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Senate Presidency: APC shifts meeting on consensus candidate Odigie-Oyegun

Vol. 5 N0. 1128

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ICPC quizzes Okiro, others over N275m fraud

N21bn waiver scam:

NASS demands probe of rice importers P.6

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Friday, June 5, 2015

Finally, Reps pass PIB, 14 other bills

...as 7th National Assembly formally winds down Lawyers condemn senators over passage of 46 bills

N150 ISE-OLUWA IGE, GEORGE OJI, TORDUE SALEM AND MATTHEW IRINOYE

he Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, was finally passed yesterday at the eve of closure of the 7th Assembly of the House of Representatives. This is even as the 7th National Assembly formally wound down its legislative years. The House presided over by Speaker Emeka IheCONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

President Muhammadu Buhari (left) and President Idris Deby of Chad, during a joint press conference at the State House, Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;djamena, Chad, yesterday.

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N8bn currency fraud: EFCC docks more suspects P.5

Ogogoro, dog meat death toll in Rivers now 32

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Nigeria, Chad renew commitment to fight Boko Haram P.4

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Friday, June 5, 2015

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Finally, Reps pass PIB, 14 other bills CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

dioha, also passed 14 out of the 15 bills sent for concurrence by the Senate and 11 reports before adjourning sine die (indefinitely). The Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015 passed by the Senate was deleted by the lawmakers. The House said there was need for further review of the bill due to its importance to the nation’s economy. The other bills that were passed scaled second and third readings, following the suspension of relevant House rules. The Senate had yesterday, passed 46 bills within minutes, but Ihedioha said the House must go through the right procedure to pass its own bills. He however regretted that lack of understanding of legislative procedure provoked the sensational headlines that greeted the Senate’s passage of the bills. He said the Senate was in order but that the House would take its time to ensure that relevant procedures were followed. “It is important the people understand you and that is why we need to explain how we arrived at this juncture. “What the House is going to do is not unusual and if any member has a reservation about a particular bill sent for concurrence from the Senate, he is to raise it so that we differ it and pass the rest,” he said. The bills include the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies (Establishment) bill, National Social Welfare Commission (Establishment), Labour Safety and Health, Authentication Act, 1962 (Amendment) and the Nigerian Football Association Act, Cap. N110, LFN, 2004 (Repeal and Re-enactment). Others are the Corporate Manslaughter bill, 2015; Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists (Registration) bill, 2015; Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) (Special Provisions) amendment bill, 2015; Border Communities Development Agency (Amendment) bill, 2015; Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (Amend-

ment) bill, 2015; Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (Fiscal Incentives, Assurances and Guarantees) bill, 2015; Engineers (Registration, etc) Amendment bill, 2015; and Proceeds of Crime bill, 2015. The 422-clause PIB was also passed after a panel had realigned contentious clauses that caused several suspensions in the consideration of the bill. No lawmaker opposed the solution found to the contentious clauses by the ad hoc panel as consideration continued from clause 347 to 422. Ihedioha said: “We took deliberate steps in passing the third reading of nine bills. These were done painstakingly. “On PIB, we took our time with an ad hoc committee that was in all the

geo-political zones. “These actions were taken because we believe we have a one Nigeria. “Now, the bulk of the job is left for the Senate but if they cannot deal with it, we believe that the 8th Assembly would know the extent of work that has gone into it. “This is not a political bill and should not be treated as such.” At the end of the day’s business, Ihedioha asked the House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola to move for the adjournment of plenary sine die (indefinitely) baring any unforeseen circumstance. He said the life of the 7th House would terminate on Saturday. The Senate also yesterday formally wound down all plenary and other activities and adjourned

sine die, thus signifying the end of the seventh session. Yesterday’s sitting was entirely a valedictory session, as members were given the opportunity to air their views on their experiences in the course of their four-year sojourn in the red chamber as well as set agenda for the incoming 8th Senate. Senators also admitted that they could not make further progress on the 1999 Constitution amendment exercise and subsequently transferred further action on its amendment to the incoming parliament. Some of the past presiding officers of the Senate who attended the session were Joseph Wayas, Ahmeh Ebute, Ken Nnamani, Ibrahim Mantu, and Teslim Folarin,

among others. Senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who opened contributions on the valedictory session, used the opportunity to assess the performance of the seventh Senate. He disclosed that 123 out of the 591 bills introduced in the last four years, were passed, while the rest were in different stages of legislative processes. The lawmaker listed some of the bills as the Occupational Safety and Health bill; Pensions Reform Act Amendment; Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) bill; Administration of Criminal Justice bill; Violence Against Persons Prohibition bill; Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) bill; Terrorism (Prevention) Act and

Outgoing senators after the close of the 7th Senate at the National Assembly in Abuja, yesterday.

Proceeds of Crime bill, among others. The leader commended the Seventh Senate for being scandal-free and stable, adding that the development ensured the stability of the polity as it guaranteed the peaceful elections witnessed on March 28 and April 11, 2015. He regretted that effort by the National Assembly to review the 1999 Constitution and bequeath an acceptable document to Nigerians was enmeshed in legal quagmire, despite huge resources expended on the project. He said: “Apart from the high turnover of legislators and the erosion of institutional memory of the legislature, the stalling of the constitutional review exercise is CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Don’t attack LASTMA, VIO personnel –Ambode warns FRANCIS SUBERU

pate of attacks on officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, and other law enforcement agents, has prompted Lagos State government to threaten to deal with anyone obstructing officials of the agencies from doing their lawful duties.

Series of attacks were reported across the state on law enforcement agents, especially LASTMA officials by some traffic offenders, who claimed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had banned LASTMA from arresting erring motorists. But government in a statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Habib Aruna, stated that Ambode

did not at any time direct stoppage of arrests of errant vehicles and motorists by LASTMA officials. The government warned that the law would be brought to bear on all erring members of the public, who attempt any illegality in terms of obstructing operatives from carrying out their legitimate and lawful duties. The government con-

firmed that it had received reports of some criminally-minded people attacking officials of LASTMA on their legitimate duties under the pretext that the governor had directed that LASTMA officials desist from arresting offending motorists. It said in areas like Badagry yesterday, some officials of the agency were attacked and maimed by motorists.

The statement added that when the governor met with LASTMA officials alongside operatives of KAI and VIOs on Wednesday, he said: “Don’t victimise Lagosians, there are more civil ways to control and arrest offenders. From now on, no harassment; you are enforcement officers and not harassment officers, arrest people in a civil manner.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, May 5, 2015

PhotoNews

Friday, June 5, 2015

L-R: Representative of Old Boys Association, Audi Mohammed; the oldest expatriate school Principal in Northern Nigeria, Principal, Government Secondary School, Minna, Reverend O’Connel and Human Resources Business Partner, Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd, Kaduna Plant, Biodun Adeboye, during a Share a Coke presentation to the principal, recently.

L-R: FRSC Deputy Corps Marshal, Charles Theophilus; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah and FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, during Minimah’s visit to FRSC headquarters.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Adamawa State House of Assembly members-elect during an induction workshop in Yola, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Deputy General-Secretary, Trade Union Congress, Comrade Simeso Amachree; Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s widow, Ganiyat; President, Campaign for Democracy and Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; the late Chief MKO Abiola’s son, Jamiu; Chairman, NADECO, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu; National Coordinator, Oodua People’s Congress, Otunba Gani Adams and others, during a commemorative rally and wreath-laying to mark the 19th anniversary of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola’s assassination in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

National News

Nigeria, Chad renew commitment to collaborate against Boko Haram Inusa Ndahi, MAIDUGURI

resident Muhammadu Buhari and his Chadian counterpart, President Idriss Deby, yesterday in N’Djamena, Chad, reaffirmed commitment of their countries to greater cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram.

This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of President Buhari’s one-day official visit to Chad. In it, both leaders agreed on the need to quickly make the MultiNational Joint Task Force, MNJTF, fully operational, to effectively combat terrorism in the North-East, Nigeria and everywhere Boko Haram operates. Buhari and Deby called on the international community to provide the Lake Chad Basin Commission and neig-

•Fresh explosion kills four in Borno bouring countries with all necessary support to combat terrorism and insurgency. “Both Heads of State agreed that the war on Boko Haram should be supported by emergency development initiatives in areas affected by this insurgency group. “This will help to overcome the harmful effects faced by local populations,” the communiqué said. Buhari paid tribute to the gallantry of Chadian soldiers engaged in operations against Boko Haram and condoled with the families of their comrades killed in active service. While in the Chadian capital, President Buhari also held a closeddoor meeting with Maj.Gen. Tukur Buratai of Nigeria, who was recent-

ly appointed Force Commander of the MNJTF, with headquarters in N’Djamena. Meanwhile, President Buhari has urged member-countries of the Lake Chad Commission to redouble their efforts to intensify the operations of MNJTF. Speaking at bilateral talks between Nigeria and Chad, Buhari noted that the security of Nigeria and her neighbours were intrinsically linked. He added that it made it very essential that they cooperated on security issues in a robust and sustained manner. The President said that he was quite certain that when fully deployed and functional, the MNJTF, which comprises Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, would be able

to secure and stabilise all the areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency. Buhari also reaffirmed his conviction that with greater cooperation amongst Nigeria and neighbouring countries, the Boko Haram insurgency would be brought to an end very soon. His remarks came on the heels of Wednesday’s appointment of Maj.-Gen. Buratai as the Force Commander of the reorganised MNJTF, which also has Benin Republic as honorary member. In his remarks, President Deby commended Buhari for his “wise decision” to relocate the Nigerian Military Command Centre from Abuja to Maiduguri. The Chadian President said the decision,

which was announced in President Buhari’s inaugural address, was a right step toward restoring peace and security to states affected by terrorism and the sub-region. He assured Buhari that Chad would continue to work with Nigeria to achieve lasting peace and security in the subregion, given their historic, cultural and economic ties. Meanwhile, a suicide bomber detonated his Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, near a military check point at Shagari Low cost along MaiduguriMonguno road, in Borno State, yesterday, killing four people, while several others were seriously injured. The scene of the blast was outside Maiduguri metropolis but was about 200 metres from the 7 Di-

vision, Nigerian Army. It was learnt that the suicide bomber may have been heading toward Maiduguri where he had planned to wreck havoc, but decided to detonate his explosives at the checkpoint when he realised that it would be difficult for him to enter or beat up the security operatives. “Four people, including the suicide bomber, died at the checkpoint, but I cannot tell you whether security operatives were among the victims,” a source said. The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Aderemi Opadokun confirmed the incident. He however put the death toll at 2. He said: “It is true as it happened near a military checkpoint. Two persons died and three were injured.”

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Friday, June 5, 2015

N8bn currency fraud: EFCC docks more suspects KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

conomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arraigned another set of three staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and two staff of commercial banks over theft and recirculation of defaced and mutilated currencies amounting to over N8bn. The trial of the five accused persons, Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muni-

ru Adeola, Toogun Kayode Philip, Ajuwon Bolade and Samuel Ogbeide before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, concluded the arraignment of the 22 accused bank officials which started on Tuesday. They were alleged to have conspired with two other suspects, Onabanjo Olumayowa and Tijani Olusoga, now at large, between 2011 and 2012 in Ibadan, and delivered on false pretence N1.06 billion to the CBN, Ibadan branch, instead of

N159,431,700, that should have been in the 106 boxes containing the supposed mutilated currencies. Lead prosecution counsel to EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, said the accused committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advanced Free Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. A total of 14-count charge was preferred against the accused but they pleaded not guilty to

the charges. Trial judge, Justice Adeyinka Faaj, fixed June 12, for hearing of motion on bail applications and ordered that the accused be remanded in Agodi prison. It will be recalled that the first two batches of the accused were arraigned on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Hearing of motions on their bail applications will be heard by the two trial judges, Justice Ayo Emmanuel and Justice Faaj,

next week. Justice Emmanuel will on June 9 hear the bail applications of the first batch of the accused arraigned on Monday, while Justice Faaj will on June 8 and 12, hear the motion for bail application of the second and third batches of the accused arraigned on Wednesday and Thursday. The court remanded 21 of the 22 accused in prisons, while it directed that a nursing mother among them be kept

L-R: Hon. Onawo Agoshi, Hon. Ogbuefi Ozongbachi, Hon. .Babashehu Agei and Hon. Muhammed Ashiru, at the end of the 7th House of Representatives in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Finally, Reps pass PIB, 14 other bills CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

perhaps the most frustrating down side of the 7th National Assembly. “As we usher in a new dispensation, the incoming legislators must not dither but exhibit courage and leadership to address government’s basic obligations to citizens.” Mark during his concluding remarks assured Nigerians that neither the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP caucus, nor the national leadership would interfere in the process that would lead to the emergence of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly in both chambers. He stated this while reacting to the speech of the outgoing Senate minority leader, Senator George Akume, who asked him to offer support to Senator

Ahmad Lawan and himself as the next Senate president and deputy Senate president, respectively. Mark said: “Because Senator Akume also thanked me, let me also thank him and remind him that we are in PDP and the election of any coming member (into the leadership positions), is a matter for the All Progressives Congress, APC, and not the PDP.” He lamented that the last four years have been a defining moment as the country was battered on all sides by security challenges that threatened its very existence. Mark regretted that the report of the National Conference which the National Assembly played crucial roles came very late. In his overall assess-

ment of the performance of the Senate, Mark agreed that he and his colleagues did not meet the target they set at the beginning of the legislative term. “Much as we tried, we did not meet the entire target we set for ourselves. For instance, we were not able to pass the PIB and our constitutional amendment is stalled,” he said. Meanwhile, notable lawyers, including a former dean, Faculty of Law, University of Benin, Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, have criticised the Senate for passing 46 bills into laws in 10 minutes last Wednesday. Sagay, who led the pack described the action as “quite unusual,” pointing out that the public would have wrong impression towards

their attitude to legislative matters. He said: “I wonder what they have been doing since they emerged as senators. I am surprised that it is within this short period they have to pass those bills into laws.” Mr. Fred Agbaje said the lawmakers have abandoned their functions of making good laws for Nigerians, adding that their focus in the last four years was on approbation of budgets. “In the last four years, did our lawmakers pass any bill to fight corruption? Did they pass a bill on terrorism and is there any bill being passed on the issue of unemployment; only to wake up at the dying of the tenure to railroad 46 bills into laws! “If opportune, I will

challenge all of them at the Federal High Court to refund the statutory money collected by them. Corruption is waxing stronger, what did they put in place to checkmate it, he queried. Another lawyer, Mr. Steve Adaramoye, said the action taken by the lawmakers showed that they were desperate set of people who wanted to get things done outside the time limit stipulated for them. Adaramoye said passing bills was a very serious matter, which needs extreme scrutiny, adding that when things are done in hurry there must be dubious reasons for such behaviours. Another lawyer, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, however, said there was nothing constitutionally wrong

in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, where she would be able to breastfeed her baby. While speaking with journalists, yesterday, Jacobs said the proceedings had been going on well and that the judges had been giving the cases priority attention as required by law. He however cautioned the defence counsel against employing delay tactics after the court’s ruling on the bail applications next week. On suspects now at large, the lead prosecution counsel hinted that the EFCC was making efforts to get the accused arrested before the next adjourned date. One of the defence counsels, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, said he was in support of the court’s decision not to accept oral bail application, unless it is formal, saying it is desirable “where the documents as in the present case are voluminous.” He explained further that he was ready for accelerated trial, maintaining that the current legal regime is in favour of expeditious trial of criminal cases and that defence lawyers have realised the futility of any attempt to stall trials.

with the decision to pass the 46 bills in 10 minutes. Ngige, though admitted that a normal bill by the rules of legislative houses ought to go through first, second and third reading before it would be passed, said the 1999 Constitution did not provide for the procedure with which a bill should be passed into law. “So, I think what the Senate did was just a matter of procedure in the sense that the lawmakers relied on the judgment of their brothers in the lower chambers of the National Assembly. “And the Constitution did not provide for the way and manner a bill should be passed. The procedure which they normally adopt is just like the high court rules which can be waived occasionally,” he said.

National News

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

N21bn waiver-scam: Reps demand probe of rice importers …indict Okonjo-Iweala, others

Tordue Salem ABUJA

ouse of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution, urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate claims that some companies importing rice to Nigeria evaded taxation to the tune of N21billion. Besides, the House, before winding down the 7th Assembly yesterday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to cancel rice import quota allocation system, along with this year’s allocation. The House passed the resolution yesterday after considering a report by Chairman of its Ad-hoc Committee on “Evasion

of Payment of Import Duty on Imported Rice.” Chairman of Ad-hoc Committee, Leo Ogor, had presented a seven-clause report on the floor for consideration. The report suggested, among other things, that Tara Agro Industries, Ebony Agro Industries and other rice importers, who were alleged to have evaded import duties, be investigated. The lawmakers directed the Nigeria Customs Service to recover revenue that would have accrued to government from the duty evasions. “The Nigerian Customs should recover every outstanding monies and seal up all their warehouses and their other businesses until the last kobo is

recovered to government coffers in line with the Customs Act”, the House resolved. The House also directed that “the EFCC should assist in prompt recovery of all outstanding monies owed the Federal Government by these companies.” The House further directed that the Federal Government should cause the immediate cancellation of the entire quota allocation system presently operating in the country. It also resolved that “the Nigerian Customs Service should henceforth

implement the pure rice traders’ policy alone, and that henceforth, the Nigerian Customs Service should insist only on verifiable bank guarantees from reputable banks and stop forthwith acceptance of any corporate guarantee from companies”. The report also disclosed that Tara Agro Industries and Ebony Agro Industries are related companies run by the same management, and their liabilities must therefore, be consolidated in line with their quota allocations. The House, however, re-

jected the 6th recommendation of the report, passing the buck of further enquiry into the issue to the 8th Assembly. Recall that the House Ad-hoc committee had earlier last month; summoned ex-Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala and Mr. Akinwumi Adesina, former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development over the alleged N21 billion waivers granted some rice importers. Leo Ogor, Chairman of the Ad-hoc committee explained that the investigative hearing on ‘Rice

import quota and duty payments’ was to reveal the “fraud and expose the endemic corruption in the importation of rice with a view to stemming the tide and boosting employment generation as well as strengthening the nation’s depleting foreign reserves.” The lawmakers also frowned at the alleged lapses in the administration of the quota and duty payable on excess importation, querying the powers of the Minister of Agriculture to grant such waivers to some companies.

Senate presidency: APC shifts meeting on consensus candidate Ise-Oluwa Ige ABUJA

strategic meeting of leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, billed to hold yesterday to pick a consensus candidate among senators-elect jostling for position of Senate President has been shifted till tomorrow. National Mirror learnt yesterday that the meeting was shifted to buy more time to meet with different caucuses of the party on the issue in order to agree with one voice on who should be announced without any rancor. But ahead of the meeting, 35 of the 40 senatorselect present in a meeting of the Senate Unity Forum on Wednesday, had formally written the party of their unflinching support for Lawan-Akume joint ticket. National Mirror reports that National Working Committee of APC had during the week, met with President Muhammadu Buhari over who should be favoured for the senate presidency. A source privy to the details of the meeting told National Mirror that the NWC came to President

Buhari with a drawn up criteria which the next senate president must meet. The source disclosed that Buhari was not fundamentally opposed to the criteria inasmuch as they did not violate the extant rules of the National Assembly. Specifically, the meeting, it was learnt, had agreed that the party’s candidate for the position must come from the geo-political zone with the second highest number of votes after the North West in the last presidential poll and must be one of the most ranking senators in the current Fourth Republic. Some elected APC senators had expressed reservation on plans by the leadership of the party to pick a consensus candidate, even as the jostle for leadership of the red chamber had already polarised them into two major groups called “Like Minds Senators” and “Senate Unity Forum”. Both groups are supporting the candidature of the two major contenders for the position, Senators Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central) and Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North).

L-R: Former Senate presidents, Ken Nnamani, Chief Joseph Wayas, Senate President David Mark and another former Senate president, Ameh Ebute, during valedictory session to end the 7th Senate in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

FG threatens to revoke clean cook stoves contract

ederal Government on Thursday threatened to revoke the clean cook stoves contract, if the contractor fails to meet up with the agreement terms. Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs Fatima Mede, made the threat while fielding questions from newsmen as part of activities to mark the World Environment Day in Abuja. Mede said the Federal Government had paid the contractor 15 per cent mobilisation fees of N1.3 billion to the company, Renewable Energy Services Limited, handling the project. It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council had in November 2014 approved N9.2 billion to buy 750,000 clean cook stoves and 18,000 wonder

bags for rural women. According to her, the ministry is still trying to verify the quantity of the stoves before accepting the supply. “What he supplied to us is not up to 15 per cent, we have written to him that what he supplied to us is not up to our agreement. “We have written to him to clarify the supply and count the supply physically before we accept them,’’ she said. In addition, Mede explained that the ministry had wanted to inaugurate the project last month after the former minister; Mrs Laurentia Mallam, had inspected the project. She said that the ministry had to reverse the decision to confirm the supply before accepting to distribute them. “Government wants to

promote renewable energy so the money is safe; there is no cause to worry. ‘’We have told the contractor to verify the supply not only the quantity, but quality before we distribute them to the beneficiaries. ‘’Also, we have the balance from the N5 billion released by the Federal Government in the ministry’s account so there is nothing to fear about the contract. ‘’Government is not going to lose any amount from the contract, that is why we got bank guarantee, so if we discover that what he supplied is not up to the agreement, we shall ask the bank to give us the balance,’’ she

CHANGE OF NAME

AKINBODE: I formerly known and addressed as Mr Akinyemi Michael Akinbode, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Aladesanmi Michael Akinbode. All former documents remain valid. The general public please take note.

said. She, however, urged Nigerians to imbibe good sanitation and hygiene culture, adding that the ministry was working on framework to ban the use of polythene and plastic bags. The World Environment Day was instituted in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly on the advent of the United Nations Conference on Human Environment. The theme for 2015 World Environmental Day is: ‘’Sustainable Consumption and Production’’ with the slogan; ‘’Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet, Consume with Care.’’

CHANGE OF NAME

OKEKE: I formerly known and addressed as Miss Okeke Amara Favour, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aneke Amara Favour. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, June 5, 2015

ICPC quizzes Okiro, others over N275m fraud

N350 million from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, for staff training ahead of the 2015 general elections, to his personal use. He said claim by Okiro that the training programmes were held in three separate lots for Abuja, Kano and Lagos staff of the commission were frivolous, adding that such trainings were never organised. Kaase faulted Okiro’s claims on ground that the staff strength of the commission was less than 400 as against 900 said to have benefited from the training. He also accused Okiro of claiming BTA for journeys never embarked upon for himself and his aides.

ndependent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, yesterday interrogated Mr Mike Okiro, chairman of Police Service Commission, PSC, and five others over alleged N275.5 million fraud. The commission also interrogated Insp. George Todonu, Okiro’s orderly and Mr A.A. Bisala, chief accountant of PSC, who reported at the ICPC headquarters, Abuja, in connection with the alleged fraud. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Mr E.C. Ibe, Mr B. Bello and Mr Raymond Imiobi were also at the ICPC headquarters for

interrogation in connection with the alleged fraud. Okiro arrived at the commission about 9:51am in a black Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep with registration number T98 01FG (PSC). A source at ICPC headquarters, who preferred anonymity, said the invitation of Okiro and other staff of PSC followed a petition published in a national daily. He said the petition titled, ‘Attempt to Swindle the Police Service Commission to the tune of N275.5 million’, was written by Mr Aaron Kaase, a Principal Administrative Officer at PSC. The petitioner had accused Okiro of diverting

Buhari pledges commitment to amnesty programme

resident Muhammadu Buhari has pledged commitment to prosecuting the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta with vigour to bring about lasting peace and stability in the area. This is contained in a statement yesterday in Abuja by Mr Ohi Alegbe, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Department, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The statement explained that Dr Jamila Shu’ara, permanent secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, stated this while delivering Buhari’s message at the ongoing 167th Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, International Seminar in Vienna, Austria. She said the president was also committed to ensuring stability in other parts of Nigeria, thus making the op-

ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI AND JUSTIN TYOPUUSU

nsurgency in the North East has forced the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, authorities to relocate orientation camps of Batch ‘A’ Stream II of 2015 from Yobe and Adamawa states. While the Yobe camp was relocated to Kano; that of Adamawa was moved to Taraba State. Yobe State coordinator of NYSC, Ibrahim Lass, while addressing corps members undergoing ori-

erational environment safe and attractive again. She said Nigeria under the administration of President Buhari was committed to playing more effective roles in the affairs of OPEC. Buhari was a one-time Minister of Petroleum Resources and Head of Nigeria’s Delegation to OPEC conference. She said Buhari would continue to work for realisation of the aims and objectives of the organisation. She was there to convey the message of Buhari and that of Nigeria to all Heads of Delegation of OPEC member countries and representatives of other countries. She said Buhari appreciated the keen interest shown and in some cases,

the support given to Nigeria towards implementation of what had become a very successful political transition programme. On the Petroleum Industry Bill, Shu’ara noted that the Buhari administration would take a critical look at it with a view to effecting necessary changes that would facilitate its early passage. Shu’ara said government would strive to diversify the economy and put in place essential infrastructure that would aid its growth. Dr Joseph Dawha, Group Managing Director of NNPC, during a presentation at the meeting said despite the odds, crude oil would continue to play an important role in the future world energy balance.

Insurgency: NYSC relocates camps from Yobe, Adamawa entation exercise at Karaye town in Kano, reminded participants that the prevailing security challenge forced them to relocate from the state they were posted to. “Ladies and gentlemen, as you are aware, the wise decision of NYSC management under the leadership of our Director General, Brig.-Gen. Johnson Bamidele Olawumi, to relocate you to this venue is necessitated by the current security challenge bedeviling some states in our country, Yobe inclusive.

“I want to assure you that our security organs are working round the clock to secure lives and property of the citizenry. Let us therefore, support them by being security conscious and curious about persons and objects around us at all times, both here in the camp and beyond,” he said. The corps members posted to Adamawa were yesterday in Jalingo, administered oath of allegiance by Taraba State Chief Judge, Josephine Tuktur.

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South West

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Petrol tanker crashes into Ondo market, kills 10 OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

petrol tanker belonging to Total Petroleum yesterday killed no fewer than 10 people and injured scores of others after crashing into a market at Owena, a community near Akure,

Ondo State capital. Eyewitnesses said those affected were mainly traders, artisans and drivers, who were by the roadside where they parked their vehicles when the accident occurred. They added that the victims were immedi-

ately rushed to hospital in Akure, where no fewer than 10 of them were confirmed dead. Others, who sustained various degrees of injuries were said to be receiving medical attention at the hospital.

It could, however, not be confirmed whether driver of the petrol tanker was arrested at the time of filing this report. National Mirror learnt that the petrol tanker, which was coming from Ilesa end of Akure-Ilesa

road, had break failure a few metres to the market and eventually rammed into it. Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, were seen making efforts to re-

move the petrol tanker from the road to avoid traffic jam when our correspondent visited the scene. Men from the state police command were also maintaining law and order at the scene.

NSCDC smashes three-man fraud syndicate in Osun BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

sun State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, yesterday disclosed that it has successfully smashed a three-member syndicate notorious for defrauding unsuspecting people in the state. In a statement issued by the corps in Osogbo, its state Commandant, Tajudeen Ayobami Balogun, said the suspects have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for prosecution. Giving details of the breakthrough, Balogun said the suspects, namely: Akinlotan Kolawole Olushola, Olayiwola Oladayo and Bolarinwa Adebayo (a.k.a. Dodo) have allegedly been duping unsuspecting victims through fake visa processing deals. Balogun said members of the group allegedly duped an Enugu-

based businessman, Hon. Nnamchi Nichodemus, of N700,000 through a dubious travel transaction in November last year. According to him, Nichodemus was tricked into paying the said money into an account belonging to Olushola, an undergraduate of the National Open University of Nigeria. He further explained that immediately the sum was paid into Olushola’s account, he went to his bank to collect N150,000 from of it through ATM and the balance was collected by Oladayo over the counter and he was to give the money to Adebayo. When the EFCC got wind of the deal and declared the suspects wanted, Olushola was said to have disapeared, while other two suspects also went underground. The suspects were, however, nabbed on Monday, June 1, when men of NSCDC in the state apprehended them after six months on their trail.

L-R: Former Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; former Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji and a member of the Assembly, Hon. Adebayo Osinowo, during their visit to the governor at Lagos House, Ikeja, on Wednesday.

Aviation unions issue FAAN 7-day ultimatum over battered staff OLUSEGUN KOIKI

eading aviation unions have issued management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, seven days’ ultimatum to address the battering

NDLEA arrests three drug couriers at Lagos Airport OLUSEGUN KOIKI

ational Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday said it arrested three drug couriers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos. Among the suspect was a 46-year-old man, Tochukwu Prosper Nzom, who allegedly inserted 225 grammes of cocaine into his anus at the airport. The anti-drug agency, in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, stated that the suspect was to board an Air France flight to Paris when he tested positive to narcotics. Two other suspects were also caught with 915

grammes and 1.225kg of cocaine from Brazil on an Emirates flight. Ofoyeju gave names of two other suspects as Idehen Prince Henry and Ilemena Chinedu Peter. He said, “Tochukwu, who was going to Paris, inserted 225 grammes in his anus. Two other suspects coming from Brazil, Idehen Prince Henry ingested 56 wraps weighing 915 grammes, and Ilemena Chinedu Peter concealed 1.225kg of cocaine. Total weight of drugs seized from the suspects is 2.365kg.” Nzom, who hails from Anambra State, is married with two children. The auto parts dealer said he would have been paid $1,500. “I was drinking with friends when I heard them talking about drugs. I actu-

ally volunteered to smuggle drugs because of my financial situation. They agreed to pay me $1,500 because it was only three wraps weighing 225 grammes. I am from a poor home,” Tochukwu said. Peter also confessed that he too requested to smuggle drugs because of financial hardship. His confession: “I am from Enugu State. I am married to a Brazilian lady and we have a child. I work as a sales boy in a supermarket. I dropped out of school in Junior Secondary Class 3. I overheard some of my friends discussing about drugs and I indicated interest. That was how it started. The drug was packed in a bag for me and they promised to pay me $2,500. I am so sad, disappointed and ashamed of myself.”

of eight Aviation Security, AVSEC, personnel on Wednesday by officials of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS. The unions - National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE; National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE; and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, in a joint statement threatened that if management of the agency did not address the incessant assault on their members, they would not hesitate to down tools. The unions have, however, ordered staff of FAAN to stay away from work immediately after expiration of the seven days’ ultimatum, stressing that as currently constituted, management could not guarantee their safety. The unions maintained that the fact that the battering took place at a time the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, was conducting Universal Safety Audit Programme, USAP,

and the Continuous Monitoring Approach, CMA, on Nigerian aviation through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, indicates that the Customs officers may be out to sabotage the ongoing exercise. The unions in a statement signed by their general secretaries, Olayinka Abioye, Captain Tarnongu and Aba Ocheme for NUATE, ATSSSAN and NAAPE, respectively, insisted they would no longer condone incessant attacks on their members by any military or paramilitary outfit. The statement added: “To prevent fear from becoming reality, the unions in the aviation industry as abovenamed, hereby direct that all workers of FAAN nationwide, after expiration of the seven days’ ultimatum should stay away from all airports until such a time we can ascertain that their safety and security can be guaranteed and or safeguarded, by eliminating threat to lives and property from the military

and para-military forces in our airports.” The unions emphasised that all eight workers of FAAN beaten to a state of coma by the Customs were still being hospitalised at the agency’s clinic at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos. FAAN workers, the unions said, have neither physical combat training nor bear arms, despite the fact that the Act that established FAAN permits AVSEC to bear arm during operations. The unions warned that if the persistent assaults on workers by military and para-military was not nipped in the bud, soon Nigerian airports may begin to register deaths of staff caused by the military personnel. It would be recalled that at least five Customs officials had on Wednesday beaten about eight staff of FAAN to a state of unconsciousness for refusing them access to the restricted areas of the airport.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Friday, June 5, 2015

CMD denies linking host community with kidnapped staff ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

hief Medical Director, CMD, of Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Dr Majekodunmi Ayodele, has denied accus-

ing indigenes of the hospital’s host community of complicity in the recent kidnapping of a nurse, Mrs Margaret Aladenika. Ayodele, who accused mischief makers of being behind such rumour,

expressed happiness on the release a fortnight ago of the kidnapped nurse alongside other abducted persons at Esure Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Council Area of the state.

The CMD told journalists at Ido Ekiti yesterday that rather than such unfounded rumour that can create bad blood between the hospital and the community, what I expected the people to do now is to guard

L-R: Managing Director, Lead Africa Plc, Mr. Olusegun Oladipo; Chairman, Chief Emeka Iwerebon; Secretary, Ms. Anne Agbo and Director, Alhaji Awwalu Makarfi, during the 42nd annual general meeting of the company in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

Fuel truck crushes FRSC chief in Osun BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

ragedy struck yesterday when Osun State Coordinator of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Special Marshal Programme, Chief S.O. Adewale was crushed to death in the border town of Owena. The accident, it was learnt, happened when a

fuel truck had break failure and ran into the vehicle conveying the deceased and two members of his family. The victim and his family were said to be returning from a function in Owo, Ondo State, when the incident happened. An eye-witness said the deceased had parked by the roadside to buy some food stuff from Owena market.

“A fuel truck suddenly lost control and ran into Chief Adewale’s car and killed him on the spot. His wife and son, who were with him, also sustained injuries and were rushed to emergency unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile Ife,” an eye-witness said. The Sector Commander of FRSC in Osun State, Mr. Mohammed Husaini,

who confirmed the story, said the accident involved three vehicles, adding that Adewale was the only person who died in the crash. Until his death, the deceased championed many road safety awareness programmes in the state and was also anchoring a weekly road safety programme on Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, OSBC.

Oyo Assembly passes 61 bills, winds down KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

he 7th session of Oyo State House of Assembly was yesterday brought to a close with many revelations from members. The sitting, which began about 11:45am was presided over by the Speaker, now Senator-elect for Oyo Central senatorial district, Monsurat Sunmonu. At the valedictory session, the lawmakers remembered one of their departed colleagues, Olufemi Adelakun, representing

Afijio state constituency, as a minute silence was observed in his honour and other departed souls. The Speaker eulogised and congratulated members for their contributions toward ensuring a peaceful assembly in the state, stating that the house sailed through all the challenges it faced, while names of the lawmakers would continue to remain in the good history of the state. According to her, the peace that existed in the house was observable in various streets and households in the state.

While speaking on achievements of the house, Sunmonu said the house in four years under her leadership passed 61 bills, adding: “We considered 85 bills at first reading stage, 16 at second reading stage, while 61 bills in total were passed.” Speaking on the recap of the activities of the house since June 10, 2011, the Majority Leader, James Oyeniran Akande, said he was full of joy and happiness but that unfortunately, the house started with 32 members and ended with 31 members. The Minority Leader,

Rafiu Adekunle, thanked members for the opportunity they shared together, saying that as the Minority Leader; he sees the government as “our government and not their government”. He said whatever critics may say, the house has succeeded in helping the executive arm of the government in building enduring peace in the state. He then seized the opportunity to congratulate Governor Abiola Ajimobi, his deputy, Otunba Moses Adeyemo and the Speaker for their victory in the last elections.

against a recurrence.” Ayodele, who said the community and the hospital had co-existed since 1999, assured that the institution would continue to discharge its social responsibilities to the town to turn it into the economic hub of Ekiti State. It would be recalled that the abduction about four weeks ago of Mrs Aladenika while travelling with her husband along Ido-Ipere-Iludun road by unknown gunmen threw the hospital into serious panic, culminating in the declaration of indefinite strike by workers before her release. The hospital boss lamented that “the issue of kidnap had created so much unrest for us and we cannot afford to begin another round of crisis at a time we are to consolidate to give our people quality service delivery. “The erroneous belief

that Ido Ekiti community knew about the kidnapping is obviously not true because the abductors seem not to be part of this community, I mean, Ido Ekiti. “We do not want the public to have the impression that we were behind such allegation. We cannot afford to be at loggerheads with a town that has given us so much in terms of comfort and cooperation as the host town. “Throughout the time we were battling with the crisis, nobody ever accused Ido people of being behind such criminal act. Nobody could have made such wild allegation when we knew that the issue of kidnapping has become a global issue. “We appeal to members of the public to guard against making inflammatory comments that could trigger unrest,” the consultant psychiatrist said.

Agbekoya society to honour Tinubu KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ormer Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been appointed Life Patron of a frontline farmers’ group, Agbekoya Farmers Society of Nigeria, AFSN. His investiture as the third Life Patron of the group since 1938, when it was founded, has been slated for next week Friday at Olumo Rock Tourist Complex Multi Purpose Hall in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, between 10am and 5pm. The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olatunji Bandele, made this disclosure yesterday in a release to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, after a quarterly meeting of the National Board of Trustees and National Executive Council. He quoted President General of the group, Chief Kamorudeen Okikiola, as saying that Tinubu was now stepping into the shoes of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was second Life Patron after the demise of His Royal Highness, Oba

Abas Aleshinloye, the late Olubadan of Ibadan, who was the first Life Patron in 1957. He said: “The great son of Yorubaland and Yoruba leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now stepping into the shoes of our former Life Patron and the Premier of the defunct Western Region, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was the second Life Patron, and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now the third Life Patron of Agbekoya since the Society was founded in 1938.” He added that the former governor deserved to be given the honour and position because of the numerous achievements and developments he has brought to the Yoruba nation. He stated further that the investiture ceremony of Asiwaju Tinubu as the third Life Patron of the group is one of the various events lined up for the annual national convention of the group coming up next week in Abeokuta. He said the convention will have in attendance prominent Yoruba sons and daughters, politicians, traditional rulers, scholars and traditionalists.

South East

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Umahi sacks 16 perm secs appointed by Elechi Aliuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

bonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, yesterday sacked 16 Permanent Secretaries appointed by the immediate past administration of Martin Elechi few days to the end of his administration. Umahi disclosed this during a meeting with the leadership of Nigeria Labour

Congress, Ebonyi chapter, as well as Trade Union Congress, TUC, and Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, at Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki. He explained that the circumstance in which they were appointed was illegal. The governor noted that there was no fund in the state, as his administration inherited empty treasury coupled with N10.5 billion

debt from the past administration, adding that appointing new permanent secretaries means creating more problems as the state finds it difficult to pay workers’ salaries. He called on civil servants to prepare to make sacrifices in his administration even

as he solicited their cooperation, adding that when the state’s economy improves he would fulfill all his promises to them. He lamented the poor sanitary condition of the state and directed Secretary to the State Government, SSG, to go round the metropolis

for on-the-spot assessment of the environment. He said if need be he would sack the general manager of the Environmental Protection Agency, EBSEPA, if blocked drainages and refuse heaps that litter the state were not cleared. Umahi, who earlier ter-

minated contracts of contractors lately appointed by the immediate past administration to evacuate refuse dumps in the city, directed previous contractors engaged by government to take over the job to ensure the environment was properly cleaned.

NAN correspondent kidnapped in Imo

… N7m ransom demanded

Chris Njoku OWERRI

correspondent with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Owerri, Imo State, Ms Chidi Opara, was on Wednesday kidnapped by unknown gunmen near her home at Umuoma Urratta, MCC Road, in Owerri North Local Government Area of the state. Opara, who is treasurer of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Correspondents’ chapel, was kidnapped about 6pm while driving into her residence after attending NAWOJ meeting at NUJ secretariat, Owerri-Port Harcourt Road. According to an eyewitness, Opara was in her white Lexus jeep trying to drive in when two armed men lying-in-wait at the gate accosted and overpowered her. She was driven away in her Lexus jeep. At the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the abductors had demanded N7 million ransom for her release. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel in the state, Athan Agbakuru, said the matter had been reported to the police, State Security Services, SSS, and the Army for their intervention. He appealed to security agencies to wade into the matter quickly to ensure the abductee is released unhurt, adding that she is a mere reporter that cannot hurt a fly. But the state government through a statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Sam Onwue-

meodo, expressed shock at the abduction, wondering why the female journalist should be targetted when the general belief has been that kidnappers do so for financial gain. It added that Opara’s kidnapping was very suspicious since she is not a politician or business woman, but a journalist that should not be expected to have the kind of money that could attract kidnappers. The government therefore expressed suspicion that detractors who were unhappy with the feat by Okorocha’s administration in stopping kidnapping in the past four years were behind the abduction. It further alleged that the kidnap may be to blackmail the government and perhaps puncture the credit and commendations it has continued to receive from well-meaning Nigerians for stopping kidnapping in the state. According to the governor, his administration would work closely with the police and other security agencies in the state to recover the NAN journalist from her abductors alive and healthy. He however urged those behind the kidnap to release the lady without further delay.

Arase, Police boss

Participants at the 4th International Women Conference in Owerri, Dr. (Mrs.) Comfort Chigozie (left) and Deputy Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs. Nkechi Okoronkwo, in Imo State, recently. PHOTO: NAN

Anambra CJ decries incarceration of suspects Charles Okeke AWKA

nambra State Chief Judge, Peter Umeadi, yesterday decried the practice of undue incarceration of persons alleged to have committed offences in prison custody without trial. Justice Umeadi, who stated this yesterday in a press statement issued by Deputy Chief Registrar in charge of Special Duties/Protocol, Anambra State High Court, Barr. E.A.I. Agbasionwe, said the ongoing 2015 prison visits were designed to ame-

liorate the suffering of those unduly detained in the three prisons in Awka, Onitsha and Aguata. He recounted that one of the major reasons for the visit to prisons that would be concluded today is to ensure people were not unduly incarcerated. The chief judge stated that he had at the resumed goal-delivery visit at Aguata Prisons discovered that some inmates lacked records, which has made it difficult for detained suspects to bring applications for bail at the regular courts. He also urged in-

mates to ensure their records were proper so they don’t suffer unduly. It would be recalled that the chief judge started the 2015 prisons goal-delivery in Onitsha, where he granted bail to 13 awaiting trial inmates on Monday. At Aguata Prisons on Wednesday, he freed six persons on bail and discharged an inmate. Of the 13 inmates given bail at Onitsha Prisons, 10 were males, while three were female suspects, whose offences ranged from alleged murder and conspiracy, robbery and attempted

kidnap. The chief judge will conclude the prison visits with a call on Awka Prisons today where a special court session would be conducted to hear cases that would be listed in the cause list. He lamented a situation where those concerned with justice administration bring suspects to court unnecessarily without adequate information on them. He also urged the media to help the judiciary fight delay in justice delivery by explaining to the public when they grant bail to overstayed suspects.

UNN confirms death of student in car crash

he University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, has confirmed the death of one of its students in a ghastly motor accident that occurred on Tuesday at 9th Mile Corner, Enugu State. A statement signed by Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Okwun Omeaku, in Nsukka yesterday identified the student as Nkolika Sylvia Anatogu, a 300-level Veterinary Medicine student. The statement said

Anatogu, who hails from Onitsha, Anambra State, was among three persons who died in the accident. It commiserated with the family of the deceased student and other victims over the unfortunate accident. President of Students Union Government, SUG, of UNN, Ms Joy Nebo, described the incident as “unfortunate and sad” and prayed God to grant her soul eternal rest. Also reacting to the in-

cident, Prof Peter Akah, Dean, Department of Students Affairs, said he received news of the student’s death as a rude shock. The Enugu Police Command had earlier confirmed the death of three persons in the accident that involved a diesel truck and two commercial buses. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, said the truck had brake failure and rammed into the two buses

and a motorcyclist. It said the 18 injured persons were receiving treatment at Our Saviour Hospital at 9th Mile corner, Ngwo, while the corpses had been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary. According to News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the university authority ordered the students to vacate their hostels on Monday due to impending protest over long power outage and lack of water in the institution.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Friday, May 8, 2015

Ogogoro, dog meat death toll now 32 …govt bans consumption Dennis Naku

PORT HARCOURT

ivers State government has banned consumption of local gin popularly called Ogogoro, following the death of about 32 persons, 15 from Bonny Island and Woji in Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, and the reported death of another 11 persons in Gokana Local Government Area, which included seven male and four females.

The ban by government was due to the increasing death toll from consumption of the alcoholic liquor and dog meat delicacy alleged to contain poisonous ethanol, which now stand at 32. Five persons reportedly died in Woji area of Obio/ Akpor after consuming the local gin, although Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, for Rivers State Police Command, Ahmad Mohammad, said only one death was recorded.

Rivers State government through the Department of Disease Control said the ban had become necessary to forestall further consumption of the toxic substance. Director of Disease Control in the state’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Roland Obed Whyte, who disclosed this, however, expressed concern over difficulty in getting samples of the particular gin popularly called Ogogoro or Kai-kai for thorough clinical analysis.

Whyte explained that irate youths of Woji had set ablaze the shop of Friday Dickson, (aka Etiaba) where the suspected toxic gin was bought and consumed, erasing any samples of the gin, while the latter was currently in police custody. He, however, said health officials from the ministry have been dispatched to Woji for house-to-house enlightenment on the dangers in consumption of ‘highly toxic’ local gin.

He said preliminary findings revealed that some of symptoms found in the affected victims, includes vomiting and blindness. National Mirror gathered that another challenge facing the state ministry of health is that the remains of the deceased were buried without autopsy making further medical examinations difficult. In Bonny Island, a youth leader and spokesman for Bonny kingdom, Sun-

day Wilcox, confirmed on Thursday that the death of 17 persons after the consumption of the toxic local brew popularly kai-kai imported into the Island. ““As I speak with you, 17 persons have been confirmed dead. We are going to the hospital to attend to those who are critically lying ill. We need the help of World Health Organisation, WHO, Federal and government agencies to assist people of Bonny kingdom,” he said.

Rivers Assembly clears 4 commissioner-designates …PDP chair appointed Sole Administrator of Waste Management Agency Dennis Naku

PORT HARCOURT

ivers State House of Assembly yesterday confirmed four commissioner-designates for appointment as requested by Governor Nyesom Wike. This is as Wike appointed the state’s PDP Chairman, Elder Felix Obuah, as Sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Authority. A statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by Sir Opunabo Inko-Tariah on behalf of the government said the appointment takes immediate effect. Those successfully screened were Mr. Emmanu-

el Agumah, Dr. Fred Kpakol, Mrs. Onimim Briggs and Mr. Emma Okah. Also, the state legislature approved the appointment of seven special advisers as requested by the governor, following a motion moved by Leader of the House, Martin Amaewhule. Thirty-one lawmakers voted in favour of the commissioner-designates and approval for seven special advisers. Meanwhile, the House has elected four principle officers for the 8th Assembly. They are Amaewhule (Leader), Lolo Denabari (Deputy Leader), Evans Bipi (Chief Whip) and Major Jack (Deputy Whip).

NACCIMA tasks Buhari on private sector-driven economy Richard Ndoma CALABAR

igerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, on Thursday at the 54th Annual General Meeting of NACCIMA held in Calabar, charged President Muhammadu Buhari to create a workable platform that would be private sectordriven. President of NACCIMA, Chief Bassey Edem, said this during the association’s Annual General Conference in Calabar, with the theme ‘Policy consistency in agricultural value chain; a key to socio-economic develop-

ment’. He said with a private sector-driven economy, Nigeria would become the largest economy in Africa, adding that operators in private sector are passionate about the growth of the nation’s economy, but needed an enabling and hitch-free environment to do business. According to him, the only way to re-shape the nation’s economy, especially in an era of dwindling oil price is to focus attention on the agriculture sector, advising government to set up good polices that would encourage investors in the sector. According to him, the agriculture sector has enormous prospects in terms of revenue generation and job creation.

Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Konbowei Benson (left) taking oath of office before Clerk of the House, Mr. Aaron Timiye, in Amarata, Yenagoa, on Wednesday. PHOTO: NAN

Group advocates stiffer legislation against human trafficking Theophilus Onojeghen WARRI

n anti-child trafficking non-governmental organisation, NGO, Nigerian Child Welfare Fund, NCWF, has decried rising cases of human trafficking in the country, saying there was need for stiffer legislation to address the menace. President of the group, Mr Joshua Omorere, identified weak legislation as one of the factors hampering the fight against human trafficking in the country, noting that if government at all levels were serious to curb the illicit trade, legislation against trafficking must be strengthened. Addressing newsmen yesterday at the Nigerian Union of Journalists Press Centre, Warri, NCWF stressed that human trafficking business had become the third most lucrative illegal business in

the world. Omorere said child trafficking, especially, may persist except deliberate steps were taken to reinforce existing laws in the country, adding that orphanage homes should not be left out

in the reform, as most homes have been turned to business centres promoting the illegal business. He said: “We have the Child Right Act, Section 28 sub- section 2 or so, which state that anybody caught

trafficking in children will be sentenced to 15 years imprisonment or an option of N15,000. This, he said, is frustrating. A man that sells a child for N500,000, and pays N15,000 in court is in a viable business.

Bayelsa APC chair averts soldiers, ex-militants clash Osahon Julius YENAGOA

ayelsa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Mr. Tiwe Oruminighe, and some members of the State Working Committee of the party, yesterday averted what could have led to bloodbath between men of the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, and protesting ex-militants, who barricaded the Mbiama axis of East-west road. The ex-militants had laid siege to the expressway at 7am, protesting non-payment of their allowances by

Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Office and Special Adviser on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku. The protesters led by Bayelsa State Third Phase Amnesty Chairman, Mr. Ebi John, were said to have blocked the expressway, obstructing free- flow of traffic. Travelers and motorists were stranded as the ex-militants chanted war songs, asking that Kuku should pay them without further delay. Shortly after they barricaded the road, military patrol vans and two Armoured Personnel Carriers, APCs, driven by armed soldiers

were said to have swooped on the protesters. The soldiers were said to have shot into the air several times to dislodge the protesters from the road, while the youths persisted in their protest. The armoured carriers was said to have hit a mentally challenged woman who was caught up in the protest. As the clash between the soldiers and youths continued, some members of Bayelsa State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by state chairman of the party, Mr. Tiwe Oruminighe, was said to have rushed to the scene.

North

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria receives free de-worming, other drugs worth $11m MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

igeria has received drugs for treating NonTropical Diseases, NTDs, worth $11.6 million from major institutions around the globe, the Federal Government revealed yesterday. Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute, stated this in Abuja at an

event to disseminate Report on Schistosomiasis and Soil-transmitted Helminthes Epidemiological Mapping in 19 states of the federation. Schistosomiasis, one of the NTDs, also known as bilharziasisis, is a parasitic disease caused by blood fluke (trematode worms) schistosoma species. Infection occurs as a result of parasites released by freshwater snails penetrating the

skin of the victims during exposure to contaminated water. In Africa, 200 million persons are estimated to be infected with the disease, and Nigeria has the highest burden of the disease. Similarly, soil-transmitted helminthes, including round worm (Ascarislumbricoides) hookworms and whipworm (trichuristrichiura) affect about 24 per

cent of the world’s population, according to information released at the event. Addressing participants, Awute, who was represented by Director of Public, Dr. Bridget Okoeguale, listed organisations that helped with the drugs to include Merck Sharp and Dhome Corporation/Mectizan Donation Proramme, International Trachoma Initiative, GlaxoSmithKline Beecham, Merck KGaA and Johnson

& Johnson. Drugs made available to be distributed free in the country, according to him, are Mectizan Azithromycin, Albendazole, Praziquantel and Mebendazole tablets, “making Nigeria one of the biggest beneficiaries in the world. Particularly for the control and elimination of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthes, we have received an average of 36,042,482 tablets of Mebendazole and 60,522,000 tablets of Praziquantel worth about $4,898,459.00 and $6,774,738.48 respectively in the last five years.”

Awute informed further that between November 2013 and May 2015, the epidemiological survey was concluded in the 19 states and FCT. Prior to this, he noted, the Carter Center had supported mapping of 15 states in the country. Essence of the mapping, he explained, was to help tackle the NTDs, as had been ratified in global treaties. Awute said it was worrisome that funding for NTDs was insufficient to achieve the 2020 elimination target. He therefore called for a new funding initiative.

Lead northern states to greatness, el-Rufai urged AZA MSUE KADUNA

N 2015 NYSC Batch ‘A’ corps members deployed to serve in Bauchi State, during their swearing-in ceremony at the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Jakatai, Mangu LGA of Plateau State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

APC must fulfill campaign promises –Balarabe, Falae OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

ormer Minister of Finance, Olu Falae, and second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, have resolved to provide credible opposition to the All Progressives Congress, APC. The duo, who spoke under the aegis of Credible Alternative Alliance, CAA, an electoral alliance of 14 political parties, as well as 13 civil society organisations, said it was the solemn duty of the group to hold APC to all its campaign promises. National Coordinator of the group, Dr. Damian Ogbonna, who read the statement on behalf of the alliance, vowed to continually place such promises on the front-burner for Nigerians to judge. He said after a careful review of the inaugural speech of President Muhammadu Buhari and the current state of the nation,

the speech was embarrassingly tall on promises, but depressingly short on vision and boldness, two major pre-requisites for fixing Nigeria. While stating that the speech lacked the capacity to encourage quantitative and qualitative assessment and judgment, Musa said when people lay claim to the ability to solve problems, it is taken for granted that they have diagnosed the problem and have ready solutions. “Otherwise, it amounts to a claim in deception and an exercise in futility,” he said. Both men also warned President Buhari against exhibiting any form of dictatorship, saying when he talked about state and local government joint account, one was left with the impression that the new administration will arrogate to itself the role of policing the states. Regarding the amnesty programme, the group

noted the ambiguity in the president’s speech and demanded immediate clarity. They said while the president said the programme was due to expire in December, he in the same breath, promised to “invest heavily in the projects and programmes” currently in place. They wondered whether the president intends to renew the programme or to make the heavy investment within the next six months. They also accused the president of standing reason in its head when he pledged that his government would

commission a study to identify the root causes of Boko Haram and their sponsors at the end of hostilities when the sect is subdued. The group wondered whether it would not have been better to first identify the causes and sponsors before taking any action. Urging stakeholders to halt the continued drift of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP members to APC, the group said if left on its own, APC and its leadership which have historically exhibited dictatorial tendencies would revert to their old-age trick.

orthern Elders Christian Forum, NECF, and Northern Christian Traditional Rulers Forum, NCTRF, yesterday called on new Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, to lead other northern states to greatness for unity, peace and development of the region. Speaking at Government House, Kaduna, during a congratulatory visit, leader of NECF, Mr Olaya Philips, said Kaduna being the headquarters of northern region should be transformed speedily as other states will emulate its progress. Philips said they were at Government House to congratulate the governor and also seek collaboration in areas of peace, unity and religious harmony among Nigerians. He said considering el-Rufai’s antecedents in Abuja as minister, they were convinced that he would succeed in making Kaduna great again. Responding, el-Rufai disclosed government’s plans

to establish a peace and reconciliation commission in the state, saying there were no settlers and indigenes as all residents are one. The governor said the decision was part of his government’s efforts to pursue full and genuine reconciliation among inhabitants of the state. His proposed commission was part of recommendations of the peace and reconciliation committee established by the late Governor Patrick Yakowa months before his death. Yakowa’s committee went into action even after his death and submitted its report to former Governor Mukhtar Yero with far-reaching recommendations. El-Rufai, who accused the former administration of dumping the report of the committee, revealed that his administration would soon establish “peace and reconciliation commission” in the state. He said he also plans to forward a bill to the House of Assembly for establishment of the commission.

Lalong reverses Jang on employment JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

lateau State Governor, Sımon Lalong, has directed all Heads of Boards and parastatals in the state to stand down all employment directives issued in the last

days of the immediate past Jonah Jang administration, pending report of Prof. Sonni Tyoden’s Transition Committee. The directive was contained in a statement signed by Director of Press and Public Affairs, Government House, Em-

manuel Nanle, yesterday. He, however, assured citizens of the state that once the committee’s work was completed and submitted to government, the issue of employment would be revisited. The statement also said the governor had directed

all Heads of Boards and Parastatals yet to forward to the Debt Management Office and the Transition Committee their current Statement of Financial Indebtedness and Affairs, respectively, should do so not later than Monday, June 8.

Friday, June 5, 2015

We should all support Buhari to build a new Nigeria –Adams

or the first time since the commencement of the current democratic dispensation in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will relinquish the office of the Senate President to the opposition political party, which has now become the governing party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. This follows the poor outing of PDP at the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Before this time, PDP had always won the majority seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Convention Without any prejudice to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the convention in both chambers of the National Assembly had always been that the party with the majority seats produced the presiding officers. The only offices, which are recognised by the constitution apart from the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives are those of the Senate Leader, and Senate Minority Leader, in the Senate and in the House of Representatives, the House Leader and the House Minority Leader, which shall be occupied by the majority party and the minority party respectively. So, conventionally, and because the PDP had been the party with the highest seats in both arms of the National Assembly, the party had always produced the presiding officers in both chambers of the parliaments. In the 16 years that the PDP had been the party in power, it was only in 2011 that the zoning policy of the party was successfully challenged by some members of the party’s elected representatives. That incident took place in the House of Representatives, where Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and Emeka Ihedioha successfully rallied elected members of the opposition political parties to effectively move against the official position of the PDP and both emerged the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House respectively. It must be made explicit here that section 50(a) and (b) of the constitution vest the responsibility of electing the presiding officers of both chambers of the National Assembly solely on the senators and the members. However, following the outcome of the March polls, where PDP lost the majority strength in both chambers of the legislature to the now ruling APC, and also going by the convention and norms of the National Assembly, all eyes are now on the APC to produce the next leadership of the eighth Assembly. Position of APC By convention and in keeping with the zoning policy of the ruling party, over the years, the issue of which geo political zone of the country produces which principal officer of the National Assembly was usually determined by the party leadership. Although this is not a constitutional provision, it is a practice that has been applied over the years to reduce political tensions in the quest for those political offices. However, for the first time in the history of this country, particularly since the commencement of the present democratic dispensation, the ruling political party, (in this case), the APC has come out to state publicly that it does not have any zoning policy to regulate election of the principal officers of the National Assembly. To add fillip to that pronouncement, President Muhammadu Buhari also came out publicly to declare that he has no special interest in who emerges as the winners as the Senate President and Speaker of both chambers of the national congress. APC National Working Committee, NWC, came out

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Politics

Senate Presidency: Odds favour Saraki

As the gladiators embark on their final push for the exalted office of the Senate President, GEORGE OJI reports that former governor of Kwara State and former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Senator Bukola Saraki appears set to clinch the office.

Saraki

Akume

initially to zone the major offices of the National Assembly, but the party later jettisoned the idea and thus threw the contest open to all contestants. Notwithstanding APC’s official non-meddlesome position, there have been subterranean attempts by some APC chieftains to use their positions to influence the outcome of the struggle for the political offices.

Saraki. Aside from show-casing the factor of being the Minority Leader, Akume also made a very strong case for the office of the Senate President, based on his ranking status in the red chamber. Akume was first elected to the Senate in 2007, at the expiration of his tenure as Benue State governor. Indeed, this is the second time Akume was taking a shot at the office. Right from the first time he got elected into the Senate in 2007; Akume immediately challenged Senator David Mark, who was favored for the office then. In what appeared to be a contest between David and Goliath, Akume was roundly crushed by Mark in the election that took place that year. It was following the action of Akume that the Senate immediately amended its Standing Orders to introduce the principle of ranking to govern elections into its principal offices. With all the positive factors and the potentials of clinching the position of the Senate President in the current race, it was surprising that Akume later chickened out of the struggle, and instead choose to pitch camp with Senator Lawan Ahmed to run as the Deputy Senate President. This move by Akume has since been roundly criticised by political watchers of the National Assembly as very negative to his political future.

The gladiators Senator George Akume: Benue State APC NWC initially came out to announce that it had zoned the position of the Senate President to the NorthCentral geo political area of the country. Following this development, Senator George Akume was among the first senators from that zone to announce his intention to vie for the office. Akume, a former two-term governor of Benue State and the Minority Leader in the Senate campaigned vigorously for the office. At the initial stage, particularly following the zoning of the office to the North-Central by APC NWC, it was a straight battle between Akume and former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola

National Assembly watchers believe that if the senators are to go

Senate President right now,

to elect the next

the political odds will certainly favour

Saraki.

Lawan Ahmed: Yobe North Lawan joined the race for the Senate President, following the position of the APC leadership that it had not zoned the office to any particular geo political zone of the country. Lawan, who like David Mark has the enviable record of being in the National Assembly since 1999, is flaunting experience as a strong factor for the office. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Politics

Friday, June 5, 2015

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Senate Presidency: Odds favour Saraki CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

First elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and re-elected again in 2003, he was elected elected into the Senate in 2007 to represent Yobe North senatorial district. A graduate of Geography from the University of Maiduguri, Lawan proceeded to the Cranfield University, United Kingdom, where he obtained Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, degrees in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System, GIS, and Remote Sensing in 1991 and 1996 respectively. In his quest for the Senate Presidency, Lawan said he believes strongly that the position should be occupied by somebody from the North-East zone of the country to compensate the area for the sufferings its people have undergone as a result of the devastating impacts of the activities of the Boko Haram sect. He said conceding the office to the zone will give the people of the area a sense of belonging to the project Nigeria. Unfolding his vision recently for the office, Lawan explained that he “want to provide 21st century senate presidency; a leadership that will ensure that we have a by-partisan approach to legislative business. I will bring incorruptibility and credibility to the administration.” He added: “I have learned to be a team player. I like to work on the basis of consensus. This is required to build a bridge of understanding among political parties in the National Assembly. Good governance must be supported by the National Assembly. There must be service delivery.” Perhaps it is his strong belief in the principles of consensus that Lawan has since being crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country to seek support for this project. Part of the efforts of that consensus led to the understanding reached between Lawan and Akume to enter into a political alliance, which saw Akume foregoing his presidential ambition for Lawan, who he (Akume), will be pairing with in a joint ticket as Deputy Senate President. About a fortnight ago, a group, which goes by the name, Senate Unity Forum, SUF, came out to publicly endorse Lawan for the Senate Presidency and Sen. George Akume as his deputy. Spokesman of the group, Senator Barnabas Gemade, while addressing newsmen at the recently held retreat, organised by APC for all its elected senators at the Ibeto Hotel, Gariki, Abuja, said: “We the SUF comprising senators-elect from various states have met, held extensive discussions and resolved to support Lawan as Senate President. “Kindly take this to be our collective decision in the best interest of our party, APC and our dear nation Nigeria.” The resolution was signed by Gemade, as the spokesperson as well as Lawan and Akume. Only last week, the group addressed newsmen at the

Henry Iyorkase MAKURDI

s the inauguration of the eighth Assembly of Benue State approaches, members of Kunav Youths Association from Vandeikya Local Government yesterday peacefully demonstrated at the gate of the People’s House, asking that justice be done this time around with the Speaker of Benue House of Assem-

Lawan

National Assembly, where it claimed that it had the support of 40 senators-elect of APC backing Lawan’s candidacy. It also alleged that it enjoyed the support of the majority of the 49 senators of the PDP. Political observers believe that what is working against Lawan’s candidacy is the alleged tacit support he enjoys from the leadership of the APC, particularly from Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who many senators are opposed to because of his selfishness and meddlesomeness in the affairs of the new Senate. Lawan’s ambition is also suffering some setbacks because of the alleged backing he is receiving from the out-going Senate president, Senator Mark, criticised by many senators as trying to impose his replacement on them. Bukola Saraki: Kwara Central Saraki has never left anyone in doubt of his desire to preside over the affairs of the Senate since his election to the red chamber in 2011. Notwithstanding that he was a first timer to the Senate; Saraki was made the chairman of Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology. The former governor of Kwara State and past chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, however distinguished himself in the Senate, particularly with his motion, which exposed the fuel subsidy scam in the country in 2011. As the Chairman of Senate Committee on Environment, Saraki also distinguished himself through intensive oversight of the activities of the oil companies that degrade the environments of their host communities. Saraki was however, the arrowhead of all the moves that threatened the Senate Presidency of Mark in the outgoing seventh Senate. First, he was behind all the efforts by some PDP senators to decamp to the then opposition APC in the Senate in 2013, following the formation of the party. His strategy was that with the defection, the then opposition APC would have the majority

number that would reverse the leadership of the Senate in APC’s favour, where he had positioned himself to become the Senate President. For the greater part of the life of the seventh Senate, Saraki expended his legislative time mainly outside the Senate chamber; at the lobby, where he engaged the likes of Senators Danjuma Goje, Gombe Central; Abdullahi Adamu, Nasarawa West and Ali Ndume, Borno South, in plots to effect the change of the leadership of the Senate. Unfortunately, such machinations could not see the light of the day. Saraki entered the race for the Senate President immediately after the March 28 National Assembly polls. Unlike his other competitors, Saraki has invested more massively in the project. He is quite aware that he does not enjoy the support and endorsement of APC leadership for the contest and he does not make any efforts to win the favour of the party leadership for the project either. Perhaps because Saraki understands quite clearly that the contest for the office of the Senate President will ultimately be decided by the senators themselves on the floor of the Senate, his strategy has been to curry the support of the senators and not those of APC chieftains. He was the first among the contestants to embrace almost all the first timers to the Senate. This is an unassailable strategy, particularly considering the fact that about 70 per cent of members of the 8th Senate are made up of first timers. Saraki has also foraged into some returning members to add to the support he already enjoys among the new senators. Only recently, 35 senators elected on the platform of the APC out of the in-coming 59 senators-elect from the party endorsed Saraki’s candidacy for the Senate Presidency. The group, under the umbrella of ‘Like Minds Senators of APC’, while briefing newsmen at the retreat for APC senators at the Ibeto Hotel, Abuja, explained that their choice of Saraki was predicated on the lawmaker’s integrity, competence, discipline and leadership skills. Senator-elect, Dino Melaye, who addressed the media on behalf of the, ‘Like Minds Senators of APC’ said: “Of the 59 senators of the APC, 35 of us present here today hereby reaffirm our collective commitment and resolution to ensure that the candidature of Senator Saraki as the Senate President of 8th Assembly sails through. “We have also resolved that the office of the Deputy Senate President be zoned to the North East. “Senators of the like minds are here today at the retreat organised by our dear party, APC, which is meant to equip and empower senators-elect of the 8th Assembly to prepare them toward the challenges ahead. We commend the leadership of our party for this timely and well-focused exercise.” National Assembly watchers believe that if the senators are to go to elect the next Senate President right now, the political odds will certainly favour Saraki.

Vandeikya youths protest over Benue speakership bly emerging from their zone.

This is just as various groups continue to push for the emergence of the Speaker from their zones. The protesters especially youths carried placards with inscriptions like: “We were second in number in the last elections which our people massively voted for the APC;” “No more corruption; transparency

and fairness is all we are craving for and let there be justice.” Leader of the protesters, Mr. John Terzungwe Orjime, averred that there ought to be consideration in the distribution of key positions within the hierarchy of the party, stressing that a fortnight ago, key positions were announced, whereby the Kwande produced Chief of Staff,

CoS, and Special Adviser on Media and Information Communication and Technology, ICT to the governor; while Gboko, the axis of Jemgbagh was compensated with Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Benue South-West produced the Head of Service, HoS. He added: “Therefore it is incumbent on us to also produce the Speaker because in the whole of

political permutation, this zone, Vandeikya, has never benefited anything substantially. So we are urging that it is high time we should also be compensated with a key portfolio in the present administration.” He however revealed that there is allegation making the rounds of a top APC notcher in the zone, who has received N4 million gratifications

to work against the Kunav people, adding that the issue of ranking or no ranking should not come to play as it is not tenable and has no basis whatsoever. Efforts to get the reactions of the Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Mr. Tahav Agerdzua, on the protest were futile as several calls to his mobile line went unanswered.

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Politics

Friday, June 5, 2015

resident Muhammadu Buhari has assumed power. What is your expectation from him?

I think we should encourage the president to build a new Nigeria that Nigerians can be proud of. Although, he may not want to follow the policies of the former president, but I think he should use his initiatives to pick those who would work with him so that he can pursue his own objectives or policies, because some of the problems we have in Nigeria is that when a new government comes, it will destroy all the structures it meets on ground and starts building new structures. In the process, there would be delay in building infrastructure. Before you bring a consultant to build a new platform for development, it will take a long time. It would even take not less than three years out of his first tenure of four years. I think President Muhammadu Buhari should look thoroughly at the good side of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and policies and lift from it and continue with the implementation of good ones and leave out any one that does not tally with his own ideology or that he thinks cannot give Nigeria the change he desires for the country. We should be very, very careful to avoid waste. In a situation where an airport project has attained 70 per cent implementation, the President should not stop it by saying that he want to start a new project. Also, a situation where a seaport has been assigned by the former President, he may investigate the contract, but not abandon it because the problem we have in Nigeria today is that we don’t have sound infrastructure. Another major problem is power shortage, when a government has not solved the problem of electricity, no serious investor will come and invest in such country. Most of our textile companies, most of our industries have been turned to churches. The new generation churches continue buying them over. So I believe the Buhari-led government should not disappoint people because there is a huge hope on him now. This is because he had promised people during the campaign. And one of the reasons especially the South-West people supported Buhari and those of us who supported Jonathan, our friends fought us, is because they wanted change. Even though, there are problems with our economy, people still have hope that Buhari will do the magic. Not magic within three months, but they hope that certain changes must be visible within the first one year. And I believe that Nigerians are ready to support him now. Those who have been serving as impediment to our progress must be dealt with. There must be transparency in government, there must be zero tolerance for corruption and at the same time the cost of governance has to be reduced through any strategy he can muster. I support him wholeheartedly to reduce the ministries and block many holes. Everybody is talking about the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, but it is not only the NNPC that is highly corrupt, we have many parastatals that are more corrupt. So he must look beyond NNPC, he must look at all the ministries and parastatals and block leakages. When we were in the national confab, there was information at the plenary one day that about 65 per cent of our income is being used to pay salaries of government functionaries and civil servants. The cost of governance is 65 per cent, while cost of development is just 35 per cent. So where are we going with that? There is no country that can sustain its economy through such arrangement. The cost of governance must be reduced. All of us cannot be in government, let government create wealth. Nigeria has faced many challenges. Recently, the country was grounded by strike action embarked upon by petroleum marketers, over subsidy complaints. As a Nigerian, are you not worried that the former administration turned deaf ears to this problem?

I am worried because I have been a victim of the

We should all support Buhari to build a new Nigeria –Adams Otunba Gani Adams is the National Coordinator of the pan-Yoruba group, Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC. He recently had a chat with newsmen in Lagos. AYO ESAN brings excerpts: never experience fuel scarcity before. Therefore, the questions to ask are: why is it that our refineries are not working? Why is it that government is reluctant to give licence to the private sector to build refineries? Why are we taking crude oil to some small African countries to refine? The truth is that Nigerians are the owners of those refineries in foreign countries, including Senegal, Equatorial Guinea. These are questions for Nigerians to answer. I would advise the new government to allow the private sector to be involved in the building of refineries. If we have private refineries, I believe fuel will be sold for N30 per litre. Like we have in the telecommunications sector?

Yes, that is a good example. People never believed that a common man on the street can have telephone, but when the sector was diversified, things changed because it was given a private initiative. The sim card that was sold for N35,000 is now given free. I think, the same approach must be implemented in the petroleum sector. The problem Nigerians are having as regard electricity and petroleum cannot be quantified. All these problems can be curtailed. If the problem on electricity is solved, it means 65 per cent of Nigeria’s problem is solved. But, Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria, PHCN has been bought over by individual companies? Adams

fuel scarcity. I bought 30 litres of fuel for almost N16,000 and I bought 60 litres of diesel for N60,000, it is unfortunate. The situation is getting out of hand. The marketers want their money paid by the former administration, taking into cognizance that the new administration might not pay subsidy, so, they decided to put the entire country into untold hardship. The entire country was grounded, until the National Assembly waded in to resolve the problem. It will amaze you to know that the funds approved for the pipeline contract have not been paid and we have been on the assignment for more than two and half months. It is just a three-month contract after which the contract will be renewed, as proposed by NNPC. We have been on water and on the land stopping the vandals 24/7. The former President has approved the salary for workers, but the process has been delayed because of the coming of a new government. Therefore, everything lies in the fact that there was a transition process going on before last Friday which delayed. If we are to look at the subsidy thing logically, most of the countries which never had crude oil had

It will amaze you to know that the funds approved for the pipeline contract have not been paid and we have been on the assignment for more than two and half months.

Those who bought PHCN are the cabals and they are the one who created problem for this country. They are part of the system, and that is why the change Buhari said he is bringing should dig into the NNPC. In Omole Phase 1 where I relocated to, we have not had light for two weeks and I believe the same is happening in other parts of the country. People now depend on inverters to generate electricity. It is unfortunate that the governments of this country have decided to put every Nigerian in complete darkness thereby encouraging importation of generators. President Buhari in an interview before he was sworn-in said the last national conference was a waste. What is your reaction to that?

That was a political statement when he was not in power; it is different from when you are in power. When you are in power, that’s the time you will begin to see the reality. So, you can’t compare the statements he made during the campaign and after the campaign; I believe the statement was political then. Now that he has come to power, I think he will see more light. When we started, we knew little or nothing about governance. But when we started to interact with most of the people in power, we decided to reduce our criticism, by not seeing everything in government as wrong And few days to his leaving government, former President Jonathan submitted the confab report to the National Assembly. How do you see his action?

It’s a welcome development; I thought that Jonathan would have done that earlier. What he did was a completion of his work before leaving power. He has fulfilled his dream of restructuring Nigeria. So, it is left for Nigeria to decide on the report. I think what he did was long overdue; he should have done that a month ago.

Editorial

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

All the Facts, All the Sides A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, CFR PUBLISHER

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

NB’s N50m Teacher-of-the-Year Award

eachers’ reward is in heaven. So goes the saying at a time. This reflected the scant incentive and neglect teachers were and are still being subjected to in the land, despite the critical roles they play in the formative and mature years of humans’ development. But it has now dawned on the nation that teachers denied of regular remuneration and good conditions of service on earth fling commitment to the dogs, preferring instead to hawk wears, groundnuts etc, during school hours to make ends meet. This development adds to the freefall now being experienced in education standards at all levels. The Nigerian Breweries Plc (NB) has, however, joined other public-spirited corporate entities and individuals in the country that are providing succour to teachers on earth. Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, some months ago, presented a brand new Toyota Corolla car to Mr. Louis Akamaka, a Literature teacher at West End Mixed Secondary School, Asaba, the state capital. During a Literary Session held at the Government House, Asaba, earlier, some students taught by Akamaka had impressed an audience (the ex-governor inclusive) with their poem rendition. They swept Uduaghan off his feet with their performance to the extent that he promised a car gift to the teacher for doing a thorough job.

He later went ahead to fulfill the promise. So was Professor Anthony Durojaiye Ologhobo of the Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, also honoured with a brand new KIA car by telecommunications and ICT giant, MTN, recently. Some of the students that nominated Professor Ologhobo for the surprise gift because of his diligence and commitment to his teaching job were also compensated with iPhones gifts by MTN. Another company, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell milk, has been sponsoring an annual mathematics competition since 1998, while Cadbury Nigeria Limited pioneered the annual Bournvita Teachers Award along with the Bournvita Education Reporter of the Year Award, which ran for over five years before the company’s challenges compelled it to suspend the awards, to name just a few. Countless other philanthropists across the country have also been supporting education through granting of scholarships to talented and indigent students; educational endowments; donation of buildings vehicles and books, etc. But the latest initiative, which promises to be the most outstanding, would be the proposed annual N50m Teacher-of-the-Year Award to be sponsored by NB’s Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund. Spokesman of the company, Kufre

THE NB INITIATIVE AND OTHERS LIKE IT…WOULD AT

LEAST ENCOURAGE COMMITMENT TO THE TEACHING PROFESSION AND KEEP HOPE ALIVE Ekanem, told journalists in Lagos recently that the award is on the platform of the Maltina Brand. Ekanem said it was designed to recognize, celebrate and motivate teachers in Nigeria towards quality service delivery. “Everywhere in the world, teachers play vital roles in training, coaching and determining the quality of education; and this is critical to sustainable national development’’, NB’s Human Resources Director, Victor Famuyibo, stated in addition. NB is planning a Five-Step evaluation process of entries from all the nation’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) expected to produce state champions and national winners to be celebrated in a grand ceremony on October 5, 2015, a day set aside by the United Nations as World Teachers Day. The national winner, to be christened as Teacher-of-the-Year, will get N1m as prize money, plus another N1m to be paid into his account annually for five years. The NB intervention is com-

ON THIS DAY June 5, 1963 British Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, resigned following a sex scandal known as the Profumo Affair, named after him. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Soviet spy, and lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced Profumo to resign and damaged the reputation of the then Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s government.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

June 5, 2001 Tropical Storm, Allison, made landfall on the upper-Texas coastline and dumped large amounts of rain over Houston. The storm caused $5.5 billion in damages, making Allison the costliest tropical storm in United States’ history. The worst flooding occurred in Houston, where most of Allison’s damage occurred. About 30,000 people became homeless after the storm flooded over 70,000 houses and destroyed 2,744 homes.

mendable and timely, especially coming up at a period when teachers and civil servants are groaning under the pains of several months of unpaid salaries in many states of the federation. In Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Imo, Ekiti, Benue, Cross River and Bauchi states, among others, teachers have had to embark on strike to press for their wages and emoluments. Even retired teachers have been having running battles accessing their pension. Whether at the primary, secondary or tertiary levels of the education hierarchy, it cannot be rightly stated that Nigerian teachers have had the best of bargains since the country’s return to democratic governance in 1999; and the education sector, especially the public sector, has been bearing the brunt. Since 1999, for instance, roughly 80 percent of candidates fail the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), having been unable to pass English and Mathematics. While the NB initiative and others like it promise no cure-all for the protracted ailments plaguing the nation’s education sector, they would at least encourage commitment to the teaching profession and keep hope alive. NB should, however, take special cognizance of the need to ensure the transparency and credibility of the selection process, as well as the sustainability of the award.

x June 5, 2009 After 65 straight days of civil disobedience, at least 31 people were killed in clashes between security forces and indigenous people near Bagua, Peru. The Peruvian political crisis resulted from ongoing opposition to oil development in the Peruvian Amazon by local Native Americans. At the forefront of the movement to resist the development was Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva (AIDESEP).

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Friday, June 5, 2015

And Buhari courts Nigerian press NEW HORIZON Wale Ajao With

waleajao2002@yahoo.com, 08023112006 (sms only)

t is significant to note that President Muhammadu Buhari started off his presidency by soliciting the cooperation of the Nigerian press. This shows that he has realized that in a democratic government the press has to be carried along. Quite unlike his years as a military leader, when he used the draconian Decree 2 of 1994 to muzzle the press, a democratically elected President Buhari is sending positive signals to the media with his cooperation call. A good beginning, one may say. However, the President should run an open government, which means he has nothing to fear about press coverage. Already, he enjoys tremendous goodwill at home and abroad. This means the press will be willing to perform its statutory role without bias. Indeed, Nigerians have cause to rejoice as the country forges ahead peacefully with the momentum of democratic governance that was resuscitated in 1999. Right now, one can safely assert that military rule has become an aberration in Africa as a whole and in Nigeria in particular. As President Buhari settles down to the

real business of governing Africa’s most populous nation, every critical observer agrees that the tasks ahead are really daunting. The All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government is inheriting a huge debt portfolio put conservatively at $60 billion. The oil sector has numerous challenges like the poor state of the four public refineries and pervasive corruption and mismanagement in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The Buhari administration is also going to contend with the declining patriotism and complete collapse of the value system, a development that has become very rampant in our society. It is in this context that the Buhari administration needs a clear synergy with the press. This can be effectively done in the following ways. First, the Federal Ministry of Information should be made to function better than it is doing at present. The ministry should make information readily available to all strata of our society. During the civil war and after, the Federal Ministry of Information sent weekly report to all mass media agencies so that they had up to date and accurate information on all activities of government. There were state and local government offices of the Federal Ministry of Information, where publications by the Federal Government were distributed and made available to citizens free of charge. The Federal Government had a viable government press. All those channels are no longer in existence. The Federal Ministry of

THIS NEW DISPENSATION DEMANDS THAT ALL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS MUST SHOW GOOD EXAMPLE TO ALL OTHER STAKEHOLDERS Information needs to improve on its present level of information communication technology (ICT) compliance. It is clear that a very effective Federal Ministry of Information working in tandem with the press will be highly necessary under the present dispensation. The Nigerian press has played critical roles in the nation’s political history. During the struggle for independence, the press was very vital for the nationalists. The late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and his chains of publications around West Africa played critical roles in the decolonization process. Since independence, the press has been in the fore front of the struggle for democratic rule. It is, therefore, not out of place to hope that the press will have a crucial role to play in the struggle against corruption and enthronement of genuine democracy. The press cannot afford to despair or procrastinate. It must be proac-

tive and be guided by high moral and ethical standard. The press should put to shame those who have formed a low opinion of the African media by upholding the fundamental human rights of citizens, set agenda for the governments and generally actively support the anti-corruption agencies. To be able to do this creditably, the press must renounce corruption in its operations. It must promote patriotism and accountability. This new dispensation demands that all democratic institutions must show good example to all other stakeholders. Going by the experience of the advanced countries, there are many ways by which the press can work with a decent government so as to secure the gains of democratic governance. The Nigerian press today needs assistance in manpower training and utilization. Gone are the days when one person, who is strong enough to dominate others can do so without qualms. These days, the press has become the hope of the ordinary citizens. In spite of its numerous challenges, Nigerians expect the press to guide against oppression of the ordinary persons, just as it is also the partner of big business. The press also has a duty to kick against impunity and defend the high ideals of the rule of law and constitutionalism. Nigeria has done so well by the peaceful conduct of the March 28 and April 11 elections and the press must ensure that nobody or group of persons are allowed to draw the nation back.

Boko Haram: Imperative of new strategies

ransnational and home grown terrorism such as the Boko Haram has continued to claim the lives of many innocent civilians and security personnel through a variety of methods of attacks. Boko Haram are constantly exploring paths of least resistance and pursuing soft targets in their politically and religiously motivated campaigns since their displacement from their safe havens in the north east part of Nigeria. The sheer range of its operations indicates that its reach and ability to collect information for targeting, while perhaps diminished, remains considerable. This organisation has also made some progress in gaining militants, seeing off a sitting president and popular support among vulnerable youths who regards the organisation as mightier than our military. The sect justifies its violent actions and mass killing as being regenerative and that those who die fight for the cause go straight to heaven. Worst of all, the executors of bomb explosions used by the sect see themselves as part of history because the act itself is regarded as a consequential element of history with moral balance. On many occasions, questions have been asked as to the real causes of an increased number of casualties when the group strikes? Increased numbers of casualties are caused by increase targeting of areas of mass gathering, movement or residence (soft targets). Also included are transit facilities, for instance Nyanya Motor Park, London Underground 7/7 and Madrid 3/2004. The killing of an increased

PLANNING AHEAD IS HOW YOU STAY AHEAD OF THE ENEMY number of casualties may also be caused by increased trend of multiple coordinated attacks within a short time. According to analysis, BH sees the crime against Nigerians and citizens of other neighbouring countries as minor compared to corruption associated with our entire system. Boko Haram constantly changes in all sorts of ways, whenever progress is being made or about to be against them. Splintering often occurring within it; surrounding themselves with land mines as in Sambisa forest, for example. It is unconscionable that weapons previously controlled by our military were seen in the black market. Unfortunately, it is not only the weapons but the scientist and engineers with the expertise to make them are available if the price is right! Those who indulge in these nefarious activities forgot that if their relations or immediate family members are not affected, a friend or school mate might. It may be argued that our security issues since 2009 might turn out to be a significant wake up call for Nigerians and government. By the time we grow and adopt be the inevitable “security consciousness” we need to apply in every area of our lives, certain risks and casualties will be averted naturally without the involvement of the specialised agencies. When every Nigerian realizes and believe that security is everybody’s business,

when we all realises that good security will increase our values, and when an increased number of offices and residential buildings apply for various security procedures from the onset before a building is erected, then we know that security awareness is gradually being understood. When the government, every establishment and home owners will realise the importance of corporate and personal security as well as the use of security equipments such as CCTV cameras, bomb and explosive detectors, ultra wide band and electromagnetic pulse, to mention but just a few, instead of wasting millions on frivolities, then we are getting somewhere. Also private commercial facilities require a number of measures such as creating a layered approach from building’s perimeter, minimization of structural frame vulnerabilities that can deter terrorist groups from targeting them. Security awareness constitutes every citizen’s involvement, meaning that vigilantism, reporting and prevention are the best form of primary counterterrorism strategy from the grassroot. We must get out of our comfort zones and get involved because this country does not belong to the current regime, and the law enforcement agencies alone. Threats, risks and danger do not send out warning signals before they occur. Taking inference from the prevailing BH activities, Mohammed Yusuf ’s father sent signals and warnings about this group and their activities before the group was formed in 2002. Let our best strategy henceforth be all citizens inclusive in prevention. We

Counter-terrorism Tips With

Ethelbert Oney ethelbertoney@zissltd.com, 08029929121 (sms only) prevent by reporting any unusual movements by those you know and don’t know. Since you do not know when the enemy may strike, since you don’t know who they are and where they are, your best response is defence. We defend by being vigilant, observant and reporting to the intelligence and security agencies any odd movements or persons. The fact is that they are watching, the sooner you understand this, the better prepared you will be. Planning ahead is how you stay ahead of the enemy. Before they strike, tighten your security. At home, offices, market places, churches, on transit, in schools, do they have professional security guards in place to ensure protection? Your office and every commercial centre are prone to attacks. Your best bet is to prevent such from occurring by taking adequate security counter measures as illustrated above. 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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Masterful resolution of Rivers State judicial logjam

I Our leaders need God

indly allow this publication for public consumption. There is the need for our leaders in all the three tiers of government to rule with the fear of God and see their mandate as an opportunity to serve the masses. Going through Nehemiah 5: 14, 15 on the confession of Nehemiah, the Governor in the Land of Judah that position of authority is a position of service and an opportunity for you to strengthen the weak, to be a mouth to the dumb and a foot to the lame. Many leaders were given staff of office like Prophet Moses, but instead of using it to divide the Red Sea for their people to pass from fear to security, poverty to prosperity, failure to fulfillment, they use the staff to hit their heads and to oppress them; and they only rule instead of serving. Many leaders, instead of reducing the pains of their people, they remove their soothing balm. Leaders should understand that no matter how long, there is an end to everything, and posterity will eventually judge. Leaders may escape giving account to man, they cannot escape giving account to God. If a leader rules with the fear of God, it will earn him credit, good conscience, boldness, and keeping you from evils. Nigerians should pray carelessly and fast for people in government, so as not to mislead them and for the destruction of the plans of the devil in our individual’s life, work and home, and for the building of a virile nation. Prophet Oladipupo FunmiladeJoel, General Overseer, The Way of Reconciliation Evangelistic Ministries (TWOREM) Int’l, Lagos, Nigeria (08033733470)

n one of the memoranda we submitted recently we did mention that politics and politicians in Rivers State remain that nexus of the down fall of the PDP government at the national level; and consequently led to the general poor performance of the party in other part of the country. In deed the rancor and political tension facilitated the grand alliances that swept power away from the ‘Africa’s largest’ ruling party. It was the political tension at the executive and legislature that corroded the relationship Hon. Rotimi Amechi, erstwhile gover-

Letters to the Editor

state led to the fear that elections may not hold and through mysterious combination of positive factors that were overcome. It was also feared that even if a governor emerged, no CJ would swear him/ her in. In fact towards the swearing in some opponents made effort to scuttle the ceremony through the court, yet that failed too. That Chief Nyesom Wike scaled through all these hurdles of doom is indeed a manifestation of comments credited to an American jurist, Ronald Dwokin, who maintained that there is solution to every legal problem. Perhaps, it is this comment, now aphorism that many interpreted to mean

A porter taking time out to attend to her thirsty child on Broad Street in Lagos Island, recently. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Confab report as bobby trap for Buhari

n my article published in October 2013 and titled “National ConferenceA diversionary loot venture for the cabals”, I explained why the conference would be nugatory and anti-common man. Specifically, I stated that Goodluck Jonathan only wanted to use the conference to silence some people and identify prospective cam-

Femi Adesina well deserved appointment ith his appointment of Mr. Femi Adesina, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors and immediate past Managing Director, Sun Newspapers, as Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians are seeing for the first time a leader settling for people who have unimpeachable moral integrity, sound intellectuality and uncommon honesty for high responsibilities. Since the return to democracy in May 1999, our leaders have not

nor of Rivers State had with the federal government, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, state commissioner of police, the state judiciary and the National Judicial Council. These relationships deteriorated and remained stale to the time of defections and alliance formations. At this time, judicial staff strike became obvious sabotage to the government and legal community that had been totally crippled without Chief Judge, Acting Chief Judge, President Customary Court of Appeal or even a functioning judiciary. The atmosphere of rancor and disharmony that prevailed in the

met our aspirations because they never went for the right people for high profile positions, preferring instead neophytes and bench warmers without the candour and competence. With this singular act, it is obvious President Buhari is ready to hit the ground running; he is serious about entrenching change in the way things are done in the country. Nigerians will no doubt queue behind him for the great task ahead. Comrade Femi Dada, Ibadan, Oyo State.

paigners he would entice for his third term agenda. Almost all of the participants at the pseudo-national conference were Jonathan stooges, who had received what their master wanted them to discuss and pocketed their share of our national cake. In fact, the handiwork of Prof Bolaji Akinyemi imposing the purported report of the conference on members generated rancour when some intelligent people in the conference discovered that the report presented for their adoption did not reflect what were discussed on the floor, but what was a ready-made document from some sections of Nigeria, especially Afenifere and Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly. Even when some sensible people protested to Jonathan of his dubious and lopsided composition of the conference members, he ignored them just because his selfish and di-

visive interest was paramount to him then. So, if those that destroyed Jonathan made a document and such document is now to be used by Muhammadu Buhari, is it not another trap to bring President Muhammadu Buhari down? Now that the Jonathan apologists and stooges had written a document, he wanted to force that document on patriotic Nigerians, who were neither invited nor allowed to make any meaningful contributions on it by submitting same report to Buhari on May 28, 2015. Should Buhari fail to throw that destructive pseudo National Conference report to the dustbin, I would be one of his antagonists till the end of his tenure. Since no genuine national conference is yet to take place in Nigeria, it would be disastrous to foist any report prepared to satisfy some people on all Nigerians. Soliu Luqman, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

‘doctrine of necessity’. In my opinion, I have always preferred the jurist’s statement to ‘doctrine of necessity’ which many have doubted its origin and existence in the 1999 Constitution. Tracing the origin of the doctrine you discover it was in Lakanmi’s case during a military regime. That this doctrine was quoted to make Dr Goodluck Jonathan become acting president after the demise of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in May 2010 came as strange cord, even though the mood of the nation was to urgently find a solution to the legal problem of presidential succession, which former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aandoaka, tried to guard tenaciously. But I tried to remind my colleagues that the senate president, Senator David Mark, was a former state military administrator. He brought his past experience to bear. This is not to say that he drew support from any section of the 1999 Constitution which was and is in issue today. The outgoing Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, drew support from S.185(2) of the 1999 Constitution when he instructed the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to swear in Wike. Besides, he could have done that through the recommendations of the state Judicial Service Commission (JSC) under paragraph 6, Part II of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution. However, in that section relied upon by the Mr. Adoke I hold the view that any Chief Judge of the Federal High Court or of the Court of Appeal could also carry out that assignment. My opinion formed earlier from Scandinavian jurisprudence that the authority of the law is only magical as we argued over how the jinx could be broken before the minister’s intervention, was that since it was an administrative one-off function, the National Judicial Council (NJC) could have had the power once again to navigate through the logjam. The magical effect came with the inaugural speech of the Governor Wike, appointing Acting CJ and Acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal with immediate effect. Now that we have all put those quagmire behind us by the stroke of Governor Wike’s that confirms that there is solution to every legal problem, if only we learn from exPresident Jonathan and move on. Iyke Ozemena, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Send your letters The Editor reserves thethe right letters or or mails mailsto toPMB PMB10001, 10001,Ikoyi, Ikoyi,or orour our Email: Email:mirrorlagos@yahoo.com mirrorlagos@yahoo.comand andinfo@nationalmirroronline.net info@nationalmirroronline.netoror08056180209, 08054103275,07033375481 07033375481(SMS (SMSonly). only). The Editor reserves right to to edit and reject letters photographs. Psuedonyms may used, must clearly marked such. edit and reject letters or or photographs. Psuedonyms may bebe used, butbut must bebe clearly marked asas such.

DJ Tony performs at MVP

iREP Executive Director at the Munchen conference

iRepresent Documentary Film Forum has consistently been making Nigeria proud as it has been receiving global recognitions for promoting Africa’s Documentary Cinema. OLAWALE OLUWADAHUNSI

F J

oin DJ Tony and other exclusive guests this Saturday, the 3rd of June 2015 for a night full of fun and music. DJ tony in charge of the music will entertain with wonderful beats to dance to. The venue is at MVP Lagos, plot 16, block 46, Bisola Durosimi, off Admiralty, Lekki phase 1, Lagos state.

IGOS Live 2015 holds at MUSON

oin Akpororo, Helen Paul, Yemi Alade, Phyno, Gardoki, Seyi law, amongst others for the IGOS live 2015 which is themed “the fourth assignment” at the Muson centre on Sunday, the 7th of June 2015. The event is going to be an unforgettable one as these celebrities sweep you of your feet. The event starts by 5pm. The venue is the MUSON Centre 6/7 Marina, Onikan, Lagos.

lowing from the success of the 2015 iRep International Documentary Film Festival in March, the iRepresent Documentary Film Forum has continued to step higher in its operation, especially garnering international recognitions. The year’s edition of the yearly film feast, which marked the fifth anniversary of the iREP Film Festival, indeed seems to have launched the Forum into a season of recognition across the globe. It was disclosed to Friday Flavour that two weeks ago, iREP was the Co-host of the Dok.Network Africa programme at the 30th Anniversary edition of the Dok. Fest Munich, one of the prime documentary film festivals in Europe. The event, held at the prestigious Museum Funf Kontinente Munich, witnessed an impressive diverse audience. The special session screened among others the film by Camilla Nielsson (Denmark) “The Democrats” and Rehad Desai’s compelling work “Miners’ Shot Down” (South Africa) as well as “La Sirene De Faso Fani” by Michel K. Zongo (Burkina Faso). It also presented a dynamic panel discussion on documentary’s political role in emerging democracies in Africa. Rens van Munster of the Danish Institute for International Studies presented a talk with very interesting perspectives on the Political dimensions of Documentary filmmaking. Femi Odugbemi, Co-

IN JULY, ODUGBEMI WILL ALSO BE ATTENDING THE PEOPLE2PEOPLE CONFERENCE SCHEDULED TO BE HOSTED BY THE 2015 DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN SOUTH AFRICA founder and Executive Director of IREP was a featured Speaker. He also presented “Miners’ Shot Down” on behalf of South African director, Rehad Desai. The film was curated and recommended to Dok.Fest 2015 by IREP and had earlier featured as part of the screened films at the iREP 2014 edition. Friday Flavour gathered that the idea of AFRICA DAY had been inspired by the collaboration between DOK.Fest and iREP, which began three years ago. The collaboration has also yielded another opportunity as DOK.Fest has asked iREP to send in one of its operation staff to once again undertake a six-week internship starting in November. The cooperation and collaboration between iREP and DOK.Fest had been midwifed by the Goethe Institute, Lagos, which had also been the intermediary of the relationship between iREP and the Ag-Dok – the highly influential German association of independent film producers, which in the past four years, has brought groups of German filmmakers to every edition of the yearly iREP festival. Also, shortly after the staging this year’s IREP festival March 22 to 24 at the Freedom Park, Lagos, the Forum received a gladdening news from Cape Town in South Africa, that it should send a representative to the ENCOUNTERS Documentary Film Festival – a highly competitive international documentary film workshop and industry gathering, for a three-week training and

internship that would usher collaborative programming. IREP 2015 Festival Manager Lanre Olupona has since left for South Africa on that attachment. He will work and understudy the programming team of Encounters Festival over an intensive 3 weeks, with a view to learning best practices in Festival Operations and management. It will be recalled that just 2-years ago another IREP Festival Manager Toyin Poju-Oyemade was in Munich Germany to understudy the operations of the Dok. Fest Documentary Festival as well. All of these exchanges have strengthened IREP’s global network and enshrined global best practices in its operations. In June at the prestigious Sheffield Documentary Film Festival UK, Femi Odugbemi will also be a featured Speaker on the subject of “Imperialism Or Inquiry – How Fair Is Foreign Filming?” a major panel of the Documentary Campus Industry Conference. He will as well be meeting several global documentary filmmakers to schedule films for the 2016 IREP Festival. In July, Odugbemi will also be attending the People2People Conference scheduled to be hosted by the 2015 Durban International Film Festival in South Africa. Odugbemi is on the Advisory Board of the People2People Conference and IREP is a founding signatory to the Documentary Network Africa, DNA, an influential documentary platform featuring filmmakers from over 45 countries in the continent. It was also recently revealed to Friday Flavour that the iREP will begin resumption of their monthly screening. This will take place after the disruption wSrought by the last chaotic electioneering timetable on Sunday 7th June at 2pm at Freedom Park, Broad Street Lagos with the tribute screening of the film “UNCOMMON SERVICE”. The movie produced by Deji Adesanya is an unusual story of patriotism and community service by Dr. Yombo Awojobi, a medical doctor cum inventor, engineer, philosopher, who died a few weeks ago all rolled into one.

P. 32-33

Arty News Inside FCT P. 24-25

hank God it’s Friday!!! Get ready to party all night this night at the sailors lounge; get pumped up with music, drinks and food. The all night partying is going to be filled with fun. The venue is at Sailor’s lounge, Plot 1, Block 12 off Admiralty, Lekki phase 1, Lagos state. The event takes place on Friday, 5th June, 2015 at 7pm.

iRep charts new course in African documentary fest

P. 22-23

TGIF Party rocks at Sailor’s Lounge

Critics

WEEKEND STARTERS

16 PAGES OF ARTS, REVIEWS, LIFESTYLE AND BUZZ TO START YOUR WEEKEND

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Friday, June 5, 2015

Flavour

Artman

Your

FRIDAY

Artman In The House

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Why I quit Papa Ajasco’s

Femi Ogunrombi, is a veteran in Nigeria’s television industry. He is popularly known for his role as Papa Ajasco, in the comedy TV series with the same title. He has directed and produced so many films among which are ‘Aramotu’ an indigenous Yoruba epic that won Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA award in 2011. He also won an award as the Best Nigerian Producer in 2011. In this interview, he shares his experiences in the acting business with ISIGUZO DESTINY. Excerpts.

Ogunrombi

his is your 35th year in acting, how has it been? When I say 35 years, I mean 35 years of professional performance. I started June 6, 1980. I started at University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University where I also studied Drama and Music. I studied Drama first before Music. At Ife, I started a choral group and it was one of the best things that happened at that time, particularly to the university. It really brought University of Ife out. And I really thank God that the University authorities appreciated it. I want to believe that started my career presentation to the entire world. What were those early years of Nollywood like? There was no Nollywood at that time. What was it then? You see, everybody was just trying to reach out to people as an artiste. It was in the past 10 or 15 years that you started hearing Nollywood, an imitation of Hollywood of US and Bollywood of India. Nigerians started thinking that they have come of age but we are still far away from coming of age. When we started, there was nothing like that. We were all sailors, the actors, musicians and other artistes. At that time, there was nothing known as movies. What I could recall everybody was looking forward to was a film done by Wole Soyinka around 1963, it was called “Kongi’s Harvest” and then later in the

early eighties, Herbert Ogunde, Ade Love and others started coming in into films. It was when Jimmy Odumosu came back from USA in the early eighties that he did one thriller which was a kind of buster for Nigerian movies. This was part of what I called the early video movies. By the time we got to the later part of the eighties, I also produced traditional Yoruba films. There was also a TV programme directed by Dr Omotosho which I was also part of. We are what you can call the pioneers of films and movies in this country. Even though we are not recognised, we were the harbingers of the present Nollywood. The only problem is if the present Nollywood would like to recognise us. What do you think is the difference between your time in the industry and the contemporary time? Well, there isn’t much. The only thing I could talk about in the aspect of differences is the attitude. We were more committed, dedicated. It was not like a money making thing at our time. You will be satisfied just to make an appearance whether on a stage, or in a movie. What we collect then is nothing to write home about but you are happy you did it. Today it is not like that and there is something I have noticed in the so called stars...well, I can’t really blame them because it has become a company or an outfit. Their commitment to it is all about money. But I don’t blame them. The cost and standard of liv-

Something is happening in the recent films. Seriousness, commitment, technicality, good pictures, sound, music, and serious acting are beginning to surface. We have still not got their yet. We are still far behind in technical knowhow.

ing has become so high. But something peculiar about our time is that you must be theatre trained. I personally recognize and appreciate any one that went through a training process in the theatre. N o t just coming from the blues to say I have talent. No. Are you saying an actor must be theatrically trained? There are many actors and actresses today who found themselves in acting just because of the love of it. But there are so many good actors who are very talented and very good with performance but were never formally trained as theatre artists? Let me tell you honestly, if you are talented... you see these guys you mentioned, as much talent as they have exhibited, if they had gone to school, they would have been far, far better than what you think they are or what you are see-

At a rehearsal

ing them do today. Anyway, I’m saying this not because of time or age but because I’ve seen it. I have seen those that are talented shine and I have also seen the trained one. I keep stressing it, the white man appreciates training. I am not saying talent is not part of it, talent is just the prerequisite. I tell my students, talent plus training is equal to skill. First of all, you must have the talent, and then if you go for training, you acquire skill. I easily notice fake actors no matter how good they are. When you put them on stage or ask them to act with others, they show off particularly the so called stars. I don’t respect them; I am saying it over and over again. I have met several of them that are popular in the Nollywood and they puff up. Such people to me are nothing. If they have been trained and they really know what it takes to be an actor, they will realise that they are nobody. When we act at PEFTI, my students are usually surprise when I come to act with them even when I am their coordinator of studies. When you are on set, everybody is equal and then must respect the directors. Let me give you an example. This lady Patience Ozokwor came to act with us, and the director said I want all the artistes on set, and I asked him where my wife for this project is and they said she is making up. I told him just give me a few minutes. So I went to her and said Madam, “can you just come to the set”. She said “can’t you see I’m making up” and I asked her “did the director say you should be making up?” I said “is that the way you do here, sorry what is your name?” She said “ah

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Artman In The House

Friday, June 5, 2015

set –Femi Ogunrombi

Playing role of Papa Ajasco

ah” and looked up. And then she said I am Patience. She asked “don’t you know me?” and I said “I don’t know you Ma. I further asked “Patience who?” She said Patience Ozokwor. So I told her “Patience Ozokwor stand up now and follow me to the set. Just forget who you are later I will explain”. She nicely and politely got up and followed me. I was surprised. The director was surprised to see both of us come together but we had to act. Later, I told her when you act here, you are nobody. Olu Jacobs have acted there even Joke Silva, so many of them have acted on Wale Adenuga’s set. When you are there, you pocket whatever you are. This is part of what I call theatre training. I don’t want to mention names but some of these Yoruba actors appear so bigger than life and I just tell myself we just have to manage them. Did you become an actor or a director/producer first? You see, I’ve been directing for a long time. I was trained as an actor, later when I was Coordinator of Studies in PEFTI institute; I used the opportunity to learn what it takes to produce. Immediately I left there, I produced a film titled “Aramotu”. I was very happy with the film. It was a wonderful experience. The film is yet to really come out but won AMAA award in 2011. I also won an award as the best producer in Nigeria. I didn’t make any noise or call any press conference but quite a number of my friends saw it and wrote something about it. What led to your faceoff with Wale Adenuga? I don’t know why anyone would call it a face off. So many papers have writ-

ten on it but thank God for some of my friends who have protected my interest in terms of telling the masses that I have no grudges against Wale Adenuga. I still maintain that and he still calls me to come and participate in other productions. I have acted three roles in Super Story, I am about to do one now, with “This Life”. If I have any grudge against him, he won’t call me. I respect him as a father and also because he is one of the best Executive Producers in this country. So why did he dump you as Papa Ajasco? Well, I was not dumped. That’s not a nice word. The truth of the matter was that I want to believe that the marketers

On set

wanted the old guy, the former Papa Ajasco. He is younger and a bit more clownish. My boss was just telling them that I’ve got exactly what he wanted in Papa Ajasco so what is their problem? Another explanation was that I am too anglicised. He is too clean and too upper class. They said people who are really watching now are the people from the highbrow areas like Ikoyi and the rest of them and that they are losing their Ajegunle customers. So I told my boss to let me to continue running the school because as a trained actor, I was not trained to stick to a particular role. So it wasn’t anything special that I have to drop the role. What did it take you to achieve the feat of being a Best Producer? When I was at PEFTI, I usually tell my students, about two thousand of them that passed through me to let their films show that they are this or that. Let your film reveal your nature. I tell them to be original, an indigenous person. They don’t think it. If you are from Edo, let your work show it. Which American film have you watched and you don’t see the American flag? Tell the world who you are. The first film I produced when I left PEFTI Institute is “Aramotu” which is a Yoruba epic film. It is a kind of fiction which you can compare with the story of any heroine in Africa who lived, worked and died for the people. The likes of Madam Tinubu. That is Aramotu, women who are politically conscious, who fought for the rights of their people.

I am not saying talent is not part

of it, talent is just the prerequisite.

I tell my students talent plus training is equal to skill.

A lot of discourses are going on in Nollywood like the issue of acting nude. What is your opinion on that? I want to be a bit conservative. In African culture it is an abomination for a woman to go naked. It is not socially accepted and particularly for the religions in Nigeria, it is an abomination. Those are the areas I want to stand upon. I want to say with a minimal certain level of exposure which I know if a good director handles will still create the impression of nudity without the man or the woman doing that. In “Thunderbolt” an actor was having a sexual intercourse with another character. We all know he had to do that but the director did not allow us to settle our minds on sexuality. He took us through the mind of the woman, what she was going through or experiencing with the charms in her body and how her husband did it. Through reflection and flash back, we were able to sympathize with her. We see the ingenuity of the director in avoiding the nude scene and creating an impression of sexuality without exposing nudity. Another person who can do that is Niji Akanni, the guy who directed “Aramotu”. What is it about you that you think the public doesn’t know? The public doesn’t know I am a nurse. When things were a little tight for me I said maybe I should go back to medical practice. My sister assisted me and so I went for training at LUTH. I also practiced for so many years before I left nursing for National Troupe. How can you rate the contemporary actors, and producers together with their film? Something is happening in the recent films, seriousness, commitment, technicality, good pictures, sound, music, serious acting are beginning to surface. We have still not got their yet. We are still far behind in technical knowhow. In 2011, one of the film producers from India at the AMAA awards said if only Nigeria could be hard working in terms of technicality. Getting our computer designers to make or design programmes or software for our kind of films, then we will step into the world’s film standard. Imagine if our actors walk through a glass. You see people jump from high rise building but that’s not the truth. This film “Star Wars” was made inside a warehouse. And you see people fall during fight sequences but they are all fabricated. So what is wrong with us? Why can’t we be technical and why can’t our computer film programmers and analyst rise up to the task. There is this film “Volcanic Eruption”, they captured the volcanic eruption because it was happening somewhere in Italy. Immediately they heard there was going to be a volcanic eruption, the camera crew was on ground to capture it. That bit was used in the film. These are the technicalities that we expect. The white man they say is moving and we are following him at the back. But I think we are not even following because he has branched at somewhere else and we are still on the way.

Critics

MUSIC

Friday, June 5, 2015

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Reminisce: Still in his comfort zone

After the breaking into the music stratosphere with his debut album ‘Book of Rap Stories’, Reminisce seeks to make a statement with his third studio album, Baba Hafusa. But did he really deliver? Olawale Oluwadahunsi

hough he serves a strong LP with this album, showcasing his strengths but he did not take his sound to another level. He didn’t take risks in exploring better sounds and lyrics, thus the album didn’t provoke any deep emotions. “Baba Hafusa” sees Reminisce in his comfort zone from a lyrical and production view. Grind feat. Sojay: “Baba Hafusa” album opener is an emotional Tyrone produced street motivation rap-sung featuring the honeyed vocals of ex-Trybe Records tenor Sojay. Now signed to Reminisce’s label, Sojay led majorly by a piano which builds up to a fuller and rich clapping instrumentation sings, “I’ve been grinding all my life yeah so that I can be better/I dey hustle everything wey I dey get yeah/I pray to God so I fit make am out here.” The dramatic instrumentation allows Reminsice to convincingly and confidently deliver his “hustle” inspired lyrics in grand style. Baba Hafusa: The album’s title track “Baba Hafusa” is the second track on the LP; it can be described as a sure head bumping and fist pumping celebratory street hip-hop banger. Saida: “Saida” is a definitely a weak link; as “Alaga Ibile” experiments with high-life once again in his discography but this time fails to deliver desired result. Skilashi: Sarz produced “Skilashi” picks up from where the second track “Baba Hafusa” left off. A

FILM

slightly weaker street banger but is fated to get a party started. Gbamilago feat. Sean Tizzle: The second collaboration of “Baba Hafusa” brightens up the LP’s track-list, as Sean Tizzle joins Reminisce to create a super decent high-life cut with production credited to D’Tunes. “Gbamilago” is infectious, radio friendly

and boasts a groovy instrumentation; in summary it is a potential hit. I Need A Girl: Reminisce shows depth and lyrical prowess on “I Need a Girl” as he intelligently raps about an unfaithful spouse. “I Need a Girl” is one of the exceptional tracks on LP but it would have been better he employed the services of Sojay or a seasoned vocalist on the hook instead of pushing his vocals and unpleasing the

Drama Consult

‘Drama Consult’ teaches the basics of exploring opportunities between Nigeria and Germany. Ngozi Emedolibe

Baba hafusa

pening with real-life discussions that started in Lagos, the duo of Jude Fejokwu and Biyi Tunji-Olugbodi, management cosultants, take on three enterprising Nigerians- Dolapo Ajayi, Femi Oladipo and Sam Aniama on a business expedition of Germany with the aim of forging new partnerships in their businesses. While Dolapo Ajayi is an estate expert, Sam Aniama and Femi Oladipo are involed in auto spare parts and shoe-making respectively. After establishing links in Germany, the two lead the group to Berlin, the capital of Germany where they are introduced to some business prospects in the city. The trip sees the trio branching out to meet not only people engaged in their kinds of businesses but also potential investors, who ordinarily have remained skeptical about business dealings in Africa, especially in Nigeria. Beginning with Femi Dolapo, the shoe-maker, one can see his concept of BFEMS, the shoe company he hopes will shore up its production from 200 pairs of shoes a month to 1000 pairs with the help of his new partners. While he

has very interesting designs, his bargains also portay him as one with a divided mission. This clearly shows towards the end of the documentary where he contemplates staying behind in Germany to make shoes to satisfy the German market but he gets discouarged by Dolapo Ajayi who explains to him that Nigeria is where the market is. Femi will also dabble into attempts to provide sales of leather dyes when he visits a manufacturing company in this regards, which directs him to an already-existing partner in Nigeria. He sees this as a challenge, but gets reassured by the company’s executives that they would iron it out in a way his fears would be addressed. Dolapo Ajayi, the most articulate of the three is seen explaining his buisnes proposals in clear terms to potential partners who also take him through a guided tour of the city, especially construction sites. This would snowball into a meeting with potential investors where his power of negotiation comes to bear. His effort pays off as the investors finally visit Nigeria, where they meet Musa Adedipe, the chief whose community would avail the land for the building project. For Sam Aniama, the spareparts dealer, his

Wenner must be commended for beginning this conversation

interactions connect also with the reality of doing business in this direction. The film brings more life in his interactions by making use of his younger brother, Dazaa Aniama, who lives in Germany and does business in this line as well. But Sam Aniama, description that ‘In Lagos, we do not drive cars, we are only hitting one another’, when he was asked to compare the driving in Lagos to the one in Berlin smacks of unpatriotism, even though it is close to the truth. Dorthee Wenner’s project, which is laudable especially in this age when Nigeria seeks to correct certain prejudices handed down over the years is reputed to have seived about 44 potential enterpreneurs before settling for the three that finally made the trip to Germany. But it is pertinent to point out that of all the business partnerships the three tried to forge, only Dolapo Ajayi’s model of estate development would be actually beneficial to Nigeria as a country. Femi Oladipo and Sam Aniama, would end up ensuring that the scarce foreign exchange is shipped out of Nigeria, there by placing Germany at an advantage in trems of balance of trade. With Dorothee Wenner’s experience in the African film industry where she is the longestserving juror in African Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, it would have been nice that she highlights the business of filmmaking in Ni-

Set of Drama Consult geria as an enterprising one. Or did she not meet people in this line of endeavour? The fact that this film was made with Germans in mind can also be seen when Sam Aniama engages one of his potetial partners who could not speak English as no sub-titling was provided in this regard. Some viewers will also quarrel with Biyi Olugbodi’s assertion that ‘only the greedy one gets defrauded’ in buisness dealings. This is not quite true, considering what Nigerian fraudsters have done in the past. All business proposala that have ended in fraud did not begin by painting pictures of high profit margins. Dorothee Wenner must however be commended for beginning this conversation. It is good that she has initiated a discussion that Nigeria is not all about fraud and prostitution and doing so with real people in HD-quality pictures makes the engagement very believable. This project will however make more sense if Germans take all the information therein wholeheartedly.

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Critics

Friday, June 5, 2015

However, the most prominent shortcoming of

‘Baba Hafusa’, is its narrow range of topics Olomoge: Another high-life inspired track that falls very far from the tree. Local Rappers feat. Olamide & Phyno: Reminisce enlists Olamide and Phyno for a massive track titled “Local Rappers” that leaves much to be desired. Created to celebrate the astounding success of indigenous hip-hop in the Nigerian music scene, “Local Rappers” features a mammoth-sized beat and hook produced by Tyrone but the trio fails woefully to deliver an iconic piece as expected. Tesojue: Reminisce shows his dirty side on “Tesojue”, the hit lead single of the album. On the attention-demanding track, the self-acclaimed layon brags about his love-making skills to impress his love interest. Alagbara feat. Sossick: Assisted by Sossick on the production side and with an enchanting hook, Reminisce takes us to the religious realm on “Alagbara”. Reminisce reminisces and acknowledges the unending nature of God’s blessing. Otiya: Finally a decent solo high-life number on “Baba Hafusa”. Kokoshi: Decent filler about the ladies to satisfy his core fans. Busayo ft. Ice Prince: Ice Prince brings the “Fire of Zamani” as he couples up with the host to deliver a banging heavy rap number titled “Busayo”. The duo exchange bars, doing it for the ladies at the same gliding on the Young John crafted beat. Nothing feat. Sojay & Vector: Sojay makes a second appearance on “Baba Hafusa” alongside Vector on the mid-tempo “Nothing”. The Sarz production ensures that the trio shines. Outro: The beat of the closing number is sick. Nonetheless, Remi closes the LP as he thanks the fans, gives Sojay a shoutout and tells the listener to expect his fourth album soon. Let It Be Known feat. Sojay: A stellar cut with Sojay found at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the most prominent shortcoming of ‘Baba Hafusa’, is its narrow range of topics. Over half of the songs on the album were about women, and the lyrics were thick with sexual innuendo. While that is not a problem in itself, this is quite contradictory to the general perception evoked by the album art and title, and points to a less than thorough song selection process for the album. Apparently, the Baba Hafusa album title is just a title; perhaps they should have left it as just a track name. Also, the production on the album, as a whole, was of dubious value. Reminisce would have done well to step out of the familiar, and explore other creative options like Kidkonnect, Ikon, Majorbangz, XO for this project. Let it be known that Reminisce’s talent, as an MC, is irrefutable; I just wish he had endeavored to make the creative leap that this project so direly needed.

BOOK

I Remember Earlier this year I decided to read Joe Brainard’s cult classic, ‘I Remember’. The book had long intrigued me for I had heard that it was widely taught in creative writing courses. Sarah L adipo

was immediately drawn to Brainard’s style, each line starting with the words “I remember.” As I read it, I found myself jotting down remembrances of my own, complementing Brainard’s memories of America with my memories of Nigeria. I was enjoying this little book, reading it slowly, taking my time to appreciate the beauty and originality of the writing while remembering and reminiscing. It was a soothing and creative project until I came to this: I remember feeling sorry for black people, not because I thought they were persecuted, but because I thought they were ugly. I remember gasping. I remember thinking, So this is what Zora Neale Hurston meant when she wrote, “I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background.” I remember ugly. I remember not wanting to continue, but continuing all the same. I remember it got worse several lines later when Brainard writes: I remember speculating that probably someday science would come up with some sort of miracle cream that could bleach skin, and Negroes could become white. I remember thinking, “So this is his solution, to make everyone white?” I remember returning to Auster’s glowing preface. I remember wondering if Auster felt anything close to my shock and sadness when reading those lines. I remember not wanting to be disappointed in Auster. I remember helping myself to some chocolate, and then to more. I remember not being hungry, but eating as though starved. I remember wondering if I was over-reacting. I remember wondering if I was becoming consumed with race. Thirteen years ago I wrote an essay entitled “Oyinbo,” an autobiographical account of my personal experiences with race and racism. The narrative began with my countries of origin, Nigeria and England, and my parent’s marriage— with my white mother who was disowned by her parents for choosing to marry a black man. The essay then wound its way through other places where I have lived or traveled—France, Zimbabwe, the U.S., and South Africa. I wrote of the social construction of race as found in America and Southern Africa and how these particular societal constructions of race were largely

I wrote of the social construction of race as found

America and Southern Africa in

alien to me, having been raised in Nigeria. I also wrote of race in the U.K., which was partially eclipsed by the prevalence of social class, Britain’s preferred mode of social segregation. Before we were married, my husband asked me if I identified as “black.” I remember thinking this an odd question. I thought it should be obvious that I identified as black even though I was, “technically,” half black and half white. But right there, in the making of the half-black and half-white observation, was, perhaps, where some of my husband’s concerns lay. What I didn’t fully appreciate at the time was the history behind my husband’s question. He had grown up in apartheid Rhodesia where he experienced segregation and racism very much as African Americans would have experienced it in 1960s America. It was important, therefore, for my husband to feel reassured, especially for the sake of any future children, that they would feel secure in their “race.” I, in contrast, raised in Nigeria during the 1970s and ’80s, did not grow up with race as a defining element of my upbringing or identity. Nigeria has no history of apartheid and no established tradition of societies structured along racial lines. Twenty years of living in America has cured me of any whimsical notions I once held about the fluidity of racial categorization, and race now presents me with the following dilemma. When talking about race there is always a part of me that feels as though I am perpetuating and legitimizing it, giving it the fixed status that it should never have. But then not to talk about race, or to try to ignore it, is not only impractical but also irresponsible. I therefore try to follow what I feel James Baldwin so wisely advocates in many of his essays: to remain committed to the struggle against racism while trying to keep my heart free of hatred and despair. But with every passing year this has proven more difficult, even for someone who, by virtue of my gender, fair skin, and privileged socio-economic status is frequently cocooned from the nastier manifestations of racial discrimination. It has become increasingly hard to keep my heart free of despair while noticing the effects of discrimination, especially as it pertains to young black men in America. And since the birth of my son it has become increasingly personal. I ended “Oyinbo,” wondering what my son’s experience of race might be like when he became a young man: My son Julian was pink with bright blue eyes when he was born, but now he has my coffeeand-cream colored complexion and dark brown eyes. Everyone says he, two years old, is cute—Oh, he’s adorable! Oh, he’s darling! What a cutie! He’s such a looker!—It warms my heart but I wonder, when he’s a teenager, tall, gangly, and black, what will people say? ~ I have long known that my son would encounter racism, for even in the seemingly liberal, tolerant city of San Francisco where we live, we experienced several racial incidents in his early years. I remember there was the woman at the playground who whispered to her white child not to touch my son because he was “dirty.” I remember our babysitter from Mexico, as she recalled this episode, crying and repeating, “He wasn’t even sandy!” I remember, on other occasions, biting my tongue—not because what I overheard of third-graders’ fantasy play was meant to wound, but because it suggested that school or parents were neglecting to teach something essential about the history and legacy of race in America. “I’ll be President Wash-

ington,” announced my son’s friend, placing a neck cushion on top of his straight brown hair to imitate a wig. “And you,” he said, pointing to my son, “shall be my slave.” But even as I expected my son to encounter yet other forms of racism, I would never have predicted that he would come of age during a spate of highly publicized police killings of black men. Nor would I have thought that the words of civil rights activist Ella Baker would remain as relevant and urgent today as they were fifty years ago: “Until the killing of black men, black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s sons—we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.” When I wrote “Oyinbo,” I had hoped for progress, not regression, around issues of race, but instead, in the intervening years, economic inequalities between blacks and whites have risen, as have incarceration rates for black men and reports of police brutality against them. It was in the context of the recent shootings of young black men that my family had the following conversation: We were walking home from dinner on a cold San Francisco night when my husband turned to our teenage son and said: “I hope you don’t wear your hoodie up at night, not when it’s dark, and if we’re not with you.” “No,” our son replied. “Only if I’m alone. Or if I’m cold.” “But you shouldn’t wear it at all,” my husband insisted. Our son sighed, unable to conceal his impatience. “I’m serious about this one,” his father repeated. “Okay?” I sensed that if I could peek around the edge of our son’s hoodie, I would have found him rolling his eyes in frustration. He was annoyed, and I didn’t blame him. It is annoying to have to be so careful about how one dresses when other young people don’t have to practice the same vigilance. Yet the tragic reality for young black men in this country is that the color of their skin marks them as threatening. The statistics are frightening—young black men in America are shot dead by police at twenty-one times the rate of young white men. There is nothing we can do to make our fifteen-year-old son any shorter than his current height of six foot three, but we can encourage him to dress in such a way that will, hopefully, make him appear less “threatening.” “It’s just one of those sad things,” said father t o son.

Book Cover

Inside FCT

Friday, June 5, 2015

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May 29: Bikes, tricycles take over FCT

Regina Otokpa

ajor streets within the Federal Capital Territory witnessed an invasion of bikes, tricycles commonly known as Keke, on the 29th day of May, as power formally changed hands from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, even as military posts were mounted at strategic points to ensure law and order. All over Abuja, they were dancing and sweeping of floors with brooms, the emblem of the party as residents welcomed the administration of President Muhammad Buhari amidst so much fanfare with chants of ‘Sai Baba’ with posters of the President pasted on every available surface including vehicles, bikes even as brooms were used to decorate them as well. According to Joshua Ubah it was a thing of joy to witness a peaceful transition in a period when everything seems to stagnant. “I for one have been skeptical that at the dying minute something might just go wrong especially now that we don’t even know where we are going to in this country but to God be the glory, everything went on smoothly. “Even with the scarcity of fuel, you can see how the whole place is choked up with vehicles, trucks, keke, and bikes just driving to and fro playing music and chanting accolades of the new president. It shows that the people are happy with their choice of government,” he added. Morgan expressing optimism with the new administration noted that, “we all know the problem of Nigeria, corruption and today a no nonsense man as far as corruption is concerned is taking over the seat at Aso Rock, so I have every reason to be happy. We have suffered long enough in the hands of individuals who feel the destiny of every Nigerian is in their hands, change has finally come and I am positive that we Nigerians will not regret this day. Look around you, what do you see? The mood around the city tells you in plain English that if Jonathan had not placed that call or if the results had been tampered with,

Tricycle riders

the celebration you see all around would have been destruction of innocent lives and properties.” However, few persons including Oluchi Damian however did not find the situation appealing. “The whole place is rowdy, when I saw numerous bikes at Mabushi area on my way to town I was complaining but on getting to Berger, I discovered it was best I kept my mouth shut. These are areas where ever since the ban we don’t see bikes or tricycles due to the manner in which they conduct themselves. I hope this freedom ends today because we all know the implication if this is allowed to go on after today. I still remember the day results were announced, some bikers lost their lives, others injured and that was even in the suburbs but am surprised that instead of riding normally and gently on the highway where we have drivers who

are possessed with speed, most of them are still trying to show their acrobatic skills as though it is not enough that there are no more brooms to buy in the market, ”Oluchi lamented. Erasmus Chidiozie on his part, called on the new government to deviate from restoring policies that would endanger the lives of the citizenry. “I do not hold any grudge against anyone but I think the new administration needs to be care-

ful so they don’t put us all in trouble by taking us back to square one. I heard President Buhari allowed some actions to take place in the FCT for only that day but to me that was a wrong move. Don’t be surprised if gradually some of these things start coming back especially commercial bikes in the heart of the town and before you know it, snatching of bags, accidents and what have you will be on the rise,” he added.

The whole place is rowdy, when I saw numerous bikes at Mabushi area on my way to town I was complaining but on getting to Berger, I discovered it was best I kept my mouth shut

Traffic lights compound road congestion in satellite towns Olufemi Adeosun

he moves by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to ease traffic congestion at the capital city, Abuja are beginning to yield the expected result. First was the introduction of road-breakers to check excessive speed which officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission linked to the high number of road accidents recorded on the roads on a daily basis. However, while the massive deployment of traffic lights has substantially restored normalcy on the roads, it is creating confusion in satellite towns of Kubwa, Mararaba, Nyanya and Deidei. Inside FCT checks revealed that rath-

er than paving the way for a thoroughfare on the roads, the massive deployment of the gadgets is now the major cause of traffic snare in some of the urban villages in Abuja. For instance, in Kubwa, perhaps for

lack of education on the use of the gadgets particularly by the predominantly illiterate okada riders and motorists who have scant knowledge of road signs, the traffic lights are creating more confusion than it was before the installation of the

The installation of the traffic lights is a step in the right direction as it will not only help to prevent the daily carnage on our roads, but also help to restore

normalcy.

Prior to the installation of the

devices, we were all witnesses to the daily road abuses

Abuja traffic lights

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Inside FCT

Friday, June 5, 2015

FCT teachers lament dying art culture Joel Ajayi

istory has it that in the precolonial era, creativity industry played critical roles in fasttracking the growth of rural economies through the abundant array of crafts and ancillary industries that served as adjunct to farming. In the 60’s, drawing, sculpture, paintings, ceramics, textiles, fabrics, fashion, apparels, weaving, embroidery, garment, exquisite leather, interior décor designs, classic ceramics, decorative pottery, handmade bronze, brass, metal designs, cultural amongst other were the most important weapons in nation-building, empowerment, job creation and wealth creation. But today, such pride has been thrown into dust-bin, the creativity culture among the Nigerian students, teachers is gradually fading away. The habit of creativity in Federal Capital Territory is no longer considered fundamental and important due to the accessibility of social media such as twitter, Facebook, Whataps, 2go and countless sources of entertainment deemed more attractive and enjoyable. Inside FCT investigations revealed numerous factors responsible for the deterioration of art culture in Nigeria and capital city of the nation, attitude of some art teacher, students, government even parent while many said stakeholders in creativity sector in the country had failed to take serious steps against the ugly development. On her own, Coordinator of Universal Basic Education FCT Board, Mrs. Uche Onwugbufor, lamented the dying art culture among the teachers that need to impact that knowledge to the students quoting the biblical injunction that “if foundation spoils what shall righteous do? Our problem in Nigeria is we don’t want to nurture and develop our own, we neglect most of our art, our focus is on crude oil, but unfortunately the price of oil is going down and today, if you listen to former Finance Minister, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala recently, based her talk on creative art starting from grassroots, pri-

Art class

mary up till degree level. “It is not encouraging, when you see most of vocational schools gradually going down in the country student refuse to come to fine art class at secondary school level. Attitude of some art teacher is not encouraging; we need to revive the dying art culture in Nigeria.” As for Mr. Gabriel Bature, a fine art teacher at GSS Wuse Zone Government School Abuja, disclosed that one of the reasons for the poor creativity, and dying art culture in the FCT could be traced down to lack of zeal by both

teachers and students aside influence of the Internet. He also, blamed government for putting more emphasis on science, subject to art: “Science teachers are receiving special salary, adequate training, workshop but art and creativity which is origin of man has been relegated to nothing, no training for art teacher. Students would not mind spent the whole day chatting with a friends than use just 30 minutes to do just one artistic job. It is better we look at the brighter side of life and harness our rich human resources,

Dying art culture in the FCT could be traced down to lack of zeal by both teachers and students aside influence of the Internet.

He also, blamed government for laying more emphasis on science

devices. Apart from that, it was also discovered that the devices are not producing the desired results because of the roads are narrow. An Abuja based public affairs analyst, Mr. Durosimi Aloba who spoke with Inside FCT on the matter stated that, installation of traffic lights would not on its own end traffic congestion without adequate sensitisation of roads users. He stated,” The installation of the traffic lights is a step in the right direction as it will not only help to prevent the daily carnage on our roads, but also help to restore normalcy. Prior to the installation of the devices, we were all witnesses to the daily road abuses. “However, let me be quick to add that these devices on their own cannot end traffic snarl in Abuja, particularly in its suburbs which about 75 per cent

of road users are illiterate. For the devices to achieve the desired result, the FCT administration should engage the FRSC with a view to designing massive enlightenment campaign programme geared towards educating motorists and other road users on what various icons of the road traffic lights symbolize. A motorist, Mr. Ayoola Jade complained that the devices had not been effective because of the volume of vehicular movement on the roads, particularly on the narrow roads of Kubwa and other satellite towns. According to him, in addition to massive education of road users, government should find a way of expanding the roads to accommodate more traffic at a time. Apart from that, Ayoola added that the absence of FRSC officials on the roads to enforce compliance with the road signs,

time in growing knowledge industries and harness these potentialities as investments into our future for holistic national development.” Sharing his perspective, Mr.Akinkunmi Ajibade, a teacher at the Government Secondary School, Area 10, Abuja, said lack of proper sensitisation and ICT compliance preached in the world as another factor that affects the teacher of the fine art and other creativity in secondary school level. “Students are no longer interested in art class any longer, everybody wants to work in banks, and every student wants to become Doctor, if you asked them ‘do you like to become a fine art instructor? The answer is God forbid. So, how would as a teacher justapose that? In my school I don’t have up to three fine students out of over 200 SS1 students my brother this is serious,” he groaned. He called for proper sensitisation by governments, while making the subject compulsory at primary and secondary school levels. was also a major issue government should try to address. According to him, people beat traffic lights with impunity with no one to apply sanctions. “Rather than ameliorating the suffering of the people, particularly during the rush hours, the introduction of traffic lights on our roads in Kubwa, is worsening traffic. Although the lights are there to coordinate the flow of traffic through their various signs, people float them with impunity. “Because there is usually no official of the law to enforce compliance, motorists abuse the prescriptions of the lights without consequences. We need government to deploy FRSC officials on the roads to enforce compliance. Until that is done, the installation of the traffic lights will continue to constitute impediment to free flow of traffic,” he said.

Mirror Mongers

Friday, June 5, 2015

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Money, marriage and ‘the mess’

Are you in Anambra State?

Obiano

Abigail and Fashanu

dmitted, this is not the best of times in the state that prides itself as ‘Home for All’. Not with the terrible tanker accident that claimed over 60 lives at the weekend, leaving everyone devastated. Actually a few days before then, residents of the state were in contention with the governor, Willie Obiano over whether the proposed ban on motor bikes and tricycles

should go on or not. It had led to arguments that took over the entire air wave. But that aside, it is good to also draw the attention of the governor to the heaps of refuse that are re-appearing on some major roads in Onitsha, as shown in this picture captured under the flyover over located close to Tarzan area of the town. MM gathered that the story is similar when one goes down to the Old Road leading to Nkpor too. Yes, something needs to be done about it.

Legislature and job creation

omeone claimed he is conducting a research on why celebrity marriages crash as soon as they are consummated, so we may have to wait for the document before looking for whom to blame between John Fashanu and Abigail Igwe. But the story from their end is really messy and has a new twist every new day. At the last count, the police have been invited into the matter. The estranged wife Abigail allegedly tried to get the popular sports Ambassador arrested over issues relating to football fraud and possession of a gun. According to a petition written to the police by Abigail, it stated that John Fashanu is in possession of unlicensed gun and has also plotted a move to send footballers abroad with-

out passports. One Mr Michael Success, who handles media for Fashanu captured it thus: “This is another frustrated trick by Abigail, my boss’ ex-wife to bring him down... yes Fashanu was invited to the police station based on the petition but he was able to clear the air. It’s true the company has a licensed gun for protection over attacks like this from a frustrated woman. Fashanu is known all over the world and his positive antecedents in sports development in Africa speaks volumes of his personality, I won’t be surprised if Abigail accuses him of kidnapping soon because an old woman is never old when it comes to the music she knows how to dance very well.”

Photo portrait business booms

Sen Goje

ow did they say it? Nothing is good or bad; only thinking makes it so! Or the cup could be ‘half-empty or half-full’, depending on the perspective of the observer. That seems to be the position of the various parties involved in the debate over the bloated cost of governance in Nigeria once re-emphasised by former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili. Of course, one of the issues on the front burner has been what to do with

ONE-SECOND &

With

BOLA AJIBOLA

the Steve Oronsaye report which recommends the merger and scrapping of some federal government agencies if the government wants to maintain a healthy financial outlay. The matter also came up for debate at the Senate and former governor, Danjuma Goje, a senator quickly rose to shut it down, by positing that government officials with their retinue of aides were also helping to stem the high unemployment rate in the country. That is part of job creation?

Nigerians have been voicing their desires to the new federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, concerning the way forward. Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN), former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice shares his views:

Portraits on sale

ow many jobs did the new government in Nigeria promise to create within the first 100 days in office? If

fighting The new government is clear on ng on ethi som say to t wan corruption. You this? the need think I agree with Buhari on kills us for killing corruption before it der him but doing so should not hin he is exthat gs thin n mai from doing the Nigerifor er bett life e mak pected to do to ling batt e tim r you all st inve ans. You do not take not do you If ion. upt only that corr problems care of other necessities, the corruption. there will continue to breed ced you redu be or stop to For corruption health, on, cati edu nd sou need to provide ything ever and er wat s, road d security, goo er. bett life e that will mak

you have the figures, you might have to add this one that has become the rave of the moment. That is the business of photo portrait. Yes, everywhere you go, you will see young men displaying the framed photos of the new President Muhammadu Buhari and of course, the various state governors. And they are selling like hot cake because every office has been replacing the old items. The buzz is that aside from Buhari, those of the governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode and of course, Nyesom Wike of Rivers are most in demand. For those who cannot afford the money being mentioned for such portraits, there are lower ones which come in the form of calendars with not just 20115 dates but 2016 as well.

Friday, June 5, 2015 18 Shaban, 1436

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Call to Worship

On the authority of Anas bin Malik, the servant of the Messenger of Allah, the prophet said: “None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”

RELATED BY BUKHARI AND MUSLIM

Edinburgh Central Mosque

Watch out for special Ramadan package OH Allah! Lengthen our lives, increase us in Iman, Taqwa, Rizq and good health to be among those that will witness another set of 30-days full of Rahma, with a night equivalent to 83 years of worship. As usual, your darling National Mirror Newspaper will be on ground to dish out the daily spiritual diets to our teeming darling readers. May we be among the partakers of the glorious month, Aamin.

Let the information keep flowing to all daddies, mummies, brothers and sisters in Islam. May Allah (SWT) reward you abundantly as you create this needed awareness, Amin! For further enquiries, please contact: Assistant Editor, – SEKINAH LAWAL: call or text: 08055102994, email: sakinah207@yahoo.com.

Edinburgh Central Mosque (officially known as the King Fahd Mosque and Islamic Centre of Edinburgh) is located on Potterrow near the University of Edinburgh central area and the National Museum of Scotland. The mosque and Islamic centre was designed by Basil Al-Bayati, and took more than six years to complete at a cost of £3.5m.[2] The main hall can hold over one thousand worshippers,[3] with women praying on a balcony overlooking the hall. The mosque holds chandeliers and a vast carpet, with very little furniture. The architecture combines traditional Islamic features with some Scots baronial style.

Leadership as Exemplary Conduct A

uthority is a curb to the willful souls of men, Every leader, then, should put on the mantle of dignity, whether in town or country. Manifest your love of what is excellent, and of worthy people; show your hatred of corruption and corrupt people. Adorn your body, perfume your breath and make comely your apparel with the adornment

Setting goals for Ramadan 28

that are permissible without imitation or reducing the treasure to bankruptcy. Do not deck yourself with gold, or silver, or valuminous silk for that is shameful, ignoble and improper. Sit cross-legged when you seat yourself, be still as far as you rare able and do not fidget even with your hand. Let your eyes be downcast though your looks be searching and your

Preparing for Ramadan (1) 29

glances observant. Approach men with due courtesy. Do not open your mouth even in order to yawn. If the urge to yawn come to you utter the name of your Lord and it will pass from you. But if you have allowed the desire to overpower you then cover your mouth with the back of one of your hands. The poet says:

Quoted from: Principles of Leadership According to the Founding Fathers of the Sokoto Caliphate Collated and edited by Hamid Bobboyi with the Compliments of His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar mni, CFR, LLD, Sultan of Sokoto

Exalted status of Prophet (SAW) (3)

Call to Worship

18 Shaban, 1436 Friday, June 5, 2015

Setting goals for Ramadan A

ren’t we lucky as a nation? Well, I count us quite lucky that our transition period coincides with the sacred, fasting and glorious months of Rajab, Sha’aban and Ramadan! Indeed, we’ve seen signs of answered prayers as a nation and we really need to keep on praying for our leaders as we enter the glorious month of all months, the month of Ramadan. As Abu Hurairah was reported to have said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Ramadan has come to you - a blessed month. Allâh has made obligatory upon you its fasting. In it, the gates of heaven are open, the gates of the Hellfire are closed and the evil devils are chained. To Allâh belongs a night in it, which is better than a thousand months. Whosoever is prevented from its good, then he has been deprived.” This Prophetic saying is indeed a glad tidings to the righteous servants of Allah, the Most-High. We must be ready to do a lot of self-rectification and repentance by taking advantage of this virtuous month. Being able to reach Ramadan is a magnificent bounty in itself, bestowed upon the one who reaches it and rises to its occasion, by standing in prayer during its night and fasting during its day. Therefore, we must pray to Allah for enthusiasm and strength in the month. Unfortunately, many do not know the value of this virtuous occasion to be used for obedience, worship, recitation of the Qur’an, giving charity and dhikr. Especially for some women who see the month as a time to prepare varieties of foods and drinks. While doing so, many sleep during obligatory prayers, not praying in congregation or in their proper times. And when they pray with the people, they do so hurriedly. Also, many working Muslims face the added challenge of balancing their obligations to worship and work. We must plan how to manage our time and maximise our gains in Ramadan. Our goal should be how to get as many blessings as possible in Ramadan. Let us make this Ramadan our BEST ever! This we can do by treating this Ramadan like it is our last because we have no control over our souls.

Really, there is no guarantee that you will witness Ramadan next year, so prepare for this year’s Ramadan accordingly. This may be the last time you will

Many do not know the value of this virtuous occasion to be used

for obedience, worship, recitation of the

Qur’an,

giving charity and dhikr

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THE PLATFORM with

Sekinah

Lawal E-mail: sakinah207@yahoo.com t: 08055102994

be able to fast this blessed month, pray tarawih in jama’at and complete reading the Qur’an among other acts of ibadah. This type of mindset will help us a lot in being more focused and determined. The quality of our ibadah will increase, our concentration in Salah will improve and our approach to understanding the verses of the Qur’an will change. We must set our goals for Ramadan to measure our achievements. So, in this month of Sha’ban, let us warm up for Ramadan by increasing in our ibadah, performing more nafl fasts, We can avoid distractions by reducing use of phone, computer, watching television, idle conversations and usage of social media. Let’s be more conscious of those who are in need and strive to feed them.

L-R: Celebrant’s daughter and Chairman, Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, Lagos Chapter, Mrs. Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu; celebrant’s husband, Pa Kareem Kehinde; celebrant, Mrs. Olayinka Kehinde; Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ’s Presidential aspirant, Alhaji Waheed Odusile of The Nation and NAWOJ President. Mrs. Ifeyinwa Omowole at the 80th birthday celebration of Madam Kehinde in Lagos recently.

Place your adverts here for optimal reach Zakat Is 2.5% Of Your Total Wealth Known As Nisab After Having Fulfilled All obligations, pay your zakat

L-R: Celebrant’s children, Idris Kehinde, Mrs. Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu; celebrant’s husband, Pa Kareem Kehinde; celebrant, Mrs. Olayinka Kehinde; Mrs. Kudirat Folawewo; Lanre and Dipo Kehinde at their mum’s 80th birthday celebration in Lagos recently.

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Preparing for Ramadan (1)

amadan is unique in many ways. It is the only month which every Muslim long to witness. It is the only month with laylatul-Qadr wherein the reward for a single night of worship is equal to that of one thousand months. It is the only month wherein all good deeds are rewarded in manifold. It is the only month of worship wherein only Allah (SWT) knows whether one is actually fasting. All other acts like Salaat, Zakaat, Hajj, etc. are seen by people. Thus, this special place of Ramadan fast requires that one prepares adequately to maximise the reward. First, one needs philosophical cum intellectual preparation. Here one must understand the true meaning of fasting, especia-ly in this month. All readings and questions about Ramadan should have been done before starting it. All enlightenments in the media or as public harangue should have been done to prepare the ummah for the great worship. In fact, such sponsors will get more reward than those who do it in Ramadan because they will get commissions by way of reward to the extent of the beneficiary of the enlightenment. The ummah of Islam is an

Call to Worship

Friday, June 5, 2015 18 Shaban, 1436

organized one but this we are not bringing to bare in our activities. It is high time therefore that the enlightened Muslims individuals or groups synergized for better utilization of all resources. What the ummah spends on some programmes in Ramadan can take care of welfare matters befalling the indigent Muslims. We can raise these funds in Ramadan and disburse it judiciously thereafter. The donors will still get their reward in full. A fasting Muslim should realise that fasting is not just for its sake. Scholars have tried to categorise it into three grades namely sawmul-‘umuum, sawmul-Khusuus and sawmu khusuusil-khusuus. The first is an ordinary or general fast. Here people simply avoid eating, drinking and intercourse but they engage in all kinds of sins like lying, backbiting, watching films, wasting time, etc. These kinds of people are like someone eating sawdust but claims that he is fasting because he believes eating is just to eat something. Every sensible person knows that man cannot just eat or drink anything. So the same, it is not just enough to claim that you are

fasting because you took the sahuur (pre-dawn meal). One needs to know that it is much more than that. The Prophet (SAW) has said that, “whoever does not eschew lying or acting by it; it is of no value to Allah (SWT) whether he fasts or not”. That is just one acid test of a fasting Muslim; does he comply with the above hadeeth? The implication is that one who fasts and lies has no reward for his fasting. It is same when one backbites while fasting. A practical case happened during the time of the Prophet (SAW). Two women fasted but could not continue it due to intense hunger. They sought permission to break it because they were at the verge of death. The Prophet required them to vomit what they took as sahuur. They did and to every one’s amazement, it was blood and piece of meat that filled the bowl. There and then, the Prophet (SAW) told the Companions that these women took lawful food for sahuur but broke it with backbiting. How many of us fast today without backbiting our fellow human beings? The issue of backbiting in our society has become

IN HIS LIGHT with

USTAZ

A. ZAFARAN e-mail: zatabumuneeb@yahoo.com terrible that most Muslims only waste their time with their claim of fasting Ramadan. The ball is now in your court to play it skilfully in the coming Ramadan, if Allah (SWT) wills, you will be opportune! The second grade of fasting is the special one. Here, the fasting Muslim guards his eyes against looking or watching anything forbidden. He does not look at the opposite sex lustfully either in contact or while watching television or surfing the internet. It is the recommendations of some scholars that one should avoid or minimize to the lowest level, interaction with the TV or internet because of the reality of nudity which has taken over all media avenues, etc. We should know that Ramadan is a month when discipline is expected at its peak. It is not a month of watching films or sleeping to while away the time. That time is what makes Ramadan. You should be able to

personally account for how you spend every moment of your Ramadan. Under this kind of fasting, people guard what their tongues utter. The tongue is every man’s lion. So, you do not let it loose. Ordinarily, without Ramadan, one’s tongue is a great trial. It becomes more trying if you fail to be cautious of what you say in Ramadan. You do not shout on people; you do not abuse; you do not curse; you do not lie; you do not backbite; you not engage in obscene talk, song or music; etc. This kind of fasting does not specifically allow the use of any part of the bodily parts in any evil or frivolity. The hands do not touch, buy or feel the prohibited, the legs do not go to forbidden places; the ears do not listen to anything forbidden of music or conversations – be it on the television, office, etc; the eyes do not also look at or watch all that are forbidden or that can make you sin against your Lord.

MSSN to organise quiz competition

L-R: Celebrant’s grand and great-grand children with Pa Kareem Kehinde and celebrant.

s part of its efforts towards promoting academic excellence and encouraging scientific advancement among Nigerian youth, the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit has concluded plans to organise the grand finale of Islam and Science Quiz Competition. In a release signed by the Amir, Engr. Kaamil Kalejaiye disclosed that the competition is to awaken the sleeping giants among secondary school students alongside tertiary institutions to

take up the challenge of developing keen interest in science-related field. Kalejaiye, while highlighting the objectives of the programme, stressed that it is meant to challenge students to think swiftly, apply skills and craftsmanship. The much awaited programme, which has as it’s theme: ‘The Scientific Nation; Unleashing the Potential Within’ is scheduled to hold on Sunday, June 7, 2015, at the Main Auditorium, Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo, Lagos by 9:00am.

Khalifah’s book on world peace distributed

L-R: Oyo State Coordinator, Qur’an Reading Competition, El- Hajj Abdul – Ganiyu Abdul- Salam, Sheikh Abdul- Rahman Adegboyega – Lawal; Sheikh Isiaq Kunle Sanni and the Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of South West, Nigeria, MUSWEN, Prof. Dawud Noibi at the Oyo State Chapter NACOMYO’s workshop on Shariah Financing Scheme” in Ibadan.

he book on the world crisis and way to peace written by the world head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, has been distributed to delegates at the African leaders conference on interreligious and inter-cultural initiatives in Cotonou Republic of Benin. In a release signed by Alhaji Qasim. Akinreti, the book published in Arabic, French and English

languages were received at the conference by the former Presidents of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo and Nosephor Soglo of Republic of Benin. The Amir Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Republic of Benin made presentation through the conference organisers. Delegates expressed appreciation for the book presentation because it focused on solution on peace and conflict resolutions.

Call to Worship

18 Shaban, 1436 Friday, June 5, 2015

Exalted status of Prophet (SAW) (3)

hat is more, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, having been proved to be perfect in both types of moral qualities, also serves as proof of the moral qualities of all Prophets, because he has testified to their prophethood, authenticated their scriptures and has shown the world that they were indeed Allah’s chosen people. This analysis also completely repels the objection that might possibly arise about the moral qualities of Masih [i.e., Jesus the Messiah]—namely, that the moral qualities of Hadrat Masih, peace be on him, cannot be established to a perfect degree with respect to both of the abovementioned types; rather, that they cannot be established even with regard to one type. Because the Masih showed patience under distress, the perfection of this quality would have been demonstrated only if the Masih had obtained authority and power over his persecutors and had forgiven his oppressors from the bottom of his heart, as did Hadrat Khatamul-Anbiya’, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who obtained complete victory over the Makkans and others and after virtually having his sword upon their throats, forgave them their crimes, and he punished only those few who had been condemned by a special decree of Allah the Almighty to undergo punishment. Besides these eternally accursed few, every sworn enemy was pardoned. And having achieved victory, he announced to them: [‘No blame shall lie on you this day’]. On account of this forgiveness of offences—which had appeared impossible in the estimation of his opponents who, considering their own misdeeds, deemed themselves condemned to death in the hands of their avengers—thousands of people accepted Islam instantly. Thus, the sincere steadfastness of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which he had demonstrated for a long period under their severe persecution became illumined in their eyes like the sun. As it is part of man’s nature that the grandeur and greatness of patience is illustrated perfectly only for the person who, after the time of persecution has been dispelled, forgives his persecutors after obtaining power to punish them; that is why the moral qualities ofthe Masih in the matter of patience and meekness and endurance were not fully demonstrated, and it did not become clear whether his patience and meekness was by his choice or was under compulsion. Because, the Masih did not acquire power and authority so that it could be judged whether he would have forgiven his enemies or taken revenge upon them. In contrast, the good qualities of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, were demonstrated and put to test on hundreds of occasions and their truth shone forth like the sun. The good qualities of kindness, large-heartedness, munificence, selflessness, manliness, bravery, chastity, contentment and withdrawal from the world were demonstrated so clearly and brilliantly in the case of the

Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that, let alone the Masih, there never was a Prophet before him who demonstrated them to such perfection. Because God Almighty opened for the Holy Prophet the doors to countless [worldly] treasures, he spent them all in the way of God and did not spend a penny on any kind of self-indulgence. He created no buildings and built no mansions; rather, he spent the whole of his life in a small mud hut that had nothing to distinguish it from the huts of the poor. He repaid evil with kindness and helped his tormentors in their distress out of his own wealth. He usually slept on the floor, lived in a small hut, and had barley bread to eat—and at times nothing at all. He was granted abundant wealth of the world, but he did not soil his holy hands with it and always preferred poverty to wealth and meekness to power. From the day of his advent to the day when he returned to his Companion on High, he attached no importance to anything except to his Benevolent God. Solely for the sake of God, he gave proof of his bravery, fidelity, and steadfastness on the battlefield against thousands of enemies when death appeared a certainty. Similarly did the Benevolent God cause all other moral excellences, associated with large-heartedness, generosity, contentment, courage, bravery, and love of God, to be manifested in the person of Hadrat Khatamul-Anbiya’ in such a manner as has never been displayed before nor ever will. In the case of Hadrat Masih, peace be on him, these moral qualities were not clearly established for they can only be proved in a period of authority and riches and the Masih did not find the period of authority and riches. Thus in his case, both types of moral qualitie remained hidden; hence the conditions were not present. However, this above-mentioned objection which can be raised against the deficiency in the case of the Messiah has been repelled by the perfect example of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, inasmuch as his beneficent example perfects and completes the case of every Prophet, and through him whatever had remained hidden or doubtful in the case of the Masih and other Prophets shone forth brightly. Revelation and prophethood came to an end in that holy person in the sense that all excellences reached their climax in him. [And this is Allah’s grace; He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases].’ (Barahin e Ahmadiyya, Part III, pp. 177 – 181) The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also wrote: ‘It is my personal experience that to obey the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] with a sincere heart and to love him, ultimately makes a person beloved of God. God creates in his heart a burning for His Own love and such a one, withdrawing his heart from everything else, leans towards God and his affection and desire remain only for God Almighty. Thereupon a special manifestation of Divine love falls upon him and, bestowing upon him the full colour of love and devotion, pulls him towards itself with great

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Every Friday with

Khalifatul

Ahmadiyya force. He then overcomes his passions and from every direction extraordinary works of God Almighty appear as signs in his support and to help him.’ [Essence of Islam, Vol. I, p. 210 - Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 22, pp. 67-68]. He also wrote the following about the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him): ‘The man who in his being and his attributes and his actions and through his spiritual and holy faculties set an example of perfection, in knowledge and action and in sincerity and steadfastness, and was called the perfect man was Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be on him].... The man who was most perfect as man and as

Prophet, and came with full blessings, and who through a spiritual revival and resurrection manifested the first Judgement in the world and revived the dead world, that blessed Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, the leader of the righteous ones, the pride of the Prophets, was Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. Our Lord, send down on that beloved Prophet that mercy and blessing that Thou hast not sent down on anyone since the beginning of the world. Had that grand Prophet not appeared in the world then we would have no proof of the truth of lesser Prophets like Jonah, Job, Jesus son of Mary, Malachi, John, Zechariah, etc.

Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Equatorial guinea, Dr. Mashood Adenrele Fashola presenting a gift of 1.1 Million France to Alhaji Sariki Ibrahim, during the 4th annual National Conference of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Cameroon, for the Cameroonian Army in support of their fighting the insurgence of Boko Haram in Northern Cameroon.

L-R: Chairman planning committee Engr. Sariki Bala Ibrahim; Dr. Mashood Adenrele Fashola; First Senior Assistance Divisional Army Officer Manfe Cameroon, Mr. Abolao Timothe; Naib Amir and Missionary In-charge Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Cameroon, Chard and Equatorial guinea, Maulvi Abdul Khalique Nayyar; representative of the Paramount King of Manfe Cameroon, High Chief, Emoh Takor Daniel and Chief Mayor, Manfe Cameroon, Mr. Ayuk Takunnchong John.

Participants at the conference.

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People In The Mirror

Friday June 5, 2015

L-R: Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Segun Oni; National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; APC chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande and National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, during a congratulatory meeting with the new Lagos governor, in Abuja, yesterday.

L-R : Director, Environmental Assessment Department, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. John Alonge; Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Nana Mede and former Director of Environmental Assessment, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Modupe Odubela, during the National Stakeholders Workshop on Revised Environmental Impact Assessment in Abuja, yesterday.

Commander of Onitsha Military Cantonment, Col. Mohammed Bello (right) presenting a trophy to captain of Barca FC, Barracks, Master Chigozie Onyekachi, during the Commander’s Cup male football competition finals in Onitsha, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Principal, Dolphin Junior High School, Mr. Isaac Adelowo; mother of the One Day Principal, Mrs. Maria Vodunu; Principal, Miss Stella Vodunu; Principal, Falomo Senior High School, Ikoyi, Mrs. Catherine Adeboye; Vice Principal, Falomo Junior High School, Mr. Omole G. and a parent, Mrs. Veronica Bessou, during their visit to Miss Vodunu in Lagos on Wednesday. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Head of Lagos Office, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Otunba Jide Adebayo; one of the two Dutch cyclists on a 17,000-kilometre journey en route Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Teun Meulepas and Head of NAN’s editorial operations in Lagos, Malam Yusuf Zango, during the cyclists’ stopover visit to NAN in Lagos, on wedenesday.

L-R: DIG ‘D’ Department, Mr. Dan’azumi Doma; Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase and DIG ‘C’ Department, Mr. Mamman Tsafe, addressing new police commissioners in Abuja on Wedenesday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Director of Operations, Buhari Support Organisation, Dr. Nasir Argungu; representative of the President, Chief Ikechi Emenike; APC chieftain, Prince Tony Momoh and former Special Adviser to former President on Niger Delta, Chief Timi Alaibe, during a talk shop on President Muhammadu Buhari change agenda and the Niger Delta struggle for development, in Abuja on Tuesday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe (right) and Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, during a partnership meeting in Ibadan, recently.

Arty News

Friday, June 5, 2015

Olu AKengbuwa: Nigerian artistes commend Uduaghan

Olu Akengbuwa set

NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

t was a recitation of the contributions of Emmanuel Uduaghan, the immediate past Governor of Delta State in the field of arts on May 28, 2015, following the successful hosting of the command performance of Olu Akengbuwa, a stage play written and directed by filmmaker, Alex Eyengho. The play which had earlier been staged in Warri, came on stage again at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, Delata State as part of activities to end the tenure of the governor. Leading the several artistes, from various states in Nigeria, who constituted the cast and crew of the production, Ejike Asiegbu, commended Emmanuel Uduaghan, whom he said encouraged the arts in both Delta State and Nigeria. “He is one of the governors who stood by our industry, who believes immensely in what we are doing. This was staged to honour him as he exits office. It is a way of wishing him well and hoping that the new governor would continue in this line because Delta has

Lasgidi Cultural Exhibition unveils young artists

Adewale Awesu

a place of pride in the culture map of the nation. Uduaghan has played his part and did it commendably.” Speaking, the director, Alex Eyengho, said the performance would not have been possible without the support of the governor who had in the past supported every effort to project the cultural heritage of the people of Delta State. The play is about Olu Akengbuwa, who was the 16th Olu of Warri and the last Warri monarch before the 88 years interregnum in Warri Kingdom. He was the longest occupier of the Warri throne and the wealthiest of all the Olus of Warri of his time. According to the producer and director, “This play is about the intriguing incidents that created a lacuna in the historical trajectory of the Warri Monarchical system, when for 88 years the Kingdom had no King. Historians link two of such incidents as immediate cause of the 88 years interregnum in Warri Kingdom: A curse placed on the Kingdom by a certain herbalist from Ife, Oyo empire, and a pronouncement by Olu Akengbuwa against his son, Prince Omateye.”

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asgidi Cultural Arts Exhibition, which was established in 2011 by Silverline Corporate Events has showcased raw young talents in their 5th Annual Lasgidi Arts Exhibition Show at Freedom Park Lagos Island, Lagos State. The exhibition is geared towards promoting and giving opportunity to student artists from higher institutions across the country. It avails the young student artist veritable platforms through exhibition to be accepted and acknowledged. The exhibition which started on Monday 1st of June ends tomorrow, Saturday 6th of June with selected 22 artists in participation. The artists that participated in this year exhibition are: Kute Yusuf Olajide, Oladejo Kazeem, Adewale Ojo, Poppla Olaniyi, Garuda Omotosho, Adewale Awesu, Ogunyemi Samson Boluwaji, Kuti Olajide, To misin Olabode, Ajibo Ikechukwu, Ayinde Kazeem, Ahamefule Magnus, Okpeyowa Marquis, Iskil Odunbori, Agbaje Julius, Gbolahan, Showole Tunde and Oyebamide Imole. Speaking about the event, the Exhibition Curator, Abebi Akerele said, “there is a meeting point for all creative arts, a point where all thoughts, postulations and prin-

Ajebo Ikechukwu

ciples seem to agree and find a common truth and harmony; where a single line of beauty runs through all the arts; where sensation of colours is felt in music and even on the plate; where poetry and drama are seen in colours and composition where one art inspires the other; where there is unity between verbal and visual aesthetics in an interdisciplinary manner that seeks to promote cultural facts and values”. The exhibition was no doubt a success as so many people were trooping in to see talents on canvass as the stories, ideologies and experiences of the selected artist are boldly represented in colourful images. Some of the artists talked about their works and the experience they have been exposed to. Oladejo kazeem, a student from Yaba Tech told the story behind his art work titled “The young survivor”- a painting of a young girl with her doll. According to him, “this depicts a young child who has survived a war. She went through a lot of hardship. As you can see, the background is red depicting war and this is inspired by the young Chibok girls in the North and the suffering they experienced in

the hands of Boko-haram”. His other painting “Ilare” depicts a woman plaiting hair. According to him, the painting talks about women and how they care so much about their hair. “Laughter” is another work that shows picture of children laughing. He said he was inspired by the kids in his compound. Adewale Awesu’s “Home coming” like Kazeem’s works captured social issues, telling a story of people returning to their homes after the business of the day. He said “My paintings are natural and based on characters and things happening around me”. Explaining “Joint venture”, he said “here I painted a woman selling beans and another woman selling bread and both are walking together. I called it joint venture because I have never seen a beans seller walking along with a bread seller. I always see them different so I was inspired to do the painting. I feel that if both can come together, they can achieve better result”. He also expressed hope that his works will be selected. “In 2012 three of my works were selected, I hope they will be picked again at this exhibition”.

Empress Njamah’s frolics with less-privileged

Empress Njama with the kids

REGINA OTOKPA

t was fun day and another day to remember for children drawn from various orphanage homes across Abu-

ja, as they marked the annual children’s day celebration with Empress Njamah. Known for her motherly attitude, she went an extra mile to ensure there was more than enough for the children dur-

ing and after the celebration with loads of freebie, free clothing and other necessary items to make life more comfortable for the kids. The actress, cognizant of the major issues of feeding and lack of adequate finance confronting most orphanage homes, she has always taken steps to shower much love and care while meeting these needs. One would expect that running nine orphanage homes, catering for the blind, disabled and women on wheel chairs would be a burden at some point but Empress has shown over the years she was called for charity. According to her, In addition to a recent purchase of 20 wheel chairs, she has organized skills acquisition trainings for the children in

various fields including catering and barbing, to inculcate a positive mindset and add value to their lives. She said:”We have about 11 celebrations every year where I rally these children to have fun with. I run nine homes in Abuja and for those of them who can’t come out like the blind we go to them. “We have also been dealing with the women on wheel chair for the past five years I we got them 20 new wheel chairs, the children from the different homes I sponsor them to trainings. We have seven graduates from the catering school and I am taking them further,” she added. Justina Akpehe, commenting on Empress’s passion for humanitarian acts, noted that it only takes a courageous heart, a lot of strength

and compassion to constantly give out so much to others who have no one to lean on. While encouraging the screen diva not to be deterred by financial challenges, she implored rich families to reach out to the needysaying “We mustn’t adopt children we can give what we can give to our child even when they are still in the orphanage home. You can pick a child in the orphanage home, leave that child in the home but train the child, visit the child and invite them home regularly spend time with them till when they can stand independently and you will discover you have added value to the child,” she said

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Friday, June 5, 2015

God didn’t give me talent for vulgar songs –Iyabo Olajubu Princess Iyabo Olajubu, daughter of ‘Bata mi a dun kokoka’ coroner, late Bunmi Olajubu, is an inspirational singer with passion to instill morals on society. She talks about her music in this interview with REGINA OTOKPA. You grew up in a music environment, where do you think Nigeria is yet to get it right? I must confess that we are doing greatly well musically or entertainment wise because there is lot of attention and audience given to the entertainment industry but the only thing we need to really work on is making all artistes and their music more relevant. You will find out that gospel music in Nigeria is not always encouraged like the way secular music are patronized every now and then, secular artistes are doing far better but we need to come to the realization that all of us cannot do the same thing, we all have different talents. The fact that God has given you the gift to perform secular kind of songs does not mean that he has given someone else the same talent. We need to learn to appreciate artistes irrespective of the kind of music they play. There is more attention in the secular music and songs that have to do with morals are fading off. I sing about morals, philosophies of life; what has happened, what is happening and some are religious, but you will find out that people who sing about things that are not of moral value to the society are more recognised and patronised than those who are talking about morals. There is no society that can do well without morals so we need to go back to the blackboard and appreciate what every artiste has to offer. For instance, some promotional artistes do not promote gospel or inspirational they come out to tell you to your face they can only promote secular music. It is a thing of backwardness to the music industry and that is why you find our inspirational and gospel singers lagging behind because they are not encouraged. There shouldn’t be discrimination in talents and that is the secret behind the success of the international society, rather than discriminate, they encourage the different talents. How can immoral content be checked? I don’t want to criticise those who don’t sing ‘moral’ songs, I am not the type that God has given the talent to write vulgar songs maybe because of my background and life style, I find myself writing songs that are educative. People will always write songs that are vulgar or immoral, probably that is their means of making ends meet but it can be checked by the broadcasting industry because they are the ones who play these songs mostly on air. Unlike when we were growing up, you will be amazed at the kind of songs children sing these days; before now there are certain songs children dare not sing in the presence of their parents but because of the exposure now which is a negative impact on our children, we will only end up producing wayward youths. Some broadcasting outfits are doing much better but we need all of them to check this

I DON’T WANT TO BLAME THE ABUJA ARTISTES; THE ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT GIVE THEM MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT trend which is getting out of hand. Your late mum was a legend; did she propel you to her line of career? Music is a passion and a talent in me, it is something I have been running away from over the years because I felt I have so many other things to attend to but it is a gift. Many people who are music inclined around me realised I got it and they encouraged me to explore it. I am not into music because my mum was a musician but because I am passionate about it. With your busy schedule as a business woman, how has the journey been so far? Making music in Nigeria has not been easy especially with the kind of music we write, the inspirational and moralistic music we don’t get encouraged. Could you tell us what people didn’t know about your mum? My mum late Regent Bunmi Olajubu, was a musician with two albums on the shelf before she left this world. She was a nice, easy going, compassionate woman and lover of children. Love was her watchword; she never discriminated but welcomed all. Has being late Bunmi Olajubu’s daughter helped you music wise? A lot, the little I have become and done musically is inclined to my mum’s legacy because my mum’s contemporaries have been so wonderful; i learnt a lot from them. When they discovered I got this talent they were the ones who encouraged me to forge ahead. Anywhere I go and my mum’s name is mentioned, it open doors for me. I am very proud to be associated with that name. How impactful was her music to society? My mum wrote songs like a prophet. Few days ago I was listening to her songs in my car and honestly speaking, they are still making impact on society because of the lyrics. Looking at the present situation in Nigeria, my mum did ‘Save Nigeria’ in 1985 but where is Nigeria today, we are saving Nigeria. The lyrics of the songs are exactly what Nigeria is facing right now. What comes to mind when your mum’s songs are being played? It makes me appreciate her more; as

Iyabo

a matter of fact I listen to her songs more than mine.

I love quality handbags and shoes, I can’t do without them.

Could you tell us a little bit more about yourself? As an inspirational singer, I write songs on things we probably ignore. My songs sometimes are proverbial in nature, I pick a proverb in the Yoruba language and develop it to pass my message. Most of my songs are in the Yoruba language because I get more inspiration from the language. I have songs like ‘Aye le’ which is talking about the dangers in the world, ‘Iwalewa’ character is beauty, ‘Ife mi’ a love song, I also have glorify him and so many more.

What advice do you have for Abuja artistes? I don’t want to blame the Abuja artistes so much, the environment does not give them much encouragement unlike Lagos. They should remain focused, be original. That I don’t write songs in English does not mean that I cannot speak English but I do not get my inspiration from English. Because someone sang about big bottom and it was a hit does not mean if you emulate him you would get same result. What people don’t know is that there is a powerful spiritual impact on inspirational lyrics, those who wrote great songs were inspired to write them.

How do you manage business, music, family and school? I work extra hard, I have a lot on my hands and that is why my music is coming up slowly. Music takes a lot of devotion and time and that is why I am taking it easy. I know what I want and how I want it to be. God is helping me run everything. As a fashion-inclined person, could you define your style? I have a regular look, very African, I love to look African. I love to promote African culture because we have deviated from it and more into the westernized culture. I still wear my natural hair, I want to pass a message across to beauticians and fashion inclined persons that with or without westernised fashion, our African beauty is still there. A beautiful woman with that touch of African makes you look more beautiful, I don’t believe in dressing too extravagant before I look good. People are even attracted to me. I attract a lot of attention abroad with my African braids, it’s a great wonder to them it was braided by hand. If I were wearing their kind of hair they wouldn’t be that attracted. What would you rather not do without in your wardrobe?

What are your expectations from the new government? Each dispensation has its own plans and programme but the entertainment industry should not be neglected rather encouraged, corrections should be made where necessary like the issue of immoral songs being heard all over the country, piracy should be a major concern to deal with and artistes should be drawn closer because music speaks volume, it carries a lot of weight in communicating with the citizenry to effect the change we have been clamouring for.

Escape

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Morocco:

Journey into rugged coastline

Dades Valley

This fascinating country, a merger of the African and Arab worlds, is also a journey into a timeless, rugged coastline, and with colourfulpainted towns that cling to hillsides. OLAWALE OLUWADAHUNSI WITH AGENCY REPORTS

orocco is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Geographically, Morocco is characterised by rugged mountainous interior and large portions of desert. It is one of only three countries (with Spain and France) to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. The Arabic name al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah meaning “The Western Kingdom” and Al-Maghrib are commonly used as alternate names. Morocco has a population of over 33 million and an area of 446,550 km2 (172,410 sq mi). Its political capital is Rabat, although the largest city is Casablanca; other major cities include Marrakesh, Tangier, Tetouan, Salé, Fes, Agadir, Meknes, Oujda, Kenitra, and Nador. A historically prominent regional power, Morocco has a history of independence not shared by its neigh-

bours. Its distinct culture is a blend of Arab, indigenous Berber, Sub-Saharan African, and European influences. Morocco claims the non-selfgoverning territory of Western Sahara as its Southern Provinces. Morocco annexed the territory in 1975, leading to a guerrilla war with indigenous forces until a cease-fire in 1991. Peace processes have thus far failed to break the political deadlock.

Biodiversity Morocco is known for its biodiversity; Avifauna being the most notable.[41] The avifauna of Morocco includes a total of 454 species, five of which have been introduced by humans, and 156 are rarely or accidentally seen. The Barbary lion, hunted to extinction in the wild, was a subspieces native to Morocco and is a national emblem. The last Barbary lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in 1922. The other two primary predators of northern Africa, the Atlas bear and Barbary leopard, are now extinct and critically endangered, respectively.

Tourism Tourism is one of the most important sectors in Moroccan economy, it is well developed with a strong tourist industry focused on the country’s coast, culture, and history. Morocco attracted more

Chefchaouen

than 10 million tourists in 2013. Tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner in Morocco after the phosphate industry. The Moroccan government is heavily investing in tourism development, in 2010 the government launched its Vision 2020 which plans to make Morocco one of the top 20 tourist destinations in the world and to double the annual number of international arrivals to 20 million by 2020, with the hope that tourism will then have risen to 20% of GDP. A large government sponsored marketing campaigns to attract tourists advertised Morocco as a cheap and exotic, yet safe, place for tourists, most of the visitors to Morocco continue to be European, with French nationals making up almost 20% of all visitors. Most Europeans visit

in April and the autumn, apart from the Spanish, who mostly visit in June and August In 2013. Morocco’s relatively high amount of tourists has been aided by its location, Morocco is close to Europe and attracts visitors to its beaches. Because of its proximity to Spain, tourists in southern Spain’s coastal areas take one- to three-day trips to Morocco. Air services between Morocco and Algeria have been established, many Algerians have gone to Morocco to shop and visit family and friends. Morocco is relatively inexpensive because of the devaluation of the dirham and the increase of hotel prices in Spain. Morocco has an excellent road and rail infrastructure that links the major cities and tourist destinations with ports and cities with

international airports. Low-cost airlines offer cheap flights to the country. Tourism is increasingly focused on Morocco’s culture, such as its ancient cities. The modern tourist industry capitalizes on Morocco’s ancient Roman and Islamic sites, and on its landscape and cultural history. 60% of Morocco’s tourists visit for its culture and heritage. Agadir is a major coastal resort and has a third of all Moroccan bed nights. It is a base for tours to the Atlas Mountains. Other resorts in north Morocco are also very popular. Casablanca is the major cruise port in Morocco, and has the best developed market for tourists in Morocco, Marrakech in central Morocco is a popular tourist destination, but is more popular among tourists for oneand two-day excursions that provide a taste of Morocco’s history and culture. The Majorelle botanical garden in Marrakech is a popular tourist attraction. It was bought by the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. Their presence in the city helped to boost the city’s profile as a tourist destination

Literature During the 1950s and 1960s, Morocco was a refuge and artistic centre and attracted writers as Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williamsand William S. Burroughs.

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Moroccan literature flourished with novelists such as Mohamed Zafzaf and Mohamed Choukri, who wrote in Arabic, and Driss Chraïbi and Tahar Ben Jelloun who wrote in French. Other important Moroccan authors include,Abdellatif Laabi, Abdelkrim Ghallab, Fouad Laroui, Mohammed Berrada and Leila Abouzeid. It should be noted also, that orature (oral literature) is an integral part of Moroccan culture, be it in Moroccan Arabic or Amazigh. Moroccan literature is written in Arabic, Berber and French. Under the Almohad dynasty Morocco experienced a period of prosperity and brilliance of learning. The Almohad built the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh, which accommodated no fewer than 25,000 people, but was also famed for its books, manuscripts, libraries and book shops, which gave it its name; the first book bazaar in history. The Almohad Caliph Abu Yakub had a great love for collecting books. He founded a great library, which was eventually carried to the Casbah and turned into a public library.

Music Moroccan music is of Amazigh, Arab and sub-Saharan origins. Rock-influenced chaabi bands are widespread, as is trance music with historical origins in Muslim music. Morocco is home to Andalusian classical music that is found throughout North Africa. It probably evolved under the Moors in Cordoba, and the Persian-born musician Ziryab is usually credited with its invention. A genre known as Contemporary Andalusian Music and art is the brainchild of Morisco visual artist/ composer/oudist Tarik Banzi, founder of the Al-Andalus Ensemble. Chaabi (“popular”) is a music consisting of numerous varieties which are descended from the multifarious forms of Moroccan folk music. Chaabi was originally performed in markets, but is now found at any celebration or meeting. Popular Western forms of music are becoming increasingly popular in Morocco, such as fu-

Essaouria

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sion, rock,country, metal and, in particular, hip hop. Morocco participated in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest, where it finished in the penultimate position.

Cinema Cinema in Morocco has a long history, stretching back over a century to the filming of Le chevrier Marocain (“The Moroccan Goatherd”) by Louis Lumière in 1897. Between that time and 1944, many foreign movies were shot in the country, especially in the Ouarzazate area. In 1944, the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), the nation’s film regulatory body, was established. Studios were also opened in Rabat. In 1952, Orson Welles’ Othello won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival under the Moroccan flag. However, the Festival’s musicians did not play the Moroccan national anthem, as no one in attendance knew what it was. Six years later, Mohammed Ousfour would create the first Moroccan movie, Le fils maudit (“The Damned Son”). In 1968, the first Mediterranean Film Festival was held in Tangier. In its current incarnation, the event is held in Tetouan. This was followed in 1982 with the first national festival of cinema, which was held in Rabat. In 2001, the first International Film Festival of Marrakech (FIFM) was also held in Marrakech.

Cuisine Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world . This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. The cuisine of Morocco is mainly Berber-Moorish, European, Mediterranean cuisines. The cuisine of Morocco is essentially Berber cuisine (sometimes referred to as the Moorish cuisine). It is also Influenced by Sephardic cuisine and by the Moriscos when they took refuge in Morocco after the Spanish Reconquista. Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients such as-

saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are homegrown. Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is beef; lamb is preferred but is relatively expensive. The main Moroccan dish most people are familiar with is couscous,[105] the old national delicacy. Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco,usually eaten in a Tagine with vegetables or legumes.

destination. But unlike its sister Imperial City to the south, Fes hasn’t been trussed up for the tourists. Fes el Bali (Old City) is an authentic muddle of a place where it’s near impossible to not get lost. The back alleys here with their chipped plaster-work and gorgeous old doors will have you stopping for photos on every corner, while the stinking tanneriesare one of Fes el Bali’s most popular attractions for those who can handle the smell.

Marrakesh Medina

Tangier

The bustling and vibrant buzz of Marrakesh Medina sums up Morocco for many visitors. The old city is entered from the vast plaza of Djemma el-fna Square where, it seems, half of the city converges throughout the day and into the evening to hang out with the stall vendors, traditional musicians, snake charmers and random acrobats. Once inside the Medina itself, you enter a world of maze-like alleyways and shopkeeper hustle. It’s an experience of full of colourful and noisy local life, and not to be missed on your Moroccan sightseeing trails.

Hassan II Mosque Casablanca’s landmark building, the Hassan II Mosque is a lavish symbol not only of the city, but also of Morocco itself. This modern mosque (finished in 1993) doesn’t do things by halves. The decoration detail covering every centimetre of the mammoth 2 ha site took 10,000 artisans to complete. Intricately carved marble pieces, vibrant mosaics and zellige tile details pay tribute to traditional Islamic architecture, and yet still manage to feel contemporary.

Oudaias Kasbah Rabat’s Oudaias Kasbah neighbourhood is a peaceful and perfectly quaint district that feels miles away from the city, yet is right in the heart. Inside the walls of this old fortress are lanes of neat white-and-blue houses rimmed by colourful flowerpots and flapping washing. It’s the prettiest corner of the capital.

Fes el Bali Along with Marrakesh, Fes is Morocco’s other big cultural

Hassan Mosque

The most European of all Morocco’s cities, Tangier has a fascinating and slightly debauched role in 20th century literary history, and this past is what draws many tourists here. This is the city that inspired famous works such as Paul Bowles’ “The Sheltering Sky” and William Burroughs’ “Naked Lunch”. Tangier may have been scrubbed up since their day with the bohemian cafes and louche bars long gone, but you can still catch a whiff of the decadent days gone by.

Chefchaouen In the beautiful Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen is a gorgeous labyrinth of blue-on-blue buildings that has an incredibly photogenic glow. There isn’t much actual sightseeing to be done and that’s one of the town’s main attractions. It’s simply about wandering the Medina alleys and lapping up all that colourful architecture. It’s a peaceful, easygoing town and a great place to recharge if you’ve been amid the cities for a while.

Volubilis Morocco’s number one Roman ruin is a feast for history-lovers with a clutch of remarkable mosaics still interred where they were unearthed. This site is also full of tumbled columns and temple remnants, standing as reminders that even the greatest empires eventually crumble. The hilltop location allows the ruins to lord over the surrounding countryside, adding to the romantic ambiance of lost glory. This tourist attraction can easily be visited as a day trip from either Meknes or Fes.

Bab al-Mansour

This mammoth gateway (which guards the entrance to Meknes’ Imperial City district from the Medina) is noted for its stunning decoration. Meant as a monumental reminder of the sultan’s might, the Bab al-Mansour is a magnificent relic of Meknes’ glorious era as capitAit Ben Haddou This golden adobe kasbah (fortress) thrusts dramatically out of the earth amid scenery that wows all who visit. It’s a fairytale place, and the orange-hued turrets have become a favourite film location due to the surreal beauty. If you’re heading out into Morocco’s inland regions, it should definitely be on your must-visit list.

Dades Valley Hikers, trekkers and general nature-lovers shouldn’t miss a journey into the raw landscapes of Morocco’s Dades Valley. With the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas in the distance, the big-sky country here is the perfect antidote for those who have been getting frazzled nerves amid the souks of Marrakesh and Fes. There are dinky villages galore, exceptional bird spotting opportunities and lush fields stretching as far as you can see.

Essaouira Morocco’s most charming seaside village is laid-back Essaouira, an old hippie haunt of the 1970s that has lost none of its authenticity. The colourful fishing boats bobbing on the water, stately old shore-side fort and twisty lanes of the old town make Essa (as it’s affectionately known by frequent visitors) a delight to discover.

Erg Chebbi Inland, in Morocco’s eastern Sahara region, are the grand and rippling sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi, where would-be explorers and adventure-seekers head to get a dose of desert action. This is prime territory for dune-surfing, four-wheel-drive dune-bashing and the (much more authentic) camel trekking. For those with less of an active nature, just sitting amid the sand dune splendour is worthy enough of the long journey out here.

Leather Tanning at Fes es Bali

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Friday, June 5, 2015

Financing schemes as vehicle ownership bailout option for Nigerians Nigerians who are eager to have cars of their own but lacked the financial capacity may not worry anymore as the nation begins to imbibe the global culture of making phased payment for vehicles that require large sums. Adejuwon Osunnuyi writes that more automobile firms are rolling out auto financing scheme to cushion the effect of high cost of new vehicles

locally assembled vehicles was a major incentive given to the investors by the government. Presently, no fewer than 23 auto firms have initiated their readiness to go into the local production of vehicles, three-wheelers and motorcycles since the September 2013 when the Federal Government announced a new auto policy. While the auto firms seem to be responding to the yearning of Nigerians, more dealerships and manufacturers have started signing agreements with banks for auto finance scheme. In the past few weeks, at least one auto firm or the other has either sealed a new auto finance deal or renewed an old pact with a bank or more banks to ensure Nigerians could enjoy phased payment for vehicles that require large sums payments. For instance, the latest in the pact of vehicle finance is Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited which is collaborating Access Bank to help prospecting customers to procure affordably priced brand new Hyundai vehicles and commence payment after three months. Tagged ‘Buy now, pay later’, the initiative aims at encouraging patrons to buy new Hyundai vehicles instead of used cars. Both institutions inked this declaration at a brief ceremony in Lagos, where Access Bank and Hyundai Motors Nigeria enumerated the benefits of the scheme that would enable customers take possession of the vehicle upon contribution of 10 per cent equity only. Access Bank PLC Executive Director, Personal Banking, Victor Etuokwu who made this remark after signing the Memorandum of Understanding said: “We have brought together two Nigeria most powerful brands, Access Bank – a tier one banking group and Hyundai Motors Nigeria, a member of Stallion Group and a foremost automobile dealerships

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This auto finance scheme is tailored to suit the customers’ needs with manageable monthly repayments and is best suited for individuals

to give Nigerians opportunity to own brand new cars at affordable rates via a liberalised process.” Etuokwu said the Access Bank/Hyundai Motors auto finance is unlike others designed for individual patrons and employees who earn a living to buy choice Hyundai vehicles without necessarily committing their life time savings. He listed other benefits of the scheme which can also be accessed by fleet operators and institutions as: unrestricted admittance to select Hyundai range; discounted pricing with unprecedented low and fixed interest rate throughout the tenor; waiver of commitment fee; three months moratorium for principal and interest payment; free vehicle registration and free service for one year or 20, 000km. The Access bank director said these significant incentives is intended to encourage patrons to buy functional brand new vehicles. Explaining that buying a brand new car isn’t luxury, Etuokwu said: “It is only a part of your tool to work efficiently.” In his remark after putting his signature on paper, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited Managing Director Parvir Singh had in his comment said: “We will continue to invest in new marketing initiatives that can endear Hyundai vehicles to customers and help them drive responsibly, and of course, we are convinced this programme will attract perceptive customers and subsequently raise our market share.” Singh who enjoined customers to take advantage of this mar-

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or many Nigerians who over the years have been dreaming of having their own brand new cars (not Tokunbos), but have not been able to do so as a result of poor financial capabilities, it appears their dreams are about coming into reality. In some quarters, it is believed that nation’s current auto policy direction, which emphasises local production/assembly of vehicles as against the importation of fully built units might make many of the brand new cars to be extremely expensive and thus unaffordable to many Nigerians. While this notion might be said to be right to some extent, it would be recalled that the Director-General, National Automotive Council, Mr. Aminu Jalal, had hinted that the vehicle finance scheme that will enable Nigerians to purchase brand new cars assembled in the country would commence at the end of April. According to him, the implementation of the second phase of the 35 per cent levy collection on imported used vehicles was being postponed repeatedly because the financing scheme for purchasing locally assembled vehicles had yet to commence. “The delay is to ensure that the financing scheme is properly in place and that the plants fully commence operations. The financing scheme should have taken off earlier but due to the Ebola incident and most recently, the elections; it has yet to do so. Hopefully, we will be able to start with the test run at the end of April,” he said. WesBank, a division of FirstRand Bank of South Africa, had offered a vehicle finance scheme to retail and corporate purchasers of the nation’s locally assembled vehicles. Jalal added that the local assembly plants could also export cars to other countries in the West African region, adding that the possibility of exporting the

keting adjunct said: “You can be part of this bonanza by simply walking into any Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited accredited dealership in Nigeria to get a profoma invoice for your choice car and a deal is struck with Access Bank PLC thereafter,” he said. Also going into the vehicle financing agreement is Kia Motors Nigeria also in collaboration with Access Bank Plc. Both companies have announced that their customers now have a high chance of driving their choice Kia products without having to pay the cost of the vehicles at once. According Kia, “This auto finance scheme is tailored to suit the customers’ needs with manageable monthly repayments and is best suited for individuals, organisations, corporate bodies and institutions to enjoy a convenient and easy access to finance options, making it easy to drive away their brand new Kia,” it stated. The auto firm described it as competitive auto financing for the Kia range of vehicles, stressing its uniqueness and suitability to individuals’ different tastes. It said, in relations to some of the existing finance options, that “more often than not, customers are presented with a wide range of options for financing a car or securing an auto loan which makes it difficult to choose a tailor-made scheme that perfectly fits their aspirations.” The Chief Executive Officer, Kia Motors Nigeria, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani, stated, “Our core competitive edge in the auto industry is the offering of the best in class vehicles at affordable prices. And

we are delighted to partner Access Bank to make owning the Kia range of vehicles affordable with flexible payment options.” He said the finance arrangement would come with “a subsidised insurance and registration fee, with improved access to an auto loan to enable customers drive their dream cars. “This partnership represents another step forward in our strategy to ensure our customers have transparent and competitive financing. Kia vehicles offer modern design and reliability at an affordable cost. And with our special auto finance scheme with Access Bank, it has never been easier to take home your very own brand new Kia. ” In the same development, Coscharis Motors Limited, in partnership with Stanbic IBTC Bank and Access Bank, had also launched a Vehicle Finance Scheme (promo), which would empower retail and fleet buyers to purchase their choice vehicles from any Coscharis Motors outlet nationwide and make payment by installments. According to the firm, this is one of several efforts by the company to ease the ability of actual and prospective customers to purchase the existing brands under the Coscharis franchise. The Group Managing Director of Coscharis, Josiah Samuel said: “The scheme will allow a repayment pattern spread over a period of four years with the option of a repayment percentage ranging from 10 – 30 per cent within the period.” This scheme is unique in all ramifications in the nation’s auto market, as it is a first in terms of a multi-brand dealership that provides the market a bouquet of premium and economy auto brands partnering two of the leading banks in Nigeria towards financing a vehicle acquisition scheme. In addition, the Group Managing Director stated that the need for the collaboration was informed by key factors such as many Corporate Nigerian workers, including – Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, want new vehicles from Coscharis but have inadequate financial capacity to effect outright payment; Most of the SMEs buy fairly used vehicles to run their businesses in order not to drain their working capital with the cost of new vehicles. For Coscharis, the Vehicle Finance Scheme is projected to generate a 2000 unit sale across all brands as customers are, in addition to the scheme are expected to enjoy free vehicle registration, vehicle maintenance and service support, including vehicle recovery and emergency assistance.

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Friday, June 5, 2015

Lagos Assembly approves road traffic law on taxi operations

agos State House of Assembly has approved the ‘Road Traffic Law Regulation, Taxi Operations’ a development that may lead to the ban of unregistered taxis popularly called ‘kabukabu’. Presenting the regulation before the Assembly members during the valedictory sitting of the 7th Assembly on Tuesday, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye said the approval of the regulation was long overdue. He said the regulation, as forwarded to the House by the state Ministry of Transportation and handed to the House Committee on Transportation, headed by Hon. Bisi Yusuf, will ensure that every operator of taxi cabs in the state would obtain a license from the ministry to operate. Adeyeye said that the Ministry of Transportation would be empowered to arrest any operator, who does not have a license

Lagos Taxi

to operate. In supporting the regulation, Hon. Funmi Tejuosho said that the regulation was necessary so that the lives of Lagos residents would not be put at risk. The Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Rotimi Abiru however observed that the definition of cab should be made clear as he said that there were yellow cabs, black and red cabs and ‘kabukabu.’ The outgoing Speaker of the

House, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji said that the state plans to be the African model of megacity and that it should not allow sub-standard items. “In developed countries, you see the kind of taxi cabs that convey the people. It is not the ones that would endanger the lives of the people. We need to regulate the operations of taxi cabs and the regulation will give the operators easy access to loans,” he said.

FRSC begins enforcement of speed limit device from September 1

hile the introduction of the speed limit device for all motorists has started from June 1, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is set to commence the enforcement of the first phase of speed limit device on commercial motorists from September 1. The enforcement of the speed limiting device is expected to start with commercial vehicle operators while the sensitisation campaign on the use of speed limit device continues. The corps marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, said there is need for speed limit devices on cars used on Nigerian roads as it would ensure safety and security of road users at all times. He said in 2014 alone, over 50 per cent of major road crashes was attributed to speed. He said, “We do not have vested interest on anyone but on safety on our highways.” To this end, FRSC in collaboration with the Standard Organization of Nigeria is set to ensure motorists use speed limit devices on their vehicles. Speaking on the develop-

ment, the Director General, SON, Joseph Odumodu, called on the corps marshal to set up an operation that would address the influx of used and expired tyres in Nigeria. Mr. Odumodu said, “Used tyres are banned but we know that used tyres can be found everywhere in Nigeria.” He said the SON had earlier seized over a million used tyres, which cost the agency a lot to store.

Oyeyemi

The SON boss however informed Mr. Oyeyemi of a new company in Ikorodu, Lagos, that specializes in recycling the used tyres. “Clearly we can save some lives removing tyres that are not supposed to stay on the road,” Odumodu said. The corps marshal said the FRSC has remained focused in its effort to flush out expired and used tyres in Nigeria. He, however said, it is important for the FRSC, in collaboration with the police, to strategize on a sustainable method of mopping up expired, used and bad tyres. “In some cases, you stop a vehicle with four different brands of tyres being affixed to the same vehicle and we take extra steps to sensitize such drivers on the traffic hazards associated with this practice but in most cases, we prosecute them in line with provisions of the traffic laws,” Mr. Oyeyemi said.

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Nigeria secures four slots in Ranger Odyssey contest

ord Motor Company has increased the number of slots from Nigeria from one to four in the Ranger Odyssey. This is coming barely a year after the commencement of the contest. A year after the commencement of the Ranger Odyssey Africa, Ford Motor Company has increased the number of slots from Nigeria from one to four. The Group Managing Director, Coscharis Group, Mr. Josaih Samuel, gave the indication at the Ford Ranger Odyssey 2015 event in Lagos. It was the preliminary stage of this year’s contest where the four Nigeria’s representatives emerged. “Building on the huge success of the 2014 in-market Ranger Odyssey, this year’s event will again be a unique and exciting 4×4 challenge as Nigeria now has four slots as against one slot in 2014,” he said. According to Samuel, the Ranger Odyssey is neither a race nor a rally. “Odyssey is first and foremost an extremely tough adventurous expedition. It will however include elements of competition where participants could test their 4×4 driving and mechanical skills, endurance, courage, stamina, perseverance and resilience against the worst that nature could offer.” He said although Nigeria’s sole representative to the last year’s event, Mr. Chinonso Okezuo, could not make it to Namibiafor the grand finale due to a travel ban from Nigeria in the wake of the Ebola outbreak, the publicity given to the process that led to the emergence of the Okezuo was impressive and it excited the Ford team. “Last year, Coscharis Motors hosted the first ever Ranger Odyssey in-market event to select Nigeria’s representative to the Ranger Odyssey Af-

rica 2014 event. The in-market event, which was won by Mr. Chinonso Okezuo, was as exciting as it received excellent media coverage and has increased awareness and established Ford in the 4×4 leisure market as well as appealed to a wider demographic while displaying the Ranger’s ‘Built Ford Tough’ off-road capability. Incidentally, Mr. Okezuo could not attend the African finale of the Ranger Odyssey in Namibia owing to a travel ban on travellers from Nigeria at the time.” He said. The Cosharis Motors GMD said the company decided to reserve one of the four slots for Okezuo, who was also at the event, to give him a fair chance of proving his capability at the bigger stage. Twelve contestants were taken through the arduous task of driving the Ford Ranger through a bumpy and swampy terrain specially prepared for the event at the Awoyaya area of Lekki, Lagos “in the quest to clinch one of the remaining three tickets to represent the country at the boot camp in South Africa, from where only two of them will scale through to the Ranger Odyssey finale in Namibia.” The winners included Ugochukwu Onuiri, first position; Fawole Moyo, first runner up; and John Amadi, second runner up.

Ranger Odyssey competition

How to take care of your car’s tyres

our tyres are the only thing between you and the road. Make sure they’re in good condition. The correct tyre pressures – as listed in the owner’s manual or often inside one of the car’s doors or the fuel flap – are of the utmost importance to achieve optimum road holding and tyre life. Remember to check the spare tyre too. Ensure the tyres have at least 1mm tread depth – the legal minimum – around the entire circumference of the

tyre to maintain road grip in wet weather. At least 3mm is recommended, however, and some tyres have tread wear indicators in the tread pattern to show when the tyre must be replaced. Also check the sidewalls and replace the tyre if there are any bubbles or deep scratches, as these may lead to a blowout. Punctures on the tread surface can usually be repaired if they’re small enough, but a hole in the sidewall means the tyre needs replacing

Cocktail

Friday, June 5, 2015

Pizzeria owner offers free pies in bid for house

n Oregon couple selling their home found a buyer willing to pay $26,000 over asking price in addition to providing free pizza for life. Rob and Holly Marsh said they received four offers in three days for the Portland home, but restaurant owner Donna DeNicola’s offer stood out for including an unusual bonus. DeNicola offered $26,000 over the asking price of the

home, as well as free rent for two months while the owners found a new house and a lifetime supply of free pizza from her eatery, DeNicola’s Italian Restaurant. “I felt like I was in a poker game,” DeNicola told KPTV. “Then I just kind of added, I’ll throw in one pizza a month for life,” she said. “I’m willing to do anything because I know this market is crazy.”

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Oddities Oddities

Motorist arrested for driving car full of bees

he Montana Highway Patrol a reported reckless driver was found to be driving with thousands of bees flying free in the car. The MHP said troop-

ers responded May 22 to a road near Missoula on a report of “a vehicle driving all over the road” and they found the motorist was transporting five hives of bees that were being allowed

to move freely around the inside of the car. The driver said the insects were “harmless” Russian honey bees. The state apiarist was consulted and told troopers that while the

motorist’s method of transporting the bees was “very unsafe,” it did not require a permit. The driver was cited for careless driving, the MHP said.

Apartment-invading pigeon lays egg in frying pan

Norwe gian man visited his spare apartment and discovered a home-invading pigeon had laid an egg in the most appropriate spot -- his frying pan. Stian Fjelldal shared a video on YouTube showing how he retur ned to his spare Oslo apartment, which he uses as a place to work on his music, to find an invading pigeon had defecated all

over the inside the residence. Fjelldal shooed the pigeon out through a window before surveying the rest of the apartment and discovering the bird had built a nest and laid an egg in a place where eggs belong: the frying pan. “I had to clean, the kitchen was a total mess. I noticed two doves on the windowsill looking at the egg. I almost felt a little

guilty,” he told Norwegian broadcaster TV2. Fjelldal said he has not decided what to do with the egg, but he might put it to scientific use. “I work at the Norwegian Environment Agency. I may bring the egg into work so we can take some samples. We may find traces of pollutants, in that way the egg will come to some use,” he told newspaper VG.

The car pulled over near Missoula was found to be transporting five hives and thousands of Russian honey bees.

Friday, June 5, 2015

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Business Maritime

Achieving improved port operations through regulation

Federal Government’s decision to appoint the Nigerian Shippers Council as the regulator of the maritime industry is seen by analysts as part of measures to fill the regulatory vacuum created by lack of its formal regulation, nearly eight years after the port reform. Despite sundry constraints, the Council, through some measure of proactive strategies, including stakeholders’ engagement, is gradually repositioning the nation’s industry for globally accepted operational standards and by implication, national and stakeholders’ benefits. FRANCIS EZEM reports.

he regulatory vacuum and the attendant imposition of charges in Nigeria’s maritime industry about eight years after the port reform, encouraged the Federal Government to appoint a regulator, the Nigerian Shippers Council, as a desirable option for the country. The prolonged period of absence of a regulator was sequel to the inability of the National Assembly to pass the Ports and Harbours and other Bills, designed to give a legal backing to the reforms and also establish all necessary agencies needed to oversee the operations of the industry. Created in 1978, NSC was primarily saddled with the job of protecting interest of Nigerian shippers (importers and exporters), given their fragmented nature in the face of the formidable international shipping cartel. Little wonder the council was for a long time erroneously perceived as a toothless bulldog, especially given some loopholes in its enabling law, the NSC Act 1978. For several years therefore, multinational shipping lines operating in the country, shipping agents and other port service providers took undue advantage of this lacuna to impose arbitrary charges, which the council fought for years with very little success. It was normal then to see the various shipping lines/ agents take on the council at will and dared it to punish them. This, no doubt impacted negatively on the council, as it robbed it of its much-needed respect and so port services users was left at their mercy. This went on even in the post-reform, as shipping companies and terminal operators continued to exploit Nigerian port se importers. It was as part of measures to address this anomaly that the Federal Government in February 2014 appointed the council as the Economic Regulator. It is significant to note that this new role came just few months after the appointment of Barrister Hassan Bello as the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the council. Former Minister of Transport, Malam Idris Umar has while announcing the appointment said: “Effective regulation requires much more than just competent economic and financial analysis, but it must also manage often complex interaction with the regulated firms, consumers, politicians, courts, the media, and a range of other in-

Dikki

terests. It is essential that the regulator provides a level playing field among the various actors”. According to him, a regulator needs to be independent, transparent, legitimate and credible, bearing in mind that the transition to a competitive market is a major regulatory challenge. Bello, left no one in doubt that he would be fair to all stakeholders. He said: “Effective regulation requires much more than just competent economic and financial analysis, but must also manage often complex interaction with the regulated firms, consumers, politicians, courts, the media, and a range of other interests. “In our capacity as the Port Economic Regulator, our role is to consult, coordinate, moderate and harmonise the various processes and procedures with a view to achieving operational efficiency at our ports”. He however in his frank and honest nature warned that where there is unreasonable resistance, the council shall not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions to ensure compliance but monitor outcomes. In line with its policy of stakeholders’ engagement, the council from day one, met with all segments of the stakeholders, including freight forwarders, shipping agents, importers, private terminal operators, all of whom acknowledged the need to have an umpire to regulate activities of the various players. During one of such visits to the Nigerian Ports Authority, former managing director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi affirmed that it would amount to failure on the part of NPA if the council fails in its new assignment. He therefore assured that the NPA was

Bello

IN OUR CAPACITY AS THE PORT ECONOMIC REGULATOR, OUR ROLE IS TO CONSULT, COORDINATE, MODERATE AND HARMONISE THE VARIOUS PROCESSES TO ACHIEVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AT THE PORTS ready to cooperate and support the council perform its economic regulatory functions for the nation’s port system. The NSC team held similar consultations with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, whose CEOs pledged their support. President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Chief Eugene Nweke, who spoke on the new port order, explained that the new port order involved a situation where the cargo is scanned before it is stacked. “As the ship is discharging, the cargo is also being scanned, and the image is used by the Nigeria Customs Service to commence clearing process in terms of segregating the cargo for whatever line of inspection such as green, yellow and red channel as the case may be”, he said. On the new port order, the NSC-boss, hinted that the council is working with the CBN, Customs and other relevant stakeholders so that every payment made in the maritime domain is reflected on the platform.

“The idea of harmonisng the system creates transparency as the importer trades with certainty as to how much to pay and how long to take delivery of the goods. This new port order will eliminate all the wastages in the system so that the cost of doing business is reduced. Part of the arrangement is that the owner of the cargo should know when his cargo arrives to prepare him to make arrangements to clear them on time”, he also explained. In striving to achieve its mandates, the council has faced similar challenges and obstacles. One of such was in October, 2014, when it published notices directing shipping companies and terminal operators to reduce certain charges, increase free storage time and also announced interventions in other levels of pricing. In reaction, shipping companies and terminal operators filed two separate suits, which among other things challenged the powers of the council to regulate charges, having been appointed by the President of the country. Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in delivering judgment, upheld the submissions of counsel to the NSC; Mr. Emeka Akabogu that the council was properly appointed and empowered by virtue of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to undertake its role as an Economic Regulator. He therefore ruled that in the clear absence of any existing law in Nigeria making provision for an economic regulator for the ports, section five of the Nigerian Constitution was adequate basis for the President to issue orders in relation to the subject, as government exists for the welfare of citizens. This remains an affirmation that the NSC was validly appointed as the economic regulator for the nation’s ports. One benefit of regulation is protection of terminal operators’ investments from undue interference, which leads to guaranteed return on investment. Shipping firms will also enjoy improved marine and terminal handling services delivery, leading to reduced vessels’ turn-around time. Similarly government will enjoy improved revenue generation; improved infrastructural development; creation of efficient market, improvement in the nation’s Global Competitive Index and consequent attraction of Foreign Direct Investment FDI while the shippers and other port service users will enjoy reduction in the cost of doing business, among several others.

Business Maritime

Friday, June 5, 2015

Lawyers canvass Nigeria’s fleet expansion through N5bn Pension Fund STORIES: FRANCIS EZEM

egal practitioners under the aegis of Pension Lawyers Association of Nigeria PLAN have made a strong case for the investment of part of the nation’s N4.6 trillion pension funds basket in the expansion of Nigeria’s depleted ship fleet. The demise of the Nigerian National Shipping Line NNSL, the nation’s national carrier, which at a point in time had over 27 ocean going vessels has led to the drastic depletion of the national fleet, thus giving rise to influx of foreign vessels of various types and sizes. National president of the association, Mr. Mbanugo Udenze, who spoke in an interview in Lagos, observed that elsewhere, pension funds are usually invested in long term low risk windows for optimum yield. While giving instances of countries that grew national economy through contributory pension funds such as Chile and South Africa, he said that these and many other countries of the world channeled their pension funds into long term investment windows, adding that such investments have grown over the years to the benefit of the pensioners in particular and the national economy in general. “Bulk of the funds invested in Nigeria by one of the major Global System for Mobile Communication GSM firms operating in Nigeria was from the pension funds in its home country and today, everyone can see that such investment has yielded results as you can see from the return on investment”, he noted. He therefore argued that it would not be out of place if some of the pension funds basket is invested in the shipping industry for the purpose of acquiring ships, which is

also a long term investment. He however argued that proper due diligence must be done by the relevant agencies, especially in terms of the type of ship and viability of the type of shipping services rendered by the company before people’s money is invested in the industry so as to forestall regrettable decisions. Udenze, who is also principal partner of Mbanugo Udenze & Co noted that the volume of funds available to the banks and other financial institutions the country is not such that could fund the acquisition of ships, which experts believe is a very highly capital intensive venture. It was gathered that this development was further worsened by the low capitalisation of banks in the country, most of which do not have the financial wherewithal to fund such projects internally without recourse to offshore funds. Experts believe that most foreign shipping companies and even International Oil

Companies IOCs have taken advantage of this paucity of funds for vessel acquisition in the country to scheme out Nigerian operators, as they have literally been excluded from lifting petroleum products in the country. Apart from the low capitalisation of most Nigerian banks, it is also believed that the high interest rate, which is in two digits might not be attractive to the indigenous shipping companies, as it might make it very difficult for them to breakeven. It is in line with this that the experts believe that pension fund, which is long term in nature provides a more suitable source of funding ship acquisition in the country. On the proposed re-floating of the nation’s national carrier, the experts urged the Federal Government to provide the required enabling environment for the private sector to run the corporation instead of direct involvement in the day-day running of the business.

Norway relaxes Cabotage rules

he Norwegian government has released a maritime strategy aimed at bolstering the Norwegian flag and strengthening the competitive advantage of Norwegian seafarers and maritime companies. “The strategy takes a broad approach and forms a solid foundation which should allow Norway to maintain our leading position, even in challenging times,” says Sturla Henriksen, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association Norway is a leading maritime nation in the world, and the maritime industry is one of Norway’s largest and most important. “In these times when markets are particularly challenging, stable and competitive maritime policies are more important than ever. The new strategy encourages adaptability and innovation that will allow the industry to take advantage of future maritime opportunities,” Henriksen says. The government has in large part acknowledged the government-appointed work group’s advice on a revised net wage scheme and the relaxing of cabotage rules for the Norwegian International Ship Register governing foreign short sea shipping, foreign-going ferries and the Norwegian Continental Shelf. “Relaxing cabotage rules will open the door to more ships under the Norwegian flag. This will contribute to strengthening Norway’s position and influence internationally,” Henriksen maintains.

U.S. faces ship shortage for LNG exports

Tanker vessel

Court fixes hearing on N1.5bn suit against former DG NIMASA

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and preside over by Justice Ofili Ajumogobia has fixed July 1st and 2nd, 2015 for continued hearing on a N1.5billion corruption suit brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against a one time Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Mr. Temi Omatseye. Justice Ofili Ajumogobia at the resumed hearing of the trial, had listened to arguments by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Godwin Obla , who sought yet another adjournment and those of the defence counsel, Mr. Edoka Onyeke opposing any further adjournment, fixed further hearing on the matter to July 1 and 2, 2015. The prosecution counsel had prayed the court for yet another adjournment to enable him produce NIMASA’s procedural manual in court. The defence counsel while objecting to another adjournment requested by the prosecuting counsel, after several of such requests had been granted in the past, told the court that that the grounds on which the fresh adjournment was being sought was not connected with the main issues in the case, which is corruption. According to him, the reason his client

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was in court was a N1.5 billion corruption charge not the procedure of the agency. “My Lord, this has nothing to do with the reason we are in court. The adjournment should be rejected in its entirety. The prosecutor should not change the reason why we are here. It is a criminal trial and not persecution as it is going now. We are here for justice and to prove that my client did not approve contracts above his threshold,” he said. The embattled for NIMASA DG had while responding to questions put across to him concerning signing of his signatures on contract documents by the prosecution lawyer told the court that his signature had to be on every file document brought to him for approval as the chief executive officer of the agency. He said some vital files containing documents that spelt out the scope of contracts and that led to approvals of such contracts were missing in the court’s records. “My Lord, I had mentioned in my earlier statement that for a file to be complete, my signature must appear six times, even the approval letter, the contract form which has the scope of work is not in this file before me. Also not included in this file are letter from the contractor requesting

for payment after the contract must have been carried out; letter minuted to the Executive Director in charge of Finance; letter from the audit department to me as the Director General of NIMASA for clearance”, he said. Other documents not included in the file include a letter from the maintenance department ascertaining if it was supplied and in good condition for payment etc. He also told the court that the idea of his signature appearing six times in all the documents is procedural in the agency, adding that without appending his signature on the documents, it cannot move to the next level in terms of processing, a development that proves that the said document has come to the DG’s table and that he seen it. “It is part of the operational manual in the agency which I met on ground when I was appointed the DG,” he explained. While speaking with newsmen shortly after the adjournment, Omatsaye alleged that he was being persecuted by the EFCC because he refused to do the bidding of the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mohammed Adoke SAN.

he expected boom in liquefied natural gas exports from the United States risks being hampered by a lack of vessels to handle the trade, the head of the U.S. coast guard told shipping industry executives The LNG tanker market, currently suffering from oversupply due to weak demand for natural gas, could thus in a few years face a shortage of capacity, Paul Zukunft told the Nor-Shipping conference. Several large projects are under construction on the U.S. Gulf coast, including Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass, due to come on stream later this year, and Sempra Energy’s Cameron LNG, set for completion in 2018. “Right now we have one of the largest LNG facilities in the world being built in Louisiana,” Zukunft said, referring to the Cameron plant. “In the next three to four years there are not enough gas ships in the world that can accommodate that growth.” Cameron LNG received approval from the U.S. Energy Department in January for exports of up to 12 million tons of LNG per year. “We sit on 20 percent of the world’s LNG, so the question is how do we get this commodity into the market place and how do we leverage it for our shipping industry,” Zukunft said, adding that the expansion of the Panama Canal, set to finish in 2016, will help.

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Business News

Friday, June 5, 2015

We’ve assets worth N100bn in banks, others –AMCON boss TOLA AKINMUTIMI

he Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, the debt management vehicle created to acquire non-performing loans, NPLs, of the nation’s Deposit Money Banks, DMBs, sequel to the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, has confirmed that its equity in the rescued banks and other companies were worth over N100 billion currently. The Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, was quoted by an online medium, BusinessToday as making the disclosure during an

interview and specifically listed some of the banks with its strong shareholding as, Diamond Bank Plc, , Unity Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and Wema Bank Plc. He expressed the Corporation’s desire to sell its shares in the banks as soon as it is practicable subject to certain conditions or dynamics of the money market as well as other intervening factors, including the need to meet some mature obligations. Chike-Obi said: “We hold shares in banks as an intervention and we will get rid of them as soon as practicable. There are things that have to be in place.

You have to check the market; you have to check if the bank is in solid footing, you have to check many things to ensure they are in place before you start selling your shares.” It would be recalled that the Corporation had last year divested its 20 per cent stake in Union Bank Plc to Atlas Mara, a financial investment institution, as well as its shares in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated to a bank in the Middle East. Justifying the disposals, ChikeObi said the shares in the two banks were relatively smaller compared to its stake in others such as Wema Bank and Unity

Bank. He said: “In those banks (Union Bank and Ecobank), we had a much smaller percentage compared to what we have in Wema Bank and Unity Bank. It was easier for the shares to be sold because of the ownership. I believe we are in majority in Unity Bank at this point and we are near majority in Wema Bank as well; so, it is a different cup all together. And we will sell them as soon as practicable.” Expatiating further on the Corporation’s investments , ChikeObi explained that the AMCON held shares worth at least N100bn in total in banks and other com-

panies because it believes in the long-term viability of the capital market, adding that the sale of the corporation’s equities in Union Bank and ETI was necessitated by the need to redeem the Corporation’s bonds. On the divestment of AMCON from Keystone Bank, one of the nationalised banks, ChikeObi said the decision would be reached after its next board meeting and interaction of the Board and management with the leadership of the new government. AMCON had last year divested its 100 per cent stake in Enterprise Bank and Mainstreet Bank, two of the three nationalised banks.

Infrastructure can be developed through taxation –AfDB SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

A L-R: Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; Executive Director, Leap Africa, Mrs. Iyadunni Olubode; Managing Director, JNC International Limited, Mrs. Clare Omatseye; and Head Brand Management and Communications, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Chima Nwaokoma, at the Sterling Bank and Leap Africa, Press Conference on CEOs Forum 2015 on Tuesday in Lagos

frican Development Bank, AfDB, has noted that the huge amount realised from taxations, was enough to ensure infrastructural developments in different countries of the countries. Acting Vice President and Chief Economist of the AfDB, Mr Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa said governments can do more to finance their own infrastructures while ensuring that those infrastructure withstand the test of time and as

Internet penetration low in public schools, says Vodacom ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

odacom Business Nigeria has said that internet penetration is still low in public schools across the country stating that Vodacom will strive to bridge the digital divide that exist between public and private school in the country. Managing Director of Vodacom Business Nigeria, Guy Clarke who made the remark while handling over internet access equipment to the management of Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos

on Thursday, said that access to the internet is very vital for a science and technology college. According to him, it is for that reason that Vodacom proudly donated the facility to the school to provide internet connectivity to the pupils of the school, which has produced some of the country’s best students in the science and technical fields at secondary school level. He said that Vodacom has made available to the school WiFi services for students and teachers in classrooms, laboratories, workshops and staff offices to help improve the results of the school, even further.

Clarke disclosed that in addition to the internet facility, Vodacom has also provided a 220KVA powered generator to help keep the school connected during power outages. He said, “Internet penetration in Nigeria is still low, especially in public schools. With the Power to You Project, we aim to bridge the digital divide that exists in communities and schools without access to ICT.” He explained that the facility was provided for the school through the Vodacom Power to You Project, which supports public and private schools in the country by ensuring that stu-

dents and teachers have access to ICT and new telecommunication technologies. He added that the power of the internet is invaluable and connectivity has the potential to transform education and accelerate economic growth in Nigeria. While receiving the facility from Vodacom, Principal of the college, Chris Ugorji said, “The vision of the college is to provide the scientific and technical skills, required to produce selfreliant young men and women, ready for tertiary institution and the ICT industry.

well as ensuring that the citizens, especially in rural areas, benefit from such developments According to him, there huge demand for infrastructural developments in Africa, disclosing that funds coming from donor agencies and governments is not sufficient to build effective infrastructure. ‘’African governments need to look at innovative ways to finance the infrastructure gap, including engaging in more public-private partnerships, PPPs. Speaking on “Financing Infrastructure: Raising the Bar” at the African Development Bank’s Annual General Meetings in Abidjan, he said, “we often think of global and regional infrastructure that open up borders, which is very good. But we need to think local as well’’, adding that more emphasis needs to be placed on urban development, particularly on what goes underground as urban infrastructure often does not take into account, the impact of building upon the drainage, sewage systems and water systems. “If African cities are to be places of advancement, this infrastructure needs to be revisited’’, he added. AfDB has supported 49 publicprivate partnerships, PPP, in the power sector, saying the way to go in infrastructural development is the private sector.

Expert urges builders on local content policy SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

state Consultant, Barrister Solomon Fatoki has urged indigenous builders to concentrate more on use of local materials while de-emphasising on foreign materials. Fatoki in his paper titled, ‘’The Place of Housing in National De-

velopment’’ said the only way to achieve affordable housing for Nigerians is through the use of indigenous building materials like burnt clay bricks, timber, fibre roofing sheet as well as lime in place of cement. According to him, all these local building materials have been tested by various research institutes, wondering with dismay, the non-utilization of those materi-

als. He said, ‘’Nigeria has about 24 brick plants, which have almost closed down for lack of patronage. Government should reactivate them and also kick-off, the use of these materials’’, he stated. Bricks, according to him, are being used in some African countries like Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Kenya among other countries, saying those materials have

succeeded in bringing down the cost of building materials while restricting the use of cement. ‘’We will also have mud houses with good foundation and columns for adequate strength among other designs developed by our research institutes that have not been used’’, he added. ‘’Man wants to have a roof over his head to protect him from rain, heat, wind and other elements of

nature. Housing provides shelter. Whereas, shelter is a necessity of life, every government strives to provide housing for her citizens’’, he stated. He however regretted that the past efforts of various governments to ensure adequate housing have been unsuccessful, after gulping billions of naira in the process.

Business News

Friday, June 5, 2015

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PENGASSAN urges FG on local production before deregulation MESHACK IDEHEN

etroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to focus the deregulation policy of the nation’s oil and gas industry on local production rather than importation. In a statement by its National Public Relations Officer, Mr Emmanuel Ojugbana, the association noted that if local refining was not increased to meet local demand for petroleum products, especially the premium motor spirit (petrol), removing subsidy on petroleum products will bring inflict serious hardship on Nigerians. The association said removing subsidy while the country depends on importation of refined products would make prices of refined petroleum products to be out of the reach of the masses and causes inflation. Ojugbana stated that importation of refined petroleum products was a drain on the nation’s revenue, adding that it creates jobs for the refining nations in

spite of the high unemployment rate confronting Nigeria. He stated: “Importation of refined petroleum products is also putting the Naira under undue pressure and creating social problems for the economy. This is unacceptable to PENGASSAN. Abrupt removal of fuel subsidy will create chaos that may ground the economy. PENGASSAN calls for well-coordinated measures with timeline to achieve self-

sufficiency in local refining as a means of proffering acceptable steps to end fuel subsidy. “This should be combined with such other measures for effective optimization of gas especially for domestic, industrial, electricity and automotive energy. Such will create other affordable and friendly sources for energy needs.” He called on the government to declare a state of emergency

in the downstream oil and gas sector and convene an all-stakeholders forum to come up with concrete and sustainable steps with reliable timeline for achieving demand-supply equilibrium through local refining. The strategy must be to guarantee a total stoppage of both petroleum products importation and fuel subsidy. According to him, Nigerians expect relying on the resources that the nation is endowed with

should be able to guarantee refined products at affordable prices to the populace, adding that this could have been possible if local refining capacities are enhanced. Ojugbana explained that both the government and industry operators had always yearned to promote competition and efficiency but failed to assure on how to enhance local refining capacity to contain local demand.

26 insurance firms submit Q1 2015 returns –NAICOM TOLA AKINMUTIMI

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has disclosed that 26 insurance companies had complied with the statutory requirements on submission of their 2015 first quarter returns as at the end of April this year. This disclosure was contained in the notice hosted on the Commission’s official website. The companies listed as hav-

ing complied with the requirements include, Royal Exchange Insurance, Mutual Benefits; Custodian & Allied Insurance; Guinea Assurance; NEM Insurance and Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc. Others are, Cornerstone Insurance Plc ; Equity Assurance Plc; Guinea Assurance Plc; Wapic Insurance; Wapic Life Assurance ;Wapic Ghana ;KBL Insurance Limited; FBN Life; ARM Life Insurance UBA Metropolitan Life; Oasis Insurance; Linkage Assurance and Unity

Kapital Assurance Plc. Also hosted on the site are, Lasaco Assurance Plc; Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation; Standard Alliance Insurance Plc; Standard Allliance Life Assurance Plc; Union Assurance Plc; Nigerian Reinsurance Corporation and Fin Insurance. The NAICOM also indicated that it had granted approval of 2014 financial accounts to 23 insurance firms as at last Tuesday while 17 others were being reviewed. The companies granted ap-

provals for their 2014 financial accounts are, Wapic Life and General; Custodian Life and General; Law Union & Rock, Mansard Insurance, , UBA Metro; FBN Life; Oasis Insurance and Zenith Life and General. Others are, Royal Exchange Life and General; AIICO Insurance Plc ; Prestige Insurance; Consolidated Hallmark; Continental Re; NSIA Insurance; NEM Insurance Plc; Leadway Assurance; Unity Kapital and Equity Assurance.

PR, Ad Practitioners, others urge Buhari on enabling environment DAVID AUDU

S L-R: Director, Propertygate Development and Investment Plc, Mr. Wole Ogungbola; Managing Director, Propertygate Development and Investment Plc, Mr. Adetokunbo Ajayi; and Company Secretary, Mrs. Tosin Aarinola, during the company’s 6th Annual General Meeting in Lagos... on Tuesday.

FG to sanction marketers over fuel pump price abuses UDEME AKPAN

he Federal Government has threatened to sanction filling stations selling petrol at above the N87 per litre approved price nationwide. The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR said the warning against abuses of the pump price became necessary because of prolonged exploitation of motorists and other users of fuel. The spokesperson of the Department, Mrs. Dorothy Bassey, maintained during a chat with National Mirror that it was un-

lawful for some marketers to exploit the people arbitrary pricing of petrol. “We are aware of the development and determined to get culprits sanctioned in all parts of the nation. Our team has been moving around and very soon the arbitrary pricing of the products would become a thing of the past,” Bassey said. Investigations showed that whereas most major marketers such as Mobil, MRS, Conoil, Forte Oil, Total and Oando have been selling at N87 per litre, majority of independent marketers had been selling at between N150 and N250 per litre, depending on

location and other factors. A survey showed that because of the huge gap, many consumers preferred to join long queues at the filling stations of major marketers. Some motorists and other users who do not want to take such pains however prefer to pay the high prices Independent marketers impose. The survey showed that many stakeholders, including tanker drivers and operators had cashed in on the very bad scarcity occasioned by the prolong strike involving NARTO members and tanker drivers to jack up their pump prices.

takeholders in the integrated marketing communications, IMC, are unanimous in calling on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to provide enabling environment for professionals to thrive. Practitioners in the industry stressed on the need for government to create good environment for professionals and legislations that will ensure that qualified Nigerians are given government briefs while adequate regulatory measures are put in place. They also noted that appointment of heads of agencies and choice of minister are done without bias. One of the prominent stakeholder in the IMC industry which comprises advertising, public relations and marketing is the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, AAAN, which through its president, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu advised the president elect to consider as a matter of priority the review of the national communication policy as part of efforts to re-ignite the Nigeria spirit and project brand Nigeria positively. He said Nigeria needed a reorientation project that will build civic pride, promote ethical values and get Nigerians believing in Nigeria and her assets, adding

that it would be ideal for the new government to engage the professional support of practitioners to project the immense potentials of the Nigerian brand. Nwosu urged Buhari to re-configure the national communication template to give impetus to a robust economy, promote national re-orientation, inspire innovation, enable entrepreneurship, and create choices. He recommended that the new government should pursue local content, affirmation policy, and allow experienced professionals to run its communication to avoid the lack of public support for some policies of the outgoing administration. The Managing Director of Indigo Communications, Bolaji Abimbola, said that the incoming government should take bold steps to right the wrongs in the economy without fear. He said though Nigerians were expecting so much from the new government, it will be fool hardy to think that the pile of economic woes was going to be solved over night, and therefore, he advised the incoming government to select areas they will quickly attend to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians. He mentioned areas such as the power sector, infrastructure development among other critical areas that daily impact directly on Nigerians.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business News

Friday, June 5, 2015

FG to play increasing roles in OPEC UDEME AKPAN

he Federal Government has pledged its commitment to playing effective roles in the affairs of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. Speaking in Vienna, Austria at the ongoing OPEC International Seminar, Head of Nigeria’s Delegation to the 167th OPEC Meeting Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, indicated that Nigeria under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari, a one-time Minister of Petroleum Resources and Head of Nigeria’s Delegation to the OPEC Conference will continue to work for the realization of the aims and objectives of the organization. She noted that the Buhari Administration was committed to prosecuting the amnesty programme in Nigeria’s Niger-Delta with vigour with a view to bringing about lasting peace and stability in the area as well as in other parts of Nigeria; thus making the operational environment safe and attractive once again.

…as crude oil prices drop “Nigeria is committed to tackling corruption especially in the extractive industry and will strive to bring back transparency and accountability in public life especially in the petroleum industry which is the mainstay of national economy’’. On the Petroleum Industry Bill, Shu’ara noted that although the Bill was still in the National Assembly, the Buhari Administration will take a critical look at it with a view to effecting necessary changes that will facilitate its early passage. “I would like to assure industry players that Government will work assiduously to ensure the speedy passage of the Bill and even speedier implementation of the related programmes. “We are committed to investing in the whole petroleum value chain, in order to add more value to our national economy from our natural resources and reduce our over dependence on exported crude oil revenue,’’ she stated. “I am to assure OPEC Heads

of Delegation, of a new dawn in Nigeria and the capacities of a new President who understands and appreciates the prospects and challenges of our Organization like no other former Nigerian Head of State, having being a Minister of Petroleum Resources before,’’ Dr. Shu’ara added. Shu’ara said government shall strive to diversify the economy and put in place essential infrastructure that will aid its growth. In his presentation, Dr. Dawha opined that despite the odds, Crude oil will continue to play an important role in the future world energy balance for decades to come noting that improved use of technology in the oil and gas sector will continue to resolve difficult challenges regarding oil supply in the world energy market and thus achieve a more efficient use of existing oil resources, discover new oil reservoirs, with greater accuracy and also lead to more efficient oil extraction from existing fields.

Greece’s bailout dispute compels Tsipras to address Parliament

reek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will address lawmakers today as protracted talks over a financial rescue risk creating friction within his anti-austerity party as well as with creditors. After meeting in Brussels with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Tsipras stuck to his position that any basis for an accord must be a Greek proposal. Citing a draft document, German newspaper Tagesspiegel reported the plan includes extra tax for companies and higher earners. A government spokeswoman declined to comment. Four months of deadlock looked closer to ending this week after a flurry of activity starting with European leaders and the International Monetary Fund meeting in Berlin on Monday night and culminating with Tsipras heading to Brussels. He will speak to parliament in Athens at 6 p.m. local time on Friday with the euro region pressing for an

ARSO tasks leaders on regional free trade SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

frican leaders have been urged to actualize the policy on Continental Free Trade Area, CFTA, in order to ensure a common market place for the region. The African Union Conference of Ministers, which made the call, recommended that regional leaders should actualize the objective by the year 2017, stressing that such move would not only guarantee common trade in the region, but also remove trade barriers among trading partners. President of African Organisation for Standardization, ARSO, Mr Joseph Odumodu, who dropped the hint in Lagos, said

the leaders should adopt a proactive strategy for the realisation of the trade policy. Odumodu, who said ARSO, is working towards standardization of African-made-products to be able to compete favourably in the international market. Noting that part of the agenda for the organization’s forum in Abuja this month, is to mobilise the National Standards Bodies, NSBs, to drive standardization for strengthening the competitiveness of Made-in-Africa products as well as engender continental fusion into economic trades. ‘’The forum will provide an opportunity to chart course for the standardization of African products and integration of a common market, as all barriers inhibiting

trading within Africa would be removed for free flow of goods and services’’, Odumodu stated. Tagged, “Africa Rises for Standards in Abuja”, the ARSO boss said, Africa’s integration through standardization would ensure a common integration, competitiveness and economic emancipation. ARSO, he said would also ensure that the dream of having proudly made-in-Africa goods compete globally with their counterparts across the world, is actualized through improved standards,. ‘‘Quality should be made a criterion for market entry to underscore the benefits of standardization as a powerful tool for promoting and protecting the economic interests of consumers.’’

agreement to be wrapped up by June 14, according to a Greek official. “His main concern is how to control his party, because there are diverse views within the party,” Christopher Pissarides, Nobel Prize-winning economist and professor at the London School of Economics, told Bloomberg Television. “Even if he is prepared to do something, to give some concessions, there will always be some faction within the party that will not want to give it.” After the meeting with Juncker and Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who also heads the group of his euro-area counterparts, Tsipras reiterated both sides can’t “make the same mistakes, the mistakes of the past.” Juncker said more work needs to be done for the two sides to reach an agreement. Greece is aiming to get hold of money from its existing bailout, which expires this month.

SEC sues over alleged hoax Avon, Rocky Mountain bids

L-R: Project Manager EOP, Instrumentation and Test Systems, Mr. Marcus Worbelauer; Managing Director, Middle East/ South Africa, Instrumentation and Test Systems, Mr. Gerolf Strohmeier; Director-General, National Automotive Council, Mr. Aminu Jalal and Director, Planning and Policy, Mr. Luqman Mamud, during the signing of contracts for the procurement, installation and training on equipment and tools for automotive testing laboratories in Abuja, recently. PHOTO: NAN

he U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday accused a Bulgarian man and several other defendants of submitting bogus takeover bids for Avon Products Inc and two other companies to fraudulently drive up their share prices. The complaint against Nedko Nedev, a firm calling itself PTG Capital Partners and others was filed in Manhattan federal court three weeks after Avon shares shot up 20 percent in intraday trading on May 14, when PTG claimed to have offered to buy the cosmetics company for $18.75 per

share, a 181 percent premium. According to the SEC, Nedev and others tried to manipulate the prices of Avon, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc and Tower Group International Ltd by filing false tender offers on its public Edgar database, and issuing fraudulent press releases. The regulator said Nedev, who is 37 and lives in Sofia, Bulgaria, had along with others taken positions in the stocks before the alleged manipulation, hoping to sell their positions at artificially inflated prices, and that the manipulation made Nedev tens of thousands of dollars.

HSBC to pay $43 million Geneva money laundering settlement

SBC agreed yesterday to pay Geneva authorities 40 million Swiss francs ($43 million) to settle a money laundering investigation at its Swiss private bank, one of a number of probes facing its Geneva-based wealth manager. Leaked files published earlier this year sparked allegations that HSBC’s private bank may have enabled clients to conceal millions of dollars of assets and dragged Europe’s largest lender into the sights of regulators including Geneva’s public prosecutor. Following four months of inquiries, Geneva authorities said they had closed their investigation after HSBC agreed to pay 40

million francs for wrongdoing, the largest such figure imposed by local prosecutors. “HSBC for several years suffered organisational deficiencies in the fight against money laundering,” Geneva’s chief prosecutor Yves Bertossa told a news conference. Its business handling Mediterranean and Israel-based funds was at the heart of the investigation which focused on four clients after documents were seized, he said, giving no details. Olivier Jornot, Geneva’s attorney-general, told reporters: “This affair shows the weakness of Swiss law in fighting the entry of criminal funds into the financial circuit.”

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

IITA-led cassava weed mgt project records success ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

eads of implementing partner institutions comprising the National Root Crops Research Institute, NRCRI, Umudike; Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, FUNAAB, and the University of Agriculture Makurdi, UAM, were proud over the progress made towards the implementation of the Cassava Weed Management Project, CWMP,—a project led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA. In a briefing session with the Project Coordinating team in Makurdi, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Makurdi, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, thanked the team for efficient and effective sharing of information on the activities of the project through the newsletter and social media, and also called on other projects to emulate the IITACWMP. Kucha, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor of UAM, Prof John Ayoade, said the equipment donated to the University by the project were of great help to research. At the NRCRI, the Executive

Trainers workshop on use of mechanical weeders

Director, Dr. Julius Okonkwo, also lauded the capacity-building efforts of the project. He promised that his institute would continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that the project attains its goals and impacts positively on the lives of farmers. Okonkwo pledged to ensure

South African firm explores Nigeria’s carrots juice market ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

hile Nigeria’s over 45 per cent local fruits keep wasting away, South African farmers are making speedy advances in adding value to their farm produce - a situation that has made Nigeria one of the largest consumers of their farm produce. Greenway Farms, the largest carrot producer in South Africa, will start marketing its carrot juice in Nigeria, under a brand to be known as Rugani, from August. The company, which produces about 40 per cent of South Africa’s carrots, recently, asked the public at the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market to test seven variants of the juice. “It was a successful attempt to find out what the public’s taste preferences were,” Vito Rugani, the owner of Greenway Farms, stated in the farm’s website. Rugani believed that the ini-

tiative would facilitate “a transparent pricing model.” The website also quoted the marketing manager of Greenway Farms, Jenna Badenhorst, saying that the final installation work was being done at the large South African South juice plant. Rugani said: “The factory will be an extension of the existing packaging plant in Tarlton, 75 km west of Johannesburg. The juice factory will produce about 145,000 litres of juice per week from about 240 tons of carrots. To speculate how much juice we will produce is very dangerous. We are taking a chance with this expansion and hope for the best”. According to a report, Greenway Farms currently sells about a million kilogrammes carrots a week in South Africa and other countries. However, the large quantities of the produce in Zaria, Kano, and Jos cannot be exported to any country, leaving farmers poorer, hopeless and helpless.

that the project’s assets and research trials were protected and secured. Demonstrating his commitment to the Project, the NRCRI boss promised to release additional four hectares to the IITACWMP for trials this season at Utobi in Benue state. The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Prof O. B. Oyewole said his University was glad to be part of the IITA-CWMP. He emphasized that the results from the

project would be useful to the society in general, and the advancement of the productivity of cassava in Nigeria. Earlier, the Principal Investigator of the IITA-CWMP, Prof Friday Ekeleme, and the Communication & Knowledge Exchange Expert, Mr. Godwin Atser had made presentations on the activities of the project in the outgoing year and plans for the year 2015. Ekeleme said the successful implementation of the activities of the project last year was a joint

effort involving partners from NRCRI, FUNAAB, UAM and IITA under the leadership of the Project Coordinator, Dr Alfred Dixon. He therefore called on partners not to rest on their laurels but to redouble their efforts and commitment to attain the project’s milestones this year. The visiting team, together with the Project Administrator, Mrs. Ezinne Ibe, visited the experimental farms across the various partner institutions.

Agriculture, job creation source –Expert SAIDAT ALAUSA

irector, Institute for Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR), Prof. Akin Omotayo, has said that commercial agriculture if well developed and implemented was capable of curtailing unemployment pervading the country. The expert disclosed during a programme in the university that the sector had the capacity to create four million jobs through the agricultural value chains. Omotayo, who spoke on “How to Resolve the Nigerian Economy through Agriculture”, pointed out that agriculture remained the only viable option that could solve the economic dilemma that the country finds itself in, because over-reliance on oil had failed the nation. While advising governments

at all levels to focus on agriculture, the IFSERAR director moted that young people should be trained and empowered to earn income in agriculture like their counterparts in other fields, saying this would make them stay on the farm, more so as the few existing farmers were becoming old. He called for a systematic approach towards achieving this, which would ultimately result into stakeholders making more money and the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increases. The agriculture expert advised ministries and departments and agencies, MDAs, at both the federal, state and local government levels to tap the opportunities in the sector fully, assuring that FUNAAB is always ready to assist them in any area of agricultural development towards ensuring food security. On the collaboration between

the university and the body, Omotayo assured them of IFSERAR support in increasing food productivity so as to end hunger in the country. He said a lot of progress had been made since the collaboration started about a year ago. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, appreciated the contributions of WAAPP-Nigeria through IFSERAR, in strengthening the university’s extension village farmers. He pointed out that the FUNAAB recently bought a Toyota Hilux van to support the programme, adding that a lot of things needed to be done in providing food security. The university don stressed the need to embark on sensitisation and enlightenment activities that would enable the youth take up farming as a means of livelihood so as to create more employment opportunities.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Friday, June 5, 2015

SEC adopts NSE’s par value, other rules JOHNSON OKANLAWON

ecurities and Exchange Commission has approved the par value rule submitted to it by National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange on March 5, 2015. A circular from the commission dated June 2, 2015 said the approval is a sequel to the draft rule submitted (for stakeholders’ comment) by the Rules and Adjudication Committee of Council of the NSE on October 21, 2014. According to the circular, the rule states that notwithstanding its par value, the price of every share listed on the Exchange shall be determined by the market, save that no share shall trade below a price floor of one Kobo per unit (N0.01).

It added however, that the NSE is yet to officially communicate when the implementation of the rule will commence. On March 28, 2013, the Council of the Exchange approved a number of new rules as well as amendments to the rules governing dealing members. The new rules approved include the Order Entry & Execution Rule, Obvious Error Rule; and Churning, Fictitious or Deceptive Trading Pattern Rule. In addition, Policy No 01 NSE which provides penalties for breach of rules governing dealing members was also amended. The Amendment was made in respect of the rule penalizing unauthorized sales of clients’ securities by

dealing member firms. Article 74 of the rules contains amendments to the time of conduct of business at the Exchange and it now sets forth specific provisions indicating when the Exchange will be open for business. Article 87 contains amendments to trading parameters and it now makes provisions for lot sizes and display of quotes and orders. Article 88 contains amendments to trade types and it now makes provisions for order entry parameters, permits the entry of limit and market orders, makes provisions for contents of orders, time-in-force limit orders; and also provides for time stamping of orders for ranking and then processing of orders. Article 88A is new and

Oando lists N48bn shares JOHNSON OKANLAWON

ando Nigeria yesterday listed 2.95 billion shares at N16.50 on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, bringing changes in the lead indicator and market capitalization. The shares were listed on the Daily Official List of the NSE following the conclusion of the Rights Issue which was 99.78 per cent subscribed. Meanwhile, trading in equities continued on a negative note on the Exchange,

as more blue chips recorded losses. The All Share Index depreciated 1.22 per cent to close at 33,466.41 points, compared to the depreciation of 0.54 per cent recorded the preceding day. The depreciation recorded in the Index could be attributed to the losses recorded in the share prices of some highly capitalised stocks such as Zenith Bank, PZ Cussons, United Bank for Africa and Guaranty Trust Bank, amongst others. Similarly, the market capitalization depreciated 0.77

per cent to close at N11.42 trillion, compared to the depreciation of 0.54 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at N11.51trillion. Berger Paints Plc led the gainers’ table with 70 kobo or 6.80 per cent to close at N11.00 per share, followed by Julius Berger Plc with N2.50 or five per cent to close at N52.50 per share. Beta Glass Plc rose N2.09 or 4.98 per cent to close at N44.05 per share, while Flour Mills Plc added N1.68 or 4.99 per cent to close at N35.69 per share. Okomu Oil Plc appreci-

CBN adjusts forex rate peg to dollar

entral Bank of Nigeria, CBN, made a tiny adjustment to its exchange rate peg to the dollar yesterday, data on its website showed, which one analyst said may indicate it is beginning to think about how to loosen its currency regime. The bank adjusted the rate at which it sold hard currency this week to 196.95 to the dollar from N197, dealers said, noting that the change was too small to be called a revaluation, particularly in the face of dwindling foreign reserves. The naira traded on thin volumes at N198.95 to the dollar on the interbank market yesterday, before two large sales totalling $36.4million were done at N196.95, around the market close, dealer said, attributing the sales to the central bank. The unit traded between 215 to 218 in the parallel market. One economist said the

move may suggest the bank is testing out the market to see whether it is ready for a looser currency regime. “Small changes in the rate could possibly allow the central bank to gauge the changes in demand and supply dynamics which would inform decisions on when and how best to start lifting forex restrictions,” Cobus de Hart of South Africa’s NKC Independent Economists said. The bank itself said the move simply reflected the state of dollar supply. “We are not fixing rates. The present rate is a reflection of the level of dollar supply in the market,” central bank spokesman Ibrahim Muazu told Reuters. One other economist said the move would hurt the country’s precarious forex reserves position, however. “By lowering the central bank rate offered to banks

albeit very moderately, the central bank is adding to pressures on FX reserves ... equivalent to around 4.9 months of imports,” Angus Downie, head of research at Ecobank said. Nigeria’s foreign reserves had fallen to $29.4 billion as of June 2, down 20.1 per cent from a year ago as the central bank burns cash to defend the local currency. The naira has lost 8.5 per cent of its value since the start of the year after sharp falls in the price of oil, Nigeria’s main export. That forced the central bank into a de facto devaluation and fixing of the exchange rate in February in order to protect its dwindling foreign reserves. The regulator also banned commercial lenders from reselling central bank dollars among themselves, which was an attempt to curb speculation on the naira.

makes provision for order entry and execution. It covers activities during the pre-open session, the opening auction, the continuous trading session, queue priority for limit orders and queuing of market orders and decrementation. Article 90 contains amendments to the provision on suspension on trading activities. The Chief Executive Officer of the Exchange is now empowered to halt or suspend trading when he deems such action to be necessary or appropriate to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors, or otherwise in the public interest. The CEO must notify the Council of the Exchange as soon as possible thereafter.

ated N1.40 or 4.83 per cent to close at N1.40 per share. Conversely, Jos Breweries Plc lost nine kobo or 4.92 per cent to close at N1.74 per share, while Eterna Oil Plc shed 14 kobo or 4.83 per cent to close at N2.76 per share. Fidson Healthcare Plc was down 17 kobo or 4.80 per cent to close at N3.37 per share, while Continental Insurance Plc depreciated five kobo or 4.76 per cent to close at N1.00 per share. Air Service Plc dropped 11 kobo or 4.70 per cent to close at N2.23 per share.

Naira non-deliverable forwards - currency derivatives traded offshore - point to the local currency being priced at N221 to N225 to the greenback in six months’ time, considerably weaker than the current peg. Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

Crude oil price

$58.96

Source: NSE

Inter-Bank Rate Naira

US Dollar

N197.00 Market indicators All-Share Index 33,466.41 points Market capitalisation 11.43trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

BERGER

10.30

11.00

0.70

6.80

JBERGER

50.00

52.50

2.50

5.00

BETAGLAS

41.96

44.05

2.09

4.98

FLOURMILL

34.01

35.69

1.68

4.94

OKOMUOIL

29.00

30.40

1.40

4.83

PRESCO

32.00

33.50

1.50

4.69

NPFMCRFBK

1.09

1.14

0.05

4.59

WEMABANK

0.94

0.98

0.04

4.26

MOBIL

150.00

156.30

6.30

4.20

IKEJAHOTEL

3.75

3.89

0.14

3.73

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

JOSBREW

1.83

1.74

-0.09

-4.92

ETERNA

2.90

2.76

-0.14

-4.83

FIDSON

3.54

3.37

-0.17

-4.80

CONTINSURE

1.05

1.00

-0.05

-4.76

AIRSERVICE

2.34

2.23

-0.11

-4.70

ZENITHBANK

20.20

19.25

-0.95

-4.70

REDSTAREX

5.35

5.10

-0.25

-4.67

VONO

1.93

1.84

-0.09

-4.66

UAC-PROP

10.46

10.00

-0.46

-4.40

MANSARD

3.00

2.87

-0.13

-4.33

FGN Bonds

Offer

Bid

Description

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.20

99.24

13.71

99.39

13.57

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.90

101.96

13.86

102.11

13.77

16.00 29-JUN-2019

4.07

106.25

13.93

106.55

13.83

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.65

110.89

13.82

111.19

13.75

14.20 14-MAR-2024

8.78

101.84

13.82

102.14

13.76

10.00 23-JUL-2030

15.13 68.00

15.54

68.30

15.47

Closing Market Prices of June 4, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

Exchange

Rates (N)

03-Sep-15

11.10

11.41

WAUA

270

USD

197

03-Dec-15

12.54

13.38

EURO

214

05-May-16

12.96

14.71

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

Tenor

Rate (%)

SWISS FRANC

202

O/N

12.2500

POUNDS STERLING

293

15.4022

16.5661

SDR

273

17.5873

NIBOR

The Fixings of June 4, 2015

Capital Market

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at June 4, 2015 1st Tier Securities

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror Respect for human rights and adherence to the rule of law are the life and soul of democratic system. We will not tolerate or condone impunity and reckless disregard for human rights. President Muhammadu Buhari

Court directs family to correct Ojora’s title Olanrewaju Olatubnbosun

ustice Abdulfattah Lawal of the Lagos High Court has directed the Adeshiba Ayeloja royal family to amend their processes in a suit seeking to restrain Oba Fatai Aremu Aromire Ojora as the Ojora of Lagos. Counsel to the monarch, Mr. Olu Okunuyi, had observed that the name and title of the traditional ruler, was wrongly spelt, hence the processes could not be accepted. The family through their lawyer, Olusegun Raji, is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining

the first defendant, (Chief Ojora of Lagos) from parading himself as Oba of Ojora. Other defendants in the suit are; Chief Fatai Abiodun Olumegbon, the Governor of Lagos State, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lagos State and the Oba of Lagos , Oba Rilwan Akiolu respectively. The claimant is urging the court to set aside the Lagos State government approval, installation and of the 1st defendant as the traditional ruler of Iganmu land. The family had in a Motion Ex-

parte brought pursuant to Order 7, Rule 5(1) of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2012 prayed the court for an order of substituted service of court processes on the monarch by pasting them on the wall or through currier service. In an 11-pragraph affidavit, deposed to by one Adelokki Olalekan, a Sheriff of the court, he stated that all effort to effect personal service on the 1st, 2nd and 6th defendant proved abortive. The deponent stated that each time he visited the palace of the 1st defendant,(Ojora of Lagos) there was always ‘’strong security’’

around the palace preventing him from gaining access. The Ayeloja royal family had in their statement of claim prayed the court for an order directing the Lagos State government to confirm the nomination and appointment the claimant, Shehu Shekoni Adedewe as the Oba elect of Iganmu land. Besides, the clamant is also seeking for a declaration that the claimant (Adedewe) is entitled to be crowned as the traditional ruler of Olapake Iganmu on their vast area of land.

Two arraigned for gang-raping teenager Dare Akogun

Overloaded pick-up van in Bauchi, yesterday.

Man accused of using snake to rob in Lagos

27-year-old man, who allegedly terrorised and robbed people with baboon and snake, was on Thursday charged before an Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court. The accused, Mohammed Nafiu, 27, whose address is unknown, is facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, breach of public peace and robbery. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. But the prosecutor, ASP Eranus Nnamonu insisted that the

accused committed the offences on March 7 and 17 when he terrorised the residents of Ogba and Ijaiye in Lagos. He said Nafiu, armed with a full grown baboon and a venomous snake, also terrified a crowd waiting to board a bus at Ogba Bus Stop. Nnamonu said the accused isolated an eyewitness, Joshua Odogwu, and thereafter obtained N57, 000 from him. ``The obviously terrified victim dropped all he had in his bag along with N57, 000 cash,

which the accused collected.’’ In addition, he said the accused had on March 17 visited the shop of a man, Henry Ugwuokoh and forcefully obtained N230, 000. The offences, Nnamonu noted, contravened Sections 166, 294, 295 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs. Abimbola Komolafe, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to June 18 for trial.

There had been conflict between the Adeshiba Ayeloja Adedewe family and that of Ojora chieftaincy family over alleged demolition of houses on a vast area of land measuring approximately 1, 324 hectares situated in Awori, in Badagry area of Lagos State. The Adedewe family had claimed that Ojora family is not entitled to the land in dispute hence all the transaction and dealings of the defendants on the disputed land are unconstitutional, null and void. The matter has been adjourned till July 1 for mention.

wo persons have been brought before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court sitting in Lagos over alleged abduction and rape of a teenage girl. The suspects identified as 19-year-old Jamiu Yusuf and Rilwan Oduntan, were said to have asked the girl (name withheld) for direction in the neighbourhood on May 12 at about 8pm in Onigide Street, Ijora Badia area of Lagos. While leading them to the said location, the suspects overpowered and took her away to their residence where they allegedly took turns to rape her. The victim was said to have confided in her mother, who later reported the case at the Ijora Badia Police Division, leading to the arrest of the suspects. Narrating her ordeal the victim said, “I was in front of my house, when they came to meet me and ask for direction to a street. I offered to help them, not knowing that they had plans to abduct and rape me. When we got halfway to the street, they suddenly grabbed my hands and forcefully took me to their house. They locked me up in the room and took turns to rape me.” Both suspects were however arraigned before a chief magistrate, Mr. P.A. Adekomaya, on two counts charge of abduction and rape. While testifying in court, the police prosecutor, ASP Olusoji

Ojaokomo, said both suspects were found guilty of the crime following investigation that was carried out. He affirmed, “The accused conspired to abduct the girl and forcefully had carnal knowlegde of her without her consent.” The charges read, “That you, Jamiu Yusuf and Rilwan Odutan, on May 12, 2015, at about 8pm on Onigide Street, Ijora Badia, Lagos, in the Apapa Magisterial District, did have sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011. “That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did abduct the girl and have sexual intercourse with her, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 267 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.” The duo however pleaded not guilty to the offences, alleging that the young girl consented to the act. Adekomaya consequently granted the accused bail in the sum of N30, 000 with one surety in like sum, adding that the case file be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice. The magistrate also ordered that the suspects should be remanded in prison custody, pending when their bail conditions are met. Adekomaya adjourned the case till June 18, 2015.

Politics

Friday, June 5, 2015

FG must immortalise Kudirat Abiola –CD, KIND Ayo Esan

ampaign for Democracy, CD, Women Arise and Kudirat Abiola Initiative for Democracy, KIND, have called on the Federal Government to allow justice to be done over Kudirat Abiola’s brutal assassination which occurred on June 4, 1996, just as it also called for her immortalisation by the Federal Government. Speaking at the 19th anniversary of Mrs Abiola’s death in Lagos yesterday, organised by CD, Women Arise and KIND, CD President, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, said the fact that her killers have not been brought to book after 19 years is an indictment of the criminal justice administration system in Nigeria. She said the anniversary of her assassination is a moment to recall her heroic deeds and demand justice for her by putting the justice system in Nigeria to task on the culprits of the barbaric act. Urging the government

to immortalise Kudirat, Okei-Odumakin said she roared like a thunder at many pro-democracy gatherings insisting that the right thing be done in our nation. National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, leader, Rear Ndubuisi Kanu also reinforced the call for justice for late Kudirat after laying the wreath on her grave, adding that asking for justice for Kudirat is not asking for vengeance or revenge, but “it is asking that it may not happen again and that is why it is essential that justice must be done. Kudirat was not a person for Abiola family, yes she married MKO Abiola but she was a woman for this country and Africa. I know that personally for all she did during the struggle. Also speaking at the occasion, National Coordinator of the pan-Yoruba group, Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Otunba Gani Adams said that the Federal Government as a way of immortalising Kudirat Abiola should named a street after her in Abuja.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Presidential poll: Ahmadu Ali, PDP sued over N85m campaign debt Ise-Oluwa Ige

ne of the firms engaged by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to campaign for the defeated former President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 28 presidential poll, Silon Concepts Limited, yesterday sued the PDP before an Abuja high court sitting in Maitama over an unpaid N70 million presidential campaign debt The firm, which hired Lagos lawyer, Mr Festus Keyamo, to recover the debt vide legal means is urging the court to issue an order compelling the PDP to pay the purported debt and additional N15 million repre-

senting the cost of prosecuting the suit. Specifically, Silos had named the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, PCO, former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali and the PDP as defendants in the case. Giving background to the suit in the statement of claim, Silos explained that it made an offer to the PDP, through the office of the 2nd defendant to do voice SMS campaign broadcast to eligible voters for the 2015 presidential election on February 3 and March 4 respectively. It further claimed that its offer was accepted by the PDP on March 5, where it

agreed to pay the plaintiff N100 million for the project. Silon Concepts Limited said of the approved sum, which was to be paid before the commencement of the contract, only N20 million was released to it for the take-off with the promise to pay the balance before the presidential election. It claimed that it successfully executed the project with continued assurance from the defendants that the balance would be made available in no distant time. However, Silos claimed that it happened that the PDP allegedly could not pay the balance notwithstanding the said demand but only issued another cheque of N10 milliona on March

19. In the writ of summons filed by Keyamo, the plaintiff is praying “an order of court compelling the defendants to pay the plaintiff the sum of N70 million only, being outstanding balance for the contract executed by it for the defendants and an order compelling the defendants to pay the plaintiff the sum of N15 million naira only, being the cost of the suit. The plaintiff is also asking for an order compelling the defendants to pay the plaintiff an annual interest rate of 10 per cent on the N70 million only until the said sum is fully liquidated,” among other such orders.

Wada inaugurates Kogi’s 6th Assembly Wale Ibrahim LOKOJA

ogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada, has inaugurated the 6th Kogi House of Assembly, with a call on members to work as a family for the overall development of the state. Wada stated that the inauguration was in consonance with section 105(3) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which provides that the governor of a state shall issue a proclamation to that effect. He expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity and congratulated the legislators for their election as he urged them to reciprocate the “kind gestures of the people of your various constituencies.” He said: “I appeal to you all to work as a team like a family in the interest of unity and peaceful co-existence among the people of Kogi State. “Your motions and resolutions must always reflect the mood of the state and engineer development. You will debate,

disagree and even feel agitated in the conduct of your affairs in this House. “But let maturity define your intensions and produce resolutions that will assist in moving the state forward. Avoid sentiments and other destructive engagements like the use of ethnic, religious and place of origin advocacy as instruments of legislation.” Assuring the new legislature of the cooperation of the executive arm of government, Wada pledged: “At all times, we shall abide by the rules that divide our functions from those of the legislative arm.” He disclosed that the state had instituted respect for the rule of law as a guiding principle for the conduct of government affairs in the state. The governor observed that with only four returnees in the house, the members must have to learn fast, urging them to perform their functions with utmost devotion in order not to frustrate the expectations of the electorate.

Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong (left), receiving the oath paper used in swearing in the new chairman of Langtang North Local Government, Mr. Dan Dul in Jos, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Speakership: Group condemns intimidation of Dogara’s supporters •Cautions Buhari on internal democracy Ezekiel Titus BAUCHI

political group, Sovereignty Watch for Democracy, SWD, has condemn in totality the harassment and intimidation against the Consolidation Group, CG, comprising memberselect of the incoming 8th House of Representatives, which has been canvassing support for the emergence of Hon Yakubu Dogara as the next Speaker This was just as the CG cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure internal democracy in the business of electing the principal officers of the National Assembly. This followed an alarm

raised by the group while on tour of the country to seek for votes ahead of the speakership election coming up on June 9. SWD president, Mohammed Adamu, said what happen is great shame and disservice to the nation and people of Nigeria, adding that there was no need for such dastardly attack on members of his group, allegedly gingering a top notcher of the party (names withheld) as being behind the attack. Warning that it will not fold its arms and watching the nascent democracy truncated, Adamu called on Buhari to call APC chieftains to order before the election degen-

erates to a free for all, explaining that it is against every democratic norm to elect Femi Gbajabiamila as House Speaker, since the Vice President comes from the same state and geo-political zone with him. He said: “We are not cowards. APC should learn from the handwriting on the wall. Plots to impose leaders on the National Assembly caused the fall of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from power, because it lacked internal democracy.” Stressing that should anything happened to any member of the CG, which is supporting Dogara, Nigerians will storm

Abuja to shut-down the city, CG said that the action against Dogara is a signal that links APC to religious and ethnic difference, which APC was initially accused of but which it had denied severally. CG said the intimidation of its members is a signal that Gbajabiamila is fast losing support to emerge as the next Speaker, adding that there is no room for stooges of political godfathers in the House of Representatives. It therefore admonished President Buhari and the APC caucus to be conscious in reflection of the circumstances that brought the president and the party to power.

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

ISIS caliphate illegitimate, says Al-Qaeda’s Syria chief

It’s not about losing sleep over this, but about doing our work and creating the necessary preconditions for Britain to remain in the EU.

–German Chancellor, Angela Merkel

Mubarak to stand trial afresh for 2011 protesters killing Paul Arhewe

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

ormer Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will face a second and final retrial over the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his 30-year rule, a high court said yesterday. Mubarak, 87, was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for conspiring to murder 239 demonstrators, sowing chaos and creating a security vacuum during an 18-day revolt which began in Jan. 2011, but an appeals court ordered a retrial. In that retrial, an Egyptian court in November dropped its case against him but the public prosecution appealed the decision. On Thursday, Judge Anwar Gabri accepted the prosecution’s appeal and said Mubarak would be tried again on Nov. 5 by the high court. He was not present at the court. The ruling was seen as a triumph of sorts for opponents of

Mubarak who perceive his treatment by the courts as too lenient. “I was sure of this ruling because there were many violations by the criminal court (which dropped the case). It confirms that the January revolution is claiming back its right,” said Yasser Sayed Ahmed, a lawyer for victims of the violence during the uprising. Lawyers told Reuters the court on Thursday upheld other cases that cleared Mubarak and his sons of graft charges. It also upheld a previous ruling that cleared Mubarak’s former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, and six aides. The defendants had denied the charges. But for some of Mubarak’s opponents, the ruling did not go far enough. “Today’s ruling was issued with a final acquittal for Mubarak’s regime over the killing of protesters under the leadership of Adly. Mubarak’s retrial is just a red herring,” Shadi El Ghazaly Harb, a prominent anti-

Former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, inside a cage in court

Mubarak activist, said on his Facebook account. Hundreds of people died when security forces clashed with protesters in the weeks before Mubarak was forced from power. Many Egyptians who lived through Mubarak’s rule view it as a period of autocracy and crony capitalism. His overthrow led to Egypt’s first free election, which brought in Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

But Mursi only lasted a year in office after mass protests against his rule in 2013 prompted an overthrow by then army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who later went on to win a presidential election last year.

Kenya charges five men over Garissa attack

Petrol station fire kills 96 in Ghana F

t least 96 people have died in a fire at a petrol station in Ghana’s capital, Accra, the fire service said. The fire started as people in the city are trying to cope with two days of heavy rain, which has left many homeless and without power. The flooding hampered rescue efforts and may have led to the fire, the BBC’s Sammy Darko reports from Accra. There are fears that the number of dead could rise as the search of the site continues. It is thought that people were in the petrol station sheltering from the downpours when the fire broke out, BBC said. Latest updates on the fire aftermath and floods. Bus conductor Yaw Aforve was sleeping in his vehicle which was parked at the petrol station when the fire started. He said he jumped into the floodwaters and when he came up for air, the fire burnt his face.

“I was swept away by the water to the other side [of the road],” he added. “I saw so many people screaming and shouting.” The flooding helped cause the fire, the Ghana fire service said. The waters “caused the diesel and petrol to flow away from the gas station, and fire from a nearby house led to the explosion”, spokesman Billy Anaglate said, the Associated Press news agency reports. President John Mahama has visited the burnt-out petrol station and appealed for calm as the au-

thorities try to cope with the aftermath of the fire and the flooding. He praised the rescue workers for the lives they had saved but said he was lost for words to express his feelings for those who had died. Two days of heavy rain has brought much of the city to its knees. There are chaotic scenes with cars being carried away by the water and many roads blocked off. Hundreds have been trapped in their offices and some have been forced to spend the night in their cars as traffic came to a standstill.

The petrol station was totally destroyed by the fire

ive men were charged yesterday in connection with an attack by Somali Islamist gunmen on Garissa University in northeast Kenya that killed 148 students, the worst militant attack in the east African nation in almost two decades. The assault on Garissa University on April 2, in which gunmen from Somalia’s al Shabaab group stormed in and sought to kill Christian students, has piled pressure on President Uhuru Kenyatta to do more to secure the border and other regions. The effects of the assault are still being felt in Garissa County, where almost twothirds of schools have had to shut because students, many from other regions, are not willing to go to work there any more, regional officials said. Four men from Kenya and one from Tanzania were charged in court for conspiring to commit “a terrorist act at Garissa University College” and other related offences, court documents showed.

WORLD BULLETIN

France to halve troop deployment in CAR France will more than halve its troop deployment in the Central African Republic this month, as part of its handover of the peacekeeping mission to the UN, the army said yesterday. “The number of forces will go from 1,700 to 900 soldiers in the coming month,” said French army spokesman Gilles Jaron. “More and more, our presence will be focused on the capital Bangui. From Bangui, we will be able to deploy extremely quickly in support of UN forces,” he said, adding that several French bases would now pass under UN control. France launched Operation Sangaris in December 2013 in a bid to break the cycle of violence triggered by a coup earlier in the year. It had a peak strength of 2,000 troops before beginning its drawdown in March. The United Nations launched its own operation in 2014, and now has some 10,000 peacekeepers in the country, where it hopes to oversee elections by the end of the year. Thousands have been killed and almost a million displaced by fighting between different ethnic and religious groups since the coup in March 2013. France has always been open about wanting to reduce its troop presence in its former colony, so that they can be deployed for counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel region of west Africa.

Libyans arrest 545 Europe-bound illegal migrants More than 500 illegal migrants who had hoped to set off at dawn yesterday for a new life in Europe were arrested in the Libyan capital, officials said. Acting on a tip-off, authorities stormed a hideout where the migrants were waiting for people smugglers to take them to boats, migration officials said. Mohammed Abdelsalam alKuwiri, from a migration squad linked to the Tripoli-based government that is not recognised internationally, said 545 migrants were rounded up. “They are from Africa, and most of them are men. They were taken to a detention centre in the capital,” said Mohammed Baker, another migration unit official. The arrests are the latest announced by officials in Tripoli, where an anti-government militia alliance last year set up a rival administration to the elected government now based in the east. In May alone, authorities in Tripoli said they arrested more than 1,000 migrants who had hoped to set sail for Europe.

World News

WORLD BULLETIN

Blair to fight anti-Semitism

Former prime minister Tony Blair is to take a new role fighting anti-Semitism after stepping down as a Middle East peace envoy, he announced yesterday. Blair is to be the chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, which campaigns to stop discrimination against Jewish people and for Holocaust denial to be a criminal offence. Blair and Russian-born Jewish businessman Moshe Kantor announced the appointment with a joint article in The Times in which they warned of reports of rising anti-Semitism. “Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem, but one infecting the whole of society and needs to be tackled for the sake of us all,” Blair and Kantor wrote. “States, international organisations and other actors must join together to tackle hate and intolerance. If we wait for our armies to act, it will be too late.” Blair resigned as an envoy for the Quartet diplomatic group, representing the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia, where he had worked for eight years to help mend the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ISIS caliphate illegitimate, says Al-Qaeda’s Syria chief

he chief of Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate described the rival Islamic State group’s self-proclaimed caliphate as “illegitimate”, in a wide-ranging television interview aired. In the second part of his appearance on the Qatari-owned AlJazeera news channel, Al-Nusra Front leader Abu Mohamed alJolani criticised IS at length and said he did not foresee a reconciliation between the two jihadist groups soon. “They announced a caliphate, but the scholars rejected it as illegitimate. It is not based on Islamic law,” Jolani said, his face hidden from view by a black scarf. The rivalry between the two groups deepened after IS declared a caliphate spanning across Syria and Iraq in June 2014. This conflict, Jolani said, had seen IS kill more than 700 members of Al-Nusra in a single battle, as well as women and children. “There is no indication of a solution between us and them at this time. We hope that they repent and return to the Sunni people,” Jolani said, adding that the rivalry had allowed the Syrian regime “to flourish.”

Fighters from Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, driving in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

He refused to call IS fighters “infidels” -- a term usually referring to non-Muslims -- but instead said they had strayed from the path of Islam. “They did not commit to the orders we had... including not blowing up markets or killing people in mosques,” he said. Jolani also criticised IS for not “being serious in fighting the re-

gime” of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. When asked by Al-Jazeera interviewer Ahmad Mansur about Al-Nusra’s ties to Al-Qaeda and whether a split was possible, the jihadist leader refrained from answering directly. “The issue is not about leaving Al-Qaeda. It is about who rises up against hegemony,” said Jolani,

who said he had fought in Iraq against American forces. As with the first instalment of the interview aired last week, an “Al-Qaeda in the Levant” flag featured prominently on the table in front of Jolani. He said as many as 30 percent of Al-Nusra’s members were foreigners, including “a small number of Americans.”

Putin to visit Pope Francis June 10 at Vatican

ussian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Pope Francis on June 10

at the Vatican, with conflicts in Syria and Ukraine likely to top the Holy See’s agenda.

Tony Blair

South Korea records third death from MERS outbreak South Korea yesterday reported its third death from an outbreak of the MERS virus that has infected dozens of people, seen hundreds of schools closed and caused thousands to cancel travel plans. An 82-year-old man was diagnosed with the MERS virus in a posthumous test after he died in hospital on Wednesday night, the health ministry said in a statement. He was originally being treated for asthma and pneumonia but was placed under quarantine after other patients in his ward tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The latest case brought the total number of people diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus in South Korea to 36, the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia. More than 900 schools, from kindergartens to colleges, have now shut their gates and the government’s MERS hotline took more than 3,000 calls on Wednesday as public fears have grown.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin last called on Francis on Nov. 25, 2013. The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Thursday the meeting would take place in the afternoon of June 10; Putin is expected to visit Russia’s pavilion at the Expo world’s fair in Milan, where June 10 has been slated as Russia’s national day. After nearly a half-century of hostility between the Vatican and the Kremlin during the Cold War, a major breakthrough came just after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 when the Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, met the Polish-born pontiff, John Paul II. After a 2009 visit by then-

President Dmitry Medvedev, Russia and the Holy See upgraded their diplomatic relations to full-fledged ties, with ambassadors. Long-running tensions in Russia between Orthodox and Catholic faithful in Russia prevented Pope Benedict XVI and before him John Paul from achieving their long-sought dreams of a Russian pilgrimage and meeting with the Russian patriarch. Tellingly, Putin didn’t invite Francis to visit during his 2013 visit — one of the few world leaders who have not extended an invitation to the enormously popular pope during an audience.

Ukraine’s president warns of full-scale Russia invasion

resident Petro Poroshenko has told MPs the military must prepare to defend against a possible “fullscale invasion” from Russia, amid a surge of violence in eastern Ukraine. Russia has denied that its military is involved in Ukraine, but Mr Poroshenko said 9,000 of its troops were deployed. Clashes involving tanks took place in two areas west of Donetsk on Wednesday. There was a “colossal threat”

that large-scale fighting would resume, the president told parliament in Kiev. The outbreak of violence, in the government-held towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, was among the worst in eastern Ukraine since a ceasefire was signed in Minsk in February. International monitors from the OSCE said that in the hours before and during the fighting around Maryinka a large amount of heavy weapons was spotted moving towards the

contact line in rebel-controlled areas. Government troops fired shells at rebel-held areas on the outskirts of Donetsk. Ukraine said it had lost five soldiers in the past 24 hours, while the rebels said 15 people including civilians had been killed. The separatists denied Ukrainian claims that they launched a major offensive in violation of a truce. The OSCE said that for more

than an hour on Wednesday they had tried to contact separatist leaders to halt the fighting, but they were either “unavailable or did not wish” to speak to the monitors. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, accused the authorities in Kiev of jeopardising the Minsk agreement, by placing it “under the constant threat of disruption” and by refusing to engage in direct dialogue with separatist leaders.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Friday, June 5, 2015

Madakı, 5 others jostle for Plateau speakership JAMES ABRAHAM, JOS

s the race for who becomes Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly gathers momentum, memberelect for Jos East constituency, Mr. Joshua Madakı, has pledged commitment to offer his best through people-oriented legisla-

tion if elected Speaker. National Mirror learnt that five other memberselect, who are also eyeing the speakership position, include Hon. Danıel Dem, Rıyom constituency; Hon. Baba Hassan, Jos NorthNorth; Hon. Ezekıel Afon, Bassa; Hon. Istıfanus Mwansat, Pankshın South; and Hon. Peter Azı, Jos North West.

Except Mwansat, who ıs from central zone, the other contestants hail from the northern zone from where the position of speaker ıs expected to emerge, sınce the governor and his deputy hail from southern and central zones, respectively. It was further gathered that members of the 8th Assembly in Plateau

State would be inaugurated on Tuesday, June 9 when the Speaker and other principal officers were expected to emerge as well. Speaking with National Mirror on the issue in Jos, yesterday, Madakı, who was elected under the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, and is believed to be favoured by his colleagues for the speaker-

ship position, said what the 24-member Assembly needs was a leader that could guarantee the interest of the people of the state, stressing that he was prepared to shoulder that responsibility for the

Lalong seeks cıtızens’ support for good governance JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

General Manager, Niger State Water Board,Engr Hassan Tsado (left) conducting Governor Abubakar Sani Bello (right) and others round the Chanchaga Water Works, during an inspection tour of facilities in Minna, yesterday.

Leadership crisis erupts in Kogi Assembly …APC members issue 24-hour ultimatum WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

he 11 elected All Progressives Congress members of the 6th Kogi State House of Assembly have issued a 24-hour ultimatum to reverse the imposition of leadership on the House by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The members also threatened to appoint a factional Speaker and other leaders for the Assembly. Spokesman for APC, Hon. Abdulmumini Rabiu

Ibrahim, representing Ankpa I constituency, disclosed this while addressing newsmen shortly after Governor Idris Wada inaugurated the 6th Assembly, adding that PDP members of the House had imposed the Speaker without any input from members of the opposition party. Ibrahim explained that shortly after the governor, his deputy and other dignitaries left the floor of the House, Hon. Friday Sani nominated the Speaker and brought out a long list of officers, noting that when

an APC member raised his hand for observation, the PDP ignored him. He stated that when APC members were not allowed to make any contributions to the nomination process, the 11 members walked out of the Assembly complex, stressing that there was no Speaker for the Assembly yet as far as APC members were concerned. He said even though they don’t have a preferred candidate, the PDP legislators should have allowed them to participate in the nomination process of

leadership of the Assembly. He lamented that the PDP has not the spirit of changed as it has continued to perpetrate illegality and impunity, which he stated, would not be allowed in the 6th Assembly. The spokesman pointed out that the APC lawmakers would resist all attempts to impose leaders on them. The APC members had therefore boycotted the nomination of the immediate past Speaker of the House, Momoh Jimoh Lawal.

IGP urges police to build 6,000 housing units OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

nspector-General of Police, IGP, Solomon E. Arase, has mandated the Police Works Department to commence building of 500 units of modern and cost-effective houses in each of the 12 police zonal commands. Arase, who gave the charge during a one-day workshop of all police

works officers in Abuja, said the directive was a bid to improve the welfare of police officers, especially inspectors and the rank and file. The houses are to be completed within six months. According to him, the workshop was called to review activities of the Department. He, however, expressed displeasure over shoddy projects done

in the past for the Force by some building developers at high costs. He said the new initiative would be driven by relevant professional expertise within the Force and would be a continuous exercise. Upon completion, a unit of two bedroom flats would be delivered to officers at a cost not above N4m, as materials would be sourced directly from

manufacturers. The IGP stated further that corrupt officers would not benefit from the project. Officers would be able to acquire the houses through the NPF Mortgage Bank Plc and that in collaboration with the National Housing Fund, the bank would finance the project with the Investment Department of the Force coordinating.

benefit of all. The lawyer with many years experience also promised not only to champion good legislation but also ensure that the system of governance was strengthened.

ew Plateau State Governor, Sımon Lalong, yesterday appealed to the people to support his admınıstratıon in the task of providing good governance. Speaking shortly after he swore ın the new Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Hon. Rufus Bature; Chief of Staff, CoS, Government House, Hon. John Dafa’an; Director of Press Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Nanle, and chairman, Langtang North Local Government Council, Chief Dan Dul, among others, at Rayfıeld Government House ın Jos, the governor called on the people to leave behind all that took place in the past and rally round his government as a new vista of opportunity has been opened for them. Lalong said the All Progressives Congress, APC, administration in the state was on a rescue mission and would do everything possible to proffer solutions to the myriad of problems fac-

ing it. The governor also stressed that the swearıngın of chairman of Langtang North Local Government Council was in line with his government’s philosophy of respect and obedience to the rule of law. He charged the chairman to lead the people with fairness and justice, while striving to give them a robust and impactful leadership. It could be recalled that the Plateau State local government election appeal tribunal had voided the election of Hon. Godwin Nanmwa Kumzhi of the People Democratic Party, PDP in the Langtang North Council election held on February 25, 2014. Justice J.D. Mann of the local government election appeal tribunal, while delivering the judgement had dismissed the preliminary objection raised by the Pleateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, on whether the first respondent, Kumzhi of the PDP was validly declared winner by state electoral body.

Windstorm renders scores homeless in Damaturu

indstorm yesterday rendered scores of Damaturu residents homeless after a heavy downpour. News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the windstorm blew off roofs of buildings, uprooted trees, electric poles and other installations. NAN’s office was also damaged by the windstorm. Some victims of the storm said they had to sleep in their neighbours’ houses. Abubakar Ali, a resident of Nayi Nawa Ward in Damaturu, said he evacuated his family from his three-room building to his brother’s house after the storm for safety. “I lost all the three rooms in my house to the storm,” Ali said.

Another resident of Nayi Nawa, Ibrahim Musa, said he was lucky that his house was spared, adding that “many people spent the night here; it was a minicamp.” Bukar Usman of Sabon Pegi Ward, said the parameter fence of his house was also pulled down by the storm, “exposing us to the outside world.” Hafsat Suleman of Ali Marami, said: “My roof was blown off, but we thank God that there was no casualty.” Some of the victims who spoke to NAN solicited assistance from the state government. “These are hard times; we plead with the state government to assist us to rehabilitate the damaged structures,’’ they pleaded.

Friday, June 5, 2015

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This is to inform the general public that the Original Copy of the Certificate of Occupancy No. BN 7702 dated 15th September, 1982 issued in favour of Gaadi Aju, over property situated at Shangev-Ya, Kwande L.G.A of Benue State is missing. All efforts to trace same proved abortive. If found please contact the nearest police station or Iortswan Gaadi on 08180812421

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PUBLIC NOTICE OFIADIULU FARMERS ASSOCIATION ISSELE - AZAGBA.

This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1) Onwube Chukwunyeaka 2) Obieze Simeon Chinedu 3) Mbamalu Ekwuye. 4) Sunday Francis Ofokansi. 5) Adinife Patrick Obodoeze. 6) Aloysius Nwabunwanne. 7) Livinus Ojigbe Ejimofor. 8) Nwaogbo Julius Nosike. 9) Ejike Onwudinjo.

- Chairman. - Secretary.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: To protect interest of members.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Trigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication

SIGNED: ONWUBE CHUKWUNYEAKA - CHAIRMAN

PUBLIC NOTICE

SAFER WORLD FOUNDATION

This is to inform the general public that the above named foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. 2. 3.

Ogbonna Chris Anthony Sadiq Lami Mugu Zakka Bako

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:

PUBLIC NOTICE

DOMINION PROPHETIC AND EVANGELISTIC MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL.

The general public is hereby notify the above named Organization has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for Registration under part c of the companies and allied matters act,

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Prophet Blessed A. Emmanuel 3. Bro. Sunday Ofadim 5. Mrs. Blessing Chukwuagozie 7. Mrs. Cordelia Mbajiofor

2. Evanglist (Mrs) Lovina Emmanuel 4. Mrs. Angela Utobo 6. Mrs. Claris Ukeh 8. Mrs. Ogechukwu Chukwuagozie

1. To develop and rebuild friendship, help broken hearts and promote respect for human dignity 2. To create a safe space for dialogue and reconciliation

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ in Nigeria and beyond. 2. To establish and maintain Christian schools and counseling clinics for the purpose of raising morally and spiritually sound citizenry.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, Tigris Crescent, off Aguinyi Ironsi Crescent Maitama Abuja, Nigeria within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: BARR. (MRS) EZIKA FRANCA N. FIDELITY CHAMBERS 228 AGBANI ROAD, AWKUNANAW ENUGU

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Friday, June 5, 2015

Sport

Canada 2015: Supporters flay visa denial

I really believe my entry into the English Premier League will boost my career in the coming season

–South Africa international, Tekolo Rantie

U-20 W/Cup:

League Champions Buffles Enyimba vs ano Pillars K s v a i k Mala

God win as

our’s Savi brace restores Nigeria’s hope

• F’Eagles 4 0 North Korea

lying Eagles coach, Manu Garba, surprised many when he unveiled his team against North Korea yesterday in the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. Saviour Godwin was not a player pundits had predicted would start. With the African champions facing a crucial Group E tussle with the Koreans, the prospect seemed especially unlikely, but Garba had other ideas – and after Godwin’s stellar performance in New Plymouth, it is easy to see what the coach had in mind. “He’s a lad I know well because he was in our squad when we won the U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2013,” Garba told FIFA.com. “I put him in my starting XI today for tactical reasons. He’s quick, holds the ball up well and he can shoot with both feet. His qualities seemed useful for taking on Korea DPR. Saviour responded in the right way, even if he can still do more. But it’s true that his two goals did us a lot of good.” Spotting No.13 jersey, Godwin swung the match, in fact, headed in the opener in the 48th minute and calmly burying his second three minutes later to put Nigeria in control of a game they had started slowly. Until that point, the Flying Eagles had

faced an impregnable wall in Cha JongHun, with Godwin denied by the miracleworker after a quarter of an hour and Musa Muhammed left similarly frustrated from a 27th-minute free-kick. And when they could beat the North Korean goalkeeper, the woodwork came to their opponents’ rescue, as it did with just two minutes gone. No matter how much Nigeria persevered, the ball would not go in. “We had a well-conceived plan for this match which my players didn’t really respect in the first half,” added Garba. “But I spoke to them at half-time and they got the job done afterwards.” The details of what was said will likely remain a mystery, however, with Godwin unwilling to shed too much light on the dressing-room exchange at Stadium Taranaki. “The coach just gave us a few instructions,” he told FIFA.com cagily. “He made a few adjustments ahead of the second half.” He added, “All the credit go to my teammates. They made the conditions ideal for me during the game and before it as well with their encouragements ahead of my first start. They asked me to give everything, so that’s what I did. The coach didn’t tell me anything specific, but I didn’t need any extra motivation.”

Savious Godwin celebrating one of his two goals, yesterday

Group E Teams Brazil Hungary Nigeria Korea DPR

MP 2 2 2 2

W 2 1 1 0

D 0 0 0 0

L 0 1 1 2

GF 6 6 6 1

GA 3 3 4 9

+/3 3 2 -8

Falcons plan for Sweden, USA in Winnipeg Mercy Jacob

igeria’s Super Falcons have settled in Winnipeg, venue of their group stage matches ahead of the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup that kicks-off in Canada tomorrow. Falcons departed Toronto, venue of their final training camp, for Winnipeg yesterday, getting ready for their opening game of the tournament against Sweden next Monday. In Toronto for two weeks, the team played two friendly games against World Cup hosts Canada and local female club side, Wood-

bridge FC and has expressed determination to confront other Group D opponents, USA and Australia. Before leaving their Novotel Hotel camp in Toronto, Coach Edwin Okon dropped three players who didn’t make the final cut. The three players are: Sandra Chiichii (goalkeeper), Maryam Ibrahim (defender) and Chinwendu Ihezuo (forward). Yesterday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said in a statement that the trio, who were part of the silver-winning U-20 team last year also in Canada, wished the team well as they started their journey back to Nigeria.

Okon, however told the girls that their non-selection was not as a result of poor form, but because a certain number of players must be selected for the World Cup. “I want you girls to know that you are all good footballers and were not dropped because you are not good enough. We just had to take a certain number and you are as good as any of your teammates chosen for the tournament proper. “I want you to go home with your heads held high as there would be more opportunities to serve your country which I know you are so eager to do,” the coach said.

Results Hunduras

Fiji

Hungary

Brazil

Germany

Uzbekistan

Sunday Matches Hungary

Nigeria

Brazil

N’Korea

Honduras

Germany

Fiji

Uzbekistan

Pts 6 3 3 0

Sports

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria

Canada 2015:

Supporters flay visa denial

improves in world ranking Paul Erewuba

espite moving two places up in the monthly FIFA ranking released yesterday, the Super Eagles are ranked seventh in Africa. The Eagles however remained the seventh ranked African side behind Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Tunisia, Cape Verde Island and Senegal. Algeria continues to be the topranked African side and is 21st in the world. Cote d’Ivoire lies in 24th position in the world and second in

Ifeanyi Eduzor

Africa, followed by Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, Cape Verde Island, Nigeria, Guinea, Congo DR and Cameroon. The biggest climber of the month is Madagascar (113th), while Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier opponent, Chad, dropped 20 places to be placed 172nd in the world. Germany occupies the first position on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking with Argentina and Colombia third and fourth respectively while former world champion Spain crawled back to the tenth position.

UCL: Heineken consumers set for Ibiza Finale Afolabi Gambari

iewers of the UEFA Champions League will be at Heineken House Lagos, tomorrow to watch the final between Barcelona and Juventus at the Olympiastadion in Berlin to join over 300 million other viewers around the world.

But 20 ‘lucky’ Nigerians will be much further away from home, watching the match as part of an all-expense paid VIP experience on the exotic island of Ibiza, off the coast of Spain. The third annual Heineken’s Ibiza Final will draw Heineken consumers from 35 countries of the world while attracting the world’s top DJs and hordes of night-clubbers. Nigerian guests will depart Lagos tonight

and will arrive in Berlin tomorrow, in time for the UCL final match and will enjoy after-match party on Sunday at the exquisite Blue Marlin. The sponsors told National Mirror yesterday in Lagos that the Nigerian tourists are scheduled back in the country on Tuesday next week and would be hosted to a party where they would relive their incredible once-in-alifetime experience.

CAF Cup: Okowa lifts Wolves for Leopards Theophilus Onojeghen WARRI

D Gov. Okowa

elta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has released funds to boost players of Warri

New Zealand 2015: Coach banks on Saviour

Wolves FC ahead of CAF Confederation Cup match AC Leopards of Congo Brazzaville in Warri tomorrow. Media Manager of Warri Wolves, Moses Etu, said the fund would

boost the team to overturn the three-goal deficit suffered at the first leg in Congo. “We can only win this match for the Governor,” Etu said. Meanwhile, management of Warri Wolves

has declared the gates free to enable fans to cheer the home team to victory. “We have asked fans to get blue T-shirts to flood the stadium and cheer the team,” Etu added.

Manu

embers of Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) have protested the non-issuance of visas by the Canadian Embassy to about 300 members who are preparing to travel to Canada to support the Super Falcons in the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicking of tomorrow. President General, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, said in a statement that of the 170 visa applications released by the embassy, only 19 members were issued visas, despite the members not having issues with previous travels. “It is unfortunate that a supporters’ club that has been adjudged by FIFA as the best in the world will be denied visas to go and support their team despite their hotel accommodation being fully booked,” Ladipo said. “We are also surprised that some of our members who have traveled to many countries with visas of those countries in their passports were not considered worthy of visas to Canada,” he added. “We have appealed to the Canadian Embassy to rescind its decision in the spirit of sportsmanship and the cordial relationship existing between Nigeria and Canada because the integrity of our club is intact.”

Ladipo

lying Eagles’ Coach, Manu Garba, believes two-goal hero against North Korea at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, Godwin Saviour, is capable of far bigger things. After a scoreless first half, Saviour scored twice in quick succession to return the Nigeria to winning lane against the Koreans. “Godwin did well during our training tour of Germany, but he is not even at his best yet in this tournament,” the gaffer said yesterday as the team

resumed training ahead of Sunday’s crucial last group game against Hungary. “He shoots very well with both legs, has the energy to also cover up when the attack has broken down. I think the goals will boost his confidence for the matches ahead,” Garba added. Saviour, who did not feature at the African Youth Championship in Senegal in March, justified his first start at the World Cup after he was a late substitute in the 4-2 loss to Brazil on Monday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ikoyi Ladies golf ends today Pius Anakali

he 2015 annual Ikoyi Club Ladies Club Championship which teed off yesterday at the golf section will hole out later today. Over 200 ladies are competing in the championship which is open to players drawn mostly from the club. According to Ikoyi Club’s Lady Captain, Edna Anukwue, only ladies within the handicap range of -28 will feature in today’s event, in addition to guest players who would play over 18 holes. Also expected at the two-day event are Evelyn Oyome, handicap 5; Taddy Dance, handicap

12; Ronke Iyiola, handicap 15 and Mercy Freely, handicap 16, among others. Oyome, however, called on the golfers to play according to the rules of the game, adding that golf brought out the character of the players. “This is my first tournament as Lady Captain and that means I expect a free and fair game from all the players to move golf forward in Nigeria,” she said, stressing, “Golf demands discipline and maximum concentration.” The championship is sponsored by Cakasa Nigeria Ltd and PAI International Engineering Ltd, among others, while theatrical performance would entertain participants and guests.

A lady golfer swinging yesterday on the Ikoyi course

NSA floats Sports Dialogue Afolabi Gambari

rganisers of the Nigerian Sports Award said yesterday that this year’s event will witness staging of a forum where issues in sports development in the country will be discussed. Chairman of the Award’s Panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos, said the organisers had resolved to leverage on the credited that the NSA had enjoyed since its inception in 2013 to contribute to the country’s progress. “We have named the initiative

“Sports Dialogue” and are looking at compiling names of personalities that will exploit the forum to deliberate on the salient issues affecting our sports with a view to proffering credible solutions to them,” Isiguzo, who is also Chairman of the Editorial Board of Vanguard Newspapers, said. “Likewise, the panel has also resolved to widen the scope of the Lifetime Award category of the award so that it would encompass individuals who have contributed the most to the overall sports development in Nigeria,” he added, stressing, “As always, we will endeavour to ensure that all awardees are present at the final ceremony.”

Army commander counts boxing gains Nwanyiabia Anaeze ONITSHA

ommander of Onitsha Military Cantonment, Col. Mohammed Bello, has disclosed that the renewal of Onitsha Cantonment Boxing competition will keep youths away from crime and communal clashes. Bello said that the month-long competition would also foster understanding among people living

Sports

Friday, June 5, 2015

within the cantonment and its environs. “It will definitely strengthen the existing civil-military relationship and make the civil populace to understand the military better,” the commander observed. “We would match people with same weight, height and stamina together to get the best,” he said. “We have the best boxing coaches in the cantonment and they have been grooming a lot of boxing budding champions.

et me tender my unreserved apology to all ardent readers of this column for not being published last week. It was due to circumstances beyond my control. The political game in Nigeria has never been this awesome. The game has generated a great deal of overwhelming interest. There is hardly anybody on the border line. Nobody seems to be hiding where he or she truly belongs. Expectations from this team is no doubt very high and it is apparent the fans, or call them the spectators or the suffering masses, would not want anything less than a resounding victory. The victory from this political game that has just commenced on the political field with what is anticipated to be the “first eleven team” under Muhammadu Buhari can only be seen, measured and meaningful to the massive crowd of Nigerians with visible results in employment opportunities, drastic reduction in crime rate, availability of power, affordable homes, portable drinkable water, functional and affordable medical facility as well as motorable roads. It is the opinion of not a few that Buhari and his team should change the direction and indeed the TEMPO of the political game in the country. It is the prayer of the majority of Nigerians that the pattern of play should not be at variance with the masses’ expectation and also must not be detrimental to their interest. That Nigerians are dying as a result of suffering, hunger and frustration is not in doubt. One can therefore understand why Nigerians voted for a change which should be real, genuine and, I dare say, must be profitable to all Nigerians. Nigerians must not be allowed to regret that they ever voted for a change. The political game of deceit and pretence, of selfishness and destruction, of retardation and under-development, of suppression and oppression as can be seen in the standard of living of our people should be discarded. It is expected that the hopeless should be assured of a better tomorrow, the oppressed should be set free, the teeming unemployed youths should be gainfully employed and engaged. Nigeria has no business with questionable poverty and suffering. It is a case of a country in great affluence but in deep sea of suffering as a result of monumental mismanagement with heartless and primitive acquisition of wealth at the detriment of the suffering masses by the ruling class. This attitude has contributed in no small measure in high crime

MANDATE

THE

Sylvester Ikuejamoye

mopheys13@gmail.com 0805-407-1194 (SMS only)

Buhari, the Team Manager, kindly change the game tempo rate in the country. The commonwealth of the country should not be colonized by the selfish, heartless and questionably powerful few. The change the people voted for is for growth and development of the country. The change the people voted for is for a clear departure from darkness to light. It is for from poverty to prosperity. It is from want to surplus. It is for from grass to grace. One good obvious thing about this new government is the fact that the new President appreciates the enormous expectations of the people. He must be aware of the fact that he will

no good and committed leaders with enough foresight at least in the last thirty years. There may be few years of exception but basically very insignificant.

Bow out with honour and dignity Take it or leave it, the outgone President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is a man of honour and dignity. His singular move in accepting defeat in the last general election and at a very crucial moment in Nigeria history is not only commendable but outstanding. By that singular act, he has walked himself into the special history book of honour and dignity. In this particular instance, history will be fair and kind to him. He averted possible major colossal crisis and commotion, the end of which nobody could predict.

Joseph Sepp Blatter: Better late than never

need to work exceedingly high to justify the huge confiPresident Buhari dence reposed in him by t h e ordinary people who were instrumental to his overwhelming victory at the poll. His awareness of this fact must have informed his decision as reported in the media that he will personally pick his ministers and other appointees based on merit. Mr. President, I cannot agree less with you. It is in your interest and that of the country to do away with sycophants and the professional praise singers. Nigerians are expecting a very good, pleasant and promising game from the new president and his first eleven political team to continue enjoying their support. Nigeria and Nigerians cannot afford another economic woe. The citizens of this country certainly cannot afford another lack and want when we have what it takes to be a reference point of success story in Africa. As Africa’s largest producer of oil and six in the world, it is absurd to see degradation almost in all aspects of our national life. There is no doubt that our political leaders have been playing to the gallery where drama and comedy seem to be the order of the day in the governance of Nigeria, a country blessed with milk and honey but

The news of the resignation of FIFA President, Joseph Sepp Blatter on June 2, 2015 was like a rude shock to some people but was not unexpected to so many other followers of the unfolding events at the FIFA’s Zurich headquarters in Switzerland for over a decade now. Blatter should have resigned long time ago as a result of so many alleged corruption charges against many members of FIFA hierarchy. It is very much un-European for Blatter to have insisted contesting the last election in the face of obviously persisted corruption allegations against FIFA and its leadership. FIFA was literarily becoming a monumental embarrassment to the game of football. It is good for Blatter to go. Better late than never. Further on Blatter’s resignation will form next week’s edition. Keep a date with the Mandate column.

Congrats, Asisat Oshoala Without doubt, women are working extremely hard to positively put Nigeria name on the world map. Asisat Oshoala has done that in the field of sport to win the maiden BBC Footballer of the Year award. Let us all hail the HEROINE of our time. Congrats Asisat. You deserve your crown.

Hard but the bitter truth No wise man will take a basket to collect rain water. Neither will a sane man take delight in slaughtering his people. The opposite is folly and insanity. Hard But The Bitter Truth. Until next week Friday, stay out of trouble and God bless Nigeria.

WORLD RECORD

First timekeeping device

Vol. 05 No. 1128

Friday, June 5, 2015

N150

First used in Mesopotamia in c. 3500 BC, the time stick – a primitive form of sundial – was the first “clock” ever developed by Man.

Officials mocking NDLEA, drug war in Nigeria

t a time when nations across the globe are putting in their best to combat hard drugs, bad eggs in the stream of fellows Nigeria entrusted with the sensitive and strategic responsibility of her criminal justice administration have turned the country’s anti-drug war to a scornful spectacle, a laughing stock. Indonesia, the Asian country that between 2008 and April this year, executed six Nigerians, with about eight still on the death row; and more from other countries and Indonesia itself for drug offences in defiance of the hues and cries of the international community, is globally acclaimed as one of the nononsense anti-drug nations. Indonesia is one of the 33 countries and territories worldwide that prescribe death penalty for drug offences. Indeed, in 13 out of the 33, death sentence is mandatory once the drug law is infracted. United Kingdom-based International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA), one of the leading international non-governmental

ritish boxer, Amir Khan, is convinced he could be less than two weeks away from landing his long-awaited super-fight with pound-forpound pugilist Floyd Mayweather. Khan says there has been “movement” in nego-

FRIDAY WITH Dozie Okebalama

dozieokeama@yahoo.co.uk 08164966858 (SMS only) organisations promoting policies and practices that reduce the harms from all psychoactive substances, in a 2012 report, buttressed how dear the anti-drug campaign is to Indonesia and its criminal justice system. The IHRA said two petitions were filed to the Constitutional Court of Indonesia in 2007 to challenge the constitutionality of death penalty. The first involved two Indonesian and two Australian citizens. The second was brought by one Australian citizen. All the petitioners convicted of drug-related offences challenged capital punishment as contradicting the right to life protected by the Indonesian Constitution under Article 28 (A). Article 28 (I), in addition, recognises the right to life as one of the non-derogable rights that cannot be limited in any circumstances. The petitioners also argued that Indonesia’s international treaty obligations under Article Six of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Indonesia ratified in 2005, specifically required the country’s government to abolish the death penalty for drug offences. In its final ruling, however, the court argued that from the perspective of the original intent of the makers of the Indonesian Constitution in 1945, all human rights set forth in the document could be limited. The court paid particular attention to the victims of drugs, and insisted that protecting the right to life of vicious criminals (such as those convicted of premeditated murder), for instance,

LET’S WAIT, WATCH AND SEE HOW NIGERIA WILL HANDLE HER COURT CLERKS AND PRISON WARDERS THAT SHIELDED

197 DRUG CONVICTS FROM SERVING THEIR PRISON TERMS would negate the right to life of victims and offend the victims’ families. Absolute nature of the right to life is not sustainable; and the application of the death penalty, according to the court, also found its relevance in addressing social disharmony that emerged because of the crimes committed by the perpetrators. It also expressed scepticism towards studies that suggest capital punishment has no deterrent value; and compared Indonesia’s laws with the comparatively more strict laws in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia. In Nigeria, however, drug offences do not attract the death penalty. But the Federal Government, through the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Decree No. 48 of 1989, constituted, specially equipped and routinely pays officers and men of an institution (the NDLEA) to prosecute the country’s anti-drug war. Unlike Decree No. 20 of 1984 that endorsed death penalty for drug offend-

ers, Decree 48 “aims at rendering offenders financially incapacitated, apart from the long period of incarceration ranging from 15 to 25 years; and sometimes, life imprisonment for producers and traffickers. Additionally, any organisation that colludes with offenders to perpetrate a drug offence or to conceal proceeds from the illicit drug trade is also liable on conviction to a term of 25 years imprisonment or two million naira fine”, according to the NDLEA. But that is merely on paper, as acclaimed drug convicts are protected from going to jail, no applause for the very officials charged with ensuring that convicted criminals face the wrath of the law. Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, disclosed recently, for example, that a cartel comprising some court clerks and prison warders aided 197 convicted drug traffickers to evade serving their sentences. Giade said the police investigated the case and confirmed his findings, namely: official complicity in undermining the criminal justice system. Some may dismiss it as part of the ruins from festering corruption in the land. Yet a society so extreme in its materialism as to breed criminals even among the most trusted law-enforcement agencies and those who superintend criminal justice administration has virtually nothing left in terms of respect for the law, patriotism and morals. A similar criminal drug syndicate was busted in Oakland, a major West Coast port city in the state of California; United States in 2012, involving a drug trafficking organization allegedly using airport baggage employees to circumvent the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Fourteen people were charged with perpetuating a drug ring that smuggled suitcases full of marijuana onto airplanes, including three baggage handlers at Oakland International Airport. If eventually convicted, a minimum sentence of five years in prison or a maximum of 40 years and a fine of $5m, await the convicts. Let’s wait, watch and see how Nigeria will handle her court clerks and prison warders that shielded 197 drug convicts from serving their prison terms.

Sport Extra Boxing: Khan closes in on Mayweather bout tiations since his routine win over Chris Algieri in New York on Friday night, and the fight could take place in the United States in September. “I don’t think I have ever been closer to getting

the fight with Floyd Mayweather than I am at this moment,” the Bolton-based boxer said yesterday. “The indications are that I have every chance the fight could be confirmed pretty soon,” he added.

Khan’s long pursuit of Mayweather has led to long spells of inactivity in his career but insists at the age of 28 he cannot afford to wait around if he once more proves to be frustrated. “The welterweight di-

vision is one of the hottest in world boxing at the moment and there are any number of other possibilities, including Miguel Cotto and Keith Thurman,” Khan further said.

Khan

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