, I am revealing this to you since this interview won’t be published till after the elections because I wouldn’t want to be seen as campaigning for or against any one side. It shows how in deep trouble governance can be; governance can dig itself into a huge hole and not even know it’s in there. The statement that was issued was issued the night when I met him.

“This is what we are talking about. How can a public figure, an intelligent person like that come out to tell the public that corruption is not stealing.

“As president, you’ve got to show some example …

Why should a president involve himself in what is already structurally established and dedicated to that purpose?”

ers will be withheld pending when their states pay or come with reputable banks’ collateral,” he said.

Giving statistics of candidates’ performance in the exam, Eguridu said only 616,370 out of 1, 593,442 (38.68 per cent), obtained credit passes and above in five subjects, including English language and Mathematics, which is the prerequisite grades for admission into tertiary institutions.

He, however, noted that the figure represented a marginal improvement over that of last year, which stood at 31.28 per cent, and the 2013 edition, which was 38.30 per cent.

Eguridu, who said this year’s performance though improved slightly over that of last year, was not satisfactory enough to the council.

He urged all the stakeholders to intensify efforts in improving on learning and teaching in their respec-

tive schools.

He also disclosed that 95, 373 students, representing 5.99 per cent of total candidates who sat for the exam still have a few of their results being processed due to some errors traceable mainly to them and their schools in the course of registration or writing of the examination.

He pointed out that 118, 101 candidates, representing 7.41 per cent have their own results withheld due to alleged malpractice during the exam.

According to him, while candidates in the former case would get their results released once the errors are rectified; the cases of those in the latter category are being investigated for committee’s recommendation for the next line of action.

He however asked candidates to check their results on the council’s website www.waecdirect.org within the next 24 hours.

I remain ‘partyless’ Nigerian –Obasanjo FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

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ormer president Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday declared that he would continue to embrace any Nigerian who has the good intention and exemplary leadership qualities irrespective of such person’s political leaning.

Obasanjo, who formally quitted partisan politics six months ago by tearing into shred, his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, membership card, also declared that he remain a “party less” Nigerian and would continue to carry the toga of a statesman.

The former president made the declaration while playing host to the delegation of Kogi State Government, led by the Governor Idris Wada, who visited him at his Presidential Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

“Everybody is welcome.

But, they must be with good leadership traits, with genuine intention to improve the country, Obasanjo said.

He noted that contrary to the praises being showered on him for his performance as President under

the PDP platform, it was important to emphasise that personality comes before the platform one represents to achieve desired goals.

The former president commended the developmental strides of Governor Wada, noting that the less friction in the state under his administration was commendable.

The governor described Obasanjo as a father of the nation, stressing that those who believed in him, would continue to learn from his commitment and dedication for the growth of the country.

Wada explained further that the visit to Obasanjo was coming on the heels of his award as the best governor in the country in Lagos State, saying, “since we were honoured as the best governor yesterday, in Lagos we deem it appropriate to come down to Abeokuta to report to our father, the little recognition we are getting.”

Among those who spoke at visit, was a frontline women leader of the PDP in Kogi State, Olori Margaret Orebiyi, who described Obasanjo as the landlord of the Nigerian nation.

“Apart from God, Obasanjo is the landlord of this country,” she declares.

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Photo News

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

L-R: Special Apostle George Ogunleye; New Chairman/General Leader, Surulere Sub– Headquarters, Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Ayo ni o, Special Apostle Sunday Korode; his wife, Most Senior Mother in Israel, Margaret and Special Apostle Emmanuel Dawodu, during the unveiling of Special Apostle Sunday Korode, in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

L-R: Group Head, Corporate Services, Unified Payments Services Nigeria Ltd, Felix Edionwe; Group Head, Enterprise Risk Management, Ochanyan Dan-Ugo; Director, Finance and Corporate Assets, Unified Payments Services Nigeria Ltd, Festus Ikediasor and Group Head, Information Technology, Vivian Okolo, during the 2015 Commerce and Industry Awards, at the weekend.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Board Secretary, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Belema Tariso; Managing Director, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim; former President, Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) and Chief Executive, Alheri Legal and Allied Services, Mr. Alheri Nyako, during the 2015 NDIC External Solicitors Conference in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Director of Administration, West African Examination Council (WAEC), Deacon Steven Taiwo; Head, WAEC National Office in Nigeria, Mr. Charles Eguridu and Director of Finance, Bola Ojeleye, during a news conference to announce results of the May/June 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, in Lagos, yesterday.

National News ObiOra ifOh and Olajide OmOjOlOmOju

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eoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to end the stagnation witnessed in the economy.

PDP also chided President Muhammadu Buhari and APC to always be sincere and stop appropriating achievements of the past administration as theirs.

The party said, instead, the APC and President Buhari should make haste and activate the various economic outlets, which have been stagnated as a result of their obvious inability to articulate a clear-cut economic policy for the nation.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement in Abuja, said it is disappointing that a government that came to power on claims of high moral ground, rather than focusing on delivering its promises, is dancing around the achievements of the previous government.

PDP said instead of trying to poach achievements to earn an unde-

Nigerians wallowing in stagnated economy –PDP

•Buhari’ll not be deterred by orchestrated distractions –APC served praise, APC and its government should brace up, articulate a precise economic policy, assemble an economic team and urgently commence delivery of its promises for which they were voted.

The party said it finds it unacceptable, notwithstanding the reasons being adduced, for a government in a democratic setting to run for almost three months without a cabinet and any policy direction whatsoever.

APC, in its reply said distractions being orchestrated by certain elements in the polity will not deter President Buhari’s administration from its avowed determination to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of those who are holding her by the jugular.

The party in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mo-

hammed, said the people, including fringe elements, who have frenetically engaged in fault-finding with the Buhari administration, either have skeletons in their cupboards or were acting at their behest, for a fee.

It said: “These paranoid and skittish people daily run to the media to disparage the Buhari administration. Grasping at straws, they condemn and criticise everything from appointments to the war against corruption and the battle against insecurity, even though the party to which they belong had 16 years to make things right for Nigeria, but chose to suck the country dry, enthrone insecurity and pauperise the citizenry.

“Their design is simple: make enough incoherent noise in the media with the hope that the administration will be

distracted.

“Unfortunately for them, they have failed in their evil machination, because this President can neither be deterred nor be distracted.

“While their dogs continue to bark, the caravan of the Buhari administration proceeds on its steadfast journey.”

Saying that while a virile opposition is indispensable in any democracy worth its salt, Mohammed said no opposition

can succeed by dwelling on the mundane or engaging in bare-faced lies, adding that only good research, strict adherence to the truth and a focus on real issues rather than frivolities can make any opposition relevant.

He wondered why and how the APC-led Federal Government can be blamed for the blatant refusal of the last administration to adequately equip the military to confront the Boko Haram in-

surgency, when even an appointee of that administration told the whole world that he was the head of a military that lacked relevant equipment and motivation to fight the insurgency APC said: “What achievement is there for anyone to appropriate from an administration that will go down in history as the most rapacious, incompetent and clueless in the history of our nation?”

Omeiza ajayi

developmental projects.

Hence, government will by this decision, save about $1m and N30m in local expenses.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who confirmed this yesterday however stated that government will carry out

its duty to Nigerians on the annual pilgrimage by extending to them consular, medical and welfare support as expected of it.

“The states can deal with that (meaning appointment of own delegations) but this year at the centre, we will not be involved,” he said.

Buhari cancels FG’s Hajj delegation ABUJA

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ederal Government has said it will not be sending any official delegation to this year’s Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

This is part of efforts to cut costs and channel scarce resources to more

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News

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

UCH offers olive branch to doctors as strike enters 102 days Kemi olaitan IBADAN

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anagement of the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, yesterday offered olive branch to striking resident doctors in the hospital, promising to effect implementation of the 2013 government circular on skipping of doctors on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, which is the primary reason for the strike, “immediately the Budget Office of the Federation makes funds available for the scheme”.

Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the hospital, Professor Temitope Alonge, who gave the assurance while addressing journalists, said: “If the Budget Office of the Federation makes funds available today through supplementary budget, the hospital is duty bound to pay immediately.”

Lamenting the adverse effects of the lingering strike by the resident doctors, which entered 102 days yesterday, he said payment of skipping was not captured in the 2015 personnel budget of any tertiary health institutions in the country in keeping with the position of the management of UCH. He said, “Management of the University College Hospital is therefore, using the media to appeal to resident doctors of the UCH, Ibadan, to call off this strike and return to their duty and training posts in

the interest of Nigerians seeking health care services in the hospital. If the Budget Office of the Federation makes funds available today through supplementary budget, the hospital is duty bound to pay immediately.”

However, while reacting to the new stand of management of the hospital, President of the Association of Resident Doctors,

UCH branch, Dr. Luqman Ogunjimi, told journalists that a congress of members would hold today (Tuesday) to consider the appeal and take a decision on whether or not to shift ground in their demands.

He, however, urged the UCH management to utilise an alleged N1billion surplus in the hospital’s personnel budget to settle the bills under contention, while awaiting its formal inclusion in the 2016 fiscal budget.

OSOGBO

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sun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday, said the nation was heading for the precipice, but for the change of government that brought the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the centre.

Aregbesola, who disclosed this at a forum, Osun Stakeholders’ Conference, organised by Osun Legislators’ Forum, an umbrella body of House of Representatives, Senate and House of Assembly, representing the state, attributed financial crises in the states of the federation to the bad leadership of the immediate past government.

He stressed that the stakeholders’ conference, which is the brainchild of Osun federal legislature, demonstrated how serious our representatives take the

Ooni’s passage to be announced tomorrow wara of Iwara-Ife, Oba Layi Adereti, yesterday disclosed that formal announcement of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade’s death will be made on Wednesday.

The royal father, who

stated this in a statement issued in Ile-Ife on preparation of burial of the monarch, who died at Saint Mary Hospital, London, few weeks ago, said Oro festival was the final rite of passage for the Ooni.

Since Oba Sijuade’s death was reported, Royal Traditional Council of Ile-

cluding the total number of cases the Directorate of Public Prosecutions is prosecuting at the High Court. In terms of advocacy, DSVRT has trained over 800 mandated reporters who are state government employees that have dealings with children on how to detect signs of child abuse and steps to take in reporting such cases.

“Furthermore, over 2,000 school children have been empowered through our rape prevention workshops on how to avoid being a victim of sexual abuse, self defence

and how to preserve evidence when physically or sexually assaulted.”

She said the DSVRT comprises top level representatives of the Nigeria Police, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Public Defender, the Directorate of Citizens’ Rights, Office of Youth and Social Development, Ministries of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Health and Education, civil society organisations, and the media, who are all involved in the fight against sexual and gender based violence crimes.

Boladale BamigBola OSOGBO

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Lagos vows to eradicate sexual, domestic violence Francis suBeru

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agos State government has vowed to eradicate sexual and gender-based violence in the state, adding that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration has zero tolerance for perpetrators of such crimes.

The government in a statement issued on Monday and signed by Coordinator, Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, enjoined victims of sexual and gender- based violence to speak out as the state government was ready to fight all such causes and ensure justice was served.

Vivour-Adeniyi explained that the state government inaugurated DSVRT in September 2014 as a response to increase in incidents of reported

rape, defilement, domestic violence, child abuse, neglect and maltreatment in the state.

According to her, the governor had last month met with the team and charged them to go all out and increase victim safety and offender responsibility by providing a cross jurisdictional response that is uniform in approach in the way sexual and gender-based violence cases were handled in the state.

According to her, in the past one month alone, the team has attended to about 50 cases in the state, saying at least 30 of them are victims of domestic violence.

She added that the team is also currently monitoring over 20 cases, which include child abuse, defilement and rape with key medical evidence and police reports.

“This, however, is ex-

‘Nigeria heading for precipice before Jonathan’s ouster’ Boladale BamigBola

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

issue of this state.

In his words, “How we got to this financial crisis is unknown to a lot of people; it is only the wise who may have a flash of understanding of what actually went wrong. It is this similar crisis that we are also battling with in this state as other states are also experiencing.

“This forum gives us opportunity to study in-depth how this situation came about and for us to find a lasting solution to the crisis so that our state will move forward.

He urged the participants who were all drawn from the civil servants, formal and informal sector including artisans, businessmen, socio-cultural groups and others to use the occasion to open up on their grievances, misconceptions and other opinions about his government.

In his remarks, former Osun State Governor,

Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, disclosed that the state is a brand that will outlast any government whether its performance is good or bad.

Oyinlola said the stakeholders’ conference became necessary in view of the current financial crisis bedeviling the whole of the federation which Osun is part of.

According to him, Osun as a state has a perpetual succession irrespective of the performance of any government in power either before or now.

He stated that the summit is right on target with a view to forging survival strategies within the context of national economic crisis.

The former governor therefore described the stakeholders’ forum which was the gathering of all indigenes home and abroad, as avenue to fashion ways out of the financial crisis facing some of the states in Nigeria.

Ife, a body comprising all traditional title holders in the town, has continually denied that the monarch had passed on.

However, Oba Adereti, who is also head of Oro Cult in Ile-Ife, said residents of the ancient town, whether male or female, must remain indoor during the Oro rite, which will take place between 9am and 4pm, Wednesday.

“This is an official statement from the palace of Awara of Iwara-Ife, who is head of Oro deity that on Wednesday 12th August, 2015, there would be official proclamation of the demise of Ooni of Ife. “The proclamation will be made public during the Oro festival, being the final rites on the demise of Ooni of Ife. “Residents of the ancient town are therefore, urged to keep away from the streets between the hours of 9am and 4pm during which the Oro deity will be out.

“With the announcement, people are advised to stay in-door for the period the Oro will be out.”

BENUE STATE POLYTECHNIC, UGBOKOLO (OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR) INVITATION TO PRE-QUALIFICATION AND TENDER FOR THE YEAR 2015 TETFUND SPECIAL INTERVENTION PROJECTS IN BENUE STATE POLYTECHNIC, UGBOKOLO 1.0 PREAMBLE The Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo is desirous of inviting competent and capable contractors to make submis sions for the pre-qualification/tendering in respect of the year 2015 Special Intervention Projects.

2.0 PROJECTS LOT 1: Construction of Computer Based Testing Centre LOT 2: Furnishing of Computer Based Testing Centre 3.0 PRE-QUALIFICATION CRETERIA The contractors are expected to submit documents for the pre-qualification (technical bid) as enumerated below: 1.

Compulsory and Mandatory Criteria: a.

Company registration with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) b.

Company Audited Accounts for the last three (3) years (2012 – 2014) c.

Evidence of Tax Clearance Certificate for the Past Three (3) Years (2012 – 2014). d.

Evidence of compliance and remittance with the provision of the Pension Reform Act, 2004. e.

Evidence of compliance with the provisions of the Industrial Training Fund Amendment Act as stipulated in section 6(1) – (3). f.

VAT registration and evidence of remittances in the last three (3) years (2012 – 2014).

2. a. b. c.

Other Criteria: Comprehensive company profile indicating technical and administrative staff strength, with academic/ professional qualifications and years of experience of key personnel available for the project.

Evidence of relevant verifiable experience on similar projects in Nigeria over the last 5 years indicating cost, duration of execution, practical completion certificate as well as reference letters or award letters.

Letter of financial reference from a reputable Bank.

3. a) b)

COLLECTION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS (FINANCIAL BIDS) The tender documents for each lot shall be collected from the office of the Registrar.

The filled tender documents are hereby referred to as Financial Bids and they are to be clearly marked and sealed separately from the technical bid.

4.

SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS The technical bids (Pre-qualification Documents) and the Financial bids (Filled Tender Documents) should be sealed and clearly marked in separate envelopes which will in turn be sealed together in a bigger envelope and clearly marked; the name of the project and the LOT.

The documents should be delivered to the address below not later than 12:00 noon of two (2) weeks from the date of this publication The Registrar, Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Benue State.

5. a. b.

OPENING The bids are scheduled to be opened on the closing day at 12:00 noon.

The technical bids are prerequisite to the opening of the financial bids. Hence, only companies that meet the requirements of the technical bids are eligible to have their financial bids opened while those that fail stand disqualified. c.

All prospective contractors are invited to the public opening ceremony and are also advised to bring along relevant original documents for sighting.

Please Note: a.

Submission of Pre-qualification/Tendering documents to Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo is neither a commitment nor an obligation to award contract to any contractor or his agent b.

Advertisement for Pre-qualification/Tender should not be construed as commitment on the part of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo or shall it entitle any contractor to make any claims whatsoever or seek any indemnity from Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo. c.

Due diligence would be followed as well as documents submitted would be verified appropriately. Any discrepancies found would summarily disqualify the contractor.

Signed: Registrar.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

9

Timber lorry kills couple, others in Ondo • Two die, 16 injured in Ogun multiple crash

Femi OyewesO and OjO Oyewamide

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couple and two other persons were on Sunday evening killed by a timber truck at Isinkan area of Akure, Ondo State capital.

Eyewitnesses said victims of the auto crash died instantly while the truck driver, one Friday Ambrose, came out uninjured.

The truck was said to have dismembered the bodies of the victims beyond recognition.

It was learnt that the driver lost control of the vehicle and ran into the couple on a motorbike and two other victims standing

by the roadside.

The timber lorry, according to sources, was coming from Arakale area of the town heading to one of the sawmills at Ondo road in the state capital when the truck marked Lagos XN 968 AKD swerved off its lane and rammed into the opposite direction, killing the victims Police Public Relations Officer, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the crash, but gave a different account of casualties.

Ogodo said only one person died in the crash, adding that the motorcycle rider, Damilola Babutunde, died while the passenger of the bike was injured by the truck.

He said, according to information he received, the accident occurred when the truck driver lost control of the vehicle and ran over the motorcycle parked beside the road, injuring the rider and the passenger.

Ogodo said, "But the rider, Babatunde, 20, later died at the State Specialists Hospital, Akure, while the passenger whose name and address are unknown, is still receiving treatment at the hospital."

The PPRO disclosed that the driver had been arrested and was still in the custody of the police.

In a related development, a student of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic,

Abeokuta, MAPOLY, as well as one other person were confirmed dead, while 16 others were critically injured in a multiple accident that occurred at Onipepeye village at Sagamu - Abeokuta Expressway yesterday.

The accident, which claimed the life of the MAPOLY student identified as Adekoya Emmanuel, occurred around 1pm and involved a Mercedes Benz Jeep 500 ML marked (LAGOS) KRD 933 BC and two fully loaded passenger buses; a white Mazda bus marked (OGUN) XC 878 JBD, and a NISSAN bus marked (OGUN) SRA 229 XA. National Mirror gathered that the driver of the

Mercedes 500 ML, which was on its way out of Abeokuta, lost control of the car, skidded off its lane and rammed into one of the passenger buses coming from Abeokuta before the second bus unknowingly rammed into them.

Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the state’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement agency, TRACE, Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident, said both the MAPOLY student and the driver of one of the buses died on the spot.

The TRACE PRO further said that 12 out of the criti-

Cultists kill 4, vandalise 16 vehicles in Lagos Patience OgbO

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L-R: Chief Executive Director, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyenma; National Director, Special Olympics Nigeria, Naomi Saliu-Lawal; Chairman, Board of Directors, Special Olympics Nigeria, Mr. Victor Osibodu; Head, Corporate Services, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Bola Adeeko and Member, Board of Directors, Special Olympics Nigeria, Mr. Misan Eresanara, during the visit of members and athletes of Special Olympics Nigeria to the floor of Nigerian Stock Exchange in Marina, Lagos, yesterday.

Francis suberu

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here are indications that civil servants working in the office of the Chief of Staff in Lagos State Governor's Office, Alausa, Ikeja, are currently engaged in Hajj racketeering by making forms for governmentsponsored Hajj available to their kit and kin without following due process.

Journalists covering the Governor Office are entitled to, at least, one slot each year to enable them travel to the holy land to cover activities of Lagos pilgrims.

But for the first time in the last 16 years, not even one of Lagos State Gov-

Journalists decry Hajj form racketeering at governor's office ernor’s Office Correspondent, LAGOCO, will be in Mecca for the annual Hajj this year, as no slot was given to them.

Investigations revealed that one Mr. Shola Fashina from LTV 8, who covers the Lagos State House of Assembly, got the slot.

This is outside the two yearly slots the pilgrims board gives to LTV and another two to Radio Lagos.

The development now makes it impossible for any of the governor’s press crew to make the trip.

When LAGOCO ex-

ecutive members became anxious about the delay in making the form available, they contacted top government officials to find out what actually happened, but could not get any concrete answer.

However, on Friday, they met with the Amirul Hajj and Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji AbdulLateef AbdulHakeem, who told them that all the forms for sponsorship from the Governor’s office, including the one meant for LAGOCO, was submitted to the office of the Chief of Staff.

He added that the form has already been filled and submitted for the Hajj without the knowledge of the governor’s correspondents.

Shola Fashina confirmed that he collected and filled the form when he was contacted by a member of LAGOCO executive but declined to name who gave him the form.

When contacted again by a reporter, Fashina said he is a journalist and that he is not the one to be called to confirm that he collected form met for LAGOCO.

cally injured passengers were taken to a private hospital in the Panseke area of Abeokuta metropolis, while four others, which included a 7-year-old girl were taken to the State Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta for treatment.

Adebiyi, who explained that the sum of N150, 000 was recovered from the scene of the crash, also stated that corpse of the bus driver had been taken away by his relatives who thronged the venue of the accident, while the corpse of the MAPOLY student was deposited at the State Hospital in Ijaye.

uspected cultists were said to have allegedly killed four people and destroyed vehicles at EbuteMetta area of Lagos State, at the weekend.

It was gathered that the cultists numbering about 50 stormed Evans Square and Apapa Road over the weekend and shot dead four men.

During the mayhem, the hoodlums were said to have killed one Toheed Bomjoko and left his corpse at Apapa Road on Friday, while the other three victims, who are yet to be identified, were killed at Evans Street,

Lagos Mainland, on Saturday.

The suspected cultists, it was learnt, stormed Kano Street and unleashed mayhem as they vandalised not less than 15 vehicles.

A resident of Jebba Street urged the police to beef up security in the area.

Another resident, who identified himself as Niyi Femi said, "It was like war when the cultists stormed Kano Street and started vandalising vehicles. I counted about 15 vandalised vehicles.

In reaction to the incident, Lagos State police spokesperson, DSP Patricia Amadin, said two persons were killed.

Octogenarian tasks youths on corruption, cultism saidat alausa

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enowned philanthropist and entrepreneur, Chief Oyekunle Alex-Duduyemi, has said to achieve a new Nigeria, citizens should avoid corruption in its entirety.

He also advised people in government to be steady, faithful and show integrity in whatever they do.

He said this at a ceremony to mark his 80th birthday held in Lekki, at the weekend.

According to him, for Nigeria to attain its desired dream, youth in the country

must be well-equipped in all spheres of life.

He advised youths to be hardworking, avoid cheating and cultism.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, in a letter read at the ceremony described the celebrant as an exemplary businessman, who has created a huge impact in the economy of Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.

Wishing him good health in the years ahead, the governor said the younger generations have a lot to learn from him in terms of his entrepreneur nature, which made him to reach his desired goal.

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South West

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Impeachment: Court rules on ex-Ondo deputy gov’s suit August 13 Wale IgbIntade

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Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday fixed August 13, 2015, to deliver judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, challenging his impeachment.

Justice Mohammed Idris fixed the date for judgment after taking arguments from lawyer to the parties.

Olanusi, who was impeached on April 27, 2015, had sued the Inspector General of Police, and chairman of the seven-man investigative panel which found him guilty of impeachable offences, Mr. Olatunji Adeniyan.

Olanusi was represented

by his lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, while Attorney General of Ondo State, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), represented Adeniyan, who was sued as first respondent.

The suit was transferred from Akure division of the Federal High Court to Lagos division.

Olanusi through his lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje claimed that "the conclusion of proceedings and submission of report by the panel within one day denied him fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36 of the constitution.

Olanusi had argued that the impeachment panel did not give him adequate time and facility to defend himself against the allegations of misconduct which he was found guilty of.

He also alleged that the Adeniyan-led panel failed to personally serve him with the notice of the allegation of misconduct before proceeding into hearing and reaching its conclusion.

Consequently, he prayed the court for an order quashing the proceedings and the report of the impeachment panel.

He also sought an order nullifying his removal as the Ondo State Deputy Governor by the state House of Assembly on April 27, 2015.

However in a preliminary objection filed by the Attorney General of Ondo State, he urged the court to discountenance Olanusi submission and strike out the suit.

Jegede, who described Olanusi's suit as an abuse

of court processes, said the ex-deputy governor goofed by approaching the court through a fundamental right enforcement application to challenge his impeachment.

Pointing out that Olanusi's application was not filed in compliance with Order X Rule 1 of the fundamental rights enforcement procedure 2009, he urged the court to strike it out on the ground of being defective.

Besides, the Attorney General also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case, arguing that the subject matter was not one over which the Federal High Court could assume jurisdiction.

Jegede also challenged the joining of the Inspector General of Police as a respondent in the suit, explain-

ing that the IG played no role in Olanusi's impeachment to warrant his being sued.

He added that his joining

was a mere ploy to make the suit appeared like a fundamental right enforcement action.

Ex-service men back Buhari's anti-corruption crusade KemI OlaItan IBADAN

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nti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday received a boost as former military men under the auspices of Military Pensioners Pressure Group, lent their support for his various anticorruption moves.

Chairman of the association, Chief Gabriel Oaikhena, in a release made available to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, also urged the president to look into the payment of pensioners’ salaries latest by 25th of every month,

saying deferring it to another month was another form of corruption.

He similarly implored the president to extend the same gesture given to federal and state workers to military pensioners by paying the four years arrears owed by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said: “The good hand of fellowship you extend to federal and state workers by paying their bulk arrears owed them should also be extended to military pensioners by paying their four years arrears by the Jonathan administration.”

Ambode sacks Lagos Taskforce chairman francIs suberu

G L-R: Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; former Secretary to Osun State Government, and Head of Service, Chief Moses Aboaba and Senator Olusola Adeyeye, during Osun Stakeholders Conference in Osogbo, yesterday.

overnor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has sacked the recently appointed Chairman of the state's Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences Unit, Mr. Akeem Adedeji.

Reason for the sack, which is coming barely two months after his appointment, was not stated, but sources said it has to

Unlawful vessel detention: Oil company sues Navy for N200m gbenga OgunbufunmI

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limited liability company, Mercury Oil Company, owner of "MT SAPPHIRE" vessel alongside four of its crew members, Folorunso Olayiwola, Joshua A. Arthur, Asabalahie Johnson and Wale Alade have sued the Nigerian Navy for N200 million over alleged unlawful detention of its vessel 'MT Sapphire 1".

Joined as co-respondents in the suit are the Chief of Naval Staff and Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Central Naval Command.

The suit filed before a Federal High Court, Lagos, by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Barrister Norrison Quakers (SAN), averred that sometime in February 2014, the vessel and its crew members were arrested by officers of the Nigerian Navy along Brass Rivers, Bayelsa State, on suspicion of engaging in illegal operations.

The plaintiffs said after investigation by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, which is the body responsible for investigating the alleged illegal act, the applicants were cleared of any wrongdoing and rec-

ommended to be released.

However, the said NSCDC directives were not immediately obeyed as the Nigerian Navy only obeyed it in part by releasing the vessel's crew after seven months, and refused to release the vessel till date.

The applicants added that by the time of arrest, "MT SAPPHIRE 1" was laden with over 280,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, worth over N150 million, but while in the custody of the Nigerian Navy, the cargo of the vessel was illegally siphoned by the defendants.

The claimant further averred that by reason of

the continued detention of the vessel, the company has lost over N200 million, as expected revenue if the vessel was deployed for use by way of charter to companies in the Oil and Gas sector.

It further stated that the company has incurred loss and financial hardship as a result of the theft, diversion and illegal removal of over one million litres of the Automated Gasoline Oil, valued N150 million from the vessel, as at the time of arrest.

The plaintiffs stated that the cargo was financed by two commercial banks, Diamond

bank and Fidelity bank respectively which credit facility has remained unpaid as a result of the unlawful arrest and detention of the applicants by the navy.

The deponent further added that the company's Managing Director, Mr. Osita Onumonu, as a result of continued detention of the vessel, has to sell his properties to meet the obligation of the company to the two banks that advanced the credit facility.

Meanwhile, the matter has been slated for hearing on September 22.

do with improper conduct.

News of his removal came as a surprise to staff of the state's taskforce.

Ambode has already replaced the sacked Taskforce Chairman with Olubukola Abey, a Superintendent of Police.

There have been complaints that places where the taskforce had cleared in the past like Obalende and Oshodi were being taken over again by hoodlums.

When he took over as taskforce chairman in June, Adedeji refused to use the spacious office left behind by his predecessor, Bayo Sulaiman, and went to carve out another office for himself.

It was gathered that Adedeji feared that he might be harmed if he used the old office, which was why he never stepped in until he was removed as taskforce chairman.

Ambode

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Ebonyi to boost IGR through land charges AliunA Godwin ABAKALIKI

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ommissioner for Lands and Survey, Sunday Inyima, on Monday restated commitment of the Ministry of Lands to boost internally generated revenue, IGR, of the state through charges and fees on lands in the state.

Inyima, who made this known in Abakaliki, while speaking with journalists, said there was increasing illegal structures in the state.

He said: “My work plan in the ministry is twofold; to increase the revenue base via charges and fees even though we are going to take into consideration the income of our people.

“My IGR target is to increase it from where we met it to 100 per cent. Because, like I said, a situation where somebody will buy a plot of land measuring 1,000 square metres at Onwe road, possibly paid N100, 000 non-refundable fees, and government allocates the land and you pay N600 land

South East

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

premium for a square metre.

“At the end, you are almost getting that land below N200, 000 and when such person wants to sell the land, he sells it above N20 or N30 million. Who is cheating who? Government is really on the losing side and there is need to adjust all these things. Some of these buildings in town have not paid tenement rates for many years.

“Again, it is my desire that within the next 18 months, we should have housing estate. We should open up this town, Abakaliki. If you check it out, you will know that Abakaliki is within one circle of the area. We have so many layouts that have been acquired by government.

“So, there is need to engage even private partnership. We will begin to build layouts. Places like from here to Ezzamgbo should have not less than two or three government estates that should house people. If you go to other cities, a place like Ezzamgbo, of course, should be in town,” he added.

11

Female genital mutilation still high in S'East —Unicef dennis AGbo ENUGU

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nited Nations Children’s Fund, Unicef, has said that despite high knowledge and awareness created in the South East zone of the country, there is still high prevalence of female genital mutilation among people in the zone.

Unicef Enugu Chief of Field Office, Mr. Charles Nzuki, made the disclosure yesterday while presenting Unicef work plan results in a mid-year review and planning meeting with implementing partners

for South East region in Enugu.

Nzuki noted that the practice of female genital mutilation in Abia State was about 44 per cent prevalence, 30.8 per cent in Anambra, 62.3 per cent in Ebonyi, 45 per cent in Enugu and 58.4 perc ent in Imo State.

Nzuki's disclosure came as some participants at the workshop expressed lack of awareness on the anti-female genital mutilation law accented to by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nzuki stated that the

meeting, apart from reviewing the 2015 work plan, Unicef was planning for 2016 supports and urged participants to ensure the programmes discussed were integrated into their different states' year plan.

“Unicef does not have a programme on its own, but supports both federal and state governments' programmes," Nzuki said.

He stressed unicef's integrated approach to realising the rights of every child from child survival to thriving into adulthood through health, HIV/ AIDS, wash, nutrition, education, child protection

and social inclusion.

Nzuki described social inclusion as Unicef efforts to reach the marginalised ones that are unable to access facilities because of certain barriers or handicaps.

The Unicef chief also regretted that infant mortality is still high in Nigeria States, despite improved ante-natal care with no less than 85.1 percent attendance and care from skilled provider.

“We loose about 38 percent of newborns under 5 years within the first 28 days of birth in Nigeria,” said Nzuki.

Protest over alleged downgrading of Alvan Ikoku College Chris njoku OWERRI

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tudents of the Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, yesterday took to the streets, protesting against alleged downgrading of the institution to its former status as a College of Education.

The protesting students, who were joined by staff, chanted scornful songs against the Federal Government with placards bearing such inscription as ‘’Mr President, don’t take away our University from us,” Nigerians, plead with Mr. President, University we want. “A college – no, university yes” “forward ever, but backward never,” “change should be positive,” while blocking the university’s main entrance gate and Owerri-Orlu road before trooping to the town where they aggressively disrupted vehicular movement.

Briefing newsmen during the protest, Chairman of Academic Staff Union, ASUU, of the institution, Mrs. Ukachi Wachukwu, said the action of the students was in response to available information that the Presidency

had concluded plans to revert the university to its former position as a College of Education.

Wachukwu, who is also Chairman of the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the institution stated that the protest was to nip the alleged plan in the bud even as she dismissed those behind the plan as self-seeking individuals who do not mean well for the nation’s education sector.

She vowed that all trade unions in the school, including students and staff would resist any attempt to downgrade the school with the last drop of their blood.

President of the Students Union Government, SUG, in the school Solomon Okafor, wondered why the Federal Government should embark on such a retrogressive measure after elevating the college to a degree-awarding institution.

Okafor denounced the action, describing it as grossly inimical to the education sector, but however, pleaded with the Presidency to rescind the decision as it was capable of snowballing into uncontrollable situation.

L-R: APC Women Leader, Enugu State, Lolo Ngozi Nwankwo; Vice Chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu Omenkeukwu; governorship candidate in the 2015 elections, Chief Okey Ezea; and State Chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, during APC meeting in Enugu, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

NUP demands pension arrears payment Chris njoku OWERRI

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outh-East zonal leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, yesterday called on South East governors to take urgent steps to pay all outstanding arrears owed pensioners in their states, describing the act as ungodly and criminal.

The group called on governors of the affected states, particularly Abia, Imo, and Enugu to settle arrears of pension and gratuities owed its members before January 2016.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its zonal meeting signed by Mr Livinus Asiegbu and Mr C. N. Udensi, zonal secretary and host

chairman respectively, NUP lamented the dehumanising situation pensioners in the affected states had been subjected to.

The communiqué, which was made available to National Mirror, urged the three tiers of government to treat pension matters in line with constitutional provision.

The group commended head of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, for its human face approach in handling pensioners’ welfare matters, it however, appealed to PTDA leadership to step up the process of clearing all arrears of retirement benefits, including 33 per cent pension increase arrears owed pensioners.

“The South-East NUP is using this opportunity to call on PTDA to hasten the implementation of the proposed verification exercise to save the lives of many federal pensioners who have been denied their pensions since the year 2000.” ‘’The South-East pensioners also called on the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the zone to declare industrial action on behalf of pensioners should any of the affected states falls to settle arrears of pensions and gratuities owed its members.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Reverend Dr. Anthony Obinna has challenged the state governor, Owelle Ro-

chas Okorocha to publish the state accounts so that the citizenry would know the proper financial health of the state.

Speaking while delivering a sermon at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, Obinna said people were no longer comfortable that the state government could no longer fulfill its constitutional obligation by paying workers’ salaries and pensions to retired workers.

In his words: “Lack of salary creates room for murmuring. It is necessary that people receive their salaries and pensions to take care of themselves and their families. When parents do not provide for their families, it will lead to murmuring”.

12

News

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

2012 flood: We got N535m, not N15bn —Bayelsa govt

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L-R: President, Nigeria Society of Engineers, Mr Ademola Olorunfemi; Tribunal Assessor, Mr Mohammed Lawal; President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Mr Kashim Ali and National President, Nigeria Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) during COREN Tribunal Judgment In Abuja, yesterday.

NNPC disowns phony Facebook account Chidi UgwU ABUJA

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anagement of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has dissociated itself from a Facebook account purportedly belonging to its new Group Managing Director, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu.

NNPC noted that the said facebook account, which bears the photo-

graph and name of Kachikwu, is the creation of some nondescript internet fraudsters bent on exploiting the personae and office of the new GMD to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe, in a statement noted that the scammers had been using the fake Facebook page to send scam letters and phantom contract

deals cum cash solicitations to some highly placed contacts within and outside the oil and gas industry.

“While we explore all options to arrest this menace, we wish to advise members of the public to disregard any such FB page purportedly belonging to the GMD of NNPC as he does not operate any Facebook account,” he said.

The GMD recently

appealed to friends and well-wishers to stop placing congratulatory adverts on him in the media.

Dr. Kachikwu who assumed duty as the 17th GMD of the Corporation on 4th August, 2015, said he sees his appointment as a serious national assignment that does not require the frivolity of congratulatory adverts and the celebration they connote.

SSANIP, NASU condemn slander against Yabatech Saidat alaUSa

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enior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP, and the Non- Academic Staff Union, NASU, Yaba College of Technology chapters, have condemned the current campaign of calumny against the college and its authorities.

The unions in a state-

ment signed by Chairman of SSANIP, Mr. Olorumbe Omopariola, and his NASU counterpart, Mr. Illesanmi Olatunbosun, yesterday, called for an end to what they called dangerous slander against the college and its management and the Governing Council in recent times.

“We have been silent for some time hoping that sanity will be restored and the arrowhead of the campaign and former bursar of the

college, Mr. Olugbenga Ibirogba, will see reason and restrain himself from further heating up the system,” the statement said.

They disclosed that their silence was informed by legal restrictions because as law abiding unions, they did not want to contravene the law of the land.

“The recent show of shame by a faction of the Civil Liberties Organisation, aptly in the pocket of Mr. Ibirogba has forced us to come

up with this effort.

“We also want to prevent right thinking Nigerians from taking negative publicity orchestrated by the former bursar as the Gospel truth and to correct the impression that all is not well in Yabatech.

“We avow to encourage anyone in doubt of the tranquility and positive development in the college to visit this premier citadel and see things for themselves,” the unions said.

Army to punish soldiers for brutalising armed robbery suspect Ubong Ukpong ABUJA

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igerian Army yesterday said it has identified soldiers that brutalised an armed robbery suspect at Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

Director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Col. Sani Usman, in a statement regretted that some soldiers took the law into their hands

in dealing with the suspect, stressing that the treatment fell below professional standards in the military.

He said there was no doubt the photograph of the maltreatment, which was in newspapers and trending in the social media, “has done incalculable damage to the image of the service”.

“The act was unfortunate and at variance with military ethics and professional-

ism.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public that perpetrators of the offence have been identified, summoned and would face disciplinary action.

“The Army has also reached out to management of the newspaper over this poor and worrisome editorial judgement by giving this misdemeanour prominence in their paper.

“Alerting appropriate Nigerian Army authorities would have been a better option that would be met with prompt response.

“We wish to assure the public that the Nigerian Army would continue to protect and respect human rights and this regrettable incidence should not be used as a yardstick to judge the entire Army,” Usman added.

ayelsa State Post Management Committee, BSPMC, has denied receiving N15bn as donations during the 2012 flood that devastated the state.

The committee said it only received N500m from the state government, being donation from a philanthropist organisation, Mr. Mike Adenuga Foundation, and additional N35m for logistics and administrative cost.

Chairman of BSPMC, Chief Francis Doukpola, in a statement in Yenagoa said it was wrong for any person or group of persons to institute such weighty allegation without any iota of fact.

He challenged those raising the allegation to come with proof of any transactions that led to the acquisition of such amount by the committee or the state government.

Doukpola said the monies received were used for positive interventions in most of the flood affected areas in seven local government areas in the state.

He said the committee in a bid to alleviate the sufferings of the people, had embarked on some projects, including the distribution of cement in all the communities in the seven LGAs, affected by the flood, apart from Brass coun-

cil area that was not affected.

Also, 400 bags of cement were given to each of the communities to be distributed among the most affected persons, with emphasis on the less-privileged with mud houses.

Doukpola explained that the committee also carried out post flood activities by opening a blocked channel in Igbogene community in Yenagoa local government area, which was largely responsible for the massive flooding in the community.

Other interventions include the renovation of Primary School II Agorogbene; repair of damaged hospital fence in the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital Okolobiri; removal of damaged/ collapsed bridge and water hyacinths at Imiringi and opening of a flood channel at Onuegbum.

More interventions were also done for the repair of parts of Amatu link road in Odi; renovation of Ologoghe hospital; renovation of Ologi hospital; blockage of flood channels in Agbere; construction of shore protection in Sampou; construction of earth dyke in Sagbama; blockage of flood channels in Tombia and Olugbobiri and renovation of health centre and primary school in Opuama.

NIS berates Cameroon over deportation of 12,000 Nigerians

…says action failed to follow due process livinUS Menedi YOLA

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igerian Immigration Service, NIS, said the 12,000 refugees deported by Cameroonian authorities were expelled without observance of any due process.

This disclosure was made yesterday by Comptroller of Immigrations, Adamawa State Command, Mr. Ikpi Ubi Nkanu, in Yola, while highlighting the need for the Federal Government to come out with a policy intervention that would see to the demarcation of the country’s border with her neigbours, particularly Cameroon because of its expansive nature.

Nkanu regretted that the expulsion of Nigerian nationals, which created serious humanitarian crisis along the border, came from a sister African country.

He noted that with the way things stand, owing to

the expansive nature of the borders, only the use of latest advanced technological gadgets could adequately ensure effective manning of the country’s borders.

“Currently, we appear to be over-stretched, however, everything is being done despite the constraint to make sure we effectively man the borders,” he said.

Nkanu, who explained that the government would have to engage more hands through recruitment to get activities of the NIS going, extolled the role played by the service in averting serious humanitarian condition that could have befalling the 12,000 people.

He described actions of the Cameroonian authorities as insensitive to the plight of refugees, in view of the humanitarian catastrophe the expulsion had caused at the Sahuda border control post where the deportees were camped.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

SUPER TUESDAY

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Politics

No rift between Senate and Presidency –Senator Wakili

14,43

EFCC: Fighting corruption or political witch hunt?

From a near state of lethargy, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, appears to have suddenly found its rhythm in the prosecution of the war against corruption since the coming into office of President Muhammadu Buhari, suggesting that the anti corruption agency may have been buoyed into action by reasons beyond the execution of its statutory mandate, write GEORGE OJI and OMEZIA AJAYI

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hen the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Larmode, appeared before the Senate in February 2012 for screening and eventual confirmation as the helmsman of the commission, he expressed strong reservations over the practice of his predecessors to dramatise arrest of suspects in the media, even before the commencement of trial.

Larmode made a pledge that if eventually confirmed in office, he would put a stop to such practice, saying that the danger of publicising arrest of suspects in the media before actual trial meant that most suspects were condemned guilty and stigmatised even before trial. Such suspects, Larmode said, were denied the privilege of the maxim of innocent until proven guilty.

It was perhaps because of that resolve that very little was known by the public of the activities of EFCC in the past three and half years or so until recently.

The question many Nigerians are asking now is why has Larmode, the anti corruption chief, suddenly decided to jettison his initial secrecy policy in favour of making public show of the trial of suspects? Could it be that there is a new presidential directive on new approach for the execution of the war on corruption? Or could it be that EFCC has read the body language of the new President and decided to toe this new, “reformed approach,” in fighting corruption in the country.

Or indeed, could it be that EFCC is buoyed in its renewed drive by the exit from office of former AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, who ensured that he emasculated the commission and subjected its operations under the complete control of his office while he was in office? It was during the tenure of Adoke that he insisted that EFCC must receive the fiat of his office before any prosecution could go to trial.

What about the theory that Larmode, whose tenure expires before the end of the year, has decided to make a public show of the fight in order to impress the President in return for renewal of his tenure in office? So many inexplicable reasons!

In the beginning: The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering report, which named Nigeria one of the 23 countries, which was not supporting global efforts to fight money laundering and the negative impact of official graft on the nation’s economy compelled the then President Olusegun Obasanjo to push for the establishment of the EFCC in 2003.

With the appointment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, generally perceived as an acclaimed incorrigible police officer to head the commission, the nation began its tortuous journey to combat official graft and all other issues relating to economic crimes.

Until his sack in 2007 by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, it was agreed by a large population of Nigerians that Ribadu substantially, raised the profile of the commission to a world class anti-graft agency through the zeal and commitment with which he approached his job as EFCC chairman.

Buhari

Larmode

Ribadu did not only prosecute and convicted a number of high profile corrupt individuals, including the then chief law enforcement officer of the country and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun and former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, in 2006, the anti-corruption czar declared that 31 of Nigeria’s 36 governors were under investigation.

Although accused of allegedly highhandedness and selective prosecution, no one could controvert the fact that, under Ribadu, the fear of EFCC became the beginning of wisdom. Like environmental inspectors of those days, EFCC sent jitters into the spines of dubious individuals and public office holders.

It did not therefore surprise a few Nigerians when in 2007 following the emergence of the late President Yar’Adua that most of the immediate past governors, fearing that Ribadu would move against them as he had promised, lobbied the Yar’Adua and quickly humiliated Ribadu out of office.

In fact, there were strong allegations that former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who is presently serving a 13-year jail sentence in the United Kingdom and who was

then having a running battle with Ribadu, was the arrowhead of those who got Ribadu out of office through the late Yar’Adua.

Political pundits believe that the forceful exit of Ribadu as EFCC chairman and his subsequent replacement brought the country backwards in her collective drive towards eradicating corruption in Nigeria.

However, to a certain degree, the fight was sustained by Ribadu’s successor, Mrs. Farida Waziri. During her reign, even though not too many convictions were recorded by the commission, analysts were of the view that Waziri was able to take a horde of politically exposed persons, PEP, to court of public opinion through the reportage of their arrest on the pages of newspapers. She was, however, sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan on November 23, 2011 and her ouster, according to analysts, put a final nail on EFCC’s So far, there appears to be a consensus of opinion by Nigerians and indeed, it is alleged that the war against corruption has suffered worse under the incumbent EFCC chairman, Larmode. EFCC watchers believe that it was under Larmode that Adoke emasculated EFCC to the point that the commission became solely answerable, not just to the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice, but to the person of Adoke.There were reports of agents allegedly involved in corrupt practices in the course of their duties.

Under Larmode for instance, not much was heard or reported about the progress of work by the commission.

Newsmen who cover EFCC depended merely on the hand out of statements that were irregularly dished out by the commission when it suited its convenience until recently.

One of the reporters who cover EFCC activities said: “As if pandering to the body language of the former President Jonathan, beyond sending press statements celebrating the arrest and prosecution of petty thieves, there was scant evidence of successful prosecution of any high profile cases during Larmode’s reign in EFCC.”

ALTHOUGH ACCUSED OF ALLEGEDLY HIGHHANDEDNESS

AND SELECTIVE PROSECUTION, NO ONE COULD CONTROVERT THE FACT THAT, UNDER

RIBADU, THE FEAR OF EFCC BECAME THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

14

Politics

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

No rift between Senate and Presidency –Senator Wakili Ali Wakili is the senator representing Bauchi South senatorial district in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. In this interview with selected journalists in Bauchi, he maintains that there is no rift between President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate President, contrary to reports in some media. EZEKIEL TITUS brings excerpts: What is your take on the insinuation mak making the rounds that President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki are engaged in a cold war?

I am getting sick and tired of how some people are trying to destabilise this nation through false propaganda by creating bad blood between the National Assembly and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As a senator of the 8th National Assembly, as one of those that supported Senator Saraki, I know for sure that neither I nor Saraki nor any supporter of Saraki has on his table the idea of fighting with the Presidency.

The powers of the executive, the Presidency inclusive, that of the legislature, including the Senate and that of the judiciary are spelt out in sections 4,5, and 6 of the constitution.

They are very explicit. If you look at the constitution, the powers of National Assembly are in section 5 and the powers of the executive and judiciary are in section 6.

Similarly, on issues of oversight functions, you will discover that the National Assembly has oversight functions on all government activities, but that will not warrant that there is going to be a clash between the National Assembly and the Presidency, especially under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.

We are piqued and tired because our names are being dragged to in the mud. Our constituents are wondering and inundating us with questions, asking why are we quarreling with Mr President? We are taking our time to explain to them that there is no quarrel between the Senate and Mr President.

Mr President himself has accepted the Senate Presidency of Saraki, because he has transmitted letters of congratulation to Senator Saraki as Senate President; also about two letters have also been sent by the President to the National Assembly. So, the issue that Mr President not recognizing Senator Saraki is not true. Saraki as a person that has been brought up properly, everyone knows his family’s pedigree.

Everyone also knows the powers of the President and recognises Buhari and the constitution of Nigeria and the Senate is not in any way ready to have any clash with Mr President. Forget about the fact that because one permanent secretary, Mrs Nwaobia did not attend to a letter calling on her and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor to attend a meeting with the Senate leadership.

This will not amount to us having a quarrel with the Presidency.

It has been very normal from the first National Assembly to the seventh Assembly, there have been occasions that when the National Assembly calls on government functionaries to come, sometimes out of one reason or the other, or other expediencies, they don’t have the time to attend. You will recall that former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Maduekwe had to go to court over her refusal to answer the call of National Assembly. If for one reason or the other Mrs Nwaobia did not answer the call of Senate President or the National Assembly leadership, that does not amount to a declaration of war between the Presidency and the

is vested on the Senate leadership. You have been seeing the Senate President working.

You saw him in Saudi Arabia condemning the visa policy of Saudi Arabia whereby they are discriminating against Nigerians. They are making things hard for us. You saw him appeal to the CBN to liaise with the Custom Service to ensure that the N30 billion shortchanged from the import waivers are retrieved from those shortchanging the country. Things are working; it is only those few who are trying to destabilise the polity that are sending speculative things through the social media, through newspapers that they are controlling.

There are reports that the President refused to see Senate President, how far are these reports true?

That is very speculative. There has never been a situation where Senator Saraki applied to see the President and denied. You all saw them at the International Conference Centre, ICC, during the last National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC. You saw him when he received Mr President, having banters with President Buhari and I have confirmed to you that the President has written letters addressed to him as Senate President. If he doesn’t recognise him, will he write letters to him?

Wakili

Senate.

As an ardent supporter of Saraki, neither him nor I nor other members are quarelling with the Presidency. That is the figment of the imagination of those that want to destabilise Nigeria by sending false propaganda to heat up the polity.

I am appealing to you to inform Nigerians that no member of the Senate, not even the Senate President, is ready to quarrel with the Presidency over trivialities. Let those of them that are dishing out propaganda have the gear of God. If you have personal scores to settle with Senator Saraki, take him up as Bukola Saraki, don’t take it on all of us in the Senate.

There is no quarrel personally between Saraki and President Buhari. There are no institutional clashes between the Senate and the President. Some of these garbbges being sent out through some sections of the media for reasons best known to them should be stopped. They are heating up the polity and I want to assure you that as a serving senator of the eighth Assembly, the Presidency has not transmitted any letter that is requiring the action of the Senate that we have not sat down to look at. Before Saraki left for lesser Hajj, I was in his office; we were there to receive the governor of the CBN. We had briefing with him. So if the governor of the CBN from the executive arm will attend to Senate

calling, I don’t think there will be any other civil servant or technocrat that willfully will not want to attend to our call. Those are not things that should be brought to the front burner. People should be able to help us do away with the scourge of the insurgency.

How do we deal with this insurgency that has regurgitated itself that innocent lives are being killed in the name of the devil not religion? These are our problems, not these trivialities that if I am looking towards 2019, then every Nigerian must be involved. I am appealing to those heating up the polity stop henceforth. Some of them are dragging our name to the mud. If there is any quarrel, it is not known to us, we are not involved and we will not partake. We swore by the constitution, and we are going abide by the constitution.

What is the implication of all these in the Senate and the country?

In terms of what? There is a Senate leadership, we have a Senate President, a Deputy Senate President, DSP, Majority and Deputy Majority Leaders, Chief Whip and Deputy Whip. I don’t know this hullabaloo and I am sure based on Senate standing orders, by the time the Senate resumes from recess, maybe the Senate leadership would have constituted committees, because the powers to constitute these committees from our standing rules

THERE ARE NO INSTITUTIONAL CLASHES BETWEEN THE SENATE AND THE PRESIDENT. SOME OF THESE GARBBGES BEING SENT OUT THROUGH SOME SECTIONS OF THE MEDIA FOR REASONS BEST KNOWN TO THEM SHOULD BE STOPPED

You just talked about the insurgency and there have been complaints that Mr President is slow in tackling the insurgency. What is your take?

On the issues of this insurgency, the President himself has told you it is very multidimensional and that is why you saw him going to Niger, Chad and Cameroun. You can see he has visited the U.S. Part of what he discussed while in the US was the issue of the insurgency. You saw him in the U.K talking about insurgency and you have seen how development partners and developed countries are contributing to how to deal with this insurgency.

We visited Rear Admiral Nyako. As a former Chief of Naval Staff, CNS; Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, DCDS, he has said that there is nowhere in the world where insurgency is defeated by war. You have to sit down and identify those behind the insurgence; negotiate with them and know how to disarm them.

You are dealing with a ragtag army, not a conventional army. If you check on the social media, you would have seen how a man dressed as a woman went to a market in pursuance of the Boko Haram agenda.

Providence was on the people’s side, he was arrested. When they searched him, they discovered he was a man. Look at what happened in Jos. As citizens, we have our part to play. If we don’t expose these insurgents, they are humans like us, they are our sons and daughters. we know them, we can trace them, if we don’t expose them, we are not helping the situation..

Are you hopeful that all issues in both chambers will be resolved in no long distance?

I have said it before, there is no crisis in the National Assembly. These are things being orchestrated by outsiders not from the National Assembly. All the issues of propaganda are not from the National Assembly.

They are coming from outsiders that have interest or would have gotten their interCONTINUED FROM PAGE 43

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

15

A PUBLICATION OF NATIONAL MIRROR NEWSPAPERS

Cross section of youths at the seminar

Theophilus onojeghen WARRI

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ouths including teenagers drawn from various schools in Asaba, the Delta State capital, have undergone training aimed at equipping them with techniques of coping with challenges of the 21st century.

The training organized under the auspices of Ideals and Realities Youth Empowerment Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization, addressed various issues pertaining to high rate of moral decadence and influence of the conventional media on children.

Executive Director of the NGO, Austine Okorodudu while speaking during the programme tagged: I Need to Know Teenagers Summit with the theme “DARE TO DREAM” said the organization is disturbed by the myriad of challenges facing youths and teenagers in today’s society.

Okorodudu noted that, “this year’s event took a different shift owning to our crop of speakers drawn from different walks of life who came to inspire and challenge these young ones to chart a course for their lives letting them know that it is possible.”

According to him, the voice of teenagers is largely missing from decision making and policy development process in the country because they lack the skills to do so, saying that his organization has taken it as a burden for their voices to be heard and be included in the policies that affect them.

NGO trains teenagers to cope with development challenges “It therefore behoves us to be the turning point generation; and that’s why this programme is important to us; because we need to prepare these young folks for a deserving and rewarding future amidst the devastation often occasioned by their age bracket”, Okorodudu stated.

He explained that between June, 2014 and June 2015 the organization conducted a term round school tour tagged: High School Invasion; which canvassed the opinions and perspectives of over 10,000 secondary school students on a variety of issues affecting them.

Speaker after speaker addressed some of today’s challenges facing young children as well proffering solutions to identified problems.

In his paper presentation, Delta State Coordination of the National orientation Agency (NOA), Sir Isaac Ezechi challenged the participants to imbibe good morals in order to live a meaningful life.

Ezechi said “every child was expected to be brought up properly by his or her parents or guardian, adding that any child that lacked proper up bringing is a problem to the society”.

The NOA boss, who decried the

high rate of immorality, sexual abuse, cultism and lack of respect for elders amongst nowadays teenagers, said that if they are not careful at this critical stage of their lives, their dreams of becoming great and responsible citizens may not be realized.

While saying that the NOA was saddled with the responsibility of reorienting Nigerians to always do the right things at the right time he further charged the teenagers to be patriotic and shun negative media exposure and bribery and corruption for a better tomorrow.

Lady Martina Onoh, the General Manager, Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Channel 11 Asaba, on her part extolled the young minds to harness their natural talents and the gift of God to excel in today’s world.

Onoh who spoke on harnessing talents by teenagers said God has created every individual distinctively, and those gifts must not be allowed to waste. While she shared her story of rising to the top echelon of her profession, she warned them to do away with carelessness and be focused and committed to their dreams.

A young entrepreneur and CEO of Zobo Cola Brand Mr. Stanley Obinwungo reminded

the participants from being job seekers to becoming employers of labour. He said the teenagers must start now to design their own business ventures and writing of proposals instead of CVs. Obinwungo who is the Season 3 winner of the Youth with Enterprise (YOUWIN) who runs a state-of-the-art factory with paid staff challenged the teenagers to look beyond the mundane things of the now and craft out a future through entrepreneurship.

Addressing the teenagers on the spirit of entrepreneurship, the young entrepreneur assured the youths that their ventures will be supported through professional assistance from his organization.

For Pastor Julius Ejedenawe, it was important for teenagers to discover their God given purpose on time, according to him, life has no meaning when purpose is not discovered and harnessed for the general good of humanity.

He challenged the teenagers to embrace God for therein lies the fulfillment of their purpose.

Issues of premarital sex, abortion, drug abuse, self esteem, sex and sexuality were also exhaustively addressed during the programme by Mrs Uche Favour Okonkwo.

The programme was also laced at intervals with short video clips, documentaries, drama and quiz to further re-enforce and challenge participants on future activities. The plenary sessions clarified grey areas to participants by the speakers. It was an admixture of fun and learning as the moods of participants were lightened by healthy jokes reeled out by frontline Comedian and entertainer; Deacon Famous who was the compere.

Cherish Okeke a JSS3 Student of St. Brigids Girls Grammar School, Asaba said “ I don’t think I have ever been in such an inspiring gathering; I am leaving here re-fired with my dreams coming alive, I now know all I have upstairs is possible, thanks to the organizers” Ayaunor Ifeoma SS2 student Of Holywood Int’l School Asaba said the programme was a real eye opener and a life time experience for her.

17 schools participated in this year’s edition of the programme with corporate support from Zobo Cola.

The training also provided key referral services, counselling, mentorship and psycho-social support for vulnerable teenagers and youth in communities.

16

Men of God should not be involved in politics –Clergy

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Bayelsa govt makes case for polluted Niger Delta communities

OsahOn Julius

OsahOn Julius

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B

YENAGOA

he General Overseer of the Omega Power Ministry, worldwide, Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere has cautioned men of God who are going into politics to desist from it, and face the work of God which they are called to do.

He reiterated that no true man of God should be in politics, saying the manner of politics being played in Nigeria is not such that a true pastor should get involved due to the lies and inconsistencies in their policies, stressing that there are so many things politicians promise which they don’t fulfill.

Apostle Chibuzor who stated this in his Yenagoa church on Sunday, said pastors and men of God should instead, bring themselves together and pray for the betterment of the society which has been ruined by the politicians.

He however said, though he is not against Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a Redeem church pastor, now the Vice President of Nigeria, but he believes that there are certain works that are needed to be done by the men of God, noting that pastors and men of God should carry themselves with dignity.

“I don’t think the men of God are meant to be in politics, any man of God in politics is not a true man of God, he is just deceiving himself. With apologies to the Vice president, there is no true man of God that should be in politics. If you watch, politicians are not consistent with what they say, and if you are true man of God, you are not supposed to be like that”, Apostle Chinyere stated.

On the prosperity preaching by some pastors, the clergy man said there is nothing wrong with the prosperity preaching because people need to prosper in their various endeavours, but noted that pastors should not concentrate on that alone.

“It is good to preach prosperity but it should not be your priority.

Bible says, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all other things follow. But if you seek prosperity without Christ, it is crisis. But if you seek God first, he will add other things unto you”, he emphasised.

Apostle Chibuzor who is running a free primary and nursery school for both members and non members of the church, said he was motivated to doing charity works due to the revelation he received from God that he should do good to the less privileged.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

YENAGOA

ayelsa government has joined other Niger Delta states and environmental rights groups in applauding President Muhammad Buhari for approving the implementation of the United National Environment Program, UNEP, report on clean up of Ogoni land.

Buhari had on August 5 approved the constitution of Board of Trustees for the Ogoni Trust Fund and the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) governing council. The President further directed that a contribution deposit of $10 million will be made by stakeholders within 30 days of the appointment of members of the Board of Trustees for the Trust Fund.

Barr Iniruo Wills, Bayelsa Commissioner for Environment, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, applauded the President for

initiating the implementation of the clean up plan for oil polluted Ogoni land.

“President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of steps to fast track the clean up and restoration of Ogoniland in line with UNEP’s recommendations is a great positive signal for the hitherto relegated environment sector and for the Niger Delta geopolitical region.

“This is elixir, coming at the fourth anniversary of the release of the UNEP report, which happens to be the first anniversary falling within President Buhari’s tenure. We congratulate the Ogoni people and the entire Niger Delta.,” Wills said.

The Commissioner however used the opportunity to make case for Bayelsa and other states in the Niger Delta equally impacted by oil pollution induced by oil and gas exploration and production.

“We are very hopeful that the

President and relevant Federal Government authorities will correct the crucial omissions in the measures approved, especially the non-incorporation/representation of other pollution ravaged states in the Niger Delta. For example, Bayelsa State is currently under the burden of about one thousand recorded oil spills per year.

“The state of Bayelsa has been suffering the same fate as Ogoniland for 60 years, dating back to the start of Nigeria’s commercial oil production which took place in Oloibiri area in present day Bayelsa State,” Wills said.

Wills noted that the pipeline explosion from Agip’s oil field in Bayelsa which claimed the lives of 14 people including two regulatory officials one each from state and federal ministries of Environment reflected the plight of the state.

“Overall, we are excited at the new prospects for environmental

protection and restoration in our oil producing communities. “ If these measures are faithfully implemented and replicated across the other ecologically degraded states in the region, they will place President Buhari on record as a President that is serious about the remediation of the ravaged Niger Delta environment.

“We therefore look forward to a total reversal of the Federal Government’s long tradition of handling the grave dangers of environmental degradation by half measures,” Wills said.

The Commissioner called on the Federal Government to adequately fund NOSDRA and to urgently enable that agency to establish the National Oil Spill Control and Response Centre mandated by the NOSDRA Act. Wills appealed to the federal government to implement the proposal by NOSDRA to site the Oil Spill control centre in Bayelsa.

HRM, Asagba (Prof) Chike Joseph Edozien, (left) with the Parish Priest St Joseph Catholic Church, Asaba, Rev Father Patrick Isichei during the presentation of award for Community Development, to the priest as part of activity marking 90th birthday of the Asagba.

30 year old man stabs girl-friend to death RichaRd ndOma CALABAR

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thirty year old man from Akpabuyo Local Government area of Cross River State Mr Richard Effiok, has confessed of stabbing his girl friend, Bassey Udoh 23, to death on May 22, 2015.

Bassey Udoh lives at Nelson

Mandela street in Calabar metropolis. Effiok made the confession on Monday in Calabar while being paraded by the police at the Cross River State police Command.

Speaking on the issue, The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Henry Fadairo told journalists that Effiok`s ordeal started when he finished having sex with the girl friend and gave her N1,000 to

use for transportation back home to her house, but she refused and rather demanded for N5,000. ``Bassey is my girl friend, we have been dating for two years now but I can’t really say if I was tempted by the devil to kill her. ``When she refused to collect the N1,000 that I gave her, we started quarreling which led to fight and I brought out a sharp

kitchen knife and stabbed her to death. ``After stabbing her, she shouted aloud and neighbours broke into my room. They saw her lying on the ground with blood all over her. ``She later died due to serious bleeding that she had’’, The murder suspect explained.

The murder suspect pointed out CONTINUED ON PAGE42

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

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Post election Nigeria and growing Ndigbo travails L AW MEFOR

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resident Muhammadu Buhari is a very frank man. And frankly he appears to be telling Nigerians to their face that he can afford to alienate a significant portion of his constituency and still leave a legacy that is truly rational and national. This could prove to be a gross error of judgement and ill-advised.

The actions and utterances of Mr. President are all pointing to the fact that the sections of the country that did not vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) are in for barren four years and possibly beyond. The speculations were rife on it for quite long before the President proved the pundits right by stating that much in faraway USA. For whoever missed the rather illstarred statement, when President Buhari was asked by a white journalist how he intended to deal with issues in the Niger Delta, particularly Amnesty, bunkering and inclusive development; he said: “Going by election results, constituencies that gave me 97 percent cannot in all honesty be treated, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me five percent. I think these are political realities.

While, certainly there will be justice for everybody, but the people who voted and made their votes count, they must feel the government has appreciated the effort they put in putting the government in place. I think this is really fair.” If there is anything that should have been left unsaid about governance in a pluralistic environment, even if it were the

policy, it is this one.

Those who claim the President was stating the obvious or shunning people angling to reap where they did not so, argue amiss. In presidential and constitutional democracy Nigeria claims to be practicing, the whole country is the President’s constituency; and once he or she emerges, the President leads the entire country and leads for the good of the entire country. Some of the people conveniently gloss over this reality to make the matter worse. Besides, is he going to take only five percent of Niger Delta resources to run the country?

Come to think of it, in the 2015 presidential election, the number of registered voters was 70.4 million. This means that having won with 15 million votes, about 21.3 percent of the registered voters actually wanted Buhari to be President; over 12 million wanted Jonathan to return (17.04 percent), while over 43.4 million Nigerians (61.6 percent) never voted at all, for sundry reasons, including INEC’s refusal to make permanent voters card available. So, only clusters of 15 million Nigerians will now decide the thrust of national development in a country of about 170 million.

Starting with the appointment of service chiefs, which should be the most apolitical, the South East may have been deliberately sidestepped also, and it is about the only zone that is not represented in the National Council of State. The president also appointed Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.), one of his own, as the new National Security Adviser.

IN PRESIDENTIAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY

NIGERIA

CLAIMS TO BE

PRACTICING, THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS THE

PRESIDENT’S

CONSTITUENCY The names of the other categories of appointees are: Director-General of the Department State Services, Lawal Daura (Katsina State); Acting Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari (Jigawa State); Director, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecai Danteni Baba Ladan (North); Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris (Kano State); Chief Security Officer, Abdulrahman Mani (North); State Chief of Protocol, Mallam Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure (North); Aide De Camp, Lt.-Col. Muhammed Lawal Abubakar (Kano State); Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu (North); and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina (South-West).

As many thought that one slot had at least reached the South East, another ‘good’ reason was once more found within 72 hours why Callistus Nwabueze Obi, earlier appointed as the Acting Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and

Safety Agency (NIMASA), should hand over to Haruna Baba Jauro (North). Although the Acting Director General is expected to be in charge until a substantive Director General is appointed, it appears that the policy being interrogated precludes a South Easterner from acting so that the caterpillar won’t grow into a butterfly. Hmmm.

The two other latest appointments, expectedly, have maintained this policy of exclusion. President Buhari appointed Abdullahi Muhammadu as the new Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps barely a week ago, to take over from the former Commandant-General, Ade Abolurin, who retired after a two-term tenure.

The APC did not even put the South East in the remotest equation in the distribution of principal officers in the House of Representatives, where there are two APC members from Imo State.

Protest by the two Reps to at least concede Deputy Whip to the South East in the House fell on deaf ears.

So also, unlike what mostly obtained under presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, where development of Nigeria was based on equity and justice, the APC-led Federal Government is going strictly selective justice. The ruling party and President Buhari should be driven by patriotic mindset carefully aimed at enthroning social justice and even development.

Mefor, Abuja-based author and journalist, wrote via lawmefor@ gmail.com

The politics of coffin in Abia State SIXTUS CHIBUEZE EZENNAYA

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yes that look are common, many and plenty but eyes that see are few and rare. There are things that Ndigbo never cajole with and abhor.

There are many things that our people hold in very high esteem and utmost awe. The eating of some animals is vehemently forbidden in some Igbo traditional communities. That some trees, their branches and leaves serve certain traditional functions is incontrovertible. For instance, the “Anunu Ebe” tree though almost extinct, is such a mysterious and wonderful tree that it is almost a demigod or deity. Every part of it is medicinal.

Even the shade it gives, is not spared of its all-utility purpose and potency. It is a saying that any young palm tree that wants to survive should grow near a mahogany tree but the involution and invincibility of “Anunu Ebe” tree is beyond human comprehension to the extent that no grass grows under it, neither does any bird perch on it.

Trees and leaves apart, Ndigbo even at the highest point of provocation do not malign the dead or play with dead-related matters. If anybody tells the other that he will kill the person, it is not taken lightly.

Chief Osita Osadebe said in one of his albums, “If you think that one sentence

does not kill a person, when you reach where a funeral ceremony is being held, just say, I killed the deceased”. The high profile treatment Ndigbo give to the dead is why even when somebody is burnt to death in a fire mishap, car or plane crash, some quantity of ashes are scooped from the scene of the incident and put in a coffin and buried in one’s traditional home or public cemetery to pacify the dead as Ndigbo believe that one who has not been given such an accolade has not reached one’s destination in the land of the dead.

That, the person is still hanging.

No matter the level and extent of acrimony and misunderstanding in the family, neighbourhood or polity, it is a taboo for one to bring coffin into one’s homes or compounds as a threat to one’s neighbour. Neither is it allowable for coffins to be kept as a memento or graves to be dug in advance, readiness or preparatory to a person’s demise. If eventually by any circumstance such a thing happens and that coffin is not used for that particular person it was proposed for, the coffin is not just thrown away, dumped or burnt.

In the same vein, if a grave is dug and eventually the grave is not again used for the interment of the corpse and another place chosen for the grave, it is customary for the unused coffin or grave to be filled with either a banana stem or log of wood and buried. Everything is for its rightful

THE RIGHTFUL PLACE FOR THE COFFIN AFTER ITS RIGHTFUL ACCOMPANIED RITUALS AND CEREMONIES IS INSIDE THE GROUND purpose, has its rightful accompaniment.

Pews are for the church. Cemetery is for the interment of corpses. Markets are for buying and selling. School is a studying place. Disappointment begets disillusionment, while success goes with joy. No matter how beautiful and befitting the knee is, Ndigbo never crown the knee as crown is meant for the head. The rightful place for the coffin after its rightful accompanied rituals and ceremonies is inside the ground. And no matter the circumstances, the coffin is not interred with nothing inside it.

But then, what happens in a situation where a coffin is bought for caricature purpose and after the exercise the coffin is dumped on a road side or road junction on the land surface? That is why the politics of coffin in Abia State should give every right thinking Igbo person some concern. The doers of the act threaded where angels fear to march. The vulture does not perch on the ground for nothing.

The action of the charlatans is a sign of bad omen and portends danger for generations unborn, or a premonition that chains of death of the doers of the act are on the way.

The first casualties are those who ought to object to it, but kept quiet. Those who engage in ritualism for the matter in conflict for truth to be covered are usually the second set of casualties. The camp where such an abominable and satanic thought emanated from is usually hellish until the land is appeased and in full glare of everybody who knows about the abomination. Frogs do not play with hot water is a Chadian proverb.

For the simple fact that one of the governorship candidates in Abia State governorship election of 2015 was pulling an “unimaginable weight” and commanding an unprecedented crowd of supporters made people of the rival political party to resort to coffin politics is least expected of any sane Igbo person. It is ungodly, unAfrican and inhuman.

Mr. Ezennaya writes for the World Igbo Times Magazine London Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs.

Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

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SUNDAY OLAJIDE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

SMEs’ kudos to FG on electricity supply

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he commendation, ostensibly borne out of pleasant surprise, which some Small and Medium Scale Enterprises’ (SMSEs) operators extended to the Federal Government recently over the noticeable, yet little improvement in power supply, suggests an extensive story line on the magic inherent in President Muhammadu Buhari’s body language, character and commitment to exemplary leadership. Reports said some artisans like beauty salon operators, fashion designers, restaurant owners and vulcanizers, acclaimed that near steady electricity supply had impacted positively on their businesses.

This will assist tremendously in vividly illustrating the agonies the lingering national tragedy that epileptic power supply constitutes to Nigerian citizens and the country’s real sector, in a world so much in a hurry to explore and expand hitherto unfathomable horizons of science and technology. The appreciation shown by the SMEs’ operators attests to the fact that Nigeria’s power sector, which has been serving as a back-up power supply facility, the role stand-by generators ought to play, should sit up and get serious if it wants to enjoy the patronage of any business enterprise or private consumer worth the name in the country today.

Small-scale businesses like barbers’ and hair dressers’ salons, music shops, cold drinks stores, domestic iced block making, weld-

ing/metal fabrication, tailoring, photocopying and desktop publishing, electrical/electronic repairs, et cetera, would have for long gone extinct without the grace of private generators. But with the ever increasing high cost of purchase and running of the generators, hundreds of thousands of such small business concerns were forced to close shops, thus exacerbating the problem of unemployment, poverty and destitution. One major side effect of electricity supply sector’s deplorable performance over the years is the prominence given the rather degrading job of riding ‘okada’ or tricycles, which many artisans, including some jobless graduates took up to put food on the table and help bottle-up their economic frustration.

At the individual family level, just a privileged few or the overly rich are able to square up to the ordeal of embarrassing electricity supply.

They power their refrigerators and freezers, irons, radio and television sets, water pump and other household electrically-controlled appliances with private generators. For the down-trodden others who rely on state supply of electricity, however, their toilets and kitchens sink, overflow with unwashed dishes because of water scarcity. They put up with all manner of skin diseases; while insomnia takes toll on both children and adults because of unbearable heat at night. To rub salt on the injury, the Nigerian state and its pathologically corrupt and inept

August 11, 1960 Chad declared independence. The Republic of Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest and Niger to the west. Chad is divided into multiple regions: a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanese savanna zone in the south.

THE DISCOS HAVE ENJOYED THEIR UNDESERVED LOOT ENOUGH AND MUST NOW REALISE THAT THEY MUST WORK FOR THEIR PAY electricity agency gloat with the impression that Nigerians have no choice but to put up with the aberration, thus compounding the basic problem of gross incompetence with official complacency, arrogance and insensitivity.

The pathetic situation persisted and even became worse several months after the former President Goodluck Jonathan government unbundled the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and ceded its functions to private sector investors/operators. It was, however, a deal that placed the cart before the horse, as the government solicited for public patience, while power generation companies (GENCOs) and distribution companies (DISCOs) grappled with their operational problems. Simply put, they were not ready for their new tasks. But the DISCOs were hell bent on exploiting power consumers through arbitrary coded and ‘crazy’ electricity bills which they intimidated consumers to pay mostly for electricity neither supplied to nor consumed. This was officially supported by Nigeria

ON THIS DAY August 11, 1965 The Watts Race Riots began in the Watts area of Los Angeles, California, United States. The rebellion was an AfricanAmerican race riot in the Watts neighborhood from August 11 to 17, 1965. The six days of racially-fueled violence and unrest resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, 3,438 arrests, and over $40 million in property damage. It was the most severe riot in the city’s history until the Los Angeles riots of 1992.

Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) dubious Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO), which supports reckless annual increases of power tariff, with scant emphasis on the supply corridor and consumer satisfaction.

Worse still, majority of power consumers were denied pre-paid meters, which would have compelled electricity providers to earn income based strictly on the quantum of power they supplied. The electricity regulatory agency also approved a monthly fixed charge of N750 and another N500 for meter maintenance, which consumers with or without prepaid meters are forced to cough up, purportedly for the purpose of assisting DISCOs recoup their investments, while electricity consumers are left to stew in virtually zero electricity supply. The massive protests now dogging the arbitrary tariffs; leading in a lot of cases to the recalcitrance of consumers to pay up, is an indication that Nigerians cannot permit the daylight robbery for long.

The DISCOs have enjoyed their undeserved loot enough and must now realise that they must work for their pay. This they can only achieve, not through state repression, but by supplying electricity regularly and providing prepaid meters to assure customers that they are paying for services truly rendered; otherwise there may be no end to power consumers’ protestations against DISCOs’ exploitation.

August 11, 2012 At least 306 people were killed and about 3,000 others injured in a pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran. The earthquakes occurred near the cities of Ahar and Varzaqan in Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province. The two quakes measured 6.4 and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; and were separated by eleven minutes. The epicenter of the earthquakes was 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Tabriz.

Business

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

FIRS rakes in N1.97trn in six months

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Eko Atlantic City: Experts disagree over project’s risks to environment 25

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Insurers must embrace Information Technology for growth –Chams boss

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AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES Med-View Airline Lagos- Abuja (Mon-Fri): 07.00, 08.50, 12.00, 16.30. Abuja- Lagos (Mon-Fri): 09.00, 14.00, 15.00, 18.30. Lagos-Yola (Mon-Fri): 8.50am. Yola-Lagos (Mon-Fri): 13.00. Lagos- PHC (Mon-Fri): 17.00. PHC-Lagos: 19.00. Abuja-Yola: 11.00. Yola-Abuja: 13.00.

Lagos-Abuja (Sat): 08.00, 08.50.

Abuja-Lagos (Sat): 10.00, 15.00.

Lagos-PHC (Sat): 17.00. PHC-Lagos (Sat): 19.00. Lagos-Yola (Sat): 08.50. Yola-Lagos (Sat): 13.00

Dana Air

Declining revenue, increasing cost impede telecom services’ drive The nation’s telecoms industry has been one of the most active sectors of the economy since the revolution in the industry began in the early 2000. However, recent constraints characterized by dwindling earnings and burgeoning costs have sustained subscribers’ lamentations over poor quality service with the attendant negative implications for the economy. ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN writes.

T

he rapid change and explosive growth witnessed following the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in 2000 may have started to dwindle as investigations by National Mirror on the market have shown.

The largest mobile operator in the sub-Sahara Africa, Mobile Telephone Network, MTN, shocked its investors recently when it told its shareholders it expected a decrease of between 10 percent and 15 percent in basic headline earnings per share, as well as a decrease of between 10 percent and 15 percent in attributable earnings per share for the period ended 30 June 2015.

According to the mobile operator, the shareholders were advised that their company expectedadverse exchange rate (and cross rate) movements to have impacted both the rate at which revenues and EBITDA were translated, as well as resulting in increased forex losses when compared to the prior comparable period.

It was gathered that the adverse exchange rate in Nigeria is currently hurting the telcos international business, while at the same time negatively affecting its operations in the country.

Latest financial report revealed that the impact of the fluctuation in Nigeria’s currency

was reflected on MTN’s earnings, resulting in the Nigerian subsidiary, MTN Nigeria, generating only 27 percent of its sales in the previous fiscal year.

A very competed source in the financial sector, revealed that one of the mobile operators may soon go bankrupt and possibly closed shop in the country due to huge bank loans, which the operating environment has impacted on it.

According to the source, who has close business relationship with the mobile operator, the former did not take into cognisance the power challenge in the Nigeria saying that despite the fortune made from voice, the interest on loans and the cost of rolling out

infrastructure and keeping base station running 24/7 has been affecting business negatively.

The Chairman of the Association of License Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo told National Mirror that the companies are actually not smiling to the banks, saying that there is several income draining pipes in the industry.

Adebayo who as head of the umbrella body of telecommunications companies operating in the country, and has been in the fore-front defending the interest of the operators observed that the business environment is not CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Abuja-Lagos 9am, 1pm, 5.28pm daily Lagos-Abuja 7am, 11am, 1.23pm,3.30pm daily Lagos-PH: 7.20AM, Ph-Abuja9.54am, Abuja-ph: 3.30pm and Ph-Lagos: 5.28pm daily Lagos-Uyo: 9.20am, Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am, Abuja-Uyo 1.05pm, Uyo-Lagos: 3pm daily Weekends Lagos-Abuja: 7.02am, 9am, 3.30pm Abuja-Lagos: 9am, 2.20pm and 5.28pm Lagos -Phc: 11.07am Phc-Lagos: 1.05pm Phc-Abuja: 12.51pm Abuja-Phc: 10.50am Lagos-Uyo: 9.18am Uyo-LOS -3.03pm Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am Abuja-Uyo: 1.05pm

Aero Contractors Lag-Abj: 06.50, 13.30, 16.30, 19.45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun), 12.30 (Sun) 16.45 (Sat) Abj-Los: 07.30, 13.00, 19.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat, 10.30, 14.30, 19.30 (Sun, 18.30 Sat) Lag-Benin: 07.45, 11.00, 15.30 (Mon-Fri/Sat/ Sun) 12.30 (Sun 15.30 (Sat) Ben-Lag: 09.15, 12.30, 17.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) 17.00 (Sat) 14.00 (Sun)Lag-Owe: 7.45am, 2pm daily

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Declining revenue, increasing cost impede telecom services’ drive CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 friendly.

According to him, power is still a major problem in the country for the operators noting that there is none of its members that do not run its base station with alternative electricity power supply source.

He said that theft of electricity generating set from base station and the diesels to fuel such power plant by miscreant from host community has not entirely abated adding that vandalism of telecoms infrastructures still occur.

Statistics obtained from a source at MTN Nigeria revealed that in the last 13 years, it invested a cumulative of about $15 billion on building its network, which is an average of $1.2 billion, a year investment.

It was also gathered that in 2013, MTN spent N34 billion on diesels to power 22,000 generators in 11,000 base stations while only 17 percent of its sites are connected to the national grid, and the others rely solely on generators.

Managing Director and Chief Executive of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, recently said that the industry not been favourable to the mobile operators due to the huge cost of providing services for subscribers.

According to him, most of its operating cost goes into fuelling its 25,000 base stations scattered across the country, and that is besides the estimated N160 billion doled out to government as taxes, alongside N55 billion in the form of various levies.

“The power costs of a site connected to the power grid are only about 1/6th those of a fuel-powered site, but only about 10 per cent to 15 per cent of BTS are connected to the electric power grid. The implications of such absence of reliable power infrastructure are far-reaching. Nigerian operators spend around N8 billion to N10 billion a year in diesel costs to power up their base stations”, he said.

He observed further that, “Such costs account for about 60 per cent of operators’ network costs. Primarily because of such fuel costs, average network costs in Nigeria are twice to thrice higher than in a number of other African markets. The multiple taxations of telecoms operators represent another challenge facing the industry. It was once merely a side effect of Nigeria’s federal structure and the inherent risk of overlapping.

Leader of the industry stakeholders, and President of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies, ATCON, Engr. Lanre Ajayi said that the industry is bedevilled with several unresolved issues such as multiple regulations, frequent fibre-cut, community issues saying that these problems make it difficult for the operators deliver the desired quality of service.

He explained that across the country, operators are regularly stampeded by government of all levels over multiple taxes saying that on the frequent fibre cutting in the country have been sorted out by the new Cyber Crime Act. Despite these challenges, the operators are not spared the sanction rode of the telecoms regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission over poor quality service and anti-competition practices.

In 2013, for contravening the ban on pro-

Ogunsanya

Wilshere

Ikpoki

motions and lotteries on their respective networks, the NCC slammed a total of N22 million fines on MTN, Globacom Limited, Etisalat and Airtel.

MTN Nigeria paid N10, 000,000 million on account of five promotions at N2, 000,000 million for each promotion while Etisalat paid N6, 000,000 million for three promotions in its network.

Similarly, Airtel paid N4, 000,000 million for running two promotions against the ban while Globacom paid N2, 000,000 for one promotion.

And in 2014, the telecoms regulator reeled out another batch of sanctions on the mobile operators, but this time it was on quality of service in the industry.

It learnt that the NCC sanctioned MTN Nigeria, Globacom and Airtel for breach of key performance indicators and poor quality of service for the month of January, and consequently asked to pay the sum of N647.5.

A breakdown of the sanctions indicated that Globacom was penalised, N277.5 million for three breaches, while MTN and Airtel got sanctioned N185 million each for two breaches.

The sanctions where however, well applauded by subscribers who are on the receiving ends of poor quality service in the last ten years.

Across section of subscribers who expressed their grievances over the present situation in the industry whereby subscribers are not getting value for their money said that the operators have reaped them off at several occasion.

One of the aggrieved subscribers, Chief Executive Officer, Private Media Mart, Mr Ejiofor Agada, blamed the poor performance on the former helmsman of the regulator, Engr. Eugene Juwah for the failure of the operators to deliver acceptable quality service.

According to him, the NCC led by Juwah lacked the focus needed

as a regulator, alleging that he has moved the industry from one blunder to the other.

He said that the present day NCC was probably due to lack of understanding, foresight and professionalism which needed to enable the operators to deliver quality service to the gamut of growing subscriber base despite the inability of the NCC to facilitate the tackling of the industry challenge.

Another subscriber, Mrs Joy Olubayo, a civil servant said rated the mobile operators very poor in terms of quality of services and pointed out that the interest of the subscriber is of no importance to operators since what matters to them is increasing their profit and subscriber base.

She said that at countless occasions she had had issues with drop calls, undelivered text messages and sundry problems adding that after all these years, she expects that quality of services must have improved.

She stated that in all cases, she did not receive any form of compensation from her service provider saying that even the sanctions on the operators are not helping the situation.

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary, E-Payment Providers Association of Nigeria, E-PPAN, Mrs. Onajite Regha, explained that a major problem epayment was contending with is network failure, which often result to poor performance at most Automated Tell Machines, ATMs sited across country.

According to her, quality of service from mobile operators, who provider data services for members of her association, is key to the success of card technology for electronic money and the use of the ATM. It was gathered that very ATM card that get stuck in most machines is the result of failure operator caused by network failure from the mobile operators.

The KPI setup by the NCC to monitor the quality of service from the operators

in 2012 of which there was a Memorandum of Understanding was based on some key indicators namely: Drop Call Rate,DCR, Call Set-up Success Rate,CSSR, Traffic Channel Congestion, TCHcong and Stand Alone Dedicated Control Channel Congestion, SDCCHcong.

While the NCC had several times been compelled to readjust the KPI, the operators has not been able to achieve the set target of the KPI, which made the operator to sanctioned some of them in 2014.

The 2014 KPI report, which resulted to the sanction, showed that in the target 98 percent for CSSR, MTN, Airtel, and Globacom scored 96.85 percent, 96.99 percent and 96.89 percent respectively.

For the DCR category, for the month of January, MTN and Globacom failed to meet the target, while Airtel exceeded the target with a score of 0.84 per cent.

While for the SDCONG KPI, with a target of 0.20 per cent, Airtel and Globacom failed to meet the target, scoring 0.40 per cent and 0.58 per cent respectively, while MTN exceeded the target with a score of 0.17 per cent.

And for the TCHCONG, with a target of 2 per cent, all the three networks exceeded the target, as MTN scored 0.55 per cent; Globacom 0.79 per cent and Airtel 0.79 per cent.

According to the regulators summary, MTN failed to meet the targets set in the quality of service regulations for the CSSR and DCR computations; Globacom failed to meet the targets set for CSSR, DCR and SDCONG computations; while Airtel failed to meet the targets for CSSR and SDCONG computations.

In all, only Etisalat got a clean bill as it met all the set KPIs. Spokesman for the Commission, Mr. Tony Ojobo confirmed that the latest KPI report, which is expected to cover from August 2014 till August 2015 was not ready yet, promising that it will soon be hosted on the Commission’s website.

With the enormous challenges facing the telcos, especially the increasing costs associated with their operations, subscribers may have to wait for some time before they can expect to have the best of experiences in world class telecom services delivery like their counterparts in Kenya, Britain, U.S. A, Canada, France, China and South Africa, amongst others.

THE INDUSTRY IS BEDEVILLED WITH SEVERAL UNRESOLVED ISSUES SUCH AS MULTIPLE REGULATIONS, FREQUENT FIBRE-CUT, COMMUNITY ISSUES

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business News

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

21

FIRS rakes in N1.97trn in six months TOLA AKINMUTIMI

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he Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) disclosed at the weekend that it grossed N1.97 trillion in revenue generation in the first half of this year and restated its commitment to continually improve tax administration in the country.

Making the disclosure during an interactive session with top journalists in Lagos, the Acting Executive Chairman, Mr SundayOgungbesan, hinted that the collections represented 98 per cent of the targeted revenue of N2.28 trillion set for the Service in this year’s budget for between January and June 2015.

The Federal Government gave FIRS a revenue target of N4.57

….advocates centralized tax administration system trillion for the FIRS for the 2015 fiscal year.

Ogungbesan, who noted that Nigeria had the potential to generate more tax revenue if there is a better tax administration system, explained that the Service was one of the 37 tax authorities in the country.

While advocating improved collaboration between the tax authorities, the seasoned Tax Administrator clarified that whereas the FIRS was mandated to administer tax at the federal level, each state was required to administer tax within their domains.

According to him, with the FIRS having 6,900 workers across the country, tax authorities in the states could also strengthen their

workforce instead of depending on consultants as a strategic option of improving the manpower base for tax administration.

On the level of tax compliance generally, the FIRS boss expressed serious concern about the rate of tax evasion in the country and called for a collaborative strategy amongst stakeholders and creation of a strong database on all tax payers as obtained in developed economies to curb the fiscal menace.

For instance, Ogungbesan lamented that out of the 450,000 registered companies in the country, only about 125 were actually contributing taxes while other remained mere portfolio businesses.

In addition, the tax expert explained that there was the need to review some complex laws inhibiting tax administration in the country even as he also canvassed a centralised tax administration system for the country.

He hinted that already, the Service was discussing the idea of the centralized tax administration system at the Joint Tax Board, JTB, the level with a view to its adoption if collective agreed upon by the 37 tax authorities nationwide.

Ogungbesan listed some of the problems hampering effective tax administration in the country as including, the large informal sector and false tax declarations by tax payers.

Why govt’s efforts to float national carrier failed –Obakpolor OLUSEGUN KOIKI

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stakeholder in the Nigerian aviation industry, Group Capt. John Obakpolor, has attributed greed by some persons in the Nigerian aviation industry as the major reason why government had failed severally to reestablish a national carrier for the country.

He also opined that for the new proposed national carrier to operate profitably and breakeven, the government should not have a controlling share in the airline.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Lagos, Obakpolor explained that some highly placed people in the country were greedy about the formation of a new national carrier for the sector after the demise of the former, Nigeria Airways in 2003.

It would be recalled that the past government and several ministers tried vigorously to reestablish a new national airline for Nigeria, but all attempts failed without any achieving their set goals.

Apart from the fact that the commencing date suffered several setbacks due to numerous

reasons like lack of interesting technical and airline partners, inadequate equipment and improper framework among others, the identities of the investors were also shrouded in secrecy.

The failure of the government to reveal the identities of the investors despite its earlier assurances that the impending national carrier would not be funded by the government, but by institutions and companies, infuriated stakeholders and professionals in the sector and so, suspected foul play in the whole processes.

Sources close to the ministry of aviation also alleged at a point that at the tail end of the whole exercise, Oduah attempted to foist on the nation, a refurbished 20 years old aircraft, Boeing 737400 with the registration number 5N-BLC as a brand new one until the deal was exposed.

Besides, the proposed national carrier also suffered different name change from ‘Nigeria One’ to ‘Nigeria Eagle’ among many others.

On the modalities for the proposed carrier, Obakpolor opined that Nigerians should participate in its formation through shares, stressing that government should not have controlling shares in the airline.

L-R: Dr. Yilji Jurbe, Airport Manager, Jos, Mr Ayinla O. Gbolahan; Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria [FAAN] Engr. Saleh Dunoma; Aerodrome Rescue/ Fire Fighting Services, Mr Godwin Omadefu; Head of Depertment, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria [FAAN], Mr Alfred Itua, and Head of Department, Operations, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria [FAAN], Mrs Jane Ominifega, during the Unscheduled inspection visit by Management of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos, recently.

FG lauds IFAD on agric sector devt

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he Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arc. Sonny Echono, has commended the International Fund Agricultural Development (IFAD) for its immense contributions to the development of the nation’s agricultural sector, especially for helping Nigeria to address the issues of agricultural development and poverty alleviation.

This is even as it appealed to the Fund for inclusion of Nigerian youths in its Graduate Internship and Associate Programmes.

Echono gave the commendation on Thursday when he received a delegation led by the President of the organisation, Prof. Kanoyo Nwanze, in his office in Abuja.

A statement by the Ministry’s Director of Information, Mr Tony Ohaeri, quoted the Permanent Secretary as saying that Federal Government’s collaboration with IFAD which spanned over 30 years has brought tremendous growth especially in financing of agricultural projects sector.

Echono, however, appealed to the Fund to increase the loan and grant portfolio to Nigeria to support agricultural development.

While appreciating the Leadership of the organisation, Echono expressed his optimism that Nigeria would be able to perform her obligations to IFAD in view of the good relationship with it, saying he has briefed Mr. President on the collaboration between FMARD and IFAD.

Earlier in his remarks, the IFAD President, Prof. Kanayo Nwanze spoke on the mutually beneficial collaboration with FMARD, saying Nigeria has been contributing significantly to IFAD’s resources.

Nwanze said IFAD had promoted value chains on Cassava and Rice through value chain development Programme, climate change adaptation and Agribusiness Support Programme, amongst other initiatives.

According to him, as part of their country strategy for 20162020, the organization hopes to continue to work in partnership with Federal and State Governments in the adoption of a market-led approach to give inclusive growth for smallholder farmers, women and youths nationwide.

Vitafoam unveils products to curb infant mortality syndrome

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etermined to widen its product portfolio and boost shareholder value, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc last Thursday unveiled two new products called Vitafoam Early Days Breastfeeding and Pillows.

The products, described as unique, and targeted at reducing infant mortality in Nigeria were

unveiled by the wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bola Ambode at the World Breastfeeding Week in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, Vitafoam’s Group Managing Director, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi, explained that the products were introduced to prevent hazards associated wth Breastfeeding.

Adeniyi who reiterated the company’s commitment to production of innovative products to enhance shareholder value noted that the company had transcended beyond mattresses and pillows to production of quality baby soft and hard furniture, pregnancy pillow, bed sheet collection, baby cot, play mat and everything that

creates total comfort for the mother and the child.

According to him, Vitafoam introduced to maintain proper position for breast feeding devoid of back pain and unnecessary body exposure while breastfeeding in the public.

Adeniyi explained that the company had expanded its prod-

ucts’ portfolio from being a manufacturer of just mattresses and pillows into a foremost producer of ultimate comfort products.

According to him, Vitafoam has ventured into production and supply of flexible, semi rigid and rigid polyurethane foam products including furniture, bed and beddings.

22

Business News

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Access bank, GMT introduce international trade solution ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

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ccess bank Plc, in collaboration with GMT Limited, a logistics service provider, has introduced a new solution to ease the snags associated with importation/exportation trades in Nigeria in term of finance, freight, goods clearing at ports, warehousing and transportation.

With the new business scheme, which is branded FLOWS – Finance and Logistics Worldwide Scheme, the bank would provide financial supports while the GMT provides the logistics supports to the business operators especial the small and medium enterprises, SMEs for faster, cheaper and convenient importation service.

Speaking at the launching of the scheme last Thursday, the Group Managing Director of the Bank, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, said the two companies came up with the scheme in order to drive the

growth of SMEs as a way of developing the economy of the nation.

Wigwe, who noted the enormous opportunity abound in the SMEs subsector and the central role financial sector in the growth and development of the economy, said Access Bank recognised such role, hence, it stood to provide a wide range of demand-driven financial services including supporting the financing needs of the SME sector.

He said: “As part of our contribution towards the attainment of this goal, the Bank in partnership with GMT, the foremost integrated logistics service provider in Sub-Sahara Africa came together to birth the reason we are here today – FLOWS. FLOWS is a unique combination of import finance and logistics services targeted at importers of non-perishable, fast moving and unrestricted goods.

You will agree with me that when two World class companies like Access Bank and GMT come to-

gether, the result can only be top notch.

“The platform promises to deliver an end-to-end cost efficient management of the entire import process which reduces the total lead time of a typical importation transaction. We are very aware that the importation process can be very hectic due to several factors that we are all familiar with and we have decided to bear this burden on behalf of our clients.”

The bank boss noted that approximately 96 per cent of Nigerian businesses are SMEs compared to 97 per cent in Asian countries, 53 per cent in the US and 65 per cent in Europe.

He declared that SME Industry represented about 90 per cent of the manufacturing/ industrial sector in terms of number of enterprises, while they contributed approximately one per cent GDP compared to 40 per cent in Asian countries and 50 per cent in the US and Europe.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

BATNF distributes agric inputs to Ote farmers DAVID AUDU

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ritish American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, BATNF, has flagged off the phase two of its BATNF-Ote Community Cassava Enterprise Valuechain Development Project.

The event was held at the project farm, Ojutaye Village, Ote in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, was highlighted by the distribution of agricultural farm inputs to some farmers in the locality.

In his remarks, Managing Director, Kwara State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Dr. Sunday Atanda, thanked BATNF for providing support to smallholder farmers in Ote. Atanda disclosed that the project, which the Kwara State Agricultural Development Project, KSADP, is the implementing partner, was a collaborative effort in bringing assistance to the 30 select-

Alcatel-Lucent targets Nigeria’s fixed line market ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

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L-R: Chairman of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN), Professor Olu Akinyanju, Chairman Board of Directors, Keystone Bank Limited, Mr. Jacobs Moyo Ajekigbe (OFR) and Chief Executive Officer, RTC Advisory Services Ltd, Opeyemi Agbaje, at a meeting on collaboration with Corporate Lagos at the weekend.

Fiscal incentives key to Africa’s Islamic finance devt –Standards & Poor’s TOLA AKINMUTIMI

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he global rating agency, Standards & Poor’s, has reported that the development of an Islamic finance industry in Africa could help plug the regions large infrastructure gaps over the coming decade.

The agency, in its latest Ratings Service Report titled “Regulations And Fiscal Incentives Could Speed Islamic Finance Development In Africa” stated that in order to achieve this, there was the need to develop a framework of regulation and fiscal adjustments to foster African sukuk markets, provide wider investment options for potential

Islamic investors, and attract a pool of Islamic liquidity.

It reported further that to date, African sovereigns had issued about $1 billion of sukuk instruments, compared with global sukuk issuance of an average $100 billion per year over the past five years.

According to Standards & Poor’s , widening fiscal deficits and large infrastructure gaps in the continent would likely require multibillion-dollar additional financing needs over the next decade.

For instance, it stated that experience in South Africa and Senegal had shown that a significant amount of time can elapse between a government’s an-

nouncement of intent to issue sukuk and their effective issuance, as governments gauge market interests and try to address the legal hurdles and cost of issuance.

The agency’s credit analyst Samira Mensah clarified: “We believe legislation gaps are the main causes of delay between a country’s intent to issue and its effective issuance of sukuk,” said. The success of Malaysia in South-East Asia as a hub for Islamic finance lies, among other things, in the strong regulatory framework to support the sector’s growth. Malaysia also moved quickly in 2009 to address the standardization of instruments and interpretation of Sharia law.

ed smallholder cassava farmers in the community through land preparation, trainings, inputs distribution and market linkages all of which are crucial to the sustainability of the project.

He also assured them that if they work hard and produce the expected tonnage per hectare, with the support of BATNF, they will identify markets to sell their produce, adding that this would further encourage the foundation to support other smallholder farmers in other local government councils.

Project Manager, BATNF, Remi Adewole, on behalf of the Foundation’s General Manager, Ms Abimbola Okoya, said that the gathering of the dignitaries, beneficiary farmers and community attests to the premium value of the project.

He lauded the smallholder farmers for their unwavering commitment in ensuring that the set goals of the Foundation, such as poverty alleviation and wealth creation, are met.

rench telecommunications equipment provider, Alcatel-Lucent, has indicated its intention to explore opportunities in Nigeria and other African countries’ fixed lines sub-segment of the telecoms markets.

The company noted that in most of the countries in Africa, there was no strong fixed-line network, saying that it believes Africa has various connectivity needs, crucial for the continent’s social and economic development.

The company stated that increasing the availability of ultrabroadband services is essential for Africa’s future development.

It pointed out that becoming digital is an important catalyst for change, for development and innovation, adding that the continent’s infrastructure will need greater capacity to deliver high-quality ultra-broadband connectivity to support added-value services for end users in both urban and remote areas.

Alcatel-Lucent, which is set to be acquired by Nokia in a deal that would create the world’s second-largest network equipment maker, has deployed a number of LTE networks in Africa.

In the next five years, it’s predicted that Internet use on mobile phones within Africa will experience unprecedented growth, doubling the rate of the rest of the world.

Aero Contractors wins NECA, NSITF’s safety culture award OLUSEGUN KOIKI

N

igeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, have donated an ambulance to Aero Contractors for winning the Exceptional Safety Culture Award propelled by the group.

A statement from the airline’s consultant stated that the award was won following a rigorous audit by a team from NECA/NSITF on Occupational Health and Safety, OHS, policies, procedures and culture.

The award reiterated Aero’s safety and security standards in

the Nigerian market, stressing that the airline had always been known for its approach to cuttingedge technology and also combines safety, comfort, flexibility and quality services to customers.

The airline’s Acting Managing Director, Capt. Russell Leefoon, said that the award was won by the airline after a thorough audit from a respected and professional team of safety consultants from NECA/NSITF on the airline’s OHS policies, procedures and culture.

He said: “We are delighted that our hard work to ensure highest safety standards are being recognised by reputable organizations like NECA and NSITF.”

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Jobs & Career

NLC tasks National Assembly on income inequality Isaac asabor

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omrade Joe Ajaero, factional president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has tasked lawmakers to address the issue of income inequality and poverty among Nigerian workers.

Ajaero, who disclosed this in a statement accessed by National Mirror, believed that this would put in proper perspective the intricate connection between income, consumption and production.

He stated: “The high principles of job-led growth simply demands that as more jobs are created, the income of the working class improves which automatically stimulates consumption reducing inventories and fuels increasing production leading to overall economic growth.

“This is the original macroeconomic idea underlying every economic stimulus and if carefully managed is capable of jump-starting the Nigerian economy”, the labour leader added.

He therefore urged the National Assembly to pass legislations to kick- start a national Social Protec-

tion Floor (SPF) which will enable social transfers and increase access to public services and infrastructure for a larger percentage of the deprived population.

He said its positive effects on social unrest and domestic productive capacity will help drive our economy out of its present morass.”

Ajaero lamented that “all macroeconomic indicators are on the negative trend; increasing inflation, unemployment rate, depreciating exchange rate, increasing interest rates and much more increasing prevalence of involuntary inaccessibility of public infrastructure and social services to majority of Nigerian masses. All these have direct and excruciating negative impact on the welfare of the Nigerian workers.

“If all the industrial sectors could be bailed out and the State Governors also bailed out, the only sector that remains and needs to be bailed out is the Nigerian workers in conjunction with Nigerian masses. The NASS should ensure that this happens and Nigerians bailed out of hunger, poverty and unremitting suffering.”

The labour leader restated the Congress’ commitment to a new minimum wage deal for Nigerian workers and warned that organised labour “would not accept the ongoing blackmail of using the contrived economic crisis to justify the continued abuses and violations of workers’ basic rights and privileges as currently being perpetrated by state governors and other agencies of government to delay or deny immediate negotiation of a new wage floor as the five year tenure of the national minimum wage has ended.”

Delta screens 1,200 youths for empowerment programmes TheophIlus onojeghen WARRI

1,200 youths from the eight local government councils in Delta South Senatorial District were last Wednesday screened for placement into the Delta State Government Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP) and Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP).

The empowerment programme which is meant to create jobs for over 5,000 unemployed youths in the state, is a pet project of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to reduce the increasing unemployment situation in the state.

Addressing newsmen at the War-

Okowa

ri South Secretariat, the state Chief Job Creation Officer and head of the scheme, Professor Eric Eboh, said that the programme remained an integral part of the State Government’s SMART agenda of prosperity for all Deltans.

According to him, similar screening was simultaneously going on in Oleh and Bomadi, noting that only unemployed persons that would be considered for placement in the scheme.

Eboh said: “This programme is an integral element of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s job creation for the people of the state. As you can recall, the governor promised prosperity for all Deltans. This prosperity is being delivered through the SMART agenda. The SMART agenda focuses on creating jobs for Deltans because it’s only true job you can create wealth and prosperity.

“The screening we’re doing today is part of the governor’s commitment to deliver prosperity to all Deltans. Today (yesterday), we are conducting interview for applicants under the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP) and Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP).”, he added.

He explained that only those who are qualified and have the en-

trepreneurial skills that would be selected based on merit that would undergo the training scheduled to hold at various youth empowerment training centres across the state.

Eboh disclosed that the budget for YAGEP and STEP, including other jobs creation programme, was being revised in line with economic situation in the state, adding that the governor has assured his agency that the programme will run into batches a year.”

The job creation leader also debunked rumours that some top government officials had been given positions to fill in the existing vacancies, saying that applicants would be selected on merit in line with Okowa’s directive of transparency in the exercise.

He assured that the training programme would run for several months explaining that starter packs would be given to successful candidates at the end of the workshop training.

Mr Eric Omare, Special Assistant to the governor on Youth & Community urged successful candidates to take full advantage of the programme to take maximum advantage of the opportunity in order to improve their socio-economic well being when employed.

23

Experts harp on benefits of ITF’s/ UNIDO skills gaps survey

Isaac asabor

T

Ajaero

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

he ongoing Skills Gaps Survey being conducted by the Industrial Training Fund, (ITF), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, (UNIDO), will significantly impact on current drives to tackle the challenge of unemployment in the country, experts have projected.

This development is coming, even as the experts said the survey will also support and improve ITF’s plans to provide skills training for employment and job creation, and identify the challenges of mismatches between skills demands and supply which the country is presently grappling with.

Expressing optimism that the skills gap survey by ITF will also lead to the production of entrepreneurs and job creators in the country, Industrial Relations Practitioner and Managing Director of Soreb Consulting International, Mr. Kunle Rotimi, told journalists in Lagos that the exercise will help Nigeria produce evidence based industrial skills development policies that can contribute towards alleviation of skills gaps in the industrial sector.

Rotimi, who is the author of “Conceptual Framework in Human Resource Development”, noted that the skills gap survey was driven by the requirements of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) of the Federal Government, which aims at providing baseline data that will guide government’s investment for skills development in Nigeria through identifying skills requirement, skills availability, skills gap, skills mismatch and skills supply.

According to him, the skills gap survey will further assist the nation in identifying the types of jobs that are available and the ease of filling such vacancies, while it will also identify skills misallocation and skill gap within sectors and organizations.

“The lack or under-production of relevant skills by the education and training system in the country, lack of coordination between the education and the production system in qualitative terms will be identified by the survey, including skills availability and formation that will also be addressed by the survey”, he said.

Registrar and Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, (CIPM), Mr. Sunday Adeyemi, expressed optimism that the skills gap survey by ITF and UNIDO will address remedial actions to be taken by companies to overcome difficulties in finding candidates for vacancies that are difficult to fill.

Adeyemi pointed out that the survey will support business prospects of enterprises in terms of investment plans in the next decade or more years, adding that it is encouraging that ITF and UNIDO engaged the services of indigenous experts that developed the survey instrument in collaboration with the research and development faculty of the ITF. It would be recalled that the National Bureau of Statistic (NBS), was engaged for technical assistance, by the UNIDO .

The Bureau carried out pilot studies to validate the suitability or otherwise of the survey instruments and also administered the survey instruments for the main study using enumerators.

He commended the agency for collecting detailed information from thousands of enterprises in various priority sectors of the economy identified by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Sectors such as textiles and garments; leather products, petrochemicals, metals, automotive and construction, alongside other sectors were involved.

Speaking in the same vein, human resource development expert, Mr. Sunny Agboju, said the complete overhaul of training and orientation activities of the ITF to redirect attention and energy into efforts that will create jobs and entrepreneurs, while not just focusing on trainings aspects of the Fund’s mandate alone is highly commendable.

Adeyemi

24

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

10 Best job interview tips for job-seekers W

hen you have successfully mastered cover letters, resumes, and job applications and are receiving requests for interviews, it’s time to understand how to succeed in the job interview so that you are ever closer to your goal of obtaining one or more job offers.

This article focuses on the 10 most important -- the 10 best -- jobinterviewing tips for job-seekers.

Best Job Interviewing Tips for Job-Seekers 1. Conduct Research on the Employer, Hiring Manager, Job Opportunity. Success in a job interview starts with a solid foundation of knowledge on the job-seeker’s part.

You should understand the employer, the requirements of the job, and the background of the person (or people) interviewing you. The more research you conduct, the more you’ll understand the employer, and the better you’ll be able to answer interview questions (as well as ask insightful questions -- see #8).

Information sources include the organization’s Website and other published materials, search engines, research tools, and your network of contacts 2. Review Common Interview Questions and Prepare Responses.

Another key to interview success is preparing responses to expected interview questions. First, inquire as to the type of interview to expect (which you can do by asking your contact person at the organization).

M

anager – Estate - Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Compay Location – Rivers State, Nigeria The Job: The appointee will be required to do the following: Ensure that estate management services are provided in an efficient and effective manner, to create a well provisioned and maintained residential and office environments in support of Company business objectives . Initiate, plan and execute and manage approved portfolio of projects in Company Residential and Office locations to agreed standards (Cost, Schedule, and Quality), ready to operate as defined in each project’s Final Investment Decision while meeting NLNG1s Goal Zero HSE objectives.

(Source – www.jobseekers.ng) Senior Manager Fund Raising & Communications Our Client, a registered

Your goal is composing detailed yet concise responses, focusing on specific examples and accomplishments.

A good tool for remembering your responses is to put them into story form that you can tell in the interview. No need to memorize responses (in fact, it’s best not to), but at least develop talking points.

3. Dress for Success. Plan out a wardrobe that fits the organization and its culture, striving for the most professional appearance you can accomplish. Remember that it’s always better to be overdressed than under -- and to wear clothing that fits and is clean and pressed. Keep accessories and jewelry to a minimum. Try not to smoke or eat right before the interview -- and if possible, brush your teeth or use mouthwash.

4. Arrive on Time for the Interview -- and Prepared for Success. There is no excuse for ever arriving late for an interview -- other than some sort of disaster. Strive to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled interview to complete additional paperwork and allow yourself time to get settled. Arriving a bit early is also a chance to observe the dynamics of the workplace.

The day before the interview, pack up extra copies of your resume or CV and reference list. If you have a portfolio or samples of your work, bring those along too. Finally, remember to pack several pens and a pad of paper to jot notes.

Finally, as you get to the offices,

Workers exchanging views in office

shut off your cell phone. (And if you were chewing gum, get rid of it.)

5. Make Good First Impressions -- to Everyone You Encounter. A cardinal rule of interviewing: Be polite and offer warm greetings to everyone you meet -- from parking attendant or receptionist to the hiring manager. Employers often are curious how job applicants treat staff members -- and your job offer could easily be derailed if you’re rude or arrogant to any of the staff.

When it’s time for the interview, keep in mind that first impressions -- the ones interviewers make in the first few seconds of greeting you -- can make or break an interview.

Make a strong first impression by dressing well (see #3), arriving early (see #4), and when greeting your interviewer, stand, smile, make eye contact, and offer a firm (neither limp and nor bone-crushing) handshake.

Remember that having a positive attitude and expressing enthusiasm for the job and employer are vital in the initial stages of the interview; studies show that hiring managers make critical decisions about job applicants in the first 20 minutes of the interview. (To be continued next week (To be continued next week) (Source: http://www.quintcareers.com)

Job vacancies Charitable organisation, founded to provide cost effective, high quality ophthalmic care, primary health care and safe drinking water to the poor and needy of Nigeria, mainly in rural areas.

The organisation has been partnering with reputed institutions and governments (partners), in addition to building its own hospitals, towards this cause.

In Nigeria, they are in partnership with government supports close to 100,000 eye surgeries so far.

Duties and Responsibilities • Plan, Develop and Implement Communication Strategy with reference with organisational brand positioning • Collation of Communication Material • Media Management and Development • Development of communication channels with all stakeholders • Event planning and Management • Information Manage-

ment • Resource Centre Setting up & Management • Corporate Fund Raising • Fund Raising from HNI – National and International (Source – jobcenternigeria.com) Business Manager at Spectranet Limited • Handle a learge team • Distrbution channel • Recruitment of dealers and distributors • Handle company owned shop • Sales Target- Design and achieve • Achieve sales target through dealer/distribution channel (Source – jobcenternigeria.com) Executive Management Trainee Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group invests in emerging economies, adding value to locally available resources targeting an end product both for local consumption and the global market.

TGI has over three de-

cades of experience building local and regional sustainable businesses in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), agriculture, agroallied, healthcare, chemicals, etc.

The Group’s global presence in manufacturing, warehousing and supply chain facilities spans 15 countries, with a staff of over 9,000.

TGI Group is the owner of market leading companies in Nigeria such as Chi Ltd., Chi Farms, Chi Pharmaceuticals, Cormart (chemicals), WACOT (agriculture) and others.

Location: Nigeria Duration: One year with opportunity to advance into permanent position Industry: FMCG, agriculture& life stock farming, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, oil & gas, real estate and others.

Assessment and Interviews: Lagos, Nigeria Start date: 2nd October 2015 Role Summary:

The objective of this role is for trainees to gain practical insight in different functions across the Group to take over relevant responsibilities after finishing the Executive Management Trainee Program.

Basic Requirement Education: • Master or Ph.D. graduation (within last 18 months) in any field of study • Excellent grade expected (Source – jobberman. com) Position -Party Chef at Bolingo Hotels The following vacancies belong to the hottest trending job vacancies for this week.

One of the vacancies exist at Bolingo Hotel and Towers located in the business district of Abuja. The reputable hotel has vacancy for a Party Chef that possesses relevant qualification in catering and confectionery. Qualified and interested candidates should forward their CVs to operations@

bolingohotel-tower.com.

Position - Business Manager at Spectranet At Spectranet, an internet Services company, is a vacant position for Business Manager that possesses any of B.Sc, HND, BA as qualification. The job location is Lagos. Interested candidates are required to apply for the position through the company’s website.

Also at Multipro Enterprises Limited, a member of Tolaram Group in Nigeria, vacancy exists for an Information and Decision Solution Assistant who must possess a Bachelor degree (B.Sc/B.A.) or Higher National Diploma (HND) with good organizational and interpersonal skills. Candidates who are expected to have 1-3 years experience in the provision of Support on software solutions and conversant with IT/Computers with the ability to perform multi-tasking activities should forward their CVs to multipro.career@tolaram.com.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

25

Real Estate & Environment

Eko Atlantic City: Experts disagree over project’s risks to environment Mixed reactions have continued to trail possible impacts of reclaiming massive sea land to build Eko Atlantic City, heightening fears of looming environmental degradation in Lagos state and by extension, the entire nation.

SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE reports.

Stakeholders raise alarm over lead in paints 27

E

nvironment experts and human right groups have raised fresh concerns over possible environmental impacts of Eko Atlantic City project, raising concerns, that if the Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, was not duly obtained as speculated, its impacts in the near future would be very devastating This fear is coming on the heels of the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, in the United States of America, which occurred in August 2005, claiming several lives and destroying properties worth several billions of dollars.

Human Rights Group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP had few weeks

ago, instituted a legal action against Lagos state government over alleged inability to secure EIA, before commencing the project.

The group had approached the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to halt the ongoing dredging of Atlantic Ocean on the ground that it did not secure the impact assessment, saying it might lead to environmental degradation.

It would be recalled that Lagos state government partnered with a consortium of foreign companies, involved in deep sea dredging to construct high-rise commercial and residential buildings, aimed at recovering the shores of Bar Beach as well as Kuramo Beach in Victoria Island, Lagos.

FG to sanction owners of fume-emitting vehicles 28

LEDAP said such project was embarked upon by the state government without proper impact assessment, saying the dredging might lead to overflowing of coastal environment and rural communities living along the bank of the ocean.

An environment expert, Samuel Olajide cautioned Eko Atlantic city contractors to ensure due diligence in the project, stressing that anything short of it, might cause doom in the near future.

Citing America and other disaster-prone countries as cases in point, where reclaiming of sea land had caused severe Hurricane, Olajide said reclamation of sea land CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Colour schemes for your Living room 29

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Eko Atlantic City: Experts disagree over project’s risks to environment CONTINUED FROM 25 increases water table, necessitating salt water (fresh water) to move seaward as degree of changes depends on the extent of reclamation and hydraulic conductivity of fill materials.

He however urged the contractors to abide by special rule for undertaking reclamation of sea land in line with national and international standards.

He said, ‘’though sovereignty of states allow for reclaiming of sea land within 12 nautical miles of territorial sea, however, it must be considered whether it falls within relevant rights and jurisdictions of states.

Besides, the impact assessment should be obtained to avoid unforeseen circumstances in the near future’’, ‘’From 12 to 200 nautical miles, in so far as reclamation is part of the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations and structures, it must be governed by articles on the Exclusive Economic Zone as well as continental shelf’’, he added.

Experts said, within such areas, coastal states may undertake reclamation as long as they give due notice to the rights of other neighbouring states.

Such artificial islands, according to them,, are clearly not entitled to maritime zones other than a 500 meter safety zone and cannot be established, where they may interfere with international navigation.

Environment analyst, Mike Ochie said construction associated with reclaiming of sea land may destabilise sediments, which in turn reduces populations of wading birds, hence species such as oystercatcher and dunlin may lose feeding grounds as they prefer muddy substratum.

According to him, “The dredging of the ocean and construction of buildings on reclaimed land under Eko Atlantic City would not only flood the coastal areas of Lagos, but also destroy aquatic life in the nation’s territorial waters, including fishes and animals, thereby affecting the rich ecosystem of the ocean, Lagoon and adjourning rivers, swamps and wetland of the country.

At a larger scale, land reclamation may also reduce the carrying capacity of the entire migration and winter feeding grounds while intensifying competition and increasing winter mortality rates.

Debunking the allegations of not securing impact assessment before construction, Eko Development Company Limited, EDCL, said such fears were unfounded as it carried its EIA effectively to forestall possible future impacts, thus dismissing such allegations as unfounded. ‘’We conducted a proper Environmental Impact Assessment of the project as required by law before going ahead with the project’’, the company said.

It said the project started in 2003, when Lagos state government sought to protect Bar Beach from severe coastal erosion and safeguarding it from flooding.

And between 2003 and 2005, the developers as well as city planners of Eko Atlantic, the South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Chagoury Group, engaged in a feasibility study with international experts to ensure long-lasting and enduring city that would be free from negative impacts.

Under the project, government intends to reclaim about nine million square metres of land, 2.4 kilometres south of Ahmadu Bello

Buhari

Ambode

IT CLAIMED THAT THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE A DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT ON AQUATIC LIFE IN THE

ENTIRE NIGERIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES,

INCLUDING VICTORIA ISLAND, LEKKI PENINSULA AND SEVERAL FISHING SETTLEMENTS ON THE WEST COAST OF THE OCEAN Way, Victoria Island, Lagos between now and 2016.

EEDCL, said it launched its Azuri Peninsula project, under mixed-use development scheme in Marina District of the state.

Chief Responsibility Officer of the Company, Ms Ibieme Ogolo said such investment would involve some private investors as well as corporate entities to transform the sealand into ocean-front city.

According to her, ‘’ECDL is designed to create luxury residences of highest specification while creating exceptional residential buildings in Azuri Peninsula. Such project is part of a long-term programme, aimed at creating outstanding homes to teeming Nigerians, describing the project as distinctive’’.

It was gathered that the first phase of Eko city comprises 120 luxury apartments, 12 super-luxury simplexes and two superb Villas as well as 7 fine townhouse apartments with a three-year completion plans.

It is also expected to have a five star ma-

rina as well as yacht club with attractive promenade, high-end shops and cafe sand in a sophisticated environment.

Such landmark scheme, National Mirror learnt has the highest standards of contemporary living as all apartments would be fully-fitted with finest materials, including state-of-the art kitchens and luxurious bathrooms among others.

However, some Lagos-based legal experts have said, unless urgent steps were taken to ascertain the impacts of the project, the effects would be much on the lives and properties of many Lagosians and by extension, the nation’s environment.

This, according to them, would be in addition to variety of pressures such as degradation through high levels of pollution, waste discharge and damage to habitats and wildlife by high levels of recreational pressure.

They also noted that the greatest impact of land reclamation is due to depletion of area loss.

For instance, land reclaimed has removed

Former Minister of Environment, Mallam Laurentia

24 percent of natural fish habitats in the estuary and 40 percent of their food supply.

It claimed that the project would have a destructive impact on aquatic life in the entire Nigerian territorial waters and the environment of the coastal communities, including Victoria Island, Lekki Peninsula and several fishing settlements on the west coast of the ocean.

Already, some Lagosians have noted that the project is not part of the housing projects, aimed at addressing the housing problems of Nigerians, saying the city is meant for wealthy individuals and corporate bodies, who can afford them.

For instance, a plot of land, they say, costs little above N200 million per square metres, which is between $825 and $1,600.

The costs, according to some experts were denominated in dollars to protect buyers against fluctuations in Naira exchange rate.

Recalling, some experts said, China’s reclamation activities in the Southern sea led to its direct responses to legal challenges launched by Manila.

For the country, its artificial islands also address its own perceptions of weakness in strategic situation at sea and appear to be attempts to guarantee itself against an adverse ruling.

It also aimed to re-capture high ground and pressure littoral states in the region to recognize that Beijing’s claims cannot be easily dismissed nor its interests denied.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Stakeholders raise alarm over lead in paints

MORTGAGE NOTES with Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja

SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

S

Email: Nike@MVPSolutionsinc.com Fasanya-Osilaja https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=35277333

Why I support the NMRC

B

y the time this column piece goes to print, the Nigerian national elections must have taken place.

We have spent the last few months in a frenzy of preparation for this event, and it is a relief that it is finally happening. I offer my congratulations to the winners of the election, and offer my thanks to those who did not win the elections, for at least stepping forward to offer themselves in the service of their nation. It takes a special person to take on the rigors and stresses on running an election race, and we are a better nation because of you all.

I spent the last three or so weeks writing a (long) letter to the NMRC and offering an in-depth review of the NMRC underwriting standards, as published on their website.

I was honestly rather surprised at some of the comments I received on that piece.

They ranged all the way from “Great piece, so on point” to “Why would you support another government agency when they are all crooks?” I have therefore decided to respond to some of these questions in today’s piece.

I support the NMRC one hundred percent because I have reviewed their mandate and truly feel that, with the right guidance and hopefully lack of external influences, the NMRC may actually be the catalyst to revolutionize the Nigerian mortgage industry. The very premise upon which it is founded is the same premise that similar international organizations have been established, that have worked extremely well to standardize and enhance mortgage lending, and therefore home ownership in their nations.

Put very simply, shelter is, and rightly so, a fundamental human right. Until a person is settled in their own space, they are not really in charge of their destiny. There is a peace that comes with knowing you are in your own home that is absolutely priceless.

I have seen homeownership

change so many client’s lives, that I have no choice but to fight passionately for every opportunity that increases its accessibility, especially to first time home buyers.

The advent of NMRC should be seen as a hugely positive event because we have seen what happens in Nigeria when there is almost zero regulation.

The previous mortgage experiment in Nigeria failed due to several reasons, but the major one was definitely a lack of cohesion. This was a period in which loans were being made with predatory lending rates, excessive fees and unrealistic terms. It was so clearly ill conceived that its failure came as no surprise.

I was one of the major sceptics when I heard about the NMRC until I really started to review the IDB facility paperwork. There are several new programmes and incentives required as part of the terms of the facility, that I am optimistic of a much more desirable future for the mortgage sector so long as the programmes are properly implemented.

The NMRC emerges as the umbrella agency for the development and implementation of the said IDB programmes and incentives. What I consider to be its greatest strength is the fact that the agency is not the typical government agency or department. This gives it the capacity to act with the speed, agility and versatility required in today’s financial markets.

Also, there is a legitimacy the NMRC brings to the industry that can only boost the profile of the Nigerian mortgage sector and provide access to funding on much better terms than we saw in the past.

I also support the need for a regulatory system to weed out the bad apples and ensure that the industry produces seasoned and specialized professionals that enhance its international

27

profile. With a robust educational curriculum, especially if a licensing requirement is added, we will at least be certain of employing loan officers, who are able to process transactions properly. In my opinion, all ancillary industries should also require education and licenses, especially the appraisal industry.

The caveat I offer though, is that such education should be actual hands on workshops where the participants get proper education and solve real fact pattern issues, not where they just sit in conferences and listen to “abstract ramblings” as I call them.

Finally, the ability of NMRC to buy closed loans as a secondary purchaser of MBS tranches is arguably its most important strength. This provides consistent liquidity and protects the market from scarcity of supply, which is the number one factor for high rates and predatory loan terms to meet demand. It also ensures that loan retail suppliers originate loans in accordance with formal underwriting standards designed to ensure sanity in the market.

So, yes I do support the NMRC. xxxxx Why would I not?

Whichever way you dice it, the NMRC presents a start towards the re-emergence of a stronger, saner and hopefully more productive mortgage industry, and that is well worth my strong and unfettered support. If the NMRC is well set up and properly managed, it will bring us into a time of ease and cohesion in the mortgage process, and ultimately another area in which Nigeria once again asserts itself as the continental leader it is known and expected to be.

As always, I welcome all questions and comments, and encourage you to make it a great day.

ABOUT THE WRITER Fasanya-Osilaja a lawyer and mortgage expert has owned and operated Marvel Ventures Mortgage, Inc. (www.marvelmortgage.com), a Chicagobased Mortgage Brokerage Company since 2000 and has worked in the US Mortgage industry since 1996. She also consults and facilitates industryrequired activities, from set up of mortgage organisations to documentation, training and compliance.

takeholders in the paint industry have raised concern over harmful effect of lead iin paints, urging the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, to O check the ugly trend. c Collaborating with the agency to t stem the tide, the stakeholders ssaid they have planned effective measures to check the incident. m Lead in paints, according to experts, remains a life-threatening p issue, especially to children as well i as the young at heart. a At a joint stakeholders meeting in i Lagos, the Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu said, S tthe organisation was out to ensure tthat paint manufacturing in the country, is done in line with global c best practices, stressing that SON b has the mandate to ensure quality h and safety end-users products. a National Mirror learnt that the Technical Committee meeting was T convened by the agency to finalise c the appropriate standard regulat tion on paints with a view to tackt ling the naughty issue of heavy l lead in locally-made paints. l Odumodu, who was represented e by the Director of Standards, SON, Mr Abiola Komolafe said, S “We have resolved that the appro“ priate benchmark is 90ppm (part p

per million) and this is acceptable all over the world.” ‘‘For consumers, if the content of lead is high, it is very hazardous and can create a lot of health problems, particularly to children. All over the world, the focus is for the content to be brought down to the barest minimum, so that it will be safe for consumers,” he said.

SON boss explained that the agency’s processes of establishing and reviewing products standards, which when set are presented to the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, which is the supervisory ministry for approval, saying once it is approved, the stakeholders would decide on the implementation.

“Paint Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, PMAN, is here and I am sure once everything is put in place, they will know what to do. The public will benefit more through the implementation of our decision’’, he stated.

According to an official of the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, Mrs. Mbah Adaora “Our major concern is the lead content in paint because of the effect it has on human beings, particularly in the bright colours, where you have the lead content more and these bright colours are what we use in our schools.

SMEFUNDS gets CBN’s N50m facility for clean energy OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

A

social enterprise company, SMEFUNDS has secured a N50 million facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for expansion of its Cellulosic Bio Ethanol Gel for clean cook stoves as well as Pay-As-You-Go Smart Mini-Grid Electricity Projects.

According to a statement from the company in Abuja, the facility was disbursed through Eco bank for delivery of clean, safe and affordable energy for more than 1 million low income small businesses as well as households across the country.

SMEFUNDS is a social enterprise firm that provides access to energy through social investment and promotion of sustainable enterprise development, using social marketing and ethical finance in Africa.

The Head, Relationship Management of MSMED Fund, Development Finance Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tobin while disclosing this to the company, said, “The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele has a target that by the end of 2015, half of the fund,

which is for the purpose of growing Nigerian economy through small businesses would be given to qualifying companies.

“We are looking at the productive sectors of the economy, the manufacturing, renewable energy, entire agricultural value chain, services; these are areas of emphasis, where we want to generate employment and production within the economy so that SMEs will begin to produce goods for export and then we begin to earn foreign exchange,” he stated.

Already, SMEFUNDS, through its new Spin off Companies; Green Energy & Biofuels and Gosolar Africa Limited has reached more than 500,000 Base of the Pyramid (BoP) customers in the last three years with its Biofuel Gel that has displaced over 4 million litters of Kerosene, Firewood and other expensive cooking and lighting alternatives.

Responding, the Chief Executive Officer of SMEFUNDS, Mr. Femi Oye said the fund would in addition to helping to ease a lot of diseases associated with cooking with firewood; would also facilitate better standards of millions of Nigerians.

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Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Colour s your Livi

A color scheme can set the tone for y with these color combinations and liv

FRIENDLY COUNTRYSIDE Citron Green + Wheat Beige + Driftwood

Brown

Almost any time green leans more yellow than blue, it has more zin g. The pastel citron green on this living room’s walls and fabrics is countered by rustic bro wns, a light hue on the sofa, and the textural browns of the coffee table and rug to give the space a comfortable yet peppy vibe. Sleeker fur niture and doses of gray would have taken the citron from casual to chic.

Source: www.bhg.com

FG to sanction owners of fume-emitting vehicles and a lot are coming from the type of fumes coming out from auto ADO EKITI vehicles, bikes and stationary maederal Government has chines. read riot act to owners of “And that is why I said the cost cars that emit hazardous is very minimal, some generators fume, vowing to henceforth sanc- generate a lot of fumes and we are tion any erring drivers. also working on that in no time we This is even as the National are going to take action. We have Environmental Standards and had cases, where a whole family Regulations Enforcement Agen- will sleep and the next thing is evcy,, NESREA,,said that plans had erybody is gone; they are all dead reached an advanced stage to com- because of the type of fumes commence the establishment of emis- ing out from the generator. When sion testing centres at the nation’s there is a little fine to that, the capital before the end of August. menace will be curtailed.”

NESREA DG, Dr. Lawrence Anukam said, “When the genAnukam, who disclosed this in erator emits what is called carbon Abuja during a media interaction, monoxide, the Oxy-haemoglobin YRZHG W KH DJHQF\ ZRXOG GHDO in human system that makes our decisively with any individual or blood have a very strong affinity company caught for defacing the for oxygen will be blocked thereby environment with fumes. making breathing difficult which He said, “Every vehicle operat- result to death. ing on Nigeria road must have an “This is what we want to disengine that is not emitting fume. courage about the big and small The owner of the vehicle/genera- generators. With time, there will tor must make sure that his en- be a formal regulation where you gine is sound and in a good work- must make sure that your generaing condition. Like I said, a lot of tor is working effectively, where environmental health problem is you service your generator reguassociated with the air we breathe larly to guard against such prob-

ABIODUN NEJO

F

lem.”

Meanwhile, NESREA and the Federal Road Safety Commission have resolved to form strong partnership in bringing the emission levels in Nigeria under control.

This agreement was reached on Friday, July 31st, 2015 when the Director-General/CEO of NESREA, Dr Lawrence Anukam paid a working visit to the Corps Marshall General of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi in his office in Abuja.

While briefing the Corps Marshall, he also alerted the nation on the need to pay more attention to the emission levels in the country revealing that developed countries are no longer taking chances with the issue, warning that high levels of emission could be more dangerous than HIV, if not contained.

He therefore informed the Corps Marshall that his agency was prepared to do a pilot test, having procured necessary equipment needed for a nationwide operation, as the test run project would be restricted to the Federal Capital Territory.

Throwing more light on the Vehicle Emission Testing Centres, Anukam disclosed that each of the centres would be equipped with Bar Code System that would standardize the process.

Responding, the Corps Marshall affirmed that his Commission was ready for the cooperation adding that the time was ripe for such partnership to commence.

Hailing the Vehicular Emission Control Programme, Booze Oyeyemi hinted that a lot of advocacy was necessary for Nigerians to know the minimum acceptable levels of Emission and what the law prescribes.

Completed Mokola flyover in Oyo state

Global efforts gear towards fo

G

lobal efforts have been made to support livelihoods through forest preservation.

Strategies have been designed to engage a wide range of actors in agriculture, energy, transport, land, mining, and forestry to directly impact the decisions that compromise forests.

Emission reductions programmes in America and across the world, are scaling up REDD+activities from project to landscape level in ways, which would inform future programmes and national REDD+ strategies.

Reforesting and making the landscape green areas are the focus of REDD+ activities in the

co

th fl tr se a le o co

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

schemes for ing room

Real Estate & Environment

29

your living room. Find a fresh look for your space ving room paint ideas.

METALLIC NEUTRALS Nickel Gray + Gold Yellow

COTTAGE CHIC Ocean Blue + Cottage

Use neutrals inspired by metallics to create a chic look that’s not overpowering. In this living room, nickel gray walls envelop the space, and golden yellow patterns the window treatments. Bringing the colors of your walls and window treatments into the rest of the space is a smart step in good decor. Here, the gray pops up on the upholstery, and the golden color appears in variations on the rug and the side table between the chairs.

White + Lacq Use color fo uer Black r purposes other than living room visual inte , ocean blu rest. In this e paint alon up the room g th e top of the ’s architectu wall plays re, such as work, and the beamed fireplace w ceiling, trim all. Accesso room carry ries through the color. W out the livin hile the wh intended fo g it e ca rries the co r the space, ttage vibe the unexpec accents on ted comes by a singular way of blac throw pillo Adding a h k w and two int of somet framed pri hing a little nts. its own per d if fe sonal look. rent will gi ve a space

ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

D

efaulting landlords of Ekiti state government-owned Irewolede housing estate can heave a sigh of great relief as government has extended deadline for the payment of the housing scheme.

The deadline is now November 2015.

The extension came following the intervention of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, other traditional rulers as well as some prominent Ekiti indigenes.

Although all the mediators condemned the lackadaisical attitude of defaulting landlords, however, they pleaded with the governor to give them more time to pay up.

With the intervention, the state

orest preservation

ountry.

For countries like El Salvador hat are hit hard by mudslides, loods, droughts, hurricanes, exreme temperatures, and rising ea levels, meaningful rewards re possible through communityevel REDD+ activities that not nly capture carbon, but also help ommunities cope with natural

events and restore the degraded landscape.

By rotating crops and terracing and contouring the land, erosion is slowed, soil retains more water and captures more carbon.

Planting trees in farm land stabilizes the soil and helps regulate rivers and protect against floods.

Using biological fertilizers reduc-

es contamination of rivers and mangroves and reduces carbon in the atmosphere.

Not only do these activities in El Salvador’s REDD+ program help mitigate the effects of climate change, but also help support the national commitment to food security and sustainable livelihoods.

Ekiti extends paymen deadline for mortgage government agreed to extend the deadline, but warned against further default, saying government would resume action against defaulters by December 1, 2015.

The houses were sold to allotees on mortgage basis during the administration of Governors Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi.

It would be recalled that the state government had on August 6 sealed off the premises of some defaulting landlords as well as the gate of the estate, giving access to only those that had paid up.

The state government, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, said out of 254 allocated houses in the estate, only 37 allottees had paid fully, adding that 217 allottees were yet to complete payment.

“The total amount being owed by the allottees as at the time present administration assumed office was N904.6 million.

“Total amount recovered since the present governor assumed office was N82 million. Some of the

allottees have sold or rented out houses allocated to them.

“The allottees cut across political parties, as there are notable leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) among them. It is therefore not political. Over N800million is being owed by the allottees as at today”, Adelusi stated.

Following the action of government against the defaulters, the CPS said at the weekend that the allottees had paid N13 million to government coffers.

Meanwhile residents of the Estate are appealing to state government to allow them more time to be able to pay their indebtedness to save them from being forcibly ejected.

The Chairman of the Irewolede Estate Landlords’ Association, Mr Ayo Orebe, had last week appealed to the governor to grant the landlords more time to be able to respond to payment, saying the forced eviction could aggravate the poor economic situations of his members.

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Global property sector rises by 12.2%

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lobal property sector rose by 12.2 percent from last year to the end of this month, doubling the performance of equities which stand at 6 percent growth.

This came as a surprise as the expectation was that equities would be leading the boards, says Kundayi Munzara, director and fund manager at Sesfikile Capital, who described the property sector as “steamy” at the

moment.

Although fairing quite well, the property sector has not had a landslide of good times, Redefine Properties decided to narrow its focus to prime metropolitan areas such as Sandton, Pretoria and Cape Town.

“Because operating out in the rural areas is extremely difficult, and the municipalities are impossible to work with,” said Byron Lotter, portfolio manager

from Vestact.

Munzara said Sesfikile Capital has consistently been favouring the retail sector over the last couple of years. “We thought it was much more defensive and the consumer was doing well, but we are starting to get a situation where we might have an oversupply of shopping centres and we think that turnovers will start to be lower.”

With prime property going

up in Sandton where one big tenant moves out and their current space is left vacant, Munzara calls this process “musical chairs”.

“There are certain fringe locations where it will be winners and losers. We think areas like Woodmead and Rivonia will be the worst affected,” said Munzara.

South Africa’s interest rate hiking cycle is bound to affect

the property sector in two ways, according to Munzara. Firstly, in the short term the listed property prices.

“The current bond yields broadly at about 8% and the listed property sector give you 6.6% as a yield. The interest rate hiking cycle will expect the bond yields to start rising. The immediate impact is that we will have a correction, on our side we are expecting 7 to 12% correction.”

Portuguese residential property market rebounds

T

Dubai property

Index shows US home prices up by 6.5%

H

ome prices across the United States, including distressed sales, increased by 6.5 percent in June 2015, compared with the same month in 2014, according to the latest index.

It is the 40th month in a row of year on year price increases and values were also up month on month with growth of 1.7 percent in June compared to May, the CoreLogic home price index also shows.

Excluding distressed sales, home prices increased by 6.4 percent in June 2015 compared with June 2014 and increased by 1.4% month on month with only Massachusetts (-1.5 percent) and Louisiana with an annual price fall of 1.5% and 0.1 percent respectively.

Including distressed sales, that are short sales and real estate owned sales, REO, some 35 states were at or within 10 percent of

their peak prices in June 2015 and 15 reached new price peaks.

The firm’s latest house price forecast indicates that home prices, including distressed sales, are projected to increase by 0.6 percent month on month from June 2015 to July 2015 and by 4.5 percent on a year on year basis from June 2015 to June 2016.

Excluding distressed sales, home prices are projected to increase by 0.5% month on month from June 2015 to July 2015 and by 4.2 percent year on year from June 2015 to June 2016.

The index report also shows across the country there was 4.8 months supply but the measure varied greatly across cities. In San Jose and Denver, there was only 1.6 months’ supply of homes on the market, whereas Philadelphia had seven months’ supply and Providence had a 6.6 months’

supply.

Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic, explained that the stronger appreciation was registered in cities with limited inventory and strong homebuyer activity, such as San Jose and Denver.

According to Anand Nallathambi, president and chief executive officer of CoreLogic pent-up buying demand and affordability, together with higher consumer confidence buoyed by a more robust labour market, are a potent mix fuelling the 6.5% jump in home prices with more increases likely to come.

Including distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation were Colorado with growth of 9.8%, Washington up 8.9%, New York up 8.3 percent, South Carolina up 8 percent and Nevada also up 8 percent.

he residential real estate market in Portugal is seeing an ongoing steady recovery in prices, supported by rising demand and increasingly strong growth in sales activity, according to the latest index.

While the lettings market has seen rents stable for a fourth month in succession following years of persistent decline, the index survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Confidential Imobiliário shows.

The data also shows that new buyer interest continued to rise at a firm pace across all regional markets, with growth particularly pronounced in Porto during June. But the market is still open to the weakness of the euro zone, particularly Greece.

At the same time, newly agreed sales increased at the sharpest monthly pace since the survey was launched back in 2010, and have now risen continuously for around a year and a half.

Going forward, sales expectations are pointing to further robust growth in the near term, even if the net balance eased slightly from the record high set in May. Given the sustained improvement in both enquiries and sales, prices continued to recover for a sixth month in succession, the index report explains.

It also points out that the pace of house price growth accelerated a notch, driven primarily by

the strong gains posted in Lisbon and looking ahead, near term price expectations continue to point to a stronger pick-up on the horizon.

Over the next 12 months, respondents are now anticipating prices will rise by 2.7% at the national level. Again, the strongest recovery is anticipated to come in Lisbon and the Algarve at around 3%, while projections are for 2% growth in Porto.

The national confidence indicator, an amalgamation of near term price and sales expectations, now stands at +36 equalling the third highest reading on record, despite easing compared to May’s exceptionally strong result.

In the lettings market, solid growth in demand continues to be met with a decline in the number of new listings by landlords.

As a result, rents remained more or less unchanged for a fourth consecutive month, while expectations suggest a further period of stability lies ahead.

‘It is important to see the Portuguese market’s resilience in the face of the uncertainty caused by the Greek crisis,’ said Ricardo Guimarães, Director of Ci. ‘Risks were highlighted by the agents but, nevertheless, activity indicators remained clearly positive, regarding both sales and prices. This was a critical test for the market, reinforcing its potential,’ he added.

UK court ruling on affordable houses may hinder developers

T

he UK courts have delivered a blow to small residential developers, potentially making schemes of up to 10 homes economically unviable, according to legal experts.

The decision, which concerns the exemption small residential developers have previously had from contributions towards affordable housing, will particularly affect urban

residential development and small rural sites, according to law firm Coffin Mew. The exemption was introduced by the government to encourage residential developers to bring forward smaller housing schemes and to redevelop compact urban and rural spaces to help meet the chronic housing shortage.

However, two local authori-

ties, Reading and West Berkshire, have successfully challenged this exemption, arguing that it would have a negative effect on affordable housing numbers.

‘This decision is a major blow for smaller residential developers looking to bring forward schemes in urban environments,’ said Nick Leavey, partner and head of commer-

cial property at law firm Coffin Mew. ‘The economic viability of small schemes is often on a knife edge, and this decision is likely to pull the rug from underneath those difficult to develop sites.

It is also likely to have a negative effect on land values for future deals, exacerbating the housing crisis in the South East further. Nobody wins from this

decision,’ he added.

Meanwhile, real estate industry in the UK has seen an 11% growth in jobs due to the recovery in the property market. Jobsite Indeed research found that opportunities for trainee estate agents, quantity surveyors and property managers are among the top five. London, Manchester and Birmingham top the list for vacancies.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Aviation

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Stakeholders express concern over TRACON’s efficiency, seek project re-appraisal The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, NATCA, recently alleged that the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, TRACON, project of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, is believed not to functioning optimally even as those who know about allege that it also lacks back-up facilities. These developments are raising stakeholders’ concern, with some urging the Federal Government to re-appraise the project. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.

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he Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, TRACON, project is one of the projects executed by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, that has continued to generate controversies among stakeholders, particularly in recent months, since its implementation was made public in 2003.

The project, which was awarded to Thales S.A. of France as the leading contractor with the contract sum of 66,500,870 euro, had the scope of work to include, provision of modern air traffic management systems with the initial project duration put at 36 months and the coverage areas in nine sites in Nigeria out of which four sites in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt would provide Approach and Area Radar services and the remaining five sites in Maiduguri, Ilorin, Numan, TalataMafara and Obubra would serve as en-route stations.

TRACON had several deliverables, which included but not limited to, provision of colocated Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) and Monopoles Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR), EUROCAT C Air Traffic Management System, Voice Communication and Control Switch (VCCS), Emergency VHF, Voice Recording System, Fiber Optics, VSAT network and other ancillaries like back-ups, Uninterruptible Power Supply, UPS, among others.

On several occasions, a combined team of the anti-graft agencies and the security agencies in the country had investigated the management of NAMA on the contract’s award and execution, especially on the components for the continued maintenance of the equipment supplied and installed. In most times, the reports on such investigations always give the management a clean bill.

But then, when many thought the allegations and issues concerning the functions of the TRACON had been laid to rest, the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, NATCA, revived the speculation in a statement recently, where it alleged that the facilities lacked back-ups contrary to management’s claims.

In the statement jointly signed by its President and General Secretary, Mr. Victor Eyaru and Mr. Banji Olawode respectively, the association insisted that in time of any failures or major maintenance work, it would leave Air Traffic Controllers, ATC, to revert to the less efficient procedural (non-radar) system of control which, they declared, increases traffic delay and losses to airline operators.

NATCA revealed further that other components of the radar equipment, which were meant to enhance levels of air safety such as Mode Select Beacon System, Mode S, and Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network, AFTN, as agreed in the contract had not

Radar facility at Lagos Airport

Government should not also lose siGht of replacinG the present radar equipment with more modern ones before attaininG its expiration been activated five years after the project was commissioned in Abuja, despite the claims of the management that every components had been installed.

The statement partly reads: “The association and its members will be grateful if redundancies could be procured for the radar equipment by the Federal Government as it is the global best practice. Efforts should also be geared towards activating other important components of the Radar equipment and timely completion of the ongoing Aeronautical Information Service, AIS, automation and Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication, CPDLC, projects.

“Government should not also lose sight of replacing the present radar equipment with more modern ones before attaining its expiration”, it added.

Besides, an ATC source told our correspondent that NAMA as an agency didn’t have the financial wherewithal to fund most of the projects in the sector, but unfortunately, the management could not confront the government on some of the critical projects needed to boost safety in the system.

He maintained that the government would still come to the aid of the agency in the acquisition of some of the projects, adding that the association was not fighting NAMA’s management. He warned that there was no parking space in the air in case of any emergency.

Another source alleged that TRACON may not be effective after all and insisted that what was installed was terminal radar.

He purported that TRACON was only

coined for the project, but its technical name in the sector was terminal radar control.

He further alleged that the radar in Lagos had a limitation, stressing that no one could use radar without communication.

An aviation analyst and former pilot in the defunct Nigeria Airways, Capt. Samuel Odewunmi in an interview with our correspondent on the issue described radar as a very necessary equipment for safety of the airspace.

Odewunmi explained that radar could also be used for civil aviation, aviation students training and the military, stressing that if it could be proven that the facilities lacked backups, the government should as a matter of urgency provide funds for its procurement.

He added, “Radar is very necessary for any country. It’s not only for civil aviation alone.

It’s for both security and analysis and detection of security threat. If you have full radar coverage, your borders are protected from any unwanted elements.

“Also, we need radar coverage for student pilots whenever they are don training. Any student pilot in the cause of his studies can encounter any difficulty and the radar is needed to guide him back.

“NATCA that claimed that there are no back-ups facilities for the radar are right, but this is so because we constantly have outages in the country. The only way we can curb this is to have reusable energy like sun, solar and wind turbine to power our energies. Our electricity is erratic in Nigeria and these electricity gadgets are very erratic. We need steady

power in the country to make the radar useful.”

Besides, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Centre for Aviation Safety and Research, CAS-R, Engr. Engr. Sheri Kyari, described the allegation of NATCA as grave that required urgent attention.

Kyari noted that the entire aviation industry was noted for stand-by systems, which he said made migration easier in case of emergency to any of the equipment.

He insisted that as critical safety equipment, TRACON ought to have double backups, which would make it more effective and reliable and charged the management of NAMA to remedy the situation in order not to expose air travellers to danger.

He insisted that with the installation of TRACON equipment in 2010, airlines in the country had been able to save fuel consumption as it made navigation easier and less strenuous for airline operators.

He said, “People are exposed to grave dangers if the main systems malfunction. It shows airplanes in the air are on their own because Air Traffic Controllers, ATCs, might not be able to use their radar effectively to see, monitor them and separate them from others.

As the airspace is getting busier, we should be on top of our games to ensure safety is sustained.

“TRACON has done a lot for airlines. It has shortened their routing to different destinations thereby saving them fuel and time and improve their efficiencies. Ordinarily, navigating with ground based navigation facilities means that you have to ‘pass through this and report over that’ before you move to the next stage, but now, they fly straight routes, which has saved a lot of cost.

“In aviation, a minute burn of fuel, if you save that at the end of the year, it saves them a huge amount of money. It’s a good marketing tool for the airline, give better separation and enhance safety in our airspace.”

Capt. Odewunmi

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Aviation

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

NATCA President advises FG on Abuja Airport’s second runway StorieS: oluSegun KoiKi

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he President of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, NATCA, Mr. Victor Eyaru, has commended the Federal Government for its proposal to construct a second runway for the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, NAA, Abuja.

But, the association is advising the government to avoid a convergent runway for the airport and called for the construction of a parallel one, which he said would make the airport more efficient.

Eyaru noted that if the runway was convergent, it would not serve any purpose as both runways could not be used.

He explained that a parallel runway would increase the capacity of airport and reduce all the delays presently experienced at the airport.

He said, “I want to laud the initiative of the Federal Government to construct a second runway at Abuja Airport. As much as the idea is noble, it will be more beneficial if the new runway is constructed to be parallel to the existing one to actually increase the capacity of the airport.

“Converging runways in most cases are considered as having only one runway since both cannot be

S

Airside shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

Airlines CEOs’ apathy to industry conferences

T Medview Airline Aircraft Boeing 767-300, on touching down at Lagos Airport recently

used simultaneously like in the case of parallel runways.”

Eyaru further called for the thorough rehabilitation of most of the country airports’ runways and associated facilities that were in bad shapes to reduce possibility of aircraft accidents.

He maintained that recent remodelling of some terminal buildings across the nation required reassessment to get the repair works properly completed to achieve its purpose.

He added that about 300 Air Traffic Controllers, ATCs, under the employment of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, were barely 50 per cent of the total number required to optimally man the nation’s airspace.

He decried that these few ones had been witnessing dearth of statutory trainings in the past three years due

to paucity of fund as well as the embargo placed on foreign trainings by Federal Government, stressing that many of these very important trainings were not presently available at Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria or anywhere in the country.

He added, “The number of ATCs at NCAT is grossly inadequate while the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA cannot be said to have enough controllers. To sustain and improve on the level of air safety within the airspace, I want to appeal to the government to assist in facilitating trainings in areas like Radar Control, Performance Based Navigation, Aeronautic Search and Rescue, Procedure & Airspace Design, Safety Management Systems and many others that are either aborted midway or have gone moribund for years.

South African Airways to commences U.S route from Ghana

outh African Airways, SAA, has commenced flight operations from Accra, Ghana to Washington D.C. in the United States of America, USA. The new route begun earlier in the month from the Kotoka International Airport, Accra at 22:45 to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. Media statement by the airline’s consultant in Nigeria stated that onboard the inaugural flight were the Ghanaian Minister of Transportation, Honourable Dzifa Aku Attivo, as well as a contingent of high profile Ghanaian government officials; other guests, executives and media.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The statement stated that on arrival in U.S, the flight was welcomed by a celebratory water spray as it taxied into the Washington D.C. Dulles International Airport.

SAA said that adding flights between Accra and Washington to its route network was a significant achievement for the airline and a bold move, which strengthens SAA’s position in West Africa.

With Accra – Washington added to its extensive African route network serving 24 countries on the continent, SAA now offers customers the option of a second West African country linking air travel to North America.

“Introducing more travel options on the African continent is a major development and achievement for the airline as part of our Long-Term Turnaround Strategy, which sets growth on the African continent as one of our key objectives.

“Besides celebrating the inaugural flight between Accra and Washington, SAA has also concluded a Commercial Cooperation Agreement with AWA, which is off a longterm strategic nature, offering customers more travel options within the West African region.

ganised a thought provoking a one-day forum for all stakeholders and professionals in the sector to air their views on recent developments in the industry at large, but sadly, none of the CEOs and decision makers in the sector was present at the forum.

Airside observed that this has become a norm in the system. Most of the operators don’t attend industry conferences where their views would be heard and taken to the appropriate government quarters, yet, they complain of lack of government attention to their plights.

Airside urges the CEOs including that of the agencies, airlines and other operators to change their mentality and make such conferences a sine qua non.

Just before new national carrier spread its wings

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resident Muhammadu Buhari last week ordered the Ministry of Aviation to immediately come up with modalities on the reestablishment of a national carrier for the country.

Since the liquidation of the former national carrier, Nigeria Airways in 2003 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, efforts had been made severally to revive a new national airline for Nigeria, but all attempts failed due to several reasons.

Airside is glad that Buhari has given the matching order to the Ministry to come up with modalities for a new national carrier, but it must be noted that the proposed national carrier should not follow the model of the for-

mer one where Federal Government owned 100 per cent shares in the airline.

Airside advises that such carrier must not be wholly owned by the Federal Government, but the government should rather provide a platform for it to excel. The formation of a national carrier for Nigeria would definitely reduce the number of capital flights, ensures the expansion of Nigeria to several cities around the world and creates more employment opportunities for qualified professionals in the sector.

Airside insists that with such carriers, the passengers’ capacity of foreign carriers in Nigeria would reduce by almost half. Airside wishes the new government well in this new adventure.

FAAN wins Shasha village land encroachment case

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L-R: Head of Flight Operations, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, GCAA, Capt. Samuel Asare; Accountable Manager, Dana Air, Mr. Obi Mbanuzuo and Aviation Safety Inspector, GCAA, Mrs. Dorothy Tackie, during the validation of Foreign AOC inspection of Dana Air by the GCAA in preparation for the commencement of Dana’s regional flight operations to Accra, Ghana.

he global aviation industry is dynamic and new developments and regulations come into stream regularly.

The only means where stakeholders, professionals and other analysts in the sector can be informed and increase their knowledge of happenings in the sector is through conferences, symposiums and seminars.

But, unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the country’s aviation industry where the Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, of either agencies, airlines or other participants and senior management staff hardly attend such events in the country.

Just recently, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, or-

he Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has ruled that the acquisition of expanse of land by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, at the Shasha Village area of Lagos was in order.

The General Manager, Corporate Affair, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati in a statement hinted that the suit was instituted by Mr. Jacob Oyerinde Ajibola and 24 others against the agency.

Yakubu said that Justice Abimbola Osarugue Obaseki-Adejumo in his ruling in March said declaration that the acquisition of the land by the Federal Government was legal

and that the respondents had no locus standi to institute the action.

He added that the court also held that the first respondent was not diligent in his search before concluding the sale for the land, stressing that the respondents also failed to join the Federal Government, which actually acquired, gazetted the acquisition and transferred the land to the Minister responsible for Civil Aviation, who subsequently in 1976, pursuant to section 1(2) of the Nigerian Airport Authority Decree No. 45 of 1976 transferred the said land to the appellants.

The statement added, “The court

also ruled that there was no dispute between the Nigerian Airports Authority (as FAAN was then known), which inherited the land in 1975 and claimants to the land in 1977. Locus standi is the right of a party to an action to be heard in litigation before a court of law or tribunal.

“The authority hereby advises all speculators and illegal occupants of the said land and other landed properties belonging to FAAN to desist from such illegal occupation forthwith and vacate such land as failure to do so would compel the authority to apply appropriate legal actions to eject them.”

Insurance

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Insurers must embrace Information Technology for growth – Chams boss

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he Managing Director of Chams Access Plc, Benjamin Demola Aladekomo, has called on operators of insurance companies in the country to adopt the use of Information Technology (IT) to pave the way for the promotion of their products and services in the Nigerian insurance market.

He said this in a paper titled “Information Technology as a Strategy for Market Penetration and Expansion,” in Abuja delivered on his behalf by Funke Alomo-Oluwa at the just concluded Insurance Industry 2015 Mega Conference in Abuja.

“There is a need for insurance companies and her professional bodies to leverage this platform by partnering with relevant companies and agencies in the technology sector to create and provide specialised services which would help update their internal and external operations.”

In the paper, he listed eight ways by which insurance companies can begin to engage their customers in a number of ways.

They include, developing user friendly and user focused mobile apps, engaging customers on social media, developing and deploying user friend-

ly and interactive website, deployment of self service interactive channels across touch points- POS, ATM, Kiosk and Web, deployment of self service interactive channels across touch points- POS, ATM, Kiosk and Web as well as “productising” insurance policies and sell them on retail websites.

Aladekomo also listed as ways of reaching out to insurance consumers through the use of IT as the development of a vibrant digital marketing strategy and collaborating with technology platform providers to create specialised services.

He said: “For insurance companies to completely harness the potentials of the market, there is a need to access the databases of its clients or prospects to confirm authenticity of clients thereby ensuring that claims, payments are made without fraud” “To achieve robust identity management platform seamlessly, Chams built a platform called Confirmme.

Confirmme (an identity management channel) is a platform offering verifications services by con-

Aladekomo

necting to various Databases (data sources) via a single channel.”

The Chams boss pointed out that the nation’s insurance market was “yet to be tapped” with huge opportunities and against this backdrop informed insurance operators that technology can be deployed to harness the full market potential.

He further said that the insurance industry needed to partner and leverage shared infrastructure, adding and that the “insurance must be seen, felt and sold like commodity that it is”.

Gallagher plans to buy controlling stake in Guianza

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rthur J. Gallagher — the international division of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. – has signed an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Colombian retail insurance broker Guianza S.A. Corredores de Seguros (Guianza), subject to regulatory approval. The remaining shares will be owned by Gallagher’s local partners.

Established in 1992 and based in Bogotá, Guianza is an independent, family-owned retail insurance broker offering both commercial and personal lines, specializing in property and vehicle insurance with significant personal accident and life & health accounts.

By creating a retail broking operation in Colombia, this latest Latin American transaction will enable Gallagher to offer customers across the country a full suite of insurance solutions, following its completion last month of the deal with energy and construction specialist ARM Re.

The new retail operation will be led by Chief Executive Adolfo Urdaneta, who joined Guianza in July 2015. Urdaneta was formerly chief commercial officer at Aon Colombia. Once the necessary regulatory approvals are in place and the transaction completes, Guianza will trade under the Arthur J. Gallagher brand.

Vyvienne Wade, international commercial director at Arthur J. Gallagher, said: “Our signing of this deal represents another important step in delivering on our strategic ambition in Latin America, where we continue to invest in creating a strong retail presence with on-theground expertise to complement our wholesale specialty expertise.

“Guianza has a great reputation, strong leadership and fantastic client and market relationships, making it the obvious choice to partner with,”

Wade continued.

“It will prove an excellent commercial fit with our reinsurance operation whose construction and energy strengths are, in turn, symbiotic with our London-based Specialty operation — meaning we are ideally placed to support the Colombian economy and its own extensive program of infrastructure investment and development,” she said.

Carlos Rodriguez Angulo, CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher Colombia, commented: “With the strength of the Gallagher global brand behind Guianza, we will be looking to invest in Colombia’s top insurance talent to drive an ambitious program of organic growth. Adolfo [Urdaneta] with his in-depth local knowledge, retail expertise and client focus will be the first of many key hires as we seek to develop our Colombian retail proposition.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

33

Useful tips on buying insurance

C

ompare Quotations - Before you commit yourself to an insurance policy, obtain several quotations from different insurance companies for comparison then choose the policy that suits you the best.

When selecting an insurance company, you should look for one that provides good security, reputation for claims service, reasonable prices and prompt documentation. You may seek advice from INSCAN. • Insurance Agents - You can also obtain the assistance of insurance agents. When selecting an agent, you should look for one that provides prompt, efficient and helpful service.

However, to ensure that you are protected from unscrupulous agents, make sure that you deal only with NAICOM registered Brokers and Agents.

• Insurance Broker - You can also obtain advice on insurance cover through an insurance broker. Insurance Brokers are full time professionals who advise their clients on the most appropriate scope of insurance covers, the insurance companies that offer the most advantageous insurance protection and at the price that suits their individual client’s needs.

To ensure that you are protected from unscrupulous brokers, make sure that you deal only with NAICOM licenced brokers.

• Read the Fine Print - After making a decision to purchase a particular policy, read the policy when you receive it. If any item in the document is not in order, you are advised to query this and request that the necessary amendments be made. The policy that is purchased is the evidence of the contract and would be required in the

event of a claim or litigation. Hence, it is preferable to keep this document which is the evidence of the insurance contract in a secure place.

As a policyholder, you should always ensure that the policy coverage period is monitored as the insurance companies usually insert the condition that they are not obliged to send reminders of expiry or renewal dates of Insurance contracts. However, most agents, brokers and underwriters have put in place a system of sending our reminders on policy renewals.

• Pay Premium on Time - Nigerian Insurance companies have a No Premium No Cover Condition which means that if you have not paid your premium, your insurance cover is invalid. To avoid lapsing or non-renewal of an insurance policy, insurance premiums should be paid on time.

It is advisable to make payment via crossed cheque with an endorsement stating the purpose of the payment and, if possible, the policy number.

Most life policies provide 30 days of grace while Insurance brokers have 30 days credit facility. Insurance Agents do not enjoy any form of credit facility.

• Keep All Documentation in a Safe Place - It is advisable to ask for a receipt stating the amount and purpose of the payment whenever a payment is made. Keep all receipts, policy documents and other documents received from the Insurance Company in a safe, waterproof/fireproof location. Also keep records of all forms filled and all correspondence with the Insurance Company/Broker/Agent.

(Source: insuranceconsumersng. org)

Zurich Insurance’s investors impatient with CEO’s Strategy

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artin Senn, Zurich Insurance Group AG’s chief executive officer, is considering a bid for RSA Insurance Group Plc, one of the U.K.’s biggest insurers, after a cost-cutting program failed to revive returns for shareholders.

Investors including GAM Holding AG are cautious about the possible deal but are growing frustrated with Senn’s strategy, even after he awarded them record annual dividends of 17 Swiss francs ($17.30) a share since becoming CEO in 2010. While the payout, yielding 5.7 percent this year, is the highest in the Swiss Market Index, gains for the shares have lagged behind rivals as the former Credit Suisse banker has been unable to bring profit back to pre-financial crisis levels.

(Source - Insurancejournal.com)

34

Insurance

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NAICOM sanctions IGI, UnityKapital StorieS: i Saac a Sabor

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or failure to comply with regulatory guidelines in the insurance industry, Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc and UnityKapital Assurance plc have been sanctioned by the industry regulator, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

In separate letters signed by Mohammed Kari, then deputy commissioner (technical), but now the Commissioner for Insurance and chief executive officer of NAICOM, the Commission directed IGI to appoint an auditing firm from any of KPMG, PWC and Delloite to look into the financial position of the company and submit its findings to it within two weeks from the date the order was received.

The firm will undertake a thorough review of IGI’s accounting system, conduct capital verification and validate the financial position of the company as of July 31, 2015.

The management is ordered not to exceed N250,000 as an expenditure,

Commissioner for Insurance, Muhammed Kari

engage in new investments or dispose any of its assets without the initial approval of NAICOM. Also to be abide with by the insurance company within the period the sanction would last is the submission of monthly reports on its activities with effect from August 2015.

On the part of UnityKapital, its

IGI MD, Rotimi Fashola

board is barred from holding meetings or taking any further decisions in respect to the affairs of the company throughout the period the sanction would last.

To this end, while the executive management is free to run the affairs of the company, all issues that may re-

quire the approval of the board shall be referred to the Commission for consideration for approval.

Similarly, the management is barred from exceeding an expenditure of N250,000 in a single transaction without initial approval of the Commission, and shall also not incur any capital expenditure within the period the regulatory order would last without the approval of the Commission.

The order also prohibits UnityKapital from divesting any of its existing investments without written approval from NAICOM. All proceeds of divestment that have commenced prior to the order shall be paid into a dedicated account as approved by the Commission.

Both regulatory orders take effect from August 3, 2015; in the first instance for a period of six months in the case of IGI, and 90 days for UnityKapital.

The Regulatory orders may be extended unless the Commission is satisfied that there is no potential risk to policyholders of each of the companies.

Carmudi partners Custodian Allied Insurance on Online car insurance

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n a bid to make insurance, especially vehicle insurance more accessible to current and intending car owners, Custodian and Allied Insurance Limited, an insurance service provider, will be providing vehicle insurance, on the leading car platform, Carmudi.

To access this service customers are required to visit the Carmudi Nigeria website, click on the purpose-built Custodian and Allied Insurance Banner or the Get Insurance Link, fill the form provided. Once this is done, an instant quote is generated and the customer is able to procure his/her valid motor insurance cover on the spot at highly

Chairman Custudian Insurance, Wole Oshin

competitive prices. The classes offered include the Third Party, Third Party Fire & Theft and Comprehensive Motor Insurance covers.

During the official roll-out of this initiative, the Head, Business Planning & Strategy of the insurance company, Oladele Akinsanya remarked that, “Custodian finds in Carmudi an organisation desirous of making the online environment the preferred commerce avenue for every Nigerian; a drive that is con-

sistent with Custodian’s commitment to making insurance readily available to all while exceeding expectations at all times by remaining at the cutting edge of technological deployments, product offerings and service delivery”.

Insurance penetration in Nigeria has continued to fall short in spread and depth. For instance, despite the country’s booming economic growth. Surprisingly, in a country of 166 million people, less than one per cent of the

population carries valid insurance of any type.

Of the 1.3 million Nigerians who do carry insurance, the majority, about 63 percent happens to be car insurance.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria has the highest automobile accidents in Africa, with about 7,741 accidents in 2014. Less than 67 per cent of the vehicles involved had insurance, placing more strain on the vehicle owners.

Liberty closes Nigeria deals worth $80m

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he Chief Financial Officer of Liberty holdings, South Africa’s number four Insurer, Casper Traskie, has disclosed the company’s plans to invest up to $80m on two deals in Nigeria by year-end.

According to an agency report accessed by National Mirror, Troskie was quoted to have said in an interview that “We have been negotiating with some parties in Nigeria to acquire some stakes in their businesses and we’ve made quite good progress in that regard.”

The deal is part of a five-year strategy by the South Africa’s company to further expand into sub-saharan Africa.

With the investment, the toprated company that has already registered its presence in 16 African countries is further deepening its presence as growth

prospect to attract the attention one-off items, for the six-months to of corporate executives and the end of June.”

He concluded that “Liberty’s promise to increase the number of people who can invest in in- mainstay middle-class customers surance to protect their wealth.

Recall that during the last quarter of 2013 that Liberty holdings revealed its plan of shopping for business partner in Nigeria.

According to Troskie, the company is targeting corporate clients in East and west Africa, and plans to spend between 5 and 6 billion rand building bulking up in those markets in the longer term.

Liberty, majority share owned by South African under Standard Bank, reported a six per cent increase to 705 cents in headline earnings per share, a measure which excludes the impact of black economic empowerment scheme and other NICON Insurance House, Abuja

remained resilient in the face of slower economic growth, job losses and higher energy prices such as electricity.”

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Money

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

35

CBN, operators chart course to textile industry’s revitalisation As Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN plans to provide funds for the resuscitation of the textile industry, stakeholder say the revival of this sector would boost the country’s revenue generation, create jobs and impact positively on the macroeconomy. UDO ONYEKA reports

T

he declaration by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele, that the apex bank is planning to provide funds for the revival of the textile industry has been described as desirable for the ailing industry by stakeholders who have been worried over its neglect over the years.

Emefiele disclosed that the CBN was working out modalities to provide funding under the Real Sector Support Facility, RSSF, for the revitalisation of the ailing Cotton Textile and Garment, CTG, industry.

The Governor, who made the disclosure during a meeting with CTG industry stakeholders in Lagos, hinted that the apex bank was considering to partner with the textile sector through holistic solutions for the long term sustainable development of the industry.

He lamented that the industry with over 150 vibrant textile mills operating at close to full production capacities and once created over one million jobs in the economy; had now been plunged into a state of near paralysis and thereby creating opportunities for unbridled importation of textile products from Asia, amongst other countries globally.

He noted that the industry was suffering from huge capital flights as a result of the huge importation of millions of dollars of textile products into the country.

Emefiele explained: “India alone estimate to export textile products worth over $140m into Nigeria, while imports from China, Indonesia and Taiwan are more likely to be even much higher. The challenge for us as stakeholders is how to prevent further dumping of the product into the country with the implementation of the Common External Tariff “ According to stakeholders if the textile industry is well funded and adequately regulated, Nigeria with a population of over 160 million has the potential to produce about 1.2 billion meters of cloth per year at six meters per capital.

Factional President, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, had said that the country was also importing textile goods from the Economic Commission of West African States ,ECOWAS, sub-regional markets for which it is supposed to be a natural textile destination point.

He had argued that since public procurement can stimulate demand for textile materials, the government must take the lead by pushing for local textile materials patronage.

“For instance, all military and paramilitary agencies and government schools could be made to purchase only Nigerian made textile and garments for their uniforms once requisite standards are met. In addition, the private sector, schools in particular, can be encouraged to source their materials locally with each industry push-

Emefiele

Buhari

Over 90 per cent Of nigeria’s huge textile market size is dOminated by smuggled and cOunterfeited gOOds, which kill lOcal

kanO, kaduna, lagOs, gusau, aba and pOrt harcOurt and tOOk away

cOmpanies in

milliOns Of direct and indirect assOciated lOcal jObs ing ‘The Change’ with sales discounts. “In Zaria, we have the Zaria Industries Limited, ZIL, which produces world class tarpaulin”, he said.

Chairman of NUTGTWN, Comrade Oladele Hunsu suggested that textile and garment companies must on their own work out smooth procedure to procure natural gas from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, at the same cost that apply to power generating companies in Nigeria for a stabilisation period of three years.

He said that for there to be a successfully revival of the textile mills the federal government must genuinely tackle the hydraheaded problem of smuggling, counterfeiting and faking.

Industry captains have claimed that one of the reasons many textile mills went under in the late 1980s and 90s even till now is the overwhelming level of smuggling, counterfeiting and faking that local industries could not deal with.

Hunsu noted that a major threat to the realisation of the great potential of Nigeria in textile production was high influx of counterfeit and smuggled goods.

“Over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s huge textile market size is dominated by smuggled and counterfeited goods, which kill local companies in Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Gusau, Aba and Port Harcourt and took away millions of direct and indirect associated local

jobs”, he said.

Speaking on the challenges facing the industry, the Chairman of Textile Industry, Mrs. Grace Adereti, lamented that the industry which created over 18million direct or indirect employment with over 150 vibrant mills in the past could only boost of less than 20 textile companies, still managing to stay afloat.

She said that the industry was in a coma state because 95 per cent of textile products were import as 150 containers of textile materials are smuggled into the country in one night on daily basis, even when the country has the capacity of producing 1.5billion metres of cotton.

According to her, the CTG companies began to feel the impact of the rather unstable political environment, policy somersaults, massive and unfettered smuggling of substandard Asian products into the country, high production costs due to obsolete machineries, low level technologies and poor state of the country’s infrastructure, especially power.

While explaining the need to provide such fund, the CBN boss noted that the relationship between banks and the textile companies was thorny because the former were suddenly left with huge non-performing loans after the bubble burst.

According to him, many banks were stuck with specialised and obsolete equip-

ment that couldn’t be easily disposed of, as this heralded the thorny relationship with both, and this relationship has not been fully repaired.

In its bid to support local content, he noted that though CBN had no mandate to out rightly ban the importation of any product into the country, but recently included textiles as one of the 41 items excluded from foreign exchange sales from the Nigerian FX market.

On the issue of smuggling, Emefiele explained that the apex bank and the textile stakeholders would continue to work with relevant government agencies such as the Nigerian Customs Service and Standard Organisation of Nigeria to combat the menace and ensure that importers pay the right duties for products.

Indeed the Federal Government has said that it would support the revival of the textile industry.

It would be recalled that President Mohammadu Buhari recently directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, FMARD, to set-up committees to address salient problems in fours sectors.

The four committees include, Committee on Resuscitation of Cotton, Textile and Garments Industry in Nigeria, committee on the Operationalisation of Federal Reserve Storage Facilities, committee for Strategic Action Plan for Development of Grazing Reserves and Stock Routes nationwide and the committee for Revitalisation of Agricultural Extension Services in Nigeria.

However, the CTG Committee while submitting its recommendation alongside other committees last Wednesday noted that the revival of the moribund industry would require the injection of N37.2bn in the sector from 2016-2019.

The committee reported that resuscitation of the industry would require exploitation of the N100 billion CTG fund domiciled in the Bank of Industry (BoI).

Chairman of the Committee, Damilola Eniayeju, pointed out that the proposed fund would support as working capital of operational textile mills and resuscitation of about 80 closed mills as well as 23 closed ginneries. The fund would also support all sections of the cotton, textile and garment sector.

The committee also recommended that a deliberate effort should be deployed by both federal and state government to promote local fabrics.

“This would enable the country have sense of belonging like what is being done in the rice sector and make textile sector boom,” he said.

The committee however identified smuggling and dumping of foreign textile materials from Asian countries, lack of electricity supply, poor access to water among others as problems confronting the industry.

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Global Business

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Solid U.S jobs report bolsters case for Fed rate hike

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.S. employment rose at a solid clip in July and wages rebounded after a surprise stall in the prior month, signs of an improving economy that opened the door wider to a Federal Reserve interest rate increase in September.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 215,000 last month as a pickup in construction and manufacturing jobs offset further declines in the mining sector, the Labor Department said on Friday. The unemployment rate held at a sevenyear low of 5.3 per cent.

Payrolls data for May and June were revised to show 14,000 more jobs created than previously reported. In addition, the average workweek increased to 34.6 hours, the most since February, from 34.5 hours in June.

“We view this report as easily clearing the hurdle needed to keep the Fed on track for a September rate hike. The bar for not moving now is much higher,” said Rob Martin, an economist at Barclays in New York.

The Fed last month upgraded its assessment of the labor market, describing it as continuing to “improve, with solid job gains and declining unem-

ployment.”

The U.S. central bank said its policy-setting committee anticipated it would be appropriate to raise lending rates when it has seen “some further improvement” in the jobs market. It has not raised rates since 2006.

U.S. stocks fell after the jobs data as traders saw a greater chance of a rate hike next month. The dollar rose to near a four-month high against a basket of currencies before weakening. Prices for longerdated U.S. Treasuries were up.

Though hiring has slowed from last year’s robust pace - mostly because of job losses in the energy sector - it remains at double the rate needed to keep up with population growth.

Average hourly earnings increased five cents, or 0.2 per cent, last month after being flat in June.

That put them 2.1 per cent above the year-ago level, but well shy of the 3.5 per cent growth rate economists associate with full employment.

Still, the gain supported views that a sharp slowdown in com-

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Oil tanker

whose shares have fallen more than 11 per cent, and liquid natural gas shipper Gaslog Ltd (GLOG.N), which has fallen 31.7 per cent.

Shippers of crude oil and refined oil products have been able to charge their highest daily rates in years because elevated oil production has led to strong shipping volume. Investors see high volume oil shipments keeping the tanker fleet busy as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries focuses on market share over oil prices.

“The next 18 months or so should be pretty good,” said Ian McDonald, an analyst at asset manager T. Rowe Price, which holds shares of Teekay Tankers, (TNK.N), which have risen 42.7 per cent this year.

Even after that runup, Teekay Tanker is relatively cheap with a 5.4 ratio of enterprise value to earnings before interest tax, depreciation and

Lufthansa, cabin crew eye pay accord by November

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ufthansa (LHAG.DE) and the union representing cabin crew say they are confident they will reach an agreement in a protracted dispute over pay and pensions.

Talks have been extended until Nov. 1.

The German carrier has been in lengthy negotiations with various staff groups as it tries to cut costs to compete more effectively with low-cost airlines and Gulf airline rivals.

The cabin crew union, UFO, representing about 19,000 flight attendants, opposes changes to Janet Yellen company pension plans and has pensation growth in the second for more than a year been negotiquarter and consumer spending ating with Lufthansa over a new in June were temporary. The aggregate weekly payrolls index, a proxy for take-home wages, rose 0.6 per cent in July and was up 4.9 per cent from a year ago.

Wage growth has been disappointingly slow. But tightening labor market conditions and decisions by several state and local governments to raise their minimum wage have fueled expectations of a pickup.

Shipping: Oil tankers sheltered from gas, dry bulk weakness aritime stocks have broadly fallen this year as weak demand for some commodities and goods in Asia and oversupply of ships have hurt much of the industry, with one notable exception: Oil tankers have been doing a booming business and their shares are up as much as 50 per cent year to date.

Growth in oil tanker shares can run a bit longer, analysts and investors say, though they see weakness in dry bulk, liquid natural gas and container shipping extending into 2016 or beyond.

The broad maritime market, as represented by the Guggenheim Invest Shipping ETF (SEA.P), has fallen 8.5 per cent so far this year. The Guggenheim ETF includes companies ranging from oil tanker Nordic American Tankers Ltd (NAT.N), which has risen 48.7 per cent, dry bulk carrier Navios Maritime (NM.N),

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amortization compared with a 9.3 average since its late 2007 initial public offering, according to McDonald.

Oil tanker investors are also looking forward to winter. Summer rates typically trend lower because capacity is less constrained when seas are smooth and daylight hours are long, making for more efficient trips than in winter when ships are tied up.

Winter heating oil demand will also boost ship use, according to Douglas Mavrinac, analyst at Jefferies in New York, citing industry expectations for an increase in crude demand.

Not so booming are shipping firms specializing in liquid natural gas, where fleets are about 10 percent bigger than they need to be, given slowing growth in demand from key markets including China, Japan and South Korea, said Paul Wogan, chief executive of LNG transporter GasLog. He sees a ramp-up in Australian shipments and increased exports from new U.S. facilities in 2016 improving the outlook in 2016.

Dry bulk shipping stocks also have suffered this year from slowing demand in China for coal and iron ore.

Shares in International Shipholding Corp (ISH.N) have tumbled 60 per cent this year, mostly due to weak dry bulk shipping rates.

Fewer new ships are coming online to replace many that are being scrapped, so another 18 months should see some rate improvement in the dry bulk area, said Steven Baffico, chief executive of specialty maritime lender Global Marine Transport Capital.

wage contract.

“I’m convinced that we can find constructive solutions,” Lufthansa personnel chief Bettina Volkens said in a statement published on Sunday.

“After a lot of back and forth, we all want and need an end to the impasse,” UFO head Nicoley Baublies said in a letter to staff also released on Sunday.

Strikes are still not to ruled out.

Baublies said extending the talks is not equivalent to a so-called peace period, during which the union is obliged by law to refrain from industrial action.

UFO canceled planned work stoppages in late June after making progress in talks with Lufthansa.

Lufthansa aircraft

Coca-Cola near deal for organic juice company Suja – Sources

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oca-Cola Co (KO.N) is nearing a deal to buy a minority stake in U.S. organic juice company Suja Life LLC, people familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the soft drink giant tries to identify the next big hit with consumers.

Carbonated beverages have suffered from slow growth in recent years as consumer sentiment shifts toward healthier beverages. CocaCola’s investment would value Suja, a start-up that counts Hollywood celebrities as investors, at around $300 million, the sources said.

The deal, which gives Coca-Cola the option to buy the remainder of Suja in three years, would strengthen the Atlanta-based company’s hold on the cold-pressed juice sector and better position it to compete

Annie Lawless

against PepsiCo Inc’s (PEP.N) Naked Juice brands. It would be Coca-Cola’s second investment in the sector, following the purchase of Odwalla in 2001.

The sources asked not to be identified because the investment is not yet public. Representatives for CocaCola and Suja did not respond to requests for comment.

Based in San Diego, Suja makes juices and smoothies under cold pressure to kill harmful bacteria and preserve nutrients and taste. It sells its drinks through SujaJuice. com,Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and at health food stores and national grocery chains.

Suja was founded in 2012 by entrepreneurs Annie Lawless, Eric Ethans, Jeff Church and James Brennan. Its investors include Alliance Consumer Growth Partners and Evolution Media Partners, as well as actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Jared Leto and Sofia Vergara.

Coca-Cola created a venture and emerging brands division in 2007 to find and invest in growth opportunities. It has invested in firms such as Honest Tea and Zico Coconut Water.

Similar venture-capital style deals include Starbucks Corp’s (SBUX.O) $30 million purchase of juice company Evolution Fresh in 2011 and White Wave Food Co’s (WWAV.N) investment in juice brand Daily Greens earlier this year.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

37

Shareholders urge SEC to collaborate on e-dividend portal initiative Johnson okanlawon

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hareholders of quoted companies in the country have urged the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, to collaborate with commercial banks on the planned usage of e-dividend portal to prevent fraud in the capital market.

The Commission introduced the platform to eliminate unclaimed dividends, which currently stands at N80 billion.

The Chairman, Nigeria Professional Shareholders Association, Mr. Godwin Anono, described the initiative as a good development that would help to curb the issue of unclaimed dividends currently estimated at N80 billion.

He advised SEC to work closely with the commercial banks to ensure that the initiative was not used for fraudulent practices with the payment of dividends into savings accounts.

He said banks needed to introduce personal guarantee forms to ascertain the identities of account holders before payment of dividend. ``We are in a society where fraud is the order of the day; SEC and the banks must be ahead of these fraudulent individuals to prevent them from collecting other people’s dividends,’’ he said.

The National President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Boniface Okezie, said that the much-awaited initiative would boost investors’ confidence in the market if well implemented. He urged the SEC to ensure full implementation of e-dividend payment into savings accounts by the banks.

“SEC must see to the full implementation of e-dividend payments into savings accounts otherwise the initiative will run into problems.”, he said.

Okezie advised both the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the SEC to workout modalities to ensure smooth execution of payment of dividends into savings accounts.

He said account holders should be asked to provide at least one referee to check fraud in the system.

A founding member of Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association, Alhaji Gbadebo Olatokunbo, who also lauded the initiative, said the Commission should liaise with the registrars to ensure effective implementation of the policy.

According to him, the e-dividend mandate form format failed because of slow implementation caused by the Registrars.

SEC DG, Gwarzo

NSE DG, Oscar Onyema

We are in a society Where fraud is the order of the day; sec and the banks must be ahead of these fraudulent individuals to prevent them from collecting other people’s dividends

He said that the Registrars still post dividend warrants to shareholders who had completed the e-dividend mandate forms. ``SEC should also discuss solutions with the registrars on how to move any unclaimed dividend automatically to owner’s bank account once e-dividend mandate form is submitted”, he added.

He, however, called on the Commission and the Nigerian Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange Building, Lagos

to carry the shareholders along in proffering solutions to the capital market problems.

He said, ``It is wise to always have the input of the shareholders whose interest they are supposed to protect as he who wears the shoes knows where it pinches.”

The SEC has partnered with the CBN and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, NIBSS, in a bid to find-

ing lasting solution to the problems of unclaimed dividends in Nigeria.

The Director General of SEC, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo said the launch would bring to an end the problem which has eluded the regulatory authorities of the Nigerian capital market as investors’ returns on investment have continued to accumulate year on year without being claimed.

Gwarzo, who disclosed that the value of the unclaimed dividend had hit N80 billion, said the launch of the portal was in consonance with the transition of capital market in terms of zero tolerance on unclaimed dividend.

He pointed out that Nigeria needed to have a market when certification is no longer the issue but dematerialisation of share certificates.

The SEC boss noted that the collaboration between SEC, CBN and NIBSS was timely to shrink the problems arising from dividend payments in the country.

On the achievements of capital market Master Plan, Gwarzo said major milestones so far included, finding lasting solution to nib the problems of unclaimed dividends in the bud which led to the launch of e-dividend portal.

The General Manager/Head of Operations, Central Securities Clearing System, CSCS, Mr. Joe Mekiliuwa said the rising wave of unclaimed dividends which has been a source of concern to operators was gradually easing out.

He disclosed that 17 registrars had so far complied with dematerialization, adding that others will soon comply to the regulator’s directives.

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Features

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Arase’s vision for

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he indifference by Nigerians to the appointment of the police boss stems from the fact that the previous occupiers of the post in the last few years, have not satisfactorily met the expectations of Nigerians, and of course the manner and circumstances with which the former IG Suleiman Abba was sacked.

The Nigerian Police Force has declined abysmally in terms of professionalism and poor disposition towards members of the public. But it is expected that the new police boss will make a difference by sanitising the force as quickly as possible.

In his inaugural speech after the handing over ceremony by his predecessor Suleiman Abba, he stated that he will do whatever is necessary to bring excessive violent crimes in the country to a halt, promising that the upsurge in security challenges will have his full attention noting that a very important area he would concentrate on is bringing back and building public confidence in the police force.

Arase saw the need to restore the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to its pride of place as the primary law enforcement arm of the Nigerian polity. Arase held an urgent meeting with top brass of the force where he reeled out what he called ‘Strategic Policing Plan’.

The plan which he clearly and repeatedly stressed noted that he is out to restore the dominance of the Nigeria Police Force.He also emphatically stressed his disgust for corruption in any form vowing to do everything possible to eliminate corruption and criminality in the Force.

The plan also include stern warning to police officers and members of the public alike who have the affinity to collecting bribe on one hand, and those who give bribe to the police on the other hand.

“Towards this end, a Strategic Police Vision document which encapsulates intelligence-led policing, community partnership, restorative justice, re-assurance policing, and healthy respect for human rights will be developed in due course. Also to be developed are Policing Protocols to address the challenges of high-level crimes and ensure police’s professionalism in the investigation and prosecution of cases. When unveiled, these documents will regulate our conducts and act as yardstick for evaluating our efficiency,”

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Nigerians were indifferent and shocked after the announcement of Mr. Solomon Arase as the new Acting Inspector-General of Police, at the twilight of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, DARE AKOGUN writes on the Strategic Policing plans of Arase designed to elevate policing in the country.

IGP Arase

Arase affirmed.

On his mission and vision for the Force, the IG pointed out that the era of tying the mission and vision of the Police Force to the incumbent in office was over saying rather it will be concentrated on what the force needs to move forward.

“It will have nothing to do with my name or person but with the NPF. The vision simply is for the force to be a leading national, professional and efficient law enforcement organisation. The vision is to provide safety and security in Nigerian communities, protect and respect human rights in preventing crime” Arase said.

While advising police officers and Nigerians to key into the strategic plan for a better Nigeria Police Force, Arase said: “It is now a matter of choice. For serving police officer, a choice between national service which will be dully rewarded and corruption which will be swiftly sanctioned.

“For the citizens, it is a choice between supporting their police to protect them with honour or compromising them to weaken their capacity and dignity.

“Whatever is the consideration, Nigeria Police has reached a turning point where it must rediscover itself, restore citizen’s confidence and prove that it has a cream of patriotic, disciplined and professional officers that can and will ensure the attainment of its mandate.”

He, therefore, assured the federal government and all Nigerians that the confidence reposed in him will not be misplaced as he is determined to deploy his broad professional and intellectual assets in providing quality professional leadership for the Nigeria Police Force.

“I can also reassure the nation of my firm determination to restore the lost primacy of the Nigeria Police while engaging in innovative policing frameworks to engender national peace and security,” Arase

It wIll have nothIng to do wIth my name or person, but wIth the npF. the vIsIon sImply Is For the Force to be a leadIng natIonal, proFessIonal and eFFIcIent law enForcement organIsatIon further promised.

“Let me assure the citizens that I am mindful of their yearnings for a policing system that will not only assure them of their safety, but treat them with civility and hold their human rights sacred. While I promise on behalf of officers of the Force that I will provide leadership to meet this deserved aspirations, I also call on the citizens to change their mind set and be prepared to

work with their police in the interest of community safety and national security.

Already known for his vast experience in criminal investigation, intelligence-led policing and crime-fighting operations, the new IGP also pledged to add a new tempo in dealing with the present challenges of terrorism, insurgency and other violent crimes in the country.

Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase

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Features

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

39

transforming the police

was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies. He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.

In the course of over three decades of service to the nation and the Police Force, IGP Solomon Arase has held many important posts susch as Detective (Bank/Corporate Fraud) The Nigeria Police, Force CID, FCID, (Annex) Alagbon, Lagos from1996-2002, Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector -General of Police (PSO) Abuja 2002 -2008. DCP, State CID, Panti-Yaba, 2009- 11.

He was made a CP in 2011 and was posted to the ICT department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

March 2011 – August 201, Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, Uyo. August 2011-March 2012.

He promoted a year later precisely on March 2012 as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau, FHQ, Abuja a position he held between March 2012-August 2014 , before assuming the position of Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police, in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence & Investigations Dept. (FCIID) FHQ, Abuja on August 2014.

Analyst believed that among the nation’s security agencies, the Nigeria Police has been described as the worst in terms of human rights abuses, corruption and lack of integrity, until recently when the Nigerian military was accused of the same offense by the Amnesty International. The bad eggs in the law enforcement agency according to them are more than the number of officers of the force who are upright and passionate about making a difference.

Indiscipline is very high among the officers. This is underlined by the flouting of directives by their bosses. A case in point was the routine directive from successive Inspector-Generals of Police disbanding roadblocks as part of the rituals of outlining their agenda for the force on assumption of office, a directive that is only obeyed for few weeks before reverting to the old order. Illegal road blocks still flourish and abound on the nation’s high ways.

The police still persist in carrying out extra-judicial killings of suspects as well as innocent Nigerians for an “offence” as little as refusal to part with a bribe of N50 at roadblocks. The “Police are your friends” is a popular mantra in the country, yet many Nigerians have sour tales to tell about their encounters with the Nigerian Police.

It is not uncommon to see armed officers of the force, parade streets even in mufti arresting Nigerians indiscriminately all in the guise of ensuring security. While many innocent Nigerians arrested by the police are forced to bail themselves, the few others who cannot afford the bail condition, usually money, are made to face the law by being paraded as armed robbers.

The police are also known to swap innocent suspects in their cells with hardened criminals who bribe their way out of jail.

The case of Mr. Calistus Ike, who was allegedly slammed with fake charges and thereafter sentenced to death for refusing to bribe a policeman with N200, is fresh in the minds of Nigerians. Ike, who spent 16 years on death row, had previously spent seven years as an awaiting trial inmate.

However, the Network of Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), a coalition of civil rights groups, has called on Arase im-

Arase receiving the symbol of authority from former IG Suleiman Abba

mediately he was appointed, to as part of the strategic plan, immediately commence investigation into the activities of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, (SARS). Allegations of torture and “disappearing” of suspects are rife in SARS nationwide.

Okechukwu Nwanguma, NOPRIN’s National Coordinator, said in the statement adding that the organisation was seriously concerned about the rampant abuse of legally established arrest and detention procedures by the police.

Arase also recently during his visit to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission PSC, Mike Okiro, lamented the dearth of Police officers in the country urging the commission to recruit more men into the

Nigeria Police, stating that the Force is under-staffed.

He noted that about 20 to 30 policemen die on a monthly basis and that no provision has been made yet for their replacement. He also complained of stagnation in the Force since some officers had been in one rank for upwards of eight to nine years because of non-availability of establishment vacancies, a development which he said had seriously affected the morale of the officers.

He therefore appealed to the commission to assist the Force in ensuring that more establishment vacancies are created to cater for the backlog of promotions in the Force.

In his response, Chairman of PSC and former IGP, Mike Okiro

admitted that Nigeria was under-policed and noted that there was need for urgent recruitment into the Force to ensure that the nation is well policed.

He agreed with Arase that there was need to replace officers who may have died in the course of duty. He also promised to create establishment vacancies to accommodate backlog of promotions in the Force.

With an endless list of crimes against humanity committed by the bad eggs in the police force, Arase does not need to be reminded that he has a lot of work to do. Leadership, in the case of the Nigeria Police, is not a tea party. He must hit the ground running by weeding out all those giving the force a bad name.

How bad policy hinders maritime industry development

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rs Chinwe Ezenwa, the Managing Director of Ocean Serve and Logistics, has said that the maritime industry challenge could be blamed on the lack of good policy to drive the industry.

Ezenwa said this at the 8th Anniversary and one-day Transport Development Symposium and Transport Development Excellence Award, held in Lagos, organised by the

Quest Media Group.

Ezenwa said that it was sad and discouraging that key stakeholders did not follow communiqués arrived at whenever issues were deliberated on transport development.

“Each time issues are deliberated and communiqués issued on water transport development, the litoral states come up with different arguments.

“It is however good that Public Private Partnership is

making it possible for private sector to run water taxis,” she said.

She bemoaned the frequent boat mishap that claims people’s lives, and called on ministry officials to adopt hands-on approach to transport development.

A former legislator and Chairman, House Ad-hoc Committee on Maritime Security, Dr West Idahosa, called for greater advocacy for vibrant

maritime policies to drive the industry.

He said that it was the only way to enable indigenous participants to benefit from the maritime industry.

“Nigerians should watch closely and speak up on issues of the oversight function activities of the maritime committee when they are constituted.

“Believe it, countries that have succeeded all have strong cabotage background,” Idaho-

sa said.

Capt. Waredi Enisuoh, a Director of Shipping Development with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, blamed investors in the industry for not investing in training.

He said that Nigeria needed to work on its maintenance resources as the value of ships and aircraft dropped once the country’s flag was hoisted on it.

40

Global Business

Swiss banks step up battle for Asia’s super-rich

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BS’s giant banner on Hong Kong’s One Peking Road skyscraper, so big it has drawn complaints for keeping solar panels in the shade, is a testament to the renewed push among Swiss banks to win business from Asia’s burgeoning ranks of millionaires.

Switzerland’s wealth managers have long courted Asia’s super-rich amid slowing growth at home and an international crackdown on its bank secrecy rules that has made the country a less attractive place to keep cash.

But the competition has recently shifted up a gear, with the new boss of Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX) signaling he wants to embark on a similar path to cross-town rival UBS (UBSG.VX), which in 2011 chose to shrink its investment bank and focus on the more stable wealth management business, especially in Asia.

“Everybody wants to be in Asia,” said Andreas Brun, a banking analyst at Switzerland’s Zuercher Kantonalbank (ZKB). “It’s not a sudden thing but they suddenly talk about it as the main strategy.”

The attractions are obvious, with a recent slowdown in growth still leaving many Asian economies far outpacing Western counterparts. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) forecasts private wealth in the Asia Pacific, excluding Japan, will grow on average by 9.7 per cent a year through to 2019, more than double the rate in Western

Europe.

According to the latest Asia Pacific Wealth Report published in October by Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management, the region’s population of high net worth individuals -- defined as those with investable assets of $1 million or more, excluding primary residence, collectibles, consumables, and consumer durables -- grew 17 per cent to 4.3 million in 2013, while their wealth grew 18 percent to $14.2 trillion.

That compared with growth rates of 13 per cent and 12 per cent respectively in the rest of the world.

But turning Asian riches into profitable business is no easy task for wealth managers.

Asia’s growing ranks of selfmade millionaires and billionaires are proving more active in managing their wealth than Europeans living off inheritances, regularly playing banks against each other to get the best deal.

“It’s their own money, not the money of the father or grandfather,” noted ZKB’s Brun.

Asia’s super-rich also tend to spread their money out over six banks or so.

“Asia is a highly banked market,” said Claude Haberer, head of Swiss bank Pictet’s wealth management business in Asia. “Asians are willing to try out a bank but you

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Greek PM Alexis Tsipras

when it faces a debt payment to the European Central Bank.

Officials from European Union and International Monetary Fund lenders met Greece’s finance and economy ministers in Athens on Saturday, the day after EU finance officials held a teleconference and noted progress in the talks.

The talks on Saturday focused on the so-called “prior actions” Greece must legislate to qualify for loans, and the two sides reached agreement on the issue, a senior government official said without giving details.

Talks will continue on Sunday to discuss more contentious issues, the official said.

“The agreement will be concluded comfortably before Aug.18,” the official said.

Greece narrowly dodged a euro zone exit last month after months of acrimonious negotiations that culminated with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras clinching a deal tied to stringent austerity and reform terms to avoid economic collapse.

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China under mounting pressure to ease policy as economy stumbles

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hina is under growing pressure to further stimulate its economy after disappointing data over the weekend showed another heavy fall in factory-gate prices and a surprise slump in exports.

Producer prices in July hit their lowest point since late 2009, during the aftermath of the global financial crisis, and have been sliding continuously for more than three years.

Exports tumbled 8.3 per cent in the same month, their biggest fall in four months, as weaker global demand for Chinese goods and a strong yuan policy hurt manufacturers.

“Policy focus is definitely the (producer) deflation at this stage,” said

Swiss National Bank Chairman Thomas Jordan

have to explain what you bring to the table.”

And wealth managers are increasingly having to offer inflated pay packets to poach bankers in a region where demand for talent exceeds supply.

“Those who make it in the Asian market are those who are willing to invest significantly,” Haberer said.

“There is definitely an issue of minimum size, below which you just cannot pay the entry ticket.”

Private banks in the Asia Pacific typically need assets under management of more than $20 billion to be profitable, according to consultancy EY. To bulk up quickly, banks could look to acquisitions.

Greek government says discussing draft of third bailout deal reek government officials discussed a draft of the country’s third bailout agreement drawn up on the basis of discussions with EU/IMF lenders, a government official said on Saturday, boosting hopes a deal could be wrapped up in days.

Athens is racing to wrap up the bailout agreement of as much as 86 billion euros ($94.35 billion) by as early as Tuesday in a bid to get the first disbursement of aid by Aug. 20,

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Since then negotiations on the agreement itself - which will spell out details of the reforms and funds to be disbursed - have proceeded remarkably smoothly, with the lenders praising Greece for its cooperation.

The view of EU officials on Friday’s conference call was that talks are proceeding well and may be completed over the weekend, one source familiar with the matter said.

If a draft memorandum of understanding and an updated debt sustainability analysis are ready as planned on Tuesday, the Greek government and parliament would be expected to approve them by Thursday.

This would open the way for euro zone finance ministers to meet or hold a teleconference on Friday to endorse the up to 86 billion euro three-year loan program for Athens.

Greece would be expected to enact another package of reform legislation before Aug. 20, in parallel with national ratification procedures to receive a first aid payment in time to meet the ECB payment.

China President Xi Jinping

Zhou Hao, economist at Commerzbank AG in Singapore.

He said China’s central bank would likely need to further cut interest rates again, having already cut four times since November in the most aggressive easing in nearly seven years.

The gloom may only deepen in the coming week with a raft of economic data forecast to show renewed weakness in factories, investment and domestic spending.

The world’s second-largest economy is officially targeted to grow at seven per cent this year, still strong by global standards, but some economists believe it is growing at a much slower pace.

Economists expect the central bank to cut rates by another 25 basis points this year, and further reduce the amount of deposits banks must hold as reserves by another 100 basis points, according to a Reuters poll last month.

The producer price index fell 5.4 per cent from a year earlier, the National Statistics Bureau said on Sunday, compared with an expected 5.0 per cent drop. It was the worst reading since October 2009 and the 40th straight month of price decline.

Buffett’s Berkshire nears deal for Precision Castparts

W

arren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) is nearing an agreement to buy Precision Castparts Corp (PCP.N), in what could be the company’s largest purchase ever, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The purchase of Precision Castparts, which makes aircraft components and energy-production equipment, could be announced as soon as next week and cost more than $30 billion, assuming typical premiums for mergers, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. Precision Castparts’ market value was $26.7 billion on Friday.

Neither Berkshire nor Precision Castparts returned calls and emails seeking comment.

Berkshire is one of Precision Cast-

Warren Buffett

parts’ largest shareholders, with a roughly three per cent stake worth $882 million as of March 31, according to securities filings.

Though it began building that stake in 2012, it remains among the smaller investments in Berkshire’s portfolio. Such investments are normally picked by Buffett’s investment managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler.

The addition of Precision Castparts would extend Buffett’s decadelong push into the industrial sector, where he has bought such companies as parts maker Marmon, Israeli toolmaker Iscar, and specialty chemicals company Lubrizol.

He considers those companies among his “Powerhouse Five” collection of non-insurance businesses that contribute greatly to Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire’s bottom line.

Precision Castparts makes components such as nuts, bolts and other fasteners for aerospace companies such as Airbus Group SE (AIR.PA) and Boeing Co (BA.N), an industry that accounts for roughly 70 per cent of sales. It also makes products such as pipes and fittings for power and industrial companies.

The company reported a profit of $1.53 billion on net sales of $10 billion for its fiscal year ended March 29.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Okowa is managing DESOPADEC to cater for all Delta communities –Uvwo What’s your take on the recently passed DESOPADEC law by the Delta state House Assembly and the raging debate being generated?

I have read the sentimental bill. For me, it is largely a question of Okowa trying, trying I say, to legalise the illegality Governor Ibori brought into the commission from the onset and supported by Okrika, the pioneer chairman.

Illegality? What illegality by Ibori?

When the fight for DESOPADEC started, we were all involved in driving it. All oil producing blocs in Delta state; Urhobos, Ijaws, Itsekiris, Isokos and Ndokwas. It was tug of war. We went everywhere, to National Assembly, Obasanjo, DPR to get production figures, and even the military. Gen. Omu was the Chief of Defence Staff then. Even Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor was prominent in the struggle. She hosted us and did a lot. The clear agitation was to ensure that monies derived from the oil and gas find direct expression in changing the degradation and squalor in oil host communities as panaceas for stopping pipeline vandalism and youth unrest.

While we got satisfactory response from Abuja, the governors were against it. In Delta we had Ibori to mount pressure on. Finally we got his nod. Having agreed that the idea was desirable, the next issue was what platform to use in managing the accruing resources and driving the distribution of the development projects to the communities. There were vast suggestions to use traditional rulers, a ministry or a commission. We settled for DESOPADEC as Delta took lead in setting up an oil commission before Ondo, Edo and other oil states started joining the bandwagon. HOSTCOM was undoubtedly the agitation instrument. Alfred Bubor was pioneer chairman and Wellington Okrika, Leader. Okikra did not spend his money in the campaigns. Rather some of us were providing the money. For instance, my contributions came from Ugborodo where I was community leader.

With the negotiated foundation structure of DESOPADEC, the oil communities were supposed to determine their needs and chose projects best suited to bring development to their areas and the value of what to get should be in relation to the quantum of production. The commission was to fall back to the oil company to authenticate their respective production quotas and the benefit to each community was to be based on its production value. And we struggled that HOSTCOM must produce the commission’s chairman.

We made Okrika the chairman, but as soon as he came, he connived with the government to derail the group interest which is the communities’ interest. What became overriding was the partisan interests. Then, when we, HOSTCOM leaders went to Okrika to advice him, we stay for hours and we can’t see him. This was somebody who was broke during the struggle for the commission. When you visited him then, he would open his door wide open expecting whether you brought money.

How does this correlate with the transition of illegality from Ibori to Okowa’s amendment bill?

Ans: I will expose the sequential relationship. Okrika has no moral justification to start playing saint about the situation with DESOPODEC. I have heard him. His argument against Okowa is right, but he caused the whole problem which Okowa is trying to capitalize on to further rubbish the commission. As pioneer chairman and leader of the group that fought for DESOPADEC, Okrika was bound to put up exemplary structure to achieve the group objectives HOSTCOM fought for. He was now carried away and allowed the government to have full control and influence over the funds.

Dr. Uduaghan then came in. For eight years, he did not do the right thing. Instead he aggravated the rot and derailment of the original course only to attempt at the last minute to call for restructuring. Because he was going out after successfully taking everything from DESOPADEC, he felt it was then right to say things were not being properly

Former Ugborodo Community Chairman and member of Ogidigben Export Processing Zone, EPZ, Interface Committee in Delta state, Mr. Sandys Omadeli Uvwo in this interview with THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN in Warri spoke on the recently passed amended DESOPADEC law and matters arising from the EPZ project between the Itsekiris and Ijaws. Excerpts

Uvwo

The bill by OkOwa, jusT like uduaghan’s Own, ThaT was widely rejecTed, is anTi-Oil prOducing area and anTi develOpmenT. i dOn’T expecT any lawmaker frOm Oil prOducing area TO suppOrT ThaT bill.

unfOrTunaTely mOsT Of Them are nOT represenTing The inTeresT Of Their peOple done. These are the illegalities Okowa is trying to perfect by aiming to further politicize DESOPADEC as a body to cater for the entire state and not oil communities. He is trying to leaglise the illegality started by Ibori and escalated by Uduaghan and Okrika as pioneer chairman. He is trying to do so by passing through the house.

Are you inferring that the original law setting up DESOPADEC was faulty?

I mean they bent and grossly abused it from the very beginning. That is the illegality. Instead of bringing projects to the degraded and exploited oil producing communities, they used the bulk of the money on misplaced projects bearing no direct benefits to oil communities.

The law is not the issue, mismanagement is. They must check that. When they appoint people, it must not be that you are an Itsekiri man, for instance, based on just academic or partisan consideration s. We must know; are you from oil producing Itsekiri area? Are you known in your commu-

nity and do you have interests of the people at heart? Take a case in point. The appointment of Engr. Tuoyor Omatsuli who represents Delta State currently on the board NDDC is the first time the commission’s presence is being felt in Ugborodo because Tuoyor not only hails from Ugborodo, he grew up there, he is very known to the people and he understands the needs of the community and other Itsekiri communities. Some of these appointees are not known and they don’t even know the people they are representing. They get appointed through man know man and that is what is killing the country.

The bill by Okowa, just like Uduaghan’s own, that was widely rejected, is anti-oil producing area and anti development. I don’t expect any lawmaker from oil producing area to support that bill. Unfortunately most of them are not representing the interest of their people. They are representing their own interests and those who sponsored them. If the governor means well with amendment he should go to the original law and strengthen areas which give greater checks to ensuring that development goes directly to the oil communities because the 13% is for oil communties. It is just like 13% derivation from federal allocation. It cannot go to non oil producing states, so you don’t expect DESOPODEC fund to go to non oil producing communities Almost every stakeholder understands the immense value of the EPZ to community development and nation building.

And that is why the ethnic contentions which prolonged its groundbreaking were considered very disturbing and antidevelopment. Just when we thought the issues of dispute have been resolved leading to the groundbreaking by former President Goodluck Jonathan, why are we being faced with another court case over ownership of land and naming of Gbaramatu Deep-sea Port?

If you mean the case Chief Ayiri Emami raised at the Federal High Court in Warri, it is not a fresh issue on any front you weight it. We (Itsekiris of Ugborodo) have been in court with the Ijaws and even about two, three other Itsekiri communities. That case started 1976, about 39 years old now. It covers a lot of areas of land space under contention.

I doubt if even Ayiri was born then. Before EPZ came, there was a judgment at the lower court, there about 1995 or 1996 CONTINUED ON PAGE42

42 CONTINUED FROM 41 in favour of Ugborodo. The Ijaws and other Itsekiri communities went to appeal court.

The appeal ruled that the case be taken back to the lower court for retrial.

Ugborodo people said no, we are not comfortable with this your judgment. They then approached the Supreme Court. While this has been going on, EPZ came and was named after Ugborodo. If not for the internal crisis in Ugborodo which the Ijaws capitalized on, there won’t have been any crisis of ethnic contention. Then we heard some contention came up and a sort of Memorandum of Understanding was reached to break the project into two to include a Deepsea Port and all that. I am a member of the EPZ Interface Committee but I was away abroad when these understanding were being made, but I am very much aware that while this agreement was being reached, Ayiri visibly expressed his displeasure and disapproval.

Ayiri told them that he was going to go to court. Even if he hadn’t told them, and the decision was taken by the entire Ugborodo, an individual who feels the majority decision threatens his existence and the future of Ugborodo reserves the right to go to court to seek redress. Anybody that goes to court is a peaceful person. Personally I give hundred percent support to what Ayiri has done.

The EPZ Interface Committee is made up of Ugborodo indigenes who understand the lingering Supreme Court case as much as Ayiri. The committee collectively agreed on the naming of the Deepsea Port after Gbaramatu in the best interest of the project and the envisaged benefits for the people which were being hampered. Knowing it was contention by the Ijaws over naming of the project that sparked the initial tension, is Ayiri’s decision to go to court not a slight on the EPZ committee and further setback for the project?

I made the point that what Ayiri did is not a fresh case. The case in Supreme Court is still on, and on the strength of the plaintiffs’ argument, the Federal High Court Ayiri approached has restrained the naming of the said Deepsea Port pending determination of the substantive issues. What that means to your last question is that Ayiri is not in court to stop EPZ project. He is simply saying naming that Deepsea after any party would create more problems if in the near future the party with the name ended up losing the land ownership case.

In between the lines in his prayers and argument, Ayiri never called for stoppage of the project and that has also been the ruling of the court so far. Neither is he saying the name should be changed to Ugborodo for now. It says go ahead with your construction activities but don’t name Deepsea Port after anybody yet.

From the point of potential EPZ investors, it may not be as convincing as you sound it. The case is provoking ethnic contention and investors would not feel comfortable with the threat such contention poses to the project.

I think any wise investor should gain confidence from the wise council in Ayiri’s suit because if you do naming after one party who ends up losing the ownership battle in court, the backlash would be much harder to imagine and manage. Before EPZ we have been living peacefully with our Gbaramatu neighbours even with the original case which is still on. So if we have been living peacefully, we do not expect any uproar over

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Okowa is managing DESOPADEC to cater for all Delta communities –Uvwo So Ugborodo iS aSking, if yoU give

ment set up the committee that they felt shut out. That was when they started raising issues of land ownerhip and all that.

Somebody land to

Are you conceding that they too deserve their on EPZ committee because that has been one of their major agitations?

Everybody has his right to say if you can do this for one party, do it for me too. The Ijaws today are very impacted customary tenants. What brought the internal crisis in Ugborodo was lack of transparency and trust. The one with Gbaramatu is same lack of trust. They have a right to feel that their interest won’t be protected in an EPZ committee where they have no representation. I did my personal investigation and I so discovered. I am speaking as an individual.

For me really, the mutually approachable way out would be for government to set up a broad, all embracing EPZ Interface committee that accommodates representation from the major host, Ugborodo and the impacted neighbours. What affects them affects Ugborodo in terms of the project impact, but it must be emphasised that such as all embracing committee cannot be on equal representation and sharing.

Stay for long and there iS no other place he can call

home, doeS he now aSSUme aUtonomy or landlord over the place Uvwo

this case to the extent that it is only drawing attention to the original case. It is not to stop the project and that is why site clearing and preparation is ongoing and both Ijaws and Itsekiris are working over the area. Nobody has been stopped from working there. That will not stop us from investing.

What would have posed danger under the circumstance is if Ugborodu is opposed to the Ggaramatu neighbours benefitting from the project on the basis of our claim to the land. We are not towing that line because even if you digest the judgment of the lower court which upheld our ownership, you find that such privilege does not grant us leverage to chase away the customary tenants we have accommodated from time immemorial. If Gbaramatu people end up winning the case today, they cannot quit Ugborodo and vice versa. What is paramount is the benefits of the project to the people, but that should not be a cheap tool for throwing away the ownership issue.

Beyond the battle for territorial integrity with Gbaramatu, Itsekiri community of Kpokpo is also in contention with Ugborodo over their host status. Kpokpo say they are autonomous of Ugborodo and deserves own stakes on EPZ. Ugborodo says Kpokpo are an appendage of Ugborodo. How do you bridge this misunderstanding?

Again, like the other case with Gbaramatu, this another none issue. Kpokpo has even filed to be joined in the case Ayiri is pursuing now. A section in Kpokpo is claiming they own the land. Maybe they got there before Ugborodo, but the leaders who are going to court affirm that Ugborodo gave them the land. Their claim is that Kpokpo was given to their great great grandfather, that it was a virgin land owned by Ugborodo at the time. And that they have no other home of origin and they can fall back on.

So Ugborodo is asking, if you give somebody land to stay for long and there is no other place he can call home, does he now assume autonomy or landlord over the place.

We may have to go to court to determine that, but like I said, all these contentions are all borne out of the desperation to benefit from the EPZ. This is uncalled for because like the EGTL and similar projects in the area, the direct host, Ugborodo, and every other impacted community would get its fair share. There is no need for contention.

Qstn: How best can we have a rancour free EPZ, because take it or leave it, the contentions won’t encourage investors?

Please, let it be established that this is my very personal view. The solutions I want to suggest here are not the views of Ugborodo or the EPZ Committee. The crisis didn’t start with Ijaw, Itsekiri. It was the internal crisis within Ugborodo that the Ijaws cashed in on to raise so much uproar. If there was no internal crisis there won’t have been an EPZ Committee set up by the government in the first place. You know Delta state set up a committee headed by former Deputy Governor, Amos Utuama to settle the crisis when it started. If that committee has given proper attention, we would have avoided this crisis.

When we meet at Asaba, it was the Ijaws who suggested that government should invite leaders and set up a committee, contending that the issue cannot be settled in the open, and that negotiations should be on a representative capacity. As we were leaving that meeting, all parties were asked to send their representatives for constitution of the committee. They were further tasked to submit briefs on their ownership claims on the disputed land. Parties submitted their representatives, but when it was time to submit and exchange of briefs, only Gbaramatu people failed to submit theirs.

Instead they came and were accusing government and the NNPC of bias.

Parties including Ijaws from Ogulagha submitted their briefs. Some Gbaramatu leaders approached me thereafter because we know ourselves. It was when govern-

Qstn: What should then be the representation ratio if you don’t advocate equal representation?

First, let’s deal with how well all parties would accept this idea. After mutual consent by the communities, government and NNPC, all stakeholders can now come to a round table to negotiate representation and sharing ratios. So with this approach, whatever information, benefit coming from the project or NNPC will be known, first hand, to all communities and parties. That settles the distrust and lack of transparency and also makes it easier for communities to checkmate NNPC against divide and rule.

Afterwards, the battle will now be within the communities themselves to share what goes to them.

Above all, I am appealing to Urhobos, well meaning Isokos, Ndokwas and other Delta Ijaws who will also benefit from the project to appeal to our Gbaramatu brothers to allow peace reign so the project can take off because this was what they did during the Itsekiris/Ijaw crisis that made Shell to leave the state and we are all suffering the consequences today.

30 year old man stabs girl friend to death CONTINUED FROM 16 that it was his neighbours that called for the police to come and pick him up for detention. ``I am regretting my actions, I wish I have not killed her’’, he lamented.

Speaking, Mr Henry Fadairo, state Commissioner of Police, said that his men were determined to send criminals, kidnappers and murderers out of the state.

The police Commissioner stated that suspect will be remanded in police custody until the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria strike is called off so that police can charge him to court.

Fadiro appealed to the association to dialogue with Cross River state government to resolve the strike,stressing that they

were too many suspects in police net waiting to be charged to court for trial.

Speaking on the issue State Security Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, Mr Jude Ngaji, said that government was doing every thing humanly possible to rid the state of all forms of criminality.

Ngaji maintained that Ayade`s administration was fully prepared to decisively deal with criminals who take delight in trying to destabilize the peace and transquility which Cross River is noted for and stressed that a combine team of security operatives had been drafted to embark on very aggressive patrol and ransack the nooks and crannies of the state to fish out criminals for prosecution.

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Politics

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

43

Group laments campaign of calumny against Bogoro EZEKIEL TITUS

…warns against religious and ethnic division

BAUCHI

A

group, Dass/ Taf awa-Balewa/ Bogoro Concerned Citizens, has lamented the orchestration of campaign of calumny against the person of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, executive secretary, Prof Sulaiman Bogoro, especially linking him with politics, with a deliberate attempt to frustrate his contribution to taking education to a higher pedestal under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

This it said was uncalled for, especially, considering the monumental achievement of Bogoro in improving tertiary education in the country.

This was just as the group also warned mischief makers against using religion and ethnicity as tools to divide the people of the country, cautioning against using such to distract the Buhari administration in bringing required change to tertiary education in the country.

Chairman of the group, Suleiman Adamu Ustaz, said this in a statement in Bauchi, adding that his group will not fold its arms while credible public servants in the mould of Prof Bogoro, whose contribution to nation building speaks volume, are being dragged to the mud in the name of religion and ethnicity.

The statement added that those agitating against Bogoro have failed the nation while in public office, since their impact was not felt by

Nigerians, and they therefore are left with no option but to tarnish Bogoro’s image through sheer envy, following his achievements that distinguished him from his contemporaries.

The group said: “Nigerians are aware of the genuine development tertiary institutions have recorded since the assumption of Bogoro as TETFUND boss, among which are easy access to funds for improved infrastructure, e-library, award of scholarship, funds for book development as well as research funds for tertiary institutions, which were not accessible in the past.”

It noted that Bogoro is now a gauge valve in the prevention of incessant strikes in tertiary institutions, with the way and manner TETFUND has brought improved education to the door steps of Nigerians through the provision of infrastructure and learning, materials in tandem with the Buhari agenda to rejuvenate the education sector.

Ustaz therefore cautioned the sponsors of campaign of calumny against Bogoro to desist from the act, which he described as a disservice to the entire nation.

Meanwhile, ChristianMuslims Peace Movement, CMPM, said, it has concluded arrangement to give the TETFUND boss an award of excellence in recognition of his turnaround in the tertiary education sector.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 est protected and their interest will not be served by Speaker Yakubu Dogara or Saraki’s Senate Presidency. Let me tell you, put it on record, former governor of Nassarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu, now a senator, was among those rooting for Ahmed Lawan. He has turned himself to the nationalists that the election is over, it is now the issue of Senate and anything that will bring disrepute to the Senate he will not be a part of it. You will see him going with Saraki. Former governor of Kebbi State Aliero, they were the core leaders of the Senators Unity Forum, SUF. After the elections, he said there are no more groups that the leadership has emerged. Former governor of Kano State, Kabiru Gaya and so many others in the SUF, have sheath their swords. I have told you with all sincerity, if Saraki is not behaving according to the constitution, I for one will deviate from

CMPM said it was aimed at stimulating other public servants to improved service, describing Bogoro as a leader worthy of emula-

tion in his contribution to nation building through improved education.

This was contained in a statement made avail-

able to National Mirror in Bauchi, signed by CMPM chairman and secretary, Ambs Aminu Garba Sidi and Paul Daniel respec-

tively, saying Bogoro’s selection was based on his selfless service, dedication and commitment to nation building.

L-R: Director-General, Peoples Democratic Institue, PDI, Dr Lanre Adebayo; convener of Restart PDP Project, Mr Nwosu Emmanuel and a member of Zamfara Elders Committee, Alhaji Garba Gusau, at the presentation of the road map towards the speedy restructuring of PDP ahead of 2019 general elections in Abuja yesterday.

Kogi guber: Group commends Baba-Ali’s endorsement OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

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coalition of progressives youth under the aegis Kogi Youth Progressives Front, KYPF, has applauded leaders of Kogi West/Central for Equity and Justice, for presenting Alhaji Suleiman BabaAli a the two zones’ sole candidate for the August 29 gubernatorial primary election of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Baba-Ali, came top in the several screenings conducted by elders committee of the zones.

KYPF coordinator, Mr. Joshua Sanni Ozovehe,

said the action taken by the elders was heroic and a better way to chart a new course towards shifting power to the west and central part of the state.

Ozovehe, while speaking with journalists, stressed that, the West and Central senatorial districts have long been marginalized by the eastern part of the state, adding: “We have been agitating for this power shift, but our struggle ended up been eroded by sentiment, greed, lack of commitment and sacrifice. Each time we talk about power shift, you will see politician vying for governor in our zones, backing out

and become running mate to somebody from the eastern part of the state.

“But from every indication, the tide has progressively changed with efforts of the elders in these two zones, by coming out with a consensus candidate after a thorough screening of aspirant.”

Commenting on the sharp reactions from other aspirants who could not make it through the screening, the KPYF coordinator, explained that these aspirants are human beings and have the right to lament, because they have put in much in their aspiration, but however noted that in any

race, there will always be a winner and a loser.

While urging the elders to own up to the decision, Ozovehe, pleaded with other aspirants to shift their ground in the spirit of collective efforts towards achieving power rotation to the other zones, insisting that their continuous resistance towards the elders choice, will not help the zones, but further erode the agitation.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the elders committee, Mr. Tom Adaba, said the committee is still making efforts to calm down other aspirants, assuring that every issues will be resolved soon.

No rift between Senate and Presidency –Senator Wakili him publicly, because when I rooted for him, I supported him publicly, everybody knew. I have told him that whenever his personal interest conflicts with those of my people, we will part ways. Let us not belabour the issue of National Assembly, especially the Senate.

With the recent development, how do you look at the role of the media?

For the records I didn’t lampoon the media. I said a section of the media was being used to heat up the polity. In developing countries like Nigeria, we are having problems with media because, the media is the creation of their sponsors. They are there to say what their owners want them to say.

Few of them have balance. If you look at the problem Saraki is having with the media, 95 per cent is coming from one of the media house and each and every one of us knows

the owner of the media. A section of the media is heating up the polity by dishing out propaganda.

The media is supposed to be vanguard for development. They are supposed to initiate good governance. They are supposed to educate the people about their rights.

They are to ensure that accountability, probity and transparency are entrenched in governance. That should be the focus, not where they will exploit our problems and sow seeds of disunity.

Recently, the police invited the Deputy Senate President over alleged forgery in the Senate, what is your reaction?

I don’t know that. I have read in the papers but I don’t think it is true. Senator Ike Ekweremadu has spoken on the issue.

He said traditionally at the end of every

National Assembly, the standing rules are adopted for the incoming Assembly except where the members decide to alter it. Look at the issue of ranking of senators, which was inserted at the end of the sixth National Assembly to prevent people like Saraki himself, Danjuma Goje and others that were aspiring for the Senate Presidency at that material time.

All this sensational reporting is not helping us as a country. The President promised to deal with security, insurgency, corruption and others. Let us concentrate on those issues and not issues of Senate leadership, where the Constitution states that the senators will have the prerogative of electing one of them as the President or Deputy Senate President, and not in a situation that the standing rule states that the leaders of the Senate shall be from the ruling party.

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EFCC: Fighting corruption or political witch hunt?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 The reporter was of the view that before Buhari’s emergence as President, Nigerians had lost confidence in EFCC’s ability to fight illicit accumulation of wealth.

In the past two months or so, especially since President Buhari assumed office, there have been over 12 cases of PEPs, which the EFCC has made public show of.

These include the trial of former governors, Sule Lamido and his sons, Murtala Nyako and his son, Ikedi Ohakim, Chimaroke Nnamani and Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso. The latest of these alleged political trials by EFCC is of course that of Toyin Saraki, wife of the former governor of Kwara State and the current Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

The attitude and approach of former President Jonathan to the fight against corruption according to political pundits did not help matters in any way.

Political analysts believe strongly that among past civilian Presidents, former President Jonathan ranks worst in the fight against corruption. Under Jonathan, corruption assumed totally different definition. Under Jonathan, corruption was elevated to an art; corruption assumed very frightening height and dimension; civil servants, public servants and political office holders participated in corruption with unrivalled impunity.

Under Jonathan, government officials literarily speaking looted the nation’s treasury dry. In short, under Jonathan, corruption became a way of life for Nigerians.

It was under Jonathan that political corruption assumed a totally different meaning and dimension. In the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the then ruling party for instance, imposition, rather than election became the norm.

The unresolved $20 billion missing fund from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was recorded under Jonathan. Under Jonathan, employment into the civil service became who you know; the rest were thrown open to the highest bidder.

It became so bad under Jonathan that the infamous quote that, “stealing is different from corruption,” gained a place in our national lexicon.

Unfortunately, Jonathan lacked neither the intellectual capacity nor the political will to rein-in on corrupt officials.

Analysts believe that part of the reasons that there was global conspiracy against Jonathan by some world leaders and a general determination to dump him was his attitude and dismal handling of corruption in Nigeria. To compound Jonathan’s problems, Buhari came into the elections with a stern determination to combat corruption. Now, the rest is history.

Corruption Perception Index by TI Nigerian has over the years been consistently rated very low in the Corruption Perception Index, CPI, of the Transparency International, TI, the global anti-corruption organisation. The CPI is a rating of countries from 1 to 100, showing their corruption scale. According to TI, a rating of 1 is the worst and rating of 100 means a country is completely free of corruption.

The pass mark is 50 per cent and any country scoring below 50 is considered a cor-

Lamidi

Waziri

rupt country.

In 2000, Nigeria was ranked the most corrupt country in the world, improving only marginally in 2001 and 2003 when it was rated second most corrupt nation in the world in TI’s CPI. Since 2012, Nigeria has made steady improvements in the CPI and for the first time, the country was not among the 10 most corrupt countries in the world. She ranked 136 out of 176 countries in TI’s CPI in December 2014.

What the TI CPI has demonstrated over the years is that Nigeria is a country enmeshed deep in corruption and requiring serious efforts to rescue her from that deep corruption crisis. This is why the Buhari government is receiving all the encouragements from global leaders to succeed in its avowed war on corruption.

play a critical role in his electoral victory, it also positioned Buhari positively before the international community as a leader that means well for Nigeria.

As a result of his anti corruption stance, Buhari won many hearts to himself and his administration. The international community for instance, have not only embraced the administration whole heartedly, but are also falling over themselves to extend support, both financially and materially to aid the Buhari’s government prosecutes the war against corruption.

There is no gainsaying the fact that, corruption has helped to deny Nigeria the needed resources to develop basic infrastructure, create jobs for the teaming youth population, increased restiveness, fueled ethnic and tribal crisis, as well as widened the gap between the rich and the poor, leaving in its trail, increased militancy, armed robbery and violence among the Nigerian population.

Indeed, as the US Deputy Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, put it during a press conference last month when he visited Nigeria ahead of Buhari’s last trip to Washington, “corruption is like a huge death weight that Nigeria has to carry around because it is denying resources to productive persons that would benefit all of the people of Nigeria. And of course, it also creates tremendous mistrust in government and alienates people from their leaders.”

Buhari and war against corruption Nigerians are only noticing a change of approach to the fight against corruption by the EFCC following the emergence of Buhari as the President on May 29.

Reputed for his austere lifestyle and strong aversion to illegal accumulation of wealth, Buhari, throughout his campaigns, left no one in doubt about his commitment to fight corruption in the country.

Except for a few past military Heads of State, Buhari is perhaps the first civilian President in recent times that has made the fight against corruption a very strong campaign issue in the country. Why this issue of corruption is so critical to Nigeria and the rest of the world is that, corruption remains the basis of bad leadership the country has witnessed in the past 25 years or thereabout.

Making corruption a strong issue of his political campaign promises, did not only

Lamido and sons Former governor of Jigawa State, Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, as well as one Aminu Wada Abubakar were guests of the EFCC just weeks back.

Lamido was said to have abused his

CALL IT POLITICAL WITCH-HUNT OR SELECTIVE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION, THE TRUTH IS THAT THE COUNTRY IS NOW SO MIRED IN CORRUPTION THAT

NIGERIANS ARE WAITING

TO SEE MANY CONVICTIONS

privileged position as Jigawa governor between 2007 and 2015, by awarding contracts to companies where he has interest, using his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha as front.

In the build-up to the general elections, Lamido had said he would not defect from the then ruling PDP, even though some of his aides had reportedly defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. However, Lamido was quick to voice out his displeasure at his ordeal, claiming that he was being witch-hunted by the Buhari administration because of assumptions that he, Lamido, has an interest in the presidency in 2019.

Unfortunately, his claims do not add up as his ordeal began in 2012 when the Federal Government was still controlled by his party, the PDP, when one of his sons, Aminu was arrested by EFCC operatives at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, for failing to declare a sum of US$40,000. He was prosecuted and convicted; with 50 per cent of the undeclared sum forfeited to the Federal Government. But the investigation into the source of the funds led investigators into the closely guarded web of corruption and money laundering involving members of the former first family of Jigawa State and their cronies.

Ikedi Ohakim The EFCC, continued its onslaught against some past officials with the arrest of a former governor of Imo State, Mr. Ohakim.

Ohakim was governor of Imo State between 2007 and 2011. He was defeated by Rochas Okorocha. The former governor was arrested in his Asokoro home after allegedly failing to honour an invitation from the EFCC, which said the former governor was arrested to respond to questions bordering on a number of property allegedly traced to him.

He also claimed that forces in his state who are jittery about his rising political profile are behind his travails. He did not however mention the Federal Government under President Buhari.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso Of all, the case of Mr Kwankwaso, the immediate past governor of Kano State was as shocking as it was interesting.

He however has no one to blame except himself. This is because he belongs to the ruling APC which holds both the centre and his home state, Kano.

Seen as an influential member of the party, Kwankwaso was confined to a house arrest as he feared that he could be rounded up at anytime by EFCC operatives.

His situation was so bad that he had to approach the Gezawa High Court seeking an injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting him.

The turn of event for Kwankwaso, a twoterm governor of the most populous state in the country, might not be unconnected with a petition by Kano pensioners to the anti corruption agency accusing him of having applied underhand tactics in the management of pension fund.

The petition, filed on their behalf by Bashir Nasir and Co and signed by A. B. CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

45

EFCC: Fighting corruption or political witch hunt?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44 Bulama Esq, alleged that Kwakwanso deposited N2 billion in Kano branch of defunct Euro Bank Plc, adding soon after the deposit was made the bank went into liquidation.

According to the petition, Kwankwaso refused to follow up for a claim of the said deposit from the NDIC; they said the action of the former governor was a flagrant violation of the provisions of the Kano State Pension and Gratuity Law. Officials of key ministries, including incumbent Accountant General of the state, the Permanent Secretaries, Ministries of Finance Works were quizzed by EFCC in connection with the petition.

Chimaroke Nnamani Nnamani’s case is also interesting as the EFCC, for the third time in six years rearraigned the former governor of Enugu State before a Federal High Court in Lagos over money laundering charges.

The case which highlights some of the challenges faced by the anti-graft agency in the prosecution of its cases was first re-assigned to Justice Charles Archibong, following the transfer of Justice Abubakar out of the Lagos division of the Federal High Court.

But the case was again re-assigned to the current judge, Justice Yinusa, after Justice Archibong, now retired, was also transferred out of the Lagos division of the court.

Others docked alongside the former governor are his former aide, Sunday Anyaogu and six firms linked to them. The firms are: Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Hillgate Nigeria Limited, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.

Nnamani was said to have conspired with other accused persons to launder various statutory allocations of some local government areas of Enugu State, among which are: Aninri, Enugu South, Agwu, Igbo Etiti and Isi Uzor For instance, Nnamani was alleged to have stolen N1.4 billion from the Excess Crude Oil Funds allocated to local governments in the state. He was also alleged to have, through the help of one Chinero Nwigwe, now at large, fraudulently transferred millions of dollars of Enugu State funds to his personal accounts in the United States of America.

The offences were allegedly committed while Nnamani held sway as Enugu State governor between 1999 and 2007.

He has now had to forfeit some of his multi-billion naira property. Nigerians are wondering why on two occasions under the past administration, EFCC’s attempt to bring him to deserved justice failed.

Toyin Saraki Perhaps, this is one case that has generated so much concern in recent times. Not that most analysts faulted the facts of the case, but that the timing was suspect.

What with the leadership crisis at the Senate and the schism between the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his party.

The tensed situation was however doused

Ribadu

Nyako

after the PDP in Kwara State said it sent the petition that landed Mrs Saraki in trouble with the EFCC, thereby exonerating Bola Tinubu and the APC. It said it wanted Saraki’s wife jailed.

Joseph Waku, an APC chieftain, had accused one of APC national leaders, Tinubu of masterminding the petition to EFCC, an allegation Tinubu strongly denied.

The EFCC wants to question the wife of the Senate President and former governor of Kwara state, Saraki on alleged money laundering. She was therefore invited to explain the strange inflow of funds into companies where she has interest.

At the same time, members of the ‘Like Minds Senators’, LMS, had said they were curious about EFCC’s decision to invite the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Saraki, in connection with an unknown investigation. LMS, in a statement signed on its behalf by Senator Dino Melaye stated that it hoped that Mrs saraki’s invitation was not politically motivated or linked with the on-going leadership tussle in the Senate.

refused to remit funds meant for the federation account, and instead diverted NAFDAC’s internally generated revenues to fund political campaign in his home state, Benue.

He said some of the companies they used to carry out the deals have collected over N6 billion in the last two years, adding that towards the general election this year, the DG collected a lot of money and used it to buy vehicles, which he branded and gave to a gubernatorial aspirant in his native Benue State, adding that the DG’s financial recklessness has brought NAFDAC to its knees.

If and when the allegations are found to be true, could anyone still claim a witchhunt? Perhaps, if the investigation turns out otherwise, Orhii can then come out to say that he was witch-hunted.

Paul Orhii Director-General of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Orhii was also a guest of the EFCC, where he was grilled on allegations of massive corruption at the food and drug administration agency.

A former finance director of NAFDAC, Ademola Mogbojuri, said Mr. Orhii was behind shady deals and financial recklessness at NAFDAC, alleging that Orhii

Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, The EFCC also recently arrested the immediate past Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Akpobolokemi, barely two weeks after he was booted out of office.

He was grilled about some curious multi-billion naira transactions he approved, especially in the dying days of the last administration.

An EFCC source said: “For instance, they wanted to know how a whopping N13 billion was spent on the acquisition of land for the permanent site of the Nigerian Maritime University in Delta.”

There have been several allegations of fi-

nancial impropriety against NIMASA during Akpobolokemi’s tenure, including those which suggested the agency funded the lavish lifestyles of some Niger Delta militants and bankrolled most of the hate campaigns against Buhari in the run-up to the 2015 elections.

In 2012, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, FRC, had accused NIMASA of failing to render its audited accounts from 2007 to 2011. The presidency did not deem it fit at that time to get NIMASA to do the needful, even as the EFCC was also quiet.

The APC had accused NIMASA of funding hate campaigns against its presidential candidate, an allegation Akpobolokemi, swiftly debunked.

The then Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, APCPCO, Garba Shehu, declared that there were ample evidences not only to prove the sponsorship of NIMASA’s hate campaigns, but would also divulge other damming details that would shock Nigerians.

Shehu had said: “There are several acts of the management that are at variance with the objectives and scope of activities of the agency as spelled out under the NIMASA Act 2007. NIMASA Act does not envisage its involvement in political campaign. It certainly has no provision for hate campaigns against Buhari, nor does it allow for the funding of the activities of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN. “NIMASA is trying to reduce this to a campaign issue, but the truth is that the conversion of a statutory government agency into one actively promoting partisan political actions of the President is of national significance. It assumes a more serious dimension when staffs are denied their dues and money shipped out to fund illegal activities.”

Shehu added that the APC would present credible witnesses in court to prove not only this, but the fact that NIMASA has since transformed into a campaign outpost for the then ruling PDP. The handwriting was very clear that under a Buhari presidency, NIMASA under the past DG would surely have a lot of cases to answer.

Call it political witch-hunt or selective fight against corruption, the truth is that the country is now so mired in corruption that Nigerians are waiting to see many convictions.

Appointment controversy: Niger IPAC calls for truce PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

N

iger State Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has called on all parties involved in the controversy over the appointment of Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and other political appointments by Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to bury their hatchets in the interest of the electorates and progress of the state.

In a press statement made available to journalists in

Minna and signed by its state chairman, Alhaji Isah Ndamaka, IPAC said the appointments made by the present administration in the state so far are among many others to come.

It stated its belief that the appointment of the SSG was done in good faith for the benefit of everybody, explaining that the SSG is an accomplished and seasoned administrator who has not being found wanting and has no religious or tribal sentiment.

The statement reads: “Gov-

ernor Bello needs the support of everybody. We therefore call on all to put personal interest at abeyance so that the state’s interest will be at fore.

We should be determined because the responsibility of bringing change lies with all of us.”

Ndamaka also called on Nigerlites to be patient over the appointment of the state executive council as the governor is taking his time to give the state the best so as to achieve the desired change and feel the impact of strug-

gles.

He further stated that it is based on the progressive believe of collectiveness that IPAC is organising a lecture titled: ‘Concept of Good Governance, Economic Challenges and Achieving the Desired Change,’ to be delivered by Barr Solomon Dalung; so as to streamline the issue of good governance for the benefit of the leaders and the led.

It would be recalled that the appointment of the SSG, who hails from the same zone and local government area

46

Politics

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

APC inaugurates Kogi guber screening committee OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

A

ll Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday inaugurated a seven-man committee to screen the 27 aspirants who are seeking to clinch the party’s gubernatorial ticket in Kogi State, ahead of the primary elections of the party and the election scheduled for November.

Giving the guidelines the committee will follow, APC National Organising Secretary, Mr. Osita Izunaso, in Abuja noted that there was a high level of interest amongst party members in the state asides the aspirants.

Izunaso told the committee that all aspirants must be duly registered

and financially up to date, adding that five members of the party from different local governments must nominate an aspirant to qualify.

He said that it is also the responsibility of the screening committee to scrutinise every certificate brought before them by the aspirants, emphasising that any aspirant who poses an obstacle to the screening of certificates should be immediately disqualified.

He said: “All aspirants must sign the party’s code of conduct. The screening will be done in line with the 1999 constitution as amended. Only the aspirants cleared will go for the primaries.”

He said there will also be a separate screening

appeal committee for aspirants who are not satisfied with the work done by the screening committee.

Inaugurating the screening committee,

APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, represented by the Deputy National Chairman South, Engr. Segun Oni, gave assurance that the screening of the aspi-

rants will be free, fair and transparent.

The Kogi State Screening Committee has Mr. Boss Mustapha as chairman and Amb Lawal Munir as secre-

tary. Other members includes: Hon. Emmanuel Ufuoma, Chief Geoffrey Ufuru, Mrs. Tina Adike, Mrs Ekwy Oyindo and Mr. Bashir Sheriff Machina.

World Bank to assist victims of insurgency •Expresses readiness to eradicate poverty in Bauchi

EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI

T

he World Bank has said it will assist the displaced victims of insurgency living in Bauchi State in order to give them sense of belonging This was just as it also expressed readiness to partner with Bauchi State to eradicate the scourges of poverty through a programme known as Youth Employment Support Operation, YESO World Bank country office sector leader, Professor Folusho Okunmadewa, disclosed these during a courtesy call on the Bauchi State governor at the Government House, saying the World Bank is worried about the devastating poverty level in the North-East.

Okunmadewa added that the programme will be in three segments, including public world programme, conducting cash transfer and exposing the victims through skill acquisition, with the help government He said: “World Bank’s decision to target the victims of insurgency followed the current impoverishment in their various camps with the identifi-

cation of the critical demands for rehabilitations.”

He said Bauchi State is among the six states earmarked to benefit from the World Bank programme towards eradicating poverty on payment of counterpart funds The programme, Okunmadewa maintained will be carried out by government agency that has structures, like the agency for youths and women empowerment which are competent to register unemployed youths in the state Speaking earlier, Bauchi State governor, Barr Mohammed Abubakar had expressed delight in the gesture of the World Bank and indicated his administration’s commitment to eradicate poverty in partnership with donor agencies.

Abubakar had lamented that paucity of funds remains major challenge of the government with a promise to prioritise the health and education sectors, attributing their importance to economic development He therefore urged the World Bank to support the state while making case for improve internally generated revenue.

L-R: Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Michael Adeyemo; member, House of Representatives, Ibarapa Central/North, Rep. Adegbenga Ojoawo; and former Chairman of Ibarapa Central LGA, Mr Akinyemi Akinlabi, at the APC town hall meeting in Igangan, Ibarapa North LGA of Oyo State, yesterday.

Senators urge PDP NWC to unite Ekiti factions ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

T

he three senators from Ekiti State have urged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Working Committee, NWC, led by Uche Secondus to as a matter of urgency wade into the crisis rocking the party in the state and reconcile the various factions.

The senators - Duro Faseyi, Abiodun Olujimi and Fatimat Raji-Rasaki said the intervention was necessary for lasting solution and ensuring victory

for the party in future polls.

The senators said in a jointly signed statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday that “the PDP in Ekiti State remains a formidable chapter in Nigeria and we must continue to work together to sustain the trend at all situations.

“Therefore, efforts must be in top gear to ensure that all factions are brought together to move the party forward.”

Reiterating their support for the Chief Idowu Faleye-led State Executive Council, SEC, of the PDP

in Ekiti State, they said: “We only recognise the leadership of the Idowu Faleye-led executive of the PDP in the state as the authentic SEC. “What is happening in the state PDP is an internal party affairs which should not be seen as a crack within the party, hence the position of the senators to set the record straight.”

They called on the Tunde Olatunde-led factional executive to allow peace to reign in the state PDP, saying: “What PDP needs now is unity and we

must all work in unison to fight our common enemies at all times.

“It is time for all of us to come together and work together because the task ahead is enormous and any singular division could jeopardise the collective efforts in future elections” It would be recalled that there has been uproar in the state PDP in the last two months which has culminated to suspension and counter suspension between the Faleye-led executive and Olatunde-led faction.

We’ve no hand in consensus APC candidacy –Group WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

O

kun Development Association, ODA, the apex non-political group in Okunland, the Yoruba speaking area of Kogi State, yesterday dissociated itself from publications linking it with the adoption of one of the gubernatorial aspirants in the forthcoming elections, Dr Yekeen Habeeb, as its consensus

candidate from among the aspirants from the West and Central senatorial districts of the state.

ODA stated that it is out of place for any aspirant to claim that he has been adopted, as the committee set up to screen all All Progressives Congress, APC, aspirants has not sat.

Secretary to the ODA Search and Screening Committee, Dr. Tunde Orosayin, said: “We have what we call Kogi Central

and West Forum for Equity and Justice, KCWFEJ, which was constituted to search and screen all suitable aspirants towards the emergence of a single gubernatorial candidate between West and Central zones.

“The committee just submitted its report to a plenary held at Reverton Hotel, in Lokoja, on Saturday. The plenary has agreed that the Elders Forum should engage all the

APC aspirants towards arriving at an acceptable candidate.

“To put the record right, the national leadership of ODA met twice in General J.O. Osanupin’s house in Mpape Abuja where His Excellency, Clarence Olafemi, was recommended as Okun consensus candidate, while trying to pacify others to see the need to cooperate in the interest of Okun people.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

47

Equities rise 0.01% as Evans Medicals leads gainers Johnson okanlawon

T

rading in equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange managed to stay afloat in the first trading day of the week, advancing marginally by 0.01 per cent to drive year-to-date negative returns to 9.26 per cent.

Save for the 2.21 per cent gain on Dangote Cement, the equities market would have closed the day’s trading 0.87 per cent down.

The volume and value of transaction declined 72.04 per cent and 38.33 per cent respectively.

The All Share Index appreciated 0.01 per cent to

close at 31,446.42 points, compared to the decline of 0.17 per cent recorded on Friday to close at 31,441.71 points.

Market capitalization depreciated N2 billion to close at N10.778 trillion, compared to the decrease of N19 billion recorded on Friday to close at N10.776 trillion.

Research analysts at Meristem Securities Limited, an investment firm, said, “In line with our expectations for the week, market activities, although culminating in a marginal increase on the first day, resumed on a tempered note.

“We anticipate a drab outing for the equities

market in the coming days, given the existing investor apathy coupled with expected profit taking activities following last week’s gains.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, NMRC, said yesterday it will seek approval from members by monthend to raise additional equity capital of N28.5 billion through a shelf registration programme.

A notice to the company’s shareholders said it set a price range of N4.50 to N7 per share for the first tranche of equity to be raised under the programme worth N6 billion.

According to the notice,

the NMRC was set up with the aim of lowering mortgage lending rates -- currently around 20 per cent for a 10-year loan or up to 30 per cent for households with lower credit ratings.

It said that the debut general meeting will be held on August 31, the NMRC said in a notice to approve the capital plans.

It added that further equity tranches will be approved by members.

Mortgage lending is a small portion of the overall property market.

There are about 20,000 mortgages open in Nigeria, it said, none of which are tradable because of a lack of liquidity. None extend beyond 10 years.

NIDF to pay N20m interim coupon Johnson okanlawon

A

frinvest Asset Management Limited, the manager of the Nigerian International Debt Fund, NIDF, said it will pay the sum of N20, 761,656.59 as interim coupon to be distributed amongst note holders on the register of the fund as at June 30, 2015.

A statement from the

fund manager said each unit holder will get N38.21 per note.

According to the statement, the interim distribution is in line with the structure of the NIDF, as the NSE-listed mutual fund, which invests in fixed income securities of Federal and State Governments, is designed to make distributions twice a year.

It quoted the Managing

Director of the firm, Mr. Ola Belgore, as saying that the payment represents 35th coupon in the life of the fund, which started in 1997.

He said, “Since the restructuring of the fund in 2010, NIDF has had an Income Return of 16 per cent and a total return of 42 per cent.

“As at December 31, 2014, the fund closed at N1, 978.38, and as at June 30,

2015 it closed at N2, 036.35.”

He explained that NIDF offers investors safety, capital preservation, steady returns and investment diversification.

He stressed that the fund is suitable for both individual and institutional investors such as Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, insurance companies, asset managers and gratuity funds.

Stanbic IBTC shareholders approve scrip dividend option

S

hareholders of Stanbic IBTC Holdings have approved a proposal by the board of directors to allow shareholders receive new ordinary shares, instead of the whole or any part of the interim dividend to be declared for the financial year ending December 31, 2015.

A statement from the company said with the scheme, the new ordinary shares will be credited as fully paid, and shall rank at an equal rate with existing ordinary shares of the company.

It explained that the resolution was adopted at the company’s Extra-Ordinary General Meeting held in Abuja last week.

The statement quoted the Chairman, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr. Atedo Peterside, as saying

that the approvals were required in compliance with resolutions adopted at the company’s Annual General Meeting held on June 3, 2015, during which the board was authorized to offer additional shares to shareholders, who so choose, instead of cash in respect of any dividends.

According to him, shareholders have a choice of receiving their interim dividends in cash and may periodically elect to receive future dividends as new shares in the company, for any scrip dividend proposed by the board.

He said, “The new scheme would help in boosting the organization’s capital base and its operational capacity.

“This resolution could have been presented to

shareholders for approval because the court injunction sought by shareholders to step down the resolution was not granted by the judge.”

Peterside, who stepped down at the meeting, said that in was better for more consultations to be held with relevant stakeholders on the matter.

He said that three years after the adoption of a holding company structure, the group is raising capital to drive the next growth phase, which is focused on consolidating its drive to become an endto-end financial solutions provider, with distinctive edge in banking, stockbrokerage, asset and pension management, and trusteeship, among others.

The focus of staff and management of the group, he added, will be to con-

tinue to deliver superior shareholder value and partner with Nigeria in its quest for economic development, while delivering exceptional financial solutions to its diverse clientele.

Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

13

Crude oil price

$58.96

Exchange

Rates (N)

WAUA

270

USD

196.95

EURO

214

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

SWISS FRANC

202

POUNDS STERLING

293

SDR

273

Source: NSE

Inter-Bank Rate Naira

US Dollar

$1

N196.95 Market indicators All-Share Index 31,446.42 points Market capitalisation 10.78trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

EVANSMED

0.75

0.81

0.06

8.00

ROADS

6.29

6.60

0.31

4.93

DANGFLOUR

3.25

3.38

0.13

4.00

CONTINSURE

0.93

0.96

0.03

3.23

PRESCO

31.00

32.00

1.00

3.23

MOBIL

160.00

165.00

5.00

3.13

ACADEMY

0.79

0.81

0.02

2.53

DANGCEM

181.00

185.00

4.00

2.21

UBCAP

1.37

1.40

0.03

2.19

INTBREW

18.24

18.45

0.21

1.15

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

REDSTAREX

4.60

4.37

-0.23

-5.00

NEIMETH

1.42

1.35

-0.07

-4.93

ETERNA

2.34

2.23

-0.11

-4.70

MAYBAKER

1.50

1.43

-0.07

-4.67

AIICO

0.86

0.82

-0.04

-4.65

LEARNAFRCA

1.09

1.04

-0.05

-4.59

HONYFLOUR

2.68

2.56

-0.12

-4.48

PZ

34.51

33.05

-1.46

-4.23

ZENITHBANK

16.90

16.20

-0.70

-4.14

TRANSEXPR

1.03

0.99

-0.04

-3.88

FGN Bonds

Bid

Description

Offer

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.02

98.05

15.19

98.20

15.02

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.71

99.64

15.30

99.79

15.20

16.00 29-JUN-2019

3.89

101.47

15.47

101.77

15.36

15.54 13-FEB-2020

4.51

100.62

15.34

100.92

15.25

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.47

104.53

15.26

104.83

15.19

14.20 14-MAR-2024

8.59

94.58

15.35

94.88

15.28

Closing Market Prices of August 10, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

12-Nov-15

14.72

15.29

11-Feb-16

14.48

15.63

04-Aug-16

13.89

16.10

NIBOR Tenor

Rate (%)

O/N

39.2917

1M

16.2835

3M

17.2557

6M

18.2949 The Fixings of August 10, 2015

Capital Market

48

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015

Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Activity Summary on Board DEBT Federal Bond Name 15.10% FGN APR 2017 16.39% FGN JAN 2022 Federal Totals

Symbol FG9B2017S2 FG9B2022S1

DEBT Board Totals

Equities as at August 10, 2015 No. of Deals 3 1 4

Bond Activity Totals

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

Daily NoSummary Of Deals(Equities) Quotation(N)

Current Price 104.00 110.50

Quantity Traded 10,000 1,000 11000

Value Traded 11,233,457.88 1,112,125.09 12,345,582.97

4

11,000

12,345,582.97

4

11000

12,345,582.97

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE

Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 Crop Production

Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals

Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Totals Activity Summary onSpecialties Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. S C O A NIG. PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock CORPORATION Exchange © TRANSNATIONAL OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 9 10 19

Current Price 24.83 32.00

Quantity Traded 6,445 54,312 60,757

Value Traded 165,505.05 1,739,204.70 1,904,709.75

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals Current Price

Quantity Traded 103,211 103,211

Value Traded 196,087.46 196,087.46

LIVESTOCK

10 10 29

Symbol AGLEVENT JOHNHOLT SCOA TRANSCORP UACN

No. of Deals 2 1 1 130 19 153

CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015

JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 ROADS NIG PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. U T C NIG. PLC. Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. Activity Summary on Board NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. EQTY Food Products--Diversified Totals CONSUMER GOODS Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

Quantity Traded 44,531 962 922 Page 9,659,135 103,666 9,809,216

2,100,797.21 Value Traded 51,210.65 865.80 3,890.84 11 125,823,094.52 of 3,766,830.21 29,645,892.02

9,809,216

29,645,892.02

Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 0.68

Quantity Traded 44,696 44,696

Value Traded 29,452.40 29,452.40

Symbol JBERGER ROADS

No. of Deals 1 1 2

Current Price 45.58 6.60

Quantity Traded 1,000 50,100 51,100

Value Traded 43,310.00 330,660.00 373,970.00

Quantity Traded 99,086 99,086

Value Traded 863,503.50 863,503.50

Symbol No. of Deals Current Price Daily Summary (Equities) UAC-PROP

22 22

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW NB

No. of Deals 35 34 12 104 185

8.60

Current Price 4.97 131.00 18.45 131.50

Quantity Traded 1,169,428 Page 44,113 112,588 502,717 1,828,846

2,058,676.95 66,823,299.22 80,234,485.44

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 22 22

Current Price 194.00

Quantity Traded 489,736 489,736

Value Traded 94,984,129.93 94,984,129.93

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON NNFM UTC

No. of Deals 16 29 87 37 7 1 1 178

Current Price 3.38 6.00 26.90 2.56 6.80 13.00 0.50

Quantity Traded 145,834 697,900 247,863 802,719 19,240 1,000 1,822 1,916,378

Value Traded 486,415.24 4,198,319.00 6,935,444.82 2,067,367.82 129,659.00 13,650.00 911.00 13,831,766.88

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 11 28 39

Current Price 33.30 850.01

Quantity Traded 4,255 43,284 47,539

Value Traded 134,628.20 37,322,664.65 37,457,292.85

Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

No. of Deals 21 7 28

Current Price 5.80 1.13

Quantity Traded 964,785 Page 328,000 1,292,785

Value Traded 5,345,595.15 11 3 of 367,890.00 5,713,485.15

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 49 29 78

Current Price 33.05 37.81

Quantity Traded 246,490 103,127 349,617

Value Traded 8,128,174.61 4,084,698.00 12,212,872.61

5,924,901

244,434,032.86

31

Daily Summary (Equities)

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 DIAMOND BANK PLC Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY SERVICES BANK PLC FINANCIAL

163,968 Current Price 1.10 0.94 4.44 2.66 36.25

153

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS PLC Published by The NigerianNIG Stock Exchange © INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals

1.90

194,882

530

Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI FIDELITYBK GUARANTY Daily Summary SKYEBANK STERLNBANK UBA UBN UNITYBNK

1,266,925.90 Value Traded 5,578,621.50 11 2 5,773,887.77 of

No. of Deals 126 32 38 72 157 (Equities) 63 201 101 26 14

Current Price 4.76 3.56 19.82 1.52 24.25 2.10 2.15 4.08 7.34 2.00

Quantity Traded 7,741,631 715,113 4,291,376 8,894,871 4,216,571 3,287,023 2,241,152 7,512,728 143,250 2,014,350

Value Traded 37,008,927.21 2,556,765.85 84,973,960.71 13,623,454.73 101,368,232.47 6,882,338.92 4,805,986.80 30,941,101.54 1,089,270.35 4,105,933.10

Value Traded 53,440.20 283,239,677.13 11 4 of 570,649,089.01

Banking WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Published by The Nigerian Banking TotalsStock Exchange ©

Symbol WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

No. of Deals 10 418 1,258

Current Price 0.90 16.20

Quantity Traded 62,070 16,830,128 Page 57,950,263

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Daily Summary as of Carriers, 10/08/2015 Insurance Brokers and Services Totals Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE GNI HMARKINS LAWUNION MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM UNIVINSURE WAPIC

No. of Deals 13 4 1 1 15 6 1 15 2 4 62

Current Price 0.82 0.96 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.80 0.50 0.65 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 511,008 300,000 40,000 500 276,641 66,810 20,000 5,374,082 50,500 25,338 6,664,879

Value Traded 419,706.16 287,500.00 20,000.00 250.00 138,320.50 177,837.00 10,000.00 3,492,944.60 25,250.00 12,669.00 4,584,477.26

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 1.00

Quantity Traded 42,000 42,000

Value Traded 41,950.00 41,950.00

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH

No. of Deals 61 7 359

Current Price 2.85 4.15 6.98

Quantity Traded 891,179 79,780 7,120,772

Value Traded 2,556,203.47 330,502.00 49,838,334.14

Symbol FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 32 1 28 70 558

Current Price 2.66 0.50 21.00 1.40

Quantity Traded Page 410,303

Value Traded 11 5 of 1,093,144.55

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS FINANCIAL SERVICESPLC

Activity Summary on Board EQTY Other Financial Institutions Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © FCMB GROUP PLC.

ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

Daily Summary (Equities)

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 Pharmaceuticals Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals

1,885

Symbol UNIONDAC

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER Daily Summary NEIMETH

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

HEALTHCARE Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Other Financial Institutions FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC Published by The Stock UBANigerian CAPITAL PLCExchange ©

Symbol FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

Other Financial Institutions Totals

Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC.

Current Price 0.50

No. of Deals 16 16 14 11 (Equities) 10 67

Current Price 0.81 3.21 40.00 1.43 1.35

68

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals

No. of Deals 1 1

No. of Deals 32 1 28 70 558

Current Price 2.66 0.50 21.00 1.40

1,885

210 794,912 7,332,768 16,629,924

105.00 16,680,979.16 10,086,178.62 80,585,446.94

81,287,066

655,860,963.21

Quantity Traded 600 600

Value Traded 300.00 300.00

Quantity Traded 566,588 567,885 465,913 371,710 393,750 2,365,846

Value Traded 451,640.28 1,833,522.25 18,621,631.32 531,545.30 547,687.50 21,986,026.65

2,366,446

21,986,326.65

Quantity Traded 410,303 210 794,912 Page 7,332,768

Value Traded 1,093,144.55 105.00 16,680,979.16 11 6 of 10,086,178.62

16,629,924

80,585,446.94

81,287,066

655,860,963.21

Symbol UNIONDAC

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 600 600

Value Traded 300.00 300.00

Symbol EVANSMED

No. of Deals 16

Current Price 0.81

Quantity Traded 566,588

Value Traded 451,640.28

Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006

1st Tier Securities Sector Activity Summary Company nameEQTY on Board ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals Processing Systems E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC Processing Systems Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. on Board EQTY Activity Summary Electronic and Electrical Products Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals © Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 445,000 445,000

Value Traded 222,500.00 222,500.00

Symbol ETRANZACT

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 3.60

Quantity Traded 40,471,844 40,471,844

Value Traded 145,681,628.40 145,681,628.40

40,916,844

145,904,128.40

6

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM PAINTCOM WAPCO

No. of Deals 29 4 15 2 94 1 47 192

Current Price 23.00 9.97 37.95 9.50 185.00 1.01 103.00

Quantity Traded 101,068 3,860 36,224 700 861,370 72,209 892,413 1,967,844

Value Traded 2,295,851.56 36,708.60 1,306,367.92 6,687.00 159,294,797.54 72,931.09 92,077,674.55 255,091,018.26

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 1.64

Quantity Traded 110 110

Value Traded 175.60 175.60

Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 43.00

Quantity Traded 1,388 1,388 Page

7

Daily Summary (Equities)

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals NATURAL RESOURCES Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC Mining Services Totals Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 Printed NATURAL 10/08/2015 RESOURCES 14:32:06.006 Totals OIL AND GAS Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals

Activity Summary on Board Products EQTY Distributors Petroleum and Petroleum CONOIL PLC OIL AND GAS Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

196

Symbol MULTIVERSE

No. of Deals 1 1

AFROMEDIA PLC Advertising Totals Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY OILCourier/Freight/Delivery AND GAS RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

Symbol

255,147,893.66

Quantity Traded 150 150

Value Traded 75.00 75.00

150

75.00

No. of Deals 195 195

Current Price 12.30

Quantity Traded 2,514,239 2,514,239

Value Traded 30,900,246.35 30,900,246.35

Symbol CONOIL

No. of Deals 9

Current Price 36.87

Quantity Traded 7,296

Value Traded 255,578.88

Symbol ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 2 53 23 1 14 102

Current Price 2.23 204.00 165.00 49.66 150.00

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 9 9

Current Price 300.00

Quantity Traded 50,800 157,247 54,808 49 23,360 293,560 Page Quantity Traded 7,984 7,984

Value Traded 113,284.00 31,840,980.43 8,810,180.40 2,311.82 3,693,798.92 44,716,134.45 8 of 11 Value Traded 2,317,461.80 2,317,461.80

OANDO Daily Summary (Equities)

306

2,815,783

77,933,842.60

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,700 2,700

Value Traded 1,350.00 1,350.00

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals Current Price

Quantity Traded 1,680 1,680

Value Traded 1,092.00 1,092.00

Quantity Traded Quantity201,400 Traded 53,000 50,800 157,247 54,808 Page 49 23,360 293,560

Value Traded 880,124.00 Value Traded 52,440.00 113,284.00 31,840,980.43 9 8,810,180.40 of 11 2,311.82 3,693,798.92 44,716,134.45

Quantity Traded 7,984 7,984

Value Traded 2,317,461.80 2,317,461.80

2,815,783

77,933,842.60

Symbol AFROMEDIA

No. of Deals 1 1

RTBRISCOE

Symbol REDSTAREX Symbol TRANSEXPR ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

Symbol SEPLAT

2 2

0.68

No. of Deals

Current Price

9 No. of Deals 2 2 53 23 1 14 102

4.37 Current Price 0.99 2.23 204.00 165.00 49.66 150.00

No. of Deals 9 9

Current Price 300.00

Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 OIL AND GAS Totals Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 SERVICES Advertising Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 AFROMEDIA PLC Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 Advertising Totals

Current Price 0.50

Value Traded 56,699.80 56,699.80 of 11

1,969,342

1

OIL AND GAS Totals Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 SERVICES Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 Advertising

Value of Shares(N)

Symbol COURTVILLE

ICT Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 DANGOTE CEMENT PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals

Quantity Traded

306

Symbol AFROMEDIA

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,700 2,700

Value Traded 1,350.00 1,350.00

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.68

Quantity Traded 1,680 1,680

Value Traded 1,092.00 1,092.00

Symbol Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR Symbol Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals No. of Deals 11 9 2 No. of Deals No. of Deals 2 11 2

Current Price Current Price 4.37 0.99 Current Price Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded Quantity Traded 254,400 201,400 53,000 Quantity Traded Quantity Traded 650 254,400 650 Page

Value Traded Value Traded 932,564.00 880,124.00 52,440.00 Value Traded Value Traded 338.00 932,564.00 338.00 11 9 of

Symbol Symbol CILEASING IKEJAHOTEL

No. of of Deals Deals No. 32 32

Current Price Price Current 0.50 3.85

Quantity Traded Traded Quantity 650 3,200 650 3,200

Value Traded Traded Value 338.00 11,712.00 338.00 11,712.00

Hotels/Lodging Printing/Publishing IKEJA HOTEL PLC PLC. ACADEMY PRESS Hotels/Lodging Totals LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Printing/Publishing Totals ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC Road Transportation UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Daily Summary as of 10/08/2015 Printing/Publishing Totals Road Transportation Printed 10/08/2015 14:32:06.006 Totals

Symbol Symbol IKEJAHOTEL ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL Symbol ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA Symbol UPL ABCTRANS

No. of of Deals Deals No. 43 73

Current Price Price Current 3.85 0.81

Quantity Traded Traded Quantity 3,200 150,340 3,200 599,541

Value Traded Traded Value 11,712.00 121,784.40 11,712.00 625,844.59

3,270 Quantity Traded 753,151 150,340 Quantity 599,541 Traded 3,270 30,000 753,151 30,000

18,737.10 Value Traded 766,366.09 121,784.40 625,844.59 Value Traded 18,737.10 16,200.00 766,366.09 16,200.00

Road Transportation Transport-Related Services ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC PLC AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS Road Transportation Totals NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES ANDEQTY LOGISTICS PLC Activity Summary on Board NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © SERVICES Transport-Related Services Totals

Symbol Symbol ABCTRANS AIRSERVICE NAHCO

Current Price Price Current 0.54 2.00 4.70

Quantity Traded Traded Quantity 30,000 41,300 30,000 165,789

Value Traded Traded Value 16,200.00 82,429.44 16,200.00 794,232.39

Current Price 2.00 4.70

207,089 Quantity Traded 41,300 165,789 Page 207,089

876,661.83 Value Traded 82,429.44 794,232.39 11 10 876,661.83 of

Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000 Page

Value Traded 3,980.00 3,980.00 10 of 11

Automobile/Auto Retailers Activity Summary onPart Board EQTY

R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals SERVICES Courier/Freight/Delivery

Courier/Freight/Delivery Activity Summary on Board EQTY Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

RED STAR EXPRESS PLC SERVICES TRANS-NATIONWIDE Employment Solutions EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery C & I LEASING PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Employment Solutions Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Employment Solutions Hotels/Lodging C & I LEASING PLC. IKEJA HOTEL PLC Employment Solutions Hotels/Lodging Totals Totals

Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Daily Summary (Equities)

Daily Summary (Equities)

2 No. of Deals 13 4 No. of Deals7 12 13 1 No. of of Deals Deals No. 41 191

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO Symbol CAVERTON

23 No. of Deals 4 19 23 No. of Deals 1 1

SERVICES Totals

1.04 6.03 Current Price 0.81 1.04 Current Price 6.03 0.54

Current Price 3.99

57

1,253,870

2,610,263.92

EQTY Board Totals

3,262

146,702,468

1,436,891,141.43

Equity Activity Totals

3,262

146,702,468

1,436,891,141.43

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund Name LOTUS HALAL EQUITY ETF STANBIC IBTC ETF 30 VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Symbol LOTUSHAL15 STANBICETF30 VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 3 5 9

Current Price 10.41 96.01 14.26

Quantity Traded 15 6,440 13,010 19,465

Value Traded 156.15 620,114.40 193,192.60 813,463.15

ETF Board Totals

9

19,465

813,463.15

ETP Activity Totals

9

19,465

813,463.15

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Page

11

of

11

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

7 killed in fresh attack in Plateau villages JAMes AbrAhAM, JOS

T

here was tension in Barkı Ladı local government area of Plateau State yesterday, following the killing of seven people in three different attacks in the area.

In one of the attacks, unknown gunmen lay ambush on some cattle grazers in Kassa village and killed three people.

In the second attack, a truck loaded with four cows was attacked on its way to the Cattle Market in Bukuru, Jos South LGA. The owner of the cows, one Alli Suleiman was killed, but the driver of the truck, Samaila Ibrahim escaped with bullet wounds.

In the third attack, three bodies were spotted along Barkin Ladi road, apparently dumped by assailants.

The three bodies were later discovered to be that of three Fulani young men who left Saminaka, Kaduna State to visit their kingsmen in Sho village in Barkin Ladi.

The three young men were attacked by gunmen while on their way to Sho village.

It was alleged that they were abducted by the gunmen and taken to

North

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

unknown destination.

They were killed by their captors and their bodies dumped on the highway.

Secretary Miyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Barkin Ladi chapter, Muhammed Adam Muhammed, confirmed the attack to newsmen in Jos yesterday.

Adam also said: “Three of our brothers were coming from Saminaka to pay a visit to their brothers in Sho; the victims were communicating with their host while on transit.

“They inform their host that they were already in Bukuru heading towards Sho, but when their host tried to call them 30 minutes later, their phones were switched off. Their bodies were found at about 6:30pm last Sunday.

“The names of three of our cattle grazers killed in the second attacks are Hamza Damina, Khamalu Hussein and Ahnass Husseini.

We have recovered all their bodies from where they were killed,” he said.

The Special Task Force, STF, on Jos crisis code named operation ‘safe haven’ could not be accessed to confirm the attacks as well as the casualties.

49

Kogi people enjoy dividends of democracy –Wada

K

ogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada yesterday dismissed insinuation that his government has not done anything tangible for the people of the state.

Wada said contrary to allegations by the opposition, the administration has made remarkable progress in the last four years in many areas, especially agriculture, more so, when it has been difficult to attract investors to the state as a result of the recent security challenges.

The governor, who spoke in Lagos, said the performance of a government can only be measured in the context of resources that are available, adding that as such, much progress had been made in the state since his assumption of office.

Capt. Wada was in Lagos to receive the HOG Magazine’s Governor of the Year Award.

The governor said those accusing him of nonperfor-

mance were those interested in becoming governor.

He said: “In terms of performance PDP in Kogi has done well, we don’t expect our opponents to praise us anyway, with over 22 cases instituted after the elections, some of them still in court, even when the election is approaching. “They will always find something wrong, but, when you look at the resources at our disposal, we have done well, to enable us win the coming election in the state.”

He said the state is now a major rice producer in the country, with about 20,000 hectares of land dedicated to the cultivation of the commodity, which is already yielding between 300-500 metric tonnes per annum.

In addition, the governor said more people are now going into farming in the state.

In the area of infrastructure, Wada said the state has constructed and rehabilitated about 700 kilome-

tres of roads in addition to some other projects.

“We constructed and rehabilitated over 700km of roads, which include Lokoja International Market road, Lokoja township roads, Ganaja-Otokiti bypass, Idah township road, Ankpa-Okaba roads, Odenyi-Ogunma road etc.

“We resuscitated the Kabba dam water scheme, Ozi dam, and water scheme in Ankpa, Ayingba, Idah, Egbe, Isanlu, Agaliga, Ajaka and over 200 rural communities benefited from the rural electrification project,” he said.

Wada however said revenue expectation has been low, which affected the performance of his administration.

The governor said the administration was able to raise the revenue profile of the state from the inherited N180m to N550m.

On his second term bid, Wada said he was not expecting any automatic ticket as the only person that

was accorded that privilege in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Normally when you contest for the leadership of a state, people show interest and see the incumbent as a challenge, because you are incumbent, it is just for you to follow the procedure to allow for fairness in the choice made. The party takes decision on issue, and you have to abide by the party decision,” he said.

He refuted the allegation making the round that the national leadership of the PDP demanded N1bn from him in order to support his second term bid.

“Whoever passes out such information is a liar and that is evil machination. In Kogi State, we don’t have N1bin, if we have, we will use it for infrastructure development. I can tell you nobody or the National Working Committee, NWC, demanded such money from me.”

CAN lauds Shettima for sponsoring 69 clerics, others to Jerusalem InusA ndAhI, MAIDUGURI

C

hristian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Borno State, yesterday, lauded Governor Kashim Shettima for sponsoring 69 clerics and 251other Christians to Jerusalem on pilgrimage.

This was made known when the CAN leadership in the state visited the governor.

Leader of the delegation, Hon. Aimu Foni expressed gratitude to the governor for the gesture, despite the huge resources being expended on the ongoing insurgency in the state.

CAN said the pilgrims under the leadership of Foni with Rev. Titus Pona and Rev. Enoch Ati-

yaye, as spiritual leaders behaves maturely in the Holy Land.

Foni said the delegation consisted of 67 pastors and evangelists, adding that Hon. Ayuba Wakawa, a member representing Hawul state constituency led the first Batch of 50 pilgrims who were airlifted immediately after the flag-off on Saturday 25th July 2015 from Abuja.

The delegation informed the governor that they prayed for the restoration of peace in the state and beyond.

Responding, Governor Shettima said the state belongs to all irrespective of religion, as according to him, everybody who pays his/her tax should enjoy the resources of the state.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima after unveiling a gallery of 19 Heads of Government of old North-Eastern State and Borno from 1967 to date, at the Government House in Maiduguri., yesterday.

We need additional 7,000 police personnel in Kaduna –El-Rufai AzA Msue, KADUNA

K

aduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday appealed to Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, to deploy additional 7,000 policemen to the state.

El-Rufai, who made the appeal in his office during a courtesy call on him by Deputy Inspector General of Police, IGP, in charge of North West zone, Mammah

Ibrahim Tsafe, explained that, the state was under policed and need more personnel to enforce law.

The governor said the success of security campaign against cattle rustlers was a collaborative efforts and commitment of five neighboring state governors, adding that, Kaduna State took the rustlers activities personal as it lost more cattle than any other.

He said: “The joint security operations against

cattle rustlers were a collaborative efforts of all the governors involved, just that the activities of rustlers were more serious in Kaduna State. We took it personal because our people lost more cattle than any other state.

“We were lucky because Nigerian Army One Division headquarters is here in Kaduna and our committed Police Commissioner. I observed that, before the general elections,

Kaduna police command was different from others in terms of professionalism and commitment. I and the deputy governor will continue to do our best for the police. Law enforcement will be enhanced and crime will reduce,” El-Rufai said.

On his part, Tsafe commended the governor for being security conscious and committed to end cattle rustlers in the affected areas.

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Industrialisation: Nasarawa partners Chinese firm IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

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Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal (middle); Paramount Ruler of Bogoro, Chief Ishaku Komu (second left); Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro (second right), and others, during a courtesy visit by Leaders of Sayawa Community in Bauchi State to the governor in Sokoto, yesterday.

Court orders sale of N20m house over N.8m debt WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

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four-bedroom bungalow worth N20 million belonging to a roadside carpenter has been sold on the order of an Ilorin Magistrate’s Court over a debt of N800,000.

The carpenter, Michael Aremu, according to sources, said to have toiled for years to realise his dream home, got into trouble when he was invited into a business and incurred the debt for which the court ordered his house to be sold when he could not offset it.

The magistrate, Mrs. Maryam Salau Qudus, gave the order on Thursday, July 30, and was allegedly executed in a strange manner by 6:30am on Friday, July 31, by a high court bailiff called Mallam Issa, who was accompanied by four heavily armed policemen and a

team of labourers ferried in a government Toyota Hilux van marked ‘Kwara AO1-15 KW’.

With cover provided by the armed policemen, the labourers were said to have woken up the family of the carpenter, who had allegedly gone out and threw out his belongings into the street before hurriedly raising the fence of the house and locked it up.

The magistrate, Qudus, was said to have given the order to enforce an earlier one given by Justice Sulyman Kawu, now chief judge of the state in a suit KWS/72M/2013 after one Asabe Balewa, said to have bought the house for N3 million on auction from the High Court approached the magistrate’s court for an order to take possession of the house.

National Mirror was told that the balance, after deducting the carpenter’s

debt was still being kept in the High Court treasury at the time of filing this report yesterday.

Speaking with this reporter, Aremu said he was not informed of the decision to sell his house neither was the auction done in the premises of his house.

Asked if there was an adequate advertisement before auctioning the house, the carpenter said there was no notice pasted on the building neither any newspaper or media announcement calling for bidders.

Also, he said no document was given to him by the court that the house had been sold to the man who claimed to have bought the house neither by the high court nor the man himself except that he was coming on Saturdays and Sundays to frighten his family that he would soon come and throw them out of the house.

“To show that they did

not inform me before selling my house, the documents of the building are still with me. They did not tell me and did not ask for the documents. They know I am an illiterate and they are hell bent on cheating me,” he said.

The carpenter said the only document he received however, was a magistrate court summon where the buyer; Asabe Balewa was seeking the court order to take possession of his house.

He said that though he was in court on Friday when the magistrate ruled that he should surrender the house, he was however, shocked that a team of heavily armed policemen came to throw his belongings, his three children out of the house as early as 6.30 the following morning when he was away looking for an alternative accommodation.

asarawa State government yesterday said it has partnered a Chinese firm, Tongyi Allied Mining Limited, to fast-track the construction of a proposed cargo airport and an industrial district in the state.

Already, a proposal to that effect has been reached between Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and the Chinese firm during a breakfast meeting at Nasarawa State Government Lodge, Asokoro in Abuja.

This was contained in a press statement issued to journalists in Lafia by Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ahmed Tukur.

The special assistant added that when the industrial district was constructed, it would accommodate industries, especially

Kogi warns residents over River Niger water level WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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ollowing increase in the water level of River Niger, warning from Lagdo dam in Camerun and another warning by the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, of impending flood, Kogi State government has warned residents along the water plain to move to higher ground.

Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi, gave the warning in his office after a meeting of the State’s Flood Manage-

Seven babies born at Mubi transit camp

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even new births were recorded at Mubi transit camp for Nigerians returning from Cameroun, this is as 5,762 returnees have been transported by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to internally displaced people camps in Yola, Adamawa State.

Health workers were said to have assisted in the safe delivery of seven pregnant women, of four girls and three boys, who are all in stable condi-

tion.

Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, had earlier visited Mubi to officially receive the returnees and assured them of Federal Government’s support.

He was accompanied

by Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, as most of the returnees, who were displaced by insurgency before fleeing to Cameroun, are from Borno State.

Meanwhile, Director, Search and Rescue of NEMA, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, who is coordinating the evacuation, disclosed that 4,641 of the returnees were transported at the weekend in addition to the earlier 1,121 out of which 650 have been further transported from the camps in Yola to Borno State.

He said: “ We have moved the returnees from Mubi Reception Centre and all of them at the Nigerian/Cameroun border

post in Sahuda, after clearance by the NIS and other security agencies to IDP camps in Yola.”

He also said that more returnees were still being expected at the border post while those transported to Yola have been taken to the IDPs camps in Damare NYSC camp and Malkohi and a new location in Fufore for proper supports and care by NEMA. He assured that all returnees arriving at the border would be fully

smelting plant that would generate power using coal and iron that are in commercial quantity in the state.

Accordingly, he said the cargo airport, situated in Lafia, the state capital, is to be financed by the Chinese firm, even as the firm will as well complete the Moribund Farin Ruwa Hydro Power plant.

He further stated that the firm has also agreed to take advantage of the newly built Karu International Market to construct a shopping mall and other facilities to augment the state government’s effort in boosting the economy of the state.

Tukur said: “Governor Al-Makura’s idea in this direction is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s proclamation to unbundle other sectors of the economy for job creation, power generation and diversification in revenue generation of the country.”

supported and taken to the IDPs camps for proper care.

As the returnees arrives the IDPs camps, NEMA officials managing the camps immediately provided them with food to eat, beddings, clothing and other basic supports.

Also, at the transit camp in Mubi, NEMA provided them with foods.

Health officials of the Adamawa State Government and members of the Nigerian Red Cross Society are also supporting the IDPs at the camps.

ment Committee, stressing that the state was better prepared to handle any negative effects of flooding that may occur this year in the state.

Awoniyi explained that the State Flood Management Standing Committee has identified nine local governments, Ibaji, Bassa, Idah, Lokoja, Kogi, Ajaokuta, Omala, Ofu and Igalamela Odolu LGAs to be affected by the predicted flood, noting that adequate preparation have been made to cushion the effect in the event it becomes devastating.

He appealed to residents of the areas to evacuate their domain, adding that the 2012 incidence was strange, coming after 40 years and urged residents to run for their lives.

Awoniyi who stated the state would identify and set up IDPs camps, however, said unlike the 2012 episode; schools would not be used.

Also speaking, the state Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Alice Ogedengbe, stated that SEMA and its officials are on the red alert to meet the challenges of the expected flooding.

She added that SEMA will partner with relevant agencies to mitigate the effect of the flood if it occurs.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

51

World News

“That is not a sustainable situation because Europe can’t protect itself and preserve its standard of living and social infrastructure, if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa.

–BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, PHILIP HAMMOND

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he European Commission yesterday approved 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion) of aid over six years for countries including Greece and Italy that have struggled to cope with a surge in numbers of immigrants.

Italy is to receive the most aid - nearly 560 million euros, while Greece will receive 473 million.

Tensions have escalated this year as thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa try to gain asylum in the European Union.

Calais, a bottleneck for migrants attempting to enter Britain illegally through the Eurotunnel from France, has seen several migrant deaths this month.

Britain has already received its 27 million euros from the commission in emergency aid funding, which it applied for in March. France will receive its 20 million euros later this month.

However, neither country has requested additional aid for security in Calais and will not receive funds from the aid programs announced yesterday.

“We are now able to disburse the funding for the French national program and the UK has already received the first disbursement of its funding,”

EU approves 2.4 billion euros funding for migration

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‘Cameroonian police free children after years in chains’ Military police have raided a house in Cameroon and freed around 70 children who were being held captive and were suffering from disease and hunger.

Some of them had spent three years in chains and had scars inflicted from beatings, officers told local media.

The head of an Islamic school who owned the house in the northern town of Ngaoundere has been arrested.

The arrested man denies any wrongdoing, saying parents willingly sent their children to his “correctional centre”.

The Koranic school master is also reported to have married two young girls who were imprisoned in the house.

The military police, known as gendarmes, say all the children are now free and are being given medical help before they being reunited with their families.

Body found at site of Ghana petrol station blaze

An Italian coast guard officer helps Syrian refugees from Kobani in the port of Kos, yesterday

Natasha Berthaud, a European Commission spokeswoman, told a news conference.

“Both of these programs

will, amongst other things, also deal with the situation in Calais.”

The Commission plans to

UK releases Rwandan spy chief case

UK court has rejected a bid to extradite Rwanda’s spy chief to Spain to stand trial for his alleged role in massacres after the 1994 genocide.

Karenzi Karake was on bail in the UK following his arrest in June on a warrant issued by Spain.

His arrest strained diplomatic relations between the UK and Rwanda.

A Spanish judge indicted Gen Karake in 2008 for alleged war crimes. The UK ruling has been welcomed by Rwanda’s Justice Minister Johnston Busingye.

Gen Karake had been the victim of “an unjust case”, he said.

Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said she was “delighted” that Gen Karake was returning to Rwanda.

“This was an unnecessary and abusive process,” she said in a tweet.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame had strongly condemned

AFRICA BULLETIN

approve an additional 13 programs later this year, which will then be implemented by EU member states.

Authorities in Ghana’s capital Accra have recovered a body from one of the buildings destroyed in a petrol station inferno more than two months ago, in which at least 154 people died.

The body was found in the rubble of a shop, gutted in the 3 June blaze, after locals complained of a foul smell.

A BBC correspondent in Accra says it raises questions about whether there could be more bodies at the site.

Ghana observed three days of official mourning for victims of the fire.

An official investigation, which released its report last week, found that the fire had started after a discarded cigarette came into contact with a large amount of fuel, which had leaked out of the station and mixed with pools of flood water.

Gen Karake’s arrest, saying the which some 800,000 Tutsis and Rwanda has always mainUK was showing a “colonial” moderate Hutus were slaughtered tained that Gen Karake was innoby Hutu extremists. mentality. cent, and the charges were politiGen Karake is also accused cally motivated.

He was on an official visit to London when police arrested of ordering the killing in 1997 of His defence team included Chethree Spanish nationals working rie Booth, former UK Prime Minhim.

Spanish investigative judge for Medicos del Mundo. ister Tony Blair’s wife.

Andreu Merelles had indicted Gen Karake, along with THE GREAT MOUNTAIN OF PEACE DELIVERANCE BIBLE CHURCH DIVINE ASSURANCE BIBLE CHURCH 39 other current or The General public is hereby notified that the above named church has The General public is hereby notified that the above named church with former high-ranking applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for the registration under headquarters in Benin City has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990.

Abuja for the registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Rwandan military Act No. 1 of 1990. officials.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. APOSTLE OKON AKPAN IDIOKE He was accused 1. Pastor Mabel Idahosa 2. PASTOR DANIEL SAMUEL OTON 2. Rev. (DR) Christopher Sadoh of killing ethnic 3. PASTOR FRANCIS INYANG 3. Pastor Festus Ohenhen 4. PROPHETESS MARY ENO UDOUDO Hutu civilians in 4. Sis Prescious Idahosa 5. DEACON AKNIYENE SUNDAY 5. Bro. Kenneth Erhumwunse both Rwanda and 6. Deacon Paul Osarenkhoe AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Democratic Repub7. Elder Ejoor Udi 1. To preach the gospel of Christ in all parts of the world. lic of Congo, after 2. To establish and maintain churches and missions in Nigeria and foreign lands.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 3. To train, ordain license candidates, for the work of the Gospel ministry.

1. To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world.

Mr Kagame’s Rwan2. To establish and maintain churches and missions in Nigeria and foreign dan Patriotic Front Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar lands.

General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent , off 3. To train, ordain and license candidates for the work of the Gospel ministry.

(RPF) came to power Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this in 1994.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar publication.

General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent , off The Tutsi-domAguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this SIGNED: CHRIS AWILI & CO. publication. inated RPF helped 08035024275 SIGNED: CHRIS AWILI & CO. 08035024275 end the genocide, in

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror The wild allegation of bias and partisanship in the fight against corruption shouldn’t have come from respected and distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria.

– PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI

Dare akogun

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ational Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has arrested one Victor Ebuka Okeke in connection with the revalidation and sales of expired food products in Anambra.

The 24-year-old indigene of Anambra State, confessed that he imports most of the expired products from Ghana NAFDAC raided the suspect’s one-room-factory shop stocked with illegal and expired food products like Costa Corned Beef, Maggi Sauce, Exeter Corned beef and Amoy Dark Soy Sauce.

Two drums filled with ordinary water which he used to immerse the products and remove the labels from the expired products without any trace and replace with new labels, were also discovered in the factory.

The agency also disclosed it has arrested another five suspects for alleged sale of expired products.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Paul Orhii, who was represented

by Kingsley Ejiofor, Head of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, made the disclosure in Lagos.

Mr. Orhii said the arrests were made in the last few weeks and that investigation was ongoing.

He revealed that one Charles Onyekachi was arrested for an alleged counterfeiting of Derica Tomato paste, adding that the

NAFDAC nabs 6 for sale of expired products

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Lagos High Court has granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the traditional ruler of Olofin of Isheri, Oba Nurudeen Adekanbi and six others from trespassing on a parcel of land situated at Isheri-Oke Church, Isheri, Lagos State Government.

Delivering judgement in a suit instituted by Princess Josephine Momoh over the disputed land, Justice Yetunde Idowu held that the evidence of the claimant as to how she purchased and obtained the Power of Attorney to manage the land is clear and consistent.

Justice Idowu however dismissed the counter claim filed by the defendants and observed that the evidence of the Defence Witnesses were contradictory and confusing.

The Plaintiff, had in suit Number ID/1664/99 prayed the court to retrain the traditional

Dare akogun

O

NAFDAC Director General Paul Orhii, inside a warehouse discovered by the agency stocked with counterfeits drugs.

PHOTO: DARE AKOGUN

product was discovered in Kano and traced to Lagos.

“Onyekachi imported 1x20ft container from China and shipped to Cotonou, Benin Republic from where it was transported to Kano.

“He has registered products with the agency among which is the Tomatoes paste.

“He now sells his registered brand along with the counterfeit to discredit the popular Derica Tomatoe Paste with intent to gain market space.

“The quantity and value of the

counterfeit released into the market is four times that of his own brand. The counterfeit product is worth N8 million.

“A criminal charge has been filed against him at the Federal High Court, Lagos,” he said.

Mr. Orhii said the agency also arrested two suspects, Tochukwu Ozala and Obiora Ochuba for production, distribution and sale of counterfeit Maxiquine Syrup.

He said the suspects were arrested by the police in Onitsha with four bags of empty bottles

of Maxiquine Syrup, four litres of white liquid chemicals, one bottle of unlabelled substance and 12 empty cartons.

He said Mr. Ozala during interrogation claimed that the Maxiquine Syrup belongs to one Emma who is at large.

“On Feb. 12, the same Ozala was arrested for counterfeiting of a popular brand of Codeine containing Cough Syrup.

“The first case is still being investigated when he committed this.”

Land dispute: Court restrains monarch, others from trespassing wale igbintaDe

Police arrest 38 suspected cult members

ruler, Lasisi Kudoro, Akin Kudoro, Adisa Adejonwo, Yinka Ajenifuja and unknown trespassers by themselves their agents, servants thugs, privies from committing any further acts of trespass on the land dispute.

Justice Idowu rejected the counter-claims filed by the defendants but granted the reliefs sought by the claimant.

The court stated that evidence of the claimant as to how she purchased and how she ob-

tained the Power of Attorney to manage and supervise the vast of land out of which she had purchased is clear and consistent.

Justice Idowu also held that the evident of the claimant’s witness 2 (CLW2) on the land and how they were in undisturbed possession of the land is also clear and consistent.

The court held that the Law appears to be well settled that a person who purchased land and

Man stabs friend to death in Ondo ojo oyewamiDe, AKURE

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21-year-old man, Kunle Akinyemi, has been reportedly stabbed to death by his friend in Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Eyewitnesses said the deceased was stabbed in the chest by his attacker, who has been on the run since the incident occurred.

The victim was said to have been rushed to the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, where he died while receiving treatment.

Cause of the fight that led to the victim’s death was not known as at the time of filing this report, but the State Police Command is currently investigating the matter.

A police source disclosed that it was the victim’s father, one Ajeleso Akinyemi, who came to

put in possession obtains an equitable interest.

The claimant had sought for a declaration that the plaintiff as attorney for the Ikumoworo family is entitled to the statutory right of occupancy over that piece or parcel of land situated, lying and being at Isheri-Oke Church, Isheri, Lagos State Government and which the land is more particularly described an d edged RED on the plan to be filled in this action.

the police station in company of one Femi Akinyemi to report the incident.

Police Public Relations Officer, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident, saying the command had launched a manhunt for the culprit.

Ogodo disclosed that the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, for discreet investigation.

peratives of Rapid Response Squad, RRS, have arrested 38 suspects who are alleged to be members of cult groups in Somolu area of the state.

The suspects were nabbed at over the weekend, when a team of policemen from RRS responded swiftly to distress calls from a concerned citizen about criminal activities and other unlawful engagements of the suspects in Somolu area of the state.

It was learnt that the suspected cult groups had announced to initiate new members of the public who are interested in joining their fold.

The team of RRS operatives headed by SUPOL Olabode Aroge moved to scene while they were beating drums and some eating pepper soup in preparation for the commencement of the initiation.

Those who were caught at the point of arrest were 29 male and 9 female, and they were immediately conveyed to the squad’s headquarters in Alausa, for further interrogation.

The Commander of RRS, ACP Olatunji Disu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, implores citizens to always furnish the Police with useful information.

According to him, “The Police cannot do much without information. As a result of this, we are appealing to the public to furnish us with useful information that will aid our Modus operandi “, the Commander noted.

Following the Police’s investigation, the suspects are amongst cultists and social miscreants disturbing the peace atmosphere in the area.

“The suspects are terrorizing law abiding citizens in the area while some of them specialized in bag and handsets snatching, pick-pocketing and all other nefarious activities during day and night.

ACP Olatunji Disu, further said that the operation of the Policemen is to complement the efforts of the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, commitment to ensure maximum security of lives and properties within the metropolis and rid the state of criminal activities by the people of underworld.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Self-belief is the most important thing.

And I have never stopped believing in my ability to excel –Chelsea striker, Radamel Falcao

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

53

Sport

Buhari to host special athletes

54

AAG: CAF selects two Nigerian referees T Cletus Itodo scored yesterday for 3SC

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hooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) has ended a fiveyear wait to win their first game on the road in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

The Ibadan club defeated Heartland 3-1 at the Rojenny Stadium in Oba near the commercial town of Onitsha yesterday after the game was abandoned on Sunday because of heavy downpour.

According to supersport. com, Coach Gbenga Ogunbote gave new-signing, Danladi Isah, a start in goal while Fortune Omoniwari, who joined Heartland last week, also got the nod for his debut with the club.

The game resumed from the 26th minute when it was abandoned the previous day and it was the two debutants, who made the clash look like it was a game between Omoniwari versus Isah rather than Heartland versus Shooting Stars.

On the half hour mark, Isah spread out himself well to deny Omoniwari a debut goal. Six

Shooting Stars break five-year jinx

...beat Heartland 3-1 at Rojenny minutes later, Tope Orelope fired 3SC in front from 20 yards leaving Heartland goalkeeper, Emmanuel Iwu, with no answer to his attempt.

Five minutes to the break, Omoniwari, who was in the centre of Heartland’s every attacking move, stung the palms of Isah again.

Right on the break, Omoniwari got his debut goal from a Kingsley Ajaero’s cross inch perfect cross, as Isah could not stop him this time.

If Heartland thought they had hurled themselves back in

the game, Ogunbote’s men had other ideas as Cletus Itodo restored 3SC’s lead two minutes into the restart before Najeem Olukokun doubled their lead on 64 minutes to make the scoreline 3-1.

Goal attempts by Omoniwari and Babangida Hassan in the 80th and 85th minutes respectively were smothered by the impressive 3SC goalkeeper Isah as they moved into the top half of the standings in the Globacom Nigerian top flight.

The Ibadan club last won a game on the road in the top

flight on February 20, 2010 when they defeated Gateway FC 2-1 at the Ilaro stadium.

Timothy Idogbe scored twice for 3SC on that occasion.

Meanwhile, Kano Pillars defender, Isaac Loute ‘Nene’ is on the look-out for a new club after he amicably parted ways with the Pillars last week.

The attacker turned defender was one of the regulars for the reigning champions but has been a peripheral figure since the return of Mohammed Baba Ganaru to the Pyramid City.

he Confederation of African Football (CAF) has invited two Nigerian referees to officiate at the football tournaments of the 11th All Africa Games taking place in Brazzaville, Congo next month.

While Amao Opeyemi will officiate in the men’s event, Bosede Momoh will be involved in the women’s tournament of the AAG holding from September 3 to 18th.

CAF also picked Nigerian referees, Abel Baba and Ferdinand Udoh, as assistant referee 1 and reserve referee respectively for the CAF Champions League Group A match between Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco and Smouha FC of Egypt, billed for Tetouan on August 23.

Nigeria will present teams in both football tournaments of the 11th All Africa Games, unlike the no-show that the country had at the 10th All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique in 2011.

Super Falcons, winners over Mali in the qualifiers for women’s event of the AAG, will contest against host Congo-Brazzaville, Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire in Group A, while the U-23 Men’s Team will battle Ghana, Senegal and Egypt in Group B. Group.

The NFF said in a statement yesterday that the latest recognition of Nigerian referees is down to its capacity-building programme which saw two batches of referees going to the United Kingdom for educational purposes in December 2014 and February 2015.

54

Sports

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Buhari to host special athletes

Omeiza ajayi ABUJA

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resident Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Nigeria’s team at the recent Special Olympics in Los Angeles, USA and has announced plans to host the contingent after their arrival in the country.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a statement yesterday that the president was delighted at the team’s diligence and dedication at the games in which they won a total of 71 medals, including 34 gold medals.

“The President applauds the special athletes’ inspiring victories in Los Angeles which, he believes, epitomize the true Nigerian spirit and his personal conviction that whatever challenges we face as a nation, we can overcome them dedication, hard work and perseverance,

and rise to the highest possible levels of accomplishment,” the statement said.

“The president said he was happy to understand that the contingent gave a superlative performance at the Special Olympics in which they won medals in all featured events.

“The President looks forward to receiving members of the team at the Presidential Villa to celebrate their successful outing,” the statement concluded.

DStv Men’s B’ball: Stallions eye continental honours Paul erewuba

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nion Bank Basketball team of Lagos believes it can be among the top two teams that will represent Nigeria at the African Club Championship.

The Final 8 play-off league championship, which dunkedoff yesterday at the National Stadium, Lagos, has Kano Pillars, Kada Stars, Mark Mentors and Gombe Bulls from the Savannah conference and Lagos Islanders, Dodan Warriors and Nigeria Customs from the Atlantic Conference.

The winner and runner-up will represent Nigeria at the FIBA Africa Club Championship.

General Manger of Union Bank, Hon. Tunde Popoola, who is also the Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, said the team aimed one of the tickets.

“The fact that we finished second behind Lagos Islanders

DStv subscribers and fans during the Live Screening of the European Premier League new season held at Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos last Saturday

MultiChoice fetes fans at EPL kick-off

L President Buhari

during the Atlantic Conference top 6 play-off in Lagos is not enough for anybody to underrate us,” Popoola said, adding, “The boys are well motivated to do us proud.”

In a related development, the AMK Foundation over the weekend donated a tour truck of over 48 feet to FIBA Africa Zone.

“It is beneficial that we have our own so that we can put our synthetic floors, up rights, balls, score board and many more and just move to the venue,” FIBA Africa’s Vice President and founder of AMK Foundation, Engineer Musa Kida, said at the presentation of the truck to FIBA Africa Zone 3 President, Col. Sam Ahmedu (rtd), adding, “Our foundation is committed to the zone and ensuring the development of basketball at all levels.”

Ahmedu described the donation as a boosts to the zone, saying, “We look forward to a rewarding partnership with AMK Foundation.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

overs of football were treated to a full day of unforgettable football action as leading video entertainment provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, hosted them at a live screening of the first group of matches of the Barclays Premier League last Saturday at Landmark, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event teemed with football enthusiasts, including DStv and GOtv subscribers, football analysts and media guests who witnessed a high definition broadcast of the matches alongside live studio commentary and analysis from SuperSport on-air personalities.

“The event is designed to bring the game of football closer to viewers while creating a convivial atmosphere of fun and excitement which sets the tone for the season,” General Manager Marketing and Sales, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, said.

“SuperSport will showcase over 900 live international matches throughout the season, an offering unmatched anywhere on the continent,” he added.

Mabutho also thanked partners and broadcast sponsors Guinness, Glo and Samsung for making the SuperSport live screening of the 2015/2016 European football season kick-off

event a memorable.

Barclays Premier League matches will unfold mainly on SuperSport 5 (225) which is now Africa’s new 24-hour home of the EPL. SuperSport 3 (223) will also host considerable EPL matches, even as it becomes home to other international football competitions such as the La Liga and UEFA Champion’s League.

A variety of informative magazine shows and live programming will complement the live football. They include PLTV Kick Off, Match Day Live, Fan Zone, Saturday/Sunday Review, Football Today, Classic Matches, Netbusters and Match of the Week.

NPWFL: Coach hails Queens’ ‘super show’ afOlabi Gambari

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oach of Confluence Queens Football Club of Lokoja, Suleiman “Zico” Adamu has saluted his players for their 3-0 victory over Adamawa Queens on Sunday.

Following their Week 10 walkover of FC Robo at their Onikan Stadium in Lagos, the Wada Queens returned home on Sunday to consolidate on the away points with a comfortable whipping of the Yola side on Sunday.

Experienced defender, Tosin Emmanuel, opened scoring in the 32nd minute with a tricky

header off a corner kick for her first ever goal e for the club.

Falconets left back, Famuditi Oluwakemi, scored from the spot in the 69th minute before striker Lola Philips sealed the win with a fine finish in the 71st minute.

Adamu said his players’ output had raised team confidence ahead of their Federation Cup clash with Rivers Angels in Enugu tomorrow.

“I can tell you that Rivers Angels will have their hands full,” the coach said, adding, “It will be a tough game considering the Angels are Federation Cup defending champions but we will

triumph.”

Confluence Queens will thereafter keep a date with Ibom Angels in their NPWFL clash next weekend.

Gov. Idris Wada

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

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Mercyjacob_26@yahoo.com Tel: 08063056537

Warri 2015 fallout:

‘Foreign athletes’ output fell short’

T

echnical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, says he is dissatisfied with performance of foreign-based athletes at the recent All-Nigeria Athletics Championships in Warri, Delta State.

Nesiama insisted that the experienced athletes had no reason to perform below expectation, even as he hinted that the AFN would evolve plans to replace star athlete Blessing Okagbare whose

recent outings could render her spent at the forthcoming meets in Congo and Beijing.

“Whatsoever is their excuse, we are not satisfied,” Nesiama told National Mirror.

“The god aspect is that most athletes at the Trials were motivated that it is a World Championships year and they showed how ready they were at meeting the required standards.

“The truth is that other countries have started encroaching on the sprints and

short distance races where Nigeria used to excel. So we have decided to match them in their areas of dominance and then see where that takes us.

“By next year we will introduce many athletes that we have been grooming for the future, especially male athletes, who will give the established ones a run for their money.

“As the saying that goes, Rome was not built in a day.

It took almost ten years to develop Okagbare before she attained stardom today.”

Nesiama shuns IAAF poll comments

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arely one week to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) election slated for August 19 in Beijing, China, Navy Commodore Nesiama, says he has no comments on the poll, although he is among the contestants for positions in the world athletics ruling body.

Nesiama, who is vying for a seat in the IAAF Technical Committee, told National Mirror that it was not time to talk as he looked forward to the election.

“I am in the race and that is all I can say,” he said.

Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) President, Solomon Ogba, is also running for one of the nine individual

IAAF Council member seats as is former AFN secretary general, Maria Wophil, who is contesting for chairperson of the IAAF Women’s Committee.

Ogba will however confront Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks (double sprints silver medalist at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta; Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco who won the 400m hurdles gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Bahama’s Pauline Davis-Thompson, Abby Hoffman of Canada, Alberto Juantorena of Portugal, Kenya’s Isaiah Kiplagat, as well as Momar Mbaye and Theophile Montcho of Senegal and Benin Republic respectively, among other former track and field stars.

Okagbare

Aussies release Beijing list

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thletics Australia hasconfirmed that an Australian Flame team of at least 42 athletes will go to the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015.

The star-studded team boasts of 2013 world championships medallists Kim Mickle and Jared Tallent, and 2014 Commonwealth Games champions Eleanor Patterson, Alana Boyd and 2009 discus world champion Dani Samuels.

“Excitingly the team is likely to grow in the coming days as the IAAF extend invitations via their new roll down process,” Athletics Australia Chairman of Selectors, Dion Russell, said, adding, “This will see the team edge toward the 46 athletes who competed in Moscow two years ago, which was the equal second largest ever team we have sent to an IAAF World Championships.”

German athletes criticise IAAF in video message

Nesiama

Star Quote…

To be number one, you have to train like you are number two.

–Maurice Greene

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group of athletes led by Olympic discus champion Robert Harting has released a video message criticising track and field’s world governing body over recent doping allegations.

Harting, a three-time world champion who won Olympic gold in London in 2012, has been a

vocal critic of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

He declined to be considered for the IAAF’s “Athlete of the Year” award in 2014 because he did not want to appear alongside candidates who have served doping bans, including U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin.

Bitel raps IAAF over doping

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hief Executive of the London Marathon, Nick Bitel, has criticised the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) over its failure to clamp down on doping in the sport.

Bitel said he was very concerned by allegations that the London Marathon was won seven times in 12 years by athletes

who recorded suspicious blood scores.

Reports on Sunday revealed fresh claims of doping by elite athletes in the world’s six biggest public marathon events, saying one in four winners of those races–34 in total–recorded blood scores that suggested they may have doped to boost their performance.

WORLD RECORD

Firstmarathon evidencedribbling of organised running Fastest two basketballs

N150

Vol. 05 No. 1174 Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The earliest evidence of organised running was at Memphis, Egypt c.

3800 BC. Information from Archives .

On the growing clamour for wage increase

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he subject of wage increase has been a contentious one in our nation over the years. In 2011 for instance, agitation by various labour interests over the minimum wage palaver nearly threw the country into a state of confusion. While labour stuck to its gun, some state governors offhandedly claimed that they did not have the resources to pay the N18, 000 minimum wage being demanded by labour. Till date, it is yet to be ascertained if all the states of the federation have fully complied with the spirit of the agreement reached with labour on 2011. As for the private sector, most employers of labour are yet to actually embrace the 2011 Minimum Wage Act. Based on the provision of the Act signed

Guest Columnist

Tayo

Ogunbiyi

into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2011, the minimum wage is supposed to be reviewed every five years. The implication of this is that the current wage will be due for appraisal by next year. Consequently, some labour leaders have been advising the federal government, and rightly so, to begin the process of the preparation in terms of gathering information and analysing them, in order to have the law reviewed for another five years. Indeed, at a recent parley with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Ayuba Wabba, revealed that labour is already working on a wage increase proposal, which he urged the Senate to quickly approve considering the biting economic situation in the country. Particularly hinging their argument on the dwindling economic fortune of the country and its ensuing hardship on workers, some labour leaders are already benchmarking N90, 000 as the most reasonable minimum wage for workers in the country.

Undoubtedly, labour is both morally and constitutionally correct to negotiate for a new minimum wage with the Federal Government. On the moral side, it could be argued that since the political class has learnt how to take care of its share of the national cake, labour leaders equally have a moral obligation to protect the interests of their members. Indeed, considering the hard reality of our current economic predicament, labour is well justified to demand for wage increase. Similarly, as previously stressed, by the spirit of the 2011 Minimum

UNDOUBTEDLY, LABOUR IS BOTH MORALLY AND CONSTITUTIONALLY CORRECT TO NEGOTIATE FOR A NEW MINIMUM WAGE WITH THE

FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT

Wage Act, labour has a legal ground upon which it could justify any agitation for the appraisal of the current minimum wage.

However, in as much as labour has a good ground to start clamouring for wage increase, it is, however, important to stress that labour should, for once, change strategy and consider other options. If, indeed, the welfare of Nigerian workers is paramount, as one would want to believe, to labour leaders in the country, insisting on wage increase as the only way out of workers’ current and obvious economic woes would be counter-productive. As a public servant, one is a critical stakeholder on this issue. Hence, one is actually arguing from a pragmatic point of view.

It needs to be emphasised that from past experiences, previous wage increases, only helped to assuage workers economic miseries over a short period of time before the inflationary reality of such increase begins

to agonizingly dawn on them. Consequently, any rigid insistence on wage increase by labour leaders, especially with the present economic downturn in the country, might eventually consume rather than console the workers. Since wage increase agreement is always announced with much fanfare by government and labour, one does not need to be a classical economist to conjecture how market forces and other variables would immediately react to such increase. Your guess, of course, is as good mine.

Alternatively, therefore, one would like to canvas that our labour leaders should concentrate more energy on ensuring that government make more concessions in areas that would have direct and immediate impact on workers’ welfare such as provision of housing loans or indeed, affordable houses. As a matter fact, labour should constructively engage all tiers of government on the needed to effectively and creatively meet the housing needs of workers across the country. Aside, food and clothing, shelter remains one of the most essential elements required for human survival. Hence, labour leaders need to properly engage the government on how to creatively fashion ways through which this all important human need could be practically met. Once a man is assured of shelter, half of his problem is considered solved. Of what essence is a salary raise that ends up in the hands of shylock landlords?

The NLC and other workers unions in the country must begin to look beyond wage increase agitation as the only answer to the improved welfare of their members.

The NLC and its affiliate bodies should begin to take on critical issues in the society such as decayed infrastructure, incessant power failure, corruption, bad governance, declining education standard, etc.

Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

Sport Extra

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ound-for-pound boxer, Floyd Mayweather, has hit back at critics of his choice of opponent Andre Berto for next month’s Las Vegas title bout, which is expected to take him into the history books.

Boxing: No going back on Berto bout –Mayweather He is widely expected to beat Berto on September 12, instead of a more dangerous opponent such as Britain’s Amir Khan, to equal Rocky Marciano’s legendary unbeaten record of 49-0 to ce-

ment his own place in the folklore.

“They say no-one in the sport will buy the fight. I picked him because he is an exciting fighter,” Mayweather said yesterday.

“How many championships has Khan won? Two. Berto has won two also,” he added, stressing, “My job is to go out there and be a chess player and that is what I do to win.”

Mayweather and Berto

came face to face in Los Angeles on Thursday last week for a press conference to launch the countdown to the fight with trash talking asthe fighters stared down at the front of the podium.

Mayweather

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