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Dogara cautions President on subsidy removal

Boko Haram kills 43 in Borno

FG assures on oil sector reforms

ROTIMI FADEYI AND TORDUE SALEM

Vol. 5 N0. 1155

peaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara yesterday warned Presi-

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

dent Muhammed Buhari that removing fuel subsidy by fiat has legal implications. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

National Mirror Online

...suicide bomber kills self at military checkpoint P.4

Shettima

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N150

Buhari sacks Service Chiefs, appoints replacements ...names Olonishakin as Chief of Defence Staff, Monguno new NSA IN

ROTIMI FADEYI AND UBONG UKPONG

P Maj-Gen Olonishakin, CDS

Maj-Gen Monguno (rtd), NSA

Maj-Gen Buratai, CoAS

OUT

Real-Adm Ibas, CNS

Air Vice-Marshal Abubakar, CAS

resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday appointed new Service Chiefs and National Security Adviser, NSA. This followed the sack of all Service Chiefs and NSA inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan. New Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, is Maj. Gen. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Bailout fund:

TUC tackles Ondo govt Air Chief Marshal Badeh, CDS

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Col Dasuki (rtd), NSA

Lt-Gen Minimah, CoAS

Vice Admiral Jibrin, CNS

Air-Marshal Amosu, CAS

…warns against diversion

P.8

Okonjo-Iweala took $1bn for Jonathan’s re-election –Oshiomhole

...only forensic auditing’ll show how much was taken from Federation Account P.2

Standing order: Senators risk further split

P.6

News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Okonjo-Iweala took $1bn for Jonathan’s re-election –Oshiomhole SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

overnor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of Edo State has accused immediate past Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala of illegally taking $1bn from the Federation Account to prosecute the reelection bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Edo State Government for Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Deputy Directors entitled: “Enhancing IGR in Edo: issues, prospects and challenges,” the governor asked the former Minister to tell Nigerians how the Excess Crude Account was drawn down to $4.1bn from the peak of $10bn when no approval was given by the National Economic Council, NEC, for any withdrawals. Oshiomhole, who said Okonjo-Iweala would have been declared a pathological liar if she was a witness in court due to the inconsistencies in her statements said only a forensic auditing, will truly determine how much was illegally spent from the Federation Account under the ex-Minister’s watch. He said” “The truth is, many things went wrong even at the federal level. As you might have read in the papers, while the Federal Government, under Goodluck Jonathan, with the then Coordinating Minister of the Economy liked to blame governors for waste-

ful spending, for not saving for the rainy day, for not investing properly, the truth is the real weakness in the Nigerian federal chain has been the Federal Government. “Our hope is that with the new President, given his pedigree, we will break from the past, as I’m sure, you will soon begin to hear when all the numbers are published. “Last week, I complained aloud that Edo State lost about N10bn over a four year period from only one source, the NLNG remittance to the Federation Account. “How did I arrive at the figure? I used my 4-Figure Table and I asked myself at $2.1bn remitted by NLNG as taxes and Shell, and by the way, Shell is not the only oil operative, we have Chevron and several others. “They shared the $2.1bn based on the revenue allocation formula and Edo State got about N2.27bn. “So, I said, thank God this money came after the departure of Okonjo-Iweala and President Jonathan. If the PDP were still in charge in Abuja, this money would have been taken. “That is not the only money Edo State Government has lost. You have heard of the last installment of $4.1bn that was in the Excess Crude Account, ECA, as of November, 2014 and from that time till today, we have not, when I say we: federal, states and local governments have not touched that money. We have not agreed

to take anything out of it. Yet, it has been drawn down to about $2 billion. Which means: $2.1bn disappeared. “If you listened and followed the conversation, when I made this allegation after the National Economic Council, NEC, meeting that the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala took $2.1bn without approval and spent it in a manner that was never accounted for, she replied that I lied and said that it was the commissioners and herself who agreed to distribute that money to the three tiers of government and that FAAC is the most visible expression of our true federalism. And that we shouldn’t claim that FAAC is unknown to us. That FAAC is a creation of law and so on and so forth... “I’m going into this, because, as public servants, you need to understand not

just the finances of Edo State but also the finances of Nigeria, particularly as they affect our state. “Now the Commissioners of Finance met and they looked at themselves and they looked at OkonjoIweala and they submitted to Okonjo-Iweala that: ‘Madam, you lied, not Oshiomhole; because in truth, we have no powers to decide withdrawals from the ECA and that power is vested in the governors at the level of the National Economic Council.’ But whether it is vested or not, we never, ever resolved to share money from that account. “Now the former Minister, confronted with these hard facts, now shifted the argument that ‘oh no, it is not FAAC that approved it. It was the former President Goodluck Jonathan that approved it.’ “President Jonathan as

far as the law of Nigeria is concerned, or any President, his approval is limited to funds of the Federal Government, not funds of the federation. “Funds of the federation can only be approved by governors and representative of the President as reflected in the composition of the National Economic Council that is made up of governors and chaired by the Vice President with the CBN Governor and Minister of Finance and others as members. “But there’s so much confusion now that OkonjoIweala can say one thing in the morning and tomorrow she will say I never said so. If she were a witness in a court of law, she would be declared a pathological liar whose evidence is of no value. “So governments have lost a lot of money and the $2.1bn, Edo State’s share

of that, because that would have included derivation we would have made about N2.6bn. That, we have lost now to Okonjo-Iweala. “Now that she claimed she used it, between herself and the last President, they agreed to take the money to pay oil marketers. “But if you talk to those oil marketers, they will tell you that within that period, they were paid $1bn not $2.1bn. So, in truth, about $1bn was taken for election purposes and Edo State’s share of that should have been about N4.6bn from that $2.1bn that Dr Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala, illegally took from Excess Crude account. “For clarity, that is not the only money they have so illegally taken. “If you look at the total number at a point, the excess crude account peaked at $10bn and we now heard it dropped to $4.1bn.”

Participants at the Chief of Army Staff 2nd quarter conference in Abuja, yesterday.

Buhari sacks Service Chiefs, appoints replacements CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin, who replaced Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, while the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, is Maj. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai. He replaced Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah. Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas takes over from Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin as Chief of Naval Staff, while Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar replaced Air Marshal Adesola Amosu as Chief of Air Staff. Buhari also named Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan as the Chief of Defence Intelligence, while Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) is the Na-

tional Security Adviser, replacing Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd). According to a statement issued yesterday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, Maj. Gen. Olonisakin, (N/6901) hails from Ekiti State and until his appointment was the Head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger State. Maj. Gen. Buratai hails from Borno State and until his new appointment was the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force which has its headquarters in Ndjamena, Chad. He has previously

served as Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 2nd Brigade in Port Harcourt and Commander of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna State. Rear Admiral Ibas (NN/0746) hails from Cross River State and was enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 26th Regular Course in 1979 and was commissioned as a SubLieutenant in 1983. His previous appointments include: Naval Provost Marshal, Chief Staff Officer, Naval Training Command, Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters, Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command and

Chief of Logistics, Naval Headquarters. Until his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Navy Holdings Limited. Air Vice Marshal Abubakar (NAF/1433) hails from Bauchi State. His previous appointments include: Chief of Standards and Evaluation, NAF Headquarters; Chief of Defence Communications and Air Officer Commanding, NAF Training Command. Until his new appointment, he was the Chief of Administration, NAF Headquarters. Air Vice Marshal Morgan hails from Benue

State and was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer in June, 1982. His previous appointments include Air Officer Commanding, NAF Logistics Command. Maj.-Gen. Monguno (rtd.), hails from Borno State and was a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 21st Regular Course. Before his retirement from the Army, he held several command and staff appointments, including: Commander, Guards Brigade, Deputy Commandant, National Defence College, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Chief of Defence Logistics

and Commander, Training and Doctrine Command. The statement said the new Service Chiefs would hold their appointments in acting capacity until confirmed by the Senate. Buhari thanked the outgoing Service Chiefs and NSA for their services to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours. The new Service Chiefs met with the President for some hours after their appointments. When approached by State House Correspondents as they emerged from the office of the President after the meeting, the Service Chiefs refused CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday July 14, 2015

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Photo News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

L-R: Principal Private, Sector Specialist, African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr Emmanuel Akinwumi; Acting Division Manager of AfDB, Masumbuko Robert; Chairman, Board of Directors, Amb Adamu Aliyu; Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture, Prof. Danbala Danju and Executive Director, Corporate Services, Alhaji Mohammed Sambo, during AfDB’s Scoping Mission to Partnership with the Bank of Agriculture on Financial Inclusion in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

L-R: Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mamoud Muhammed; Administrator, National Judicial Institute, Justice Rosaline Bozimo and Chief Judge of Cross River State, Justice Okoikpi IItam, during a workshop for Secretaries of Court Registrars in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Deputy Corps Marshal/Motor Vehicle Administration, FRSC, Mr. Charles Theopilus; Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Production Marketers Association, Mr. Olufemi Adebayo Adewole; Corps Marshal, FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi and Deputy Corps Marshal Operations, Mr. Adei Abu, during a meeting with Tanker firms in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

L-R: Director, Water Health Nigeria, Mr. Omolola Satar; Public Affairs Officer, US Consulate, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab; Deputy Governor, Ogun State, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, and Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr Sesan Sobowale, at the commissioning ceremony of Water Health Centre, donated by Guinness Nigeria Plc to Adigbe Community in Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday.

National News Inusa ndahI MAIDUGURI

resh attacks last weekend by Boko Haram have claimed at least 43 lives in Borno State. This was even as a suicide bomber yesterday blew himself up at a military checkpoint in Jimtilo, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the state capital. The sect on Friday attacked the villages of Kalwa, Misala and Gwollam, all in Monguno Local Government Area, during which 43 villagers were killed. Local security sources in the area said 43 corpses were found on the morning of Saturday. State Police Commissioner, Aderemi Opadokun, responding to a text message confirmed the attacks. Opadokun said: “Information revealed that gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists, invaded Kalwa and Gwollam villages in Monguno Local Government Area; many persons were reported killed and several houses burnt. But we assure the public that patrol is in progress in the

Boko Haram kills 43 in Borno •Suicide bomber kills self at military checkpoint area.” A senior member of the Vigilante Group of Nigerian, VGN in Monguno, Mr. Haruna Bukar, said many villages in the area were being attacked almost on daily basis by the insurgents. Bukar, who said he had to relocate to Maiduguri, also told journalists that the gunmen attacked Dankyali village on Saturday night, but could not provide any casualty figure. In a related development, a suicide bomber detonated an

Improvised Explosive Device, IED, at a checkpoint, killing himself in the process. According to Garba Gora, a civilian JTF at the checkpoint, a bus driver told security men that they were suspicious of one person in the vehicle, who, they suspected was carrying IED. He said: “We quickly ask those in the vehicle to come down for thorough check. As we were about to check the man, the IED went off and killed the suicide bomber, while one of our colleagues

sustained injury.” Confirming the incident, the Zonal coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar said the suicide bomber succeeded in killing himself only. Meanwhile,, the police in Nasarawa State yesterday confirmed the killing of two members of a vigilante group in Kofar Gwari ward of Kokona local government area. The police also said that the attack left two others with various degrees of in-

jury. The state Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, Ismaila Umar-Numan, confirmed the killing in Kokona. The incident happened when some members of the vigilante group in the area were having their meeting on how to address the space of reckless killings and kidnapping of innocent people. He said: “We have received information this morning that some members of the vigilante groups in Kokona local government

area were having their meeting when unknown gunmen who were fully armed came from nowhere and started shooting sporadically into the air and killed two vigilante members at a spot. “Other two members sustained various degrees of injury and I want to call on the people of the area and the state at large to remain calm and be law-abiding as police are doing their best to ensure the protection of lives and property in the state,” he said.

at New Kuchingoro as part of the commission’s activities to commemorate the 2015 World Population Day. He said the visit was to enable it know what condition of life people lived in at the camp. “The living condition here is deplorable, though it can be made better; I see

determination to survive on the faces of people who live in the camp. “In people, who are assisting them there is determination to help; I think that everything is working well, but the issue of sanitation is something that needs the attention of government. “Anything that can be pro-

vided to them to make their life better will be a worthwhile exercise,” he said. Duruiheoma explained that the essence of the World Population Day was to draw attention to the plight of these groups of people and provide a collective sustained platform for assisting them.

Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, also said that there are about 1,500 IDPs in Kuchingoro camp. Mohammed said the board intends to make use of the visit to talk to the IDPs on their health since it is World Population Day.

NPC boss decries Abuja IDPs’ living condition

hairman, National Population Commission, NPC, Eze Duruiheoma, yesterday decried the living condition of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the FCT, describing it as deplorable. Duruiheoma made this known while visiting IDPs

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Dogara cautions President on subsidy removal CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Dogara suggested that the President should seek a repeal or amendment to an existing Price Control Law and also set up a Price Control Board in the Presidency. He gave the advice, while receiving in audience, a delegation of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, led by Elder Chinedu Okonkwo. “We cannot achieve subsidy removal without repealing or amending the Price Control Act, if

we do that, it will be ultra vires. Democracy is a rule of law and dialogue,” Dogara warned. The Speaker commended IPMAN for its doggedness and contribution to the growth of democracy and the economy of the country. Earlier, Okonkwo, who was accompanied by other officials of IPMAN, said the body was in partnership with investors from Peru to inject $4bn into the country’s refineries. The president said his

association had several strategies to arrest the misery of Nigerians in the oil sector. He said the association was interested in building refineries as a long term strategy to eliminate the perennial fuel shortage in the country, but would engage in short-term measure in the interim through importation at no cost to government. “We have programmes; short term, medium term and long term. In our short term, we believe, giving the necessary back-

ing, that is by way of giving us licence or giving us this SWAP, you could call it barter where we can collect crude and bring equivalent of it refined to the country, without collecting any money by way of subsidy or anything. “That one is the immediate thing we can do right now to flood the country with products. “And in our programme too, like you’ve been hearing, we have two refineries that we are putting up, the company has been floated, Aggeh refinery

L-R: Former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and Chairman, Wole Soyinka Centre for Media Lecture Series, Prof Ropo Sekoni, during the 7th Wole Soyinka Centre for Media Lecture Series in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Buhari sacks Service Chiefs, appoints replacements CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

to comment. They simply walked to their waiting vehicles and drove out of the Presidential Villa. Before they were relieved of their positions yesterday, the former Service Chiefs were at the Presidential Villa earlier in the morning, where they met with Buhari. There had been strong indications that the Service Chiefs, appointed by Jonathan would be sacked shortly after the inauguration of Buhari on May 29 following calls by many Nigerians to that effect. They were accused of incapable of tackling the Boko Haram insurgency in the country. A top military source at the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, told our correspondent that even though the sack was long expected, it was too sud-

den. Minimah, the sacked Chief of Army was holding a high-powered meeting with top Army officers under the auspices of the COAS second Quarter Conference, 2015, when they heard about the sack on social media. The conference had in attendance all Principal Staff Officers, Army, in DHQ, General Officers Commanding, GOCs, Departmental Chiefs at the Army Headquarters, AHQ, Commanders of Joint Task Force, JTF, Special Tasks Force, STF and Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF among others. The source said Buhari was very uncomfortable with the conference, which led to his sudden decision to hurriedly ask that the announcement be made and changes effect-

ed before the conference was over. Before going in for the crucial aspect of the conference, there was an order that no telephones or recording materials were allowed during the brainstorming session that was done behind closed-door. The closed-door session was to get briefs and discuss matters of military intelligence and operations, with the Chief of Military Intelligence and that of Operations anchored under the supervision of the COAS, as usual. The source said the session was going on smoothly, when officers became very disturbed, whispering to one another when news started filtering in over the sack as the COAS was busy discharging his duty. At the COAS con-

ference, Minimah had praised Buhari for being supportive and reassuring to them on the war against Boko Haram. “I wish to thank our CI-C (Commander-In-Chief) for his continuous support to the Nigerian Army and indeed the Armed Forces of our great nation. “His sustained effort at national, regional and international levels towards addressing insecurity in the country since assumption of office has reassured us that victory over the Boko Haram Terrorists is in sight,” he said. Only on Thursday last week, Dasuki came on air for the first time since President Jonathan left office. To address Buhari’s policy reversal on the dismantling of military checkpoints, which raised the hope of his likely retention.

and Creek refinery. “The Aggeh refinery will be built in Bayelsa State, while Creek will be built in Itobe, Kogi State. The Kogi State government and people have given us about 1,385 hectares of land at Itobe river. We intend to build about 200,000 barrel a day refinery there and another 200,000 barrel a day in Bayelsa. “These will go a long way in reducing this incessant importation where we are losing our foreign reserves. A lot of our teeming population will be gainfully employed here and these products will be available. “There are chains of products that will come out that will also boost other industries, like the paint, pharmaceutical and others. “This is our plan and we are moving forward and our foreign partner, the Watercarbon Filed of Peru and their training arm, Blue Oil in London are ready and willing,” he said. President Buhari however said his administration will handle the issue of subsidies on petroleum products with care. According to him, lack of security, sabotage, vandalism, corruption and mismanagement, not necessarily subsidies are the most serious problems of the country’s oil sector. A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu said Buhari spoke after receiving a briefing from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and other agencies in the oil sector. Buhari said that he would carefully review all the submissions he had received on the need to remove subsidy. “I have received many literatures on the need to remove subsidies, but much of it has no depth. “When you touch the price of petroleum products, that has the effect of triggering price rises on transportation, food and rents. That is for those who earn salaries, but there are many who are jobless and will be affect-

ed by it,” “We have to go back to the good old days of transparency and accountability,” the President said. He directed NNPC to review existing agreements for the swapping of crude oil for refined products with a view to injecting more honesty and transparency into the process to reduce costs. The President also asked NNPC management to do more to improve the supply of liquefied gas. Meanwhile, President Buhari has assured investors that his administration would implement farreaching reforms to boost accountability and transparency in the oil and gas industry. Speaking at a meeting with senior officials of Chevron, led by the company’s President for Africa and Latin America, Mr. Ali Moshiri, Buhari declared that his government was ready to effectively address the myriad of challenges in the sector. “We understand the situation in the industry and we will do our best to address the challenges affecting exploration, production and distribution of oil products in the country,’’ the President told the delegation. Acknowledging the merits of the Amnesty Programme initiated by late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to reduce violence in the Niger Delta region, Buhari said his administration would build on good aspects of the programme. He added that he would also implement other measures to enhance security in the Niger Delta and optimise investments in the sector. In his own remarks, Moshiri urged Buhari to restore the confidence of international investors in the industry. He identified improved security in the Niger Delta as key to increased investment in the sector. Moshiri said Chevron, which has 36.7 per cent interest in the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, was keen to support the country’s gas sector and bring more electricity to consumers.

News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Standing order: Senators risk further split …rule prescribes zonal equality for c’ttees’ chair

GEORGE OJI ABUJA

he new Senate Standing Order 2015, which is currently under contention, prescribes equality in the distribution of chairman-

ship of the Senate committees among the six geo-political zones of the country. This new introduction was not in the 2011 Senate rule, which governed activities of the 7th Senate. The new clause, which

is contained in chapter two, Orders 2(3) 2(iv), of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 states that, “The appointment of senators as chairmen and members of the committees shall be carried out in such a manner as

to reflect the six geopolitical zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of senators from a few geopolitical zones.” The implication of this, according to a senator, who spoke under condition of anonymity, is that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, may

end up sharing the chairmanship of committees in equal proportion with the minority Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The Senate currently has a total of 57 standing committees. On the new rule, the senator told National Mirror that “we are working hard to ensure it does not subsist on the floor of the Senate.” Going by the new rule, it means that in the sharing formula, each state will have to produce chairman of a committee, while each zone will produce nine chairmanship positions each. The further implication of this is that the South-

South and South-East, being the stronghold of the opposition, will have to enjoy equal share of the chairmanship seats. The new senate standing orders has been a subject of controversy. The Senate Unity Forum a fortnight ago, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, urging him to investigate the source of the new rule, which the forum described as forgery. The petition, which was signed by Secretary of the forum, Senator Suleman Othman Hunkuyi, claimed that there was no record of the rule being amended by the 7th senate.

NICON Insurance bags reliability award President Muhammadu Buhari (seventh right); Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (seventh left); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum, Mr Taiya Haruna (sixth right); Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr Nebolisa Emordi (second left) with Directors in the Ministry of Petroleum after a meeting with President Buhari, at the presidential President Muhammadu Buhari (seventh right) Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (seventh left) Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum, Mr Taiya Haruna (sixth right); Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr Nebolisa Emordi (second left) with Directors in the Ministry of Petroleum after a meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

N1.2bn fraud: Judge orders Orosanye’s release before bail ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to allow detained former Head of Service of the Federation, HoS, Steven Oronsaye, to go home pending when it would hear a bail application he filed on July 21. The trial court judge, Gabriel Kolawole, ordered Orosanye’s release after turning down a request by EFCC to remand the former top bureaucrat in prison till tomorrow to allow the court respond to the formal application for bail filed by him. The EFCC had yesterday arraigned Orosanye alongside two others, Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, before the Federal High Court in Abuja for conspiring to loot N1.2 billion from the nation’s treasury between March 2010 and December 2011. Justice Kolawole,

who refused EFCC’s request, held that sending Orosanye and his alleged accomplice, Osarenkohe Afe, to prison would be punitive. The trial judge, who declared that he had past relationship with Orosanye at the commencement of the arraignment process in court yesterday, said he could vouch for the accused person that he would not bolt away if allowed temporary freedom before his bail application could be heard. He however ordered that both Orosanye and his suspected accomplice, Afe, should not be allowed to breathe their air of freedom until their lawyers had submitted separate letters of undertakings that they would be produced in court for the bail application. Instead of fixing hearing of the bail application for tomorrow as suggested by EFCC, Kolawole gave the parties July 21, as return date. The judge however dared EFCC to go on appeal if not satisfied with

his order in the matter. He explained that he would not like anybody carrying any rumour about his relationship with Orosanye, hence had to disclose that he had met with him on a number of occasions but not on personal level. He specifically said that he met with Orosanye in seminars and workshops on terrorism financing and at a thanksgiving ceremony but that the relationship he had with him was purely official. He also disclosed that he had a relationship with the incumbent chairman of EFCC too. But less than 20 minutes after he ordered the release of Orosanye and Afe, the letters of undertaking demanded as condition to allow them go home were, however, produced in court yesterday as if the letters had been prepared before the ruling. The accused were thereafter assisted out of the court premises yesterday through the judg-

es’ gate to avoid photo journalists and camera men taking their pictures. In the charge filed before the court by the EFCC, the former top bureaucrat alongside two other persons, Osarenkhoe Afe and Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited, allegedly siphoned N1.2 billion from the federal treasury during Orosanye’s tenure as head of the civil service. The anti-graft agency alleged that one of the accomplices in the alleged crime, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, who is now at large, all connived to commit procurement fraud in the biometric enrolment job purportedly awarded to Innovative Solutions Limited without following due process. Oronsaye and his coaccused persons however pleaded not guilty to the 24-count charge. The court thereafter slated October 28 and 29, November 3 and 5, and December 2 for trials of the accused persons.

ICON Insurance Limited, the doyen of insurance companies in Nigeria, has been conferred Africa’s Most Reliable Quality Insurance Company of the year 2015 Award at an event organised in Lagos by African Quality Institute (AQI) together with South African Quality Institute (SAQ) and the Chartered Quality Institute in the United Kingdom. Editor of Quality World Journal, Michael Abugo, while announcing NICON Insurance as winner of this year’s edition, stated that the award was initiated to celebrate leadership innovation and creativity in quality management in Africa. Abugo, who doubled as Master of Ceremony at the event, revealed that “the award is aimed at identifying, recognising and rewarding companies, personalities and products that apply quality assurance culture to achieve corporate objectives in both profit and non-profit organisations in Africa.” The organisers also revealed that this year’s award was based on the outcome of a technical committee made up of international quality professionals from South Africa and Nigeria, including officials of Ghana Bureau of Standards, GBS, Uganada Bureau of Standards,

Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, National Standard Bureau Liberia, Africa Organisation for Standardisation, ARSO, and International Organisation of Standardisation. Presenting the award to NICON Insurance Limited, the Managing Director of Sparking Rose Nigeria Limited, Edward Oiku, urged the company to always maintain its quality Standard. Responding, NICON Insurance’s General Manager (Head Office Annex), Steve Ajudua, who represented the Managing Director, Bayode Samuel, said the firm had restructured itself to serve the public better. His words: “NICON Insurance has been re-energised to serve the insuring public better,” adding that “the company is currently Africa’s leading insurance and financial services power house that has snowballed into a global player with newly minted core values that has translated her into an enduring institution of over 40 years. “We have upgraded our human capital template to meet the international standard by ensuring that our staffers are among the best in the industry, in terms of efficiency and customer service prowess.” According to him, vibrant and highly cerebral professionals oversee the enduring institution.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Nigeria airspace records 11,190 over-flyers in four months …Air France Group leads with 1,125 Olusegun KOiKi

he number of over-flyers flying through Nigerian airspace grew to 11,190 between January and April, 2015. In all, there were 298 over-flyers’ airlines that flew through the nation’s airspace between January and April this year. Just as in the previous period, Air France Group had the highest number of over-flyers with 1,125 in four months. The statistics were giv-

en to our correspondent by a source in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA. Month-by-month analysis indicated that in January, the country’s airspace recorded 2,833 over-flyers; in February, it was 2,607; March recorded 8,014, while April’s stood at 2,736 over-flyers. Air France Group, which recorded a total of 1,125 over-flyers within the period, had 801 frequencies in January, 255 in February, 294 in March and 275 in April. Other airlines with high frequencies are

South African Airways with a total 914 flights. The breakdown indicated that the airline had 217 in January, same number of frequencies in February, 247 in March and 288 in April. Also, Ethiopian Airlines Corporation came third with 816 frequencies with the breakdown as follows; 227in January, February had 108, March 248 while April had 288

frequencies. Royal Air Moroc was fourth on the statistics with a total 676 frequencies, January; 177, February; 145, March 172 and April had 179 frequencies. Next on the table was Emirates Airlines with 492 frequencies in four months; January 187, February 127, March 115 and 118 frequencies in April. Also, Asky Airlines with 461 closed followed Emirates. Asky Airlines recorded 70 frequencies in

January, 121 in February, 141 in March and 1298 in April. Others are Kenya Airways with 442 frequencies in four months; Ceiba Intercontinental S.A had 389; Privatair (South Africa) had 340 frequencies; Brussel Airline Fly also from South Africa recorded 321 frequencies; Camair-Co, 291 and Turkish Airlines had 281 frequencies. Others were Iberia-Lineasaereas De Espana with

266; Etihad 244; Egypt Air, 206; Air Namibia, 205; Government of Niger, 195; Tap Air Portugal, 195; KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, 190; Air Mobility Command, AMC, 178; Trans Air Congo, 175; Air Cote D’Voire, 170; Deutsche Lufthansa AG, 165; Condor Air/ Lufthansa, 134; British Airways Plc, 132; Qatar Airways; 127, Cargolux Airlines, 115 and Cronos Airlines with 104 frequencies in four months among many others.

DMO lists FGN bonds, TBs worth N7.6trn on FMDQ OTC platform

ebt Management Office, DMO, yesterday listed outstanding N4.85trn Federal Government of Nigeria Bonds and a quotation of N2.80trn Nigeria Treasury Bills (NTB) on the FMDQ OTC platform. DMO Director-General, Dr Abraham Nwankwo, at the listing in Lagos said it was another attestation of the commitment of government to further develop and deepen the domestic debt market to enhance its performance in the pivotal role of financial intermediation. Nwankwo said the listings would generate savings and investments necessary for economic growth and development. He noted that prior to the establishment of the E-Bond platform by the FMDQ OTC in 2014 the secondary market for FGN securities was done using the Reuters Trading Platform and the ICAP Electronic Trading Community System. Nwankwo explained that although FGN bonds and NTBs were already listed on the FMDQ E-Bond platform and FGN bonds listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the listing of the outstanding securities would boost liquidity. He, however, said the listing of FGN securities on FMDQ OTC was to identify with the laudable ini-

tiative of market operators and regulators in introducing the FMDQ E-Bond platform. According to Nwankwo, the listing would upgrade trading in fixed income securities. He also pledged the institution’s commitment to comply with the listing requirements, adding that DMO would continue to direct all efforts toward ensuring a vibrant domestic debt securities market in Nigeria. Nwankwo urged FMDQ to continue to provide a robust and credible OTC platform for the listed FGN securities to the public and improve market transparency and price discovery. He also called on the organisation to monitor the activities of dealers to ensure accountability and publish relevant market data and information as and when due to guide investors in their investment decisions. Also speaking, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, FMDQ OTC, chairman, Board Listings and Quotations Committee, said the organisation is committed to enhanced transparency and price discovery in the development of the nation’s debt capital market. Oduoza said a lot of benefits would accrue from the listing of government securities.

Former Head of Service, Steve Oransanye, was brought to the Federal High Court by EFCC on corruption charges in Abuja, yesterday Photo: ROTIMI OSASONA

NCC puts number of internet users at 88m

igerian Communications Commission, NCC, yesterday said the number of internet users on the country’s telecom networks had increased to 88,284,193 as at May. The commission, which is the regulatory body, made this disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscriber Data, which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos. The data revealed that there was an increase of 1,228,711 internet users on both the Global System for Mobile Communications, GSM, and the Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA, networks in May. According to the data, 87,055,481 users were recorded on the networks as at April.

It showed that of the 88,284,193 internet users as at May, 88,136,580 users were on GSM networks while 147,613 others were on the CDMA networks. NAN reports that the GSM gained additional Internet customers of 1,231,875 in May, up from the 86,904,705 users recorded in April. However, the CDMA networks lost 3,166 Internet users in May, down from the 150,779 serviced in April. Out of the 88,136,580 internet users recorded on the GSM networks in May, MTN Nigeria had 40,830,146 customers browsing the internet on its network. It stated that MTN had an increase of 1,309,861 internet subscribers in May, after it recorded 39,520,285

users in April. According to the data, Globacom had 19,340,990 subscribers surfing the net with its network in May, down from the 19,690,526 users in April. NAN also reports that Globacom lost 349,536 internet users on its network. Airtel Nigeria, it said, had 17,634,885 internet users in May, as against 17,272,665 customers recorded in April. The data showed that internet users on the Airtel Nigeria network increased by 362,220 in May. It equally indicated that Etisalat had 10,330,559 of its customers browsing the internet in May, as against 10,421,229 users in April. The data showed that those browsing the net

on Etisalat’s network decreased by 90,670 in May. The NCC data also revealed that the CDMA operators (Multi-Links and Visafone), had a joint total of 147,613 internet users on their networks in May. It showed that the only surviving two CDMA networks in the country listed a loss of 3,166 internet subscribers in the month under review, from the 150,779 users they recorded in April. According to the data, Visafone recorded a decrease of 2,765 customers surfing the internet in May, reducing to 147,487, compared with the 150,252 users in April. It also showed that Multi-Links had 126 internet users in May, losing 401 customers from the April record of 527 users.

South West

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Bailout fund: TUC tackles Ondo govt

…warns against fund diversion OjO Oyewamide AKURE

rade Union Congress, TUC, in Ondo State has warned the state government against using bailout funds from the Federal Government to fund capital projects. The congress said the funds should be made to serve its purpose, which is payment of workers' salary arrears. Chairman of the union, Sola Ekundayo, stated this yesterday in a statement issued in Akure. Ekundayo said the money should be used to ameliorate the suffering of govern-

ment workers in the state in order to promote industrial harmony. He assured the state government that the union would always support implementation of capital projects, but that workers welfare should be given priority. The TUC chairman, while calling on workers in the state to remain steadfast, said the union had been monitoring the state government to ensure the money was not diverted. He said: "In view of the present economic hardship facing workers of Ondo State, TUC is hereby imploring the state government to ensure that henceforth, any money that accrues to

the state by way of allocation, bailout, IGR, should be directed towards paying arrears of salaries of workers. "The congress will not tolerate diversion of such fund into any capital project. We are not against embarking on capital projects but our welfare must first be taken care of in terms of salaries and allowances. This is what can guarantee industrial peace in the state. "TUC is hereby asking the state government to do the needful in other to ameliorate the sufferings of the entire workforce of Ondo State. We are also using this medium to ask workers to remain calm and steadfast in their duties as the congress

OjO Oyewamide AKURE

etrol Dealers and Owners Association in Ondo and Ekiti states have said its members cannot sell fuel at government-approved price of N87 per litre. The association said this yesterday during a press conference in Akure, Ondo State capital. It decried the alleged intimidation of its members by officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, for selling above the price recommended by government. Chairman of the association, Jimi Adedapo, said

it was difficult to source petroleum products at the depots of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, adding that members had been sourcing the products through other means at attendant cost. He claimed that the total cost per litre of fuel from Lagos ranged between N104 and N108 while the landing cost per litre from Ogara/ Warri in Delta state was between N105 and N108 per litre. According to Adedapo, the landing cost is exclusive of operating expenses such as diesel to run the stations, staff salaries and wages, strategies, office and pump maintenance.

Police to pay N100m compensation for avoidable death wale igbintade

is seriously monitoring the accounts of the state government with an eagle eye." But the Ondo Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, said there was no plan to use the money meant for workers salaries for other projects. Akinmade said the state government had not received bailout from the Federal Government to pay workers outstanding salaries. According to the commissioner, the state only received N2.2bn, which was part of the June allocation from the Federation Account. He explained that the bailout proposed by Presi-

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle) attending to an accident victim on Osborne Road, Ikoyi, yesterday.

‘We can't sell petrol at N87’

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the Nigeria Police to pay N100 million compensation to the family of former Legal Adviser/ Company Secretary of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, Mrs Patricia Onyeabor, who died in police custody on May 16, 2014. Justice Mohammed Idris gave the order while delivering judgement in a suit filed by daughter of the deceased, Amaka Onyeabor, to challenge the continued detention and death of her mother. Justice Idris faulted the police for denying the deceased access to medical care while in detention. The judge held that the police failed in their responsibilities and that the deceased had a right of liberty to live, but was denied while in custody of the police. Idris added, “If she had access to hospital, she would not have died. The police deprived her of opportunity to visit hospital for the treatment of her ailment. Therefore, the applicant deserves general damages in the sum of N100 million." The deceased’s daughter had slammed a N1 billion suit on the Inspector-General of Police over the death of her mother. Joined as co-respondents in the suit were Lagos State Commissioner of Police and Assistant Commissioner of Police. The applicant had through her lawyer, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) sought a declaration that the unsubstantiated indictment in a letter, leading to the harassment, detention, and intimidation, humiliation and restriction of movement of her late mother since April 25, 2014, until her death on May 16, 2014, by the respondents was wicked, smacked

of gross impunity, unlawful, and breached the fundamental rights of the deceased. Besides, the applicant asked for an order of the court directing the respondents to tender unreserved apology to her and her entire family in any two newspapers circulating within Nigeria. She equally prayed the court for an order directing the respondents to pay her family the sum of N1bn, being general and aggravated damage for unlawful detention, harassment and intimidation of her late mother. The plaintiff averred that her deceased mother received a letter on April 25, 2014, signed by NRC’s managing director alleging that she conspired with 69 other staff of the corporation to embezzle over N1.5 billion between 2011 and 2013, before her retirement from the corporation in February 2014, upon attaining the statutory age of retirement. She added that no report of the purported findings was made available to her late mother prior to her retirement in February 2014. Miss Anukam further averred that her late mother was informed that the aggregated sum of N16.5 million over the period of three years (2011-2013), had been traced directly to her personal accounts as proceeds of the alleged conspiracy to defraud the corporation of N1.5 billion of pension funds. The applicant stated that her late mother was detained at different police formations in Lagos and Abuja till she died on May 16. She added that all efforts by the deceased’s lawyer to secure her bail, so she could get adequate medical care was refused by the police, and that during her detention the deceased suffered stroke and eventually died.

He said: "From the analysis, you will agree with us that it will be impossible for us to sell at the governmentapproved price of N87 per litre.

“One wonders how, as businessmen with responsibilities, we can sell below the cost price. The ordinary law of supply and demand will not allow it.”

Francis suberu

Ambode rescues accident victim in Lagos

n what could best be described as show of concern, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday alighted from his vehicle to assist in the rescue of an accident victim. The victim, Miss Angela Anukam, at about 8:15am, lost control of a Toyota Corolla car she drove, ramming into the

median of Osborne Road, Ikoyi, before the vehicle somersaulted. Worried by what may have befallen the sole occupant of the car, Ambode, who was heading to office via the same direction before the accident occurred, ordered his convoy to stop at the scene to enable him assess the situation and render help.

The governor immediately instructed the ambulance attached to his convoy to convey the accident victim, who was in a state of shock and could barely move or talk, to be taken to the Lagos Island General Hospital for treatment. Miss Anukam’s sister, Amaka, who was contacted shortly after the incident, later said the vic-

tim was treated for minor injuries and discharged free of charge on the order of the governor. She said the ambulance also conveyed her sister back to her residence off Modupe Thomas Estate, Ajah, while the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, assisted in towing her vehicle away to prevent traffic gridlock.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Extra free minute calls excites Glo subscribers

cross-section of Glo subscribers, who have benefitted from the bonus of ‘One free minute for three minutes call’ given under the 200 per cent bonus airtime for calls to all networks, have commended the company for its policy of giving back to customers. Several subscribers, who spoke on the bonus offer, said it has helped them save cost and empowered them to

talk more with their loved ones. According to Mrs. Toyin Famakinwa, a resident of Elebu in Ring Road area of Ibadan said, “I have been enjoying this service for about a month. It has kept me in touch with all my three children in boarding house and this new bonus has helped to reduce the cost of calls. The extra one minute after three minutes

is quite a big deal for people who talk frequently on phone.” A civil servant based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Harrison Edwards, said his attention was drawn to the package by his son, who had been enjoying it for three weeks. Another respondent, Osamuadiamen Oghogho, who sells fabrics at Upper Market, Benin City, said

Glo’s free one minute call after three minutes has assisted her in calling all her customers. For Kaduna-based Abubakar Tanimu, the package has assisted greatly in transacting his national haulage business by giving him extra call time to track his drivers across the country. According to him, “Glo is ‘masugeri’. We are enjoying their ser-

vices.” From Jos, Cynthia James, a student of the University of Jos, noted that the extra call time had given her the opportunity of calling her folks first thing in

CMD laments loss of lives, revenue to doctors' strike hief Medical Director, CMD, of Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, FETHI, Dr. Majekodunmi Ayodele, has said the incessant strikes embarked on by health sector workers have brought dire consequences on the health status of Nigerians. Ayodele appealed to striking resident doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, to have a rethink and halt their industrial action, assuring that all their entitlements and arrears of benefits would be paid. The CMD, who spoke at Ido Ekiti against the backdrop of the ongoing strike in hospitals, lamented: "The impact of these frequent strikes is great. We are losing lives. We are losing revenues," adding that doctors in FETHI should show understanding. The doctors are on national strike to demand full implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, CONMESS, and commencement of payment for the skipping of CONMESS Scale Two to members as directed by the Federal Government. Ayodele debunked ru-

mours making the rounds that the Federal Government has released funds to FETHI for the implementation of the demands of doctors in the hospital. He said: “The templates for the implementation of CONMESS and payment for skipping CONHESS 2 have not been released by the Federal Government, let alone releasing money for their payments.” The added: “The rumour that the funding for CONHESS 2 and CONMESS had been factored into the 2015 budget is not true. We plead with our colleagues to resume work. They must show understanding and patriotism.” Ayodele insisted that the option of strike is counter-productive and not in the interest of the Nigerian populace. The consultant psychologist urged the Federal Government to start a process of restructuring the health sector to discourage workers, including doctors, nurses and others from going on strike. Ayodele, however, praised the consultants in FETHI and corps members, who had been standing in the gap and sustaining services in the hospital.

of salaries would be paid. According to him, primary school and local government pensioners would be paid January pensions. Adekomi further explained that it was also agreed at the meeting that a committee comprising representatives of government and labour unions be set up to conduct screening for all categories of workers and pensioners with a view to knowing the actual wage bill and number of workers and pensioners in the state. Council of Academic Staff Union of Osun State-

Owned Tertiary Institutions, CASUOSTI, has however dissociated itself from the suspension of the industrial action. The union said it was not part of the NLC and the TUC negotiations with government, hence its decision to continue with the strike. Speaking with newsmen in Osogbo, CASUOSTI secretary, Comrade Olusegun Lana, maintained that all tertiary institutions would remain closed until issues of contributory pension scheme and deductions from salaries are resolved.

aBiodun nejo ADO EKITI

L-R: Osun State Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Mr Bayo Adejumo; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Jacob Adekomi; Head of Service, Mr. Sunday Owoeye, and Permanent Secretary, Human Resources and Capacity, Mr Sunday Olajide, during the Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between labour unions and government, to end seven-week strike in Osogbo, yesterday.

Pipeline security: OPC may protest non-payment of three months’ arrears olusegun KoiKi

nother round of fuel scarcity might be underway with the planned protest by an arm of O’dua People’s Congress, OPC, New Age Global Security & Surveillance Company, over three months contract money owed it by the Federal Government. The security outfit was contracted to provide cover for all Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, depots in the South West by the Federal Government earlier in the year, but the same government cancelled the contract about a month ago. At least, over 1,000 workers of the security outfit whose services were dispensed with a month ago by the NNPC are accusing the Federal Government of not paying the money owed them before they were laid off.

The security personnel claimed that following non-payment of the contract money to their employer, they were being owed three months salaries. A source close to the group told our correspondent that the security workers plan to embark on a trek from Lagos to the NNPC depot at Mosimi, Sagamu, Ogun State, anytime from now to block the entrance to the depot and prevent lifting of fuel and other products to filling stations across the South West until their employer is paid the contract sum so that they could be paid their three months salaries. Spokesman of New Age Global Security, who doubles as Vice President of OPC, Alhaji Lateef Lawal, confirmed the planned peaceful protest and wondered why the NNPC refused to pay the contract money of a duly

processed and signed contract. He called on management of the corporation to settle the employer so that “our staff that have been deployed in pipelines security since March this year can be paid their ar-

rears.” Lateef lamented that while the surveillance job lasted, the company lost one of its members from Ogun State who was burnt to dead while pursuing pipeline vandals in Sagamu.

Osun NLC ends strike Boladale BamigBola OSOGBO

ivil servants in Osun State yesterday suspended their two-month-old strike with immediate effect. The decision to suspend the industrial action was arrived at during a meeting in Osogbo between government team and leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the state. At the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed between representatives of the NLC, led by its chairman, Comrade

Jacob Adekomi, and a government team, detailing resolutions arrived at by the parties. Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, Adekomi said government has paid salaries for January and February, 2015, to secondary school teachers and those in core civil service. He added that government has also agreed to pay local government staff and primary school teachers March and April salaries, stressing that whenever the bail-out funds from the Federal Government are released, arrears

the morning and last thing at night. "It is like I am living at home in Lagos as I get filled in regularly about happenings at home. This is quite encouraging. I thumb up Glo!"

South East

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arrears: Pensioners reject installment pay system mo State branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, yesterday rejected 36 months installment payment proposed by the state government to pay the six months arrears owed pensioners. The state government last week entered into agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to spread outstanding pensions for 36 months from August 2015 without going into such negotiation with NUP. The pension union said such step was unrealistic and without human face, adding that it was further attempt by government to sing more requiems over Imo pensioners. Addressing newsmen on the plight of the pensioners in Owerri, the state capital, the NUP state chairman, Chief G.U. Ezeji, disclosed that NLC entered into the negotiation without seeking the mandate of pensioners. “It is not disputable that NUP is an affiliate of NLC, but whenever NLC is going into negotiation with government on issues that affect senior citizens, we should be involved in the negotiation. But where that was not deemed necessary, our mandate on the terms of negotiation must be sought.”

The union called on Governor Rochas Okorocha to immediately pay three months pension from the Federal Government intervention fund and credit facilities from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, while the remaining three months should be paid by end of July. According to the union, the 18 months owed retired primary school teachers should be paid in six installments while the local government pensioners, who are owed six months, should also be paid in two installments of three months each. While giving the state government 14 days notice to treat them as senior citizens, the union appealed to the governor to pay them from the fund released by President Muhammadu Buhari to pay arrears of salaries which the union said automatically includes pension. The pensioners also urged the state government to publish as a matter of urgency harmonisation of pension based on Federal Government six per cent award of 2003, FG 15 per cent award of 2007 and the state government N20,000 minimum wage of 2011. “We also call on the government to pay the arrears of Abdusalam Abubakar 180 per cent award of 1999 and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo 142 per cent award of 2000.

Imo Assembly workers reject 50% pay cut

Chris Njoku OWERRI

taff of Imo State House of Assembly have rejected 50 per cent reduction in their salary. The staff, during a protest, said the salary cheques for May, which were issued on Friday, would not be accepted by any of them. Chairman of Imo chapter of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN, Mrs Ngozi Ofoegbu, told the News of Agency of Nigeria in Owerri on Monday that the slash was unacceptable. Ofoegbu said the staff had been owed salaries since April, adding that most of them had taken loans to survive. The chairman also stated that salaries of staff should not be slashed under any circumstances. “Our salaries were last paid in April, since then

we have been managing to survive. Some of us took loans to enable us sustain our families until salaries were paid. “We were dismayed when we received our cheques and our salaries had been reduced by half. “A junior staff, who receives N40,000 as monthly salary got N20,000. After servicing the loan at the bank, the person goes home with nothing,” she said. Another staff member of the Assembly, Kenneth Anyanwu, said nothing had been said about paying them their arrears. He held that the salaries were hardly enough to survive on before the slash. “As people with families, we have school fees

Members of Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu chapter, on a peaceful protest calling on the Chief Medical Director to pay arrears of their salaries in Enugu, yesterday

N1bn scam rocks Ebonyi education board

AliuNA GodwiN ABAKALIKI

bonyi State Auditor-General, George Ukpai, who was charged to oversee local councils’ account, yesterday uncovered over N1 billion fraud and sealedoff the audit centre of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board, UBEB. In a statement he issued at UBEB headquarters, Abakaliki, Ukpai directed that no further processing, retrieval of information

and house rents and other responsibilities to take care of. “We had hoped that the arrears would be paid in bulk so we can have some-

and other actions related thereto should be made at the centre until further notice. The directive of the Auditor-General came as a result of financial fraud rocking the state’s local government system and the UBEB he oversees. Addressing journalists yesterday at UBEB headquarters after verification exercise in the area, Ukpai, who was flanked by Head of Service, Dr. Chamberlin Nwele; Commissioner for Education,

thing left after paying off debts we had incurred,” he said. Anyanwu urged the state government to reconsider the slash and

Prof. John Ekeh; UBEB chairman, Hyacinth Ikpor; and Special Adviser to Governor Umahi on Higher Education, Itapa Azobu; explained that the salaries of teachers at the Primary and Junior Secondary levels, which was at N532 million, was increased to N1.6 billion by the principal officers. He said that of local government workers at N564 million was increased to over N1bn, which he said accounted for the constitution of verification committee

pay the full salaries. Speaker of the House, Iheanacho Ihim, urged the workers to remain calm as there was no money in the state’s treasury.

by the state government. Ukpai added that the unauthorised increment of salaries by the local government and UBEB officers led to the inability of government to pay May and June salaries of workers, which he said would have put the state government and labour movement on collision course, but for the understanding of workers. He announced that the committee in its preliminary investigation had uncovered large number of ghost workers in the state.

Ihim also said his salary was reduced by over 50 per cent and promised that he would ensure that they received their full salaries.

Abia guber: Tribunal adjourns pre-trial

overnorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia yesterday adjourned to July 24 for commencement of pre-trial of the petition filed by governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. APGA candidate in the April 11 Abia governorship election, Dr. Alex Otti, is urging the tribunal to nullify the declaration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as winner of the election and declare him the rightful winner.

Earlier on Friday, chairman of the tribunal, Usman Bwala, while adjourning sitting, said pre-hearing of the petition would commence on Monday, July 13. However, when sitting commenced yesterday, Wole Olanikpeku (SAN), lead counsel to Ikpeazu, raised an objection to commencement of the pre-trial as earlier scheduled by the tribunal. Olanikpekun said his client was not served with the petitioner’s application for pre-trial as well as Forms

CF007 and 008. He argued that the petitioner must be put on notice before pre-trial would commence and cited Paragraph 18 (1and2) of the Electoral Act to buttress his point. Counsels to INEC and PDP, Messrs Levi Uzoukwu, SAN and Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, respectively, also spoke in the same vein. Their arguments were, however, countered by Otti’s lead counsel, Akin Olujimi, who contended that the said provisions did not make it

mandatory for service of pre-trial motion on the respondents. Olujimi also cited a Supreme Court interpretation of the Act which, according to him, indicates that motion for pre-trial could be made informally, including the use of cell phone, or by motion ex-parte. “If it can be done by exparte motion, it means that the application by the petitioner for pre-trial cannot be put on notice to the respondent,’’ he said.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Eid-el-Fitri: FRSC deploys 300 patrol vehicles, 50 ambulances, 10 tow trucks chidi ugwu ABUJA

ederal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, said it has deployed 300 patrol vehicles, 50 ambulances, 75 motorbikes, 10 tow trucks and over 20,000 personnel, including special marshals, in designated routes as part of measures to ensure sanity on the nation’s highways during this year’s Eid-el-Fitri celebration starting Wednesday. Corps public education officer, Imoh Etuk, in a statement noted that this year’s nationwide exercise, which is in partial fulfillment of the corps’ 2015 strategic goals of reducing road crashes by 20 per cent and fatality by 30 per cent, became necessary to ensure safer road use during the festive period usually as-

sociated with high vehicular traffic. The exercise also entails intensive patrols, prompt rescue services, strict enforcement of traffic rules and robust public enlightenment campaigns across the nation. Part of this nationwide engagement plans, according to Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, is the massive deployment of personnel and logistics in 23 designated critical corridors and black spots such as Lokoja-BeninAuchi, Abaji-Lokoja, Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Hawan Kibo-Jos, Minna-BirninKebbi-Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria, Potiskum-Damaturu, Kabba highways and 65 routes identified for this exercise.” Similarly, the corps’ 24

emergency ambulance response centres located at designated routes across the country in the FCT, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kwara states, will be operational throughout the period. The FRSC will be complemented by relevant stakeholders such as the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Emergency Management Agency, among others. Furthermore, the corps marshal has directed the removal of obstructions from the highways while efforts should be geared towards improved traffic control/ decongestion and public enlightenment campaigns through the distribution of safety handbills. Infractions

such as the use of cell phone while driving, speed limit violation, dangerous driving/ overtaking, overloading/ wrongful overtaking and lane violations will attract severe sanctions from the corps. Motorists are also warned to ensure strict compliance with all traffic rules and regulations and proper maintenance of their vehicles. Passengers are equally enjoined to monitor their drivers on reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and other road vices. The corps equally reiterated its appeal to the Nigerian motoring public to report any road crash or traffic-related emergencies through calling the toll free telephone lines 122 and 070022553772 for prompt response even as

CJN warns judiciary workers against misconduct

ustice Mahmud Mohammed, Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, has said any gross misconduct by judicial employees would attract severe disciplinary action. Mohammed handed down the warning at the opening ceremony of a fiveday workshop for secretaries, court registrars, process clerks and bailiffs on Ethics and Anti-corruption, in Abuja yesterday. “It is imperative for you as judicial employees to be guided by high ethical standards and the code of conduct for judicial employees in discharging your official assignments at all times. “Indeed, it is the code that regulates and prescribes the right behaviour and attitude that must be imbibed by judicial employees in various jurisdictions across the country,” he said. The CJN said the rules contained in the code spell out the way and manner

employees ought to conduct themselves within and outside their places of work. He urged them not to be among the minute minority of unscrupulous persons derailing the course of justice and bringing the Nigerian judiciary into disrepute. Justice Rosaline Bozima, the administrator of the National Judicial Institute, NJI, in her address of welcome warned that unethical practices would not be tolerated in the judiciary. “You must always bear in mind that the efficacy of judicial powers rests largely on public confidence. “You must be hardworking, competent and diligent; these attributes constitute the hallmark of a good judicial employee,” Bozima said. She said the NJI deemed it necessary to conduct the workshop to entrench integrity, transparency and excellent ethical behaviours in the judiciary.

Falana berates critics of Buhari over bailout Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

L-R: Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ibani Ikuinye; Governor Nyesom Wike and Honorary French Consul, Mr. Nicolas Brunet, during the French National Day in Port Harcourt, recently.

Civil defence nabs man with 47 kegs of petrol Francis suberu

combined team of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and Caretaker Committee of Ojodu Local Council Development Area, Lagos, yesterday arrested a man with 47 kegs of premium motor spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol. According to executive secretary of the council, Mallam Ahmed Moyosore Jaji, the middle-aged suspect, Innocent Nwevo, was apprehended by the team in

Ogba area of Lagos. Explaining the circumstances that led to the arrest to journalists, Jaji said the team acted on a tip-off that a tenant in a shop opposite Sunday Retail Market, Ogba, was stockpiling and engaging in illegal sale of petroleum product in the area. Jaji said that being a resident of the area, he mobilised his team for an onthe-spot assessment of the place. He said they didn’t meet the culprit initially, but later got him and discovered several kegs of petrol

carefully concealed behind foodstuff and other commodities in the shop, adding that to avoid being mobbed, the team took both the culprit and the exhibits to the council. “We thank God that an action that could put our lives and properties in jeopardy was averted today, because, who knows what could have happened if this bunkerer was not apprehended; imagine a keg out of the several kegs bursting, the whole environment and this area would have been in crisis. “Thank God, we were

able to avert this. However, having succeeded in nailing the culprit, our next line of action is to hand him over to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for further necessary action. Though, I have at the same time intimated the relevant government agencies especially, the Lagos State government with the discovery,” Jaji said. Answering questions from journalists, Nwevo, who claimed to be a food vendor, admitted that he knew that the business is illegal but that due to his dwindling business, he

uman rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday came hard on critics of President Muhammadu Buhari over the bailout fund given to states, saying they were going against the dictates of the Bible that the labourer deserves his wage. Falana, who spoke at an interactive forum organised by the University of Ibadan staff unions for the

was introduced to it by one Mr. John who resides in Mowe area of Ogun State. Nwevo said he has six shops in the area but unfortunately, those working with him made away with all his fortune and business money, which now made things difficult for him. He added that in order to make ends meet, one of his friends introduced him to the business. He said he purchased the fuel from around Mowe axis and transported it for sale at a price of about N5,000 for a 50-litre keg.

13 aspirants vying for the position of vice-chancellor, held at the Trenchard Hall, said those opposing a good life for the poor masses must have their heads examined. He also called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to ask questions on the N1.3 trillion intervention promised by the past government out of which only N200 billion has been released since 2013. He said in the last seven years, not less than N7 trillion has been used by the Federal Government as bailout for the parasitic ruling class. While urging authorities of the university to allow for students unionism in the campus, he said denying students the practice of leadership at students’ union level may not augur well for Nigeria as the students in future may go to the National Assembly to start fighting as the present members of the Assembly are doing. He also challenged the university to continue to engage government on public issues and educate the public on them in order to make the institution more relevant.

North

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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Buhari okays N160 to $1 exchange rate for Christian pilgrims ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

resident Muhammadu Buhari has approved N160 to $1 as official exchange rate for Christian pilgrims to Israel. Executive secretary of Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara, disclosed this while speaking with State House correspondents after briefing Buhari on activities of the

commission. According to him, the President also assured that he would continue to encourage the commission, particularly in its drive towards selfsustenance. He explained that this would ensure that pilgrims were able to pay for pilgrimages while removing government’s sponsorship. “As you are aware he (Buhari) has approved $1 to N160 for the con-

ventional exchange rate for Christian pilgrimage operation and he also agreed he will continue to encourage us, particularly as we drive to ensure self-sustenance to make sure pilgrims are able to pay for pilgrimages by removing government sponsorship. “This is a journey and we are sure that we are going to succeed. He was very happy with the entire process. We are praying that God will help us

to be a source of strength to Mr. President, so that the Federal Government and states will spend the necessary resources on other things, while the pilgrimage becomes selffunding as time goes on,” Opara said. He said pilgrims going to Israel for the 11-day trip would pay N379,840; while the youth pilgrimage would cost N357,000. “We are already running four pilgrimages in

one year. The first is the Easter pilgrimage which has passed; the youth pilgrimage, which we termed operation catch them young, the family pilgrimage and overall pilgrimage. For those going to Israel for the 11 days’ trip, it is N379,840, and for the youth pilgrimage it is going to cost N357,000,” he said. He explained that Ni-

El-Rufai to Buhari: Replace NNPC with new organisation A ZA MSUE KADUNA

L-R: Senator representing Kaduna South, Senator Danjuma La’ah; Chief Medical Director, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Prof. Lawal khalid and a victim of the Zaria bomb blast, during the Senator’s visit to the hospital in Zaria, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

ll Progressives Congress, APC, in Niger State says it is prepared to support Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to probe his predecessor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if it is the wish of the people. The party made this known yesterday in a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa. Vatsa stated that the party supports the setting up of two committees by the government. He said: “We are solidly behind the finance and infrastructure committee set up by His Excellency, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, and we urge him not to hesitate to go further to set up a commission of enquiry to probe the immediate past government because of the rots. “If it is the wish of the people based on damning

Bello may probe Babangida Aliyu –APC revelations coming from the two committees that a probe should be instituted on the government, so shall it be, because the APC is a party that follows the popular will of the people; it is the essence of the change the people voted for.” It noted with dismay the rot and corruption that took place “in the SURE-P through workers’ salaries and pension funds by consultants, the Ministry of Local Government, the 10-kilometre road, ward development projects and many funny loans taken and transferred to personal accounts. “Within one month the governor has embarked on very good people-oriented projects that we are proud of. A typical example is the Sabongari road that was abandoned over the years; our dear governor has shown the people that he is with them but we believe that he cannot

do that without probing into and reversing the rot inherited,” the statement declared. However, the spokesman of the former governor, Mr. Israel A. Ebije, in a reaction, said there is nothing to pin him to any financial irregularity all through his eight

years in government. He said Aliyu served Niger State meritoriously. He urged the APC not to constitute itself as a probe panel, adding that they must not force the committees set up by the incumbent administration into doing the bidding of the party, adding that it would amount to witch hunt.

gerians on pilgrimage can now undergo skill acquisition programmes organised by the commission and the Ministry of Agriculture, adding that the pilgrimage pilot lottery scheme would empower people who are lucky to embark on a pilgrimage without much dependence on a state and the Federal Government.

overnor Nasir elRufai of Kaduna State yesterday advised President Muhammadu Buhari to replace the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, with a new organisation that would be more suitable for the purpose. Delivering a lecture titled ‘Nigeria and the Oil Fortune,’ at the 2015 Wole Soyinka Centre annual media lecture in Abuja, Governor el-Rufai said no one is better qualified to reform the oil sector than President Buhari, who birthed the NNPC through the merger of NNOC and the Ministry of Petroleum in 1977. El-Rufai said the new national oil company should be capitalised once and for all, and freed to fend for itself like other national oil companies by “seeking its financing independently from the financial markets and paying due taxes and royalties.” He said: “We should replace the NNPC with

brand new organisations that are fit for purpose among others - a commercialised and corporatized national oil company and new industry regulators. The corruption and nonchalance that have hobbled the NNPC are symptoms that its best days are over. “We should give it a deserved funeral so that a new institution, active and nimble, can promptly replace it. NNPC’s subsidiaries and associated companies can be reviewed, restructured and privatised or commercialised as appropriate, consistent with national interest and objectives. “No one is better qualified to do this than the person that birthed the NNPC through the merger of the NNOC and the Ministry of Petroleum in 1977 - President Buhari himself. “No one can appreciate the gap between the vision of the NNPC’s founding fathers, the beautiful baby of 1977 and the 38-year-old monster it has become better than President Buhari.

Court adjourns contempt motion against Kwara ex-speaker WOLE A DEDEJI ILORIN

n Ilorin High Court yesterday adjourned for definite hearing, a motion for committal to prison of former Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Rasak Atunwa, for contempt of court. The presiding judge, Justice Emiworoge Mohammed, adjourned hearing to July 29, 2015, after Atunwa’s counsel, Dr. Oba Abdulhameed, brought a counter-affida-

vit, pleading to be given a chance to argue reasons the former Speaker and his erstwhile deputy, Hon. Issa Gana, should not be committed to jail. A member of the House until June 5, this year, Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim, who had been put on suspension since 2013 when Atunwa became Speaker, had gone to challenge the action twice in court, including the Court of Appeal and judgements had been in his favour. However, when the House allegedly ignored

the court judgements, Ibrahim was said to have gone to obtain court order to enforce execution of the earlier judgement that was equally reportedly rebuffed by Hon. Atunwa. Hon. Ibrahim whose counsel, Abeny Mohammed, SAN, filed suit No. KWS/41/2014 for committal to prison on his behalf, had sought for orders to jail the House principal officers for “willfully disobeying court orders of 13/6/2014 and 16/6/2014, respectively.

He accused the then House officers of particularly gunning to “allow effect to be given to the orders and judgements despite being served and being aware of the orders.” He added that the respondents, “by means of abuse of court processes,” were “deter mined to ensure” that he did not retur n to the House “until expiration of the tenure of the 7th session to which he belonged.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

SUPER TUESDAY

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Politics

Ekweremadu’s election was in error –Gombe

14, 43

ike seriously? That seems to be the question on the lips of many Nigerians, especially the over 100 million who did not vote for him, who had hoped that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would practically hit the ground running and stamp out terrorism within weeks of being sworn-in, as he promised during the campaigns. Unfortunately, the Boko Haram sect has since gone on a bombing spree, blasting everyone and anything in its sight. To many, this is contrary to the promise made by the President in a CNN interview in April that he would put an end to terror within two months. But, how is it possible to achieve that without a clear-cut policy on terrorism? The Israeli policy of containment and the American policy of elimination of terrorists are measures that seem to be working well for both countries. Nigeria has on its part decided to merge the two approaches. Unfortunately, it has neither been able to contain, nor eliminate the terrorists. While it was clear that the Goodluck Jonathan administration adopted, though badly, the two policies, which it called the “carrot” (containment) and “stick” (elimination) approach, the new administration of President Buhari is yet to unveil any real security blueprint in this regard. This is not a pass-mark to Jonathan. He did not effectively use the carrot and stick either. For the military were not given clear powers to use the stick or eliminate terrorists. The focus was more on arrest and pushing or scaring terrorists away. The carrot approach or “containment” through the use of persuasion and or dialogue did not also work especially as the committee set up in that regard was unable to meet the real leaders of the sect to persuade them or engage them in any meaningful dialogue. While declaring a state of emergency on May 14, 2013 in the three North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, Jonathan said he had earlier adopted “a multi-track approach” to fighting terror. He said: “Previously, we adopted a multi-track approach to the resolution of this problem through actions which included persuasion, dialogue and widespread consultation with the political, religious and community leaders in the affected states.” His approach included an offer of amnesty, which led to the establishment of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, as well as verbal warfare, in which the Presidency and security agents issued various verbal threats, such as “Boko Haram will be a thing of the past” and “We will destroy them.”

The Buhari versus Jonathan approach For a long time, President Buhari did not come to terms with the fact that Boko Haram sought to destroy the North through its activities. The retired General had viewed the Jonathan approach to terror as a war against the North. He did not waste any time in calling for amnesty to be granted the terrorists just in the same manner that it was done to the Niger Delta former militants. An analysis of the new President’s approach to fighting terrorism showed that there is no real structured approach yet to tackling the menace. At best, what we have is a continuation of the Jonathan approach, especially with his retention of the Service Chiefs who executed the Jonathan blueprint. Buhari running a one-man show Perhaps, it is pertinent to look at the very few differ-

War against terrorism: Still long way to freedom The President Muhammadu Buhari administration practically rode on the change mantra to Aso Rock. OMEIZA AJAYI examines the president’s stance on terrorism, juxtaposing it with the style of his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and posits that there is no marked difference between the two.

Buhari

Jonathan

ences between the Buhari’s approach to terror and that of his predecessor, Dr Jonathan. The President’s inability, refusal or otherwise to name his cabinet presupposes that he is taking certain decisions just as he deems fit. Or, could it also be that the President has an unrecognised “kitchen cabinet” that tells him what to do? As it stands, the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, IGP, as well as the National Security Adviser, NSA, have no real input into what goes on in Nigeria’s security and defence architecture. The President merely issues orders, and then gets feedback on how far such directives have been implemented. These officers are sitting on the edge, waiting for their “expected” sack by the President at any time. As a result of this, none of them has been able to come up with any proposal for the President’s consideration. Since Buhari is famed as a retired army General, and since he has not unveiled any comprehensive security blueprint, the Service Chiefs do not really know what to do. No private initiative except that given by the

President. For instance, National Mirror has it on good authority that the IGP is desirous of boosting the personnel strength of the Force, but he is “afraid” to put such proposal before the President whose body language is still being understudied. Out of about 350,000 or 375,000 officers, (not that the police actually know its staff strength anyway), about 120, 000 are on “private operations”, holding handbags, umbrellas and acting as security escorts to some undeserving members of the public. Now, to effectively police the country, will it not be right for the Commander-in-Chief to roll out his detailed defence and security blueprint? The development has led to some embarrassing flipflops in decision-making. The other day, the President reportedly ordered the dismantling of all roadblocks nationwide. Two days later, the government retreated, and speaking through one of the Service Chiefs, it said the checkpoints would still remain in some areas considered as “essential”. Days later, with the increasing activities of terrorists, the government again came out to say that it never ordered the dismantling of any of the roadblocks. Jonathan on his part, while he held sway, was as if he was in government, and yet, not in power. He relied so much on the Service Chiefs who told him what to do. However, the hallmark of a great leader is the ability to balance the two - know when to rely on the expertise of others and on himself ! In fact, since Buhari became President, Boko Haram has significantly increased its attacks through suicide bombings. The day after Buhari’s swearing-in, Boko Haram at-

Jonathan ... was earlier faulted by buhari and his party, the apC and thus, one had thought that the new administration would Come to the table with something different.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

Politics

ou have been following the happenings within the All Progressives Congress, APC, and how it is affecting governance in the country, what do you make of it? Sincerely, the issue of National Assembly squabbles is something that baffles and irritates many of us, because this is the first government in the history of Nigeria, that came through the aspirations, yearnings, inter-faith prayers, good will, commitment, resilience of Nigerians among other things, despite the economic hardship, security challenges confronting the nation. Nigerians across regions desired change and fought for change. Many lost their lives, comfort and everything, and at the end of the day, God answered their prayers; Christians and Moslems alike. So the government at the top emerged through popular will, so there is nothing expected of that government, than to face the challenges head-on. It is expected to face the challenge of ushering in good governance for Nigerians, and there is no way you can usher in this good governance, without letting in an equally vibrant National Assembly with good lawmakers who can make good laws that would regulate different sectors for the executive to be able to work with to discharge its functions. But unfortunately, the President as a converted democrat, having promised the entire international community and indeed Nigerians that he is converted democrat, said he wants to allow all arms of government to function without undue interference from him, in line with the changes promised to Nigerians, but unfortunately to some of us, while the President has promised he would not interfere with other arms of government, there is no requisite mechanism in place to make sure that other key players, stakeholders and interests within and outside of government do not also interfere with the business of key arms of government. There would have been agreement that as the President would not intervene, other party chieftains like Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and the rest too, do not interfere. There should have been an agreement at the party level that as the President would not interfere with the process of producing National Assembly leaders for example, other party leaders; critical stakeholders should also not intervene by signing a strong statement that they are not also going to interfere with that process. At the same time, President Muhammadu Buhari should have said that as he was not interfering, any other person interfering with the process, would be doing it on their own and not on behalf of the party or the government. But unfortunately, that was not done from the beginning, and I expect that even if the President did not do that, I expected that the party should have done so. But the party did not do that at the initial stage by not interfering, but the party just flouted the statement of the President, to the extent that the party lost control over its House of Represen-

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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Ekweremadu’s election •Says Buhari can’t function with present structure in Senate

Dr Sadiq Umar Gombe doubles as the National Secretary of Social Democratic Party, SDP, and Director-General, Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC. He is also the General Secretary of Coalition of Opposition Parties in Nigeria, COPN. He tells TORDUE SALEM that the honourable thing for Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu is to resign from office or face being booted out for alleged forgery of Senate Standing Rules, insisting that his emergence was illegal. Excerpts:

Gombe

tatives members-elect and its senators-elect and this is a very bad situation. Many of these senators and members of the House knew that they did not win elections on their merit and majority of them won elections, knowing full well that they were riding on the back of President Buhari. Their elections held the same day with Buhari’s election or the presidential elections. They gained from the President Buhari charisma and strong support and even some of them that decamped to the APC, did that, because they lost touch with their parties and the people and they knew there was no way they could win elections on those platforms and without aligning with Buhari. They would have failed if they went it on

NigeriaNs elected aPc with a laNdslide at both local, state aNd NatioNal levels aNd that is what the NigeriaN PeoPle desired, aNd iN fact, ekweremadu is eveN PrickiNg the coNscieNce of NigeriaN PeoPle aNd if he coNtiNues to haNg iN there, it will get to a PoiNt where NigeriaNs will be forced to come out aNd Protest, aNd i also thiNk that what the Police are doiNg, by quizziNg ekweremadu over rules’ forgery, is iN order, but to me, iN fairNess, eveN ekweremadu is beyoNd the issue.

their own or on the some other platform. They knew that earlier enough and they decamped to the APC, but what they are exhibiting now, is showing Nigerians that primarily, why they came into the APC and joined President Buhari was because they were just interested in winning elections and holding position, not because of the change Nigeria is yearning for and indeed apart from that, majority of them have skeletons in their cupboards, so they are not comfortable with the statement by the President that ‘I belong to everybody, and I belong to no one’. So they are wondering what the statement means? Could it mean that ‘I can no longer be able to manipulate the system?’ Does it mean that it will not be business as usual? Does it mean that the status quo will no longer be maintained? So they feel threatened. So they had to connive with their fellow Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, collaborators to now cause the problem in the National Assembly, not for anything, but to put the President on the defence, so that he will be bogged down by many problems, including the monumental cases of corruption and so on or the decay in the system that he is expected to tackle. Why do you think they collaborated with PDP, if indeed they actually did? They had to connive with the PDP to cause rancour in the system and to perpetuate this rancour so that at the end of the day, Buhari will be unable to deliver on his promises to the people of Nigeria. It’s just like what for-

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Navy says Calabar waterways is safe RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

L-R: President-General, Bakana Community Development Association, Mr. Iloye Braide; Prof. Victor Omuaru and Rivers Deputy Governor, Mrs Ipalibo Banigo, during the associations courtesy visit to the deputy governor in Port Harcourt, recently. PHOTO: NAN

he Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Henry Babalola at the weekend called on every one doing genuine businesses along the Gulf of Guinea and Calabar inland waterways not to fear any form of attack from sea pirates because the area “is now very calm.” Babalola made the call at the passing out parade of 2014/2015 batch of SSS III students of Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Akpabuyo, Calabar,Cross River state .

Group backs Osunbor’s 2016 gubernatorial ambition SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN

he Leadership Alliance Reform and Restoration Group (LARRG) has thrown its weight behind the political ambition of a former governor of Edo State, Professor Osareimhen Osunbor’s bid to return to Dennis Osadebey Government House in Benin City. Speaking with National Mirror in Benin City on Tuesday, leader of the group, Honourable (Evangelist) Odiase Chrise Aire said his group has

decided to lend its voice to the present debate of which political zone in the state should produce the next Governor to succeed Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole in November 2016. Aire said, “Edo Central must not be denied this time around or cheated out of the next governorship election into the office of the Governor of Edo State. Edo South had their turn during the eight years of the government of Chief Lucky Igbinedion from 1999 to 2007 and Edo North during the present government of

Adams Oshiomhole from 2008 to 2016. Now, it is the turn of Edo Central to produce the next governor and it is not negotiable.” “The initial government of Senator (Professor) Osereimhen Osunbor was aborted by the courts in 2008 and that has led to the marginalization of Edo Central people till now. It is no longer news that Edo Central people have been greatly marginalized and denied the dividends of democracy in the present regime.” Arguing the Osunbor aspiration further, Aire

said, “Edo State needs a matured politician and leader as governor. Osunbor, a Professor of Law and former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who presently holds the office of Chairman of Nigerian Law Reform Commission, is the man to trust because of his track records.” “For us at LARRG, it is not about the political party but about the candidate. We are poised to mobilize, therefore, for Professor Osunbor, who has no aspirant that is as qualified or prepared for the position.”

LARRG, which accused past and present Nigerian political leaders of being “self-serving and playing pranks with the suffering masses of our country,” insisted that it was prepared as a political pressure group to resist the election or selection of corrupt politicians and leaders in Edo State, who see the state as their private estates and only enrich themselves with public funds in office after rigging elections to get themselves into office and, thereafter, abandoning their political manifestoes.

Ogor donates 100 bikes to empower constituents THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

ver 300 persons at the weekend benefited from an empowerment programme to commemorate the 56th birthday of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa by the member Representing Isoko Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Okuweh Ogor.

Ogor while speaking to newsmen shortly before commencement of the exercise said “In commemoration of the 56th birthday celebrations of His Excellency the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, we are giving out these items to deserving constituents as a token of our appreciation for their support and to further boost their means of livelihood.” Some of the items dis-

tributed to beneficiaries include 100 ladies bike, 72 Generators, 50 Deep freezers, 50 Sewing Machines, 50 Hair dryers, 10 open truck tricycles, wheel chairs spread across 24 wards in the Isoko Federal Constituency. While presenting the items, he charged the beneficiaries to use the items properly, maintain them and use them effectively in order to encourage he to do more.

Speaking further, Ogor said “As part of the birthday wish of our dear Governor that friends and political associates should not waste money in placing adverts and buying of gifts for him on his birthday. He rather called on friends and political associates to channel those resources in empowering people in the grassroots as part of his prosperity agenda

for Deltans. “You can clearly see that there are lots of items here which will go a long way in enhancing the movements of our people who are mainly peasant farmers. To a very large extent it will touch and impact on their lives.” The lawmaker said it is not the first time he is embarking on such empowerment and promised to sustain it.

“Calabar waterway is very safe. We have been able to deal with the bad eggs who attempted to make the area unsafe. Apart from stepping up our patrol, we escort merchant vessels involved in regional trade along the coasts of Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The Navy helmsman said. “Before now, we were having daily attack but these attacks have been greatly reduced. We are applying serious caution in dealing with them since these criminals dwell with people of the riverine communities. “Before we strike at them, we must have robust intelligence. We are not resting on our oars despite these successes. We hold regular meetings with other security outfits. We thank the Chief of Naval Staff for graciously approving all our requests for maintaining security in that corridor.” In her remark, Commandant of the school, Commander Regina Eleazu-Uriri stressed that Akpabuyo Navy Secondary school graduated 132 students,and said that “in 2014, we attained 95 percent success in WAEC.” The commandant of the school maintained that with the best academic and military foundation given to the graduating students she believe that these calibre students can affort to be at the top of the class anywhere in the world, ahead of their peers brought up from other schools. The commandant lauds the naval authorities for providing stateof-the-art facilities which according to her was instrumental to moulding the kids up. Emmanuel Isuchukwu emerged overall best student of the 2014/2015 year, while Edward Elias and Peace Oluchi took second and third position .

16 OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

espite his tough stance and his zero tolerance for criminalities in the Niger Delta where oil thieves and sea pirates prior to his arrival as Commander of the Joint Task Force, JTF, has held sway, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, is a general with the heart of a gold, fighting criminalities with a heart full of love. Like a ‘mother Theresa’ he has continue to show his meek side of a soldier, donating, giving, sensitizing and giving succor to a people impoverished by oil pollution, exploration, exploitation and illegal oil bunkering. Standing just above feet, the diminutive General has taken a different and a more resulted oriented approach to its war against oil theft in the oil-rich region., a totally paradigm shift from the status quo of fire-for-fire to the application of rendering help to the communities through donation of basis amenities which the government and the major oil companies has failed to do over the years . The Commander and the Management Staff of the Operation Pulo Shield having identified abject poverty, lack of basic social amenities as well as absence of quality leadership as the root causes of the illegal oil bunkering, kidnapping and sea piracy in the Niger Delta, decided to come to the rescue of some of these communities. Though his initial reason was to embark on a sensitization tour of some of the flash points communities on the need to dissuade their sons and daughters from illegal bunkering and pipe line vandalism, the tour which started last year however has turned into a kind of ‘Father Christmas’ as the Commander having seen the level of poverty in the region have since swung into action, brining succor to the inhabitants of the oil-rich but highly impoverished region. On Thursday, the 4th of July, it was the turn of people of Koluama II Communty in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, to partake from the milk of kindness, flowing in the vein of the Army General. The people who had been subjected to untold hardship since 2012 when a platform belonging to chevron Nigeria limited exploded in their water became one of the major beneficiaries of his kind heart. The people trooped out in large numbers with sigh of relief in their faces as Major General Atewe led his entourage to commission a borehole water project constructed for the community by the JTF and jubilant community rolled out the drums to welcome the JTFCommander with hearts full of appreciation. Before the formal commissioning of the project, Major General Atewe went down memory lane and told the crowd that “you may not know why Koluama became very close to the JTF. It has to do with the problem Koluama had with Chevron where the youths went and occupy the oil and gas platform because of none response from Chevron, and the challenge that has to do with the platform that got blown-off some time ago.” “It was indeed a big problem that would have led to the damage of the Chevron platform but we invited both Chevron and Koluama community and held meetings more than five times. “One thing I discovered during, the meeting is that the Koluama people are very peace loving, they co-operated with us in ensuring that peace was maintained between Chevron and the community.” Speaking further, he said, “in our won taken way of saying thank you for the understanding we have been given, and your support in our fight against illegal oil bunkering, we decided to erect this borehole as a mark of our love for your support.” Commissioning the project, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Bayelsa Central District, Mr. AlameneWilliams described the gesture as unprecedented. He said “I want to tell you that what you have done has never happened in the history of this area. What we normally see before now is that when we see uniformed men, khaki men, we were scared. It is either they were coming to arrest us or they were coming to chase us away or shoot at sight. “But to the surprise of every one of us present here today, we are seeing a different thing entirely. This is real democracy; military men are now supporting democracy. We are very grateful to God that you came and brought an initiative that; let us work together as brothers and sisters to bring development to the people. “This gesture is important to us because this is a salt water zone. There is no means of drinking potable water unless you dig the ground. Lack of good water has brought different sickness such as cholera and diarrhea to our people and some have passed on”.He averred that the only way to reciprocate the magnanimity of the JTF was to help secure and not to

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Atewe donates b renovates school

Major General Emmanuel Atewe having a sip from the water of the borehole during the the commissioning

destroy government property. The Chairman of Chiefs Council of Koluama II community, Chief Geoffrey Ekuere-Goli has this to say in appreciation, “Today, we are happy that the JTF is coming to commission a water project for us, not government”. He lamented that since the Chevron gas explosion in 2012, their fish production has reduced and hardship increased drastically. Since July, 2012, we have suffered a lot. No water to drink. They only brought some drugs and after a while they stopped”, he lamented. A representative of Sagbama a neighboring community, Chief KayodeBabadugu who spoke to our correspondent said, “the JTF Commander who is in real support of the tenets of democracy has given succor to Koluama community in the wake of the gas explosion that occurred in 2012. He is no magnanimous to the communities especially Koluama II which is the primary community of the explosion. We pray that in his future endeavors, God will really elevate him to a higher level. High points of the event werethe test run and drinking of the water by the representative of the state government as well as the JTF commander. At Igbomotoru I community in the same Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the General in a convoy of four gun boats arrived at the landing jetty of the slippery community to meet a waiting crowd at the water front who came to give the Army chief a rousing welcome. That was not his first time of visiting that community. He had been there a few amount ago to commission a water borehole project also. The Major General was no longer a new face in the community. To the people of Igbomotoru I, they were patiently and joyously waiting for a military man, not a civilian, who has shown them so much love and concern. He had gone to the community for a sensitization campaign and found out that there was the need for the people to taste good drinking water and he promised to erect borehole water for them. The people would not take his words seriously because that was not the first time they were going to hear such promises. That has become a re-curing decimal from politicians who would promise them heaven and earth during electioneeringcampaigns to no avail. But unlike politicians, the JTF Commander promised and did not fail the people. On the day he commissioned the water projects some times in October last year, Major General Atewe also discovered that the roof of Baptist Day Primary School, Igbomotoru I had been blown-off by rain storm since eleven year ago. He equally made a promise to renovate the school. The

official commissioning of the renovated school was what brought the him to Igbomotoru for the third time. To the people of the community the man has done what no man, not even their representatives at all level could do for them in eleven years. So their joy knew no bounds. They had found a new friend, the ‘Messiah’ of their community. Waiting at the waterside were placards carrying pupils of the school with varying descriptions. ‘Commander sir, you are God-sent, ‘You are a savior’ Major Atewe, the sky should be your limit’ and so forth, they sang and match with joy in their heart. It was like a heroic welcome with the men and women whom the Major General had helped with the provision of fishing nets and sewing machine, those he help to solve their health issues, all were throng around him for appreciation while others besieged him with their catalogue of different requests. Rather than frowned away or shy away from he amiably listen to their problems detailing one of his men to note them down. Apart from the completion of the primary school, the JTF big man equally furnished the school with 400–seater desks for the pupils who had hitherto studied on the bare floor the dilapidated school which has now underwent roofing with green aluminum zinc, plastering and painting. The Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of IgbomotoruI, Mr. Godspower Okosufa who delivered a welcome address said he lacked words to appreciate a man who identified with their problems and solved them also. “Our dynamic and amiable JTF Commander of the Niger Delta, we welcome you to our great communities for the third time. Your first step to our kingdom was based on oil theft and illegal bunkering. We identify your coming as God-sent to eradicate pains and problems that we are encountering in our communities. Four about 16 years ago, we have not experienced development till the days of this God-sent, helper and the comforter, who has changed Igbomotoru to have a better shape in life. He sent medical team to discard our health problems both present and future, sank borehole for the students and the entire community, you identified with some poor women by buying sewing machines and fishing nets for them, you purchased football kits for youth empowerment and also prepared school chairs for your renovated primary school building. You have comforted the pupils with conducive environment for studies. The primary school had been dilapidated by rain storm for about twelve years ago, pupilshave been using

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Change is never a monopoly of any party AKINTOKUNBO A ADEJUMO

rogress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything - George Bernard Shaw I have been wondering what the difference is between ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s TRANSFORMATION (Agenda) and President Muhammadu Buhari’s CHANGE slogans. I was not too surprised to find out that they both mean the same thing. Transformation could variously mean alteration, conversion, change, transmutation, renovation, revolution. And change could be any of these: modification, alteration, variation, transformation, revolution, conversion, adjustment, amendment. But being Nigerians, we have made those two words, synonyms of each other, look sound and work differently. Mischief was in the air. It was as if change was a new word entirely. What should matter, in Nigeria, is that transformation, cue Jonathan was not delivered, while we are still hoping for the form of Buhari’s change. It is, therefore, very myopic, ill-informed and mischievous for some of us to attribute the change that we yearn for and voted for as ONLY being the cry of the All Progressives Congress. For sour grapes, everything change is only meant for APC, and they failed to see and acknowledge that the change is for the entire country – its governing sys-

tem; its institutions; public or private; the education, orientation and mentality of its people; our way of life and betterment and empowerment, etc. So within a month of a new government of a new party, anything that seems to be going is gloatingly referred to as “So, this is the change you want, and this is what you get”. I beg to differ. If APC legislators are fighting themselves to the finish to get positions in the Senate or House of Rep, or in the states’ Houses of Assembly, it is a Nigeria problem, attributed to the Nigerian mentality and our political immaturity, not a preserve of the APC. I am not holding brief for APC here, but to impress it again of my long-held belief that the members of the Nigerian political class are the same: insane and inane, totally devoid of any ideological values, norms, morality, conscience, sensitivity and knowledge. On the long run, there is no difference between APC and PDP, or any other political party; and their players. I think majority of all analytical and political savvy Nigerians have always agreed on this, even when we support one dim-witted party or the other. Nigerians - at least, 15 million of them - wanted anybody but Mr. Jonathan. They saw in Mr. Buhari somebody better than Mr. Jonathan, but I will agree with anybody that Mr. Buhari is not the Best in Nigeria. However, where/who is/ are the Best in Nigeria? Nowhere to be seen and we may never know. Or maybe, there is nothing like Best anywhere in the world. So why don’t you just stick to the Better and inspire and

AS THE PDP CONSISTS BOTH OF WELL-MEANING POLITICIANS AND POLITICAL

MISCREANTS, SO DO THE

APC AND OTHER

POLITICAL PARTIES TOO support it to be the Best, instead of condemning him just after 30 days of a four year mandate and predicting failure for him? What benefit will that be to Nigeria and Nigerians if he fails? Are we encouraging him or disparaging him with that to try and effect a desired popular change? Put yourself in that position. So, what exactly are our expectations - stable and improved electricity generation and distribution and supply; availability of petroleum products; security of lives and property; food security; good education, and good healthcare system, etc? All these will drive development and give us progress, but our outcry over appointment of ministers and heads of agencies and parastatals are misplaced because such requires National Assembly approval, a house which is yet to put its house in order. So why don’t we measure performance based on how the leaders are

faring? The change is not a monopoly of the APC. It is a worldwide cry, only borrowed by the APC, and because Nigerians needed a change in almost every sphere of our lives, we grabbed at that straw thrown out by the APC because the PDP was sinking us very fast. We needed a lifeline. Do we now pull the person holding a lifeline to us back into the abyss with us? This is not to say that APC created some falsehood and deceit to get to power. It is a political ploy employed all over the political world. Politicians are never known to be totally honest anywhere in the world, and their reputation of being prone economical with the truth is notorious. I am very sure, the APC meant well for Nigerians as a party, but of course, some individual members are a different kettle of fish entirely, and the same applies to other parties too. While personally I have never for once been a fan of the PDP as a party, there are so many members whose sincerity, unquestionable patriotism and commitment to betterment of peoples’ lives can never be in doubt. In other words, as the PDP consists both of well-meaning politicians and political miscreants, so do the APC and other political parties too. That is why not many politicians, APC or PDP, as it is playing out within such a short time of this new government of Change, embrace the call for Change. It is purely an individualist Nigerian malaise. Adejumo wrote via akinadejum@aol. com

APC and the South-East dilemma CHUKWUDI OHIRI

he emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Nigerian political scene in February 2013 opened up a sinister debate among the South East political enthusiasts. The crux of the debate was on the future of the Igbos under the emerging ‘mega party’. Eagle-eyed politicians either saw it coming or anticipated that the APC was up to some surprise in the upcoming elections and so, there was need to position for sharing the booty when it eventually arrives. In the ensued debate prior to the elections, while some argued that APC held no future for the Igboman considering the configuration of and the powers-that-be in the party, others almost fought one another insisting that the party was the only, and perhaps the last hope of the Igboman to realise his dream of at least, launching himself back into political relevance in Nigeria. They premised this permutation on the calculation that if APC succeeded in wresting power from the PDP, it would want to portray itself as icon of natural justice and equity by zoning the presidency to the South-East, which has yet to produce the President of Nigeria since after Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. This hope was dashed during the APC’s National Convention, which produced General Muhammadu Bu-

hari as its flag bearer for the 2015 polls. Owelle Rochas Okorocha, a founding member and strong contributor to the emergence of the party lost out, placing a distant third for ‘expedient reason’. That expediency perhaps, paved way for the eventual victory of the APC at the 2015 polls. The hope of realising the dream of producing a Nigerian President from the Igbo extraction evaporated, maybe, for the time being. The APC failed to project itself as symbol of equity and justice for both the minority group and the majority. Having won the electoral war, it was time to share the booty. The truth remains that the Igbos overwhelmingly and still unapologetically voted for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defying the call by the few ‘eagle-eyed’ or ‘self-serving’ politicians to key into the ‘imminent’ change of baton. Although the Igbos lost out, they, however, proved bookmakers wrong that ‘the Igbos will have a grossly divided vote’. For once, they were unanimous in their assertion that despite not benefitting so much from the PDP-led administration, the incoming one led by the APC may not serve it any better. Were they right in this assumption? The unfolding political drama at the National Assembly might as well produce a perfect answer. On June 9, 2015, the National Assembly held elections to choose the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Capitalizing

HAVING WON THE ELECTORAL WAR, IT WAS TIME TO SHARE THE BOOTY on a political impasse within the APC, the PDP was able to pull a deadly string to produce the Deputy Senate President in the person of Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Senator Bukola Saraki, who was not anointed by the APC leadership, emerged as the Senate President to the utter dismay of his party leadership. After a lot of conciliatory overtures from power brokers within and outside the party, the APC have come to accept the election of the Saraki as the Senate President, but have vehemently kicked against the emergence of Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President. They have gone ahead to call for his resignation threatening to impeach him if he fails to quit honourably. Championing this specious call is a group known as the Unity Forum, a factional group from the APC senators. The group in a letter to the party leadership on the imperative of removing Ekweremadu argued that “although the tradition of the Nigerian Senate concedes much power to the Senate President, it is indeed the Deputy Senate President that directly interacts and controls the day-to-day activities of the senate”. They went ahead to list

a lot of statutorily strategic functions ascribed to the office, warning that it was dangerous to concede such a sensitive post to the ‘opposition’. Political pundits are unanimous in pointing out that if a deputy senate president had emerged out of PDP, but from any other geopolitical zone except the South-East, the APC would have buried its hatchet long ago. For the APC, they reason, it is unthinkable and an affront on the party for a zone that overwhelmingly voted against it to occupy such a sensitive seat. This is the untold truth about the present quagmire bedevilling the upper chamber that Igbos are oblivious of. Although Nigeria’s democracy and most other democracies support the principle of ‘winner takes all’, the Nigerian Constitution has an antidote to this ‘winner-takes-all’ philosophy embedded in the federal character principle. Except for any major upset, the APC by this arrangement is on the verge of making a third bold statement that the Igbos have no future in the party. Ohiri is a journalist at Nigerian OrientNews 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

Reckless depletion of Excess Crude Account T

he revelation, last week by the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), of impunity in the management of the nation’s Excess Crude Account (ECA), would go a long way in unraveling the entanglement between the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, over the alleged rape of the ECA, if penetratingly interrogated. While Oshiomhole has unrepentantly been accusing Okonjo-Iweala of superintending the literal pilfering of the ECA and playing around with statistics, the ex-minister has been claiming otherwise. Okonjo-Iweala says, for instance, that all expenditures from the ECA “were discussed at meetings of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) attended by finance commissioners from the 36 states” of the federation. But state finance commissioners in response to the claim few days ago, replied: “It has come to our notice the statement credited to the former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Honorable Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) approved the withdrawal from Excess Crude (Foreign) Account the sum of $2 billion. This statement is far from

the fact and is misleading”. The FAAC meeting for November 2014, according to the finance commissioners, ended in confusion when the then Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, could not explain how the balance in the ECA dropped from $4.1bn at the end of October (2014) to $3.1bn by December the same year. Ahead of the October FAAC meeting, Okonjo-Iweala reportedly told reporters that the balance of the ECA stood at $4.11bn, while the country’s external reserves rose from $36.6bn in June to $39.48bn as at October 16. The then chairman of the Forum of State Commissioners of Finance, former Ebonyi State Commissioner for Finance, Timothy Odaah, denied knowledge of any decision reached by him and the forum’s members, on the one hand and Okonjo-Iweala, on the other, to withdraw from the account. “No state knew how the $1bn difference reported in the ECA balance between October and November came about”, Odaah was quoted as saying. Though he (Odaah) claimed reconciliation of the difference was ongoing with OkonjoIweala, no information came forth from the process until they both vacated their offices. Acting Chairman of FRC, Mr. Raymond Omachi, however, told the media a fortnight ago in Abuja that funds from the ECA were not being spent according to the

July 14, 1958 Iraqi Revolution: In Iraq, the monarchy was overthrown by popular forces led by Abdul Karim Kassem, who became the nation’s new leader. The July 14 Revolution or the 1958 Iraqi coup d’état overthrew the Hashemite monarchy established by King Faisal I in 1921 under the auspices of Britain. King Faisal II, the regent and Crown Prince ‘Abd al-Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said, were all assassinated during the coup.

WHAT APPEARS THE

BEST OPTION FOR THE

FG, THEREFORE, IS

THAT IT RETURNS TO THE ORIGINAL INTENTS

ECA AND SWF

OF THE

purpose for which the account was created. Established in 2004, Omachi said the ECA was meant to protect government’s annual budgets against shortfalls due to volatile crude oil prices. According to him, dipping hands into the ECA ought to be limited to accessing funds to cancel out shortfalls in annual budgets occasioned by falling international oil prices for at least a period of three consecutive months; or to fund capital projects, as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007 stipulates. But in practice, what the Federal Government does is to settle dubious subsidy bills from the ECA or withdraw funds from the account and share to states. It is this indulgence that states are now latching on to stake their lives on how Okonjo-Iweala allegedly mismanaged the ECA. But Omachi insists that “if the ECA had been properly managed, in accordance with the FRC act, the country will not have been embroiled in the liquidity crisis being presently

ON THIS DAY July 14, 1976 Capital punishment was abolished in Canada. Capital punishment in Canada dated back to 1759, in its days as a British colony. Before Canada eliminated the death penalty for murder on July 14, 1976, 1,481 people were sentenced to death, with 710 executed. Of those executed, 697 were men and 13 were women. The only method used in Canada for capital punishment of civilians after the end of the French regime was hanging.

experienced”. Hints given by FRC officials also suggest a huge disconnect between the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget Office, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, et cetera and FRC in the management of the nation’s funds, including the ECA, which cumulative implication is inefficient monitoring and control of all revenues generated and the accompanying expenditure made by the government. Reports say the absence of synergy between the agencies created loopholes which made it possible for revenue-generating agencies to practice ‘creative accounting’, in other words, dubious accounting, in order to short-change the government. Indeed, the ECA and the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) established in 2011, are supposed to serve as shock absorbers to sustain the country’s development presently and in the future through effective management of proceeds from oil exports for the benefits of both present and future generations. It is clear, however, that the lofty dream has been perverted. What appears the best option for the FG, therefore, is that it returns to the original intents of the ECA and SWF or be prepared to face the harsh verdict generations unborn and history will return on its deadness to vision, extravagance and impunity.

July 14, 30, 2002 French President, Jacques Chirac, escaped an assassination attempt unscathed during Bastille Day celebrations. Chirac (born 29 November 1932) is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 (making him the only person to hold the position of Prime Minister twice under the Fifth Republic).

Business Tuesday, July 14, 2015

SON seizes N2bn substandard auto spare parts

Gas flaring: Experts doubt 90% reduction feasibility by 2016 25

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ARIAN advises firms on how to retain marketers 33

AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Dana Air 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

Growing Africa’s SMEs through CSR initiatives With many African countries grappling with economic uncertainties, business leaders believe that the sure way out of the lull in the continent is to train future entrepreneurs that will help leapfrog the continent through enterprise and innovation. DAVID AUDU reports on Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, concept as one of the components of such social enterprise initiatives.

s global unemployment rate soars, with the International Labour Organisation, ILO, projecting that an estimated 212 million people may be jobless by 2019, most countries are adopting remedial policy measures to avert the looming crisis and by so doing, mitigating the socio-economic damages to their economies. Conscious of the negative effects of burgeoning unemployment in their domains, political leaders, businessmen and other

development experts are consensual in their views that entrepreneurship, particularly among the youth population, remain the key to guaranteeing the future of the countries and people and laying enduring foundation for their real social, economic and political transformation. They agreed that the only way to achieve this lofty dream is to increase the number of entrepreneurs so as to minimise the increasing rush for formal, white collar jobs by young school leav-

ers and giving them the right orientation about entrepreneurship and its potential for their self fulfilment. Besides, the new emphasis on entrepreneurship development assumes that entrepreneurs will in turn provide employment for others along the value chain. It has also become a known fact that small and medium enterprises are globally regarded as the backbone of any economy. According to experts, when given adequate support, SMEs can spur

significant economic growth. According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, SMEs have a significant role to play in economic development. According to UNIDO, SMEs form the backbone of the private sector; make up over 90 per cent of enterprises in the world and account for 50 to 60 per cent of employment. “They also play an important role in generating employment CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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

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

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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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Growing Africa’s SMEs through CSR initiatives CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 and poverty alleviation”, It said. The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, put the total number of SMEs in Nigeria at over 17 million. However, because of some challenges in the economy, a lot of SME operators in the country find it very difficult to effectively play their role. Some of these constraints include competition, infrastructure, taxes, accounting, management, marketing, economic, planning and finance. Also, poor economic conditions, which also imply poor finance and inadequate infrastructure, have been identified as the most crucial limiting factors. Again, poor access to finance at relatively cheap cost is also one of the most crucial problems hindering SMEs to have significant contribution to national output in Nigeria. There is no doubt that Nigeria as a nation, since attaining independence in 1960 has tried out various economic policies in a bid to achieve meaningful economic development. Most of these policies, some analysts say, are centrally planned and government dominated. The resultant impact of this excessive government domination of the economy left much to be desired leading to massive divestment in the 1990’s by the government. This was done under the economic policy of “privatisation and commercialisation”. The shift of emphasis thus created a challenge of building capable, dynamic and resourceful entrepreneurs to take the baton of economic revitalisation from government. These entrepreneurs incidentally have to fulfill this onerous task through the establishment of business that could mainly be classified as small and medium scale in nature. However, over the years the task of creating a sustainable environment for SMEs to thrive was a difficult one, and for obvious reasons. One, the dwindling state of the economy has made it difficult for people to save and thereby little capital accumulation for investment. Further, the private sector was long undeveloped making experienced entrepreneur and small business managers scarce. Today, there is a growing consensus among policy makers, academia, industrialist and economic planners, that the development of local entrepreneur and encouragement of the establishment of small and medium scale business is the only penance to our economic growth. With this reality in view, a number of private organisations and individuals have taken it upon themselves to provide the necessary impetus to encourage the growth and rise of young people to embrace entrepreneurship in Nigeria and Africa. One current example among others is the chairman of Heirs Holding Mr. Tony Elumelu whose foundation, Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, TEEP, which in its current drive towards this end has earmarked about $100m as grants to about 1000 young people from Nigeria and other African countries to train and mentor in various entrepreneurship projects. According to Elumelu, “African destiny lies with us African to realize”. The project, though with an African wide focus, has about 50 per cent participants coming from Nigeria. Launched

Buhari

Mugabe

Olaoluwa

Elumelu

ANALYSTS DESCRIBED THE PROGRAMME AS THE FIRST OF SUCH INITIATIVE TO BE LAUNCHED BY AN

AFRICAN PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION

TARGETING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPACE DESIGNED TO EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF

AFRICAN ENTREPRENUERS

in December 2014, the TEEP project is a $100m initiative to discover and support 10, 000 African entrepreneurs over the next decade, with a target of creating one million new jobs and $10 billion in additional gross domestic product contribution to African economy by the end of the programme. Economic analysts have described the programme as the first of such initiative to be launched by an African philanthropic organisation targeting the entrepreneurial space designed to empower the next generation of Africans entreprenuers. Areas of focus by the programme include agriculture with 30 per cent participants; commerce and retail have nine per cent, while education and training have equally nine per cent each respectively. Other areas include ICT, eight per cent, manufacturing, eight per cent, while healthcare and fashion have five and four per cent each. Energy, power and construction have three per cent; waste management, transportation, financial services, fmcg, tourism and hospitality have two per cent each. While the programme covered 51 African countries, 49 per cent are from Nigeria

followed by Kenya with 16 per cent; Uganda, four per cent; Ghana 3.6 per cent and South Africa with 3.2 per cent. At the TEEP boot camp in Otta, Ogun State at the weekend, attended by dignitaries and government officials, the need to harness Africa potentials through creating conducive environment and empowerment for Africa entrepreneurs to thrive was highlighted. Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, underlined the need for African leaders to pay attention to developing entrepreneurs to move the continent forward. Restating the plight of Africa as a continent, which he stand in the throes of poverty and disease, and having the highest ratio of unemployment, and therefore the need for concerted efforts to pull it out, adding that entrepreneurship and handwork are the instrument of growth and development. He enjoined all to embrace integrity, rule of law, transparency and self discipline to entrench enduring business ethics in Nigeria and on the continent in generals. He charged the aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace the spirit of trust, integrity, and consistency, reminding that enduring

success comes from respect for the rule of law and commitment to set objectives He commended the Heirs Holdings for initiating the programme, noting that “economies cannot be developed without social entrepreneurs like Tony Elumelu”. He said Elumelu invoked the daring spirit successful enterprise by investing substantially in the ideas of entrepreneurship of the young Africans. By doing this he is shaping the future of the continent as he empower them to embrace entrepreneur to enable them direct the economic affairs of the continent in the coming years. He said government on its part will continue to provide enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive Acting United States Consul General, DI Gilbert likened the gathering to African Union meeting in Nigeria and described it as the ‘future Africa’. She said it is education that gives people the working tool that will make them productive. Asking how we can do things differently? She charged the beneficiaries to look for a creative new way of doing things to add value to society. To African leaders and business men, she reminded them of the potentials that lie in Africa. “With 30 per cent of your population under 30, the energy is there and therefore the need for you to get going through right economic initiatives such what the Elumelu foundation has done”. Guest of the occasion, Prime Minister of the Republic of Benin, Lionel Zinzou, lauded the initiative while describing every effort to boost entrepreneur in Africa as the urgent thing the continent requires for growth and development. He said every country in Africa and indeed Africa as a whole need innovative idea which young talents who are beneficiaries of the TEEP project will bring Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who was at the event urged the beneficiaries of the programme to convert their ideas into work that will make Africa proud. Speaking on what government can do to encourage entrepreneurs, he said only government through workable policies and good legislation can provide the level of trust that is required for successful entrepreneurship. “Nothing is possible without a functional government. No matter how rich you are, without a minimal functional government to provide the basics such as road, power and other infrastructure you are lost.” He therefore urged the federal government on the need “to take a pragmatic approach to policy redemption and investment in Africa”. He noted that Africa with it large population stands at a great advantage if it leverage on the huge demographic dividend but will be a disaster if it fail to do so, while urging African political leaders to boost their economies through appropriate policies and legislation that will encourage entrepreneurship. Managing director Bank of Industries, BOI, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, noted the impact the programme will have on the continent and Nigeria in particular. He said the bank will work with the candidate to help them evolve successful business that will enable them be employers of labour in the future.

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Business News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

SON seizes N2bn substandard auto spare parts SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

tandards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, has seized imported auto spare parts worth over N2 billion This is coming on the heels of the Agency’s move to ensure zero-tolerance for substandard products in the country. Head, Inspectorate and Compliance, SON, Engineer. Bede Obayi, who disclosed this during an enforcement exercise, said such move was to ensure that substandard automotive spare parts do not find their way into the nation’s markets.

While listing the products to include expired tyre tubes, engine oil, clutch fibres and motorcycle chains, he said, they were intercepted, following a tip-off from well meaning Nigerians, He said, despite enlightenment campaigns on the negative impacts of substandard products on the public, importers still indulge in such illicit trade. ‘‘Importers of these substandard automotive spare parts, imported them in the name of registered brand with SON to defraud Nigerians of their hardearned money’’ “We have discovered this warehouse and the last time, I

remembered we told you that the operation flush-out substandard goods in the country, backed by the SON have just started. We must ensure that whenever we see these substandard products in the country, we are going to remove them from circulation’’, he stated. The current level of substandard goods in the country, he said, is about 45 per cent with concrete efforts to reduce it further to the barest minimum. He said, “Today, we have seized another warehouse, where various automotive spare parts are being sold to Nigerians as original. We have discovered

that these products are products that have come into the country as made in China, meanwhile they are done here in Orile, Lagos and SON does not know the importer of these products,” he said. According to him, the substandard products worth over N2 billion were brought in by one Ade-Ori Nigeria Limited of 118 Wilabur Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos Mainland with no trace of registration with SON as there is no evidence that the company obtained Agency’s relevant SONCAP certificate, which is the nation’s import requirement. “Before any importer brings

in any product, our overseas technical partners must have tested the products before they come into the country. What we have here are empty packs and nobody will give certificates for empty packs. Nigerians cannot be killed by these foreigners, who indulge in massive adulteration in Nigerian soil,” he added. He however noted that the company has been importing the substandard auto spare parts since last year, saying that within this period, the company has made 82 shipments of fake and substandard products into Nigeria with about 194 containers.

World Bank, IMF unveil new tax system for developing nations ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

W L- R: Executive Director, Finance and Strategy, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; Lead Consultant, Spreadout Media Nigeria Limited, Mr. Nwagwu Churchill; Executive Director, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Kayode Lawal and Managing Director/CEO, Minds Share Media Nigeria, Mr. Chudi Obiora, at the presentation of the Best Poster Award in the financial services sector by the representatives of Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) to the Bank in Lagos.

Delay of NTC Bill’s passage to hamper economic growth –Investigation FRANCIS EZEM

nvestigation has revealed that non-passage of the National Transport Commission, NTC, Bill would hinder the nation’s economic growths, just as some shipping experts have taken a swipe at the National Assembly over its failure to pass into law, the Ports and Harbours Bill, which have been pending for too long. The immediate past seventh National Assembly had inherited the Ports and Harbours Bill, designed to give a legal backing to port concession programme, which was presented in 2006 while the NTC, which seeks to create legal and institutional framework for port regulation was presented to it in 2013 by the Federal Ministry of Transport. A shipping expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, accused the National Assembly of being selfish and sectional, which led to non-passage of the two bills, especially the NTC, which was presented since 2013. According to him, when passed

into law, the NTC Bill would enthrone a regime of institutional regulatory framework, promote efficiency, and reduce cost of doing business at the ports while checking monopolistic tendencies. “The focus of the NTC Bill, is to provide regulatory framework for the transport sector, which is critical to the nation’s economy, given the strategic role transportation plays in the growth and development of any economy”, the source said. It was gathered that the NTC Bill also aims at creating an Economic Regulator for the nation’s

seaport industry, given the landlord port model, being operated in Nigeria after the concession, as the economic regulator would ensure fairness and level playing field for all, which would promote competition and efficiency. For instance, Section 5 of the Billl, which spells out the functions of the Commission, provides that it would provide effective competition, promote competitive market conduct and ensure that misuse of monopoly or non-transitory market power is prevented in the provision of transport services.

orld Bank and International Monetary Fund, IMF, have launched a new initiative to help developing countries strengthen their tax systems. Analysis suggests that many low-income countries have the potential to increase their tax ratios by at least 2–4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, without compromising fairness or growth. Raising additional revenues will allow developing countries to fill financing gaps and promote development. The two global institutions disclosed this ahead of a conference this week in Addis, Ethiopia on “Financing for Development” of heads of state, CSOs, multilateral institutions and private sector representatives expected to discuss how to scale up finances to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde in a press statement said that a strong revenue base is imperative, if developing countries are to be able to finance the spending they need on public services, social support and infrastructure stating that experience shows that with

well-targeted external technical support and sufficient political will, it is possible to create a strong revenue base. World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim noted that the Bank wants to help developing countries raise more revenues through taxes since it can lead to more children receiving a good education and more families having access to quality health care. He said, “If everyone pays their fair share– even while challenging the status quo– developing countries can close their financing gaps and promote inclusive growth.” According to the statement, the IMF/World Bank initiative has two pillars: deepening the dialogue with developing countries on international tax issues, aiming to help increase their weight and voice in the international debate on tax rules and cooperation; and developing improved diagnostic tools to help member countries evaluate and strengthen their tax policies. The global financial institutions said that are building on the Bank’s current tax programmes in over 48 developing countries and the Fund’s technical assistance projects in over 120 countries executive the initiative.

Malaysia Air crash: FAA kicks against cockpit redesign to prevent pilots’ sabotage OLUSEGUN KOIKI

ore than a year after Malaysia’s aircraft disappearance raised questions about pilot sabotage, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has confided to investigators that there was no legal or technologically feasible way to make cockpit electronics impervious to tamper-

ing. The finding came in a written response to a National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, and recommendation to redesign black box recorders and other critical electronics so that they cannot be switched off during flight. ‘’The main impediment is that pilots sometimes need to cut the power in the event of overheating or fire’’, the FAA said in the letter

obtained by an online medium, Bloomberg News and monitored by our correspondent. “There appears to be no safe way to ensure recorders cannot be intentionally disabled while keeping the airplane safe from electrical failure that could become hazardous,” FAA Administrator, Michael Huerta wrote in the letter. The FAA also rejected the NTSB’s calls for adding video re-

corders in cockpits, saying there is “no compelling evidence” it would help investigations. The FAA’s positions add new complexity to the issues underlying attempts to prevent another disappearance of a plane like Malaysia Air Flight 370 and to combat intentional acts, such as the pilot, who this year crashed a Deutsche Lufthansa AG Germanwings plane into the French Alps.

Business News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Nigerian firm loses N90bn over drilling rigs detention FRANCIS EZEM

fforts by the Federal Government to increase indigenous participation in oil and gas industry under Local Content policy may have suffered a setback as an indigenous firm loses more than N90 billion in the last ten months, following detention of its two oil drilling rigs by Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON. Federal Government had as part of measures to check increasing foreign domination of the nation’s oil and gas sector, enacted the Nigerian Content Act 2010, which created the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board NCDMB, to enhance indigenous participation in both upstream and downstream sector. A competent industry source hinted that Seawolf Oil Services Limited, an indigenous oil com-

pany lost over N90 billion, following the decision of AMCON to impound and detain two of its oil rigs acquired at the cost of N300 billion, since October last year through a loan facility. The source also noted that the company got the loan from First Bank of Nigeria Plc to acquire the drilling rigs, but could not service it as at when due, which is part of the toxic loans bought back by AMCON from commercial banks to prevent them from going under. Meanwhile, the Receiver Manager for Seawolf Oil Services Limited appointed by AMCON, Mr. Mike Igbokwe SAN, who confirmed the development, said the drilling rigs were neither seized not detained, rather brought from Bayelsa to Marina waterfront, Lagos. “The two rigs are not sized as such there is no court order to that effect, but they happen to be some of the assets that are charged.

What happened was that Seawolf borrowed money from First Bank and with the loan, it acquired the rigs and defaulted and the loan became bad”, he said. It was gathered that in line with its statutory functions of buying off bad loans from commercial banks to save them from collapse, it stepped into the shoes of the lending bank (First Bank) and exercised the rights and powers of the bank. Igbokwe also said: “So, the First Bank having sold the bad loan to AMCON, which came based on its enabling Act and the Debenture Deed to appoint me, the receiver manager because the company (Seawolf) was apparently unable to pay the debts, that is the long and short of the story”. He also insisted that the two rigs were towed from Bayelsa to their present location on Marina, Lagos for repairs and preservation.

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Telecoms group push for 5G network ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

eading companies and research organisations have lent support in FANTASTIC-5G research project to speed development of a flexible air interface below 6 GHz for 5G networks Development of a flexible air interface will support diverse and growing requirements of 5G networks, boost capacity and improve energy-efficiency A group of 16 leading players in the field of telecommunications are joining forces to advance the development of a new air interface below 6GHz for 5G networks. The project will focus on boosting capacity, increasing flexibility and improving the energy efficiency of the next generation of mobile networks. According to the group, the future mobile networks need to become even more flexible and effi-

HRB launches Human Rights Compliance Assessment ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

L-R: left: The Manager, Ibrahim Taiwo Road Branch (Ilorin) of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Oluwatodimu Adeleye; the Manager, AbdulAzeez Attah Road Branch, Mr. Salihu Olorundare; the Regional Director, South-west of the Bank, Mr. Adelaja Adeleye; Vice Chancellor, Kwara State University, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’ Allah and a Relationship Officer of FCMB, Mr. Olushola Martins, during the handover of a bus donated by the Bank to the School on Tuesday.

Electricity supply drops to 3,573mw UDEME AKPAN

lectricity supply has dropped from 3,700 megawatts to 3,573 megawatts as a result of some factors, including reduction in rainfall. Presidential Task Force on Power, PTFP, data over the weekend said out of 3,662.48mw generated, 3,573mw was supplied, conserving the balance to stabilise the system. The PTFP indicated that the electricity supplied was not sufficient as the nation’s peak demand forecast stood at 12,800mw. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr Sam Amadi has said that the Commission will ensure electricity cus-

tomers pay only efficient tariff. Amadi gave the insight into the removal of technical losses as a component of tariff chargeable by electricity distribution companies while receiving a threeman delegation of the European Union. The Commission had earlier in the year, put collection loss at zero value, unless a distribution company makes case for its justification. He said that the Commission questioned the framework that led to huge collection losses passed to electricity consumers, kicking against it because it was against international best practice, decrying lack of performance on the part of the distribution companies. ‘’We want a transparent, par-

ticipatory and cost reflective tariff. We have outsourced the tariff making process to the distribution companies and provided them strict guidelines. The regulatory question is about what should be passed to the consumers. “One school of thought is legalism and another is about what is right. So essentially, we ruled out collection losses and put it at zero,’’ Amadi said, adding that electricity distribution companies must consult with consumers before it can approach the Commission for tariff review. He informed the visitors that as part of Commission’s drive to enhance electricity supply, it has been advocating embedded generation, which is already yielding fruits.

cient than 4G, 3G and 2G networks to cope with the ever-growing demands being placed on them. The group in a press statement noted that as consumer Smartphone and tablet devices become more diverse, and as the Internet of Things brings with it a huge increase in the amount of sensorrelated traffic, a new air interface, which connects a user’s device to the mobile network and defines the way information is transmitted to and from the device for 5G is required. They said the aim of the 2-year FANTASTIC-5G project is to develop a new multi-service air interface that operates below 6 GHz frequency for 5G networks, saying that it is highly flexible, support different types of data traffic, scalable, to support an ever-growing number of networked devices and versatile, to support diverse device types and traffic/transmission characteristics.

nstitute of Human Rights and Business Africa has launched a Human Rights Assessments platform for enterprises in Africa, using a combination of the HRCA platform, Harvard University report and Shift project assessment tool. This is to enable companies to create a general overview of the human rights risks in their operations. According to the Managing Consultant of the Institute, Mr. Eustace Onuegbu, due diligence has become key element of risk control, and this has facilitated its subsequent propagation to other business activities, such as anti-corruption and mergers and

acquisitions. He said such tools covered all internationally-recognised human rights issues and their impact on all stakeholders, including employees, local communities, customers and host governments. He explained that the condensed HRCA tool incorporated a database of about 10 percent of the 195 questions and 947 indicators, which were in the comprehensive tool, each measuring the implementation of human rights in company policies and procedures. The database, as he said, incorporated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and more than 80 human rights treaties and International Labour Organization conventions.

PepsiCo revenue beats estimates

epsiCo, like other soft drink makers, has been battling falling soda sales in the United States, with customers turning to healthier drinks that use natural ingredients. However, revenue from the company’s Americas beverages business, its largest, rose 1 percent to $5.34 billion in the second quarter, helped by a 1 percent rise in organic volume sales and its strategy of raising product prices overseas to offset the impact of a strong dollar. The company said on Wednesday that it would report results for its North America beverages business separately from the

third quarter, instead of clubbing it with Latin America beverage sales. PepsiCo plans to report Latin America beverage sales together with Latin America food sales from the current quarter. Analysts welcomed the move, saying it would increase transparency into the company’s North America beverages business. PepsiCo took a net charge of $105 million in 2014 as it reassessed the value of its assets in Venezuela after the devaluation of the bolivar, and said exchange mechanisms in the country are still shrouded in significant uncertainty.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Jobs & Career

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Labour must reform itself to become more effective –NASU’s scribe The General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, Mr Peter Adeyemi, is a labour activist with deep understanding of issues involved in employer-employee relations, having been involved in university administration for the past three decades. In this interview with MESHACK IDEHEN, Adeyemi, who is also the President of Africa and Middle East Region of Public Service International, highlights the challenges and opportunities inherent in organised labour movement. He also shares his thought on the way forward for tertiary education and public service’s industrial harmony in the country. fight the contractors to a standstill. Slave labour is only possible in the private sector where people can do all sorts of things and get away with it, but I assure you that both the government and the trade unions should share the blame.

How would you assess the trade union movement in the last five decades? I can say that I am aware that some unions have done very well and still doing, and I am aware also that there are parts of the movement that have not lived up to expectation, so for me, we cannot say that it is a total failure. I think some mileage has been covered very diligently and progressively, but I also think that we have also lost some ground as a result of the fact that we have not been able to push things ahead the way we ought to, but I think some individual unions have been able to make some giant strides, they have progressively, positively impacted on the lives of their members. Are you by those words indirectly assessing your union NASU? Yes, my union is one of them. If you ask my members, they will tell you. So this over 54 years Independence that we have celebrated cannot be said to be a total failure for the labour movement, but I believe that there is a whole lot of improvement to be done. I am agreeing to the fact that Nigerians said what we ought to be doing at the level of labour centre, we have not been able to do them the way we ought to, but of course, that also is left for individuals to determine, because if you ask those who are driving the process at the labour centre, they will tell you they have done their best, and so for me, I think we have to base our assessment on what the Nigerian people are saying. I also think that I would go with the Nigerian people that we need progressive change to see whether we can bring a turnaround of the situation, but we cannot say the labour movement has not delivered in the last 54 years. I think we have done very well considerably up to a point. It has been alleged that some labour leaders are using their positions to enrich themselves. What is your response to this? That’s a mere allegation that has to be proven because I don’t want to work on allegations. I am not aware of that because you see the truth of the matter is this; who is giving the money and who are you giving the money? If you believe that you can stop the movement from becoming what it ought to be by bribing labour leaders, then you are wasting your time. Let me tell you something, if a labour leader has conscience and he has the conscience of the followership then if he takes bribe, the followership will stone him. They will deal with him. I cannot take bribe in NASU because my members are very articulate and conscious, and if I fail to do what I am supposed to do, and they will send me away. I think that the problem is not about whether people are collecting money, but the problem is about how conscious we are because I do not want to believe that Nigerian workers are fools. I think if it is established that people are actually trading the rights of Nigerian workers, then the workers have their rights to stone them and even remove them from office, but for your statement, it is a mere allegation and I don’t want to believe that one labour leader has sold out or collected money from government. Do you agree with some labour analysts who have said that workers are yet to receive the benefits of the country’s independence? Assuming these labour analysts are correct, then the labour leaders and government should be blamed because the national cake is there and the politicians are the ones that want to eat everything. It is my view that for the workers to benefit from this

Adeyemi

I thInk that the problem Is not about whether people

are collectIng money, but the problem Is about how conscIous we are because

I do not want to belIeve that nIgerIan workers are fools cake, the leadership of the trade union must struggle towards ensuring that the proportionate part of it that belongs to the workers are given to the workers is given to them. I am also of the view that for the workers to get what belongs to them then we must take the responsibility as labour leaders to get what is due to them from the national cake. We do not need to even blame the government because there is no benevolent government in the world that will give to the workers, what is due them without the needed struggles. The issue of slave labour has been in the front burner in recent time. What do you think can be done about the challenge? I think the government will have to take responsibility for signing different types of trade agreement without putting into consideration, the interest of our country. The Federal Government signed trade agreements with China, for the country to come and construct railway to the extent of agreeing with the companies to bring even their cooks, cleaners and every other jobs that Nigerians can do at the risk of the unemployed Nigerians It is unfortunate that the government because of its collaborative tendencies is ineptly rooted in corruption to the extent of not protecting the interest of an average worker in the country. It is because of the naivety of some trade union leaders the some of the contractors will believe that they will go and settle labour leaders, but in the universities where NASU operates, or in the colleges of education, you cannot do that because we will

As President of Public Service International in Africa, PSI. What is PSI in particular doing about the problem? It is difficult for a global body to be able to deal with some of these issues that affects Nigeria as a nation because in every country, you have labour centres, and most of these issues are better fought at the level of the national trade union movement before the global body can give its support. I am of the view that the trade unions in some countries in Africa have already conceded to these anti-unionism policies that made it impossible for any global trade union centre to make case for a change I think what we need to do first is to fight the anti-workers policies within before calling for external help. And that is why affiliates of PSI believe to the trade union centre where they can influence some of these anti-people policies of government and if they are not able to influence their trade union centres to begin a process of fighting against some of these things, then there is hardly anything the global trade union movement can do. There are insinuations from some government agencies that the Federal Government is talking about labour reform. Do you think labour needs reform, if so, in which areas? I am a little bit sceptical when government talks about labour reform. One wants to find out the basis for the reform. You also want to know the criteria to be used. You also want to find out what is motivating government in this direction. Is it for political interest or an attempt to hijack the labour movement? I think labour has the responsibility of reforming itself rather than surrender itself to government for reform. So, my opinion is that, government appears to be chewing more than it ought to chew, more than what its mouth can actually contain. Government appears to be putting its nose and its mouth virtually everywhere. They are talking of reform everywhere but there is no positivity in all these attempts to reform everything. I have a little bit of problem with that but I am convinced that there is the need for organized labour itself to do self-purification. There is need for self-examination. There is the need for labour to readjust, to reform itself with a view to reposition itself for effective and efficient service delivery to the rank and file members of the union who have no other hope than the trade union movement. I have my doubts whether the labour movement in this country to which I belong, is able to justify the huge expectation of not only the working people of this country but also those who rely on the ability of the Nigerian labour movement to deliver them from the oppressive tendencies and policies of those in government because in this country we realize that opposition has been virtually non –existent and over time, labour has filled that gap adequately. The Nigerian people have so much confidence in the labour movement but in the last couple of years, we have seen that that confidence has waned. If you then look at that situation, you may come to the conclusion that there is need for self-examination, self purification and the need for labour to restructure itself so that it would be able to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ITF kicks off 2m annual jobs scheme for Nigerian youths Meshack Idehen

he Industrial Training Fund has finalised a structure that will provide two million jobs for Nigerian youths annually through its skills acquisition and employment creation programme. The Director-General, ITF, Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, disclosed this recently, saying the Fund planned to achieve the feat by collaborating with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association. She spoke in Lagos at the unveiling of the ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Project for Ruff ‘n’Tumble/Betti-O School of Fashion Design, in Lagos. She said, “The plan is to train two million youths annually and put them to work. Already, we have hit the ground running to ensure that we even do much more. We are also coming up with the youth lounges at all our offices across the nation because we want to better engage the youths.

“If we catch the youths and direct them to focus on productive skills and businesses, we would be doing this country a lot of good.” According to her, this is in line with the passion of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to reduce the unemployment level in the country through job creation. She added that the Fund had also concluded a survey to determine the top 100 businesses of interest to youths in a bid to sharpen their skills in preferred areas and also help actualise their goals in the area of providing job opportunities that will benefit both the youths and Nigeria at large. She applauded the complimentary roles played by NECA, which had created more training facilities across the country using its member-organisations’ training facilities to train the youths. “What we do is that we reach out to companies that are already contributing to the ITF and have a structured system and a state where they can carry out training programmes within their facilities. We work through NECA, engage them

and shortlist them to provide training for our youths,” the DG explained. In her remarks, the Project Director, ITFNECA Technical Skills Development Project, Mrs. Helen Jemerigbe, noted that prospects for employment under the skills programme were very high. “The skills being addressed by the project were identified through a survey. The programme is so big that we need so many more

Nigerians to participate in it,” she said. Currently the ITF is in the process of finalising the first National Skills Gap Assessment survey for the country, in partnership with the United Nations Development Organisation. It is a nationawide skills gap assessment to first uncover what skills are lacking in the labour force, what skills are needed by employers in the market now and what skills will be needed in the future.

WAUTI elects Somorin as first female president

he West African Union of Tax Institutes, WAUTI, has elected Dr. Olateju Somorin as its first female president since the formation of the group in 2011. The WAUTI is an association of national tax professionals within the ECOWAS sub-region. She is the fourth WAUTI President as well as the current president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, CITN. Dr. Somorin, who will be in the saddle till February 2017, is a retired Acting Co-ordinating Director of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), where she had a distinguished public

Somorin

onoil Plc leads the pack of available job vacancies for this week. The company said there are openings for sales executives; area engineers/project managers, accountants and lawyers. All applications, according to Conoil, must be submitted online to vacancy@conoilplc. com,while more details can be found on the website, www.conoilplc.com From a four star hospitality facility in Ogun state also come vacancies for an executive chef, a food and beverage manager, sales

career for 34 years. In a statement, WAUTI described her as an amazon in tax matters. “She is the author of TejuTax Reference Book on the Nigeria Tax System and a tax columnist with BusinessDay newspaper,” it said. Teju is a recipient of Doctor of Letters degree in Nigeria Tax System (2002) from St. Clements University, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies. This, she obtained on presentation of dissertation on Operation of VAT in Nigeria. She also holds an honorary Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in taxation. She has attended many international and local tax conferences as a speaker. While in FIRS, she was the secretary of the Study Group on Nigeria Tax System in 1991. She has promised to foster the vision of WAUTI through the harmonisation of taxation practice in West Africa and its mission to promote the highest professional standards of competence and integrity among practitioners in member states. Dr. Somorin, a life patron of the Society of Women in Taxation, SWIT, will drive WAUTI to greater heights in collaboration with WAUTI partners such as ECOWAS, FIRS, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, Ghana Revenue Authority, and the revenue authorities of the Francophone countries, among others.

Workers sharing idea in office

Ways to keep your employees happy, working hard

t doesn’t matter what you build, invent or sell; your organisation can’t move forward without people. CEOs, company founders and managers the world over know that keeping the teams beneath them moving forward together in harmony means the difference between winning and dying. Here are few tips for entrepreneurs and managers looking to keep their people smiling and producing. Build ownership among your crew- Employees have to feel that they own the place, not just work there. One of the principles of selfmanaged teams is to organise around a whole service or product. In other words, make sure company personnel feel responsible for what the customer is buying. One way to inspire that feeling is to have each member of a team become familiar with what other team members are doing, allowing them to bring their ideas for improvement to the table and have input in the whole process. If the roles are not too specialised, have your people rotate responsibilities from time to time. It all contributes to a feeling of ‘it’s mine,’ and most people, when it’s theirs, don’t want to fail, don’t want to build poor quality and don’t want to dissatisfy the customer.

Job vacancies

and marketing manager, executivehousekeeper, a front office manager, CT administrator and a chief engineer. Interested and qualified candidates are to send their CV to hrrecruit307@gmail.com The British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC through its media action outfit is also recruiting. The group said there are vacancies for project managers, senior research officers, research officers and radio training officers in Hausa or English. Interested and qualified candidates are to

visit www.bbc.co.uk/jobs for the full details of the job description. All applications must be sent latest August 1st, 2014. There are hundreds of vacancies on offer at the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike in Ebonyi state. Academic and non-academic staff interested is urged to visit www.funai.ed.ng to obtain more derails on the jobs. Enugu Electricity Distribution Company is also recruiting, with numerous positions up for grabs. Senior managers, billing managers, human resource managers are some of the

Trust employees to leave their comfort zones-Few employees want to do one specific task over and over again until they quit or retire or die. Don’t be afraid to grant them new responsibilities—it will allow them to grow and become more confident in their abilities while making them feel more valuable to the organisation. Though managers might feel allowing their people to try new things presents a risk to productivity or places workers outside of their established place, it heads off other issues. The bigger risk is having people get burnt out or bored. Keep your team informed- Business leaders have a clearer perspective on the bigger picture than their employees do. It pays to tell those under you what’s going on. Things that managers take for common knowledge about how things are going or what challenges are down the road or what new products are coming… they often don’t take the time to share that with their employees. Spreading the Intel lets everyone in on the lay of theland and at the same time strengthens the feeling among workers that they are an important part of the organisation.

vacancies being offered. Applicants are urged to visit www.enugudisco.com to obtain more details of the application procedures. Akintola William Deloitte is also offering jobs to top flight candidates in the areas of audit, accounting and financial advisory services, corporate finance, consulting, risk advisory and tax and regulatory matters. Candidates are urged to visit www.deloitte.com/about for more details of the job description.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Gas flaring: Experts doubt 90% reduction feasibility by 2016 Not quite long ago, some oil prospecting companies in Nigeria promised to reduce gas flaring by 90 percent before the end of next year. However, analysts are doubtful about the feasibility of the target in view of militating factors. SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE reports.

Pension Act provides for home ownership –DG 27

s 2015 is gradually moving to its end, environment analysts are unsure of the feasibility of the 2016 target earlier set by oil prospecting and producing companies to reduce gas flaring in the nation’s oil and gas industry by 90 percent. Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, along with its joint venture partner, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, recently said that oil spillage and gas flaring still remained serious impediments to the nation’s economic development, and assured to substantially tackle the challenges of glaring more boldy effective next

year. Chairman and Managing Director of the CNL, Mr Clay Neff, had during his interactive session with journalists in Lagos hinted that the JV partners were investing heavily to reduce the worrisome menace. To achieve this, Neff explained that his company was already working on its natural gas projects like Escravos Gas Plant (EGP) project; Escravos Gas-to-Liquid (EGTL) project as well as Sonam Field Development projects. Other projects include, West African Gas Pipeline project; Ohaji South field project and Agura independent power

More industrial firms relocating to Ogun state –Investigation

plant project. Eradication of gas flaring and other environmental hazards, according to some experts would reduce the devastating effects of climate change, ravaging the socio-economic status of the world. Investigation reveals that between 2008 and 2013, Chevron had reduced the flaring of associated gas (AG) from its oil fields by 60 percent, expecting to reduce it more by 30 percent by the year 2016, bringing the reduction to 90 percent by 2016. According to Neff, ‘environmental pollution; caused by oil spillage would soon CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Simple steps for painting your livingroom 29

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gas flaring: Experts doubt 90% reduction feasibility by 2016 CONTINUED FROM 25 be a thing of the past in the country’’. Environmental pollution is the introduction of particulates, biological molecules as well as other harmful materials into the earth’s atmosphere, thus causing death and disease to human beings as well as damages to living organisms such as food crops and environment. Atmosphere is a complex natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to earth’s ecosystems. Indoor air pollution and urban air quality are listed as two of the world’s worst toxic pollution problems in 2008. Further investigation reveals that despite the growing domestic gas demands in the country, oil prospecting firms in the first half of 2014, flared a quantum of natural gas capable of generating over 100,000 megawatts of electricity. Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in its data released recently said about 198 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas was flared from January to June 2014. The companies, including international and indigenous oil players, burnt 43.7 billion scf in January, which is 19.17 percent of production; 50.1 billion scf in February, about 23.20 percent of production and 38.3 billion scf in March, which is 17.77 percent of output. Also, in April, 22.3 billion scf of gas was flared, 19.7 billion scf in May and 23bn scf was wasted in June. According to an industry analysts, the quantity of gas flared in six months could as well, generate over 100,000mw of electricity far more than the current 4,000mw of electric generation capacity/ Nigeria is Africa’s top oil producer and largest holder of natural gas reserves on the continent with the world’s record as the ninth biggest gas reserves with 187 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves and 600 tcf of unproven gas reserves. But low investment in gas infrastructure over the years has continued to hamper the harnessing of the huge natural gas reserves in the country for domestic consumption, particularly for power generation. The International Energy Agency in its special report ‘Africa Energy Outlook’, released recently, noted that Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan detailed the aim to increase domestic supply and to bring in new pricing and policy regulations as well as providing a blueprint for gas infrastructure. The strategy was to anchor gas supply around “gas to power” in the immediate term while also developing a broader agenda for gas to support industrialisation and provide gas for export. It further noted that a critical uncertainty for Nigeria’s gas supply outlook was its ability to stimulate significant production of non-associated gas. “Huge resources exist, sufficient to cover both domestic demand and exports. Production of non-associated gas increases in our projection period, but it is gradual. Exploiting this resource requires a change in focus by the upstream sector and, importantly, the government to establish a framework to incentivise the neces-

Buhari

Mallam

Former Minister of Petroleum, Alison-Madueke

sary large-scale capital investment.” This will require a stable, attractive investment environment generally and the development of a bankable commercial structure in Nigeria’s gas sector which includes price reforms, improvements in regulatory arrangements, a redefinition of the role of public companies in the gas sector and an alternative to the current Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation joint venture financing model, the IEA said. Shell Petroleum Development Company had recently said that joint venture funding challenges had resulted in delays to some gas-gathering projects, adding that two of these projects, which were expected to gather an additional 35 percent of associated gas by 2014-15, are likely to be delayed. The oil major, in a briefing note, said it reduced flaring volume from its facilities by about 75 per cent between 2003 and 2012 and flaring intensity (the amount of gas flared per barrel of oil produced) by around 60 per cent over the same period. The delay in building the seventh train has cost Nigeria $2.5bn per year due to revenue from LNG export, as well as the opportunity to further reduce gas flared from oil fields in the Niger Delta, according to Platts. The Nigeria LNG said it was already losing global market share due to the delay in expanding the plant’s output from 22 million metric tonne per annum to 30mpta. The Managing Director, NLNG, Mr. Babs Omotowa was quoted by Platts to have said, the company was concerned that the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill could hinder expansion at the six-train LNG plant, despite having already signed agreements with potential

buyers in Japan, China, India and Malaysia. “The long deliberations on the passage of the PIB have put much of the investments in oil and gas on hold because of a lack of clarity around the policy direction of the government,” Omotowa said. “This development may impact on gas supplies to feed additional trains,” he added. Industry analysts and stakeholders have stressed that the vast gas reserves in the country can underpin economic growth and diversification to Nigeria through more power generation, more gas-based industrial activities such as fertiliser plants to boost agriculture, petrochemical industries and also high-value exports. “Passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill is strongly supported as it will ensure the proper regulation and administration of the petroleum industry towards effective and efficient production and supply of petroleum resources including natural gas,” the chairman and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi, said at a recent event. Some analysts blamed gas flaring on bad leadership, observing that, if Nigeria had good leadership in the past, gas flaring would have been a thing of the past. Some environment experts, who adduced building support for renewable energy enterprises in the country, said the only administration that would have stopped the scourge was Murtala Mohammed, if it had not been cut short. Since then, other administrations have not shown a sincere commitment to end gas flaring, but paying lip service to the problem. “If the National Assembly is serious in ending gas flaring, they would legislate on

the issue”, a source said while also noting that the National Assembly under the late President Musa Yar’Adua passed a bill to end the scourge, even as many Nigerians are worried, if subsequent administrations would have political will to implement such bill. “If we look at it properly, we had tapped into the gas resources. Instead of flaring them; we would have created a lot of jobs and stopped the uprisings in the Niger Delta.”, the source added. The source stressed that to end gas flaring in Nigeria and promoting associated gas utilisation and renewable energy enterprise as a necessity to addressing global climate change and providing succour for local communities that had lived with the consequences of air and soil pollution for decades. “Despite an avalanche of anti-gas flaring legislation, a policy statement by government officials and commitments made by oil companies to end gas flaring, the government has failed to compel oil producing companies to comply with a court ruling, declaring gas flaring as illegal and gross violation of human rights’’, the source noted. According to him, “gas flaring in Nigeria, which is one of the major sources of greenhouse emissions on the planet, is making the country the single largest contributor in Africa to climate change, which in turn, is presently threatening our environment, especially the low lying communities in Nigeria and riverine communities in the Niger Delta. Communities in northern Nigeria are also ready suffering the impact of climate change in the form of desertification and draught.” The source also noted that the only options available to Shell and other multinational oil companies but not considered, included processing of associated gas to generate energy for Nigerian communities. “But these options could have meant some expenses for Shell because providing energy for Nigerian communities was not an option in their books. The bulk of associated gas has not been used to address badly needed energy production and contribute to addressing poverty, infrastructural development and industrial capacity in Nigeria.

GAS FLARING IN NIGERIA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAJOR SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS

ON THE PLANET, IS MAKING THE COUNTRY THE SINGLE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR IN AFRICA TO

CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH IN TURN, IS PRESENTLY THREATENING OUR ENVIRONMENT

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Pension Act provides for home ownership –DG

MORTGAGE NOTES

SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

with Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja

Fasanya-Osilaja

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

Appraisal standardisation-Property valuation considerations

oday, I will be deviating from my usual conversation topics, and responding to a few of the questions/ issues raised on my column topics. I have responded to all your questions privately and thank you for reading and following my pieces. Issue: A reader believed it was important for me to note that property valuation in Nigeria is usually based on a price per square footage, of the property, and pricing, as a result, is quite transparent. My answer: Does the square footage pricing of the subject property relate to comparisons with similar properties? As I said in a previous column, I analyzed an appraisal for a Lagos property and was very troubled by the information it contained. The comps section was my biggest issue, because they were so dissimilar that they were actually “incomparable”, rather than comparables. A truly comparable property will be in the same, or economically similar location (you cannot compare a detached property in Isolo with a detached property in Ajah, even if it has the same exact design); they will be of the same or similar use (you cannot compare a private property with a commercial property, or a detached property with a high rise apartment); they will be of similar finish (you cannot compare a detached property that has marble floors with a detached property that has vinyl tiles, even if it has the same exact design). I could go on and on. I am still awaiting his answer… Question: As a loan officer, what are the most important things I should be analyzing in an appraisal? My answer: There are several critical elements to a good appraisal evaluate, but the singular most important element, is the quality of the appraisal itself. If you have a poor appraisal report, you have a non-starter. Please refer to my column of last week, and start vetting your appraisers

before you assign jobs to them. Certain data in the report should point you to the quality of the appraiser’s report. You should be looking for two main figures – the Fair Market Value (sales approach valuation) of the property, and the Replacement Value (cost of replacement approach), of the property. The first figure gives an indication of how much you could conceivably sell the property for in the current market, while the second figure tells you what it would cost to rebuild the property, if it suffered a loss (and therefore, what value the property should be insured for). They should never be the same figure, and if the appraisal shows the same, that is the biggest red flag of a shoddy appraisal job. Comps, comps, comp! The comps are your biggest indicator of value. Solid comps will tell you how much similar properties are being sold for and how long they are staying on the market before they sell. Since one of the main goals of investment is to take advantage of the time value of money, the financial projections prior to disbursement of funds for a project must include a realistic assessment of foreclosure processes and their time value implications. As a loan officer, you must evaluate every client for their ability to repay, and every property for its distress sale capabilities. In a system where there is no concrete data reporting system, the challenges are myriad. Also, the legal system is abysmal when it comes to property and land law, and property matters are typically in court for decades. It is your duty as a loan officer to ensure a mitigation of any anticipated problems, prior to even submitting the loan file to underwriting so your Bank’s financial turnover is not affected by funds being tied down in slow moving physical assets of the size and price of Nigerian property. I know my answer to your ques-

THERE ARE SEVERAL CRITICAL ELEMENTS TO A GOOD APPRAISAL EVALUATE, BUT THE SINGULAR MOST IMPORTANT

ELEMENT, IS THE QUALITY OF THE APPRAISAL ITSELF

irector General of the National Pension Commission, PenCom, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu has said the Pension Reforms Act 2014 made provision for home ownership, aimed at bridging the housing deficit in the country. Anohu-Amazu, who disclosed this during the stakeholders’ sensitization conference on PRA 2014, organised by PenCom in Enugu state said the provision allows contributors seeking to own homes to apply part of their retirement savings account balances as equity contribution for residential mortgage, subject to the guidelines issued by the Commission. She also noted that the guideline is already at the advanced stage, assuring that if fully implemented, would facilitate access to home ownership by pension contributors while bridging housing gap in the country. The DG also said there are new developments introduced by the PRA 2014, such as upward review

Group urges FG to invest N7.9bn in clean cookstoves production FEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

tion is rather long, but I really wanted to emphasize to you the importance of the loan officer as the “sentry at the gate”. Question: With the current situation in the country, how feasible is such a drastic proposal for the appraisal indusxxxxx try to revamp itself ? Answer: The issue for me is not so much the feasibility of the plan, but the fact that it is needed. For me, once something is needed there is no reason to expend energy on the problems that may arise. We have to start from somewhere and improve on the plan as it goes forward. Doing nothing is not an option. The feasibility of the proposal will depend entirely on the will of the implementers to do the right thing. I do know this, once we have a functional system in place, it can only get better…or so we hope. As usual, all comments and questions are welcome, and I will be with you again next week.

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.

of the minimum rate of pension contribution as well as sanctions and penalties against infractions of the provisions of the Act. According to her, several states, except southeast region had adopted the CPS, which are presently in various stages of implementation. The PRA, she said, has enhanced participation of states and local governments in the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, by expressly prescribing coverage of employees of states and local governments in addition to public and private sector. ‘’Recent developments with regards to inadequate finances affecting most states of the federation are pointers to the urgent need for states to adopt the CPS. In our quest to assist states in guided implementation, PenCom has established functional offices in six geo-political zones, including Awka for Southeast zone. Already, the Commission has commenced series of activities intended to kick start initiatives focusing on underserved segments of the Nigerian workers.

igeria Alliance for Clean Cookstoves has urged the Federal Government to invest the remaining N7.9bn intervention fund into domestic clean cooking energy production and distribution. It would be recalled that immediate past administration had under the National Cookstoves Scheme, approved N9.2 billion for the purchase of 750,000 units of clean cook stoves as well as 18,000 wonder bags. Out of the amount, the Ministry of Environment confirmed receipt of N5 billion, from which N1.3 billion was paid to the contractors, being 15 percent of the contract sum. However, in a statement released by the group in Abuja, it urged the Federal Government to covert the remaining N7.9bn to soft loans, working capital, machineries and grants for training and capacity building. The scheme, conceived to prevent avoidable deaths and illness arising from smokes caused by firewood, is being truncated by allegation of involving key officials of the Ministry of Environment. Expressing concerns on the cookstoves project, it said,” Ni-

gerian Alliance is deeply concerned over the implementation of the Federal Government’s N9.2 billion clean cookstoves project. Over 95,000 Nigerians, mostly women and children die annually from smoke emanating from the kitchen. This is Nigeria’s third highest killer, after Malaria and HIV/AIDS. “In addition, Nigeria loses 3 percent of its forests annually partly as result of the cutting of trees for firewood. If the N9.2 billion set aside for this project was properly used, the lives of thousands of Nigerians and our forests would be saved and our women and youths will be empowered with new job opportunities. “We are also concerned that the initiative focuses on the importation of stoves that can easily be produced by Nigerians. By investing this money in Nigeria, we could have created thousands of new jobs and supported new and existing small businesses. Justifying its call for effective utilization of the fund, the group noted that by investing the remaining N7.3 billion of this contract in local production, the Federal Government would create over 100,000 new direct and indirect jobs, while supporting at least 5,000 new small businesses.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Mortgages abroad are more encouraging –Research

recent research has proved that people getting mortgage to buy a property abroad is very encouraging. This is why more people are looking overseas for mortgages and it is likely they get a better deal. In France, for instance, the 20 year fixed rate now stands at 3 percent, an all-time low. According to French Private Finance official, there has been a loosening of bank criteria to include increased loan to value levels as mortgage products open to local and foreign investors. Presently, many banks are willing to accept borrowers, who simply work for a stock market listed companies. This will mean a greater number of non-residents been able to access a larger number of mortgage products. While France is across the Channel with the possibility of commuting, British buyers, who would be willing to move abroad don’t have France at the top of their list. The Go-Compare research found that 31percent would move

to the United States, 29 percent to Australia and 20 percent to New Zealand. Even if they wouldn’t go as far as moving, there is still the opportunity to get a buy to let mortgage for an overseas property, thus gaining an income while owning a property that is likely to appreciate in the long term. Some experts think the United States is an ideal place to do this. Indeed, foreign investors spent $35 billion on US Mortgages from March 2013 to 2014, a 46 percent increase year on year, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. According to a property firm, Brookes & Company, which has projects in Florida, the introduction of mortgage market review in the UK earlier this year, has made it harder to get a UK mortgage as many individuals are beginning to think creatively about how best to climb the property ladder. It points out those rental properties in popular holiday destinations across the globe are highly desirable of any property port-

folio, as they allow for receipt of monthly yields, thus providing the potential for capital growth. With the UK system tightening up, many investors are looking overseas for such opportunities in order to make their money work harder for them as US are one market that is benefiting from this evolution. In the US foreign national mortgage, products are encouraging to invest with banks offering access to credit for non-residents wishing to invest in holiday homes. ‘The American pool of borrowers is drying up. Middle class bor-

rowers have flat-lined due to low income growth and domestic investors are finding it less- appetizing because the foreclosure inventory has dried up. So, who do you go to”, a Foreign investors, Anthony Sanders said. According to the Managing Director of Brookes & Company, Philip Button, US mortgages are straightforward to obtain and don’t require those applying to travel to the country, thus making international property investments achievable for a greater number of UK residents.

Abuja-Kaduna railway tracks

More industrial firms relocating to Ogun state –In SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

any companies have shown readiness to relocate their manufacturing outfits to Ogun, a move that has spurred the state government to restructure its bureau of lands and survey. Currently, there is remarkable

increase in economic activities in Mowe, Ibafo and Arepo axis of the state with corresponding increase in the population density. This, according to investigation, is not unconnected with rapid infrastructural development, which has made the state an investors’ destination of choice, though not without its attendant challenges, especially as it

concerns housing. Perhaps, this might be the reason why Governor Ibikunle Amusu had mandated various relevant agencies to frontally tackle housing challenges through provision of housing needs of the people. Already, Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC) as well as the Ministry of Housing have

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Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

ple steps for nting your

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ed the walls, the actual painting is easy.

and grease spots (which can ruin a smooth h finle mild dishwashing detergent, and a cellulose ulose with clean water to remove the soap residue. e.

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SEFA doubles grant on Africa’s clean energy projects SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

nvestigation

wung into action to provide affordble housing as promised by governent. However, some residents as well s prospective tenants are wonderng how affordability those housing rojects of government could be hen the costs of rents are hitting he rooftop. A prospective tenant, Ayo Adeniyi

said, ‘’are those housing actually meant for civil servants or big-time politicians in the state, giving the cost of the housing estates in Ogun state’’. According to him, the so-called affordable housing projects are only strategies designed to deceive innocent electorate to vote for them during elections.

ustainable Energy Fund for Africa, SEFA, has doubled its project portfolio with the commitment of $6.5 million for ten new clean energy projects across the continent. The projects include $3.6 million in preparation of grant approvals for projects in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania, resulting in over 142 megawatts of additional capacity and $386 million in capital investments Africa’s Renewable Energy Fund, a pan-African private equity fund has addressed lack of access to early stage capital for independent power producers, IPP, up to 50 megawatts, which finished the year with a $132 million capitalization and approved investments in two projects in Ethiopia and Uganda. The rollout of an enabling environment financing component to help public sector partners attract private sector investments in clean energy through which governments of Mali and Comoros benefitted. SEFA Coordinator, Joao Duarte

Cunha said, “In spite of the continent’s endowment of vast renewable energy resources, much of the population still suffers from limited access to affordable and reliable modern energy services. This will continue to play critical and leading roles in delivering seed financing and advisory services while leveraging the African Development Bank’s, experience, convening power to increase sustainable energy projects in Africa. Director for AfDB’s Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department, Alex Rugamba said, “SEFA is a key component of AfDB’s mandate to deliver clean, modern and affordable energy to power economic growth on the continent. This, he said, is a vision shared with partners such as the UK’s Department for International Development, which pledged GBP 10 million to SEFA through Green Mini-Grid Regional Facility for Africa to catalyze the development of commercially viable clean energy mini-grids.”

A partnership between Infrastructure Consortium for Africa, ICA, and the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, also benefitted from an enabling environment grant to develop Africa’s Energy Resources, which will strengthen availability of data on energy and energy-related issues and provide up-to-date information on country-specific energy resource development and related environmental challenges. Launched in 2012, SEFA is a USD 87-million multi-donor facility funded by the governments of Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States. It supports sustainable energy agenda in Africa through: grants to facilitate the preparation of medium-scale renewable energy generation and energy efficiency projects; equity investments to bridge the financing gap for small- and medium-scale renewable energy generation projects and support to public sector to improve the enabling environment for private investments in sustainable energy.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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UK house prices growth soar H

ouse price growth in the United Kingdom has continued to increase, reaching an 11 month high, according to the latest market report. This is coming on the heels of a dip in market supply, with the survey showing average stock of houses falling to its lowest. The survey also reports that buyer demand has increased in all parts of the UK; expect the South East, despite a more cautious attitude from lenders. It is the second month in a row that demand has increased. The report says that, one reason for slight recovery in buyer enquiries is likely to have been a further drop in mortgage rates, which is accompanying the ongoing strength of the labour market. The data also shows that 41 percent more surveyors expect house prices to rise over the next three months, which is the highest proportion since April 2014 and 36 percent more surveyors expect sales to increase, despite broadly flat trend in newly-agreed sales. Across the rental sector, the demand and supply imbalance

is also visible and instructions, which have been broadly unchanged for the past couple of years and show no signs of a material increase at growing odds with the rising demand that is putting further upward pressure on rents. ‘Although much of the discussion about supply shortages has focused on the owner occupier market, the survey demonstrates in no uncertain terms that the issue at a headline level is just as

visible in the rental sector. This is most clearly reflected in both the house price and rental projections over medium term, which comfortably exceeds the likely growth in wages’’, RICS’s Chief Economist, Simon Robinson said. ‘There had been some hope that the removal of political uncertainty, following the general election would encourage more properties into the market, but the

UK Property

Property prices in Dubai dip

esidential real estate price in Dubai has continued to fall in the last six weeks of the second quarter of this year, compared to the first three months of 2015, according to the latest data. However, it is not necessarily bad news, according to the mid quarter research report from Phidar Advisory. ‘The ongoing erosion of sale prices is a healthy correction. The more significant concern is the scale and nature of the upcoming launched and announced projects,’ said Jesse Downs, the firm’s managing director.

initial indications are that this is not proving to be the case,’ he explained. ‘Additionally, the recent flat pattern of appraisals by respondents to the survey suggests this is not about to change anytime soon. As a result, it is hardly surprising that prices across much of the country are continuing to be squeezed higher with property set to become ever more unaffordable,’ he added.

The report shows that apartment lease rates decreased a nominal 2.4 percent, while sale prices decreased 1.5 percent, marginally tightening yields. Lease rates for villas decreased 0.6 percent and sale prices decreased 2.9 percent, which pushed up yields slightly. In the first five months of 2015, apartment transaction volumes were down a modest 1.5 percent, compared to the same period in 2014. SFH volumes contracted almost 25 percent over the same period. This is based on initial transaction data from the Dubai Land Department, which is subject to revision.

The report references income specific supply-demand imbalances. The most vulnerable segment is housing supply with current annual rents of AED100, 000 to AED160, 000 per annum, which could be oversupplied by up to 40 percent in five years. ‘If we consider only under construction and launched projects, the majority of the development pipeline is justified due to sufficient total demand,’ said Downs, who added that over building in the middle high income segment is likely to increase competition and lead to supply reordering. The potential for total market

disequilibrium increases significantly when adding announced projects into the supply pipeline, the report points out. Total market vacancy could reach 11 percent by 2020. Factor in a healthy frictional vacancy and the total vacancy rate converts to a 7 percent oversupply. ‘There is an opportunity to reposition upcoming products to meet the city’s anticipated housing needs. If current announcements convert into launches, the probability for instability by 2020 will increase significantly,’ concluded Downs.

RICS, UN launch global real estate initiative

oyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the United Nations have urged organisations as well as stakeholders in real estate sector to take a leading role in responsible and sustainable business practices. UK headquarter RICS and the UN’s Global Compact organisation, undertaking its first initiative to promote responsible business that focuses exclusively on one specific economic sector, launched a new report in New York. It examines the sector’s impact in relation to the UN Global Compact’s four focus areas of human

rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption and identifies some of the most critical issues facing the sector. ‘There is a tremendous opportunity for real estate to become a driving force for a more sustainable financial, economic, social and environmental system, through collaboration and collective action,’ said Georg Kell, executive director of the UN Global Compact. It points out that the land, real estate and construction sector represents up to 70 percent of global wealth, contributes around one tenth of the total global gross domestic product (GDP) each

year and represents 7 percent of overall employment. The sector also has a substantial impact on land development, resource use and waste generation. There are also issues related to human and labour rights during development and construction. ‘Responsible action needs to become business as usual within global real estate markets, driving prosperity, innovation and investment, and helping to secure vibrant and transparent markets, thriving economies, inclusive communities and a greener, healthier planet,’ explained Sean Tompkins, RICS chief executive

Officer of RICS, speaking at the New York launch. The launch heard that although many businesses in the sector have corporate sustainability strategies and policies in place, the challenge for many is to translate those policies into actions that are practical, achievable and repeatable, across organisational and geographic boundaries. The report aims to guide a broad cross section of organisations with their decision making throughout the real estate life cycle from commissioning, planning, design and construction, through operation, refurbishment and ultimately disposal.

S.A property index hits 10% low

outh Africa’s property market has offered an attractive short term investment amid volatility. Its primary driver in the latest sell-off was not property issues, but the macroeconomically-determined increase in bond yields, which property is valued. Property benefitted when these bond yields fell at one point to extreme levels, but with bond yields now rising, investors are getting nervous. “A 20 percent return is not the norm. Past returns were a result of all the stars being aligned. These included positive property fundamentals and supportive capital markets”. “The stars have come out of alignment and we may see further correction, but it does not mean the sector will not do well. I would say investors could expect returns of 10 percent to 12 percent a year on a five year view. But investors need to be comfortable with short term share price volatility” Paul Duncan, investment manager with specialist real estate investor Catalyst said. Prices are coming in at healthier levels, says Robins, but they are still not cheap. In the short term consensus is that bond yields could raise further, settling at 8.5 percent to 9 percent at year-end, which will have a negative impact on capital returns for property. The market could still pull back another 5 percent to 10 percent as a function of bond yields rising, but now is not the time to panic, says Kalla. Instead it is time to be rational and strategic in your investment approach. “The lower prices allow investors to pick up higher yields; there are good quality stocks offering 8 percent to 9 percent distribution yields that are still growing ahead of inflation,” he said. In South Africa property, fundamentals are tough and distribution growth is expected to slow, thus SA-based property companies like Vukile, Emira, SA Corporate and Redefine pulled back harder in the correction. “We have seen more increased offshore appetite from our investors. Offshore property offers better opportunities,” says Ndlovu.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Aviation

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Stakeholders divided over proposed merger of aviation agencies The call for merger or otherwise of the Nigerian aviation agencies has been on for over a year. While a section of professionals and stakeholders crave for the merger option, others say such implementation would negate the principles of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.

here are six parastatsls in the Ministry of Aviation in Nigeria today, but industry stakeholders and professionals in the country are expectedly divided about the call for their merger, total relocation of at least two of the agencies out of the industry and collapse of the ministry into Ministry of Transport. The six agencies in the sector are; the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, and Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB. The Federal Government had in 2014 received the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies. The Committee had recommended that three agencies in the sector be merged to form a body. For instance, the committee recommended that NAMA, NCAA and NIMET, be merged into a new body to be known as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority, FCAA, while their respective enabling laws are to be amended accordingly to reflect the merger. But, the leading Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, in the country’s aviation industry, Aviation Round Table, ART, in a recent meeting with journalists went further to suggest to the government that NIMET should be moved to Ministry of Environment, NCAT merged with NCAA, AIB be merged with the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, while the government could come up with any other name for the proposed new body, just as we have in the United States with the National Transport Safety Board, NTSB. ART however cautioned against the move to merge NAMA with NCAA, but opined that the agency should be commercialised like its counterparts in South Africa, Air Traffic and Navigational Services, ATNS, which he said earned a turnover of 600 million euros in 2014. It also wanted some aspects of FAAN like the runways, taxi and approach lightings to be merged with NAMA, the security aspect of the agency with any security outfit in the country while other aspects like terminal building and construction should be privatised or commercialised to make them more viable, productive and profitable. ART through its new President, Mr. Gbenga Olowo also wanted the government to emulate the United States government, which has the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, by making the NCAA the sole body responsible for policy formulation and control of the entire civil aviation sector in the country.

Gbenga Olowo

Capt Araba

We really need to look at it critically and We need to define exactly What We are expecting. vision.

We should come With a

merging a regulator With an operator, We might not get the best out of the system Olowo insisted that the Ministry of Aviation should form a department under the Ministry of Transport, recalling that in 2006, the Federal Government merged the two agencies, but was demerged in 2007. Olowo added, “Government should commercialise NAMA like the ATSN, which has almost the same number of staff like NAMA and Nigeria has almost the same number of airports like the South Africa. The ATSN earned profit of over 80 million euro in 2014. “On FAAN, if Dr. Wale Babalakin could build a terminal building, anyone else can do same. Government can commercialise or privatise those areas in FAAN that are not critical to safety. Some critical safety areas can be merged with NAMA and other relevant agencies. NCAT can be merged with NCAA, NIMET as a service provider to maritime, agriculture, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and others, should be moved to the Ministry of Environment. We say AIB is going to grow like the NTSB of the U.S.A. when you merge Aviation with Transport Ministry.” But, the erstwhile rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria, Capt. Adebayo Araba cautioned against merger of agencies in the sector. Araba in an interview with our correspon-

dent insisted that it would be counter-productive to merge a regulator with operator, noting that rather than any of the agencies, the parastatals should be well-funded to enable them discharge fully their responsibilities to the public. Araba for instance, maintained that the proposed merger of NCAA and NCAT would be a wrong move by the government. he declared that NCAA as a regulator if merged with NCAT as proposed by ART would lead to sharp drop of quality in the system and wondered who would regulate NCAT for effective performance. He said, “We really need to look at it critically and we need to define exactly what we are expecting. We should come with a vision. Merging a regulator with an operator, we might not get the best out of the system. You see, NCAA is a regulator, other agencies are operators are supposed to be regulated by NCAA. Then merging them together, I don’t think we are going to get the best out of it. “The way we are going now, we just have to be very careful. You just mentioned AIB and FRSC. We are talking about ground operation and air operation now. AIB has no business with FRSC and merging the two of them together, I don’t think we are going to achieve anything with that experiment. That’s my per-

ception, but I’m not saying I have the monopoly of knowledge on this issue. However, I feel it is not right to merge the two or any other agencies. What they are doing is quite different from each other. So, merging them, I wouldn’t know what we are trying to achieve. “Like I said earlier, NCAT is an operator while NCAA is a regulator and merging the two together, I don’t think we would have the best out of it. This is so because somebody has to regulate whatever thing that is being done at NCAT. If the regulator is now turning an operator, the quality would suffer.” Besides, the Director, Strategy, Zenith Travels, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo insisted that merger would not work in the sector. Ohunayo told our correspondent that the country’s aviation industry had moved and grown beyond warehousing the agencies, but noted that the government could merge NIMET and NAMA in a bid to reduce cost. He however said that the regulatory agency, NCAA should be left alone to regulate all and not infusing it with others, arguing that this would make regulation and supervision watery. He added, “On FAAN, the government threw the privatisation options out under the guise of security. Aviation Security, AVSEC, should be taken away from FAAN while the privatisation option using a Public-Private Participation, PPP, model should be considered to improve efficiency, profitability and reduce public expenditure. “FAAN has gulped the Bilateral Air Service Agreement, BASA, funds meant for critical safety issues, when by virtue of his services, it should conveniently fund itself.” Also, industry unions; the National Union of Air Transport employees, NUATE, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, in their resolution described the acceptance of the merger by the government as a huge error, retrogressive and devoid of wise counsel. Statement signed by the General Secretaries; Abdulkareem Motajo (NUATE), Capt. Tarnongo (ATSSSAN) and Ocheme Aba (NAAPE), Insisted that the merger plan would reverse all the progress made over the years and take Nigeria back more than two decades. The unions however noted that the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, recognises the sovereignty of nations and the right of countries to determine how to operate their aviation sector, but observed that the organisation established clear minimum standards in all aspects of aviation for all countries who have willingly subscribed to its guidance, through the Chicago Convention of 7th December, 1944, which they said Nigeria ratified before being a member.

Aviation

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Sesby’s Travels & Tours launches online portal, services StorieS: oluSegun KoiKi

ne of the leading travel agencies in Nigeria, Sesby’s Travels & Tours Limited has disclosed that it earned over N1 billion as turnover in year ending 2014. In a bid to simplify air travels, the agency is also introducing 25 per cent advance payment of total travel packages to its clients worldwide with zero per cent interest rate while the remaining 75 per cent is paid at least a week before the journey. This is also as the company decried the sales of air tickets by banks in the country, saying that most banks now compete with agencies in this area. The Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Adeola Sesby-Banjoh revealed this in Lagos during the launch of new online portal and travel services to its customers. Sesby-Banjoh declared that the essence of the launch of the new portal was for the company to serve better its numerous clienteles; companies and individuals around the world, saying that the portal would be available for 24 hours daily.

Airside shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

Lagos Airport conveyor belts and consistent snail speed

Murtala Mohammed International Arport, MMIA, Lagos

Sesby-Banjoh noted that the company, which started about 12 years ago with a single office, today has offices in major cities in the country, approved by the International Air Transport Association, IATA, affiliated with more than 450 tour companies in over 130 countries, have access to over 200,000 hotels worldwide and works with all the airlines around the world. She insisted that the essence of the company was to simplify travels for its clients, stressing, which she said the company had been able to achieve over the years with pragmatic approach.

She said, “We set out to be different from others. We focus on the needs of our customers and satisfy their needs. Unlike someone travel tours that abandon their clients, we don’t do such things. We regularly get in touch with them until they return safe back to the country. “Since we commenced operations over 12 years ago, we have not had any litigation against us by any of our customers. We critically look at the budget of our clients and plan for our clients. We guarantee cheaper prices than the airlines because we have relationship with them.”

Nigerian Shippers Council lauds at SAHCOL’s investments, facilities

he Nigerian Shippers Council has commended the management of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, for its level of investments at its warehouse at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos. The council also promised to market SAHCOL’s facilities to both importers and exporters within and outside the country in order to facilitate trade in the country. The General Manager, Corporate Communications, SAHCOL, Mr. Basil Agboarumi in a statement stated that with the recommendation and commendation from the shippers council, its efforts to be the leading warehousing and ground handling operator in the entire West African sub-region had received a boost. Agboarumi stated that the commendation of the facilities of the ground handling company came

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when the council paid a facility tour on the company. He stated that the forum was led by its Chairman, Mr. Toyin Olufade who was received by the Managing Director, SAHCOL, Dr. Oluropo Owolabi. He emphasized that the forum was made up of about 18 stakeholders among which were the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture, NACCIMA and Association of Nigerian Licensed Custom Agent, ANLCA. Others are the Nigerian Customs Services, NCS, Airline Operators and the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who he said went round the newly constructed ultra-modern warehouse of the company located at the Cargo Terminal of MMIA. The statement quoted Olufade as

The Managing Director, SAHCOL, Dr. Olu Owolabi (5th left), Chairman, Air Freight Stakeholder’s forum, Toyin Olufade (5th right), with his team and SAHCOL management staff, during the facility tour of the ground handling’s ultra-modern cargo warehouse at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos recently.

saying that the team was at SAHCOL to have a firsthand assessment of facilities on ground and to see how they could be explored to promote international trade in the country. He equally added that the visit would afford the team the opportunity to market SAHCOL facilities to importers and exporters. Other members of the forum who spoke on their experiences during the tour expressed delight at the level of investment and facilities put in place by SAHCOL.

fter almost 30 years of usage of old conveyor belts at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos former Minister of Aviation President Stella Oduah procured and installed three brand new belts for usage at the terminal in 2012. Information gathered by Airside revealed that the conveyor belts were procured from Netherlands at several millions of naira when converted. The award of the contract was part of the Federal Government’s project implementation in 2011 appropriation bill. But, sadly, less than three years after installation, the belts are worse off than the old ones. Just recently, Airside had a cause to visit the arrival hall of the terminal to welcome a traveller coming from United Kingdom and was disappoint-

ed that it took almost two and half hours for the check-in luggage to be retrieved from the belts. Meanwhile, it takes about six hours in the air from UK to Lagos. Airside observed that just like the remodelling exercise done in the sector that left behind massive debts of N174 billion by the former minister and are already crumbling, the conveyor belts are not so different. This is part of the corruption that happened in the system for several years and now that we have a new government that has consistently preached against corruption in all spheres of the economy, it is time for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to put a searchlight on the activities in the sector especially in the past four years.

Improper lightings, aid to runways sydrome

hat would have been a massive disaster was Monday last week averted at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos when an Emirate aircraft, Boeing 777-200 with the flight number EK782 with about 300 passengers onboard had a ground collision with a Hak Air aircraft parked at the apron wing of the airport. The incident occurred when the aircraft was taxing to the takeoff point for departure from the country to Dubai. The stationary aircraft had substantial damage to its tail while the wing of the Emirates aircraft was also badly

damaged. However, investigation by Airside revealed that the incident occurred when all international aircraft that were supposed to land on the international runway, 18 Left were diverted to the local wing, 18 Right due to safety issue. Airside gathered that the runway was not properly lit at that particular period in time as the runway lighting had mal-functioned as usual. Airside urges whichever agency in charge of the runway lighting maintenance to carry out proper work on the lighting to avoid a repeat of the Emirates incident. A stich in time saves nine.

IATA: Air traffic sustains growth trend in May

he International Air Transport Association, IATA, announced global passenger traffic results for May showing strong demand growth compared to May 2014 for both domestic and international traffic. Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose 6.9 per cent, which was an improvement on the April yearover-year increase of 5.7 per cent. May capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 6.5 per cent, and load factor rose 0.3 percentage points to 79.3 per cent. “May results confirm that demand for connectivity remains robust, but there are possible storm clouds form-

ing on the horizon. The financial crisis in Greece and recent weakness in regional trade activity in Asia-Pacific have the potential to dampen performance in these markets in the coming months” said the Director-General, IATA, Dr. Tony Tyler. According to the statistics released by IATA, May international passenger demand rose 7.1 per cent compared to May 2014, with airlines in all regions except Africa recording growth. Total capacity climbed 6.7 per cent, pushing load factor up 0.3 percentage points to 78.4 per cent. On the domestic scene, demand rose 6.6 per cent in May compared to May 2014, with the

strongest growth occurring in India and China. Domestic capacity was up 6.2 per cent, and load factor improved 0.3 percentage points to 81 per cent. India’s domestic demand accelerated 18.2 per cent in May compared to May 2014 likely owing to market stimulation by local carriers as well as notable improvements in economic growth. China domestic traffic climbed 12.7 per cent yearover-year. Although GDP growth slowed slightly in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, this does not appear to have caused a weakening in air travel demand.

Insurance

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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ARIAN advises firms on how Tips to shrink your car insurance bill A to retain marketers StorieS: MeShack idehen

he immediate past President of the Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Obuvie, has said that insurance firms must provide adequate and appropriate training for marketers in order to retain them. He said this during a training programme organised by the National Insurance Commission (NIACOM) for insurance agents from different companies in Lagos. “Agents come and go because the managements are not giving them adequate training,” he said. According to him, the two weeks training most marketers were receiving before starting as insurance agents was inadequate and that companies should consider increasing it to at least a month training

programme. He noted that if marketers did not get adequate training, they would not be well equipped with the knowledge to do the job and might be unable to meet their targets. Obuvie also said it was relevant for all insurance firms to go cash-less by ensuring that policyholders paid their premium through the e-payment system or cheque as against cash. The Assistant General Manager, Mutual Benefits Life Assurance, Mr Ademola Fagbayi, said a good manager must be able to transform a non-performing marketer to a performing one. Fagbayi also said each firm should create a system to praise and recognise hard working marketers because people would naturally respond more to praise.

GMD Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc Akin Ogunbiyi

He suggested that organisations should invest 10 per cent of their overriding commission in their people who were problem solvers. The insurer also said that it was important for organisations to ensure they recruited well and develop the marketers if they must retain them.

NAICOM may withdraw insurers’ licences over non-payment of claims

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) set it is to begin sanctioning insurance companies that refuse to pay genuine claims to their policyholders from October 1 this year.

From that date, defaulting insurers will be made to pay fine, while NAICOM will also withdraw the operating licence of any insurer that fail to pay claims promptly. In a circular to all insurance com-

Encourage citizens to take insurance policy, NCRIB urges government

he President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu, has urged governments at all levels to inculcate insurance in

Shoderu

every citizen to lessen the effects of losses being recorded in the society. He said this during the brokers’ evening, which was sponsored by Old Mutual Insurance Nigeria in Lagos. “Once again, we are appealing to government to inculcate the culture of insurance in every citizen as a tool to manage risk and preserve our precious national wealth,” he said. He recalled that a couple of months ago, the nation’s news media was awash with gory tales of tanker drivers’ accidents affecting the nation’s economy as goods and properties worth billions of naira went down in the ensuing inferno.

panies signed by NAICOM’s Commissioner (Technical), Mr Mohammed Kari, the commission stated that it has confirmed some insurance firms were always shirking their responsibility when the need to pay claim arises, thereby continue to tarnish the image of the entire insurance industry. The circular titled “Claims Settlement And The Image Of The Insurance Industry” reads in part: “In the continued effort of the commission to sanitise the industry of this unpalatable tags and restore the confidence of the insuring public, all insurers are hereby directed to note that: “Henceforth, all claims must be handled strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Insurance Act 2003. “As a palliative gesture, the commission shall allow a grace period until the 31st September 2015, for companies to clear all backlogs of outstanding claims as provided by the Insurance Act. “From 1st October, the commission shall evoke the full application of punitive sections of the Insurance Act, including but not limited to, sections 8(1) (m), 70(2) without further recourse.”

part from zeroing down on the best car loan deal, it is equally important to choose an appropriate auto insurance policy. We all know that auto insurance is a mandatory legal requirement when you purchase your car. And there have been instances where you, as an insured, have been charged high premiums. But there are several ways by which you can lower the premium rates offered to your by your insurers. Earlier, the geographical zone, the engine capacity, the cost, and the age of the vehicle were the four parameters that were taken into consideration for deciding the premium amount that you needed to pay. However, there have been various other requirements that have been taken into consideration so that the insured gets to pay lower premiums and avail maximum benefits in case of an accident. Gender and profession of the driver: The practice of dividing premium considerations on the basis of gender is commonly followed in the West, which is yet to catch up in India. However, some insurers consider female drivers better than male drivers, making the female drivers entitled to higher discounts than their counterparts. The driver’s profession too affects the insurance premium. If an office goer uses a car, it is obvious he uses it to commute between his home and office, rather than a sales person, who will use to commute in various cities on a wider basis. Locality where the vehicle will be driven: Apart from the locality, the place where the vehicle is piled or registered is taken into consideration these days. Insurance companies calculate the claims depending upon the location. In congested cities, where bumper to bumper traffic is observed, claims for scratches and dents are more, whereas location highways carry a huge claim amount because they are prone to major accidents. No claim bonus: No claim bonus is a discount allowed as a percentage on the ‘own damage premium’ and the same is increased every year to the next slab if a claim for damage to the vehicle is not pre-

ferred and it is discounted if there was no claim preferred during the currency of the expiring policy. The discount may go up to 50% and it is up to the insured to decide if he wants to transfer the same on another vehicle. If the customer sells his old vehicle, he can also be kept in abeyance and utilize it on a car bought at a later date. Voluntary deductibles: A voluntary deductible discount is offered and the discounts can go up to 35% of the premium for vehicle damage, an option that can be considered by a customer if he wants to opt out of small claims for minor damages and the insurance company will pay a claim only for the damages in excess of this limit of voluntary deductible. Your premium can be way reduced by this move. Safety features: In order to attract 2-5% discount on your premiums, it is necessary to install antitheft or other safety features from an approved make by your insurer. Therefore, you should provide full and exact details about your vehicle along with safety measures adopted by you in order to avail discounts. Automobile Association member: If you are a member of any designated automobile association, then you can avail discounts on own damage premium, which is applicable for private car and motorized two-wheeler policies. A discount of 5% is given on the own damage premium. Concession on your vehicle: If your vehicle was lying in the garage or was not in use for a minimum period of two months then upon notifying your insurance company the customer can avail a concession during renewal of the policy either by way of extending the period after expiry or a credit to the renewal premium. Online purchase: When you buy or renew private car insurance online, some insurers offer a higher discount. The insurance company has a considerable saving on processing and distribution costs when the transaction is carried out online. Source.www.insure.net

Insurance

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insurance sector: Stakeholders seek increased contributions to economy Reforms and innovations introduced to increase insurance industry’s contribution to economic growth notwithstanding, experts say the sector’s contribution is still a far cry from the desired. MESHACK IDEHEN reports.

conomists say insurance industry in any country should be a major composite of the financial system. According to experts the country’s insurance sector, though laced with lots of challenges has the potentials to contribute to the growth of the economy even greater than banking, manufacturing, real estate and oil and gas sectors. Currently the perception of many including the government about insurance sector is gradually changing. This shift of perception of the insurance sector analysts pointed out, is due in large part to the series of reforms that have been initiated and implemented by the Federal Government through the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM. Inspite of these reforms and the positive signs emanating from the industry particularly in terms of investments inflow into the sector, concerned analysts told National Mirror the insurance industry contributions to the overall national economic growth is still a far cry from what is expected of the industry with such inviting potential. Contending that the sector’s contributions to Nigeria’s economy is at best still lamentable, they added it was time stakeholders initiate sustainable moves that can raise the sector’s contributions to the country’s economic development and gross domestic product. Laying the blame for the insurance industry lamentable contributions to Nigeria’s gross domestic product on the over concentration on non-life business by operators at the expense of life insurance business, Chairman of Insurance Awareness Group, Mr. Aderemi Olugbode, said in spite of having generated a total premium income of over N240 billion that the Nigerian insurance industry’s contribution to the GDP was less than 1 per cent. Speaking while highlighting the scorecard of the industry to our correspondent in an interview, he said the industry’s contribution to the nation’s GDP was lamentable, saying while global life insurance premium was $2.62 trillion few years ago, accounting for almost 58 per cent of the overall market in terms of value, non-life business accounted only for $1. 99 trillion incomes within the same period. That robust situation for insurance business, according to him, is however different in Nigeria where motor vehicle has been the largest contributor to the premium income generated by the insurance companies, accounting for an average of 24 per cent of the industry’s gross premium income over the last five years. This development, he noted, took place in spite of the recent confession by the NIA that only 1.5 million out of the estimated 12 million vehicles in the country have genuine insurance covers. He agreed with some analysts that have consistently argued that insurance operators in the country would have to develop the life insurance market if insurance is to grow in Nigeria and make significant contributions towards the nation’s GDP as obtains in the advanced countries of the world where insur-

Adetimehin

Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel

If you look at the economy, nIgerIa Is growIng at a slow pace due to lack of

Infrastructure.

except the government

of the day chooses to address thIs Issue

drastIcally, the growth of Insurance wIll contInue to be at a slower step ance has been making significant contributions to the economy. In a recent world insurance market research conducted by Market Line, National Mirror observed that insurance is forecast to reach over $5.1 trillion in 2015, a development representing a 26 per cent increase in five years. While, the world motor insurance industry expanded by almost 3.5 per cent in 2010 to reach over $525 billion, the market is expected to be worth $614 billion in 2015, a 17 per cent increase in five years, a growth some analysts maintained is not reflected in the Nigeria insurance industry, its huge potential notwithstanding. Insurance Expert, Mr. Joseph Adebayo, told our correspondent the Nigerian government is through the National Insurance Commission, (NAICOM), envisioning an insurance industry that will be ranked amongst the twenty largest insurance markets in the world by the year 2020, even though Nigeria, insurance wise, is currently ranked 60 in the world. Pointing out however that the government has undertaken some certain steps and measures towards actualising this objective, particularly the strengthening of the NAICOM, he said it was important that legislations for the regulation of the insurance industry in Nigeria be adhered to by operators and regulators alike, so as to increase the level of confidence in the sector by ordinary Nigerians and the investing public. The insurance industry, explained Insurance Practitioner, Mr Obasi Ngwuta, is closely linked to the general economic growth because over the same number of years both has operated side by side. The Nigeria economy, he said has

equally been witnessing robust GDP growth; hence, it has also become imperative for the insurance sector to increase its capacity in order to be well positioned to tap into the Nigerian economic growth and development. Ngwuta said as an industry, that insurance will continue to struggle to contribute meaningfully to national economic growth, as statistics continually reveal that insurance companies operating in the country are still losing the opportunity of earning more than N80bn in premiums annually from the oil and gas sector alone as a result of premium flight by many foreign based investors. “In other instances, most multi-national companies have resorted to insuring their assets overseas as the capital base of local insurance companies are inadequate to carry the risks of insuring their assets”, he added, saying that practice is another while insurance firms are not living up to expectations as far as making tangible contributions to the nation’s overall economic development. Former President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Dr. Wole Adetimehin, on his part, noted that the industry had recorded some remarkable progress in the last five years, and that the progress has been tremendous in terms of gross premium income, training and development. However, he said the insurance sector cannot not grow in isolation, because the alleged poor impact and contributions of the sector is a reflection of the happenings in the economy at large. “If you look at the economy, Nigeria is grow-

ing at a slow pace due to lack of infrastructure. Except the government of the day chooses to address this issue drastically, the growth of insurance will continue to be at a slower step.” The insurance industry, according to the Assistant General Manager, Retail Business Division, Guaranty Trust Assurance Plc, Mr. Yomi Onifade, should have gone beyond its present level, noting many people were not yet taking insurance and that motorists, who felt compelled to, had been patronising fake certificate vendors. “If you take motor insurance for example, which is compulsory, you will find people who take just any fake paper. It is because the belief is strong that they will not get free service delivery if and when they call on the policy they have paid for. That in its own way contributes to the poor effect insurance is making on the economy.” He explained that insurance was beyond paying claims, saying paying it as at when due, and making sure the claim process did not pose a burden to the customer, amongst other things are ways to can make the sector have a more impactful outcome on the nation’s GDP. Managing Director of Crystalife Assurance Company Limited, Mrs. Seyi Ifaturoti, also emphasised the need for the country to have a strong and vibrant insurance sector in order to make more positive contributions to the overall economy of the country. “We are too religious and cultural in Nigeria. A lot of times when life insurance is mentioned, people start to say statements to reject death and things like that. Insurance is not only about paying claims on death, it is about planning for your future, ensuring that if you are there or not, your children will still have the level of education that you want them to have. With that kind of mindset, insurance becomes a burden rather than help, thereby affecting the ability of the industry to make significant GDP contributions” Group Managing Director of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi, said insurance ordinarily should be the backbone of any national economy, saying insurance is a medium where you can put funds together and make it available for long term investment in other sectors. “Today, there is no reason insurance should not be the mother of the national economy if we are able to mobilise up to 25 per cent of insurance potential in Nigeria,” Ogunbiyi said. Stressing the need for insurance operators to pay more attention to the development of retail insurance with a view of penetrating the grassroot and increasing their performance, Managing Director, Union Assurance Company Limited, Mr. Godwin Odah, said a lot still needs to be done to bring insurance to the subconscious of everyone in a way that will make meaningful national economic impact. According to him, operators have to go the way of retail market by creating products and services that will add value to the people, products that people can see the benefits directly, when you do that, people will take insurance.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Money MFBs’ scorecard: NPF Microfinance Bank’s ‘A’ rating, lessons for others Udo onyeka

or the Nigerian economy, the challenge of access to credit by micro, small and medium entrepreneurs has remained a recurring issue in monetary policy discourse for several decades. The reasons for this anomaly in one of the fastest growing economies globally are multi-dimensional. First, the disposition of banks to lend to most of the entrepreneurs in the MSMEs sub-sector has been poor due to what the banks termed the highly risky terrain, where issues of proper financial records and penchant for default have been touted for years. On the other hand and directly related to the first point is the high level of financial illiteracy of most of these critical players who constitute over 65 per cent of real sector operators. As it were, substantial percentage of these highly productive agents is not only financially illiterate but also completely excluded from the financial system. As part of several efforts by the government through various policy-supporting initiatives by the Central Bank of Nigeria over the past 10 years, a major step was taken in 2005 with the launching of the National Microfinance Policy to bring into the financial net these army of hitherto neglected but highly productive agents with a view to enabling them access funds from the financial institutions and by implication, expose them to the immeasurable benefits of being financially literate to their entities. Despite the revision of the 2005 Microfinance Policy, Regulatory and Supervisory Framework in April 2011, the first five years experiences of the implementation of the policy showed that by 2010, only about 36.3 per cent of the nation’s population is served by the formal financial sector, rising slightly from the 35 per cent rate in 2005. Similarly, those served at the informal financial market such as Esusu, village groups contributions, ‘ajo’, according to official reports by the monetary authorities, stood at 53.7 per cent in the same year. But then, the last few years have witnessed remarkable transformation of the banking sector by the CBN with the attendant implications for improved credit and financial literacy opportunities for MSMEs players. For instance, in addition to the launching of the Nigerian Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) a few years ago, the apex banking institution last year launched the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMEDEF) which today has expanded credit windows to various enterprises nationwide. The incorporation of financial inclusion, as one of the cardinal objectives of the Nigerian Financial System Strategy 2020 (FSS 2020), was seen by analysts as a watershed and strategic road map and framework for transforming the financial system into catalytic tool for sustainable national economic

CBN Gov., Godwin Emefiele

NPF MD, Akin Lawal

the last few years have witnessed remarkable transformation of the banking sector by the

cbn with

the attendant implications for improved credit and financial literacy opportunities for growth. The flagging off of the disbursement of the N220 billion intervention fund a few months back has not only demonstrated the apex bank’s readiness to continue to open more frontiers for the millions of MSMEs but also enabled well managed Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs), to play key roles in the new drive to boost financial inclusion nationwide. As expected, the Microfinance Banks, MFBs, by virtue of their closeness to the grassroots where the MSMEs are located, have been jostling for how best to avail the opportunities and operational capacities availed by the CBN’s policies, particularly the financial inclusion strategy component to leverage their operations, add value to shareholders, funds and improve returns on their investments. However, for the few MFBs that have continued to play critical roles in the national agenda for financial inclusion through innovative products and services delivery to millions of MSMEs operators whose financial knowledge is just evolving, the operating climate has been characterized by multidimensional mitigating factors. These have combined to force many close business while others continue to trudge ahead with the hope that if they failed to succumb to the turbulent tides of the moment, the future belongs to them. For instance, while over 80 licences of the MFBs were revoked last year by the CBN, a few were also commended for their increasing commit-

msmes players

ment to corporate governance and financial engineering at the grassroots. The few are not only leading PFIs in the current N220 billion MSMEs Development Fund but are being rated based on international best practices guiding MFB operations. Industry analysts believe that if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and other regulatory agencies should provide both moral and financial supports for the promising industry, and at the same time the federal government improves the harsh operating environment facing the MfBs, the sky would be the starting point for operators. For instance, a globally acknowledged rating agency, Augusto & Co beamed its assessment searchlight on the industry, focusing on the activities and financial standing of one of the MFBs - the NPF Microfinance Bank Plc and reported that the bank was conforming to global best practices. Incorporated in May 1993 as a private limited liability company, the NPF Microfinance Bank Plc following the granting of a provisional license as a community bank by the CBN in July 1993 commenced operations in August 1993. It registered as a public limited company in July 2006 and obtained its final license in December 2007. The MFB’s shares were listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in December 2010. Over the past years, the Bank has been providing a wide range of services which include, retail banking, granting of loans,

advances and allied services and with a large number of shareholders comprising over 6,000 institutional and individual investors, with ownership concentrated amongst the two largest shareholders, the Nigeria Police Co-operative Society Limited which holds the largest equity stake of 64.75 percent and the NPF Welfare Insurance Scheme with a 10.25 percent ownership. According to the documents appraised by Agusto & Co., the Bank’s business strategy focuses on growing income through the provision of banking services to the police, their communities, microfinance clients and other members of the general public. In line with its strategic plan, driven by the threat of increased competition from microfinance institutions and deposit money banks, NPF MFB offers high-quality services, leveraging on its history with police customers. Leveraging on IT-driven tools and solutions to process its transactions the Bank intends to increase its industry outreach by expanding to all 36 States through branches, cash centres and meeting points as well as diversifying its customer base. According to Augusto & Co and based on the bank’s Annual Report, in the last three years, NPF MFB’s business volumes have grown moderately, with total assets soaring at a CAGR of 19 percent, with total loans and advances also growing at a CAGR of 17 per cent over the same three years period. NPF MFB’s net earnings grew by 15 percent from the prior year to N2 billion as at 31 December 2014. Pre-tax ROE and pre-tax ROA have averaged 15.6 percent and 7.1 percent respectively over the three-year period. In the year ended 31 December 2014, pre-tax profit increased by 21 per cent to N617 million. ROA remained unchanged at 6.3 percent while ROE improved to 15.4 percent, amongst other positive indices Other key features of the Bank’s operations rated by the agency include, the Bank’s centralized risk management system; it’s cost-to-income ratio averaged 68.7 percent over the three year period (2014: 69.3%). On the Bank’s risk management framework, Agusto & Co. is of the opinion that the Bank’s framework is adequate for its current operations. This is in addition to the rating agency’s position about its strong capitalisation, good asset quality, good profitability and good liquidity profile, amongst other positive indices. Following the above performance, Augusto & Co. rated the Bank ‘A’ declaring thus that, ‘this is a company with good financial condition and strong capacity to repay obligations on a timely basis’. To industry analysts, the rating results should serve as a guide to many other MFBs that are coping with the challenges of corporate governance and other operational hurdles such that in the long run, the MFBs will become better positioned to impact positively on the nation’s economy.

Global Business

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Euro zone leaders: Greece must do more to earn rescue

uro zone leaders told nearbankrupt Greece at an emergency summit on Sunday that it must restore trust by enacting key reforms before they will open talks on a new financial rescue to keep it in the European currency area. Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will be required to push legislation through parliament from Monday to convince his 18 partners in the monetary union to release immediate funds to avert a Greek state bankruptcy and start negotiations on a third bailout program. Some laws will have to be passed by Wednesday and the entire package endorsed by parliament before talks can start, one minister said. Tsipras said on arrival in Brussels he wanted “another honest compromise” to keep Europe united. “We can reach an agreement tonight if all parties want it,” he said. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country is the biggest contributor to euro zone bailouts, said the conditions were not yet right to start negotiations, sounding cautious in deference to mounting opposition at home to more aid for Greece. “The most important currency has been lost and that is trust,” she told reporters. “That means that we will have tough discussions and there will be no agreement at any price.”

European Council President Donald Tusk canceled a planned summit of all 28 EU leaders that would have been needed in case of a Greek exit from the single currency, and said euro zone leaders would keep talking “until we conclude talks on Greece”. Eurogroup finance ministers wrapped up a meeting broken off after nine hours of acrimonious debate on Saturday night without a firm recommendation on Greece’s application for a threeyear loan on the basis of reform proposals Tsipras sent on Thursday. A Eurogroup document seen by Reuters said Greece must pass laws to change its value added tax and pension systems, reform bankruptcy rules and strengthen the independence of its statistics office before bailout talks can even begin. Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said that while ministers had made good progress, a couple of big issues were left for the leaders to resolve. “The Eurogroup ... came to the conclusion that there is not yet the basis to start the negotiations on a new program,” the document sent to national leaders said. “Only subsequent to legal implementation of the above

Tusk

mentioned measures can negotiations on the memorandum of understanding commence, subject to national procedures having been completed,” it said, in a reference to authorization by national parliaments in countries such as Germany. The draft said Greece needed 7 billion euros by July 20, when it must make a crucial bond redemption to the European Central Bank, and a total of 12 billion euros by mid-August when another ECB payment falls due. It did not say how those needs would be met, and EU officials said finance ministers had been unable to agree on emergency finance.

China’s rich seek shelter from stock market storm in foreign property

ealtors in Australia, Britain and Canada are bracing for a surge of new interest in their already hot property markets, with early signs that wealthy Chinese investors are seeking a safe haven from the turmoil in Shanghai’s equity markets. Sydney realtor Michael Pallier said in the past week alone he has sold two new apartments and shown a A$13.8 million ($10.3 million) house in the harbourside city to Chinese buyers looking for an alternative to stocks. “A lot of high net worth individuals had already taken money out of

Housing estate in China

the stock market because it was getting just too hot,” Pallier, the principal of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty, said. “There’s a huge amount of cash sitting in China and I think you’ll find a lot of that comes to the Australian property market.” Around 20 percent has been knocked off the value of Chinese shares since mid-June, although attempts by authorities to stem the bleeding are having some effect. Many wealthy Chinese investors had already cashed out. Major shareholders sold 360 billion yuan ($58 billion) in the first five months of 2015 alone, compared to 190 billion yuan in all of 2014 and an average of 100 bil-

lion yuan in prior years, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. While much of that money may initially be parked in more liquid assets like U.S. Treasury bonds and safehaven currencies such as the Swiss franc, there is growing evidence that foreign property sales may receive a boost. “There is anecdotal evidence that Chinese buyers have intensified their interest in ‘safe haven’ global property markets, including London, as a result of the recent stock market volatility,” said Tom Bill, head of London residential research at Knight Frank. Ed Mead, executive director of realtor Douglas & Gordon in London, said his firm had seen two buyers from China looking to buy whole blocks of flats. “It is unusual to see the Chinese block buying, it implies that this is a capital movement rather than just individuals looking to park money.” Since 2000, China has had the world’s largest outflow of high net worth individuals. Around 91,000 wealthy Chinese sought second citizenship between 2000 and 2014, according to a report by residence investment broker Lio Global, a factor that is fuelling demand to buy foreign property.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ellen Pao resigns as Reddit CEO in fresh sign of turmoil

llen Pao resigned as acting chief executive of Reddit Friday in the latest sign of turmoil at the site, recently roiled by the firing of a popular employee and ongoing tensions over the limits of free speech on its socialnews platform. Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman, also a co-founder of travel site Hipmunk, will become chief executive. Alexis Ohanian, another co-founder who has been working as executive chairman of reddit, will work “alongside” Huffman, said Reddit board head Sam Altman in a statement on Friday. Controversy erupted around Reddit last week when the company’s director of talent, Victoria Taylor, was dismissed. Site volunteer moderators temporarily shut down around 300 discussion sections in protest. That controversy did not factor into Pao’s departure, Altman said in an email. Pao, who battled her former Silicon Valley employer in court earlier this year, said in a separate statement that she was leaving Reddit because the board had asked for higher growth than she thought was possible. She joined Reddit in April 2013 and became its acting chief executive in November. This year, user growth was 70 percent, she said, and mobile usage rose to 47 percent compared to 29 percent last year. Reddit, known for freewheeling discussions, has attracted a minority group of users who engage in

hate speech over racism, women’s issues, and other topics. Under Pao, the site had tried to address the issue, banning sexually explicit images, removing a handful of discussion sections and prohibiting harassment of individuals. “Redditors, you deserve clarity about what the content policy of reddit is going to be,” Altman said in a statement Friday. “The team will create guidelines to both preserve the integrity of reddit and to maintain reddit as the place where the most open and honest conversations with the entire world can happen.” Pao achieved notoriety through a sex discrimination lawsuit filed against her former employer, venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. She lost the suit and is appealing the decision. San Francisco-based Reddit launched in 2005 and has grown to become one of the most highly viewed sites on the Internet, drawing some 160 million unique users a month.

VW interim chairman to stay on, hunt for Piech successor continues – Bild

olkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is still looking for a successor to former chairman Ferdinand Piech, meaning the interim holder of the position, Berthold Huber, is likely to stay until at least the end of the year, a German newspaper reported on Sunday. Following the departure of patriarch Ferdinand Piech in April, who resigned after losing a showdown with Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn, former union boss Huber was meant to hold the role for only a few months, Bild am Sonntag reported. But one candidate, Wolfgang

Volkswagen car

Porsche, who already sits on the supervisory board, has said he is not available for role, Bild said without citing its sources. The paper said Porsche’s nephew, Ferdinand Oliver Porsche, is also a candidate, as is Winterkorn. Volkswagen declined to comment on the article. Separately, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Saturday that works council boss Bernd Osterloh felt he was better off staying as part of the works council, rather than taking up a position on the carmaker’s executive board, as had been under discussion.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital base: Experts urge stockbroking firms on merger, acquisition option JOhnsOn OKanlawOn

apital market experts have urged small market operators to consider mergers in order to meet the new minimum capital requirement the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, had last week directed all capital market operators proposing reclassification (broker/dealer to subbroker) or seeking to reduce their registered functions, in view of the new minimum capital requirement, to notify the commission not later than July 31, 2015. This directive also applies to capital market operators opting for mergers, acquisitions or any other form of business combination. Under the new minimum capital base, the capital requirement for brokers/dealers was increased from N70million to N300million. That of brokers was raised to N200million from N40million, while that of dealers was hiked to N100million from N30million. The requirement for issuing houses, underwriters registrars, trustees and rating agencies also went up. SEC had initially fixed December 31, 2014 as the deadline for compliance with the new structure, but the commission extended the deadline to September 30 this year in reaction to calls by operators for an extension. While many of the operators have met the requirement, many others have yet to do so, leading to fear that some operators, especially the small operators, would lose their licences. But experts have said that the option of mergers was seriously considered. A United States-based financial market operator, Mr. Tayo Shenbanjo said that by merging their operations all operators stood a chance of remaining active in the market. Shenbanjo, who was the pioneer Chief Executive Officer of Oasis Capital Portfolio Limited and MBC Securities Limited, both of which were dealing members of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, explained that by coming together, the operators would be better off. This, he explained, was because the outcome of the mergers would be bigger and more viable firms, which were capable of generating greater returns or profit than they were making by running smaller firms. Explaining the viability of mergers, he said, “It has been done successfully in America. Nigeria remains a leader in Africa, no matter the problems we are facing. Let us work to improve our markets. If we are futuristic in our thinking, we should come together and form big firms instead of having small moribund companies.” In addition, he said it was important for bigger firms with underutilised capacities in terms of infrastructure to make their facilities available for others, who could act as

Floor of Stock Exchange

Many coMpanies have excess capacities that can be hired out to other operators

(and they will) Make Money froM it

sub-brokers. “That is one of the things that the market should look at. Many companies have excess capacities that can be hired out to other operators (and they will) make money from it. Just draw up MoUs and it will work,” Shenbanjo, who is currently the Corporate Compliance Consultant at Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, Ohio, United States, said. However, the Managing Director, Signet Investments & Securities Limited, Mr. Dipo Aina, who agreed that mergers and acquisitions were good for the market, explained that for that to succeed legacy issues had to be effectively addressed with the support of the regulators. “Unless we draw the line that there will be no mushrooming of liabilities, then we can’t deal with it. There is no reason why companies should not merge because 10 per cent of an active company is better that 100 per cent of bad company,” he said. Also, the Managing Director, Meristem Securities Limited, Mr. Wole Abegunde, said the legacy issues had been obstacles to mergers in the market. He also noted that the reality was that many people wanted to own their firms 100 per cent. He said a model that would protect the parties of a merger against the legacy issues of one of the parties had been suggested to the regulators, stressing that without the buy-in of the regulators that won’t be accepted. The President of the National Council the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede has affirmed that the

extension of the deadline on new capital requirement for capital market operators by the commission would enable operator to comply and meet up with the September 2015 deadline. He said, “I think the SEC was very magnanimous in extending the deadline from December 2014 due to the oil price crash and other events of 2014 to give our members a bit more time to get themselves ready for minimum capital. “The nine months extension ends in September, and it is my believe that by then, members of the exchange, broker dealers etc., would have done what is necessary to meet the capital requirements. Our View at the NSE is that the stronger and capitalised the members are, the better and stronger

the market becomes, and so we are endorsing it wholly. He assured stakeholders that the management of the Exchange on its side would not relent on efforts to ensure that the NSE becomes more competitive in the global market. “Prior to 2015, the focus was about making sure that the pillars and foundation of a strong and modern exchange were in place, that is strong governance, strong framework, cutting edge technology, excellent management team. “We are very keen to make sure that the enabling environment is one that is attractive to investors in all respect. You may have noticed that the exchange is much stronger where advocacy is concerned, we are working particularly with the government on the area of economic policy and this is to ensure that the government is well aware that financial markets are critical to the successful implementation of government policies. “The financial market, particularly the stock exchange stands ready to help actualize the dream of Nigeria as one of the world’s most powerful economies,” he added. SEC, had on December 19, 2013 issued a new capital requirement for capital market operators with December 31, 2014 as deadline for operators to recapitalize,” he added. The Director-General of SEC, Mounir Gwarzo, had recently told the capital make stakeholders that September 30 deadline for new minimum capital for market operators would not be extended again. He explained that the commission had no plans to extend the new deadline saying that the deadline ‘has come to stay’. He stressed that the new minimum capital for market operators would be implemented accordingly. “The deadline is still September and progress is being made, the level of compliance has gone up but we are determined to keep to that September 30, no shaking, no going back. There is no going back and we are happy the way we are receiving responses from all the capital market operators,” he added

Envoy assures of business partnership with ICCI Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

inland Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, has stated the commitment of the embassy to partner with the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture (ICCI), towards increasing trade relations between her country and Nigeria. The Ambassador gave the commitment during a visit to the Chamber at its office in

Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. She said there are many business potentials in her country that members of the Chamber can benefit from especially in areas of agriculture, health care delivery, education and telecommunication. According to the diplomat who was received by the leadership and members of the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, disclosed that relations between Finland and Nigeria has come a long way, stating that at present her country is

desirous of helping to bring development to West African countries and Africa as a whole. She added that since her assumption as her country’s representative in Nigeria in September, 2014, Finland has embarked on a pilot project on health and education development initiative across the country, noting that Ibadan Chamber of Commerce could take advantage of Finland’s trade mission in Lagos, to strengthen business relations among the two countries.

Features

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

TIC creates jobs in Taraba through skills acquisition National Board for Technology Incubation, a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology with centres across the country, established by the Federal government to serve as nursery bed for growing the right technologists and entrepreneurs that would transform the country into an industrialised one like most developed nations of the world is creating jobs in Taraba state. JUSTIN TYOPUUSU writes about the centre in Jalingo.

echnology Incubation Centre which was established in Taraba state in 2010, but commenced full operation in 2011 has benefitted a lot of Taraba populace as many people have so far benefited from the centre and are now business owners and employers of labour. The technological based businesses and trades in the Incubation Centre cut across sectors like; food and agro processing, fabricating, vocational trades and other standalone small scale manufacturing projects. These technologies according to entrepreneurs in the centre are easy to run, easy to maintain with raw materials easily available. Muhammed Sani, MD/CEO of Hamdala Aluminum pots and spare parts factory located in the premises of the centre in Jalingo narrates his story. According to him, he came to the centre four years ago, but he is currently with a staff strength of 19 who are learning the trade. The 35 year old Mohammed who told our correspondent he came to the centre in 2011 after he have stayed in the manufacturing business for 11 years explained that he has so far trained over 22 people who are now business owners across the 16 local government areas of the state since he came to the centre. Our correspondent’s 3 hour visit to the centre was quite enriching and revealing. For instance, Mohammed took time to take our correspondent through the process of melting aluminum using locally constructed blower which fan the furnace to the process of fabricating his products. He explained that all his products including aluminum pots, charcoal powered stove, aluminum gate designs, bread and cake pans among several other products are manually produced. Mohammed said the business is booming and that he enjoyed patronage of individuals through his numerous business outlets in Jalingo and beyond. According to him, hardly a month passed without him making sales of between 1000 to 1500 bread pans and over 200 aluminum pots of different sizes. Like Mohammed Sani, Imrana Aliyu who produce shoes and sanders and is currently training others in the business is also a beneficiary of Technology Incubation Centre, Jalingo. The 25 year old Aliyu said the money he got from the centre helped him to sponsor himself to school and today he is a proud Diploma holder.

Aliyu told our correspondent that he has been supplying his products to boutiques in Jalingo and other major cities in the state and even Yola, the neighbouring Adamawa state capital. The shoe maker who said he has trained many youths and is currently training four, called on youths in the state to learn a skill or engage in one business or the other so as to be of help to themselves and the society and stop following politicians who are not willing to help them. Hajjiya Habiba Musa is into production of different cosmetics in the centre in Jalingo. The 35 year old Habiba and MD/ CEO of Habridat cosmetics said she came to the centre in 2011 and today she is into mass production of Vaseline, Soap, shampoo, body cream and lotion among other cosmetics. The mother of four while giving kudos to the management of Technology Incubation Centre, said since she started production in the centre her family welfare has improved tremendously. “Most cosmetics we use at home now are the ones we produce here. “Wholesalers do come here to buy our products even outside the state. I started very small, but now Iam expanding. I now have 10 people working under me and a shop in the main market where I display my products,” she said. Habiba called on government to establish an industrial park in the state so that those who graduate from the centre and are not able to set up businesses can go there to start business. “After graduation, most of those who acquired skills remain idle due to high cost of setting up business. Government should therefore establish an industrial park in the state to help in that regard,” she appealed. One thing which is disturbing all the entrepreneurs in the centre is finance. Hajjiya Hapbiba said if she is provided with 5-7million, the sky will be her limit in few months to come. Just like Habiba, Nuhu Thomas Yamusa, a producer of “Fashion Best Paint” said with the high patronage he received from customers, if government or spirited individuals support him with N10 million it will boost his production capacity as he will switch from manual to mechanical production of the product. Nuhu who described paint production as lucrative and booming business in Taraba state said the business has impacted his life positively.

“The business is helping me in taking care of my family. No handiwork is useless. It gives you food for life. I want to use this opportunity to call on those young boys roaming the streets to come to this centre and acquire skills necessary for their development.” Nuhu whose product was used to paint a structure in the premises of Technology Incubation Centre in Jalingo with a unique texture compare to other structures painted with other paints from the market explained that his ultimate concern is quality. “Other than go for quantity like other producers do, I go for quality. I less the amount of water and add more chemicals to produce a quality product that can stand a test of time anywhere in the world. “Those who know my product no longer go to the market to buy paint. They do come here and buy, sometimes they do book for it when it’s not readily available. My textcot goes for N4500 as against N6000 in the market, while my Emulsion is sold at N3000 as against N3500 in the market. But in terms of quality, mine is the best.” In a bid to ensure that the trainees get the needed skills, the centre as part of its mandate is shopping for professionals in different entrepreneurs skills to help boost activities in the centre. One of such professionals is Mr. Andrew Bitrus Ivo, a retired director with the state ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. Ivo, a 1990 graduate of Industrial Design from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is helping in training youths in pottery, Ceramics and floor tiles production. According to Ivo, in addition to training students on industrial attachment from higher institutions across the country, he has graduated three and is currently training three more who are equally doing very well in the business. Ivo said he has adopted “catch them young approach” through exhibition for primary and secondary schools pupils, most of them after exhibition do choose to read Industrial and Art Design in the university. Andrew Ivo, just back from Ebonyi and Abuja for exhibitions on behalf of Taraba state government said his products are on display in super stores across the state and beyond. Describing art and design as a lucrative business, Ivo noted that he has trained over 10 youths who graduated under him apart from those on industrial attachment and called on more youths in the state to come to the centre and learn a skill. The retired Industrial Designer commended Technology Incubation Centre Jalingo for providing infrastructural platform necessary for entrepreneurs to strive. Ivo who expressed his readiness to go into tiles and bricks making has a word for politicians. “Look, we have all the raw materials here for the production of ceramics, but the problem we are having is the necessary machineries for production of mod-

Tabara Governor, Ishaku

ern and quality ceramics. “I urge politicians to stop using their constituency allowances to build hotels and filling stations for themselves alone. They should use same to support local entrepreneurs to provide jobs and take our youths off the streets for good.” Hajjiya Hussaina Bakari, who is the Centre Manager of TIC in Jalingo, Taraba state is very happy with the achievements of the centre within the few years of the centre in the state. According to her, “the aim of federal government setting up a centre like this is to assist entrepreneurs with the needed facilities to stand on their own. We don’t charge them for anything. The units they are occupying, electricity, water and other facilities they are using in the centre are all provided by the government.” She added that the centre has exposed the entrepreneurs to training and workshops with the aim of creating jobs, eradicating poverty and ensuring self reliance of entrepreneurs. Hussaina commended the Director General, National Board for Technology Incubation, Dr. Mohammed Jibrin for considering Taraba state as one of the states to benefit from the establishment of the centre and for his constant support to the centre, which according to her has help in creating jobs and eradicating poverty among the people of the state. The centre manager while commending the state government for providing office accommodation and other assistance rendered to the centre, noted that the centre envisage transformation of an unemployed youth into budding entrepreneur within the three and half years he or she is expected to stay on the programme whether as resident incubator or non resident incubator as the case may be. This period according to officials provides opportunity to train future entrepreneurs on basic technical trades and expose them to key areas of their business operations.

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Features

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

NEMA presents achievements in the South-West zone Dare akogun

he South West Zonal Office of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in the review of its activities from March to June, 2015 disclosed that various disasters in the south west zone claimed the lives of about 23 persons including seven children with a six months old baby consumed in a fire disaster. Nema South West zonal spokesperson Ibrahim Farinloye also said that the agency recorded two suicide attempts as one person who climbed a television mast was rescued while the other had died before help could reach him while ten persons suffered various degree of injuries in the course of the period under review.According to him, “The Zonal Office recorded about 200 fire disasters incidences and several others that were handled by the efficient firemen of Lagos State Fire Service who have been making effective use of the State-of-the Art fire appliances acquired by the state government, to attend to about five fire calls daily. “However, it is disheartening to say that in the period under review,a fire man was lost on duty line while trying to rescue a victim in a local well; he was in coma for a long before given up the ghost. “This incident really dampened the morale, passion and spirits of the officers and men of Lagos Fire Service as it was the first time, the Service would experience such incident. The State Government, which has always applaud the diligence

NEMA officials at the scene of a disaster

of the service personnel, is passionately implore to kindly urge to further look into enhancement of the firemen welfare,” he stated. Farinloye further revealed that, a total of 1675 houses and three hundred and 13 shops were affected by fire and windstorms’ disasters across the zone. “Out of these, Lagos has a record of 989 houses and 219 shops affected while Oyo state has a record of 430 houses affected and Ogun State recorded 280 houses and 85 shops affected by fire and windstorms’ disasters,” he added. He disclosed that NEMA provided relief materials to victims of various disaster in 15 communities; Odofin, Agboju and

Alakija in Amuwo Odofin LGA; Epe, Ogunmodede, Epetedo, Odo Iragbusi, Iraye, Poka and Ketu communities in Epe Local Government Area; Ijede, Imota and Ikorodu in Ikorodu Local Government Area; Ajara, Ibereko and Kakoa in Badagry Local Government Area; while Iba, Obadore, Abule Ado, Ije Ododo and Okokomaiko in Ojo Local Government area relief materials have been delivered to Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, for distribution to the victims. The victims of the windstorms and fire disasters in seven communities of Igboho in Oorelope Local Government Area; Igangan in Ibarapa North

which its emerging facts have already shown who is who among the two, judging by the activities and the performance of the two groups in each of the 33 Local Government areas of the State respectively. For instance, on monthly basis for quite a long time, the comrade Sunday Olajide’s group has been holding exco meeting from one Local Government headquarters to the other, and each of the meetings has been receiving the blessing of the Traditional rulers, Chiefs, Police Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPO’s), farmers Union, Hausa/Fulanin leaders, Seriki Hausa etc with support. But on the comrade Olu Abodunrin side, its yet to records such events. The emerging facts is that on each of the events, media reports including prints, and electronic always do follow up simultaneously to

comrade Olajide’s group. In fact, many at times, the Oyo State former Speaker of the House of Assembly Alhaja Mrs Monsurat Sumonu witnesses some of the event where she confessed to some of the activities and performances of Olajide’s group which made the State House of Assembly to gazette the group as well recognized group in the State in reference to the in support of Oyo state Police command in combating criminal activities. And it is also on records going by the media reports that on each of the exco meetings , police is also given chance to comment on the performance of the group, comrade Olajide’s group is always commanded for a job well done for working in close fellowship with the police. It is all in our day’s job as media to expose minority issues shown up on our radar to pre-

Local Government Area; several communities in Afijio, Atiba and Oyo West Local Government Area have received through the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency. In Ogun State, the victims of market fire at Igbo Aje market in Yewa South; Abeokuta South; Abeokuta North; Ayetoro and Topolo communities of Yewa North have received relief materials by NEMA through the Ogun State Emergency Management Agency. NEMA is hereby appealing to Nigerians and corporate organisations to invest more in disaster risk reduction measures to secure their lives and property. There is need for Nigerians to be more fire safety conscious in their

course of their daily activities as fire disaster does not have any season when it can occur. Many people have been wondering while frequent occurrences of fire disasters on daily basis, they should be aware that fire is a good friend if you manage it carefully and can cause extensive destructions if not properly managed well at any time. We should avoid leaving children alone in a locked-up apartment without neighbours having knowledge or access to the area in case of emergency. If we must use candle at any time, the elders must ensure that it is put off before leaving the place for children. Community responsibility of being a brother keeper must be enhanced and encouraged for the best interest of everyone as we do not when we may need the help of our neighbours. People should use the onset of rainfall to plant trees in their premises to serve as windbreaker that would help in reducing the increasing rate of windstorm disasters that are exposing more families to disaster risk. In the foreword to the 2008 National Emergency Management Agency Annual report written by President Goodluck Jonathan stressed that the Federal government is aware of the enormity of the challenges faced by the disaster management Agencies. He said “Disaster threaten national development, poverty reduction initiatives and the attainment of the millennium Development Goals of government, while Nigeria has been spared the occurrence of major disasters, with devastating socio-economic consequences, as witnessed in other parts of the globe, we cannot afford to be complacent.

Who owns Oyo State Vigilante Group

he emerging reality within the security outfit in Oyo State is an intriguing one. The arrow heads of the outfit comrade Sunday A. Olajide who is the state commandant and another self acclaimed commandant Alh Yinusa Abodunrin appear to be working at cross purposes. The romance between the two appears to be from the top echelon as it seems to be one is superior to the other as our finding revealed. The race for the emergence of the leadership of the group is a ready reference point as there are, the major General Muhammed Jahun claiming the superioty over the Ali Sokoto’s group. What is the issue here is that, coming down to Oyo State, two different fellows in the persons of comrade S.A Olajide and Alh Yinusa Abodunrin are claiming the same position by

dates as ascension into high office of being a commandant. And as a human being, one could see errors or gesture and articulation here and there, and anyway, it is our ambition to advise the two giants private security officers to shield there sward of rich and mighty and come together so as to achieve desire and the expected result. The security outfit is supreme, and its interest is superior to that of its individual members, the most important part of life is to live a fulfill life as emoluments of peace after death, which is to be re-echo by the unborn children. The Oyo state Commissioner of police Alhaji Muhammed Musa Kastina said during one of his address recently during his visits to Oke-ogun in shaki axis that the law is a protector of everybody, but that instead, some unscrupulous elements

has made it to turn around , by changing it to season of madness, and its on the basis these that he called, if needs be , promised to allow the vigilante group to be involve, so as to give more assistance to police, but the question now is “Which of the group in Oyo state is to be involve? “ these called for sober reflection on the needs to sit together and faction out the way forward so as to have one ruling house, Simultaneously, the Area commander of Ogbomosho police command Mr Chinedu held a meeting with the group and insisted that the groups must invite their leaders to come and fashion out on how to know the authentic vigilante group in Ogbomosho and environs”. So as to know which of the group to held responsible when a crime against any of the group is committed.

Global Business

Yellen says expects rate hike this year, but cites labor weakness

ederal Reserve chair Janet Yellen on Friday said she expects the Fed to raise interest rates at some point this year, but pointed strongly to her concerns that U.S. labor markets remain weak and that more workers could be encouraged back into the job market with stronger growth. In her speech Yellen gave no direct hint about whether she anticipates more than one rate hike over the Fed’s four remaining meetings of 2015. But her focus on domestic economic developments looked beyond recent market turbulence over Greece and China, and keeps the Fed’s plans on track. She said she expects the economy should grow steadily for the remainder of the year, allowing the Fed to move ahead with its first rate hike in nearly a decade. “I expect it will be appropriate at some point later this year to take the first step to raise the federal funds rate and thus begin normalizing monetary policy,” Yellen said in a speech to the City Club of Cleveland, a civic group that sponsors high-level speakers. “But I want to emphasize that the course of the economy and inflation remains highly uncertain...We will be watching carefully to see if there

is continued improvement in labor market conditions, and we will need to be reasonably confident that inflation will move back to two per cent in the next few years.” U.S. Treasury yields rose and the dollar rallied against a basket of currencies after Yellen’s remarks, while stocks modestly pared gains. Despite the improvement of recent years, she said labor markets remain out of line, with high levels of part-time work and weak participation rates. The low unemployment rate “does not fully capture the extent of slack,” she said. “I think a significant number of individuals still are not seeking work because they perceive a lack of good job opportunities and that a stronger economy would draw some of them back into the labor force.” Analysts saw Yellen’s comments deviating little from the central bank’s recent policy statement. Though global markets have been turbulent in recent weeks since the Fed’s June meeting, Yellen focused on U.S. growth she feels is likely to continue and will push the economy closer to the Fed’s full-employment and

Yellen

two per cent inflation goals. “If the economy continues to improve, the Fed will raise rates this year. It clearly wants to,” said Jim McDonald, chief investment strategist at Chicago-based Northern Trust Asset Management. Yellen’s remarks come less than a week before she is to appear before Congress for a biannual briefing on monetary policy, and as the central bank approaches a likely rate hike decision. It is a step that will have global implications, putting the Fed on a path separate from central banks in Europe and Japan that continue fighting economic crises, and potentially drawing capital out of developing economies.

Japan’s Honda recalls more cars with Takata airbags

apanese carmaker Honda is recalling 4.5 million more cars globally amid continuing fears of a potentially deadly defect in Takata airbags. At least eight deaths - all in Honda cars - have been linked to the airbag inflator, which can deploy with too much force spraying metal shrapnel. Globally, tens of millions of cars with Takata airbags have been recalled since 2008, most of them in the US. Other brands that have issued recalls include Nissan, General Motors and BMW.

Honda car

But Honda, the number three carmaker in Japan, has been hardest hit with 24.5 million cars recalled - more than half of the global total. A Honda spokesman in Tokyo told AFP news agency on Thursday that the carmaker had found some airbag inflators had “uneven gas density, which we worry could do some harm”. “It is a preventive measure and unlike other normal recalls we are not waiting for the full results of the research,” he said. Honda is recalling about 1.63 million cars in Japan alone. The car-

maker told the Reuters news agency that North America was not included in the latest recall. The announcement came a day after Nissan announced its first case of injuries sustained from a Takata airbag deployment. The airbag inflated and exploded in the passenger side of an X-Trail sport utility vehicle involved in a car crash in Iwata in central Japan on 25 June. Nissan said the passenger side window was smashed and high-temperature fragments were sent flying into the dashboard. The driver’s left cheek was lightly burnt, although it remains unclear whether this was caused by the explosion. Earlier investigations showed Takata airbag inflators were not properly sealed and could be damaged by moisture. It is alleged that the airbags can burst under pressure, due to the instability of its chemical propellant, spraying shrapnel inside the car. Takata is currently facing multiple class action lawsuits and criminal and regulatory investigations in North America.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Greece debt crisis: Merkel says talks ‘extremely difficult’

ermany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the talks on Greece’s debt rescue “extremely difficult” and ruled out “agreement at any price”. She was speaking as she arrived in Brussels for a meeting of the other 18 eurozone leaders to discuss the deal. They are considering proposals by eurozone finance ministers which would impose tough conditions on Athens. Greece risks being ejected from the eurozone if a deal to rescue it from financial collapse is not reached. Finnish Finance Minister Alex Stubb said one condition in the ministers’ proposal requires Greece to implement new laws by Wednesday. Greece will also be required to introduce tough conditions on labour reform, VAT and taxes, and tough measures on privatisation and privatisation funds, Mr Stubb told reporters. The head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said a “couple of big issues” remain which would be left to the heads of government to rule on, though he did not give details. Mrs Merkel told reporters that the eurozone leaders would be considering whether “the conditions are met” to start negotiations on a third bailout. “That’s what is at stake, nothing more and nothing less,” she said.

But she warned that there would be “no agreement at any price”, adding: “We have to make sure the pros outweigh the cons - for Greece’s future, for the entire eurozone and the principles of our collaboration.” Mr Tsipras was more upbeat, telling reporters: “I’m here ready for an honest compromise... we can reach an agreement tonight if all parties want it.” The new austerity measures submitted by Greece include: • tax rise on shipping companies • unifying VAT rates at standard 23%, including restaurants and catering • phasing out solidarity grant for pensioners by 2019 • 300m Euro ($332m; £216m) defence spending cuts by 2016

Merkel

Swiss banks agree US tax evasion deal with Justice Department

wo more Swiss banks have agreed deals with the US Justice Department over tax evasion by Americans. Banque Pasche will pay $7.22m (£4.7m) and Arvest Privatbank $1.04m in penalties under a deal that means they will not face criminal charges. Fifteen Swiss banks have already cut deals with the department under a voluntary programme in which they could report suspected tax evasion. More deals are likely as about 100 banks have signed up to the programme.

Swiss National Bank Chairman Thomas Jordan

The Justice Department said that Banque Pasche, which has operations in Monaco and the Bahamas, helped US taxpayers evade taxes relating to 186 accounts from August 2008 to August 2013. Since August 2008, Arvest Privatbank has had 52 US-related accounts which the department felt were used to dodge taxes. The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said information provided by the two banks would help in future investigations. “Today’s agreements are significant both individually and in conjunction with the previous Swiss bank programme agreements,” said Richard Weber, of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Individually, each bank agreement provides additional information to the IRS to assist us in going after illegally concealed offshore accounts and the financial professionals who helped US taxpayers hide assets abroad,” he said. Neither Swiss bank was immediately available for comment.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

boreholes, ls, in Niger Delta

Major General Atewe having handshake with the school pupils

ordinary floor as desks and chairs”, the CDC chairman remarked. As a show of their appreciation, the community conferred the chieftaincy title ‘Ibemiewei of West Bomo Kingdom on the Major General, saying “because you have done what Napoleon could not do” The community called on the JTF Commander to use his office to prevail on Nigeria Agip Oil Company to reactivate the Memorandum of Understanding reached with them as host community. The head teacher of Baptist Day Primary School, Igbomooru I, Mrs Apah Clement showered praises on the Commander, saying, “This community has suffered a lot of setbacks, due to lack of infrastructure and power. You are God-sent, if only we have just one person like you, this community would have grown in geometric progression”. In the same vein, the women leader of the community could not hold her joy. Mrs. Benin Daniel said, “we have not seen this kind of thing before, God Almighty will bless him”. The ceremony was climaxed by a novelty football match between Igbomoloru one and two in honour of Major General Emmanuel Atewe who had earlier provided both football teams with complete jersey and boots. The JTFCommander who kick–started the novelty match had earlier promised to provide football kits to twenty-two players in Koluama II community. The idea, he said, was to create a congenial environment for the youths to disabuse their minds from illegal activities. The Commander had earlier commissioned a water borehole he donated to the Community where called on all the Igbematoro people to join hands with the Task Force in the fight against oil criminalities in line with the zero tolerance campaign of the Task Force. He also handed over a sewing machine to Mrs Patient Ibitim. The sum of Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N350, 000.00) was also given to Mr Job Magnam for the treatment of an illness while the youths received football kits in fulfillment of the promise he made to the Community during the sensitization campaign exercise early this year. It was at that occasion that he also promised to renovate and equipped a dilapidated primary school building and donates sewing machine and fishing nets to some individuals in the area which he fulfilled on Thursday . Major General

Emmanuel Atewe, also in line with his carrot and stick approach to the fight against illegal oil bunkering and oil theft in the Niger Delta region, sunk and donated a water bore hole to Akipelai community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state. The borehole which is sited at the premise of the Community Secondary School Akipelai was commissioned by President Jonathan’s mother, Mrs Eunice Jonathan, a native of the community. Mrs Eunice thanked the JTF Commander for his efforts towards eradication of illegalities in the Niger Delta region. She also commended him for the professional approach in carrying out the mandate of the Task Force and called the people of the community to give him all the support he will need to fight against oil theft. She called on the youth of the community to protect the borehole installation against vandalism. Earlier in his opening remarks, the Commander JTF commended the Akipelai community for toeing the line of his Zero Tolerance Campaign against illegalities in the community by not indulging in any act of economic sabotage against the Federal Government of Nigeria. He said, ’’The people of Akipelai are in total support of this fight and we must continue to identify with them by supporting in the area we can. We are donating this as a mark of appreciation to this community for not involving in illegal oil bunkering and oil theft.’’ He then called on the people of the region to continue to support the Task Force to carry out its mandate in the Niger Delta. ‘’Illegal oil bunkering and oil theft degrades the ecological system thereby creating a health hazard to the inhabitants of the community. It is an act capable of causing health damages,’’ said Atewe. He also promised to donate some sporting kits to the community. In his welcome address, the chairman Akipelai council of Chiefs. Chief Meni Etuere Owolo thanked the JTF Commander for what he described as Military social and institutional responsibility to the community and promised the community’s support in the fight against oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the area.

C/River is s hort-changed – Ayade tells NDDC RICHARD NDOMA, CALABAR

he board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC has been advised to jettison the idea that government should not do business as it is unsustainable. This advice was given by Cross River State governor Benedict Ayade when he received the board of the commission led by the chairman Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw in his office in Calabar where he laid bare his mind on the challenges faced by the commission earlier enumerated by the chairman. Citing the Chinese model, he urged them to have a rethink on infrastructure development as investment based models is a better option. His words: “If we took our time to look at how much came into the NDDC to date and if we have focused on revenue generation, focused on investment driven kind of models, you will have seen that we would no longer be depending on government.” He suggested a rethink on the organizational structure which seems to give less inclusion in decision making to state representatives and reminded the commission that in

spite of the sharing formula, they still had a moral obligation to poor states “The people of Cross River feel strongly short-changed because of the circumstances that befell us for no fault of ours and I thought that we would have had a particularly different classification”. The Chairman NDDC Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw earlier in his remarks said the current board at its swearing in on December 16, 2013 inherited over 7,000 projects which they have strived to complete but are restrained by funds because of the inability of the federal government to comply with section 14, sub section 2 A and C of the commission act which has led to a deficit of over 845billion in funds allocation to the commission. The chairman also disclosed some of their achievements in office to include hundreds of scholarships in science overseas for students from the region, hundreds of kilometers of road and in Cross River to include two hostel accommodations with one located in each of the University’s in the state with the hope of building the specialist hospital in Ikom, completing the Adiabo bridge project and dualisation of the Calabar-Itu-Aba highway.

C`River Deputy Speaker wants state cabinet inaugurated RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

he Deputy speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly,Rt. Hon.Joseph Bassey yesterday charged Gov.Ben Ayade of Cross River state to fast-track the process of putting in place his cabinet members who would assist him with useful advice that would facilitate execution of his signature projects. Bassey dropped the charge in an interactive forum with journalists at the Legislative Conference hall Calabar. The Deputy Speaker who is a second timer legislator said that going the memory lane to ex-ray what Ayade tagged as signature projects,the idea is lofty but insisted that the Governor needed an existing Exco who can made their input or conribute their useful ideas towards execution of these lofty projects. The Lawmaker stated that it was based on that issue that he raised a motion during deliberations adding that the motion if it scales through would authorised Ayade government to bor-

row or bring in international Development partners to tackle Ayade signature projects. Joseph Bassey who represent Calabar South State Constituency maintained that he raised that motion because he felt Ayade needed some back up to enable him execute the projects. “From Ayade`s inaugural speech,we knew that it be difficult for him to execute the fantastic projects.With the deep sea project, I believe this would help revive the Tinapa which is a almost death. The road project is a welcome development.I know that the project would not impose a problem to the state”The Deputy Speaker said. The Deputy speaker stated that there was nothing wrong if the Governor intends to bring in foreign partners who would execute the road and collect toll stressing that afterall,there were situations where we do pay transport fair from Calabar to Ikom and at the end of the day we resort to spend N200 to drink panadol or paracetamol to quell down headache which we developed as a result of the bad road we ply.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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€6million Ultra-modern factory opens in Uvwie THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

Delta state Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (left) and State Chairman, Host Community Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), Mr. Peter Egedegbe, during a courtesy call on the governor by executive of HOSTCOM, in Asaba, recently.

Delta Ijaw Kingdoms fault proposed amendment of DESOPADEC Law THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

il and gas producing communities of six Ijaw kingdoms in Delta State have faulted the proposed bill to amend the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, law 2006, sent to the state House of Assembly by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. They specifically pointed out that the proposed bill negate the purpose for which the interventionist agency was established to cater for the under development of oil bearing communities in the state. Governor Okowa had upon assumption of office presented a bill seeking to replace DESOPADEC law with a new bill “Delta state Oil and Gas Ethnic Nationalities” before the house. At a press conference yesterday in Warri by representatives of oil bearing communities, saying that if the law is allowed to scale through it would defeat the overreaching objectives that established DESOPADEC which is primarily to address the peculiar developmental challenges facing oil and gas producing communities in the state. Their position was contain in a jointly signed communique by Chief Favour Izoukumor, Deacon Clement Tekedor (Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom), Sheriff Mulade, Apostle Census Oluba (Gbaramatu kingdom), Dickson Asoki, Pius Donyegha (Egbema kingdom), Chief Linus Yeinanagbegha, Chief Prefugha Karawei (Ogulagha kingdom), Pastor Samuel Ako and Hon. Douglas Moses (Diebiri kingdom) amongst several others. The bill is proposed to have as its head a a Managing Director and three Executive Directors to run the day to day affairs of the commission, this they described of capable of undermining the functions and duties of the chairman and commissioners as it currently operates. It stated that DESOPADEC is faced with problems ranging from lack of transparency and overbearing interference by officials of the state government in the discharge of it primary function. They said, “The implication of this proposal is that the overall focus of DESOPADEC is no longer restricted to the oil bearing communities with peculiar developmental challenges faced by these communities.” “It is not only illogical, but also semantically

incoherent to have the name of the commission as DELTA STATE OIL PRODUCING AREAS DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION and its laws as ethnic nationalities. “The negative effect of this arrangement is that politicians who are not from the oil producing communities would be the ones to determine the direction of the Commission to the detriment of the oil and gas producing communities”, they added. While expressing their readiness to support the state government efforts aimed at bringing good governance, the Ijaw oil bearing communities maintained that to open DESOPADEC to the entire ethnic nationalities instead of the oil producing communities would defeat the essence of the Commission. It warned that if the bill is passed into law it could create an avenue for the rebirth insurgency by aggrieved youths in the creeks and far reaching disastrous effect on the already dwindling oil production in the state. To ensure that the bill is stop at all means, they called on their representatives at the state house assembly to make sure the will of their constituents prevailed. “It is pertinent to draw the attention of the honourable members of the Delta state House of Assembly and the general public to the fears expressed by some politicians during the 2015 general election campaign period was that His Excellency, Dr. Okowa if he won his gubernatorial election has a hidden agenda to scrap DESOPADEC or render the Commission useless. “It is our conviction that, the Ijaw oil producing communities with due sense of responsibility, believing sincerely that our suggestions as submitted here, if considered and passed into law will help to achieve the aim and objectives, the core mandate of the commission. “It is our conviction too that they will contribute to bring about sustainable peace and reduce the level of economic and social hardship, infrastructural neglect, education and health denial melted on our area stressed over decades. We therefore call on all Honourable members of Delta State House of Assembly to reject those proposals that would undermine the interest of oil and gas producing communities as they may likely provide basis for insurgency in the creeks of Delta State that might impede oil production in the State”, they posited.

six million euros ultra-modern processing factory for the production of various premium juices and carbonated drinks has been flagged off in Ekpan, Uvwie Council Area of Delta State. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lee Group of Companies, Chief Leemon Ikpea, said the groundbreaking ceremony was part of ongoing expansion of Trebet A1 factory due to the growing need for its products in the market. Lee Group of companies began over 30 years ago with bias for oil and gas but following recent growth has diversified into other areas including production juice and drinks and has also launched Lee Oasis Supermarket in Warri, the commercial nerve of the state. At a ceremony attended by dignitaries from across the state including Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Victor Edoror and banks executives, an elated Ikpea told newsmen that its expansion would help tackle the increasing unemployment problem in the country. According to him, Lee Oasis Interna-

tional Supermarket and Trebet A1 factory would absolve hundreds of unemployed youths in the state. He disclosed during the colourful ceremony that his company would partner the Delta state government in her drive to provide jobs and boost internally generated revenue. Ikpea noted that, “we are here gathered to the glory of God, for the twin ceremonies of the official opening of Lee Oasis Supermarket limited and the groundbreaking ceremony of the Trebet A1 factory’s extension. “it would interest you to know that Trebet A1 factory expansion project is estimated to cost about six million Euros, we are committed to realising an ultra-modern processing factory fitted with the state of art equipment for the production of various premium juices, carbonated drinks and water.” His Royal Majesty, Emmanuel E. Sideso (Jp) (Con) Abi I, Ovie Of Uvwie Kingdom, his counterpart, Pere (Dr.) Charles Ayemi-Botu (JP), the paramount ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom, Regent of OkereUrhobo Kingdom, former Information Commissioner, Mr Oma Djeba and serving commissioners attended the ceremony.

Director, Petroleum Pollution Department, Bayelsa Ministry of Environment, Mr. Bank Japhet, leading the way to the pilot clean up of an oil spill site in Kalaba community, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, PHOTO: NAN recently.

Woman’s legs cut off in accident

THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

here was pandemonium on Monday morning in Ovwian, Udu Local Government Area of Delta State following a terrible accident which caused a woman believed to be in her early twenties to lose her two legs by a tipper forced out of its lane by a speeding bullion van driving against traffic near Warri. It was gathered that the speeding bullion van which was being escorted by heavily armed policemen forced the tipper to lose control and went directly to crush the lady against the pavement demarcating the road. The bullion van, eyewitnesses said was rushing to First Bank branch along Udu road which is few metres away from the scene of the accident. National Mirror learnt that the accident occurred around 11am while the victim was waiting to cross road to withdraw money from an Auto-

mated Teller Machine , ATM, belonging to First Bank. At the time our correspondent visited the scene, the victim whose name could not be immediately identified was being rushed to hospital for urgent medical attention. Pandemonium almost broke out when sympathizers who had early rushed her to hospital came back to the bank premises that the hospital where she has been taken demanded for a police extract before she could be treated. Following the development, aggrieved youths and women besieged the bank demanding that the bank come to the rescue of the lady whose two legs has been cut off, a situation which forced mobile police attached to the bank to shoot sporadically to scare sympathizers away. It was further gathered the victim was left in her pool of blood for almost an hour before sympathizers came to her help. All efforts to speak with the branch manager of the bank where however not successful as no one was allowed to gain access.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

n was in error –Gombe mer Special Adviser on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, said that rather than handover to Buhari, the past government will hand over power to the military. So now this people have not relented in their efforts to cripple the system. Some of them will happily, pray that the military should come in, so that a Buhari government that is ready to work; a system that is ready to safe-guard democracy fail. So I want to advise that the earlier the Buhari government realises that it needs to bring in strong policies that will change the course of things and impress Nigerians, the better. The party, as represented by the President, has to put their thoughts into action, so that Nigerians will appreciate the sacrifices they made to bring about this new government.

The running Issue is that the Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu risks been impeached by his colleagues for allegedly forging some aspects of the Senate Standing Rules leading to his election as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Senate. What do you make of this? Well, the reality is that what has happened in the Senate, is clearly undemocratic and it is also clearly unacceptable to our development partners. Because the point is that there were two aspirants canvassing for this position. It was a contest from among members of the ruling party, and as Prof. Itse Sagay, said: “You cannot run an election with your co-contestant absent.” The rule of the Senate is that the number that is supposed to impeach the Senate President is the number that will elect him. The number that is supposed to elect the Senate President, is supposed to be two-third of the Senate, and it is the same two-third that is eligible to impeach the Senate President, so what it means is that, it is not the number that should have elected him that were there (on June 9). The number that elected Bukola Saraki and Ekweremadu, was a majority in a two-third, but a quorum is supposed to be a comfortable two-third. Two third of 109, is supposed to be 73. 73 is the two-third of 109, meaning there must be 73 senators sitting in the chambers of the National Assembly before an election can hold. The PDP has 49 members intact on the floor and they would have still gotten the majority they wanted to elect Ekweremadu, but they decided to subvert the process instead, because they wanted to manipulate it for their selfish interests against the wishes of Nigerians who elected an APC majority and want the National Assembly to be controlled by the APC. But it is not even about Nigerians alone, but the senators themselves, so there must be two-third present for it to be binding for the election of the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, but they did not allow that to happen. Why did they allow the election of Ekweremadu to happen? They knew the process, only that they were been dodgy. Why did they allow Ekweremadu to be elected through a process alien to the rules of the Senate? In the Ekweremadu situation, they went against their rules and it cannot stand. According to Senator Kabiru Marafa, Zamfara-APC, and the Gemade-led Senators Unity Forum, SUF, the Deputy Senate President was elected through a secret balloting arrangement allegedly against provisions of the Standing Orders of the Senate. Yes, and it’s unacceptable. Why would they, in the case of Ekweremadu, go against their rules, go against the Constitution. It is not done that at that level, people will go all out because they are desperate. So what is the way forward out of this seeming impasse? The way forward is that, definitely there is no way you that you have a Senate that has majority of a party and the Deputy Senate President is from another party.

Did PDP in the last 16 years that it ruled, allow any other party to come close to the leadership of the Senate or the House of Representatives? They didn’t even allow other parties to get Leader, Deputy Leader, Whip, Deputy Whip or even the smallest position on the list of leaders of any chamber of the National Assembly, so why should Ekweremadu to be there as Deputy Senate President? Nigerians elected APC with a landslide at both local, state and national levels and that is what the Nigerian people desired, and in fact, Ekweremadu is even pricking the conscience of Nigerian people and if he continues to hang in there, it will get to a point where Nigerians will be forced to come out and protest, and I also think that what the Police are doing, by quizzing Ekweremadu over Rules’ forgery, is in order, but to me, in fairness, even Ekweremadu is beyond the issue. For me, even the Clerk of the National Assembly who allowed himself to be used to bend the Rules should be questioned and even Ekweremadu who accepted that despite being the Deputy Senate President for 8 years and knowing the procedure, should be dealt with. The excuse that each Assembly operates with different rules does not hold water, because the Senate was yet to meet and adopt new rules, so the old rules applied even for the unacceptable election of

Ekweremadu. If you say every Senate comes with different rules, don’t forget that the Senate was not properly constituted to come up with new rules before the election of Ekweremadu. They used the old rule book, and the old rule book does not recognise secret balloting. So we must allow the right thing to be done using the right channels. If we allow the PDP to get away with this, it will spell doom for the APC and the government of President Buhari. Nigeria cannot revert to the status quo ante, where people were doing whatever they liked and however they liked it. With the 2015 general elections gone, is your party strategising and restructuring for the future and ready to provide a credible opposition to the government in power and an alternative to the ruling party? We are not just looking at 2019, but we are restrategising, making contacts and engaging likeminds constructively. We are not just folding our arms, we are prepared to provide credible alternative to other parties. While we are watching keenly, we are working with partners to make sure that we provide credible opposition and alternative to the APC. So clearly there are people in the party in power who share the ideology of the PDP who would want to play spoilers to the government of the day, and we in SDP, we are working to avoid a situation where our party is diluted by people with selfish ideologies, and we hope to come out stronger in 2019 and beyond.

NASS crisis’ll soon be over –Tambuwal Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, recently met behind closed door with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, where issues of security and the development of the country were discussed. He speaks with State House Correspondents after the meeting. ROTIMI FADEYI was there and brings excerpts:

hat is your mission to the Presidential Villa? The President is the leader of the party and as governor of Sokoto State, I have come to see him and indeed to seek for his advice and rub minds with him on issues bordering on security and continued development of the country. You could see that our meeting with him was businesslike and I believe that is how it should be when you come to a leader such as Mr. President, you don’t take much of his time, you go to issues and address them and then take your leave. You are a member of one of the committees that was set up to settle the crisis in your party. How far have you gone? We have commenced meetings and even today we are going to have yet another meeting and I believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel, peace and normalcy will be restored to the chambers of the National Assembly and I assure that we will continue to support Mr. President for us to deliver on our promises to the Nigerian people There are reports that the Femi Gbajabiamila’s camp is insisting on four principal officers’ position. Would you cave in to that? It is not a matter of caving in to it, I am a mediator and I am not at liberty to pre-empt what should be the outcome of my report, therefore I am not in a position to confirm that. What is your reaction to the belief that the National Assembly members are emboldened by the unique

Tambuwal

way that you emerged as the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011 despite your party’s zoning arrangement? I should leave that to you to make your own judgment. I believe they are all matured people representing their various constituencies in both chambers at the Senate and the House of Representatives and they should know what is best for the country and the party.

Politics

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

War against terrorism: Still long way to freedom CONTINUED FROM PAGE13 tacked a mosque in Maiduguri, killing at least 23 people. Then, on June 2, a suicide bomber struck in Borno State again, killing dozens. Now, there is hardly a day that the terrorists do not strike. Visit to terror-ravaged areas President Buhari may not have personally visited any of the three North-East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, but it is to his credit that within few weeks of being in the saddle, he sent Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to assess the situation in Maiduguri, Borno State. That visit alone, was a strong message to the victims of terror that the new administration is not very likely to abandon them to their fate. During the over five years of the Jonathan administration, he did not deem it fit to visit any of the terror-stricken states. His belated visit to Borno State during the period of electioneering campaign did not help him as he was seen as merely concerned with his re-election. Condemnation of terror attacks Both administrations have always made the usual resort to condemning terror activities. Statements are normally issued after lives have been lost. Nigerians seem to have had enough of these statements. They want concrete actions. The Chibok faux pas The Chibok puzzle is one that Jonathan failed to solve. In fact, he did not initially believe that about 219 secondary school girls in Chibok had been abducted by Boko Haram. On Buhari’s part, like he said in his inaugural speech, his government cannot claim to have defeated terrorism without rescuing the girls. He recently granted audience to members of the #Bring Back Our Girls# group, something Jonathan never did. But will he go the extra mile to honour the group’s request to visit Chibok? Well, that is up to him. In an April 14 OP-ED in the New York Times, Buhari said his administration will act differently from Jonathan, saying: “Indeed it is the very reason we have been elected.” He began by talking about the Chibok girls and then differed from the earlier stance of his party during the campaigns that the girls would be rescued if Nigerians voted for the All Progressives Congress, APC. With absolute certainty, Buhari however pledged that from the first day of his administration, Boko Haram will know the strength of “our collective will and commitment to rid this nation of terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas.” According to him, until now, Nigeria has been wanting in its response to their threat, saying: “With our neighbors fighting hard to push the terrorists South and out of their countries, our military was not sufficiently supported or equipped to push North. As a consequence, the outgoing government’s lack of determination was an accidental enabler of the group, allowing them to operate with impunity in Nigerian territory”. African allies and MNJTF Jonathan went into ally with Chad, Niger and Cameroon. The development gave birth to the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF. He was earlier faulted by Buhari and his party, the APC and thus, one had thought that the new administration would come to the table with something different. The President spent his first few days in office doing the same trips that his handlers had condemned Jonathan for making. Relocation of Command and Control Centre President Buhari had in his inaugural address ordered the relocation of the military command and control centre to Maiduguri. Although, the impossibility of executing this directive is not in doubt, what the President did was nothing different from the attitude of his predecessor. Jonathan had created the 7 Divisions of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri to take the war to the terrorists. Replicating (not full relocation) of the military’s command and control centre in the area is not so much of a big deal, security wise.

Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin, Chief of Defence Staff

Buhari in his New York Times piece spoke of his plans to not just use military power in prosecuting the war. He also said that “as our military pushes Boko Haram back, as it will, we must be ready to focus on what else must be done to counter the terrorists. We must address why it is that young people join Boko Haram.” He added: “There are many reasons why vulnerable young people join militant groups, but among them are poverty and ignorance. Indeed Boko Haram — which translates in English, roughly, as “Western Education Is Sinful” — preys on the perverted belief that the opportunities that education brings are sinful. If you are starving

The collecTive will spoken by buhari is yeT To be seen. boko haram has noT TasTed This socalled collecTed will. in The shorT and long run, buhari has a loT To do To walk his Talk

and young and you are in search of answers as to why your life is so difficult, fundamentalism can be alluring. We know this for a fact because former members of Boko Haram have admitted it: They offer impressionable young people money and the promise of food, while the group’s mentors twist their minds with fanaticism.” He added that boosting education in the area was the way forward. Boosting education will be a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram’s appeal, he stated. Then he goes on to say that Boko Haram feeds off despair. It feeds off a lack of hope that things can improve. Is there really any difference between this and Jonathan’s approach? Certainly, no! Jonathan’s three pronged approach to addressing terrorism addressed all the issues that Buhari highlighted. The first, in Jonathan’s approach, was the strengthening of counter-terrorism cooperation with neighbouring countries. Jonathan had said: “More than ever before, international partners like the UK, USA, and France are giving requisite support, and this united approach is already producing notable results. No doubt, the key to an enduring solution to this scourge ultimately lies with concerted efforts at both the domestic, sub-continental and global levels.” He said his second approach is openness to political dialogue, adding: “We believe, however, that this can only realistically progress when the groups and individuals involved in acts of terror, relinquish their anonymity, and come forward in sincerity to make their objectives known to the Nigerian peoplea.” Jonathan’s third approach focuses on economic inclusion. This strategy targeted the disadvantaged and unemployed in the society, especially in the North-East, with economic opportunities in agriculture, entrepreneurial support, graduate employment and unskilled jobs programmes. He said: “We are also developing well-articulated social safety net programmes in the health sector, specifically targeting pregnant mothers and children. Under the AlMajiri Education Programme, we are taking out-of-school children off the streets and into the classrooms.” Then, of course, there is the issue of negotiating with terrorists. Jonathan was keen on negotiating with them. Buhari has also indicated his desire to engage the terrorists in a negotiation. The collective will spoken by Buhari is yet to be seen. Boko Haram has not tasted this so-called collected will. In the short and long run, Buhari has a lot to do to walk his talk, else, for now, there is really no difference between him and his predecessor. He can still change the narrative though. He has the time, but do Nigerians have the patience? It is doubtful.

Fasehun remains our national chairman –UPN Ayo EsAn

ational Executive Council, NEC, of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, has said that Dr Fredrick Fasehun remains the National Chairman of the party. The party said the clarification becomes necessary because of a usurper, who is laying claim to the position. In a release issued by the party and signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Adeoye Jolaoso, the party disowned one Prof Bankole Okuwa, who he alleged is currently parading himself as UPN National Chairman. Jolaoso said: “By virtue of the first UPN National Convention held at Yard 158 Events Centre, Oregun, Lagos, last January 9, Dr. Fasehun, the pioneer National Chairman of the party, was re-

turned to the position.” He said the election of Fasehun as well as other members of the NEC complied with Article II Section 7(2) of the party’s constitution, which stipulates that: “The National Convention shall elect the... national officers of the party, each of who shall hold office for a maximum of four years or for such other lesser duration as the National Convention may fix but shall be eligible for re-election.” Disowning Okuwa, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary said: “We have never seen this pretender, the so-called Prof Okuwa, the supposed new National Chairman at any UPN meeting. “He has never been registered as a member of the party, talk more of being a member of our national executive, talk more of tagging him National Chairman.” Jolaoso insisted that

Prof Okuwa was a total stranger to the party, and is therefore liable to be prosecuted for impersonation and should stop parading himself as an officer of the party. Jolaosho traced the genesis of Okuwa’s claim to the same forces that rose against the resuscitation of the UPN in 2013. According to him, it was clear that Okuwa was another phase in the fight by those threatened by UPN’s emergence, especially in the South-West. He said: “This is the equivalent of a civilian coup attempt, but it is a failed coup attempt. It is dead on arrival. It is a great shame that a whole Professor should reduce himself to the position of a stooge and a puppet, to be controlled by moneybags and politicians whose sole interest is the destabilising of the party.” Jolaosho also chided

Okuwa for tagging Fasehun a rascal, adding: “It is the height of disrespect for anyone in this country to call a renowned elder statesman like Dr. Fasehun a rascal. It shows disrespect and lack of proper upbringing. “The truth is that after the likes of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Moshood Abiola, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, no one can push aside Dr. Fasehun, with all his flaws, for the sacrifices he has made for the dignity of Yoruba people and for Nigeria as a whole. None of his critics can lay claim to his level of personal, economic and political sacrifice. “This freedom fighter founded the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, and he and the group fought for the enthronement of the democracy we enjoy today in Nigeria.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Gombe APC fails to secure pre-hearing extension at tribunal Williams attah GOMBE

ombe State All Progressives Congress, APC, and its gubernatorial candidate in the last general elections, Alhaji Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya yesterday experienced a major setback in their bid to overturn the outcome of the election which declared Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo as winner. The setback was recorded when the Election Petition Tribunal, under

the chairmanship of Justice Matthew Adewara, struck out the petitioners’ prayer for extension of the prehearing sessions which had already lasted for about a month now. The tribunal said the prayer was struck out on the ground that it is vague and that the petitioners were basing their prayers on documents that are not yet in existence. If granted, the extension was to enable the petitioners get enough evidences to prosecute and secure victory for their

case. The petitioners had filed their case on May 2 and prehearing had commenced on June 20, after first and second respondents’ responses of May 30 and June 3. The pre-hearing was originally billed to end on July 4 but for the application of the petitioners for extension of date to enable the counsel effectively file their petition. Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Yahaya, Ayoola Ajayi, said Independent Natinal Electoral

Commission, INEC, was frustrating their case with its continued refusal to comply with the tribunal’s directive to produce materials used for the election for forensic examination. He said: “INEC is still yet to comply with the court order but we are taking the necessary steps to make sure that it complies. This delay is very grievous and it is unbecoming”. He said the INEC’s position “is not a good testimony for it because

when election is conducted, INEC should hold the stake with all the parties involved.” He added: “A situation where INEC starts to frustrate one of the parties or some of the parties is not good enough for this country and this is one of the reasons why there should be electoral reforms.” He said the push for the extension of the 180 days set aside for hearing should be considered since people were now taking advantage of the period “to play many games in

order to get away.” He said: “So when you now hide under technicalities and are running away from the tribunal with given documents used for election, I think it’s a very bad story for Nigeria.” Contacted, Yahaya Dangana, who held the brief INEC counsel, Hassan Liman, SAN, said he was okay with the ruling, but declined comment on the petitioners’ outburst saying his brief was only restricted to representing INEC in court.

Senator tackles media over role in NASS crisis EzEkiEl titus BAUCHI

L-R: Members, House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Sumaila, Hon. Mohammed Bago and Abdulmumin Jubril, after a press briefing in Abuja, recently.

Group prays for Buhari, Ambode, others at Ramadan lecture

EbErE NdukWu

rogressive Movement, PM, a Lagos-based All Progressives Congress, APC, support group at its second annual Ramadan lecture in Lagos weekend prayed for President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, APC National Leader Senator Bola Tinubu, APC senators, federal and state House members and other party leaders across the country, praying God to give them wisdom to lead the country aright and to fulfill the age long leadership yearnings of Nigerians. Conducting the prayer at the event titled: Good Leadership in Islam, How Related to Politics, Sheikh Mos’ud Bunayamin Kotun, said a good leader should lead and die by good example, reminding political leaders to remember they “will one day give record and account of their services to the superior master, the Almighty.” Encouraging more prayers for the leaders during the Ramadan, Sheik Kotun said: “Since I was

born I have never respected anybody like President Buhari and it is my prayer that God would use him to bring about the change APC promised Nigerians.” He prayed also that God should give Tinubu and other APC leaders wisdom to advise the party’s political office holders in the right way to go in ensuring that the positive things the party is set out to achieve in the country were actualised.

Speaking earlier, PM national president, Saheed Olalere, said PM was the first to start the campaign slogan of “Change Jonathan” and has remain resolute in its support for APC, through rallies, seminars, press releases and prayers. Saying that PM has members drawn from all parts of Lagos, Ogun, Osun and other states, he regretted that party leaders has not been faithful and fair to grass-

roots leaders like his group. He said: “Despite challenges we are still working and will continue to work for the progress of APC both spiritually and physically. All we are asking is that they should encourage us. We need secretariat, a bus for mobilisation and rallies. And some of us have children who are graduates without gainful employment.”

he senator representing Bauchi South senatorial district at the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Ali Wakili, has tackled some sections of the media over their roles in the lingering crisis in the National Assembly. He admonished the affected media not to drag the name of President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki in the mud, urging them to toe the path of honour and not heat up the polity. The senator gave the warning in a chat with newsmen in Bauchi, saying this followed recent media reports that Buhari and Saraki are on a Headon collision over the refusal of the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary, Anastasia Nwoabia to appear before the Senate over issues of the past involving the ministry. Wakili added that those

Igalas not against power shift WalE ibrahim LOKOJA

pparently disturbed by the clamour for power shift ahead of Kogi State gubernatorial election scheduled for November, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, and gubernatorial aspirant, Prince Sanni Shuaibu, has disclosed that the Igala speaking people are never against power rotation among the major ethnic groups in the state.

Prince Shuaibu, who is currently jostling for his party’s ticket for the forthcoming gubernatorial election dropped this hint in Lokoja while addressing party members from across the three senatorial districts of the state. He said who ever think other ethnic groups will not rule the state is living under illusion, adding that the Igala speaking people cannot continue to dominate the Lugard House seat of power all the time. He said: “I’m among those people that want

other major ethnic groups, especially the major three tribes to taste power in the state. This should be done with decorum where the major ethnic tribes in the state will discuss it on a round table and the modality spelt out.” He added that some leaders of Igala extractions, who had got opportunity to rule the state performed below expectation, stressing that their performance should not be a yardstick to judge others, saying that after all, these ‘Igala governors’ did not rule alone as

all the tribes in the state are always represented in governance. Saying that it was not the failure of a tribe, as erroneously being claimed in certain quarters, but failure of the crops of leaders that have been ruling the state for its backwardness, he stressed further that it behoves on the stakeholders and electorate to look beyond the older generations for young and new breed leaders to move the state forward, as the issue is beyond power shift or rotation.

media reports which are intended to drag the images of Buhari and Saraki in the mud are intended to settle perceived scores, thereby acting the script of some power brokers in the country. Wakili said the Nigerian constitution had clearly spelt out the functions of the Senate President and that of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, wondering why some section of the media reported that the personalities are on collision course over Nwoabia’s refusal to appear before the Senate. He said: “There is no time that Buhari and Saraki had any quarrel because what was reported was great fallacy of the highest order, as both of them respect each other, regarding their offices and remember, their duties are geared towards the yearning and aspirations of Nigerian electorate.” Regretting that people always rush to the media whenever they fail to get way with the intention to rubbish the integrity of elected leaders, Wakili admonished that instead of concentrating on igniting fire between Buhari and Saraki, the users of such section of the media should initiate positive ideas capable of curbing the current security challenges, describing the media reports as uncalled for and detrimental to the political development and unity of Nigeria. He noted that the role of the media is among others to inform, entertain and to educate the public, but regretted that recent events have shown a gradual shift from playing such roles.

Politics

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Group raises alarm over plans to bribe Benue guber tribunal A zA MsuE KADUNA

socio-political group, Save Benue Group, SBG, has raised alarm over a well coordinated plan by powerful politicians to bribe the judge and other officials of Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi to compromise them. SBG, in a statement signed and issued in Kaduna by its President and Secretary, Dr. Jerome Terver and Onoja Sam respectively, also said some faceless persons have been calling and sending threat messages to tribunal officials when they refused to succumb to pressure of intimidation. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the April poll Prince Terhemen Tarzoor had dragged the state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, before the tribunal on the grounds that he did not meet the criteria for nomination as All progressives Congress, APC candidate in the election. Meanwhile, SBG has

called on Ortom, to urgently cut his salaries and allowances of all appointees by 50 per cent as part of austerity measures to pay six months salaries of distress Benue workers until the economic situation improves, adding that 15 per cent of his security votes too should be cut. SBG also urged the governor to sell eight SUVs bullet proof jeeps bought for him by his predecessor and source for other means to pay workers’ salaries, arguing that Benue is not richer than the Federal Government where President Muhammadu Buhari rejected N400 million cars and cut 50 per cent of his and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s salaries. The group while warning Ortom’s administration not to follow in the footsteps of former Benue State governors, George Akume and Gabriel Suswam, in the era of change, said it is not opposing the governor but was only offering unsolicited advice to move the state forward.

robErt AwokusE

’odua Nationalist Coalition, ONAC, a pan-Yoruba group, has condemned the gross human rights violations, injustice and the incessant cases of killings which are on the increase in Ilaje area of Ondo State. In a statement, signed and made available to National Mirror by the group’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Akinwunmi Oriola, ONAC unraveled the precarious situations of human rights abuse that has been prevalent in the area, following proliferation of arms used for perpetrating evil acts by some unscrupulous individuals. According to Oriola, the alleged attacks perpetrated which have claimed no fewer than six people and left several others injured, were alleged to have been orchestrated by a para-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Group condemns killings, violence in Ilaje ...calls on govt to curb upheaval mount traditional ruler, names withheld, over power supremacy and control. “In the last few months, human lives have come under severe and malicious attacks in the context of the supremacy war being waged by the traditional ruler. “In these ceaseless hostilities, not less than six people have been hacked to death. Two of those killed were members of ONAC in Igbokoda.” Oriola noted that the monarch, having been ostracized from his kingdom, has imposed himself on the people of Igbokoda, making desperate efforts to act as the legitimate tradition-

al ruler by employing the services of ‘armed thugs’ across Ilaje to fortify his reign. “He is not from Igbokola. We are concerned that having been chased out of his domain, the traditional ruler has imposed himself on the people of Igbokoda, calling the shots and making desperate efforts to act as if he is the legitimate traditional ruler of Igbokoda.” ONAC spokesman said other traditional rulers, who appeared to challenge the monarch’s authority or called for respect for the culture and traditional institutions were threatened or silenced.

ONAC therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, to amongst other things, carry out full scale investigations into the killings in the area and the use of armed thugs, and checkmate the traditional ruler over sponsor of armed assailants, who persistently threaten the peace of Igbokoda and its people. It also called for a mopup of arms in the hands of non-state actors in Ondo State, especially in Ilaje and Igbokoda, urging the police to set up public inquiry into the unrest and arms proliferation in order to put an end to the restiveness.

ArchBishop warns FG to steer clear of same sex marriage

HENry IyorkAsE MAKURDI

he Primate, Anglican Communion of Nigeria, Most Rev. Nicholas Ukoh, yesterday charged the Federal Government not to concede to same sex marriage as is being endorsed elsewhere. ArchBishop Ukoh made the assertion while on courtesy visit along with other Bishops of the communion to Governor Samuel Ortom at the People’s House in Makurdi. He explained that any attempt by the government to legalise same sex marriage in Nigeria would be totally rejected and would further plunge the country into anarchy. He disclosed that the 2016 Clergy Conference of All Anglican Communion of Nigeria pastors would take place in Otukpo, Benue State, adding that the bishops were in the state for the Bishops’ conference holding at Zaki Biem, Ukum Local Government Area, hoping that the issue would also dominate its agenda where it will be thrashed out.

In his remarks, Governor Ortom said that it was not in the custom of Benue people, Nigerians or Africans to practice same sex marriage, explaining that Nigerians were believers of the Holy Bible, Koran, or traditional worshipers and none of them would descend so low into accepting same sex marriage. He appealed to the men of God to continue to pray for the success of the nation adding that it was their prayers that made some of them win the last general election. He assured the ArchBishop that he had resolved to rule his people with the fear of God, pointing out that it was God who single handedly made him the governor of the state through his people. He said: “My election was one of the toughest battle of my life, but with your prayers and God’s kindness, I am the governor today, I was told by our then leaders to go to God to give me the governorship position since I believed so much in him.”

L-R: Candidates for the post of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, Prof. Oladele Layiwola, Prof. Ayodeji Oluleye and Prof. Labode Popoola, at the University of Ibadan Community Forum, yesterday.

Anti-graft: Emerhor commends Buhari EbErE Ndukwu

elta state All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate in the April 11 elections, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption, calling on those attacking him for not appointing ministers after six weeks in office to stop their criticism and join hands with the government in power to bring about the ‘change’ that Nigerians deserve and voted for. Emerhor who said this in a statement available to newsmen by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Political Communica-

tion, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, said that the attackers of President Buhari should know that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, wrecked the socioeconomic boat of the nation which is why the government of the day at national level needed time to scrutinise the books and accounts of the Jonathan’s administration before recruiting new hands to run the system. He said: “Mr President, who is well known globally for his ‘zero corruption’ crusade will not be in a hurry to do the needful to put round pegs in round holes. It is expected that after 16 years of massive corruption and economic sabotage slammed on the nation by the PDP government, the APC-led govern-

ment will of a necessity dig deep to ensure sanity and good governance in order to restore the nation’s fractured image in the comity of nations.” Emerhor said President Buhari, being a proactive and transparent leader, deserves commendation from Nigerians for ordering the immediate closure of a reasonable number of bank accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and instructing that taxes from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, be shared to the three tiers of government, a development that was alien to the nation’s financial management under the PDPled government. Assuring that the President will do anything

and everything within his powers to correct the ills in all ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, through forensic auditing, blocking of financial leakages, prosecution of corrupt government officials whether past or present especially those found to have consciously and deliberately plunge this nation into huge debts and other local and international financial crimes, Emerhor said that he is optimistic that the 50 per cent cut in the salaries of Mr. President and his vice was a pointer to the fact that other senior public officers and political office holders will have to adjust and be ready to make similar sacrifice.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Naira depreciates further at black market Johnson okanlawon

rading in naira hit another record low on the parallel market yesterday, as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, restrictions fed unofficial trade in dollars. At the black market, the naira weakened by 1.0 per dollar yesterday, indicating high demand for the dollar in the market. However, low oil prices have impacted negatively the currency and government finances. On Friday, the naira hit fresh lows against

the dollar on the parallel market, after a government liquidity injection to help cash-strapped states offset a funding crisis hit the currency. The currency fell to a new record low of N240 on the parallel market, down 2.1 per cent, as persistent dollar shortages continued, two traders said. The President of Nigeria’s Bureau de Change Association, Mr. Aminu Gwadabe, said he saw an increase in demand on Friday as individuals tried to convert their naira to dollars.

“There is a lot of demand with the recent injection of cash by the government. Part of the funds is being converted to dollars,” Gwadabe told Reuters. Before the liquidity injection, the naira has weakened steadily on the black market. The CBN had said it would not be focusing on the thinly-traded parallel market when determining the exchange rate, adding that people preferred to use the unofficial market for undocumented transactions. It would be recalled

that the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, had called on the CBN to review its foreign exchange policy, which restricted 41 imported goods from accessing foreign exchange from the bank. Investigations showed that manufacturers who require any of the 41 restricted items as inputs and raw materials for their production have shut their operations once their existing stock is exhausted or have resorted to the black market to remain in the business.

Index sheds 0.35% on weak earnings J ohnson o kanlawon

he expectations of half-year corporate earnings appear not to be sufficient to stimulate investment decisions, as domestic equity market dipped further. The All Share Index depreciated 0.32 per cent to close at 31,628.20 points, compared to the decline of 0.12 per cent recorded on Friday to

close at 31,729.26 points. Market capitalization was down N34 billion to close at N10. 8 trillion, compared to the drop of N9 billion recorded on Friday to close at N10.84 trillion. Unity Bank Plc led the gainers’ table with 11 kobo or 4.68 per cent to close at N2.46 per share, followed by Livestock Plc with eight kobo or 3.94 per cent to close at N2.11 per share.

Caverton Plc rose 13 kobo or 3.80 per cent to close at N3.55 per share, while African Prudence Insurance Plc gained nine kobo or 3.33 per cent to close at N2.79 per share. On the flip side, AG Leventis Plc depreciated seven kobo or five per cent to close at N1.33 per share, while Flour Mills Plc shed N1.61 or 4.98 per cent to close at N30.69

per share. Honeywell Plc was down 16 kobo or 4.95 per cent to close at N3.07 per share, while Union Bank Plc depreciated 44 kobo or 4.94 per cent to close at N8.47 per share. Oando Plc lost 72 kobo or 4.90 per cent to close at N13.96 per share. A total of 264.4 million shares valued at N5.47 billion were exchanged in 3,048 deals.

Deal on Greek crisis lifts equity markets

orld equity markets climbed yesterday, welcoming new talks to keep Greece afloat with a bailout and within the euro zone, even as the single European currency weakened with a final Greek deal yet to be agreed. European equity markets rose more than one per cent and Wall Street gained almost as much after euro zone leaders made Greece surrender much of its sovereignty to outside supervision in return for agreeing to talks on an 86-billion-euro bailout. The euro initially rose on the news only to reverse gains and drop more than one per cent, on the prospect that higher US interest rates in the near future will bolster the dollar. Investors remained anxious that a deal was

still not in hand and that international lenders, led by Germany after all-night talks, obliged leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to abandon his promises of ending austerity. “This is not over yet, in fact it might be far from over,” said Anthony Lawler, a portfolio manager who invests in hedge funds at investment firm GAM in London. “It is not at all certain that the Greek government will accept what is proposed.” The euro fell 1.13 per cent to $1.1036, while the dollar gained 0.59 per cent to 123.46 against the yen. The euro zone’s bluechip Euro STOXX 50 index hit a two-week high, rising 1.9 per cent, while the panEuropean FTSEurofirst 300 index gained 1.8 per cent to 1,570.51. MSCI’s all-country

world stock index rose 0.84 per cent. “We’re seeing a relief rally,” said Andrew Milligan, global head of strategy at Standard Life Investments in Edinburgh. “As we go through the details, however, it’s very clear that there is a sizeable number of hurdles to jump over, especially in Athens.” On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 189.71 points, or 1.07 per cent, to 17,950.12. The S&P 500 gained 18.52 points, or 0.89 per cent, to 2,095.14 and the Nasdaq Composite added 59.15 points, or 1.18 per cent, to 5,056.85. US Treasury yields rose and yields on low-rated government debt in Europe closed the gap on safe-haven German alternatives. Benchmark US Treasury 10-year notes were last down 7/32 in price to yield

2.46 per cent. The gap between Italian and German bond yields narrowed to a two-month low of 1.14 percentage points in early trading, but later widened to the 1.23 per cent level seen three weeks ago. Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

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

N196.95 Market indicators All-Share Index 31,628.20 points Market capitalisation 10.8trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

UNITYBNK

2.35

2.46

0.11

4.68

LIVESTOCK

2.03

2.11

0.08

3.94

CAVERTON

3.42

3.55

0.13

3.80

AFRIPRUD

2.70

2.79

0.09

3.33

UACN

40.01

41.30

1.29

3.22

NEM

0.67

0.69

0.02

2.99

PORTPAINT

5.00

5.10

0.10

2.00

MANSARD

2.75

2.80

0.05

1.82

7UP

189.00

2.75

1.48

SEPLAT

330.11

335.00

4.89

1.48

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

AGLEVENT

1.40

1.33

-0.07

-5.00

FLOURMILL

32.30

30.69

-1.61

-4.98

HONYFLOUR

3.23

3.07

-0.16

-4.95

UBN

8.91

8.47

-0.44

-4.94

OANDO

14.68

13.96

-0.72

-4.90

EVANSMED

0.83

0.79

-0.04

-4.82

CWG

3.98

3.79

-0.19

-4.77

CONTINSURE

1.10

1.05

-0.05

-4.55

TRANSEXPR

1.44

1.28

-0.06

-4.48

ACADEMY

0.95

0.91

-0.04

-4.21

FGN Bonds

Bid

Description

Offer

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.10

98.72

14.31

98.87

14.16

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.80

100.70

14.60

100.85

14.51

16.00 29-JUN-2019

3.97

103.05

14.95

103.35

14.85

15.54 13-FEB-2020

4.60

101.90

14.94

102.20

14.85

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.55

105.79

14.97

106.09

14.90

14.20 14-MAR-2024

8.68

96.31

14.96

96.61

14.90

Closing Market Prices of July 10, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

15-Oct-15

13.57

14.07

7-Jan-16

13.24

14.17

2-Jun-16

12.85

14.52

NIBOR Tenor

Rate (%)

O/N

14.7500

14.1621

15.9148

16.6935 The Fixings of July 13, 2015

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Stock exchange daily equities summary Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015

Equities as at July 13, 2015

Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011

Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011

Daily Summary (Bonds) No Debt Trading Activity

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

1st Tier Securities

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

ICT IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC IT Services Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 20 14 34

Current Price 28.00 34.00

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 2.11

AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015

Diversified Industries Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. CHELLARAMS PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (WStock A) PLC. Published by The Nigerian Exchange © Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

Symbol AGLEVENT CHELLARAM JOHNHOLT Daily Summary TRANSCORP UACN

No. of Deals 2 1 1 (Equities) 125 49 178

Current Price 1.33 3.95 0.94 2.50 41.30

178

Quantity Traded 288,702 64,500 353,202

Value Traded 8,119,723.82 2,096,955.00 10,216,678.82

Quantity Traded 145,100 145,100

Value Traded 303,126.00 303,126.00

498,302

10,519,804.82

Quantity Traded 100,000 100 320 17,068,627 1,600,148 18,769,195

Value Traded 133,000.00 376.00 300.80 42,297,277.16 64,111,347.60 106,542,301.56

18,769,195

106,542,301.56

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 CAP PLC Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals

Activity Summary on BoardProducts EQTY Electronic and Electrical CUTIX PLC. INDUSTRIAL GOODS Electronic and Electrical Products NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

No. of Deals 17 17

Current Price 0.70

Quantity Traded 322,809 Page 322,809

Value Traded 1 229,328.32 of 12 229,328.32

Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 47.97

Quantity Traded 1,100 1,100

Value Traded 50,138.00 50,138.00

Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 20 20

Current Price 10.40

Quantity Traded 86,461 86,461

Value Traded 889,468.76 889,468.76

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals

Symbol UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 10.00

Quantity Traded 12,000 12,000

Value Traded 120,000.00 120,000.00

422,370

1,288,935.08

Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015

CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. Activity Summary on Board NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. EQTY Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. U T C NIG. PLC. Food Products Totals

Symbol CHAMPION Daily Summary GUINNESS INTBREW NB

CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG Activity Summary onPLC. Board EQTY

VONO PRODUCTS PLC. CONSUMER HouseholdGOODS Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products © Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC on Board EQTY Activity Summary Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals OIL AND GAS Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC Published by The Nigerian CONOIL PLCStock Exchange ©

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 24 24

Current Price 189.00

Quantity Traded 47,665 Page 47,665

Value Traded 8,901,593.20 12 2 8,901,593.20 of

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR MULTITREX NASCON NNFM UTC

No. of Deals 28 22 62 22 2 15 1 1 153

Current Price 3.40 6.27 30.69 3.07 0.50 7.45 18.05 0.50

Quantity Traded 193,483 301,037 407,227 301,773 800,000 202,100 100 1,252 2,206,972

Value Traded 637,923.75 1,890,587.99 12,611,605.43 937,322.01 400,000.00 1,551,952.40 1,810.00 626.00 18,031,827.58

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 16 38 54

Current Price 35.05 840.00

Quantity Traded 111,571 504,308 615,879

Value Traded 3,717,414.99 423,316,489.43 427,033,904.42

No. of Deals 21 10 31 No. of Deals 49 8 57

Current Price 5.88 1.24

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 ACCESS BANK PLC. Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 DIAMOND BANK PLC

Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Value Traded 172,314.00 9,615,244.41 2,587,866.18 55,180,994.52 67,556,419.11

Current Price 28.95 39.90

535

534,596,165.35

R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

Quantity Traded 10,015,166 293,853 2,272,567 5,026,703 3,186,187 2,119,543 240,000 4,421,976 393,921

Value Traded 50,171,429.65 1,165,094.46 46,357,183.55 8,248,889.38 83,102,150.29 4,734,114.10 494,202.83 18,575,693.10 3,344,880.34

No. of Deals 39 14 170 1,045

Current Price 2.46 0.98 18.88

Quantity Traded 1,909,128 318,001 150,385,274 180,582,319

Value Traded 4,567,270.56 311,651.38 2,848,068,717.93 3,069,141,277.57

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Symbol No. of Deals AFRICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC AFRINSURE 1 AIICO INSURANCE PLC. AIICO 22 Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONTINSURE 31 CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. CORNERST 5 GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC GNI 1 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC INTENEGINS 1 LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC LINKASSURE 3 AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC MANSARD 6 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. MBENEFIT 2 N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NEM 19 Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. NIGERINS 1 Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE 1 STANDARD TRUST ASSURANCE PLC STACO 1 UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC UNIVINSURE 2 WAPIC INSURANCE PLC WAPIC 6 Daily Summary (Equities) Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals 102

Current Price 0.50 0.95 1.05 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.80 0.50 0.69 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 5,000 Page 2,689,751 2,208,131 110,017 500,000 4,556 824,800 211,028 200 1,833,000 10,000 50 100 5,000 7,419 8,409,052

2,367,145.95 55,008.50 250,000.00 2,278.00 412,400.00 591,649.96 100.00 1,178,170.00 5,000.00 25.00 50.00 2,500.00 3,709.50 7,428,832.42

Current Price 5.42

Quantity Traded 1,750

Value Traded 9,485.00

Micro-Finance Activity Summary Banks on Board EQTY FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC FINANCIAL SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Banks Stock Exchange © Micro-Finance NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol FORTISMFB

HEALTHCARE Totals

Value Traded 2,500.00 12 4 2,558,295.51 of

Current Price 1.05

Quantity TradedPage 55,500 57,250

12 5 of Value Traded 55,534.96 65,019.96

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 53 3 337 40 29 71 533

Current Price 2.79 4.07 7.88 2.90 24.95 1.37

Quantity Traded 1,585,871 53,277 7,949,230 1,702,110 409,965 2,595,230 14,295,683

Value Traded 4,383,785.89 213,640.77 63,080,887.88 4,946,572.62 10,132,503.08 3,582,538.56 86,339,928.80

203,344,304

3,162,975,058.75

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH

No. of Deals 18 2 6 5 12 43 43

Current Price 0.79 3.48 43.50 1.60 1.39

Quantity Traded 648,790 4,000 4,753 9,932 93,645 761,120

Value Traded 517,923.70 13,240.00 198,536.40 15,096.64 125,428.70 870,225.44

761,120

870,225.44

Page

Hospitality TANTALIZERS PLC Hospitality Totals

C & I LEASING PLC. Media/Entertainment Employment Solutions Totals DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment Totals Hospitality

No. of Deals 8 11

1,691

SERVICES Employment Solutions Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 C & Nigerian I LEASING PLC. Published by The Stock Exchange © Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 Employment Solutions Totals

IKEJA HOTEL PLC TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC SERVICES Hotels/Lodging Totals Employment Solutions

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals

No. of Deals 3

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Hotels/Lodging Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Current Price 5.00 3.95 20.45 1.60 26.10 2.24 2.06 4.20 8.47

Symbol UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

No. of Deals 1 1

TANTALIZERS PLC Printing/Publishing Hospitality Totals ACADEMY PRESS PLC. UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Hotels/Lodging Printing/Publishing IKEJA HOTEL PLCTotals TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC Road Transportation Hotels/Lodging Totals ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 Media/Entertainment Totals Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS PLC. UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals RoadSummary Transportation Activity on Board EQTY

ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC SERVICES Road Transportation Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Transport-Related Services Totals Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM PORTPAINT WAPCO Daily Summary

Current Price 3.79

Value of Shares(N)

Quantity Traded 120,000 120,000

Value Traded 454,800.00 454,800.00

120,000

454,800.00

No. of Deals 25 2 8 20 35 3 31 (Equities) 124

Current Price 22.15 10.68 41.00 11.50 170.00 5.10 102.00

Quantity Traded 80,844 5,362 98,900 90,580 8,010,681 100,000 1,156,268 9,542,635

Value Traded 1,702,325.92 54,424.30 3,852,155.00 1,023,518.54 1,361,822,361.72 508,960.00 117,816,989.50 1,486,780,734.98

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 7

Current Price 1.50

Quantity Traded 106,686

Value Traded 152,760.98

Symbol NIWICABLE

No. of Deals 1 8

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 200 106,886

Value Traded 100.00 152,860.98

Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 34.20

Quantity Traded 1,620 1,620

Value Traded 58,174.20 58,174.20

Page 9,651,141

133

Symbol MULTIVERSE

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 0.50

Symbol JAPAULOIL

7 of 12 1,486,991,770.16

Quantity Traded 10,900,000 10,900,000

Value Traded 5,450,000.00 5,450,000.00

10,900,000

5,450,000.00

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 14,100 14,100

Value Traded 7,050.00 7,050.00

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 206 206

Current Price 13.96

Quantity Traded 3,141,840 3,141,840

Value Traded 44,787,706.52 44,787,706.52

Symbol BECOPETRO CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 2 7 17 15 16 3 14 74

Current Price 0.50 40.85 2.34 180.00 147.00 49.66 158.00

Quantity Traded 9,796,480 Page 11,251

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 335.00

Quantity Traded 19,088 19,088

Value Traded 6,378,583.70 6,378,583.70

13,749,353

152,820,395.09

Current Price 0.74

Quantity Traded 270,000 270,000

Value Traded 199,800.00 199,800.00

Symbol No. of Deals Current Price Daily Summary (Equities)

Quantity Traded 100,480 575,786 676,266

Value Traded 461,528.02 737,319.08 1,198,847.10

Daily Summary (Equities)

291

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 2 2

REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

118,469 25,000 610,948 95 12,082 10,574,325

Value Traded 4,898,240.00 8 436,651.31 of 12 265,801.84 4,354,303.00 89,803,790.40 4,482.10 1,883,786.22 101,647,054.87

11 13 24

4.75 1.28

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.52

Quantity Traded 25,011 Page 25,011

Value Traded 13,005.50 9 of 12 13,005.50

Symbol TANTALIZER

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 41,892 41,892

Value Traded 20,946.00 20,946.00

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL TRANSCOHOT

No. of Deals 4 1 5 No. of Deals

Current Price 4.19 7.86

Quantity Traded 20,336 1,000 21,336 Quantity Traded

Value Traded 81,348.04 8,150.00 89,498.04 Value Traded

25,011 Quantity Traded 25,011 2,600 2,600 Quantity Traded

13,005.50 Value Traded 13,005.50 1,300.00 Value1,300.00 Traded

41,892 Quantity Traded 41,892 228,700 Quantity117,799 Traded 346,499 20,336

20,946.00 Value Traded 20,946.00 208,730.00 680,260.57 Value Traded 888,990.57 81,348.04

1,000 Quantity Traded 21,336 91,851 91,851 Quantity Traded

8,150.00 Value Traded 89,498.04 46,589.49 46,589.49 Value Traded

Daily Summary (Equities)

Symbol CILEASING Symbol DAARCOMM

2 No. of Deals 2 1 1 No. of Deals

Symbol TANTALIZER Symbol ACADEMY UPL Symbol

1 No. of Deals 1 9 12 No. of Deals 214

IKEJAHOTEL TRANSCOHOT Symbol ABCTRANS

1 No. of Deals 5 7 7 No. of Deals

Symbol DAARCOMM

Symbol ACADEMY UPL

Daily Summary

Current Price 0.52 Current Price 0.50 Current Price 0.50 Current Price 0.91 6.03 Current Price 4.19 7.86 Current Price 0.51 Current Price 0.50

1 1 No. of Deals 9 12 (Equities) 21

Current Price 0.91 6.03

No. of Deals 7 7 No. of Deals 3 14 17

Current Price 0.51

Symbol ABCTRANS Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

Symbol CAVERTON

Current Price 2.08 5.50

No. of Deals 7 7

SERVICES Totals

EQTY Board Totals

Current Price 3.55

2,600 2,600

1,300.00 1,300.00

Page Quantity Traded 228,700 117,799 346,499

10 of 12 Value Traded 208,730.00 680,260.57 888,990.57

Quantity Traded 91,851 91,851 Quantity Traded 15,000 22,100 Page 37,100

Value Traded 46,589.49 46,589.49 Value Traded 31,000.00 116,260.00 12 10 of 147,260.00

Quantity Traded 403,088 403,088

Value Traded 1,430,437.44 1,430,437.44

1,915,643

4,036,674.14

3,048

264,356,657

5,466,546,130.39

Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000 264,357,657

Value Traded 1,500.00 1,500.00 5,466,547,630.39

1,000

1,500.00

Daily Summary (Equities) Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 Activity Summary on Board ASeM Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals Equity Activity Totals

Symbol MCNICHOLS

No. of Deals 1 3,0491

CONSUMER GOODS Totals

ASeM Board Totals

Name LOTUS HALAL EQUITY ETF Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) STANBIC IBTC ETF 30 VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Current Price 1.43

Daily Summary (ETP)

Exchange Traded Fund

Quantity Traded

OIL AND GAS Totals Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 SERVICES Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 Automobile/Auto Part Retailers

Value Traded 1,235,693.78 154,069.41 1,389,763.19 Value Traded 6,579,772.85 5,102,885.00 12 311,682,657.85 of

4,225,229

ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. 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

No. of Deals 172 35 39 74 227 (Equities) 65 10 160 40

ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANKon FOR AFRICA PLC Activity Summary Board EQTY UNION BANK NIG.PLC. FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI FIDELITYBK GUARANTY Daily Summary SKYEBANK STERLNBANK UBA UBN

Quantity Traded 219,469 130,556 350,025 Quantity Traded 230,925 134,192 Page 365,117

Symbol CWG

Quotation(N)

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 OIL AND GAS

Quantity Traded 29,600 69,012 135,069 405,890 639,571

Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals

NATURAL RESOURCES Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC Mining Services Totals

Current Price 5.61 139.80 19.00 134.30

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Of Deals

No. of Deals 8 (Equities) 48 17 143 216

Daily Summary as of 13/07/2015 Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011 Food Products--Diversified

Daily Summary (Equities)

ICT Totals

Symbol COSTAIN

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals Printed 13/07/2015 15:32:11.011

on Board EQTY SectorActivity Summary Company name

Symbol LOTUSHAL15 NEWGOLD STANBICETF30 VETGRIF30

1,000

1 No. of Deals 1 1 1 1 4

Current Price 10.34 2,225.00 97.40 14.42

Quantity Traded 10 Page 55 2,000 15 2,080

1,500.00 Value Traded 103.40 11 of 12 122,375.00 194,800.00 216.30 317,494.70

ETF Board Totals

2,080

317,494.70

ETP Activity Totals

2,080

317,494.70

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror We already have five gigantic rice mill in Ebonyi State, what we don’t have is money and we have been asking the Federal Government to give it to us. Governor of Ebonyi State - Dave Umahi

Illegal firearms: Lagos CJ reassigns case to new magistrate Wale IgbIntade

hief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, has reassigned the case of two brothers, Sulaiman Sanusi and Kehinde Sanusi, standing trial over alleged illegal possession of firearms to a new magistrate. The chief judge took over the case file soon after the trial Magistrate, Adeola Adedayo, raised an alarm over alleged threat to her life. However, the case file has been reassigned to Magistrate P A Adekomaya sitting at Igbosere Magistrate’s Court for continuation of trial. The case was slated for the

arraignment of the defendants, but was stalled due to absent of a new trial magistrate. The two brothers are the children of the late Lagos business mogul, Chief AbdulRasak Sanusi, and are being prosecuted by the police. In the charge instituted by Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman was accused of unlawful possession of firearms. The police stated that the Sanusi siblings had acted contrary to Section 104 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011 and Section 4 of the Nigerian Firearms Act. It was further gathered that the charge was as a result of the suit instituted in 2002 by Suleiman

and two of his siblings against three of their siblings, who were appointed by their late father as the executors of his estate. The suit marked ID/904M/2002 had as its plaintiffs Suleimon, Risikat Olusanya and Ganiyat Sanusi. Joined as respondents were the appointed executors of the Sanusi’s estate, Abdul-Mojeed Sanusi, Falilat Sanusi-Lawal, and Bilikisu Sanusi. In the said suit, the claimants had accused the respondents of mismanaging their late father’s estate. But ruling on the suit, Justice Williams-Dawodu had held that “the first applicant (Suleimon) should produce or surrender all documents in his custody to the

estate.” The court also ordered the executors (respondents) to resume joint management of the estate, in line with the will of their late father, executed by the late F.R.A. Williams (SAN). The executors were ordered to return to the court to submit a report of stewardship on the estate.

KemI OlaItan IBADAN

uccour has come the way of victims of rainstorm in Oko, Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State, as a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Segun Odebunmi, has facilitated distribution of relief materials worth millions of naira from the National cy, NEMA, to them. This is coming few months after he distributed money to victims of the rainstorm, which occurred on February 10 and damaged many properties within Oko community, which is part of the constituency he is representing at the National Assembly, Surulere/Ogo Oluwa federal constituency The South-West Assistant Chief Planning Officer of NEMA, Mr. Afolayan Olusegun,

Bishop advocates establishment of grazing ranches JustIn tyOpuusu JALINGO

erturbed by the lingering herdsmen and farmers clashes in the country, Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, has advocated establishment of modern cattle ranches to put an end to the ugly trend. Anagbe, who made the call yesterday in Jalingo while speaking with journalists, said the strategy would not only stop incessant conflicts between herders and farmers, but create employment for

thousands of people. He advised Nigeria to borrow a leaf from the United States of America, Kenya and other countries with zero grazing policy, but rather keep their cattle in ranches. “It is only in Nigeria that you could hear that cattle stop flights from landing, which is strange. Most of the accidents on our highways are sometimes blame on cattle trying to cross the road. “We can’t continue like this. If you want to keep birds, you don’t spread them on the streets. You keep them in poultry. The

Federal government should copy USA, Kenya and other countries with Zero grazing policy to stop incessant farmers/herders clashes in the country and create employment for our teeming youths who would be employed to manage the ranches,” he said. The Bishop kicked against calls for the creation of cattle routes and grazing reserves, saying it will create more problems between farmers and herders. According to him, “cattle routes sometimes do pass through people’s houses and

given in 2006, the first applicant, had not complied by surrendering all the documents in relation to the estate, as directed by the court. The matter has been adjourned till July 21 for arraignment.

NEMA donates relief materials to victims of rainstorm

Emergency Management Agen-

Policeman detaining a motorist for traffic offence under Apongbon bridge in Lagos Island. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

But they are now alleging that since the court order was

farmlands and the creation of grazing reserves would not stop the movement of cattle which is always the cause of conflict with farmers. “The best option out is the establishment of ranches to keep cattle in one place, where they can be feed, milked and breed.” He commended the federal government for the steps taken to address frequent border crisis in the north central zone of the country, insisting that permanent solution to farmers/ herder’s crisis in the region lies in the creation of ranches to stop indiscriminate movement of cattle.

while addressing beneficiaries, said the agency was committed to making life easier for the people by offering adequate and prompt assistance to the people and community affected by any form of disaster in the country. He added that the agency engaged in direct distribution of the relief materials because of the lackadaisical attitude of state governments who either abandon the materials at a store or distribute them to politicians who are not affected. Odebunmi on his part, said “ This is part of my effort at ensuring that the people of my constituency are been cared for as part of my electioneering campaign some months back.” He also used the occasion to congratulate the Muslim faithful on the month of Ramadan, urging them to use the period to pray for peace and progress of Nigeria as a nation. “The month of Ramadan is a time of sacrifice, a time when Moslems abstain from the physical pleasures of this life, and seek blessings from the Almighty Allah through the study of the Holy Koran and the teachings of the Holy Prophet. In this season, it behoves on all our clerics not only to lead the Faithful on the path of righteousness but also to expose promoters of sects that distort and corrupt the teachings of the Holy Prophet for nefarious ends. Items distributed to the victims include iron roofing sheet, cement, ceiling board , blankets , mattresses, bags of rice, vegetable oil , Milo beverage, cartons of milk, cartons of noodles, detergents and bags of sugar.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News I wasn’t offended by the Communist crucifix given to me by Bolivian President Evo Morales. –POPE FRANCIS

Paul arhewe,

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

twin suicide attack by suspected Boko Haram militants in the northern Cameroon town of Fotokol late on Sunday killed at least 13 people including a Chadian soldier, authorities said. Cameroun president’s office said in a statement yesterday that 10 civilians, a Chadian soldier and the two assailants were killed in the attack. It added that seven soldiers, four from Chad and three from Cameroun, were among 17 people wounded in the attack. The first explosion went off inside a bar near a Cameroun special forces camp just after sundown as people were breaking the Ramadan fast, a senior Cameroun military officer told Reuters earlier, asking not to be named. “The second explosion followed as soldiers approached the bar,” the officer said. L’Oeil du Sahel, a newspaper in northern Cameroun, said the two attackers wore women’s burkas. Islamist group Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency

13 killed in Cameroun’s suicide attacks

Scene of a suicide bombing in Northern Cameroun, yesterday.

six years ago to carve out an emirate in northeast Nigeria, has also stepped up attacks in neighbouring Chad, Cameroun and Niger in recent months. Chad, Niger, Cameroun, Nige-

ria and Benin have launched a joint military operation to fight the insurgency, which has killed thousands and threatens to destabilize the region. The group is suspected of

launching a similar attack in Chad’s capital, about 60 km (40 miles) east of Fotokol, on Saturday. A man dressed in a burka blew himself up in the main market, killing 15 people.

At the Annual Area Women Cnvention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Fount of Blessing, on 28th June, 2015. PHOTO: ADELE ADEMOLA

Pastor & Pastor (Mrs.) Taiwo Kolawole

Cross section of guests at the convention

Rev (Mrs) Adejobi, guest minister

Pst. & Pst (Mrs) Taiwo Kolawole and some committe members

AFRICA BULLETIN

USAID, UNFPA facilitate donation for displaced people in Borno

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), yesterday received 400 birth kits from Deluxe Childbirth Services (DSC)—a medical services firm—as part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility program. The kits will support pregnant women in internally displaced persons settlements in Boko Haram-affected communities in Borno State. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) facilitated the transfer of the birth kits by making initial contact with DCS and identifying UNFPA as the partner organization that will take receipt of the kits. Two USAID projects also played a role in the handover. The Expanded Social Marketing Project in Nigeria transported the birth kits free of charge to the UNFPA warehouse in Kaduna, and the Targeted States High Impact Project provided 400 doses of Chlorhexidine—an antibiotic gel that prevents cord infection in newborns—that will accompany the birth kits.

Prominent Zimbabwean writer, Hove, dies One of Zimbabwe’s best known writers, Chenjerai Hove, has died in Norway at the age of 59. The exact cause of death is not clear but he suffered from liver problems, his wife Tekla Hove told the BBC. Mr Hove was known as a critic of President Robert Mugabe and went into self-imposed exile in 2001 after harassment from the authorities. He won several awards for his work and was regarded as a leading figure in post-colonial literature in Zimbabwe. Mr Hove’s wife and sister were with him when he died - the first time they had been together since 2001.

Greece reaches deal with EU leaders, avoids euro exit After months of acrimony, Greece finally clinched a bailout agreement with its European creditors yesterday that will, if implemented, secure the country’s place in the euro and avoid financial collapse. The terms of the deal, however, will be painful both for Greeks and their radical left-led government, which since its election in January had vowed to stand up to the creditors and reject the budget cuts they have been demanding. Before it can get 85 billion euros ($95.07 billion) in bailout cash and support for its banks to reopen, the Greek government will have to pass a raft of austerity measures that include sales tax increases, reforms to pensions, and labour market reforms.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Photo News

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

YETVILLE PRIVATE SCHOOL, 19/23, YINKA DIPE AVENUE, OWODE-ONIRIN, AJEGUNLE, IKORODU ROAD, LAGOS.

Cultural and graduation day

School teacher, Mr. Martins with pupils

Future Profesionals, Doctor, Nurse, Lawyer, Engineer and others on parade

Proprietress of the school, Mrs F.T. Olawore with pupils on Children’s Day

Pupils doing Urhobo cultural dance from Delta State

Pupils of Yetville Primary School on graduation day

Pupils in ceremonial outfits on one of the ocassions

Another Children’s Day celebration

School Proprietress, Mrs F.T. Olawore, with pupils on Children’s Day

North

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG inaugurates grazing reserve, stock route panel ADEOLA TUKURU ABUJA

Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu inspecting the sketch of demarcation point between Nigeria and Benin Republic in Tungar Kungi, Bagudo Local Government Area, during his working visit on Sunday. PHOTO:NAN

Insurgency: Presidential initiative donates to victims •Dangote Foundation targets 5,000 IDPs INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

residential Initiative for the NorthEast, PINE committee, yesterday flagged-off free distribution of food and other relief materials for victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno and other affected states. The initiative had in May this year embarked on similar gesture, distributing 16 food and non-food items such as mats, blankets, matches, buckets, soaps and spaghetti in Konduga and Beneshiek council areas of the state. Flagging off the distribution at Nganzai, Magumeri, Biu and Damboa local government areas, PINE team leader of Nganzai, Ado Ali, led members of his team alongside officials of Red Cross International and National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to Gajiram, Nganzai council area. He said 60,000 bags of 10kg rice were allocated to Nganzai, where of 30,500

were targetted at households, two bags were to be given to each household to cushion the people’s immediate hardship. Ado said apart from distributing the items in May to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and other victims of insurgency, the PINE committee discovered that it has 79,000 assorted bags of rice in stock at the north east zonal office of NEMA in Maiduguri, hence, it selected five local councils of Nganzai, Magumeri, Damboa, Jere and Biu to benefit from the exercise. He noted that two trucks were allocated to each council, coupled with new initiatives such as provision of drugs and health care facilities, rebuilding destroyed communities and returning displaced people to their homes to continue their normal lives through farming and other socioeconomic activities in no distant future. Responding on behalf of Nganzai District Head,

who was represented by Bukar Gajiram, the community thanked PINE and Federal Government for the gesture, stressing that it would go a long way to alleviate their sufferings, particularly in this month of Ramadan fast. The district head noted that his people had resolved to settle in their communities despite the incessant attacks by insurgents, and therefore called on government and other humanitarian organisations and international donor agencies to complement such effort, to make them feel as citizens of the country. He said Nganzai, headquarters of Gajiram, has only three boreholes, which were non-functional having been vandalised by insurgents in attacks on the community, and called on the government to reconstruct or rehabilitate the boreholes in order for his people to access potable water. He regretted that almost all primary and post-prima-

ry schools in the area had been destroyed, including hospitals, and appealed for urgent steps by government to rebuild the destroyed facilities for the benefit of his people. Meanwhile, Dangote Foundation last weekend began distributing relief materials to internally displaced persons, IDPs in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno states, in the spirit of Ramadan, targeting a minimum of 5,000 families in the three states. Managing Director of Dangote Foundation, Zuwaira Youssofu, assured the IDPs that the foundation would live up to its promise of supporting them, adding that their travails would soon be over. According to her, “One of our Foundation’s missions is to alleviate sufferings of the people. We identify the (need) and move aggressively to ameliorate it.” Coordinator of Like Minds, an NGO, Fatima Kiyari lauded the foundation and prayed specially for its chairman, Aliko Dangote

ederal Government yesterday inaugurated a Special Committee on Strategic Action Plan for the development of grazing reserves and stock routes nation-wide, following persistent clashes between pastoralists and crop farmers, which has taken massive toll on human lives, properties and the economy at large. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sunny Echono, during inauguration of the committee on Strategic Action plan for the Development of Grazing Reserves and Stock routes nation-wide, the Resuscitation of cotton, textile and garment industry in Nigeria, Operationalisation of Federal Government Storage facilities and the Revitalisation of Agriculture Extension services in Nigeria, said it became necessary so as to proffer appropriate solution towards addressing the unfortunate incidences. Echono explained that President Muhammadu Buhari directed the Agriculture ministry to consider recommendations of the studies commissioned by the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, and the Northern Governors Forum on the same subject with a view to developing a pragmatic strategic action plan to develop grazing reserves and stock routes nation-wide. He said compensation in the sum of N310 million had commenced in Bauchi, Plateau and Kano in the last one week, and that N145 million was paid during the last administration with the support of World Bank. He said the committee is expected to identify ex-

isting maps and status of all the grazing reserves and stock routes in the country including the identification of existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and water points, develop short, medium and long term strategic recommendations that will end the persistent farmers and pastoralists’ conflicts in the country among others. Also on resuscitation of cotton, textile and garments industry, Echono said the committee is expected to identify the current challenges of Cotton, Textile and Garment, CTG subsector and offer practical solutions, review the trade agreement, protocols and trade-related matters such as duties, tariff structure, taxes and levies as they affect the CTG subsector in Nigeria. According to him, the Nigerian textile industry has the potential to compete with the best in the world. He said available information from the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association identified the various challenges facing the industries, which include influx of cheap textiles from Asia, inconsistent fiscal policies and dumping of substandard textiles. The permanent secretary further directed that the entire committee members should execute their assignment within two weeks with effect from Monday July 13 and submit on July 27. Also, Chairman of the committee on Revitalisation of Agriculture Extension services in Nigeria, Oloche Edache, on behalf of the committee members thanked the President for appointing them for the national assignment, assuring that they would deliver on the assignment within the specified period.

Court remands Fulani herdsman over kidnapping WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

Lokoja Magistrate’s Court has remanded a Fulani herdsman, Umaru Abubakar, 33, for allegedly kidnapping one Seriki Samaila and demanding N3 million as ransom.

Chief Magistrate Alhassan Husaini gave the order yesterday in Lokoja on arraignment of the accused of Ayede Fulani Camp, Kabba, in Kabba Local Government Area of Kogi State. The prosecuting police officer, Cpl. Akinboye Kunle, said the kidnap victim,

Samaila, reported the matter at Kabba Divisional Police Headquarters upon his release after two days in the kidnappers’ den. Kunle, who read the Police First Information Report (FIR), stated that the accused, alongside three others at 3am on May 27, invaded Samaila’s camp at

Oke-Offin, Bunu in Kabba Local Government and abducted him. He said the men, one of whom was later identified as Umaru Abubakar, criminally conspired and armed themselves with offensive weapons including guns and cutlasses, “invaded the camp violently and force-

fully abducted Samaila at gun-point.” The prosecuting police officer said the victim was later taken to an unknown destination in the bush where they tied him up and demanded ransom. He stated that one of the relatives of the victim, Salihu Umar, was contacted

to pay the N3 million for the release of his brother but he pleaded with them and paid N500,000 to the kidnappers. Kunle said investigation led the arrest of Umar upon identification by the victim and a cutlass and a wooden carved gun were recovered, adding that the other three members were still at large.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Transfer: Red Devils capture Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin 54

We will get competitive in the new season from the first to the last day. This is our commitment –Manchester United Manager, Louis van Gaal

CAF U-23 qualifier:

Rivers assures Dream Team of support

Siasia

FIFA: Process to replace Blatter begins EvErEst OnyEwuchi

he process to elect a successor to the FIFA President, Joseph Sepp Blatter, who announced his resignation on June 2, will begin next week in Zurich, Switzerland. At an Extraordinary FIFA Executive Committee meeting called for July 20 at the Home of FIFA, Blatter will give a comprehensive report of his 17-year presidency that has been blighted by cases of corruption, bribes taking and kick-backs involving some serving, suspended and expelled top officials. In a statement yesterday, the world soccer governing body said after the report, the meeting will fix a date for an Extraordinary Congress and other timelines (including measures) for the reform of FIFA organogram and amendment of its statutes, leading to the election of the next president. Seventy-nine-year-old Blatter, in his fifth term in office that has now been cut short because of worldwide pressure on him to step down, will address a press conference after the extraordinary executive committee meeting next week Monday with Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

...as Siasia toasts Adokiye stadium

he Local Organising Committee (LOC) set up by the Rivers State Government for a successful hosting of the African U-23 Championship final round, first leg qualifier between the U-23 National Team and their Congolese counterparts in Port Harcourt, has assured the Nigerian team of total support in its quest to earn a big win on Sunday. This assurance was given yesterday when the LOC members led by its chairman, Hon. Boma Iyayi, led members of the committee to formally welcome the team to the Garden City‎ at the team’s training session at the Adokiye Ameisiamaka Stadium. Assuring Coach Samson Siasia that the Rivers State Government has mandated them to ensure that they lack nothing in their quest to do the nation proud, Iyayei said they had been working round the clock to not only make the team comfortable but to also ensure

that the stadium is in good shape for the game as this will be the first international match to be played at the stadium. “On behalf of the government and people of Rivers State we want to assure you that you will get massive support from the people on the day of the match as the government has thrown the gates open for the fans to come and give you massive support. All you need to do for us is to win well and do us proud,” stated Iyayi. Responding, Coach Siasia thanked the LOC for all the committee has done for them since their arrival in Port Harcourt, and assured that the only way they can make Nigerians happy is to play well and win well on Sunday. Siasia said he is satisfied with the quality of the playing surface at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium. “This is the first time I am

seeing the pitch because we had been training at the Shell club (also in Port Harcourt) since we arrived from Abuja. “I am very impressed with how well the (stadium) has been maintained and especially the pitch which is very very good,” Siasia told supersport.com. Member of the NFF Executive Committee, Barrister Chris Green, who is also chairman of the Rivers State Football Association and a member of the LOC, also visited the team yesterday, charging the players and officials to perfect tactics and techniques for a massive win next Sunday in order to make the second leg an easier encounter. Winner of the two-legged tie will qualify for the 2015 CAF U-23 championship in Senegal between November 28 and December 12, 2015 in which the winner and two runners-up will qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics men’s football tournament.

Sports

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Transfer:

Bastian Schweinsteiger (l) and Morgan Schneiderlin

Red Devils capture Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin

anchester United yesterday completed the double signing of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin. World Cup winner Schweinsteiger cost United around £14.5m and has signed a threeyear contract at Old Trafford while Schneiderlin-who was playing League One football with Southampton six years ago-has signed a four-year deal with the option of a further 12

months. Schweinsteiger had been on Bayern Munich’s books for 17 years and won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League during a trophy-laden spell that saw him win every major domestic honour. The 30-year-old Germany captain, who has won 111 caps for his country, told the club’s official website: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bayern Munich, it has been an incredible journey and I didn’t take

the decision to leave lightly. “Manchester United is the only club that I would have left Munich for. I feel ready for this new and exciting challenge in what I regard as the most competitive league in the world and I am looking forward to working with Louis van Gaal again.” Manager Louis van Gaal also said: “Bastian is, of course, no stranger to me. I worked with him during my time at Bayern Munich and I

De Gea listed for US tour

oalkeeper David de Gea has been named in Manchester United’s travelling squad for the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. De Gea, who has one year left on his contract at Old Trafford, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid all summer. But United, who remains

keen to sign De Gea to a new contract, is yet to receive an offer for the goalkeeper and it is understood that the club is not prepared to sanction a deal unless Sergio Ramos moves the other way. That means the Spain international, who is said to be tempted by a move back to the city where he grew up, is on

am truly delighted he is joining Manchester United. “His record speaks for itself; he has won every honour at club level and was a major part of the successful Germany World Cup-winning team last summer. “Bastian is the ultimate professional and there is no doubting his talent and his ability to control games. He brings a wealth of experience and is an excellent addition to our squad.”

Sterling

‘Why Arsenal shunned Sterling’

A De Gea

the plane with his United teammates, including new signings Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin. Louis van Gaal’s side play four games in America, taking on Club America (July 17), San Jose Earthquakes (July 21), Barcelona (July 25) and Paris Saint-Germain (July 29).

rsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger, says he was never interested in signing want away Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling. Wenger is a long-term admirer of Sterling and late last season refused to rule out bidding for the England forward. But Sterling is expected to complete a move to Manchester City after Liverpool accepted an offer of £49m, while Manchester United has signed Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin. “For me Sterling is a top-

class player. It’s a good buy for Manchester City. An expensive one, but they can afford it. Personally I like him,” the Frenchman said yesterday as The Gunners arrived in Singapore for their pre-season Asia Trophy. “I didn’t make a bid because he plays in an area where we have plenty of players. We have Danny Welbeck, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis Sanchez, Jack Wilshere and Serge Gnabry,” he added, stressing, “I think offensively we have plenty of players.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

AAG: Volleyball players resume in Lagos

Beach volleyball action

Joel AJAyi ABUJA

igerian Beach Volleyball team yesterday converged on Lagos to continue training ahead of 2015 All Africa Games scheduled for September after weeks of break. Chairman of the Nigeria Beach Volleyball Association, Musa Nimrod, told National Mirror in Abuja yesterday that the nation’s volleyball players are poised for medal haul at the Africa Games. “The National Sports Commission has given the go ahead for

our players to report in Lagos. We appreciate their effort and we look forward to doing the country proud,” Nimrod, who is also a board member of Nigerian Volleyball Federation, said. “I’m satisfied with the level of preparation so far. The athletes have been in camp before we allowed them to go home and freshen up for final phase of preparation,” he added. Team Nigeria will also participate in football, basketball and handball (male and female events) at the Congo Games.

Age discrepancy: FIBA hammer falls on Nigerian players PAul eRewubA

ess than two years after five players of the national U-16 team were suspended over age discrepancy in Benin Republic in 2013, Nigeria has again fallen foul of the rules following the suspension of three players in the on-going 2015 FIBA Africa U-16 Women’s Championship in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The suspended players are Okoli Maureen Chidimma, Daniel Menan Denis and Okoye Ifunanya Rosemary all of Nigeria. According to a circular signed yesterday by FIBA Africa Secretary General, Alphonse Bile, the technical application of FIBA Internal Regulation governing eligibility of players allegedly found the Nigerian players culpable. Quoting provisions H1.1 Admissions and respect of the General statutes and Internal regulation; H1.2 Responsibility of the National federation concerning the eligibility of players, FIBA

Africa stated that after examination and approval of the results of age control in Antananarivo for the “FIBA Africa U16 Women 2015” , the results revealed three (3) positive cases. It stated that in accordance with the regulation dispositions of Article E.5.3.3.3 points f. et g. of FIBA internal regulation “The Technical Committee decides: Art. 1: The players hereunder are suspended of the above mentioned competition from the 10/07/2015.” The circular further stated that the Technical Committee is transmitting the file to FIBA Africa Executive Committee to open a disciplinary case against the listed players and their national federation in this case the Nigeria Basketball Federation. The suspension thus reduces the playing rotation of the Nigerian team coached by Adeka Daudu to just nine. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF has selected former International and Ahmadu Bello University basket-

ball star, Tari Preh, as the Coach of the National U-16 team preparing for the 2015 Afrobasket taking place in Bamako, Mali from July 30 to August 8, 2015. Preh will be assisted by 2013 Afrobasket Assistant Coach, Ogoh Odaudu. The team is expected to report to camp in Abuja shortly. Nigeria pulled out of age grade competitions four years ago to check the rampant age falsification scam which has hampered the growth of legitimate talent in the country for which the federation is currently working with stakeholders to stem.

FC, at the Area 3 Playground. On Thursday, perhaps the most anticipated game of the round – Kwara United FC against Enugu Rangers – will come up at the same venue. The other all –top division clash, between Nasarawa United and Abia Warriors, will come up at the Oshogbo Township Stadium.

‘Unicem Rovers will bounce back’ RichARd NdomA CALABAR

S NBBF boss, Umar

Fed Cup: Round of 16 fireworks in Abuja

he Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja will host two of the three allProfessional Football League clashes in the Round of 16 games of the men’s Federation Cup competition. Tomorrow, FC IfeanyiUbah, which sent packing fellow top division club, Bayelsa United, in the Round of 32, will battle FC Taraba, winners against Papilo

Governor Benedict Ayade

The Fixtures Remo Stars

Lobi Stars

Heartland

BJ Foundation

Plateau Utd

El-Kanemi

Nasarawa

Abia Warriors

Ifeanyi Ubah

FC Taraba

Prime FC

Akwa Utd

Tornadoes

Dolphins

Kwara Utd

Enugu Rangers

peaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo, has assured management of Unicem Rovers Football Club that the club will return to reckoning soon. Lebo, who gave the assurance when the club’s management paid him a courtesy call to his office in Calabar yesterday, said that the Assembly would bail the club out of its prevailing predicament. “We are concerned about the club’s plight and are determined to ensure its quick return to the top flight in Nigeria,” the speaker said. “I charge you to remain committed and continue to do your best so that together we can make the club not only a unify-

ing factor, but also an avenue for social and economic development which the state government cannot overlook,” he added. Chairman of Unicem Rovers Football Club, Mr. Maurice Inok, who led the delegation, frowned at the state government’s attitude to the club which according to him left much to be desired. “Paucity of fund has seriously affected our fortune and we call on the state government to come to our aid urgently,” Inok said. The delegation comprised the Vice Chairman, Paul Attila Edum, Charles Unoh Eko and Akoli Paul Unimke (members) Team Manager Ijani Okori, Chairman of the Supporters Club, Archibong Udoh, and team’s Coach, John Okon Ene, among others.

WORLD RECORD

Largest stick bomb Fastest marathon dribbling two basketballs

N150

Vol. 05 No. 1155 Tuesday, July 14, 2015

The largest stick bomb consists of 30,849 sticks and was achieved by the Tulln Domino Team (Austria) at the BSZ-Turnhalle, Tulln, Austria, on 30 March 2015.

A necessary scuffle, that House scuffle

uman behaviors are mostly determined by interests, be them group, personal, ideological or class interests. These interests can be dictated by selfishness, avarice, mean-spiritedness, etc. They can also be altruistic. The 360 members in the House of Representatives represent about 170 million Nigerians, a ratio of one Rep to about 472, 000 Nigerians. The National Assembly is the activity node of democratic politics, and thus the epicentre of this supposed judicious harmonization of diverse human interests. It is splendid if this can be done, steep in etiquette and civility. But there is nothing wrong with it turning messy, unruly, and even, degenerating into a free for all fight.

Guest Columnist

Tochukwu

Ezukanma

Richard Nixon once wrote that “in politics and statecraft, power means life or death, happiness or tragedy, prosperity or poverty” for millions of people. The Nigerian legislature should be a bastion of intrepid and vigilant custodians of the constitution and the public good. And every responsible, committed and honorable custodian of the constitution and the public good must be prepared to fenestrate decorum and civility in defence of the lives, happiness and prosperity of more than 472,000 Nigerians that he had sworn to represent. It is that legislator that cannot jettison his pedantic formalism and prudish elitism and physically fight (if necessary) to defend the lives, happiness and prosperity of his people that is despicable. So, while physical fight among the legislators in the House of Representatives is ugly and tacky, it may be necessary. The issue, therefore, is not the scuffle among the members of the House of Representatives, but what triggered it. It is important to note that the crisis in the House is somewhat different from that in the Senate. Fundamentally, the problem in the Senate is Bukola Saraki’s perfidy and usurpation. The pre-emptive “election” of Saraki as the President of the Senate, in the absence of 51 senators (nearly half of the entire senate) from his own political party (APC), was illegitimate and immoral. On the other hand, although the election of Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of the House defied the predilections of the APC political leaders, it was legitimate and credible; he defeated the party’s preferred candidate, Femi Gbaja-

BLIND OBEDIENCE TO THE PARTY IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE LEADERS OF THE

HOUSE WILL PANDER INORDINATELY TO POLITICAL GODFATHERISM

biamila, in a credible election. The contentious issue in the House is germane and pivotal: the supremacy of the party versus the independence of the legislators. Should the party choose the speaker and the principal officers, and the lawmakers, with their votes, only ratify the party’s choices or should the elected representatives of the people, despite their loyalty to the party, be independent enough to choose their speaker and principal officers? Technically, the party is supreme and members of the National Assembly are subject to its authority. But then, in this context, who is the “party”. Is the “party” really the party or a few powerful political godfathers hell-bent on imposing their favored protégés on the members of the House? Even, in the most unlikely case that these choices are actually the party’s, there is still the need to strike a delicate balance between the supremacy of the party and the independence and freedom

of action of the legislators. If the representatives are all in want of knowledge, discipline and maturity, and as such, need to be tightly controlled by the political party, why did the party nominate them and present them to the Nigerian electorate? On the other hand, if they are knowledgeable, disciplined and matured as they were earlier portrayed by their party before Nigerians voted for them, why then can the party not trust their judgment in determining their leaders in the House? The legislators, in interacting and working with one another, get to appreciate their individual talents and capabilities, and thus can discern those that can be entrusted with leadership positions. As such, they are better informed than the political godfathers as to who are the most qualified contenders for the office of the speaker and deputy speaker, and the principal officers. Blind obedience to the party in the determination of the leaders of the House will pander inordinately to political godfatherism. It may also undermine merit, as the emergent leaders will not be those that had distinguished themselves in their work, and thus earned the respect of their colleagues but fawning, ingratiating and obsequious men and women that secured the favors of the political godfathers. The people voted for the members of the House, and thus hitched their political fortune with them, not the political godfathers. In addition, it was the representatives of the people that took the oath of office to defend the constitution and represent their constituencies. They need to be allowed the independence to do their work. And if it will take additional brawls and slugging in the hallowed chamber of law making to assert the independence of the legislators and loosen the grip of the political godfathers on the House of Representatives, so be it. After all, “from every bad thing comes a good thing”. Ezukanma wrote from Lagos via maciln18@yahoo.com and can be reached on 0803 529 2908 (SMS ONLY)

Sport Extra

espected tennis expert, Barry Cowan, yesterday said world number one, Novak Djokovic, can go on to win many more Grand Slams after his triumph over Roger Federer in Sunday’s Wimbledon final.

Tennis: ‘Djokovic will win more Grand Slams’ Djokovic dispatched Federer 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (10-12) 6-4 6-3 to claim his ninth Grand Slam and his third Wimbledon prize. “Roger played very well but Novak was immense

and his ability to keep going, point after point, without having a dip was crucial,” Cowan said. “But Djokovic showed why he is world number one. He’s looking to achieve some-

thing that not many players have been able to do by winning all four Grand Slams. “Roger had to invest so much to win the second set but couldn’t do much due to Djokovic’s relentless nature.

“Novak will just always capitalise if you drop one or two percent, as was also the case in the Wimbledon final last year after Roger won the fourth set. He was clearly unstoppable this time.”

Djokovic

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