Binder1

Nigeria’s foreign reserves drop by $7.78bn JOHNSON OKANLAWON

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s the global oil market continues to take toll on fiscal and macroeconomic stabil-

Okonjo-Iweala

Vol. 51 N0. 1115 115

ity, Nigeria has recorded $7.78bn or 20.7 per cent drop in its foreign reserves.

The reserves dropped to an all-time low of $29.78bn at the weekend.

The foreign exchange

FG approves LagosLondon route for Med-View

market in the country has been influenced by a number of factors such as the changing pattern of international trade, institutional changes in the economy and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

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Chidoka

Tuesday, Tuesday,June May7,19,2011 2015

Senate Presidency:

N150

Ranking favours Lawan over Saraki, Akume We’ve not endorsed candidate for Reps –PDP caucus

ISE-OLUWA IGE, WOLE OLADIMEJI AND ADEOLA TUKURU

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ndications emerged yesterday that among senators vying for the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Again, Jonathan sacks NIPC executive secretary P.6 P6

Court orders GTB to refund customer’s N5.3bn P.6 ADVERT HOTLINES For advert bookings and information, please contact: LAGOS 01-8446073, 08113947415 08113947419 08113947420 08113947422 ABUJA 08113947421 PORT HARCOURT 08113947418 OGBESE 08113947424

Sari-Iganmu market shop owners in Orile area of Lagos State protesting ejection notice served them by the Ojora of Ijora, Oba Fatai Aromire, at the State House of Assembly in Alausa, yesterday.

Defence Intelligence confirms Boko Haram’s links to ISIS

Red Cross urges Army to obey international humanitarian laws

Catholic priest rescued from kidnappers’ den

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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Nigeria’s foreign reserves drop by $7.78bn CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

structural shifts in production.

Data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, showed that as at May 13, 2014, the reserves which stood at $37.56bn has continued to depreciate in all segments of the foreign exchange market on the back of funds repatriation by foreign investors.

The current stock of external reserves revealed a drop of $4.69bn or 13.6 per cent from a balance of $34.47bn recorded on December 31, 2014.

The decline is coming on the heels of the devaluation of the Naira by eight per cent by the CBN, which has been defending the currency using the nation’s reserves.

Meanwhile, the interbank lending rates rose to 14.25 per cent on average on Friday from 9.25 per cent last week, after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, recalled some of its deposits from banks.

The NNPC sells dollars to some lenders on a monthly basis and transfers a portion of the naira proceeds to its account with the Central Bank, leading to a rate spike.

Banks had a balance of N214bn at the CBN by Friday compared with N494bn last week.

Research analysts at BGL Plc had said the country’s external reserves might drop below $30bn by the end of the second quarter of this year if the oil price trend continues below $65 per barrel.

Another analyst at DLM Securities Limited, an investment firm, noted that the wide divergence between the interbank and the bureau-de-change exchange rates may provide an avenue for arbitrage and speculative activities in the market in the short to medium term.

According to the firm, the phenomenon of currency substitution and partial dollarisation in the economy may significantly fuel high demand for foreign exchange.

“In the light of this, the monetary authority is therefore advised to take all possible measures to address these developments.

“Due to the adverse developments in international oil prices which had affected government revenues, re-

serves accretion impacted negatively on capital flows, the CBN is expected to direct banks to take all necessary measures to improve the resilience of the financial system as well as the overall economic environment and functioning of the financial markets,” the firm said.

The firm urged the CBN to continue to fine-tune demand management measures as well as implement appropriate supply-enhancing strategies to ensure effective demand and utilisation of foreign exchange in the country.

During a recent Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, restated the resolve of the

bank to ensure that it did everything possible within its core fiscal mandate and regulatory responsibilities to defend the Naira and the exchange rate.

He assured that CBN is closely monitoring the market, and would not hesitate to intervene whenever there were tendencies towards speculative attacks on the Naira, to avoid the value of the national currency from going out of the target band of N160 to N176 to the dollar.

In the wake of the recent decline in the global crude oil price, which negatively impacted the national currency, the CBN intervened by devaluing the Naira from N155 to the dollar to

N168, in a bid to ensure stability and attempt to find the true value and shore up the country’s foreign reserves.

However, by the middle of January, the foreign reserves, which is one of the main fiscal buffers to ensure the stability of the economy, fell by 3.2 per cent on month-on-month from the figure in December, after the CBN decided to intervene by drawing from the account.

Besides, a further withdrawal from the Excess Crude Account, ECA, which is the other fiscal buffer, to augment the statutory allocation in the Federation Account for December, has reduced the saving

to less than $3bn.

The continued depletion of the ECA has raised concerns among critics about the state of the economy, heightened by the sharp decline in the price of crude oil, which dropped from over $100 to about $43 a barrel since August.

Since May 2007, the foreign reserves have continued to fluctuate in response to the swings in oil prices at the international market.

From about $43.13 billion, the reserves reached a peak of about $62bn in September 2008 when oil prices reached the all-time high level of $147 per barrel, before falling to a low of $31.7bn in September 2011.

Minister of Finance, Dr.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had defended the situation, saying the fall in reserves was largely as a result of the volatility of commodity prices in the global economy, particularly the oil market, which compelled the CBN to intervene, by deploying part of the reserves, to defend the value of the Naira.

On the ECA, the minister said it was used largely to cushion the economy at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008-2009, pointing out that Nigeria’s ability to ensure the stability of the economy without resorting to external borrowing during the crisis was as a result of the savings in the ECA.

Safer highway patrol vehicles inaugurated by the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Ranking favours Lawan over Saraki, Akume CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Senate Presidency, Senator Lawan Ahmed may have been favoured to emerge as Senate President in the 8th Assembly, going by the extant rules governing election of principal officers of the National Assembly.

This was the position of some ranking senators who also endorsed the candidacy of Lawan as the most qualified to succeed Senator David Mark.

Other aspirants for the post are Senators Bukola Saraki and George Akume.

According to the lawmakers, the Senate’s extant rules on “due process” for the election of the Senate president rates Lawan in good stead to emerge as the head

of the incoming 8th National Assembly.

In endorsing the candidacy of Lawan, the group also pointed to the fact that the stance of the Presidentelect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and the All Progressives Congress, APC, of non-interference, due process and rule of law in the leadership of the National Assembly also favours the lawmaker from the North East geo-political zone.

The ranking senatorselect who rose from a brain storming session in Abuja yesterday said if indeed, “due process will be allowed as the red book stipulates, then, Senator Lawan is the aspirant to beat.”

The lawmakers stated that their position is predi-

cated on Order 3, Rule 2 of the Senate’s standing order, governing the election of presiding and other officers which gives a pride of place to ranking of senators.

The rule states: “Nomination of senators to serve as presiding officers of the Senate or on any parliamentary delegations shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators.

“In determining ranking, the following order shall apply: (i) Senators returning based on numbers of time re-elected; (ii) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives and (iii) Senators elected as senators for the first time.”

According to the senators, going by the rule, “Senator Lawan is the most qual-

ified among the contestants for the Senate presidency as he shall conclude a period of 16 years as a legislator at the end of the current Assembly.”

According to them, Lawan spent eight years as a member of the House of Representatives and another eight years as a senator.

They noted that Akume and Saraki would have spent a period of eight years and four years respectively as legislators at the end of the current assembly session.

“In fact, Senator Lawan is the highest ranking APC senator in the incoming 8th National Assembly and we have no doubt that both the President-elect, Gen. Buhari and our party will be guided

accordingly,” the group said.

The ranking senatorselect advised the incoming administration to abide by its change mantra, which means that it would not be business as usual, adding that even under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-controlled 7th Senate session, extant rules of the upper chamber were not compromised.

“It should dawn on the party that there is urgent need to adhere to parliamentary culture already in place in the conduct of the primaries and elections into National Assembly election positions,” they added.

Lawan, yesterday denied that he is being sponsored by the President-elect and CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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Photo News

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: MD/CEO, Vision and Talent Ltd, Mr. Paul Uduk; Manager, Salaried Segment, First City Monument Bank, Dimeji Adeyanju; Product Manager, Olukunbi Lawoyin and Manager, Trade Products, Benjamin Onuchukwu, during the Six Sigma Straining Programme organised by Vision and Talents in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: ADEYANJU OLOWOJOBA

L-R: Partner, Helios Investment Partners, Kamar Bakrin ; Managing Director, Smile Communications, Michiel Buitelaar; Executive and Partner, African Capital Alliance, Cyril Odu and Global Chief Economist, Renaissance Capital, Charles Robertson, during the 6th Annual Pan– Africa Investor Conference in Lagos, yesterday.

L-R: Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Arase Solomon and DIG Dan’ Azumi Doma, during a courtesy visit by the FRSC Corps Marshal with regard to incessant use of siren and training collaboration in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: Chairman of the Committee, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, Mr. Kilyobas Binga; Director e-Government, Ministry of Communication Technology, Mr. Tope Fashedemi and Head, Communication, Galaxy Backbone Ltd, Mr. Franklyn Ginger Eke, during the 2015 World Telecommunication Day in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

National News

Police nab 119 cultists, launch 259 patrol vehicles Omeiza Ajayi and Regina Otokpa

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ollowing incessant cult-related crimes in Edo State, the police said it arrested no fewer than 119 suspects in the state.

Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, told journalists yesterday in Abuja, while parading 11 cult kingpins that activities of the cultists had led to loss of lives and properties, while inflicting terror on residents of the state.

According to him, the kingpins include professionals, artisans, public office holders, civil servants and businessmen, adding that the arrest was made possible by the deployment of a crack team by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.

The FPRO said: The 11 suspects are being interrogated for their conspiratorial involvement in the murder of 10 Nigerians, including one late Ojo Aye Adu, 55 years, male, be-

tween 5th April, 2015, and 5th May, 2015, in Edo State.

“Another 30 suspects were linked to the murder of one Constance Iyoha, 23 years, female, an apprentice interior decorator.

“The incident occurred during a fracas that broke out among members of Marphites confraternity, students of Auchi Polytechnic that came for initiation ceremonies on 12th May, 2015, at Baladi Hotel, Aviele, out of which 11 had confessed membership.

“On the same date, 12 May 2015, a total of 68 suspected cultists linked

to recent cult related violence in the state were also arrested and are undergoing interrogation.”

Exhibits recovered include sculptures, multiple Nigerian and international passports, multiple pass books, multiple ATM cards, about 40 membership cards of various political parties, photo frames and pictures marked RIP. While assuring Nigerians on the timely and qualitative intervention of the police wherever and whenever the need arises, Ojukwu stressed that operations was ongo-

ing to ensure cultism do not over run the system.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police has launched about 259 patrol vehicles under the ‘safer highways patrol scheme’, following the removal of road blocks across the country.

Speaking during the launch, Arase noted that the vehicles were an alternative to the indiscriminate mounting of roadblocks by policemen, to effectively curb the rate of crimes on the highways, gain the respect of the citizenry and conform to international best practices

as it concerns policing.

To enhance an effective operational system that would hold the police accountable for their actions, Arase urged citizens to explore the new social networking anti corruption platform of the force, www.stopthebribes.net to report cases of unprofessional conduct by highway patrol officers.

He however appealed to members of the public not to abuse the platform by reporting malicious cases but ensure that all reported cases were factual and if possible, accompanied

Nigeria pays 2015 regular budget to UN

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igeria has paid her 2015 regular budget to the United Nations in full, becoming the 61st member country to do so, an official document of the UN has revealed.

According to a document obtained from the Committee on Contributions by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in New

York, Nigeria paid $2.44 milion as at May 13.

Eleven other African countries - Senegal, Rwanda, Mauritania, Algeria, South Africa, Namibia, Cape Verde, Lesotho, Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan had also paid their contributions in full.

The countries joined others, which had also paid fully on the UN honour roll

created by the office of the spokesman to the Secretary-General.

NAN also reports that as at May 14, 87 member states had paid their regular budget assessments in full, with Dominican Republic being the first to make its payment in full.

The Administrative and Budgetary Committee of

the UN General Assembly decides on the scale of assessments for contributions to the Regular Budget every third year.

The assessments reflect a country’s capacity to pay, measured by factors such as national income and size of population.

NAN recalls that the Peacekeeping Budget as-

with pictorial evidence to boost claims.

Earlier, the IGP sealed collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in ensuring access to the motor vehicle license data base to enhance crime detection by the police.

He stressed that the patrol vehicles deployed in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, were customized for each particular state and equipped with dedicated phone numbers to ease communication by informants or distress calls that could be placed by citizens.

sessments are based on the Regular Budget rates, but with discounts for poor countries.

The five permanent members of the Security Council - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - approve all peacekeeping operations and pay extra fees to compensate for the discounts.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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Defence Intelligence confirms Boko Haram’s links to ISIS UBONG UKPONG ABUJA

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he Nigerian military has confirmed that the Boko Haram has link with other global terror groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS, saying that it is now an ‘open secret.’

Chief of Defence Intelligence, CDI, Rear Admiral Gabriel Okoi, stated this yesterday in Abuja, while fielding questions from journalists at the Deputy Defence Advisers/Attaches/Librarians training conference.

The officers have also been charged to double their efforts in the area of ‘actionable intelligence’ required for effective Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency (CT COIN) operations.

Okoi, when asked if there was substantive intelligence to validate the allegiance of Boko Haram with notorious terror groups like the ISIS said; “it’s an open secret.”

He also charged the defence attaches to ensure that the activities of Boko Haram and their linkage with global terror groups is well monitored, stressing that “failure to do that is at their own risk.”

He also said the theme for the conference, ‘Refocusing Activities of Nigeria’s Defence Missions to meet Con-

temporary Security Challenges,’ was carefully selected to guide their deliberations to the current efforts at addressing the security challenges bedeviling the country and create an atmosphere for sustainable national security and development.

Okoi also declared that with the recent victories against Boko Haram and successful conduct of the general elections, the internal security problem, especially in the North East has been drastically reduced.

“It is unique and interesting as the international community will no doubt be looking forward to the roles Nigeria will play in the international arena with you as key players.

“This is coming at a time also when the security challenges which necessitated the increased involvement of the Nigerian Armed Forces in internal security operations has abated,” he said.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, yesterday, urged the Nigerian Army to adhere strictly to the international humanitarian laws in the ongoing counter-insurgency war in the North East.

President of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, conveyed the charge during a

visit to the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

Maurer said their mandate is to ensure the implementation of the International Humanitarian law and ensure that this law is known by all armed forces, and respected by all armed actors.

Maurer stated that the ICRC is increasing its operations in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, which makes it necessary to engage the Nigerian Army to share its experi-

ence from engaging with other armed forces worldwide.

“We have reached the Nigerian army in the past already; we have engaged in a lot of training sessions; we have presented today a training video so that soldiers, even a game where, in a playful way soldiers can learn about the International Humanitarian Law,” he explained.

Maurer said the ICRC is also engaging the Nigerian army confidentially, “when we make observations on the ground with

the Nigerian forces. So, we are not only engaging the headquarters, but also the field commanders.”

Responding, the Chief of Policy and Plan of the Nigerian Army, Major General Ugo Buzugbe, who represented the COAS, said the Nigerian Army ensures adherence to humanitarian laws in fighting insurgents in the North East.

“I want to tell you that the Nigerian Army, in its fight against terrorism, despite the difficult nature of this conflict, in all our opera-

tions, have adhered and ensured that we maintain humanitarian laws, and also ensured that we promote the assistance and provision of humanitarian aid for those caught in this conflict.

“In our recent fight against the terrorists in Sambisa forest, you are all witnesses to the number of women and children that were rescued and these people, presently, are in the internally displaced camps in the North East. I am sure, Mr. President, that you will visit these people when you get to the North East,” he said.

L-R: (Front row): Director (Foreign Liaison), Brig.-Gen. Peter Bojie; Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, AVM Bashir Saidu and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Rear Adm. Gabriel Okoi, with participants at the opening ceremony of the Deputy Defence Advisers/Attaches and Librarians’ Annual Training Conference in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Ranking favours Lawan over Saraki, Akume CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The senator from Yobe State also explained why the North East should fill the slot in the next dispensation, stressing that it would give the zone a sense of belonging.

Lawan, while noting the enormous influence both Buhari and Tinubu wield in the party however said they have not anointed any candidate, though maintaining that their backing is crucial because they are respected leaders of the party.

He said: “I am seeking the support of our leaders. They deserve respect.

Lawan who noted that public expectation about the incoming administration of Buhari is high, said the country deserves a Senate president who can assist the next President to accomplish his anti-corruption drive and push for economic

revival and security.

Describing himself as a cosmopolitan legislator, he said he has acquired experience in the National Assembly in the last 16 years as a member of the House of Representatives for eight years and senator for another eight years before his recent re-election into the Upper Chamber.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts ruled out the possibility of emerging as a rubber-stamp Senate president, clarifying that he would only be a partner in progress with the executive in an atmosphere of cooperative governance.

Unfolding his vision for the Senate, Lawan said: “I want to provide a 21st century Senate presidency; a leadership that will ensure that we have a bi-partisan approach to legislative business. I will bring incorruptibility and credibility to the

administration. Buhari was elected based on three issues - anti-corruption, fight against insurgency and economic revival. I can complement the anti-corruption stance of the President.

“Nigeria needs a serious anti-corruption fight. If we don’t fight corruption, the resources will go into private pockets. We need to block leakages. My public accounts background will be of help. The judicious financial management of our resources is a priority. We are coming to power at a time of dwindling resources. Those who pillage the treasury will have to be brought to book.”

Lawam maintained that he is qualified to serve as the Senate president because he has the pedigree, competence and experience.

He said the slot should be zoned to the North East as a reward for its massive votes for the APC in the re-

cent election and compensation for the disruption of its socio-economic life by the dreadful Boko Haram sect in the last three years.

He added: “I have what it takes to be the president of Senate. Coming from the North East is also an advantage. The North East has gone through severe troubles; it has been ravaged and marginalised. The Senate presidency will bring back the North East to Nigeria.

At a time, we were taken out of Nigeria by Boko Haram, which declared a Sultanate.”

On zoning, Lawan said it is up to the leadership of the party to decide, adding that the North East would also try to convince the party to zone the slot to the region.

He explained that since the insurgency started, no capital project has been executed in the North East because the zone has not been safe.

Lawan said he has a bright chance because he

has been endorsed by the North West and South West APC Senate caucus, adding that he also has a good rapport from the PDP members from other zones.

Meanwhile, the North East caucus of the House of Representatives PDP yesterday declared that it has not endorsed any of the candidates contesting the speakership position.

This was disclosed by Hon. Binta Bello, from Gombe State, who spoke on behalf of eight other members of the caucus.

She said: “We members of the 8th Assembly from the North East zone hereby inform our constituents and the general public that we did not endorse any candidate for election into the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“We were however surprised and shocked to see our names being brandished in some media this morning

claiming that we endorsed Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno and Femi Gbajabiamila for a joint ticket.

“We wish to state categorically that we were neither consulted, nor informed about the publication.

“We want to make it abundantly clear that at no time did we sit to endorse Hon. Monguno from the North East and Femi Gbajabiamila for any joint ticket.

“Some of our names were only added to the list by these desperate people.

We see this pattern of campaign as the height of desperation.

“They also used the attendance list of one of the consultative meetings held by one of the aspirants to mischievously say we endorsed Gbajabiamila and Hon. Monguno.

“We call on the sponsors of such publications to desist from misleading the public.”

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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Court orders GTB to refund customer’s N5.3b with interest ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

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n Abuja High Court sitting in Apo, yesterday ordered Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB, to pay N5,240,516,186.21k back to one of its customers, Dr.

Ted Iseghohi Edwards, of Edwards and Partners Law firm.

The judgment sum represents the amount illegally withdrawn from Ted Iseghohi’s account without his knowledge or consent.

The trial court ordered that the sum should be

paid back to the customer through his Zenith Bank Plc account.

The court entered the judgment yesterday after finding GTB guilty of illegal withdrawal.

Justice Valentine Ashi, in a judgment held that GTB was without any de-

fence to its action and ordered the bank to pay the sum of N5,240,516,186.21 to the owner through his Zenith Bank Plc account.

The judge further ordered that the N5.3 billion should attract 10 per cent post judgment interest, and another 21 per cent

Director of Programmes, Technical Aid Corps, Dr. Oladele Abiodun (middle), and some staff of the corps with volunteers deployed to serve in Rwanda before their departure in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Jonathan sacks NIPC Executive Secretary …leaves for ECOWAS Summit in Accra ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has relieved Mrs. Saratu Altine Umar of her position as Executive Secretary/Chief Executive of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, with immediate effect.

Jonathan has also approved the appointment of Mrs. Uju Aisha HassanBaba as her replacement

with immediate effect.

In a statement issued

by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, yesterday, the new Executive Secretary/Chief Executive had served previously as Director-General, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Anambra State and Director, Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Jonathan thanked the outgoing Executive Secretary/Chief Executive for her services and wished her well in her future endeavours.

Meanwhile, the President leaves Abuja today to attend the 47th Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Authority of Heads of State and Government holding in Accra, Ghana.

The summit, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of ECOWAS, would receive reports on

the current situation in Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau and deliberate on issues of democratic consolidation and regional peace and stability.

A statement issued by Abati said Jonathan would be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali; House of Representatives Majority Leader, Mulikat Akande and some of his principal aides.

Jonathan is expected back in Abuja at the conclusion of the one-day summit.

Air Force personnel beat FAAN staff into coma OLUSEGUN KOIKI

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fficers of the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, attached to the departure hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday, allegedly beat up a staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, for obstructing traffic at the terminal.

The FAAN staff, Mr. Mohammed Shuaibu, who works at the protocol and passages of the agency, was purportedly inflicted with serious injuries by the NAF officials, which led to his unconsciousness.

A source close to the scene of the incident told our correspondent that Shuaibu had told his friend to pick him at the airport, but on arriving, two Air Force personnel moved to re-

move the plate number of his car for allegedly parking longer than necessary.

But when Shuaibu who was wearing FAAN staff uniform noticed the attempt of the NAF officials to forcefully remove his plate number, begged and introduced himself to the officials, but despite this, it led to fracas between the two parties.

An eyewitness account stated that Shuaibu was

allegedly beaten by the airmen until he collapsed with blood oozing out from his nostrils.

An official of FAAN who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that Shuaibu was immediately rushed to FAAN clinic at the airport, but was later referred to the airport hospital due to the enormity of the injuries he sustained at the hands of the NAF officials.

interest from December 12, 2014 when GTB illegally withdrew the money, until the fund is eventually paid to Dr. Edwards.

The judge, however, struck out the names of the Central Bank, CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation,AGF, Jonah Otunla, Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Yuguda, Anaocha Local Government Area and the Incorporated Trustees of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, from the suit.

The court held that they were not necessary parties.

Edward initiated the suit in January this year after GTB carried out the illegal withdrawal of the money on December 12, 2014.

The money was paid into Dr. Edwards’ law firm’s account with GTB on January 2, 2014 by the AGF as a settlement of a judgment got by his clients, Impecca Services Limited and His Royal Highness, Eze Samuel Ezekwo against ALGON for the consultancy services they rendered to the 774 local governments in the country.

The plaintiff stated, in the originating process-

es, that shortly after the money was paid into his account on behalf of his clients, GTB made some disbursements from the account as directed, but that he was only informed on December 12 by an official of the bank that the Central Bank has withdrawn the N5.3b.

Edwards said when he enquired from the bank why it made deduction from his account without his consent, he said GTB only insisted that the withdrawal was made in obedience to CBN directive, which it could not disobey.

Justice Ashi, in his judgment yesterday, faulted GTB for betraying the banker/customer relationship between it and Edwards.

He noted that it was wrong for GTB to have made withdrawal from the customer’s account without his knowledge and consent.

The judge held that GTB’s claim that it was helpless and that the withdrawal was at the instance of CBN was of no moment.

He wondered whether GTB would have obeyed a similar directive even if it was illegal.

Fuel scarcity: NUPENG alleges closure of depots to tanker drivers

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ational Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, on Monday said the prevailing fuel scarcity may worsen if depot owners shut their depots to tanker drivers.

Mr Tokunbo Korodo, South-West Chairman of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that no tanker driver had loaded petroleum products as at 1:30pm on Monday.

“What I was told was that the independent depot owners may have shut their depots to tanker drivers because of the over N200 billion owed them by the Federal Government.

“The other information I got was that the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association, DAPPMA, is meeting with the President-elect on the subsidy issue.

“I think the outcome of that meeting may de-

termine if DAPPMA will reopen the depots for loading or import more into the country.

“But as at 1:30pm on Monday, none of the union members has loaded fuel from DAPPMA depots in Apapa,” Korodo said.

He said that the relocation of tankers from highways and the inability to load fuel at the depots were responsible for the free-flow of traffic in Apapa axis.

Korodo said DAPPMA and major marketers were aggrieved over the yet to be settled subsidy claims.

Efforts to obtain comment from Mr Adewole Olufemi, Secretary General of DAPPMA on the closure of depots failed.

Korodo added that the recent directive by the Lagos State Government for tanker drivers to relocate from the highways within 48 hours had not yielded any result.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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ALGON clears Uduaghan over council fund embezzlement AMOUR UDEMUDE ASABA

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Research, Policy and International Relations Officer, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Dr. Kabir Kata (left) addressing corps members during a public awareness outreach to NYSC Orientation Camp at Kubwa in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

NDLEA destroys hard drugs worth N2bn

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ational Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Seme Command, yesterday destroyed hard drugs worth N2 billion.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, said the drugs were seized by NDLEA Lagos Command, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Seme Border Special Area Command and the NDLEA headquarters.

Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said the drugs were destroyed in compliance with orders of the Federal High Court.

“Drug trafficking is a transnational organised crime capable of undermining global security and

this has degenerated into political and social instability with negative impact on the rule of law in parts of the world.

“The total weight of the forfeited drug exhibits is 18,791 kg.

“They include 18,420 kg of cannabis, 268.95kg of cocaine/heroin and 101.93kg of methamphetamine/ ephedrine.

“Drug control must be given priority attention by all countries, including Nigeria. Nigeria has maintained an enviable scorecard in her counter-narcotic efforts and this must be sustained,’’ he said.

“NDLEA has enforced strict compliance with the rules of engagement and our internal anti-corrup-

tion policy has assisted in promoting discipline and good conduct among staff.

“Drug barons have no place to hide in Nigeria and we are determined to achieve this.”

Giade advised the public to be vigilant and report cases of drug trafficking at any NDLEA office.

He added: “Members of the public must be wary of the antics of drug cartels because many youths have been lured into drug trafficking under the guise of going to do white collar jobs abroad, while others are victims of greed and selfish interest.

“Parents must be vigilant and should not abdicate their responsibility of monitoring their wards

and children.”

Earlier, the Area Commander of NDLEA, Seme Command, Udotong Essien, said the essence of the exercise was to let the society know what happened to drugs after being seized.

“It is mandatory that this exercise is conducted in the presence of witnesses for transparency, auditing and accountability because the society needs to know what happens to the drugs we seize in the course of our operations,” he said.

He commended the efforts of other security agencies, traditional rulers and the media, noting that effective drug control was a team work.

Zone SGF to S’South, groups beg Buhari DENNIS NAKU

PORT HARCOURT

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outh-South Progressives Consultative Forum, SSPCF, and Rivers Union have called on president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, and the national leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, to zone the position of Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, to the SouthSouth geopolitical zone.

The groups made the call shortly after a joint meeting yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

They cautioned that the region should not be treated like a defeated zone after losing the presidency to an-

other geopolitical zone.

A communiqué signed

by Chairman and Convener of SSPCF, High Chief Sunnie Chukumele, representative of Rivers Union, Deacon Manson Robinson, and seven others, pointed out that the South-South zone had sustained the economy of the country for over 50 years and should be compensated for the loss of presidential position.

The groups therefore, recommended that the position of SGF should be occupied by outgoing Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, based on his wealth of experience as a politician, as well as a courageous and versatile leader.

According to them, “in recognition of the constitutional protection of the rights of the federating units or zones in equity concerning federal character, there has become an urgent need to present the interest of the South-South in respect of the allocation of key political offices for equity and fairness.

“Thus, we in the SouthSouth demand the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“As we demand that the SGF be zoned to the SouthSouth region, we equally present our worthy and illustrious son, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi (CON) for the SGF position in the incoming administration of Mu-

hammadu Buhari. “That we unequivocally state that having lost the presidency to another zone and our worthy and illustrious son, President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR, having magnanimously conceded defeat, the South-South should not be treated as a conquered zone.”

The groups, however, urged the President-elect to maintain and strengthen existing institutions and programmes designed to give hope to the SouthSouth and Niger Delta people like the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Amnesty programme.

he 25 local council chairmen of Delta State on the platform of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, have given Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan a clean bill of health concerning alleged pilfering of monthly allocations due to councils in the state.

It would be recalled that the state council workers under the National Union of Local Government Employee, NULGE, had embarked on indefinite strike since last week over unpaid salaries and allowances.

The strike was attributed to alleged continued half release of allocations to the councils by the governor whom they alleged was stealing the councils’ allocations.

But addressing a press conference yesterday in Asaba, ALGON exonerated Uduaghan and blamed the challenges facing the council areas on dwindling fed-

eral allocation to the state.

Speaking on behalf of the chairmen, chairman of Isoko South local council and state chairman of ALGON, Constantine Ikpokpo (Malik), condemned speculations across the state that the government was pilfering council funds.

According to Ikpokpo, it was wrong for anyone to blame the outgoing Uduaghan administration for the financial challenges faced by councils, saying instead the governor should be commended for his unflinching assistance to the councils.

“Sharp drop in the prices of oil, which has taken tolls on federal allocations to states, has badly affected allocation to the council areas. Account of federal allocation to the state has been straight. It is therefore wrong to argue, blame or accuse the governor of pilfering our funds.

Instead, the state government has been augmenting council funds with over N600 million monthly.”

FG urged to reject abortion for rescued pregnant women

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oundation for African Heritage FACH, has urged the Federal Government to reject abortion as an option for rehabilitating pregnant women rescued by the Nigerian Army from Sambisa Forest.

Mrs Chioma Okonkwo, Public Relations Officer of the civil society organisation, made the plea in a statement in Lagos on Sunday.

According to the statement, abortion is an inhuman act that should be totally condemned.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the Nigerian Army rescued no fewer than 800 women and children from Sambisa Forest in Borno, with some confirmed to be pregnant.

It would be recalled that Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, while briefing newsmen indicated that 214 of the rescued

women were pregnant.

UNFPA and some foreign NGOs have suggested that the rescued pregnant women be sent to abortion clinics to have their babies aborted as activities geared towards rehabilitating the rescued women.

The statement also urged the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders to verify and not rely totally on the statistics of UNFPA as to the number of rescued pregnant women and girls.

It said that FACH and some non-governmental organisations visited the camp with relief materials and discovered that 43 women were visibly pregnant.

The statement, however, urged other organisations and philanthropists to support the victims with medical and psycho-social counseling, adoption, provision of relief items and foster home care.

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South West

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Shun terrorism, NGO counsels Muslim youths A

Lagos funds research with N142m Francis Suberu

Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

F

ollowing reported increase in cases of young girls being used by Boko Haram for terrorism in northern Nigeria, Muslim youths have been told to resist the temptation of engaging in any crime over false promises by wicked elements in the society.

Chairperson of a nongovernmental organisation, Shafaudeen Sisters Daawah Circle, SSDC, Mrs. Habebat Abdulhameed, gave the admoni-

tion in Ibadan yesterday at the 22nd anniversary of the group.

She called on government at all levels as well as parents to give priority attention to girl-child education and stop all forms of discrimination against female children.

"On the part of government, the new democratic regime in particular, issues of international instrument to discourage child abuse, development of girl-child and women empowerment, poverty alleviation and job generation must be addressed,"

she pleaded.

She lauded the spiritual Head of Shafaudeen in Islam, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke, for his untiring efforts in bringing out the best from female adherents, saying such a step would help "the best in us to compete favourably with our counterparts around the world."

Olagoke, while speaking on the topic, "Marriage and its timing: Roles of the agents of socialisation," called on parents to unanimously discourage child marriage because of its adverse consequences on the

victims and the society. He insisted that awareness should be raised on "the extent of early marriage and the human rights abuse it constitutes.” ''State level authorities should be encouraged to adopt the federal law that establishes 18 years as legal age of marriage for girls," he said.

The cleric also called for the need to raise awareness of parents, community leaders and policy makers on the implications of young girls marrying much older men.

bout N142.2 million has so far been disbursed by Lagos State government to some universities in the country to fund research in various fields.

Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pension, Florence Oguntuase, who disclosed this yesterday at the first Exhibition of the Lagos State Research and Development Grants, LRDG, added that seven universities were beneficiaries of the grant.

She said of the N142.2 million approved for research by Governor Babatunde Fashola, N126.2 million has been disbursed to the benefitting tertiary institutions, adding that the balance of N14.2 million would be disbursed after the exhibition.

The benefiting universities are Lagos State University, LASU; University of Lagos, UNILAG; Pan African University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State; Caleb University; Yaba College of Technology and African Languages Technology Initiatives.

The commissioner said exhibitions were carried out in 31 project areas, the purpose for which the fund was released.

Also at the event, Fasho-

la said the state has demonstrated that through research and development, it could harness home grown innovative ideas whose implementation would move the state closer to the achievement of the State Development Plan 20122025.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said the exhibition focused on researches in the areas of manufacturing, environmental sciences, media, culture and creative industries; healthcare delivery; educational needs, power, among others.

Chairman of LRDC, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, said the state government set up the council in 2012 with the sole aim of looking into the Lagos State Development Plan 2012-2025 by engaging in research that would aid its fruition.

He said there was no way Lagos could achieve its developmental plan without research, hence the council came out with research in key areas such as health, education and others.

He called on the state government to ensure continuation of research by giving out more grants, saying the quality of research carried out by the researchers was unrivalled anywhere in the country.

77 die in Osun road accidents

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (right) presenting certificate of occupancy of Homeowners' Charter 7th Edition to Mrs. Beatrice Chibuzor Fadiya (left) at the Governor's Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

NARTO, tanker drivers decry govt vacation order

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ational Union of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, yesterday said the Lagos State government’s vacation order to its members would have a devastating effect on the economy.

PTD President, Salimon Oladiti, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja that the multiplier effect of the directive might have grave consequences on the economy.

Oladiti, who was represented by spokesperson, Abdulkadir Garba, said the drivers were ready to comply with the order.

He, however, said it would not be easy to return the trucks to Lagos to lift

fuel after being chased out hurriedly.

The president said the union had met with the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, and directed all its members to comply with the 48-hour ultimatum by the state government.

The state government on May 13 gave the ultimatum for vacation of the trucks.

The ultimatum followed the persistent traffic gridlock in Apapa area of the state, which spilled over to other parts.

The ultimatum ordered all tanker drivers parked within 300 meters of fuel

depots in the state to relocate to safe parking lots pending availability of petroleum products.

Oladiti said though the time and condition given to the divers was not convenient, but as a law-abiding union, the members obeyed.

He said that more than 6,000 trucks thronged Lagos to load fuel based on the information by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, that it had 1.2 billion litres of fuel in stock.

The PTD president said the union discovered that only six fuel depots with 400 litres capacity of the 56 depots in Lagos had the

product which resulted in the gridlocks.

“Now that we have obeyed the order and trucks are moving out of Lagos back to their different destinations without lifting products, it will take time to persuade them to go back to Lagos.

“This is because of the losses they have incurred which were as a result of uncertainty, the tanker owners and the drivers will be wary of taking another risk to come to Lagos even if there is fuel,” he said.

He expressed fears that the development would worsen the lingering fuel scarcity that had persists.

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ederal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in Osun State yesterday said it recorded 77 deaths from road traffic crashes in the state between January and April.

Sector Commander, Muhammad Husaini, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Osogbo.

According to Husaini, 94 crashes involving 750 persons occurred in the state within the period under review.

The sector commander attributed the accidents to speeding, poor condition of roads and failure by motorists to comply with traffic rules and regulations.

"Most accidents on the road are caused by human error, recklessness and impatience," he added.

He said the commission would not relent in apprehending traffic rule viola-

tors and advised motorists, especially commercial drivers, to always obey traffic rules to avert accidents.

“Drivers, especially commercial drivers, should maintain sound vehicle engines, good tyres, good wipers and other mechanisation needed to keep their vehicles sound and accident-free at all times,” Hussaini said.

He explained that the introduction of speed limit device by the FRSC for commercial vehicles was to minimise traffic accidents in the country.

He appreciated the support of the Osun government towards reducing road accidents in the state through the construction and rehabilitation of roads.

Hussaini warned that road marshals in the state would apprehend and prosecute any traffic rule violator, irrespective of status.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Abduction: ASUU gives Friday ultimatum for members’ release Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

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cademic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has given Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, till Friday to secure the release of its members kidnapped in the state.

ASUU Chairman of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Dr Caleb Aborisade, and his Ekiti State University, EKSU, counterpart, Professor Olufade Olu Olu, handed down the ultimatum when they led members of EKSU chapter in a peaceful protest to the governor.

Three ASUU members kidnapped in the state are Dr (Mrs) Morenike Adegun

and Dr (Mrs) Folashade Alade of EKSU, as well as Dr Femi Omisore of OAU. Apart from the three lecturers, a theatre nurse at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Dr Margaret Aladenika, and two other women are still in kidnappers' den in the state, while former Chief Medical Director of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, EKSUTH, Dr Patrick Adegun, who was kidnapped with his wife, was released to source funds for her release.

The protesting lecturers carried placards with inscriptions such as "kidnapping is a crime against humanity", “ASUU demands unconditional release of our members”, “release

Dr (Mrs) Adegun, Dr Mrs Alade and others”, “ASUU says no to kidnapping in Ekiti State”, among others.

The lecturers marched from EKSUTH through major streets to the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe and the Governor's Office, where they addressed the governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Kolapo Olusola.

The ASUU chairman of OAU said if by Friday the governor did not secure the unconditional release of its members, the union would direct lecturers at EKSU to withdraw their services, as the union would be forced to relocate its headquarters to Ekiti State.

Also, ASUU Chairman of

EKSU lamented that no fewer than five university lecturers had been kidnapped in the country in the last few weeks, wondering why the captors focused on those in the medical and academic lines.

The deputy governor, who said Fayose had left for Abuja to seek intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, on the ugly development, appealed to the aggrieved lecturers to be patient and cooperate with government and security operatives in ensuring the unconditional release of those in captivity.

He pleaded with the lecturers not to down tools as threatened, saying "this will create more tension in the state.”

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Forgery: Ex-CAC, CAN bosses, others for re-arraignment Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

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Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, has fixed May 25 for re-arrangement of retired factional President of Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, Pastor Elijah Howard Oluseye; Oyo State Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Olabisi; and two others over a forgery case.

Others to be re-arraigned are the immediate past factional general secretary of the mission, Pastor Gideon Okegwemeh, and a director with Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Mr. Abdul Hakeem Mohammed.

The four persons are to face new trial on ninecount charge of forgery and conspiracy by obtaining through fraudulent means two Certificates of Incorporation of the Christ Apostolic Church dated October 21 and December 7, 1995, respectively.

The trial judge, Justice Nathaniel Ayo Emmanuel, during court sitting directed counsel to the two sides to file and serve all necessary documents before next Monday.

Counsel to the accused persons, Mr. Olugbenga Olatunji, apologised to the court for the absence of three of his four clients, with only Pastor Olabisi present in court, saying that he got notice for the hearing a day earlier.

But prosecution counsel, Mr. Kareem Salawu, urged the court to quickly set down the case for hearing, stressing that it had suffered series of delays since 2013.

It would be recalled that Justice Abimbola ObasekiAdejumo on September 19, 2013, had ruled that the four accused persons had a case to answer in seven of the nine-count charges levelled against them by the prosecution after the two counsel had presented and closed their arguments on 'no case submission' by the accused persons.

Title documents: Amosun warns applicants against touts

...six communities protest planned demolition Femi Oyeweso ABEOKUTA

O L-R: First civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande; Governor-elect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and Abimbola Jakande, during Ambode’s thank you visit to the family, at the weekend.

FG approves Lagos-London route for Med-View, nine others Olusegun Koiki

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ederal Government has designated the fastest growing domestic airline, Med-View, for London route.

The airline was also approved by government to fly nine other routes, namely; Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire, Bamako in Mali, Monrovia in Liberia, Conakry in Guinea and Freetown in Sierra Leone, Lisbon in Portugal, Douala in Cameroun and Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo.

A letter to that effect was

signed on behalf of Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka, by Deputy Director, Air Transport Management in the ministry, M.S. Noibi.

The letter was dated April 23, 2015.

With this designation, the airline becomes the second Nigerian carrier that would be operating directly to London from Lagos. Arik Air has been operating direct flights to London for almost seven years now.

At the moment, there are two United Kingdom carriers; Virgin Atlantic and British Airways that operate daily flights to Lagos from

London. British Airways, on its part, also operates daily flights to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja.

Stakeholders believe that with the designation of the airline to fly London, extortion of Nigerian air travellers and high charges by foreign carriers would be reduced to minimal level.

The letter, however, gave the airline deadline within which to commence operations to the affected routes or lose the right.

The letter reads in part: “You are advised to comply with all the rules and regula-

tions of the aeronautical authorities of Nigeria and the respective countries. Also, failure to operate any of the routes mentioned above for more than six International Air Transport Association, IATA, season will lead to revocation of the designation in accordance with extant policy on designations.”

National Mirror gathered from a source close to the airline that preparations were in top gear to commence the routes as soon as possible and assured that the airline would fly the country’s flag in the designated routes.

gun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday warned property owners in the state applying for title documents under the ongoing Homeowners' Charter Scheme not to patronise touts in their bid to acquire Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, as well as other documents for their properties.

The governor gave the warning yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, while presenting title documents to a new batch of over 1,000 beneficiaries under the scheme.

Amosun, who said he had personally been inundated with phone calls over activities of unscrupulous elements allegedly working for the scheme, also stressed that no personnel under the scheme was authorised to collect money except applicants pay through the designated banks.

He said the warning became necessary in order to acquaint property owners in areas such as Ifo, Mowe/

Ibafo, Magboro, Orimerunmu, Arepo, Ota, as well as other towns in ObafemiOwode and Ado-Odo/Ota local government areas, which border Lagos State, not to fall into the tricks of fraudsters who are already out to deceive property owners in the state.

Making veiled reference to a protest staged earlier in the day at his office by property owners in Agbado/Oke Aro communities that border Ogun and Lagos states over demolition order in the area, Amosun emphasised that his administration would not condone building houses in unauthorised places like those sitting on top of water pipelines.

He explained that though the Homeowners' Scheme was an intervention of his administration aimed at assisting property owners in the state to acquire title documents for their properties, yet it does not confer powers on the people to build houses indiscriminately without regard to the welfare of other citizens in the state.

10

South East

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police recue 28-year-old from ritual killers Aliuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

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28-year-old man, Chidima Nwaji, who hails from Ikenyi Ndiebor Ezza-Inyimagu in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was yesterday rescued from the hands of ritual killers, who abducted him on his way home.

Nwaji, who was rescued by the Ebonyi State Police Command, while fielding questions from newsmen in Abakaliki, said his blood was rejected by the chief priest of the shrine after cutting part of his body and blood for test, adding that he was taken from one forest to another.

"It was fortunate that when my abductors wanted to kill me for money rituals they failed. When they cut my forehead and took my blood sample for test, the witch doctor rejected it, saying my blood was not the

type required for the rituals,” Nwaji said.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Chris Anyanwu, who confirmed the development, said unknown persons trailed him and tapped him at the back, leading to him becoming unconscious.

"Nwaji later regained consciousness and found himself in a thick forest in Cross River State, where he was eventually rescued from a bush.

"The captors slashed his forehead with a sharp object and drew blood and took it somewhere for a test.

“On getting wind of the disappearance of Chidinma Nwaji, operatives of the Anti-kidnapping Squad of our Command swung into action and trailed the victim to Okondo village in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross-River State where he was eventually rescued from a bush," he added.

Obiano felicitates with Obi of Onitsha

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overnor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has congratulated the Obi of Onitsha and Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, on his 74th birthday anniversary.

Obiano in a statement in Awka on Monday thanked God for the gift of Achebe to humanity and the state.

He said it was with a sense of pride and admiration that he sought to share in the joy of the anniversary.

According to him, the traditional ruler belongs to the class of those who not only attained great heights, but

live to be widely celebrated.

Obiano said the record of Achebe’s service in the oil industry, where he rose to the height of his career was inspiring; just as the seamless switch to royal leadership had been remarkable.

He observed that the Onitsha community in particular and Anambra State in general have been better for it in a climate of peace and cultural renaissance.

The governor said it was a source of pleasure that at 74, Achebe was strong and focused as ever, suggesting that the best was yet to come from him.

Ebonyi varsity students protest exploitation by EEDC A liuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

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tudents of Ebonyi State University, EBSU, along with some residents of Abakaliki metropolis yesterday embarked on a protest over alleged exploitation by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, workers and the epileptic power supply that have kept the state in darkness for three days.

The protesters mainly from five streets near the College of Agriculture Sciences, CAS, campus of Ebonyi State University, alleged that they have not had power for more than three months now.

Mr James Nwigwe, who spoke on behalf of the protesters said despite the fact that they have not had light for three months, EEDC has continued to serve them with outrageous bills.

Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi (middle) with Principal of Mater Amabilis Secondary School, Adani, Rev. Sr. Jane-Mariette Onuoha (2nd left), during Obi’s presentation of another cheque of N1 million to Senior Prefect of the School, Miss Chukwujindu Blessing (3rd right) and other students for the rehabilitation of their burnt hostel, at the weekend.

Catholic priest rescued from kidnappers’ den …police kill one, kingpin escapes

Chris Njoku OWERRI

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fter several days in kidnappers’ den, a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Philip Ejimadu, was over the weekend rescued from his abductors after fierce gun battle with men of the Imo State Police Command.

The police shot dead one of the kidnapers, while the ring leader known as ‘Bush’ escaped through the back door.

The five-man kidnapping gang abducted the reverend father at Uzoagba Catholic Dioceses in Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state while inside his private car.

However, the kidnappers whose hide-out in

Orodo, Mbaitolu Local Government Council Area of Imo State, was later detected were tracked by the police to a hotel in Aba, Abia State, where they had arranged to collect the ransom from the priest’s family.

Parading the suspects, Obinna Mba from Orodo area of the state, Ibewuchi Uzo (shot dead), Celestine Emma Chukwuma from Orsu Local Government and Frank Uche at the Command Headquarters in Owerri yesterday, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, said the suspects abducted Reverend Father Ejimadu from the Catholic Diocese of Uzoagba in Ikeduru Council Area while in his Nissan Jute car.

Enwerem further revealed that the suspects, who have already established contacts with the supposed family members of the priest for payment of ransom, were trailed by anti- kidnapping squad of the state police command to a hotel called "Locals" in Aba, Abia State, where two of them were arrested.

According to him, the two arrested kidnappers later took the police to their hide-out in Orodo, Mbaitoli council area of Imo State.

The PPRO said on sighting the anti-kidnapping squad in Orodo the suspects engaged the police in a shoot-out, adding that in the ensuing gun duel, one of the suspects, Ibewuchi Uzo, was shot

dead, while another gang member Celestine Emma Chukwuma was seriously wounded, adding that the leader of the gang identified as ‘Bush’ escaped.

He disclosed that the police also recovered a Nissan Jute car belonging to the abducted priest from the suspects.

However, one of the suspects, Celestine Emma Chukwuma, denied being a member of the gang and never negotiated for payment of ransom before the priest would be released, as alleged by the police.

“I was contracted by leader of the group to do a pillar work at his house and I only decided to run when I saw the police because if I am arrested I don’t have the money to bail myself,” he said.

Imo guber: Ihedioha files petition against Okorocha Chris Njoku OWERRI

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mo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, yesterday filed a petition before the Election Petitions Tribunal in Owerri, challenging outcome of the governorship election in the state.

The governorship election of April 11 ended in supplementary election before Governor Rochas Okorocha was eventu-

ally declared winner on Sunday, April 26, having scored 416,996 to beat his closest rival, Chief Ihedioha, who polled 320,705 votes.

Ihedioha through his lead counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), is praying the court to declare him winner of the election or alternatively cancel the entire exercise and conduct a fresh election.

It would be recalled that Chief Ihedioha had earlier rejected the outcome of the supplementary election on ground of widespread incidents

of swapping of PDP votes in favour of APC, which he said eroded the validity and credibility of the exercise.

According to him, in spite of instances of electoral malpractices, including the arrest of over 25 Imo State INEC staff that conspired with the opposition to manipulate and change results of the elections already in favour of the PDP, including also public confession of an INEC returning officer who was forced under gunpoint to declare false results in favour of the APC

in the gubernatorial election, INEC went ahead to declare Governor Rochas Okorocha winner of the election.

No date has been fixed for hearing.

Okorocha

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

11

Alleged N6.46bn fraud: Fresh trial of Sylva begins Ise-Oluwa Ige

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ederal Government, yesterday, arraigned former Governor of Bayelsa State and member of Jonathan/Buhari Transition Committee, Timipre Sylva, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged misappropriation of N6.46 billion public fund.

The government, in a six-count charge preferred against him, alleged that Sylva and others now at large, committed the offence between October 2009 and February 2010.

For the sixth time, the former governor pleaded not guilty to each of the counts as read out to him by the court registrar.

Yesterday was the second time in three years when Sylva would be dragged to court over the same charges.

Former judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Bello, had commenced the trial of Sylva before he

retired from the bench.

The case file was thereafter returned to the chambers of the Federal High Court chief judge who re-assigned it to Justice Elvis Chukwu for a de novo trial of Sylva.

The trial judge, Justice Chukwu, after taking the pleas of the ex-governor, asked the Federal Government to call its witnesses.

But the government pleaded for a short adjournment to file all necessary documents and arrange its witnesses to testify in the matter.

The request for adjournment did not go down well with the trial judge who said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was fond of accusing the judiciary of failing to sit in high profile cases.

Justice Chukwu told the government that it must call its witnesses for trial to start.

But the government insisted on a short adjourn-

ment to enable it put its house in order which the trial judge later agreed to.

Counsel to Sylva, Mr. Israel Olorundare, SAN, however applied that his client continue on the bail granted him by Justice Bello, noting that he had always made himself available in court for trial and the EFCC anytime he was needed.

Olorundare also told the court that his client's international passport was already with the deputy chief registrar of the Federal High Court and that he would be available for trial.

The trial judge upheld his argument and ordered that he continues on the old bail conditions even as he ordered that the international passport of the ex-governor must be recovered from the deputy chief registrar of the court and kept with his registrar.

He also fixed next Monday for commencement of the trial.

In the charge, the former

governor and others were accused of fraudulently obtaining N4 billion loans from Union Bank.

The loans were allegedly obtained under the guise of using them to augment workers’ salaries.

The EFCC also alleged that the accused persons had in the same period converted properties and resources of Bayelsa State government, amounting to N2 billion into personal use.

The accused persons were also alleged to have converted N380 million worth of government property through a Fin Bank account No. 221433478108 belonging to one Habibu Maigida, a Bureau De Change operator on January 22, 2010 for personal use.

The EFCC further said Sylva and his accomplices had on February 5, 2010, converted N50 million of the state’s funds through a First Bank account number 6152030001946 belonging to Enson Benmer Ltd, also for

L-R: Zonal Controller, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Sufiyan Mohammed; NYSC Cordinator, Rivers, Mr. Ngozi Nwatarali and Head of Communications and Public Affairs, NDIC, Mr. Hadi Bircji, during public awareness outreach to the NYSC Orientation Camp at Nonwa, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, yesterday.

States yet to access N41bn UBE funds —Source

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ailure of state governments to pay their counterpart funds has resulted in their inability to access funds meant for the Universal Basic Education, UBE, programme in their respective states.

A competent source at Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, made this fact known to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja yesterday.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said that at

the end of 2014, the states could not access N41 billion UBE funds from the commission because they refused to pay their own contributions.

NAN recalls that the payment of counterpart funds is a condition for state governments to access the funds. ``The access of UBE funds depends on the political will of the state governors. ``These funds are available and they are not be-

ing utilised because the defaulting governors have refused to pay their counterpart funds. ``And, this is not healthy for the educational development of the country,’’ the source said.

The source said the situation is hindering the development of basic education at the state level and contributing to the reduction in the economic growth of the country.

The source appealed to state governments to strive

to access money meant for the improvement of basic education in their states.

NAN recalls that the former Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had also decried the unwillingness of state governments to access funds to develop basic education.

Wike had said it is regrettable that the funds were lying idle in the banks while the challenges facing effective basic education delivery persist.

personal use.

The anti-graft agency had said that the offences

contravened the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004.

2015 SAN Award: NBA shortlists 45 applicants for screening Francis Famoroti

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o fewer than 45 applicants jostling for the award of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, this year have been recommended for screening by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

President of the NBA, Mr. Austin Alegeh, SAN, who disclosed this during a chat with judiciary editors in Lagos, said the recommendation by the NBA is part of the process initiated to fine-tune the award of SAN to lawyers who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession.

Alegeh did not however disclose the names of the applicants recommended to the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges’ Committee, LPPC. The NBA president said the Bar screening panel appointed to interview the applicants is made up of senior advocates, who could not be compromised by anybody.

His words: “The screening panel is made up of senior lawyers, whose integrity is intact. We have J. B Daudu, SAN, as the chairman; the members are J. K. Gadzama, SAN; Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN; Mr. Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, SAN, and Mrs. Nella Andem-Rabana, SAN. “Apart from Nella, all the others are my seniors; so, I don’t see myself telling anyone of them to award high score to a particular candidate. It is not just possible. Is it Daudu who can be compromised to favour a particular candidate or the others that someone will approach?’’

Alegeh maintained that unlike in the past, the intervention of the NBA in the process leading to the award of SANs, has restored credibility to the conferment of the award in the country.

The award is a privilege being accorded by the LPPC as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession and it is an equivalent of the rank of the Queen's Counsel (QC) in the

United Kingdom.

The rank of SAN is usually conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria of not less than 10 years' standing and who have distinguished themselves in the profession or scholarship. The title was first conferred on the late legal luminary, Chief F.R.A. Williams and Dr. Nebo Graham-Douglas on April 3, 1975.

As at today, more than 400 lawyers have been appointed senior advocates.

Severe criticisms have however haunted the award in recent years to the extent that a section of Nigerian lawyers has already called for its abolition on grounds that it seeks to elevate some lawyers over the rest of the Bar and give them discriminatory visibility.

Some people have also alleged that the award has been politicised over the years, with favouritism and other factors displacing objectivity and merit. The LPPC has not been totally insensitive to all these criticisms as it reviewed the criteria for SANs conferment a few years ago.

Against the annual recurrent decimal of conferring the award on a fraction of those shortlisted, some criticisms have once again faulted the selection process of the award just as notable stakeholders recommended that all those qualified and shortlisted should be given the award every year.

For instance, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, in a letter dated July 12, 2013 purportedly addressed to the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the chairperson of the LPPC, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, condemned the practice where qualified legal practitioners who had previously been shortlisted are not invited for interview for undisclosed reasons.

Falana had written in the petition thus: "In the ongoing exercise, some of those who met the criteria but who were not invited for the interview had been shortlisted on three or four previous occasions.

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North

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ex-councillors protest N1.7bn severance pay PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

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ngered by the nonpayment of their severance and furniture allowances, former local government councillors in Niger State have embarked on a protest, demanding N1,746,500,000 balance owed them.

As early as 10am, they stormed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs at the state’s secretariat, demanding immediate payment of

the money.

Chairman of the Councillor’s Forum in the state, Comrade Yahaya Shehu, told journalists at the secretariat that while the government only paid N1.1 million to each councillor for furniture allowance, leaving an outstanding of N1.4 million, nothing has been paid on the severance.

He explained that total due to each of the 499 grassroots politicians comprising 274 councillors, 175 supervisory councillors, 25 vice chairmen, and 25 secretaries between 2008 and

2014 is N3.5 million.

He said: “We were forced to call an emergency meeting on April 27, 2015, over the impending balance of our severance and furniture allowances after many letters and appeals, considering the terrible condition we are in. These we stated in our several letters and courtesy calls on Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Secretary to the State Government, Speaker of the House of Assembly and leadership of Association of Local Government of Nigeria,

ALGON. “All we received were deceitful assurances and promises. The total amount owed each of us is N3.5 million each, and if you multiply this by 499 of us, you will get over N1.7 billion.

“Many of us are indebted to banks and individuals and find it difficult to cater for our immediate needs. We are calling on you (Governor Aliyu) to as a matter of urgency use your good offices to arrest and address this pathetic condition we are in as the situation is getting out of

hand.

“The government we all served is winding up, and as former colleagues in government, we call on you, despite the financial situation in the state, to intervene and assist us.”

Addressing the angry protesters, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Musa Eja, assured that the ministry was aware of the issue, adding however that he was not in a position to speak for the ministry or the state government,

Army trains FRSC personnel on weapon handling JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

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L-R: Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Ibrahim Commassie; President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Deputy National Chairman, ACF, Alhaji Liman Kwande and Secretary-General, Col. John Uba, during a visit to Buhari in Kaduna, yesterday.

Insurgency: NEMA assesses destroyed communities in Borno INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

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ederal Government has sent an assessment team to Borno State to assess the level of destruction by Boko Haram in the state.

Federal Government’s inter-ministerial committee on assessment visit consisted of representative of the federal ministries of health, education, works, Red Cross and other nongovernmental organisations headed by Director, Search and Rescue of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade.

Otegbade, while on courtesy visit to Borno State deputy governor’s office yesterday said: “We are

here to assess the level of destruction created by the insurgents and recommend to the Federal Government, so that the needed funds can be provided.”

He also appealed for the state government’s support to speed up the fulfillment of their task and to enable the state access the Victims Support Fund.

“Eighty per cent of Borno communities live in Maiduguri, hence the need for NEMA to continue supporting Borno government, as a chunk of federal allocation to the state was spent on maintaining Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs,” the director stated.

Responding, Deputy Governor Zannah Mustapha said communities in 22 local government areas were displaced by the insurgents and that over one mil-

lion IDPs now live in Maiduguri, the state capital.

The deputy governor said though the military had liberated 97 per cent of the communities taken over by insurgents in Borno, it will take time for the

government to fumigate and diffuse the landmines before they are relocated to their various communities.

He, however, appealed to the Federal Government and NEMA to take over the feeding of displaced people.

since the commissioner, Yusuf Garba Tagwai, was unavailable to address them.

He said the debt owed has been computed and will form part of the handing over notes to the incoming administration.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Talba pay us before you leave’, ‘Chief Servant, we are suffering, Pay us our money’, ‘Enough is enough, pay our entitlements b4 u go.’

he 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, is holding a two-day range classification exercise that will also include weapons handling for personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, tomorrow and Thursday, May 21, in continuation of its assistance to the paramilitary outfit.

Deputy Director, Army Public Relations of the Division, Col. Texas Chukwu, disclosed this in a statement yesterday. He advised residents of Miango village, Fulani cattle rearers, farmers and other communities to steer clear of the range area.

Chukwu explained that the Federal Government established FRSC, a paramilitary outfit, under the Federal Government Act of Nigeria, stressing that on establishment the Nigerian Army was authorised to commence training of their first batch.

He further stated that a Major-General (retired), was appointed to head the organisation as Chief Corps Marshal, stressing that since then the army has been training personnel of the outfit.

“In continuation of the training assistance by the Nigerian Army to the Federal Road Safety Corps, the officers and soldiers of 3 Division are presently training another set in order to improve their capacity to effectively deliver its mandate.

The three-week intensive training started on May 4.

“The range classification is to test the FRSC personnel’s level of assimilation in instructional and practical lectures on weapon handling and also introduce them to live firing of FN rifle and pistol. I want to use this medium to inform the general public that, during this period there will be a mass movement of military vehicles, troops, equipment and FRSC personnel within Jos and Miango.”

Taraba Assembly approves LG transition c’ttees JUSTIN TYOPUUSU JALINGO

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araba State House of Assembly yesterday approved 16 caretaker chairmen and 167 councillors sent to it by the State Executive Council.

The approval followed a communication from the Acting governor, Sani Danladi, who said the tenure for the elected council

chairmen in the state had expired on May 17.

Danladi in a letter to the house citing Section 15(2) of the Taraba Independent Electoral Commission Law explained that the law mandated the commission to conduct fresh elections, at least, 30 days before expiration of the tenures of local government council.

He noted that the date coincided with the period of general elections, making it impossible to con-

duct the local government elections at the same time.

Speaker, Taraba House of Assembly, Dr. Mark Useni, said approving the nomination was imperative considering the vacuum of leadership in the council areas.

He, however, said the appointments would only last three months as fresh elections were expected to be conducted thereafter.

The motion for the approval was earlier moved

by the House majority Leader, Joseph Kunini, and seconded by HammanAdama Abdullah of Bali II state constituency.

The caretaker chairmen as approved by the House include Philimon Bitah, Ardo-Kola, Hassan Bappa (Jalingo), Abershi Musa (Ussa), Nelson Banka (Lau), Zakari Nyala (Yarro), Barnabas Ibrahim (Karim), Tukura Bashir (Gassol), among others.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

SUPER TUESDAY Speakership: Zoning is for fairness, equity –Makinde

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o doubt, the constitution amendment exercise, which began more than three years ago, immediately after the inauguration of this out-going 7th National Assembly in 2011, and has cost the nation a whooping N4 billion is ending up as an exercise in futility.

Last week, the Senate Leader, Senator Victor NdomaEgba, obviously conscious of the fact that the exercise, which has since run into a hitch, following the decision of the Federal Government to halt the process at the Supreme Court for non compliance with constitutional procedures, in a face-saving attempt, told newsmen that the National Assembly can still remedy the situation.

The Leader, who appeared thoroughly frustrated on the progress of the matter so far, while fielding questions from Senate correspondents said: “We have legal options and the legal option is to vigorously challenge the order of the court, which was made ex-parte; it was made without us being put on notice. I believe we can get the court to quickly determine that and we intend to pursue that option. We should expect this legal challenge as soon as possible.”

Lawmakers’ rage With less than eight legislative days to the end of the life of the present seventh National Assembly, and with the clumsy nature of the nation’s legal system, it is obvious that the constitution amendment exercise has, to all intents and purposes, died a natural death.

This is because of the constitutional provision, which specifies that all bills not concluded before the end of any legislative session, shall terminate together with the session too. Here lies the frustration of the National Assembly.

For now therefore, it is obvious that the only gain left to be harvested from the legal action challenging the constitution amendment exercise at the Supreme Court is to await the apex Court’s pronouncements on the matter, which will guide and enrich future processes of constitution amendment in the country.

It is obvious that the anger of most members of the National Assembly, particularly the likes of the Senate Majority Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and the Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution amendment, Ike Ekweremadu, who himself is also a senior member of the bar, is that the issues and objections raised by President Goodluck Jonathan on the constitution amendment process impugned on their intellectual ego and integrity.

The lawmakers are particularly vexed with the President because, according to them, he failed to seize the numerous opportunities provided by the series of public hearings that took place not only in the six geo political zones of the country, but also the ones that held in the 36 states of the federation as well as the 360 federal constituencies of the country to register his objections to aspects of the constitution amendment.

Unlike their colleagues at the House of Representatives, the senators are the ones that are currently at the forefront of confronting the President on the matter. For the President to claim that the National Assembly violated section nine of the constitution, particularly on the provision that requires 4/5 absolute majority to pass the constitution amendment is to say the least a slap on the integrity and intellectual ego of the National Assembly.

Rumored presidential assent Feelers from the lawmakers showed that they were further angered by the alleged rumour that the President initially signed the bill when it was first sent to his table but later made a u-turn on the matter. The claim was that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, who was alleged to be sympathetic to General Muhammed Buhari, sensing that the new statute will be operated by the in-coming President, quickly went to President Jonathan to point out the loopholes in the document he had earlier singed as well as the implications of assenting

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Politics

Constitution amendment: Racing against time With N4 billion of Nigerian taxpayers’ money down the drains and just 10 days to the expiration of the current tenure of the National Assembly, the decision of the Senate to tackle the Federal Government at the apex court over the constitution amendment exercise is nothing but a mere face-saving measure, writes GEORGE OJI

Jonathan

Mark

to the document. The minister accordingly advised Jonathan to rescind his signature.

This information, according to sources was what angered the lawmakers the more, prompting the Senate to pass a resolution, asking the President to return the original document, inclusive of the signature page. The refusal of the President to comply with the resolution of the Senate added salt into injury.

Consequently, the lawmakers embarked on series of meetings to find ways of responding to the action of the President. One of the options the legislators brandished was to activate the option of veto as provided for in section 58 of the constitution.

Veto option Even though section 58 (4)(5)of the constitution empow-

ers the lawmakers to veto the President for refusing to assent to any bill duly passed by the National Assembly after 30 days, in the instant case, the lawmakers appear to be helpless here. This is not so much because they would not like to go for that option, but is more because it will be very difficult to secure the required absolute majority number of lawmakers to conclude the process.

Political pundits believe that another reason why the legislators are reluctant to move to veto the President on this matter is because the idea does not enjoy the support of majority of the lawmakers. For instance, almost all the legislators elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) will, without any exception decline to apply the veto option because the new constitution, which in part, seeks to whittle down the powers of the President will, if signed into law, affect their in-coming President Buhari.

Also, why it will be difficult to secure the needed population of the lawmakers to commence any serious veto options against President Jonathan on this matter is because most members of the National Assembly, who lost their bids to return to the parliament, are already disillusioned and indifferent with the goings on at the National Assembly. Such lawmakers hardly ever go there to follow events.

It appears that those who are currently championing the veto option are mainly Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members who are returning to the National Assembly and want the new constitution to catch up with the in-coming APC President, as well as a few other PDP lawmakers who were frustrated from returning and would want to rock the boat.

National Assembly watchers believe that the major problem with the present constitution amendment exercise was that in proposing the amendments, most lawmakers, especially the opposition members, drawn from the

With less than eight legislative days to the end of the life of the present seventh

National

Assembly, and with the clumsy nature of the

nation’s legal system, it is obvious that the constitution amendment exercise has, to all

intents and purposes, died a natural death.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

14

Politics

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hat is your take on the race for the speakership of the House of Representatives?

First and foremost we should not be talking about who get what now, we should be concerned about the race and how it would affect the nation, the All Progressives Congress, APC and the House. To put the record straight, I am of the opinion that this is a make or mar decision for the party, therefore party leaders must tread softly and any attempt to get it wrong will spell doom for the party.

It must put a lot of things into consideration and the general expectations from the party, because Nigerians expected much from this party and they cannot afford to get less.

This is the time to remain united having piloted the party to this level and display maturity and if we recall very well, that journey to the speakership was what affected the fortunes of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, then. So we must be seen to be doing things differently in a sensible manner and with the fear of God. So who do you think the cap fits among those jostling for the office?

I have worked closely with majority of those in the race and if I have my way, ordinarily and morally, I see no reason why Hon Femi Gbajabiamila should not be considered greatly. He stands a better chance, not necessarily because of his experience but ordinarily, he is one of the pillars and the person that held the office for the progressives, when we were in the opposition and he should be one of the facilitators for this change and transformation we are about waiting to enjoy. The genuine desire for change Nigerians yearned for started in the House and I am happy to be party of that game changers.

Ordinarily, in any civilised world, when the opposition becomes the ruling party, automatically the leader of such opposition party becomes the leader of such ruling party.

Now as it relates to the legislative arm in this country, I see no reason why anybody should be challenging him.

With this I think he also needs to be cautious on who becomes his deputy, because the deputy speaker too carries a lot of burden and he would be one of the directing minds of the House and by that who ever becomes his deputy must be a man of honour with integrity, with passion and clean intention and a call to serve, he must not be a man that would want to use the position to make money. Having work closely together, we know ourselves. Most of the people jostling for the position are not worthy of it.

You are supporting Gbajabiamila, don’t you think members could think otherwise?

Yes, it is going to be another problem if we are not careful. We would have another cross to carry, if the position is zoned to the South-West. The cross would be a big challenge for him. He must be able to convince majority of members that he has genuine intention to serve. Talking about credibility and ability, I think he has them, we call him teacher, because there is nothing in the House he does not know. He has the technical know-how, there is nothing in the House that he does not know, but there are more to the speakership than meet the eyes.

Aminu Tambuwal, the outgoing Speaker is an example of what a Speaker should be. This is a man who could mention any lawmaker’s name within first one month, when we resume. He could call you by your first name. Tambu-

This is the time to remain united having piloted the party to this level and display maturity and if we recall very

well, that journey to the speakership was what affected the fortunes of

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, then.

the

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Speakership: Zoning is for fairness, equity –Makinde Hon Olarotimi Makinde is member of the House of Representatives, representing Ife Central federal constituency of Osun State. A renown actor of the Yoruba genre, he speaks about the dynamism and intricacies involved in the emergence of the Speaker of the House and the need for All Progressives Congress, APC, to take precautionary step on the matter, in this interview with WOLE OLADIMEJI. Excerpts: in our law, it is only in the spirit of fairness and I think that is what the party is doing.

Come to think of it, I think every right thinking Nigerian in this country should be thinking in the direction of Gbajabiamila.

What he has done so far is what we are about to enjoy in terms of democracy. If the likes of Gbajabiamila has compromised, the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari would not be there today. For God’s sake PDP came in full force to lure majority of us to its fold, they came in with so many problems because we refused to compromise with their stand, and leading the pack of resistance was Gbajabiamila.

There are lots of other people who are equally qualified. Hon Yakubu Dogara for instance, is a man that I have ultimate respect for. He is one of the people that saw the change coming long ago. But when you make a comparism, I think I don’t see why they should not give Hon Gbajabiamila.

How would you reconcile the fact that the Vice Presidentelect is from Lagos State and the Speaker, if Gbajabiamila, emerges, would also be coming from Lagos? What about other South-West lawmakers?

I know the Vice President-elect is from Ogun State. So I don’t know what you are talking about.

You earlier mentioned the independent of legislature, now you are canvassing for Hon Gbajabiamila, is it not a contradiction?

I am not canvassing for Hon Gbajabiamila in any way.

What I said was that based on the position he has enjoyed.

I came, I met him as Minority Leader and he worked and championed our position very well to the extent that he was the one that was putting the ruling party on its toes, which is one of the things that endeared him to us. This is not to say that there is no member that is being sponsored by one political party or the other.

And the doctrine of the party is that you must respect the manifestos, the principles and the constitution of the party. If your party solely decided that this is what the party wants, as a loyal party member, you are duty bound to respect the decision of the party.

But he voted in Lagos State...

I don’t know what you mean by voting in Lagos State, but he is from Ogun State. But then, we have people from the South-East emerging lawmakers in Lagos, does that make themLagosians?

If Prof Yemi Osinbanjo resides and practises in Lagos, one way or the other, does that make him an indigene of Lagos? I think we should not be sentimental about this, I am not an apostle of of zoning anyway the best can come from anywhere.

If Gbajamiala is from Sokoto State for instance, I think I will still be saying the same thing. Zoning is not written

Now you are an outgoing lawmaker in the House, what are your regrets?

So far so good, I came into the House and I am leaving the House with a good footprint and that fills me with joy.

My simple regret is that I will be going away with this experiences. As a person, I am partially fulfilled and when I look back to what I was able to do within the short period, I think it would be very difficult for anybody to fit into my shoe from my constituency. If as a first timer in the House and coming from constituency where people hardly notice any member, therefore, I have done my best and I am going with that satisfaction.

Makinde

wal can come down to any level.

This is not to say Gbajamiala is the only qualified lawmaker to be Speaker. We have Hon Israel Ajibola Famurewa from Osun State, who is equally qualified.

Bayelsa PDP summons ex-dep gov, others over anti-party activities Osahon Julius YENAGOA

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ayelsa State former deputy governor, Hon. Werinipre Seibarugu, and seven others have been summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee set up by the leadership of the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over alleged anti-party activities during the last state

and National Assemblies elections.

Also shortlisted is a former chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Hon. Robinson Etolor and the Personal Assistant to incumbent Senator Emmanuel Paulker, Hon. Osomkime Blankson.

Others are Hon. Leghemo Kaizer, Hon. Stephen Kayama, Hon. Ebikapadei Dibiya, Hon. I. E Brigidi,

Hon. Benimor Conliff Fiebai.

While some loyalists of the summoned party members alleged that summon is a clear case of witch-hunting and desperation by the state governor, Seriake Dickson, to ruffle the camps of perceived political enemies, particularly those from the Central senatorial district of the state, others claimed those tar-

geted by the summon and subsequent probe are those not in support of the second term bid of the governor.

But the chairman of the PDP Disciplinary Committee, Mr. Cleopas Moses, said the shortlisted members are expected to appear before the committee today to defend themselves over their alleged involvement in anti-party activities.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

15

A PUBLICATION OF NATIONAL MIRROR NEWSPAPERS

Oil producing communities want DESOPADEC retained THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHENWARRI

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he leadership of the Oil producing communities of Delta State has urged the speaker and members of the Delta State House of Assembly to halt the hearing of the bill seeking to scrap the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC pending the determination of a suit before Owa-Oyibu Judicial Division (High Court) in Ika North East.

In a letter addressed to the speaker by the counsel to the plaintiffs, D. I Ugbotor, told the lawmakers to note the doctrine of LISPENDEDNS which aimed to prevent the subject matter of a suit being discussed during pendency

of the suit as provided by plethora of Nigerian Supreme Court Cases.

While making reference to suit no. HCY/16/14, the plaintiffs, Chief Godwin Ogbetuo, Prince Maikpobi Okareme, Prince Kpokpogri and Akakasi Oghenejabor Sunday acting on behalf of the oil producing communities of Delta state informed the house that there is an existing suit challenging the case proposed bill which hearing is slated for today.

They are also saying that under the existing law, DESOPADEC is expected to receive 50% of the accrued 13% derivation fund to Delta state and the plaintiffs (oil communities) have, since last year, dragged the Delta state government to an Owa Oyibo High Court to

prove that this provision has not been honoured since 2007.

The court in its last hearing on the matter on April 25th had adjourned till May 25th for ruling on application by the state government to determine whether the plaintiffs have locus standi to institute the case.

According to the letter obtained by National Mirror, “It’s the further belief our clients that the bill for the establishment of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission, Five Ethnic Nationalities Oil Producing Areas Investment Corporations and for other matters connected therewith is premature,

void and cannot stand the test of time going by the express provisions to repeal and amend a provision in the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission.”

It also implored “our amiable speaker and honourable members of the house to halt the process forthwith pending the de-

termination of the suit.

Thus, subject matter is the same and still requires a competent court of jurisdiction for a just determination of the above suit.”

However, it was learned that the third reading of the bill sponsored by the state government would hold today on the floor of the house.

Lawyer defends Ndoma Egba’s visit to Buhari RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

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s controversy continues in Cross River over Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba’s visit to General Muhammadu Buhari some weeks ago, a Calabar-based lawyer/human rights activist, Barr Utum Eteng, has said that it was wrong for people to blame Egba for visiting the President –elect in company of a delegation of eminent leaders of thought from Cross River state.

This was sequel to criticism that came few weeks ago when Senate Leader led eminent Cross Riverians to Abuja including Barr Eteng, to pay a visit to Buhari – a situation which did not augur well with some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who criticised the visit of the senate leader and his delegation as gold diggers.

Eteng stated this while fielding questions from Journalists at the weekend in Calabar,and stressed that no amount of insult and blackmail would reduce the Senate Leader’s status and the contribution he has made towards the nation’ s

democracy.

The human right activists maintained that members of the delegation were “ Cross Riverians of honour and proven integrity,” and stressed that the visit was not made under an umbrella of any of the two contending political parties stressing that “for them to think we went there to seek for favour or overtake them in APC was a wrong misconception even though some of the members of the delegation had worked towards the emergence of General Buhari as president elect.

Eteng averred that those who made the visit to the president elect were not gold diggers as claimed by their critic stressing that almost all members of the delegation were people who had reached the peak of their careers and had made one or two contributions to their motherland.

The legal luminary cautioned those who criticised the visit to be cautious as none of them would claim to have worked towards the emergence of Buhari than Okoi Obono Obla who was also a member of the delegation, and who according to him Muhammadu Buhari used to address as my son.

L-R: Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dakwambo; Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson; Bride, Lara Oshiomhole, and her husband, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, after marriage reception for the couple at the White Hall, Auchi, Edo State.

Eku residents seek support for twins delivered by mentally challenged woman THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

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esidents of Eku Community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State have appealed to good spirited individuals and multinational oil companies operating in the state to come to the aid of the twins recently delivered by a mentally challenged woman. The lunatic woman whose identity remained vague last week Wednesday at the busy Eku junction gave birth to a set of male and female twins with the assistance of concerned female citizens in the area.

Investigation trip to the community revealed that the woman had earlier delivered four children in the past and this set of twins made it six children to be delivered by the lunatic but surprisingly enough no one

knows the whereabouts of the previous kids.

A stall owner at the busy Eku junction told National Mirror that the woman who is in her early forties miraculously delivered the babies at a distance of 444 metres after she had first delivered the first baby without the help of residents.

It was upon the sound of a baby, concerned residents came to the help of the first baby while the “mad woman” flees to nearby distance within the same vicinity to deliver the second baby with the help of nurses who were immediately drafted to the scene. The babies are presently under the care of nurses at the Eku Baptist Government Hospital, one of the renowned hospitals in the state for proper attention.

When our correspondent visited the community last weekend, Beatrice Ejeta, a staff of Shepherd Care

International Orphanage Home recounted how the woman delivered the babies saying that she was at home when the proprietor of the orphanage home called her and others that a mad woman at the Eku junction was in labour.

She said: “I was initially worried if she would cooperate with us while trying to assist her but when I signaled her to come with my hand, she responded. With the assistance of some female shop owners around the junction, we were able to hold her still and I coordinated the delivery with the male twin coming out leg first.

“We were delighted when the first baby came out thinking that was all and released our grip on her only for us to notice that as she trekked to an adjourning junction, another baby was coming out. Immediately, we ran back to her and deliv-

ered her of the second child which was a girl.”

Another resident of the Eku Junction, Ovoke Joshua told National Mirror that the lunatic is an indigene of the community but nobody knows her family members.

She explained that people of the community are keen of keeping eyes on the children over previous circumstance that led to the disappearance of the four children.

Although, Madam Ovoke who trades in provisions and other beverages could not emphatically state the direction of the family compound of the female lunatic, she disclosed that the mother of the twins’ mother was equally mentally deranged.

She was not aware anyone has shown up to claim responsibility for the babies.

Our source added that the previous babies were forcefully taken away from her by men who drive in Jeep cars.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ifie demolition victims plead for compensation THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

O

L-R: Rivers State APC Chairman, Chief Davies Ibiamu; Director-General, Greater Together Campaign Organisation, Chief Victor Giadom; Sen Ifeanyi chukwu Araraume and Prince Chibudom Nwuche during a Special Thanksgiving Service over the election in Port Harcourt.

Tompolo receives baptism in Olumba Obu’s Bethel RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

O

ne of the dreaded exleader of militant groups which operated within the axis of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria at the weekend paid a visit to the sole spiritual leader of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu to receive baptism..

Brotherhood faithful including key officials of the spiritual organisation said Tompolo spent over four hours with the spiritual leader inside his inner vestry with his boys and other members present.

Although details of the conversation which the dreaded exmilitant had with Olumba Obu was not made public Tompolo told Brotherhood adherents that he would substantially support the construction of the proposed mega-cathedral, called The Bassilicca, to be sited on a 5 hectare land in Calabar. Before meeting with His Holiness Olumba Obu Saturday evening, Tompolo was said to have baptised into the fold two weeks ago.

National Mirror gathered that about a month ago, Tompolo sent emissaries led by his close relative as advance team to meet with the spiritual leader. The emissaries cleared the way for his formal visit, it was learnt a source said.

A source told our correspondent that the emissaries delivered Tompolo’s request to the spiritual leader, which is thought to have prompted an evangeli-

cal delegation from the organisation to visit the influential ex-militant lord in his home in Delta State. Our correspondent learnt that the visit to Tompolo’s community culminated in his homage to the Brotherhood leader whom he acknowledged as his Father, as having tremendously assisted him in prayers.”The Father’s helps have enabled me to survive the turbulent period and positioned me”, Tompolo told adherents.

Eye witness account said that the former head of militants praised the spiritual leader for the huge contracts he was said to have been awarded by the fed-

eral government to lay oil pipe lines across the Niger Delta region.

Other eye witnesses confirmed that when Tompolo arrived the 34 Ambo Street Calabar world headquarters of the spiritual organisation at the weekend, members of the fold who know him, especially those from Delta and Bayelsa States, hailed and swarmed around him.

Tompolo`aides however prevented him from meeting his kinsmen who were also members of Olumba Obu`s fold.

Olumba Obu urged the exmilitant to resign from unrighteous ways, trust only in God

and demonstrate respect and loyalty to government and every leader of the land as leaders of the land were not terrors, but men and women whom God Almighty had ordained.

“You have to submit to, trust and love God with all your heart, mind and soul. You must seek after righteous living, forgive your offenders and think of doing good to your fellow man always”, Leader Obu emphasised.

The Spiritual leader used the opportunity to reiterate that public money is God’s money and that politicians should not behave as if they will not account for public funds.

wners of the demolished residential buildings situated in Warri Royal Cemetery Ground at Ijala Community have appealed to the state government for compensation. In a letter of appeal addressed to the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the affected victims said no fewer than eighty-two buildings were destroyed on June 4, 2014 that rendered thousands of persons homeless.

They particularly appealed to the governor to compensate victims of the exercise to enable them start their lives afresh. The letter signed by Olara-Aja (head) of Ijala Ikenren community, Prince A.B. Ikenren; Mr. Mathew Wilkie, spokesman and Mr. Henry O. Erikowa, Chairman, Community Trust respectively, said their joy for an emerging vibrant new layout at Ifie was caught short with the demolition exercise that shattered the hopes and aspirations of the house owners in the area.

“We want to passionately appeal to you to temper justice with mercy to take a second look at the whole issue and consider compensating those whose houses were demolished to enable sustainable infrastructural development of this historical enclave of Warri Kingdom”, the letter reads in part.

Amaechi can’t stop my inauguration -Wike DENNIS NAKU

PORT HARCOURT

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ivers State Governor-elect, Mr Nyesom Ezenwo Wike declared yesterday that there was nothing the outgoing governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike would do to stop him from been sworn-in as governor on May 29. This is as he accused Amaechi of looting resources of the state and government facilities.

Wike stated this on Monday while granting a post election audience to elders and chiefs of Elele Alimini communities in Emohua Local Governments Area of the state, as his (Amaechi’s) administration

comes to a close.

He said the governor was scouting for illegal court orders to stop his (Wike’s) inauguration on May 29, saying the latest is the processes filed by the outgoing governor at the Federal High Court in Owerri on Monday.

Wike alleged that it is unfortunate that a man who has been Speaker for eight years and governor for another eight years would condescend to the level of looting doors, televisions, chairs and other household facilities bought by the administration of Dr. Peter Odili.

The governor-elect noted that all efforts by the outgoing governor to frustrate his administration will not

work as he is focused on delivering on his campaign promises.

He added that the PDP won all the general elections in Rivers State despite the fact that more attention was paid to the state because of the falsehood circulated by Amaechi.

He said: “The April 11 Governorship election was supervised by three INEC National Commissioners and we won. If Amaechi likes let him bring the APC National Chairman to conduct an election in the state, PDP will win.

“As far as God has given us this victory, we will sustain this victory and we shall make Rivers people happy. If he has collected all the money and he thinks

Rivers State will suffer, that will not be possible.

“Amaechi said I will never be governor, but God made a different statement.

God’s statement prevailed.

He has done everything to frustrate my inauguration.

“Today, he was at the Federal High Court in Owerri to filee paper to stop my inauguration. Since they have started to fail, I can tell you that they will continue to fail. My inauguration will hold on May 29.”

Earlier, the Leader of Elele Alimini community, Mr. Emma Wonodi urged the governors-elect to deliver on the campaign promises he made to the people.

Uduaghan assures of government continuous

interest in Mission Schools Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has assured that the state government would continue to show interest in the development of the schools handed over to missions.

Governor Uduaghan who gave this assurance Monday when he commissioned sporting facilities built by the State Government at the St. Patrick’s College, Asaba stated that though the schools have been handed over to the missions, the students in the schools were Deltans and there was the need to ensure that they get quality education like all Deltans as they would be part of the State human capital.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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PDP, stop the unceasing whimpering DESTINY ISIGUZO

I

do not want to agree with the popular imagination that the raging PDP crisis is shocking in all material sense. I know that shock comes when a negative event or an ugly incident happens without any significant warning. If we agree that the current crisis is a fallout of its embarrassing defeat in the last general elections, there were several hand writings on the wall that gave indications of what fate awaited the party in those elections. Of course, arrogance was one of its major undoing.

It assaulted my sensibility that PDP wishfully thought that the leadership of Nigeria was an inheritance bequeathed to them till eternity. That mindset revealed the narrow mindedness of its national leadership and its lack of deep sense of retrospection and introspection. One did not need a prophet to know the PDP was facing an imminent defeat from APC during the build up to the last general elections.

The successful midwifing of the APC coalition ought to be a strong warning to PDP to know that it was no longer business as usual, but rather than putting their house in order, the leaders were busy calling APC a marriage of strange bed fellows, and prophesying that their marriage

would soon crash. The PDPers were too drunk to see APC as a strong opposition, and did nothing to fortify their political machineries across the country. They saw their party as the walls of Jericho that can never fall down.

When General Muhammadu Buhari declared his 2015 presidential ambition, the mammoth crowd that witnessed the event was enough to unsettle someone and beat him/her into the right shape for the titanic battle ahead. But PDP called it a rented crowd, thinking that Nigerians would not easily forget his excesses as a military head of state.

The PDP waited for APC’s national convention, thinking that the clash of ambitions and interests of its presidential aspirants would make the party crumble like a pack of cards. Again, APC leaders held their heads high in what was described as one of the most transparent and credible ‘presidential primary’ elections in Nigeria. The will of the party members prevailed; but the PDP did not learn any lesson from this exercise of unity and strategic political focus and determination. Even at the point of the electioneering, PDP was busy denigrating the APC and Buhari. They did not see their defeat coming. Most objective pundits knew that history was about to be made. I was particularly shocked when a university lecturer and renowned academic told me that

THE PDP WOULD HAVE BEEN IN GOOD FRAME TO WIN THE ELECTIONS IF THE LEADERS HAD LIVED UP TO EXPECTATION even if Buhari presented only a NEPA bill as his school certificate he would vote for him.

While all these were going on, PDP godfathers were being dictatorial in the way they were handling party’s issues. Instead of resolving their internal crises through political means, they were letting their staunch party members leave to join APC. They committed the terrible blunder of letting the five aggrieved governors and other notable members of new PDP decamped to APC. The worst of their blunder is the illusion that Nigerians are too blind to know that PDP has performed below expectation for 16 years of dominating the nation’s political space. They overlooked their impunities and recklessness, thinking that ballots will be bought with money. Their hope of winning the election was banked on the crocked means of votes buying, even as they conducted abysmal national convention that offended all the tenets of democracy and imposed a presidential candidate on the party, which aggrieved many of the

members. The PDP, in fact went, into that general elections a divided house.

If anybody says that PDP is in shock, it is either the person is not a good pundit or he does not see the symbolic significance of the political developments that preceded the elections. Many discerning Nigerians knew in advance that power was going to change hands, especially with the unbearable hardship Nigerians were facing which opened their eyes to the mismanagement of the country by the PDP at all levels. This was what led to the clamor for power change.

The PDP would have been in good frame to win the elections if the leaders had lived up to expectation. Why are they now crying over spilled milk, and trading blames on what caused the partys catastrophic defeat? They should rise from the brooding and “purported shock” and put their house in order.

They still have 13 states and also quality individuals in the National Assemble, especially, in the senate. With the difference of about 2.5 million votes which APC used to clinch the presidential seat, it means that PDP is still a party to reckon with and can still come back to relevance if the leaders really work hard. They should end the bickering and blame game and focus on how to redirect the party to the right path.

Isiguzo is on the Art Desk of this newspaper.

Waiting For IGP Solomon Arase ERASMUS IKHIDE

I

f the comments credited to Mr. Solomon Arase, the new Inspector General of Police, is worth its weight in gold, Nigerians can begin to sing Hosanna! Before then, there is the need to reappraise previous promises or grandstanding of former police henchmen who shouted “Police Reform” and deafened themselves unto the bargain thereafter.

IGP Solomon Arase has been quoted as saying that police road blocks breed corruption. He warned that any police personnel caught mounting road blocks anywhere in the country would be made to face the law. Announcing his mission, the new police enthused: “The drive will be clear, coordinated, massive, firm and sustained and it will target and tackle issues relating to commercialization of bail process, the nuisance of road blocks and abuse of police powers, particularly, in relation to pre-trial detention.

“I wish to in clear terms, reemphasize that police road blocks remain banned.

They are public nuisance, points of corruption, and source of police-citizens’ frictions. The loss of public respect and confidence in the police as well as our inability to effectively tackle crimes in the most ethical and professional manner have been widely attributed to the challenge of corruption within the policing system.”

Arase went further to say that Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in whose jurisdiction illegal road blocks are detected will be personally held liable and

strict disciplinary actions will be initiated against them. Fine talk from a highly disciplined officer!

The Nigeria Police, over time, have earned incredible appellation as the most untrained, dirty, underfunded, brutal and reprehensible force across the globe. They have, at the snap of the fingers dispatched lawful citizens into early grave without provocation. How they achieve and unleash such orgy of sadism is a matter of conjecture. I have been victimised unjustly by the police; you probably have fallen victim to their repressive antics and, your loved ones have.

If the Nigeria Police fail to come to term with its constitutional responsibility as stipulated in sections 353-368 of Part XV of the Police Act and other relevant Force Orders as well as Public Service Act, how about the Police Mission to make Nigeria safer and more secured for economic development and growth; create a safer and secured environment for everyone living in Nigeria?

What is the Police Force doing about the endemic problems plaguing the recruitment process training, inefficiency, and indiscipline, and lack of expertise in specialized fields? How are they tackling the widespread corruption and dishonesty that has engendered a low level of public confidence? How about failure to report crimes and the tendencies to resort to self-help by the Nigerian citizens?

How about the accusations that the police are more adept at paramilitary operations and the exercise of force than at community service functions or crime prevention, detection, and investigation?

…POLICE ROAD

BLOCKS REMAIN BANNED.

THEY

ARE PUBLIC

NUISANCE, POINTS

OF CORRUPTION, AND SOURCE OF POLICE-

CITIZENS’ FRICTIONS If policing in Nigeria is what those who preside over its management is or what they said it is, then we will as a people have reasons to applaud the force for leaving up to expectation. Because we are aware of what they are and do exactly opposite of what they claims they are, they can’t escape the people’s outright rejection or denunciation. After all, it’s not for nothing that the criminologist Jean-Paul Brodeur identified two types of policing: “high policing” and “low policing”. The former relates to the work of intelligence services at the counterterrorism and Regional Organised Crime Unit end of the business, while the latter refers to community policing often conducted by uniform officers. This concept of low policing he divides into “wide” and “narrow” policing.

Wide policing has a variety of objectives; for example, reducing crime, catching criminals, tackling terrorism and reassuring the public – neighbourhood policing. By contrast, the concept of narrow policing focuses on a more limited set of policing objectives, for example police success in cutting crime.

From Louis Edet’s era as IGP (1964–1966) to that of Solomon Arase (April 2015 - ?), the Nigeria Police have remained a brutal force and still visiting gruesome terror on the people.

Not too long ago, a middle Police officer confirmed to me what I already known about the inadequacies in the service and the transfer of aggression that runs current in their blood. The Nigeria Police Force still contend itself with their officers parading the streets and highway with guns without uniform in 21st century like armed robbers! These officers easily find their way to highway and mount road blocks against directive as a survival strategy since salaries are in arrears of several month.

I am tempted to belief that IGP Solomon Arase may try to be his own man given his education and wealth of experience. Until his appointment, Mr. Arase was the head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

He holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in both Law and Political Science and Strategic Studies.

For now, we can only but wish him a successful tenure.

Erasmus Ikhide wrote from Lagos and can be followed on twitter @ErasmusIkhide 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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Editorial

Tuesday, May 19, 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 SEYI FASUGBA DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR BEN MEMULETIWON GENERAL EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Boko Haram’s crimes against humanity

I

t sounded like a fairy tale, but it conveyed different meanings to different assimilators of the message, particularly Boko Haram-weary Nigerians who would relish sighs of relief seeing Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau and his lieutenants docked by the Nigerian state or the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) had a couple of month ago, claimed that the Boko Haram leader was killed in one of its battles against the violent Islamist sect in the North East. But confusion and uncertainty trailed that claim when ‘another’ Shekau resurfaced some days later, threatening more fire and brimstone, some of which came to pass.

Just last week, Chadian President, Idris Derby, credited earlier in the year as saying Shekau was hiding in Dikwa, a town in Borno State, Nigeria and warning that his troops would go after him if he did not come out of hiding, has recanted his words. In Abuja last Monday, after he met with President Goodluck Jonathan, the Chadian President told newsmen that Shekau’s whereabouts were unknown to him. “I cannot tell you today that I know where Shekau is hiding; even if I knew, I won’t tell you”, he said. It was obvious from his utterances that the joint military operation

forged by Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger has truly routed Boko Haram, but the campaign of violence and insurgency foisted on Nigeria and its endangered neighbours by the group has not been completely reined in, despite the dark clouds now hanging on the sect.

The Nigerian government says 15,000 Nigerians lost their lives to intensified Boko Haram insurgency between 2009 and 2015.

The terror group overran several Nigerian communities, killing, maiming, burning and subjecting citizens to despicable acts of torture and cruelty. Hundreds of thousands were turned internally displaced persons. At the height of its atrocities, the sect relished the abduction of girls, whom it turned to sex slaves, trained as suicide bombers and used as human shields whenever occasions warranted. Kids (minors) were forced to take up arms against the state, a host of them behaving like deviants as a result of toxic indoctrination and exposure to hard drugs. When the sect overran and burned down Baga in Borno State several weeks back, its bestiality was mindless as usual. In addition to the over 270 girls the sect abducted from a government girls secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014, thousands of other women and children were also abducted by Boko Haram; and

May 19, 2001 The United States’ Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act establishing national quotas on immigration.

The Act, also known as the Emergency Immigration Act of 1921, the Immigration Restriction Act of 1921, the Per Centum Law, and the Johnson Quota Act, restricted immigration into the US. The Act “proved in the long run the most important turning-point in American immigration policy”.

NOTHING JUSTIFIES BOKO HARAM’S MAN’S INHUMANITY TO FELLOW MAN SINCE

2009 OTHER

THAN RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM many of them turned to sex slaves, their husbands slaughtered like rams right before them, while their children were scourged with hunger.

As the coalition forces bulldozed their way through the Sambisa forest, the hide-out of the sect, troops rescued hundreds of women and children, whose frailty stunned the world.

Some of the captives recounted their woes and Boko Haram’s atrocities. Stories were told of how the sect’s members separated men and young boys from their wives, mothers and sisters, killed all the males and herd the women into Sambisa forest for all manner of abuses, amid starvation and diseases.

Indeed, Amnesty International once highlighted how men and boys were routinely conscripted or summarily executed, while young women and girls were abducted, imprisoned and raped persistently, forcibly married or compelled to join in armed at-

ON THIS DAY May 19, 1961 At Silchar Railway Station, Assam, 11 Bengalis died when the police opened fire on Bengali Language Movement (BLM) protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language.

The BLM was a political movement in former East Bengal (today Bangladesh) advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of the then-Dominion of Pakistan in order to allow its use in government affairs, etc.

tacks against their home towns and villages. Even some of the women who refused the biddings of their forced Boko Haram suitors were stoned to death.

The United Nations Population Fund says about 214 women and girls rescued from Sambisa forest were pregnant, some possibly infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and battling with the trauma of re-integration into their folds, socially and psychologically. Since the end of last month when troops started freeing captives from the forest, many also lost their lives to landmines planted by the insurgent group.

Therefore, it would have been a remarkable achievement if, at the end of hostilities between the troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, Boko Haram top shots behind the carnage are picked up and grilled on the scale of justice.

Nothing justifies Boko Haram’s man’s inhumanity to fellow man since 2009 other than religious fundamentalism and its huge appetite to rule over an Islamic state within and independent and sovereign Nigeria, which is unacceptable. Therefore, the battle against the insurgent group should aim not only at stamping it out from existence, but also bringing its ring leaders to book to serve as deterrent to other weird dreamers.

May 19, 2007 President of Romania, Traian Basescu, survived an impeachment referendum and returnd to office from suspension. Basescu (born November 4, 1951) is the 4th President of Romania, serving since December 2004, whose second and final term in office ended on December 21, 2014. He was narrowly re-elected president for a second 5-year term in 2009, amidst allegations of electoral fraud.

Business

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Unfavourable foreign investments: politicians veer into nation’s real estate 25

Aviation fuel scarcity: Stakeholders harp on govt’s intervention 31

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

19

Regulations on commission, rebates raises stakeholders’ 33 concern

AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES Dana Air

Oil refinery

Fuel subsidy: The mysteries, hardships, implications for Nigeria’s future Nobody in Nigeria or elsewhere can say categorically how much Nigeria spends to meet shortfalls in daily fuel needs, not even President Goodluck Jonathan and his Economic Management Team. Over the past month, the failure of the controversial subsidy regime has come to the fore, with cacophonic bickering between government and marketers, even as the economy, the people and other aspects of national life suffer hugely for the fiscal flaws in the oil sector. TOLA AKINMUTIMI assesses the crisis within the context of its implications for Nigeria’s future.

F

or several years, petroleum products importation, distribution and marketing in Nigeria, particularly the aspects of the pricing regime, have been shrouded in opacity as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, and other agencies involved in downstream operations, have never shown total transparency in the pricing regime for either imported products or locally refined ones.

Expectedly therefore, the experiences in products lifting, distribution and pricing has been largely

harrowing for Nigerians and the economy as dubious collusions between government officials, marketers, portfolio investors and other parasitic players have consistently created artificial scarcity of products to the detriment of the economy on a broad scale.

Indeed and pathetically so, today Nigeria remains the only crude oil producing and exporting country that cannot refine its crude oil to meet domestic consumption needs and whose failures to instill transparency in products’ importation, allocation and distribution have distorted the economy and by implication, impoverished its citizens

and turned oil as more of a curse than a blessing.

Even before the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s, letter to the Presidency in September 2013 triggered what has largely turned to be like punching the Hornet’s nest in the nation’s downstream sector of the oil industry, most analysts had suspected that all what was not well with the management of fuel importation and marketing in Nigeria.

Sanusi had in the letter to President in September 2014 raised the alarm over the alleged non-remittance of oil money totalling $49.8

billionn to the Federation Accounts and called for its thorough investigations.

Jolted by the indicting bombshell by Sanusi, the National Assembly, through its Committee on Finance, stepped into investigating the matter and a few days later, the Executive announced that an independent forensic auditors had been engaged to get to the roots of the allegation, for which the whistleblower had been sanctioned for his temerity to expose the government to public opprobrium.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of FiCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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

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

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

Lagos-Abuja (Sat): 08.00, 08.50.

Abuja-Lagos (Sat): 10.00, 15.00.

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

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Business

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fuel subsidy: The mysteries, hardships, implications for Nigeria’s future nance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the exercise which would be completed within four months.

She said: “On the issue of holding government to account, Nigerians are unrelenting. We need that transparency and we welcome it. The suspended CBN Governor raised issues on an unaccounted amount of money from the federation account. We at the ministry of finance have for two years been reconciling these figures with the NNPC to know what they are supposed to remit to the federation account.

“Our feeling is that the only way is to have a forensic audit that would let Nigerians know the truth on the issue. That the government has approved and it is being done by the Price Waterhouse Coopers under the supervision of the Auditor-General for the Federation. The auditors said they need 12 to 16 weeks to do that, and all these would be clarified,” she said Despite the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Senate Committee’s as well as other investigative teams, including the forensic audit

by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC); positions that the amount allegedly missing by the former CBN Governor was far lower than the figures he claimed, the raging controversy over the management of the fuel subsidy regime from which billions of naira were not properly accounted for yet, remains unabated still.

As the nationwide lingering fuel scarcity over the past month bites harder and helplessness of the outgoing government to end it becomes more real by the day, the intensity of the debate about the socioeconomic achievements of the government has assumed cacophonic dimension, with millions of Nigerians rating President Goodluck Jonathan low in the fight against as well as in creating enabling environment for investments to thrive corruption in the oil sector.

For instance, buoyed by the criticisms that have trailed the forensic audit report

by PwC, in which the global audit firms, stated its inability to vouch for some figures in the audit and thereby the credibility of the final figures, Sanusi, now the Emir of Kano, had risen stoutly to defend it earlier position on the missing funds and the need for the incoming administration to look more into the issue.

The yet-to-be-fully-confirmed missing money and other related fiscal issues in the petroleum products marketing and its subsidy component have again stoked a new public discourse debate, with most analysts, rooting for either the total removal of fuel subsidy which to them was more of a scam or another round of thorough investigations that will ensure that all those involved in fuel import scam do not go unpunished.

Reacting to the crisis in the downstream sector last week as queues became more pronounced in filling stations nationwide, Director General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, FIIRO, Dr. (Mrs.) Gloria Elemo, lamented the negative effect of the scarcity on the viability of small and medium enterprises, SMEs. She said the situation together with other existing challenges, had taken toll on the subsector, slowing down its productivity as production costs have been affected greatly.

Elemo said if the removal of subsidy on fuel would yield positive result, it should be

Alison-Maduke

Okonjo-Iweala

THE YET-TO-BE-FULLY-CONFIRMED MISSING MONEY AND OTHER RELATED FISCAL ISSUES IN THE PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MARKETING AND ITS SUBSIDY COMPONENT HAVE AGAIN STOKED A NEW PUBLIC DISCOURSE DEBATE

Oil refinery

done, and if not, government should find another workable final solution to the constant problem of fuel scarcity in the country.

In his remarks, the Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Mr. Remi Ogunmefun, lamented that the fuel scarcity syndrome has impacted negatively on businesses nationwide.

Ogunmefun maintained that the economy had been affected in many negative ways.President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, said during a telephone interview that the scarcity had affected delivery of cleared consignments from ports to warehouses.

According to him, the cost of hiring a truck to lift a container from the ports has more than doubled since the fuel scarcity

started in Lagos about three weeks ago.

“Apart from the increased cost of moving trucks in and out of the seaports, maritime stakeholders have been made to face horrifying traffic jams at the two entries into the port environment along the ApapaMile 2 road as well as the Ijora’s, as tankers queue on the roads unsuccessfully waiting to lift products,” he lamented.

Managing Director, Noahs Ark Communications, Mr. Lanre Adisa, said the scarcity was taking serious toll on everybody, including companies involved in marketing communications.

He said that the direct implications were that people tended to increase prices of goods and services and spend more money in situations like this, which will no doubt exacerbate the already bad economy.

He added that the poor in the society would, as usual, always bore the burden and called on government to rise to the occasion and find lasting solution to the problem.

“We do not lose hope in government; there are structures and institutions for addressing such problems. So, those in power should deploy such institutions to tackle the problem since it is what they are elected to do,” he said.

Head consultant of Goals and Ideas, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde, said the situation was bad as the crisis cripples businesses, not only for her but many others who need to move from one place to the other to fulfill their business goals.

In one of the most incisive analytical assessments of the downstream sector crisis, National Coordinator of Protest To Power Movement (P2PM), Jaye Gaskia, pointed out that the perennial illustrate the umbilical relationship between corruption, impunity, and failed governance further with the specific lucrative fuel subsidy regime.

He argued that this accounted for why over the last 16 years there had been a deliberate attempt and policy to ensure that the refineries do not work, and that the country shall for ever be dependent on importation of refined products.

Giving a statistical details on daily consumption rate for petrol and annual subsidy for the product which have varied grossly and without any rational explanation over the years, the civil activist and Co-Convener of Say No Campaign group, lamented that in spite of the obvious discrepancies suggesting a grand scale of public theft estimated at about N220 billion monthly in 2012 and regardless of the numerous public probes of the fraud, no one has been convicted, no public funds recovered, and no public official disciplined.

According to him, it is in view of the foregoing that the fuel subsidy conundrum presents a booby trap for the incoming government.

“It is a crisis that must be addressed, at both economic and political levels. Any government that does not want to be engulfed by a life threatening crisis, will not address this challenge simply be raising prices. The subsidy regime must be done away with without affecting prices, and as soon as possible.

“Any government worth its salt, and if the incoming government is to fulfill its electoral promises, it cannot present the masses with a decision that will equate the change that was promised with increase in fuel prices, increased inflation, increased cost of living, and declining condition of living. This was not the reason people voted change in their millions”, Gaskia added.

Speaking on the latest nationwide fuel scarcity which has jacked up pump price by over 100 per cent in some cities, the National Vice President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Prince Billy Harry, noted that fuel scarcity had become an economic albatross, doing unquntifiable damage to the country and inflicting of untold hardships on the citizenry.

He maintained that at this stage in the life of the country, the refineries should have been working optimally, while products importation should have been long discontinued.

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Business News

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

21

Nasarawa to invest N200m in Poundo processing project IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

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he management of the Nasarawa Investment and Property Development Company, NIPDC, yesterday revealed that it would invest about N200 million into a yam processing project known as Pando Processing Company.

Managing Director of the company, Ahmed Danladi Idris, disclosed this in Lafia during

his interaction with journalists, adding that feasibility studies into the envisaged Poundo project has been completed.

He explained the project, apart from adding value to the abundant yam produced in the state, would as well serve as a source of revenue generation to the company and the state in general.

According to him, the initiative is to discourage massive export of yam produce from the

state to other states and as well to curtail massive waste of the produce found in the state.

Idris explained that plans had reached an advanced stage by the company to partner with other investors to achieve the target with plans by the company to construct a befitting complex in the state for the multimillion naira project.

He disclosed that the company was already developing 500 service plots of land in Keffi

L-R: Mr. Ola Oresanya, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA); Mrs. Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun and Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Lanre Adesanya, during a courtesy visit by the Management of the Bank to LAWMA at the weekend

FCMB flags off ‘A World of Opportunity’ campaign

F

irst City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited has launched a new thematic campaign tagged, “A World of Opportunity”. This follows the recent unveiling of the Bank’s refreshed corporate identity, which has led to a replacement of its former colours of black and gold with a vibrant combination of purple and yellow that speaks to a wider audience.

The thematic campaign, tied to the refreshed corporate identity of the Bank, tells compelling stories of life and business aspirations of diverse Nigerians and how FCMB supports them to bring such dreams and aspirations to reality. The campaign tells the story of the very diverse base of the customers that FCMB serves.

The campaign comes in two television and two radio commercial versions conveying FCMB’s delivery of great customer experience and service on its channels and electronic banking platform and how it enables its customers through those services to fulfil their life aspirations. It also showcases the new warm, friendly, approachable and energetic brand identity of FCMB and its values as a simple, reliable and helpful

Bank.

In the first TVC, titled ‘’Waiting’’, the audience is taken through the thoughts and aspirations of diverse Nigerians in a typical office day. From the office cleaner to the manager and Chief Executive, the story line captures the fact that everyone has something that they are aspiring to achieve. In essence, this commercial imaginatively portrays the more diverse retail and business customer segments that FCMB now serves.

The second commercial, with the title, ‘’Maybe Today’’, shows a young professional man working in his office reminiscing about his father who had come from a humble background, but through hard work and commitment, he prepared a solid foundation for his son to build upon. Through the eyes of the young professional, the audience are taken back in time to see his father affectionately watching over him and also preparing for a day of hard work to provide for his family. As the audience are brought back to the present day, it becomes clear that the young professional reminiscing about his father has not only followed in his father’s footsteps, but has now become a successful

business owner with the support of FCMB. Speaking on the thematic campaign, the Divisional Head, Retail Banking of FCMB, Mr. Olu Akanmu, said that, “The new FCMB brand thematic campaign tells the story of the diverse base of the customers that we serve at FCMB.

and Karu axis of the state with the aim of providing secured and affordable houses for the public.

Idris also hinted that the company had acquired more

machines to increase production capacity of Nasarawa Table Water factory, which he described as one of the best in the country.

Ibom Power problems ‘ll be tackled for improved electricity, says Gov-elect MESHACK IDEHEN

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he Managing Director of Ibom Power Plc, Dr. Victor Udo, has said existing challenges in the operation of power distribution infrastructure in the Akwa Ibom state will soon be over, as the incoming governor is resolved to revisit and resolved the challenge.

He said though the outgoing administration in the state made significant investments in gas, generation, transmission and power distribution infrastructure; it was unfortunate that the distribution infrastructure was not being properly managed by Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC).

The Ibom Power managing director said in a statement made available to journalists stated that the outgoing governor, Chief Goodswill Akpabio has already laid the foundation for the industrialisation of Akwa-Ibom state, adding through the industralisation of the state, that the psyche of every Akwa-Ibom person has now been positively changed.

Udo who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on power, noted indigenes of the state are now proud of their heritage because of what the outgoing governor has accomplished.

He expressed confidence in

the State Governor-elect, Mr. Udom Emmanuel; ability to positively transform the state’s economic outlook, pointing out the outgoing governor enabled a fair and equitable process for the emergence of his successor.

Akpabio, he added, deserves full credit for the good position that state is economically.

“The governor-elect’s landslide victory at the April 11governorship elections is proof of the people’s confidence in the succession process that Akpabio has initiated. Udom Emmanuel’s experience as an investment banker will ensure continuity, consolidation and sustainable development across all sectors of the state”, he said.

According to him, “the enormous infrastructural development and the extensive urban electrification across the state have made Akwa-Ibom State a destination for investors. From the splendor and scenery that welcomes travelers upon arrival at the international airport at night; it is easy to appreciate that Akwa-Ibom State can be seen from outer space in contrast to the ‘dark continent’ perspective of Africa.

“During the outgoing administration we said let God’s will be done, and it was done. Now with the incoming administration we are confident that God is with us – Emmanuel. Akwa-Ibom is on the Right Hand of God.

NAIC grows premiums to over N1bn in 2014 …targets 5m farmers for crop insurance

TOLA AKINMUTIMI

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igerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), has disclosed that it generated over N1 billion as premiums, just as it settled claims worth over N300 million in 2014 to its policy holders.

The premiums in the year under review were higher by over N200 million, or about 18 per cent, than the N800 million generated in the preceding year.

The Managing Director of the C, Bode Opadokun, who disclosed this in Abuja, said the Corporation was going

through structural reforms phase for effective service delivery to its customers According to him, even when the audited accounts are not ready yet, the records at the disposal of the management indicated that the NAIC generated over N1 billion in 2014.

Opadokun said: “In 2014, subject to proper audit, we paid more than N300 million as claims. It is the right of a customer or policy holder to be indemnified on any loss arising from the perils that are covered under the policy. It is not just about paying claims but paying promptly. This is the orientation we have brought here. Payment of claims is not a favour

to customers. It is their rights.

“We have put in place improvement on our business processes. So, claims payment is done on a daily basis”, he added.

While noting that settlements of claims are promptly paid to the customers, sometimes on a daily basis, the NAIC boss hinted that the Corporation was targeting five million farmers in 2015 under its crop insurance cover.

The Crop Insurance enables insured farmers to be compensated or indemnified in case of any natural disaster occurrence, including flood, fire, and pests and diseases on their farm lands.

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Business News

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Court restrains FG over planned IT Infrastructure spending to hit $3.4b in 2015 FPSO facility relocation FRANCIS EZEM

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oves by the Federal Government to relocate the Egina Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading FPSO, integration project being built by the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistic Base, LADOL, and the Samsung Heavy Industries Limited, SHI, of Korea suffered a major setback as a Federal High Court issues an interim injunction restraining it or its agencies.

The Nigerian Ports Authority had in a letter dated April 27, 2015 and addressed to the Managing Director of LADOL, and signed by the Managing Director, Mallam Sanusi Adebayero, which the authority said was in line with a Presidential order directed LADOL to ensure that all oil and gas related cargoes

must be handled at the designated terminals in Onne, Warri and Calabar Ports.

However in a suit filed by counsel to LADOL, Professor Fidelis Oditah SAN, in which the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Attorney General of the Federal, company sought an interim injunction restraining the government or its agencies from carrying out the directive, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The plaintiff, who sought four injunctions, had argued that the essence of these injunctions was to ensure that all related agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, must allow vessels and cargoes to proceed directly to any Port or approved facility of choice, including oil and gas cargoes.

The counsel also told the court in his application that the injunction was also to protect the Nigerian indigenous maritime industry in addition to vessels from foreign waters can berth directly at LADOL Free Zone in line with LADOL’s Designation as a Deep Offshore Logistics Base, permitted to receive two International vessels each week.

The Injunction was further to prevent the passing of the Amendments to the Oil and Gas Export Free Zones Act which sought, among other changes, to impose a foreign owned monopoly on the movement of oil and gas cargoes in Nigeria and transfer control of 12 Free Zones in Nigeria currently under the NEPZA Act to the control of the Oil and Gas Free Zone, which is controlled by the same foreign owned company.

ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

I

T infrastructure spending in the Middle East and Africa is forecast to reach $3.48 billion, a 0.9 percent increase from 2014, according to latest report released at the weekend by Gartner, Incorporated.

The IT infrastructure market includes storage, server, and enterprise networking equipment but the server market will continue to lead IT infrastructure spending through 2018 to the report said.

Research Vice President, Mary Mesaglio said that due to continued low global oil prices, the macro economic situation in Gulf countries is creating increased economic pressure stating that there are expectation may negatively impact IT spending, including infrastructure projects, in 2015, and indeed are already seeing signs of decreased spending in the region.

She said that chief information officers, CIO, will continue to focus on digital transformation with an eye on cost optimisation adding that cloud, infrastructure and data

center, and business intelligence/analytics appear as the Top 3 CIO priorities in Gulf countries, and these technologies, along with mobility, are emerging as the core foundational technologies for creating digital business in this region.

Also commenting on the report, Research Director, Naveen Mishra said cloud is one of the key drivers for IT infrastructure spending by enterprises and governments while they are creating on premise infrastructure to drive agility and performance.

Mishra said that consolidation is another driver for data center initiatives in this region adding that as enterprises and governments invest in mobility, they are increasingly concerned regarding data privacy, security and associated risk.

He added that CIOs and infrastructure leaders have a challenging task of supporting these organizational initiatives while protecting corporate and citizen data in 2015 and beyond stressing that these concerns are further creating barriers to adoption of public cloud in the region.

Books on NITEL’s sale, ICT Devt for unveiling L-R: Business Development Director, Towncriers Limited, Ndanusa Amihere; Senior Manager North MTN Nigeria, Amina Usman, and Regional Sales Manager North Central MTN Nigeria, Yakubu Telta, at the MTN TruTalk Win a home retail promo launch event in Abuja recently.

AIB investigators get training on flight laboratory OLUSEGUN KOIKI

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afety investigators of Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, have undergone a special training on the operation of Flight Safety Laboratory in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

The training, which is aimed at developing the in-house capacity to manage and operate the comprehensive flight safety laboratory designed and installed by Flightscape CAE of Canada was conducted by Plane Sciences Incorporated of Canada.

The CAE Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services, Mr. Jeff Roberts told journalists that as the Africa representative of the Canadian technology company providing this capacity to Nigeria and to Africa as a whole, his ultimate wish was to

see a good number of the seasoned aviation workers at the at AIB, acquire and begin to grow these technology-driven skills needed to reach and maintain the highest level of safety in the Nigerian and African aviation sectors.

He emphasised that the flying public required the laboratory, stressing that as a key member of the United Nations agency - International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, Nigeria was clearly pulling her weight as an equal partner and meeting her obligations to the international community.

He added that the support of the Federal government of Nigeria to this project was very encouraging.

Also speaking, the Commissioner, AIB, Dr. Felix Abali stated that the laboratory would provide Nigeria with the capability to analyse aircraft flight data recorders, cockpit voice recorders, quick access recorders, radar data.

He noted that the laboratory was the first of its kind in the subSaharan Africa.

He added, “This laboratory will help establish a new standard with respect to government-led aviation safety programmes in Africa. Objective flight data provides the best opportunity to understand the underlying factors of aircraft and human performance so we may continue to advance safety of flight.”

CAE Flightscape software and services enable the effective study and understanding of recorded flight data from aircraft and flight simulators to improve safety, training, maintenance, and flight operations.

The laboratory being supplied to Nigeria is based on technology and processes originally developed at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the federal agency responsible for accident investigation in Canada.

ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

F

ormer staff of NITEL who later veered into journalist 30 years ago reporting IT and Telecoms has written a book where the intrigues that resulted to several failed attempt to sell the moribund government company are exposed.

The books are: The Privatisation of NITEL: An Archetypal Government Agency, Nigeria’s Path to ICT Development and The Lead Story.

The author of the books, Aaron Ukodie started journalism as communications reporter in the Guardian in July 1985 and since then has put all his years into journalism, making modest contributions to one of the most vibrant sectors of the economy.

According to him, The Privatisation of NITEL records the many failed efforts and intrigues to make the company play leading roles in the ICT sector and the almost 15 years bid by BPE to privatise it, which has culminated in its successful sale to NACOM in

2014.

The book also shows how publicly -run companies in Nigeria are managed, and canvassed the case for government to play less role in business.

Path to ICT Development traces the story of Nigeria’s ICT development from 1960 to 1992, when the NCC was created, and in 2001 when NITDA and the IT Policy were established with their attendant milestone impacts.

It records the evolution from the digital mobile license to the watershed marks in mobile phone deployment and data uptake to the current efforts in broadband development.

The book highlights how MTN, Airtel, then Econet, and Globacom, then Communication Investment Limited (CIL) and later Etisalat braved the seeming Nigerian challenging business environment to enter the market, a move that has impacted positively on the Nigerian economy. These companies have become the face of the much coveted Nigerian entrepreneurial spirit and competition.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Jobs & Career

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

23

Human capital devt lacking policy focus, funding support –Experts Developing the nation’s human capital and engaging workers through constant training and other capacitybuilding programmes is seen by experts as panacea to the challenges of unemployment and low productivity in the economy.

MESHACK IDEHEN reports.

H

uman capital development and the ability of a nation to constantly engage workers in trainings initiatives is identified by experts as an issue that should enjoy primary focus national economic policies.

Thus, human resource experts consider the emphasis by national governments on human capital development through capacity building as crucial to sustainable political, economic and social advancements in most countries Ironically, the experts believe that Nigeria has failed to give serious commitment to human resource development as it is the practice in successful countries with the multiplier effects on job creation and entrepreneurship.

For instance, analysts have identified this lapse in policy formulation and implementation on human resource management partly to structural defects in human capital budgeting which focuses more on recurrent or operational expenditures to the disadvantage of capital provisions that guarantee adequate facilities for training and development of the nation’s workforce.

Based on that notion of neglect and poor attitude towards human capital development, Economist and Management Trainer, Mr. Clarence Osa Igbinoba, told our correspondent that the country’s national and states budgets, including how it is spent must come into renewed focus.

Igbinoba said that in the first place the very poor budgetary allocation for the training and development of human capital year in and out based on already made financial provisions will again lead to a below average performance and weak implementation of human capital development initiatives and job creation as it has always been in the years before.

According to him, the Federal Government’s explanation that last year’s budget was the budget for job creation and inclusive growth, which represents an attempt to build on the progress of the previous budget does not sufficiently address the key question of lack of well-trained indigenous manpower to implement the economic agenda outlined.

To consolidate the efforts already put

Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu

CIPM President, Abiola Popoola

GREATER CONSOLIDATED MEASURES AND INITIATIVES HAVE TO BE PUT IN PLACE IN

NIGERIA IN ORDER TO OPTIMISE THE STRENGTH OF THE WORKING POPULATION into achieving the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan transformation agenda in key sectors of the economy without focusing on the neglect human capital development will turn out to be a mirage if human capital development is not provided adequate budgetary allocation and legislative support in the coming years.

According to him,” The higher preference for recurrent expenditure across all sectors without commensurate manpower development reduces the potential impact that government spending would have on achieving the goals of job creation and manpower development in the years to come”, he said.

Insisting on his part that the 2015 expected economic growth in the country may become stunted due to the neglect of human capital in the country, another human resource expert, Mr Kunle Rotimi, said the present situation of neglect of human capital development was enough reason not to expect any sustainable development or positive change in the challenging job creation quagmire in the country.

Rotimi lamented that inadequate and very weak budgetary provisions targeted towards solving the job crisis remained a major hindrance to developing existing human capital, pointing out there are so many self-serving projects for the politicians, top government officials and for the various state houses.

He pointed out, for instance, that new

private jets that will increase the fleet in the presidency to over 13, and a N50 billion provision for the National Assembly new banquet hall, gymnasium and offices, are some of the excesses that are coming at the expense of the sustainable development of nation’s human assets.

While citing the example of Malaysia and describing the Asian country as a big winner in making federal budgets that develops human capitals and create jobs abundantly, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, (ICAN), Mr. Emeka Ifezulike, said human capital development continued to be the single largest beneficiary of the Malaysian budget in recent years, with an allocation of over RM54.6bil, or 21% of the budget in 2014.

He said the Malaysian government’s budgetary commitment to human capital development which Nigeria can emulate had not only highlighted their government’s commitment towards reducing fiscal deficit, but also provided fiscal space to invest in highly prioritised areas, particularly human capital and manpower development.

Such generous and commendable commitment towards developing human capital on a constant basis, Ifezulike, said, has transformed Malaysia into a high income economy, including through moves like allocation of funds for strengthening tertiary education, improving the quality of train-

ing for graduates, providing schooling assistance and handing out book vouchers to develop Malaysia’s talent pool.

He said the establishment of the human resource development fund as well as enhancing female talents in the workforce, amongst other initiatives, has made Malaysia, Singapore, China and other nation’s exporters of human capital to other countries, including Nigeria.

“Greater consolidated measures and initiatives have to be put in place in Nigeria in order to optimise the strength of the working population. Human capital will continue to occupy key roles in national development, lead to job creation and challenge unemployment,” he said.

On the implementation of the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP), which is aimed at industrialising Nigeria and diversifying the economy into sectors, the Director General of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria, Mr. Yemi Mapaderun, said that initiative will not succeed if human capital development was not accorded the needed prioritisation in public sector policy, noting that highly technical areas of government agenda require well trained workers if the government is not to short-change itself.

Mapaderun pointed out areas such as agro-processing, light manufacturing, and petrochemicals which the administration has highlighted as priority areas for the economy in recent years will grapple with serious challenges; and that the already negotiated Common External Tariff (CET) agreement with the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) partners that would enable the country protect its strategic industries where necessary will suffer serious setback, if the country cannot produce well trained public official to drive the initiatives.

On his part, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, (CIPM), Mr. Sunday Adeyemi, said despite the vast opportunities for growth inherent in the country that low government spending on human capital development continues to portends danger for the public and private sectors.

He said annual allocations in the country’s budgets for instance are at best dismissive and may be counterproductive to the successes of the still ongoing transformation agenda of the government, because Nigeria, according to him the country with the largest population in Africa, is well endowed with a bulky wealth of human capital that needs to be continually developed.

He explained apart from agricultural, mineral and crude oil resources, that Nigeria’s huge population form laudable resources in serving as a large emerging market that trigger production of commodities and also providing large workforce, adding investment in developing such huge human capital through adequate budgetary allocation, will lead to economic development through an increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and social stability.

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Jobs & Career

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Experts’ tips for staying above office politics H

uman resources professional have said office politics will never go away. It’s a fact of company life.

However, destructive office politics can demoralise an organisation, hamper productivity, and decrease turnover. Here are tips, applicable for both staff and management on dealing with office politics.

Live at peace with others-The easiest way to avoid problems with politics is to get along with people. Not saying you need to hug everyone and sing songs, not saying you have to be a pushover for everyone, but can be pleasant and professional, while at the same time being assertive when necessary. If you have a concern, focus only on the issue, not on the person.

If you have to refuse a request, explain why and try to come up with alternative solutions.

Living at peace with others also means being careful about choosing sides during office power struggles. Aligning yourself with one faction or the other will prevent you from working effectively with people from the other” side, thereby hampering your productivity and thus your performance. It’s even worse if your faction loses out. Instead, try to focus on your tasks, dealing with people in either faction on the basis of the tasks alone, and avoid talk on the political issue that separates the groups.

Don’t talk out of school-Does your organisation have issues? Have people told you things in confidence? Then keep those matters to yourself. Talking to outsiders about issues within your organisation makes all of you look bad to that outsider. Furthermore, your boss or your boss’s boss will not appreciate that behaviour. People will find out that you spoke about what they told you, and they’ll lose confidence in you and respect for you.

Be helpful-We all have responsibilities and objectives, and those things should receive priority. Nonetheless, if it doesn’t take too much time, being helpful to others can reap benefits for you. Does someone need a ride in the direction you live? Did your co-worker leave headlights

T

he Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority leads the pack of available job vacancies for this week, with numerous openings up for the taking.

The authority said the positions for a head of infrastructure risk management; a general counsel and a company secretary are available.

Interested and qualified candidates are advised to visit www.nsia.com.ng for more details concerning application procedures and instructions.

Also on offer\ are various positions from oil and gas firm, Hobark International Limited. The firm said there are vacancies for completion engineers, completionsupervisors, drilling and completion advisors, drilling fluid engineers, fluid supervisor amongst others.

To access the positions, interested candidates are to visit www.hobarkintl.com.

Another oil and gas firm, Total Explo-

Workers on duty

on in the parking lot? Is someone having trouble building an Excel macro? If you can help that person, especially if you can do so without taking too much of your time, you benefit yourself as well as the other person. By doing these things, you’re building political capital and loyalty. In doing so, you reduce the chances that you will be the victim of political intrigue.

Stay away from gossip- Nothing destroys the dynamics of an office more than gossip. Stay away from it, because nothing good comes from it. Just be sure you avoid the holier than thou attitude of lecturing your co-workers on the evils of gossip.

You’ll make them lose face, and they’ll resent you. Instead, try subtly changing the subject. Do some free association and try to come up with some topic that’s related but won’t involve gossip. Then, make a comment about that topic. You could ask when schedules will be published, or if they need parent volunteers. If you do it right, no one will even notice that you’ve moved them

away from the gossip.

Stay out of that talk-down-the-boss session-Suppose your co-workers start complaining about the boss. If you join in, it makes you look disloyal to the boss. If you don’t, it looks awkward in the group.

What can you do? As with the situation of gossip, try changing the subject by linking the boss to another topic, then talking about that topic instead. Or you could simply respond to your co-workers with a smile and a tongue-in-cheek, Come on, aren’t we exaggerating?Really isn’t that bad. Be careful, though, because it could be taken as an admission by you that the boss is bad.

Be a straight arrow- The best way to keep out of trouble politically is to be seen as someone who doesn’t play office politics -- in other words, a straight arrow. Do what you say you’re going to do, alert people to problems, and admit your mistakes. Others will respect you, even if they don’t always agree with you. More important, you have a lower chance of being a victim of

politics.

Address the politics issue openly when appropriate- if you believe politics is an underlying theme at your company; tell people you’re not interested in scoring political points but only in getting the job done. It might not work, but unless you bring the matter up, there’s no chance at all that they will believe you. So if a coworker is unavailable, and you have to act on that person’s behalf, consider saying to that person you had to act because of your absence.

Document things- Nothing saves a job or career more than having a written record. If you believe a matter will come back to haunt you, make sure you keep a record of the matter, either via e-mail or document. Documentation is also an effective way to highlight of your own accomplishments, which can help you when your performance evaluation is conducted. www.techrepublic.com

Job vacancies ration and Production Nigeria Limited is recruiting, with vacancies open for information system and telecommunications professionals, compliancespecialist, legal professionals and internal auditors.

Other vacancies in the company are contract procurement professionals, ROVspecialist, structuralengineer, cadet drilling supervisor and senior fluid superintendent/engineer. For details on the recruitment process, candidates are to visit www.careers.total.com From www. Findjobafrica.com is the position for a business solutions manager that is expected to be based in Lagos.

The incoming will be responsible for creating new business solutions in assigned district and leading the different stages of the sales process. He/she will act as the commercial owner for assigned deals and will engage the district sales team &Channel Partners to sell world

class solutions.

The business solutions manage will engage customer and in-house senior management and develop relationships with key stakeholders, purchasing agencies, consultants, brand partners, resellers, and integrator companies etcto create sales opportunities. He/she will closely collaborate in the acquisition phase with the district team to support the growth of profitable order intake with selected accounts.

Other key responsibilities are to define solutions strategy and develop, implement and coordinate plan for their implementation and sales to relevant stakeholders and customers in the region, drive the foray of business into the Enterprise solutions market and aggressively procure target market share with the aim to build a true solutions powerhouse business in the district.

Qualifications for the position require

a masters’ degree level education, while an MBA would be a plus. Experience with solution sales and project finance background is needed, so is experience with public private partnerships and project management experience. Experience with leading a cross functional team within an international matrix organization, being fluent in English, verbal and written in addition to local language is required.

Able to act on board of management level, consultative selling skills ,excellent interpersonal and communication skills, ability to close large deals independently ,good understanding of financing and preferably established sales & customer network and ability to set up loan programs, leasing, project finance is also needed.

Still from www.findjobafrica.com is the post for marketing officers that will based in Lagos and Porthacourt.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

25

Real Estate & Environment

Stricter money laundering sanctions push politicians into real estate As foreign countries are becoming stricter over enforcement of money laundering sanctions, Nigerian politicians have retreated on money laundering, opting for investments in real estate. SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE reports.

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ith the renewed interest of some politicians in the nation’s real estate market, the sector is set to grow more than last year.

Last year, the sector attracted over $3.96 billion, about N780.12 billion, which is 11 percent of the total sum of $36.4 billion expended in the country, on construction projects.

Deloitte African Construction Trends had reported that Nigeria was on top of West Africa’s major infrastructure construction projects with high total expenditure, including foreign and local public and private sector investments.

The sector’s growth came in 2014, on the heels of re-basing of Nigeria’s gross domestic product, GDP, to $509.9 billion.

The report listed the projects range to in-

Mortgage-Friendly insurance products 27

clude, Water, which took 39 percent, Energy and Power 17 percent, Oil and gas 17 percent, Transport 15 percent, Manufacturing 1 percent while Real Estate attracted 11 percent.

Real Estate expert, Funso Fadaeyi said, with the growing interests of Nigerian politicians, the 11 percent ascribed to real estate sector by the report would increase tremendously as politicians have seen the sector as safe haven for their investments.

He noted that before now, Nigerian politicians invest more in foreign countries, noting Nigerians have controlling shares in some foreign investments, especially in Dubai, South Africa, Ghana among other countries.

For instance, he said, Nigerian investors had long before now, demonstrated burning investment desires with dominance in Gha-

naian real estate market, where the account for over 50 percent of the total transactions in the country’s middle and high end markets.

It would be recalled that recently, the Marketing Manager of Movenpick Ambassador Hotels, Ghana, Robert Davis, the developers of Ambassador Heights Luxury Apartments, disclosed that Nigerians are prime movers of premium real estate transactions in Accra, Ghana.

Davis had also noted that the demand for the 18-unit Ambassador Heights has been quite encouraging with Nigerians securing 50 percent of buyer-interest, placing them ahead of local investors, who share the remaining 50 percent with foreign clients. ‘’With this encouraging demand from Nigeria, the country is our destination. Ni-

Operator urges developers to patronise Infrastructure bank

28

geria’s property market has great growth potential and huge opportunities for investments;’’, he stated.

Obviously, Nigerians are visible in residential and commercial segments of the market, where development and ownership of some quality high-rise office buildings in Accra, are linked to some Nigerian business moguls.

A Property Consultant, who does not want his name in print, told National Mirror that the fear would get to its feverish climax, after May 29, 2015, when the new administration under General Mohammadu Buhari, whom he said does not take it kindly with corrupt leaders.

According to him, some high brawl areas CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Clean environment: Ghana to transform renewable energy 29

26

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stricter money laundering sanctions push politicians into real estate CONTINUED FROM 25 in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt among other major cities in the country have been turned into private estates as well as residential entities, designed to generate income annually.

He disclosed that major parts of Maitama, Asokoro and even Lugbe have been taken over by greedy politicians, thus making lands more expensive than before.

Low-income earners, he said, have no hope of buying plots of lands in the sprawling areas of Abuja, adding that in the next four years, many residents may relocate from the city to villagers, as the costs of accommodation would hit the rooftop.

The source however urged the incoming administration to halt land racketeering in Abuja, raising alarm that, if urgent steps are not taken to arrest the growing situation, many low-income earners will abandon their jobs due to high costs of rents in the capital cities.

Also, a Lagos-based Architect, Lekan Alabi, who confirmed the development, said politicians have infiltrated into the nation’s real estate market.

He said, in Lagos state, they are investing heavily in Lekki, Epe, Banana Island and Badagry while extending to Mowe and Ibafo axis of Ogun state.

Noting that the move is a welcomed one, as it will open various accesses and improve the fortunes of the residents, but saying that his only fear is that in many years to come, the unborn children might not have access to plots of land, as they might not be available.

He however advised Lagos state government to renew its policy on ‘one man, one plot’, as this has helped in the past, where one person is allocated only one plot of land each, saying it reduced the problem of land grabbing in the state.

According to him, during the time of the former Governor of Lagos state, Chief Lateef Jakande, such policy was strictly adhered to, saying non-compliance, caused various litigations among some associations and unions that laid claims to more than one plot of land.

Investigation also confirmed that the situation is the same in Kano state, where some major areas have been taken over by some politicians, Though; a source said, the situation is not as pronounced as Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, noting that some politicians from the region are not so deep in such private estates like their counterparts in the other regions.

In Port Harcourt, Rivers state, it was also reported that some empty spaces in the city and its adjoining community of Eelele, have been bought over, as some private estates have started to spring up.

The source, who refused to mention those estates, told National Mirror to visit the state to see things for itself as he would not mention the names of those estates.

According to him, there is nothing wrong in buying lands for development or building estate, urging the federal and state governments to build low-cost housing units for low-income earners, adding that such move would crash the rents in those private estates. ‘’Since, we have shortage of housing units in the country, politicians or even businessmen can decide to build private estates, there is no problem about that, but they should put the prices of those houses low, so that the less-privileged ones in the country can afford

Goodluck

them. Again, federal and state governments should help to build low-cost houses for the teeming Nigerians. This is the only way, the prices of those private estates can come down”, he stated.

While urging investors to invest in residential and commercial properties among others, he noted that a country with fast growing population like Nigeria could earn extraordinary returns from real estate investments.

According to him, real estate is very resilient in all kinds of economic conditions, including inflation.

During inflation, he noted, the effect on the economy is that, prices of goods would go up. This simply means that money will buy fewer commodities, forcing investments to lose value, but real estate investment has inherent ability to absorb the rising costs.

“Real estate investment is unique, as it could weather the storm of inflation, a researcher noted while disclosing that the sector has the ability to produce income, profit as well as appreciate in value at the same time’’, he said.

In addition, it has a return of at least 10 to 15 percent annually. Besides, it could generate more profits while leveraging equity in property markets.

The same in Enugu state, where it was gathered that Owani Enugu is highly dominated by politicians while the scramble for other notable areas in the once capital city continues.

Some politicians see the coal city of Enugu as very cosy and quiet for property developments, thus causing the ‘mad’ rush.

Some experts said, such investments ensure tax protection for investments as build-

Eyakenyi

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT IS

UNIQUE, AS IT COULD WEATHER THE STORM OF INFLATION, A

RESEARCHER NOTED WHILE DISCLOSING THAT THE SECTOR HAS THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE

INCOME, PROFIT AS WELL AS APPRECIATE IN VALUE AT THE SAME TIME ings are subjected to natural wears and tears, which are factored into depreciation.

While revealing that real estate investment is one of the safest forms of investments, experts said it also attract high demands and quick turnovers.

Researchers have revealed that as growth moderates emerging markets, the level of construction activities remains high, thereby increasing investment opportunities.

Recent global report has shown that by the year 2025, over 60 percent of all construction activities will take place in the emerging markets while increasing construction of new homes.

Sequel to this, Nigeria is expected to have about 20 million new homes, compared to 2012.

The growth of the emerging markets, ac-

cording to economic pundits are creating new real estate operators as well as asset managers; spurring the growing competitions in real estate assets and management.

These projections are coming on the heels of the federal government’s planned move to reform the nation’s real sector.

Disclosing the federal government’s intention to reform the sector, the Director General, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Benjamin Dikki had said, all the necessary arrangements had been put in place to kickoff the reforms in the sector, aimed at making houses affordable to low income earners in the country.

According to him, the BPE is working with the Ministry of Housing to review the legal and regulatory frameworks, aimed at shoring-up the nation’s housing stocks.

While admitting Nigeria housing deficit of 17 million deficits, the DG also noted that the reform would take care of the housing gaps and encourage more investors.

“We are ready to reform the housing sector. We don’t have many housing units, but the few we have are in the hands of few individuals at the top of the echelon. So, we are looking at how government can encourage investments in the housing sector through the reforms, so that private sectors can be involved as it is in other nations of the world”, he stated while encouraging Nigerians to diversify to other sectors, including the housing sector”, he stated.

While opinions have varied on the right time to buy or sell property, observers said the situation is different in different countries, regions, cities and even within districts. No two real estate markets are the same, according to them; hence there are some guidelines that apply to property markets worldwide.

One of the guiding rules is not to rush into real estate market, once one decides to go into the market. Investors should watch the market closely for some time, before venturing into it. Also, he should consider the fluctuations in price over the recent months and try to gather as much information as possible to be able to forecast the trends.

Real estate, according to analysts has a relatively low correlation with stock market.

So, using real estate as an asset to diversify a portfolio is an excellent and practical investment, largely due to the fact that many people through their homes are invested in the real estate market. It’s amazing how many people tend to overlook the investment potential of this sector.

Investing in real estate doesn’t necessary mean that you need to go out and purchase a house or building, although that is a viable option for entering this market.

Diversification is a key to building block to one’s financial plan, including understanding what diversification does and how it helps an individual’s overall financial position.

It is crucial that investors know the difference between systematic and unsystematic risks as well as understand that by diversifying among asset classes, they can mitigate exposure to systematic risk.

The sudden infiltration of politicians in the sector, according to some experts was informed by the sharp drop in oil prices in the international community.

This has made operators in the sector of the nation’s economy to advocate for alternative measures, giving real estate as the best alternative to dwindling oil sector.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

MORTGAGE NOTES

Expert decries use of foreign building materials SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

with Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja

E

Fasanya-Osilaja

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

Mortgage-Friendly insurance products

M

y last column discussed the importance of Homeowners insurance, and the need to make it a standard product in the Nigerian mortgage industry. This week I would like to discuss other insurance products that may provide some financial relief and risk reduction to both homeowners and mortgage companies. Probably the most important of these, is Mortgage insurance.

Mortgage insurance is a product designed to protect mortgage companies against mortgage delinquency risks.

The insurance company essentially contracts to pay the mortgage company the difference between what they loan to a borrower and what they may be able to recover if the borrower defaults on the loan.

Mortgage insurance unfortunately has a “bad reputation” because the borrower pays the premium for it, but the covered party is the mortgage company. The thought of having to pay for insurance that does not offer the premium payer any coverage just seems to be unpalatable to the average consumer, but it is a product that actually offers a benefit to the market. Mortgage insurance enables a company to give out loans with a higher level of confidence because they know their losses, if any will be covered by mortgage insurance.

As a result, borrowers are able to obtain loans with lower down payments, and at lower interest rates. The market benefits as a whole and home ownership is increased accordingly. Imagine being able to get a loan with a 10% down payment due to mortgage insurance, rather than a 20% down payment without mortgage insurance. Since the main reason for mortgage underwriting is to ameliorate risk, mortgage insurance would be a very useful tool for the banks and borrowers, and should be widely obtainable in the industry.

Disability insurance is a product designed to assist the

AS A RESULT, BORROWERS ARE ABLE TO OBTAIN LOANS WITH

LOWER DOWN PAYMENTS, AND AT LOWER INTEREST RATES.

THE MARKET BENEFITS AS A WHOLE AND HOME OWNERSHIP IS INCREASED ACCORDINGLY

insured in meeting their financial responsibilities if they become incapacitated. This is an optional insurance product and there are several variations of it.

Disability insurance can cover anything from illness to injury and even absence from work. The insurance company takes over the insured’s bills and makes the monthly payments on them until the insured is able to start paying on them again. I used to be very sceptical about this type of insurance, and then a borrower of mine slashed himself badly while trying to fix his window, and was unable to work for several weeks. I was surprised to find that the insurance company not only paid his bills, but also gave him funds for subsistence in the period. I was converted from being a non-believer to accepting that it works.

Life insurance is a product designed to provide the beneficiaries of a policy with financial support in the event of the death of the insured and many of them will also cover funeral expenses.

This is also an optional product and there are several variations of it. There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a family being evicted from their home because their breadwinner passed and they could not meet their living expenses any more. The purpose of life insur-

ance is just to offer the peace of mind of knowing one’s loved ones are provided for in case of one’s demise. Life insurance can be whole life or a term policy, but it just makes sense to have some form of coverage for the benefit of the family. One of the biggest stigmas with life insurance is that there have been several cases of beneficiaries murdering the policyholder to get their hands on the policy amount.

I just believe that anyone who kills their policyholder for the insurance money would have killed them anyway, and the lure of the insurance money xxxxx was just a bonus.

The ability to provide these insurance products in a high quality marketable format is the challenge that the Nigerian insurance industry must not only tackle, but also educate the public on. As I stated in the previous article, a sustained media advertising and educational campaign might be the most effective way to get the word out on the streets, and I hope that we will start to see a robust growth in the number of insured in the country as a whole.

As always, please feel free to comment, clarify or ask questions as you may desire and make it a wonderful week.

ABOUT THE WRITER Fasanya-Osilaja a lawyer and mortgage expert has owned and operated Marvel Ventures Mortgage, Inc. (www.marvelmortgage.com), a Chicagobased Mortgage Brokerage Company since 2000 and has worked in the US Mortgage industry since 1996. She also consults and facilitates industryrequired activities, from set up of mortgage organisations to documentation, training and compliance.

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state Consultant, Barrister Solomon Fatoki has decried over-dependence on foreign building materials, urging indigenous builders to concentrate more on local materials.

He said, one of the ways to achieve affordable housing for the teeming Nigerians, is to encourage the use of burnt clay bricks, timber, fibre roofing sheet and lime in place of cement.

According to him, all these local building materials have been tested by various Research Institutes like the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, FIIRO, among others, noting with dismay, decrying non-utilization of those materials. ‘’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 Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Kenya among other countries, saying those materials have suc-

ceeded in bringing down the cost of building materials while restricting the use of cement. ‘’We could 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.

Fatoki in his paper titled, ‘’The Place of Housing in National Development’’, delivered during the meeting of Achievers Table of Ikeja Club in Lagos, said after food, clothing and security, the next one is housing in the basic needs of human beings. ‘’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 said, with the satisfactory housing in urban and rural areas, coupled with job opportunities, mobility of labour would be greatly enhanced.

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.

Firm asks court to set aside judgment on property ISE-OLUWA IGE

A

Lagos based company; Johnson Products Nigeria Limited has requested a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja to set aside the execution of a judgment, which granted possession of a property located at Plot B, Ikosi Road, Oregun Industrial Estate, Ikeja to Jagal Nigeria Limited.

The firm, in a motion of notice supported with an affidavit of urgency, is also praying the court to issue a separate order directing parties to maintain status quo ante in the matter, pending the hearing and determination of its appeal against the judgment at the Court of Appeal.

Joined as second defendant in the suit is Chief Samuel Agboola Akintan, who is said to have earlier leased the property to Wire Manufacturing (Nigeria) Limited for 20 years, having had a Deed of Conveyance dated 1971.

During Friday’s proceedings, Johnson’s counsel, Mr J.O. Omisade told the court presided by Justice Olabisi Ogungbesan that the application was ripe for hearing.

However, the defendant’s counsel, Mr Qudus Mumuney, informed the court that he had filed a preliminary objection to the suit and had

also received interpleading summons from other parties interested in the suit.

Mumuney said he needed time to respond the summons which were filed by Global Plus Publishing Limited, AM Technologies Limited and Primadoors Limited.

He therefore asked the court for an adjournment to enable him respond to the applications.

Opposing the call for adjournment, counsel to the interpleaders, Messrs Ade Sogunle and Foluso Omowale, argued that their clients had been adversely affected by the execution of the court judgment by Jagal Nigeria Limited.

Omisade, who also opposed the adjournment, noted that the court had granted an accelerated hearing to the suit in the interest of justice.

The judge, however adjourned the matter till May 21 to enable Mumuney file his responses to the applications.

She said all pending applications would be heard at the next adjourned date and directed Mumuney to file and serve the processes not later than May 19.

It will be recalled that Johnson Products had dragged Jagal Nigeria Limited before Justice Ayotunde Phillips of a Lagos State High Court over the ownership of the disputed property.

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Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Living room Choose Real Wood for Lasting Beauty

For beauty and warmth underfoot, wood floors are unrivaled. An new manufacturing methods, they’ve become increasingly durable a fordable.

Solid-wood floors cost less than engineered-wood flooring, althou bor for installing and finishing solid wood pushes the price up. Solid floors hold their value because they can be sanded and refinished times. With the right care, they age gracefully, developing a patina th look-alikes can’t match.

Layer Rugs for Richness

Layering a smaller area rug over a larger rug defines a seating within the larger space. It also enriches the palette of patterns in the To use this layering technique effectively, avoid high contrast be the room-size rug and the area rug. In this living room, a swirl-pri lays over a neutral woven rug.

Brick Tiles for Rustic Charm

Brick pavers bring a rustic, old-world look to a room. They may b in basket-weave, herringbone, or running-bond patterns, and you h choice of sizes and thicknesses. After it has been sealed, brick is e maintain simply by sweeping or vacuuming. Dirt and mud can be rem with soap and water.

Custom Wide-Plank Floors

Wide-plank hardwood floors bring character and beauty to any room. Search online for companies that specialize in reclaimed or sal wood or for those that focus on sustainably harvested new growth.

Custom-crafted floors like this are expensive. If you’re going to s your home for a long time, however, real wood floors can be a good i ment, because they will last as long as your home does. If properly car wood ages gracefully and can be refinished as needed.

Paint a Colorful Floor

A painted floor can set the tone for thedecor of an entire room. Th metric pattern of rectangles establishes the room’s bold, playful style Use deck and floor paint to apply the design. If you want a hint wood grain to show through, wipe off excess paint until you get the

Operator urges developers to patronise Infrastructure bank

BY SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

E

state developers have been urged to embrace Infrastructure bank to develop their private estates.

Infrastructure Bank, formerly Urban Bank does not operate traditional commercial banking, but project financing.

Already, the bank has financed several projects in the country, including the Blue line project of Lagos state government.

Emmanuel Usoro, a business expert while describing the Bank as a development finance institution, interfacing between the public sector lending and private sector infrastructure project financing, said the bank would assist estate developers to shore-up their housing projects in the country.

According to him, many people have not been explor-

ing such facilities, urging the developers to explore such option. ‘’We have not explored the facilities of Infrastructure bank. Both construction experts and housing developers have not been able to approach the bank to know whether they can offer their facilities since they are into infrastructural developments. Some state governments have been using the bank facilities to develop state infrastructures ’’, he stated.

This may be true as a senior official of the bank, Mr Chima Omeike had said, the bank is behind the Blue Line project of Lagos state.

The Blue Line started from Okokomaiko to Marina while the Red Line links Agbado to Marina through Iddo and Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA).

In the same vein, the Green Line started from Marina link-

ing Lekki (Airport) while the Yellow Line linked Otta to Iddo with the Purple Line starting from Redeem to Ojo. The Orange Line linked Redeem to Marina while the Brown Line started from Mile 12 to Marina.

The Blue Line, a 27 km rail road with thirteen stations from Okokomaiko to Marina is currently undergoing construction right in the middle of Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which Lagos state government is currently expanding and redeveloping into a ten-lane international gateway.

It is designed to carry 400,000 passengers daily with capacity increased to 700,000 passengers daily when the rail route becomes fully operational.

Apart from rail, the infrastructure design also includes provision for BRT and multimode integration with nonmotorized transport such as pedestrian walkways and over-

head bridges for safe access by passengers to rail and bus stations.

The project situated in the middle of Lagos-Badagry corridor, leading to neighbouring Benin Republic and other ECOWAS countries, started on August 2009 with the Blue Line rail infrastructure awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) under design and build contract.

L-R: Head, Systems Air Conditioners, Samsung Electro Director, Consumer Electronics,Mr. Sunil Kumar, and Pr on Samsung AC Technical Forum/launch of Samsung “D Lagos, recently.

Climate change: AfDB gives financia SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

A

frican Development Bank, AfDB, said its sponsored Climate Change Fund is designed to address underlying challenges preventing the region from accessing the fund required for engaging in smart development.

Launched with a Euros4.725 million for an initial three-year period, the ACCF report noted that the Fund is aimed at assisting regional member countries in transition to climate resilient and low carbon development through technical assistance.

This, according to the report, would help them to track climate finance flows, implement its re-

sil as ve

wi pr ba ity

rep vir

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

29

flooring m fl ooring ideas

d with and af-

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group room. etween int rug

be laid have a easy to moved

living lvaged

stay in investred for,

his geoe. of the e effect

you like. Apply several coats of polyurethane to protect the finish.

Capture Warmth with Carpet Carpet warms a room physically and visually, and it’s comfortable unun derfoot. The wall-to-wall carpeting adds warmth and texture to this pretty ett living room.

Choose a neutral color like this one if you want to downplay the floors. ors For a room with a high ceiling, opt for an attention-grabbing hue to ground und and balance the space without detracting from the expansive atmosphere. re.

Get the Look of Stone with Concrete Polished concrete floors in this living room are sleek and understated. ted.

Concrete floors can be stained and scored to mimic stone or tile at a lower wer cost than either material. They y can also be stained to imitate leatherr or treated with other decorative rative effects, providing a chic and versatile flooring flooring material for contemporary rary living rooms.

Concrete is porous, however, and must be sealed to protect it from moisture and spills.

Define Space with Rugs In this living room, small- and mediumsizerugs lend definition and visual separation. A rug beneath h a table sets off thatt space as a work zone, e, while a rug placed in n the center of a seating ng arrangement denotes it as a gathering place. To securely anchor a groupuping, a rug should be large rge enough for the pieces to rest entirely on it.

Clean environment: Ghana to transform renewable energy

T

onics West Africa, Mr. Rajesh Menon; Head, Consumer Electronics Parikshit Chandna; oduct Manager, Room Air Conditioners, Mr. Shivesh Srivastava, during a media briefing DVM (Digital Variable Multi) Super” system AC and smart inverter air conditioners, in

al aid to Africa

lient and low carbon strategies well as developing relevant instment plans and projects.

In the medium-term, the Fund ill also co-finance sector-related rojects, serve as a knowledge ank, and provide relevant capacy building.

Speaking on the release of the port, the AfDB Manager for Enronment and Climate Change,

Kurt Lonsway, said, “In its first nine months of operation alone, the ACCF Secretariat was formed, operational guidelines were prepared, and a communication strategy was devised and implemented.

Consequently, in July 2014, the first call for proposals, specifically dedicated to climate finance readiness projects was launched.

Following the screening and pre-selection of the 362 proposals received by the ACCF Secretariat, the pool was narrowed down to 22

he Climate Investment Funds, CIF, has unanimously endorsed Ghana’s ambitious investment plan to transform and promote its renewable energy sector.

The plan is to receive $40 million in funding from the CIF’s programme for Scaling-up Renewable Energy in low income Countries, SREP, is structured around four key projects.

They include renewable energy mini-grids and stand-alone solar PV systems; solar PV-based net metering with storage; utility-scale solar PV/wind power generation; and a technical assistance project (supported by the Sustainable Energy proposals based upon a variety of factors, including alignment with ACCF and Bank objectives and the project’s alignment on the scope of the call for proposals, in addition to the extent and measurability of development outcomes.

More than half of the selected proposals came from ministries or national agencies while regional organizations, African research institutions and African NGOs and AfDB comprised the remainder.

Fund for Africa, SEFA. With a significant number of its citizens without access to basic electricity, Ghana is committed to drawing on its wealth of renewable resources to build a sustainable energy sector, and has already adopted a set of energy policy targets, including providing universal access to electricity by 2016 and achieving a 10% contribution of renewable in the electricity generation mix by 2020.

However, today its renewable sector faces challenges, including inadequate regulatory, contractual and tariff frameworks, and limited interest from investors.

The infusion of SREP funding, along with $53.5 million in support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and financing from other development partners, will help the country scale up and leverage private and public financial resources to build the country’s renewable sector and carry out the innovative set of projects.

“We are very pleased to receive this important endorsement from SREP,” stated the Deputy Minis-

ter of Power, John Jinapor, who led the country’s delegation (Seth Mahu, Ghana SREP National Focal Person; and Henry Vanderpuye, SREP National Taskforce Member) for the presentation of the investment plan to the SREP Sub-Committee.

“The potential we see through this plan for scaling-up the country’s renewable energy development is enormous, not only because of the funding to be provided, but because it will help increase investor confidence, reduce regulatory, institutional and contractual barriers, and provide needed technical support and capacity, and ultimately help Ghana’s citizens to sustainably access climate-friendly energy.”

The SREP investment plan is Ghana’s second investment plan under the CIF. The country also has an active portfolio under the CIF’s Forest Investment Program (FIP) – one of a handful of countries with plans in several sectors – and the SREP decision allows the country to exponentially expand its landscape of climate-smart development overall.

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Real Estate & Environment

Global property prices experience mixed performance

L

atest index has shown that prime property prices in key cities around the world have continued to out-perform the mainstream residential market, depending on location.

The index increased by 3.9 percent in March 2015, but previous strong performers such as London have slipped back while North American cities have climbed the rankings, according to the global index from Knight Frank.

On average, prime prices in North America and Australia increased by 8.4 percent and 7.3 percent respectively in the year whilst Europe’s cities saw prices slip by 0.2 percent on average.

If we were to omit cities in North America and Australia, the index would have recorded growth of 2.3 percent instead of 3.9 percent within the year.

North American cities occu-

py three of the top four rankings for annual price growth with San Francisco, Miami and Vancouver recording annual growth of 14.3 percent, 12.2 percent and 11.8 percent respectively.

The report says that luxury properties are on average of 46 percent more expensive than in the second quarter of 2009, when the index hit its financial crisis low. Eight cities, including London, Dubai and Hong Kong have out-performed the index over the same period.

European luxury homes have, on average, been the weakest performers globally over the last years and the UK general election resulted on slowing price growth in prime central London to 0.2 percent quarterly due to a ‘wait and see’ attitude being adopted by vendors and buyers alike.

Despite its cooling measures, Hong Kong saw an up-

turn in annual price growth as tighter mortgage restrictions targeted properties below HK$7 million, shifting the focus of some investors from mainstream to luxury residential properties.

In Moscow, although luxury prices are up 0.6 percent in local currency terms, the report points out that it is worth highlighting that a large proportion of Russian wealth is held in US dollars and on this basis, due to the weak Rouble, luxury prices have plummeted 38 percent year in year out.

‘The ongoing tussle between globalisation on the one hand and protectionism, foreign buyer restrictions and capital controls among others, on the other is set to dominate purchase decisions for luxury buyers and hence market performance going forward,’, Knight Frank’s residential partner, Kate Everett-Allen said.

UK property

Dubai sees impressive property sales Sales market in Dubai is slowing with the latest figures from the Land Department, showing that they halved last month compared with a year earlier.

Transactions fell 51.8 percent in April compared with the same month in 2014 and the total value was DH35.3 billion, down 37.1 percent year in, year out.

According to the industry sales have been falling steadily since the end of last year, after Dubai government introduced tough new mortgage caps and higher transaction fees in an attempt to slow what had been one of the fastest rising housing markets in the world.

Real estate consultants, JLL

and the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s are predicting that average house prices in the emirate could fall by between 10 percent and 20 percent this year while Deloitte has estimated that they will fall by 1 percent and 5 percent in the first half of this year.

Indeed, according to CBRE average house prices fell 2 percent during the first three months of 2015.

A fall in volumes is a good leading indicator that prices will fall and we expect that to continue for the rest of this year.

Last April the market was still booming, so any year on year figures will reflect that fact,’ said Craig Plumb, the head of research

at JLL’s Dubai office.

And the latest quarterly report from Phidar Advisory shows that residential prices in the first quarter of 2015 continue to decline, compared to the previous quarter.

However, it is not all bad news according to Jesse Downs, managing director of Phidar Advisory as the market downturn is attracting selective opportunistic investment.

The report also shows that overall prices fell by 3.9 percent in the first quarter of the year while apartment lease rates were down 0.3 percent and for villas they were down 2.4 percent. But apartment sales were up 0.6 percent year on year while villas fell 57 percent.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

UK property market stabilizes, after elections

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tability, after the last general elections have led to a flurry of positive reactions from the UK’s property experts.

The Conservative victory has been hailed as a good result for the housing market, particularly in London, where the market has slowed down amid concerns about a mansion tax and further taxes on rich overseas buyers.

Already, agents have been reporting a rise in inquiries and sales that had been put on hold due to the political uncertainty in the run-up to the poll.

The election result also led to a strengthening of the pound and the FTSE index, which in turn, are expected to influence the property market in a positive way.

Experts also point out that the new government is expected to continue its commitment to solve the housing crisis and create more homes.

The Conservatives pledged to create 200,000 new starter homes within the next Parliament and a review of Council Tax rates is also expected.

Camilla Dell, managing partner of property agency Black Brick, said that deals were completed the day, after the election as conditions in the prime property market swiftly return to normal.

However, there are some concerns on the horizon, most notably the UK’s membership of the European Union and the issue of whether the Scottish National Party, which is now the third biggest, will push for another referendum on independence.

Prime Minister David Cameron is committed to a referendum on the EU and has today moved quickly to say that negotiations on reform of the UK’s membership are already underway.

Political experts say that he wants to get such a good new deal that the British people will vote yes to continued EU membership at the referendum, expected in 2017.

He has also moved swiftly to deny that there will be another referendum on Scottish independence.

However, Alex Salmond, the former leader of the SNP who is now an MP at Westminster said another referendum is on the cards.

Referendums about the future of the UK will have an effect on the property markets because they create political uncertainty which in turn creates uncertainty among foreign and domestic buyers with people putting off decisions until the votes are over.

So while uncertainty about new taxation on property, particularly at the top end, has gone

there are indeed other uncertainties on the horizon. While for now the UK, and London in particular, will continue to be seen as one of the best places in the world to invest in property, at home there are many other issues, with building huge numbers of new homes every year for the next five years one of the most pressing.

For those wishing to invest, the best advice is to do so quickly.

There will be, undoubtedly, at least two years of continued growth in the UK property markets, but expect the usual ups and downs along the way with a slowdown around referendum time. Still, the overall messages is positive with the new Government committed to housing being a major issue that it will tackle along with maintaining its already good economic performance.

Vacancy rates across the South East of England office market are at the lowest ebb since 2001, driving rental growth to hit record highs in towns across the region.

The M25 vacancy rate stood at 5.9 percent in the first three months of 2015 but falls to 4.2 percent, when only new and Grade A space is analysed, low by London, UK and global standards, says the data from the latest office leasing report from Knight Frank.

It also shows that availability fell by 13 percent compared to a year ago, across all grades of stock, moving the market back towards the landlord’s favour.

Following the re-election of a Conservative led Government and financial market rally, economic performance of the region is improving and there is an expectation of a further boost to demand, it points out.

Strong investor demand and a lack of deliverable product is holding back stock volumes in the investment market, where we are seeing a hardening of yields across the spectrum, with investors increasingly factoring in likely rental growth during hold periods.

Prime yields now stand at 5.00 percent NIY and the combination of weight of money and lack of product is expected to drive yields down further moving forward in 2015.

‘2015 has started positively supporting our view that take up in the M25 will be almost 30 percent ahead of 2014, and above the 10 year average,’ said Emma Goodford, head of national offices leasing team, Knight Frank.

‘Vacancy levels are heading towards crunch point in combination of the market seeing rental growth across a growing number of key centres.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

31

Aviation

Aviation fuel scarcity: Stakeholders harp on government intervention Investors, operators and professionals in the Nigerian aviation industry have called on the Federal Government to urgently rise to the lingering problem of Jet A1 scarcity and its high pricing which, they observed, was already impacting negatively on the performance of the nation’s carriers and the industry. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.

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usiness activities have ebbed remarkably in the Nigerian aviation industry in the past four weeks due to scarcity of and skyrocketing price of Jet A1, otherwise known as aviation fuel in the industry parlance.

Virtually all the domestic carriers have been forced to delay or cancel one flight or the other abruptly over the issue, which is gradually crippling the airline sub-sector.

Also, all the airports in the country are affected by inadequate supply of aviation jet, which avoidably led to several passengers not being ferried to their destinations.

Despite the recent sharp drop in the price of crude oil in the international market, a litre of aviation fuel is still being sold at N145 per litre to the airlines by the major oil marketers in Nigeria.

To beat the high operational costs, both local and international airlines now prefer to refuel in neighbouring countries, like Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo and elsewhere, thereby depriving the country of huge business.

According to experts, such diversion in airlines could invariably cost Nigeria millions of naira in foreign exchange and productive man hours as most airlines spend over 35 per cent on aviation fuel alone apart from other operational costs.

They expressed fears that the cost of flying in the country, may go up any moment from now if the problem of aviation fuel scarcity continued unabated.

Statistics released by the Federal Ministry of Aviation online platform, Aviation Passenger Service, APS, indicated that all the eight domestic airlines cancelled 2,840 flights in the month of April alone, the highest cancellations this year.

According to the platform, the 2,840 cancelled flights were out of a total 7,774 recorded in April across airports in the country.

Data compiled from the APS shows an

Jet A1 loading

FIND THOSE WHO OWN THE TANKERS AND FUEL IMPORTATION, YOU GET CLOSER TO WHY THE PIPELINES CANNOT BE REPAIRED AND THE REASON FOR THE HIGH COST 8.7 per cent increase in cancellations from the previous month (March), which was 2,619.

The portal stated that the airlines grounded 2, 475 in January and 1,672 flights in February as weather and other operational deficiencies weighed in on the carriers.

This accounted for the poor performance of the domestic airlines as their average on-time performance slumped to 17.68 per cent, about eight per cent drop from the 25.53 per cent recorded in March.

Expectedly, Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik Air was the worst hit as it cancelled 706 out of 2506 flights, followed by Aero, which cancelled 521 out of 1,844 flights and Azman 416 out of 543.

Arik Air in one of its parleys in April, decried that it lost about $9 million to the Jet A1 scarcity within nine days.

The Managing Director of the Airline, Mr. Chris Ndulue told journalists in Lagos that the scarcity, which has led to massive disruptions to its flight scheduled also caused several delays and cancellations in the local scene, regional, America and United Kingdom.

According to him, Arik Air earned about $1 million (about N200 million) daily from all its 120 flights and decried that the shortage supply of the product affected its regional and international routes and had to fly out of Lagos to Kano, Accra or Cotonou airports to purchase fuel.

He added, “Things have become difficult for our operations now. We operate Airbus 330 and Airbus 3340 to our long hauls, which take about four trucks of aviation fuel for an aircraft. Our operation is quite different from foreign airlines that only come into the country once daily.

“We realised that a lot of our passengers have been adversely affected by the situation, but, we want to appeal and apologise to them for the disruptions.

We hope that within a short time, things would return to normalcy. What we have done today is more than 20 per cent of our operations and this is the lowest ebb.”

Reacting to the fuel scarcity crisis in the local market, the Head Research, Zenith Travels, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, said that airlines in the country needed to develop an initiative on the issue and pass such to the Federal Government.

He insisted that the solution to the increase in the price of the product did not lie with the government only, but with all stakeholders involved in the lifting, distribution and purchase of the product.

He said, “I do not think the solutions lie with government alone, the airlines need to push initiatives to government such initiative should break the present oligopoly otherwise cloned as deregulations. I also expect the airlines to introduce some of the operational strategies used by airlines world over to reduce fuel cost.

“These policies and initiatives are nu-

merous; some involve the use of software while others are in conjunction with other service providers.”

He called for the consolidation of the industry as quickly as possible, stressing that a regulatory process should be initiated.

Besides, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Centurion Securities and the former Lagos Airport Commandant, Grp. Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), emphasised that the issue of aviation scarcity and high price had been with Nigeria for a very long time.

Ojikutu recalled that the problem started in the country after the pipeline that supplies aviation fuel from Ejigbo to the airport was vandalised in 1992. He noted that attempts to use articulated vehicles to bridge the gap brought about the high cost of the product ever since.

He explained that until the names of importers and those who got subsidy for the supply of Kerosene as aviation fuel as well as the names of owners of the fuel tankers are made known to the public, then the problem would be solved.

He said, “Find those who own the tankers and fuel importation, you get closer to why the pipelines cannot be repaired and the reason for the high cost. There are reports that some airlines, which are not operating, but have good credit line with fuel marketers, buy and resell their fuel to other operators at profit. These are unbelieving stories but they are happening.”

The Chairman of Airlines Operators of Nigeria, AON, Capt. Nogie Meggison, said that the issue of high cost of aviation fuel has been a recurring issue that must be addressed in the country.

Meggison declared that aviation fuel takes about 40 per cent of airlines operating cost, but said that the high cost of aviation fuel was affected by a chain of supplies.

He maintained that the current problem started in Nigeria on January 16, 1996, during the regime of late Gen. Sanni Abacha when the pipeline supplying aviation fuel to the airport was shut down.

He said the pipeline may have corroded 26 years after it was shut down by the military for no reason and called on the Federal Government to look into the issue as it would do airlines a lot of good.

He decried that 26 years after the pipeline was shut down, there are now 200 to 300 fuel tankers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, Lagos, road claiming to be supplying fuel to the airport, which he said also contributed to the increase in price of aviation fuel in the country.

He urged the government to order the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to revive the pipeline to put a stop to the current challenge in the industry.

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Aviation

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

TICO grosses N36bn turnover per annum

Is death of an airline imminent?

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Flight Officer, Mr. Ademulegun Adebayo Jonathan ( Middle ) being decorated as Captain-In-Command of flight by Chairman of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema ( Right) and the Chief Operating Officer/Managing Director of the airline, Mrs. Olutoyin Olajide at the company’s corporate headquarters in Lagos recently.

She insisted that consolidation, merger and acquisition were the right way to go in the global travel industry, stressing that Nigeria could not operate in isolation of others.

She recalled that four travel agents; Quantum Travels Ltd, Dees Travels and Tours Ltd, Finchglow Travesl Ltd and Touchdown Travels Ltd had consolidated their operations in August 2013 and offi-

cially commenced as one company in January 2014.

She noted that the four companies had consolidated in order to offer use the strength of more than just number, but skill to broker better fees in other lines of ancillary revenues, adding that it set up was to offer much more than commission earning to its members, but works towards enhancing in operations of its members.

AIB, NCAA’s collaboration ’ll improve air safety –Abali

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n a bid to further improve air safety in the nation’s aviation industry, the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, Dr. Felix Abali has called for improved collaboration between the agency and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, especially in the area of accident investigation.

Abali made this call at the Airport Business Summit and Expo recently held in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

The CEO’s message was conveyed by the Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi at the summit.

Abali also highlighted the benefits of accident investigation and made recommendations for improved aviation safety in the country.

Dr. Abali

Airside shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

STORIES: OLUSEGUN KOIKI he first consolidated travel agents in Nigeria, Travel Investments Company, TICO, said it generated combined revenue of over N36 billion within its first year of operation.

This is as the company said that for travel agents in the country to remain in business, there was a need for them to reconsider their business models to accommodate alternative means of revenue generation, which would involve growing their portfolio into a broad range of products and services.

Speaking at the Brand Launch of TICO in Lagos recently, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mrs. Irene Uti-Egbeogu said that the N36 billion was generated in 2014, adding that the consolidated companies now had 20 per cent share of the market in Nigeria.

Uti-Egbeogu explained that the objective of TICO was to improve its market share in 2015 by additional 15 per cent and diversified into other travel businesses in order to stay afloat in the sector.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Other recommendations by Abali for learning from incidents and accidents investigation include allocation of more resources to incident investigation, efficient data management, emphasis on safety studies and research and improved attitude to safety recommendations.

He insisted that inter-agency cooperation holds an essential key to a very robust and enduring aviation safety and admonished stakeholders and professionals in the sector to treat AIB safety recommendations with a high sense of duty.

He said: “We can extend the frontiers of safety if we engage cooperative investigation of incidents and trends. In this case AIB and NCAA need a more robust cooperation with clearly defined rules of engagement, roles assignment and data sharing protocols.

“Safety recommendations must be handled with care and dispatch if we must maximise the benefits of accident investigation and pursue accident prevention. Although accident investigation entails finding out what happened, how it happened and why it happened, this is just a step towards prevention of future accidents. Safety recommendation provides the roadmap for addressing the deficiencies discovered during the investigation.”

According to him, untreated issues from incidents ultimately lead to accidents and possible loss of lives.

Abali declared that one of the critical proactive means of preventing accidents is safety trend studies and research, which he said required commitment and allocation of resources.

He informed that AIB as an accident investigator has been conducting researches in collaboration with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET. He further canvassed for the allocation of more resources, which he said included human and material to incidents investigation for consistency with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s, ICAO, proactive stance on accident investigation.

n the past 10 years, no fewer than 12 Nigerian carriers have closed shop for several reasons ranging from misplaced of priorities, incompetent managements, air crashes, usage of wrong equipment and unfavourable government policies. Statistically, this indicates that an average of 1.2 per cent carriers fold their wings annually in Nigeria.

However, as some are closing shops, other new airlines are springing up, but the fact remains that virtually all the carriers in the domestic scene are struggling to spread their wings.

However, Airside is disturbed by a rumour spreading in the sector that one of the major airlines may be forced to shut operations soon due to

the harsh operating environment. The airline in question has hundreds of industry professionals (and expatriates) on its payroll.

Although, the rumour is rebutted by the management, but for industry analysts, the airline is battled with multiple challenges that if not quickly nipped in the bud, may consume it before the end of the year.

Airside is worried that the shut of operations by this airline will once again throw several aviation professionals into the unemployed market and this will definitely tell on the larger economy.

Airside appeals to the government to come to the aid of the airline before its sponsors finally bid the sector goodbye.

NAHCO 30% tariff and clearing agents

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onday last week, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, reviewed its cargo tariff upward by additional 30 per cent. Naturally, the clearing agents would protest against such upward review especially when the ground handling competitor, the Skyway Aviation Handling Company of Limited, SAHCOL, has not done the same.

Till date, the clearing agents have refused to clear their cargo at the NAHCO’s shed claiming that they were never informed of the plan by the company to review its tariff, but undisrupted clearances are going on in SAHCOL. However, Airside says the leadership of the clearing agents is economical with the truth. Just in March this

year, NAHCO at a sensitisation programme in Lagos had informed the clearing agents of its intent to review its tariff upward because of the operating environment and the astronomical drop in the value of naira when compared with other currencies across the globe.

Airside advises both parties to reach an agreement and put an end to consistent disruption of business in the sector, particularly at this period of serious economic challenges the country is facing. With the abandonment of goods at the shed, the importers feel the pains more than any of the two warring factions.

Airside expects the two parties to be flexible in their resolutions, especially when SAHCOL has not done the same.

SAHCOL boss bags Doctorate Degree

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he Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, Alhaji Oluropo Owolabi has been honoured with a Doctorate Degree by the Commonwealth University and London Graduate School Consortium.

Owolabi bagged the Doctorate Degree of the Commonwealth University and also a certificate in Professional studies in Leadership.

The General Manager, Communications, SAHCOL, Mr. Basil Agboarumi stated that the award was given to him Ghana in recognition of his contributions to the Nigerian

Economy, particularly for inspiring excellence among his subordinates and all who come across him most especially in the Nigerian Aviation Industry Agboarumi stated that the Commonwealth University, CU,was established as a private International University company fully owned by the Island Open University Belize under the laws of the Government of Belize, pursuant to the International Business Companies, IBC, Act of 1990.

He added that the University appointed the London Graduate School as its official tuition provider and ad-

ministrator of its academic activities.

The award ceremony, which was also the African Leadership Summit 2015 was attended by personalities in government, expatriates, dignitaries in the academia and distinguished guests of all works of life.

Owolabi is involved in the day-to-day running of the company, which includes Passenger Handling, Ramp Handling, Cargo Handling and Warehousing, Aviation security, Baggage Reconciliation, Crew bus and Executive Lounge services and other related ground handling services.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Insurance Regulations on commissions, rebates raise stakeholders’ concern Recently, the National Insurance Commission, (NAICOM), gave operators in the country new guidelines on commission and rebates. The guidelines are causing some unease within the industry. MESHACK IDEHEN captures stakeholders’ views on regulatory requirements.

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nsurance and stock broking firms over the years have been complaining about alleged huge they incur in their bid to get underwriting contracts commissions, rebates and other costs paid to brokers in full.

According to industry experts, many underwriters have now been compelled to live with the realities of parting with large funds year in year out; a trend which the industry regulator, NAICOM, has noted as statutorily illegal and therefore should be frontally addressed in order to grow the industry.

Industry players argued that the NAICOM did not only see the illegal payments as unnecessary expenses, but as also increasing operational costs of underwriters with the resultant effect of reducing their profit levels and viability.

Several operators told National Mirror it was on account of this situation that the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, decided to recently roll out a new set of orders and read the “Riot Act” to the concerned firms on the need for mandatory compliance with the new regime declared by NAICOM concerning commission, rebates and return of premiums.

National Mirror gathered that NAICOM, also clearly spelt out the penalties for defaulters in its latest circular, with the commission noting though that the two major stakeholders affected by this new regulation are the insurance companies and insurance broking firms, which are the largest bodies controlling the industry.

“For the avoidance of doubt, overriding commission, business acquisition fees and other similar fees not provided for by the Nigerian insurance laws shall not be solicited, deducted, offered or paid in respect of any insurance transaction in Nigeria,” the regulator had said in the warning circular to operators.

Speaking on the development, an Insurance expert, Mr. Philemon Ideda, said that the new regime may be a deliberate effort by the NAICOM to help the underwriters to increase profitability, and that the circular is also aimed at halting all forms of unnecessary expenses incurred by insurance companies, with the hope that this would also increase their profit level.

Ideda further explained that major areas of attention in the circular are centered on the rebates and brokerage commission and return or refund premium.

To effectively execute this new regulation by NAICOM, according to him, underwriters and brokers must now be compelled to give regular disclosure of their activities under the regime guiding rebates and brokerage commissions, be-

Shoderu

NAICOM Chairman, Chibudom Nwuche

cause it is now illegal for any insurance institution to solicit, offer or allow commissions and/or rebates in the transaction of insurance businesses except as provided by the extant insurance laws and guidelines.

He said that under the commission’s new regime on return or refund of premium, as stated, in line with Article 3(9) of the Anti-money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Regulation 2013, no insurer, broker or its agents shall charge or receive premiums in excess of the actual premium on an insurance policy that may result in refunding the excess amount paid or with the intent of returning the excess in any form, by cash or otherwise to the insured, its agents or any party thereafter.

Throwing light on this latest development, the Director-General, Nigerian Insurers Association, (NIA), Mr. Sunday Thomas, noted that the new circular was aimed at addressing some expenses that

were unnecessarily increasing costs and reducing profitability within the industry.

The NIA boss observed that the underwriters had been revealing a lot of expenses in their financial books as part of the factors responsible for dwindling profitability and market penetration.

Thomas explained that this was a problem which the underwriters had not been able to address for a very long time, adding it would have been difficult for the underwriters and brokers to agree that some kind of expenses will not be incurred because somebody is benefiting from it somewhere.

According to him, if somebody is benefiting from that old system it will be difficult for the brokers and the underwriters to do an agreement to deprive him of such a benefit, adding that the success of this new regulation is largely due to the enforcement by the commission”.

The NIA DG noted it was clear that the

FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, OVERRIDING COMMISSION, BUSINESS ACQUISITION FEES AND OTHER SIMILAR FEES NOT PROVIDED FOR BY

NIGERIAN INSURANCE LAWS SHALL NOT BE SOLICITED, DEDUCTED, OFFERED OR PAID IN THE

RESPECT OF ANY INSURANCE TRANSACTION IN

NIGERIA

commission was serious about its directive and must have put in place the machinery for its enforcement, saying it is a matter of simply ensuring that people comply.

“I must also tell you that with my interaction with members of the association, they are ready and willing to comply with the new regulations,” the NIA DG said.

President of Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, (NCRIB) Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu, on his part, expressed belief and optimism that NAICOM was working for the general interest of the industry with the introduction of the new regime.

He said, however, that where the brokers found that certain areas conflicted with the interest of their clients that the council would not hesitate to dialogue with the commission in this regard, because it has a harmonious relationship with NAICOM. The NCRIB president, who is considered by industry analysts as the leader of insurance brokers in the country, said some areas would have to be clarified under the issue of return premium, because where a broker paid a premium to an underwriter, the cheque for the return premium should be made in the name of the broker in order for the broker to turn the principal amount to the client.

“I say principal amount because uninsured premium includes brokerage commission, and if the entire sum was to be issued in the name of the client, it may cause some difficulty between the broker and the insured in explaining to the insured that they included broker’s commission. This is an aspect that should be made clear. I don’t see any problem with that; it is just a matter of understanding,” he said.

Nonetheless, Shoderu expressed worry about the order that the brokers would very often have to review the number of declarations and submissions under the new regulation, saying while brokers are being asked to make monthly, quarterly and annual returns, What time do the brokers now have to work? We want to look at that too, he said.

According to the NCRIB president, it is a bit burdensome going to the bank every month to collect statement. If they come for inspection and want to see the statement of our members’ account, it is something that can be made available to them.

He however said that operators were not comfortable to be sending their statement of accounts on a monthly basis, promising that the issue will be discussed the industry regulator and that the association does not envisage any problem in that regard.

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Insurance

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NAICOM to commence risk-based supervision STORIES: MESHACK IDEHEN

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he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has organised a seminar to increase the level of awareness among insurance operators in Lagos, in readiness for smooth implementation of Risk

Based Supervision (RBS) on a full scale basis.

Speaking at the seminar hosted by Munich Re Africa, NAICOM’s Deputy Commissioner (Technical), Mr Muhammed Kari, said that arrangements had been concluded by the commission to adopt RBS approach to the supervision of insurance and reinsurance companies in

Lagos plans pre-retirement training for workers

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he Lagos State Pension Commission has said over 1,000 of its employees who are retiring between July and December, 2015 will undergo a training programme in preparation for their retirement under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

According to a statement obtained from LASPEC, the Director-General of the Commission, Mr. Rotimi Hussain, said the pre-retirement seminar was the eighth edition in the series.

He noted that the seminar, which was regularly being organised by the commission with the support of state’s recognised Pension Fund Administrators and insurance companies, was designed to broaden the knowledge of the would-be retirees on how best to access their retirement benefits under the CPS. Hussain said the seminar would, among other benefits, explain the procedures for processing the end of service benefits; how the would-be retirees monitor and ensure that their Retirement Savings Accounts were up to date with the payment of the statutory monthly contributions and the two exit options of programmed withdrawal provided by the PFAs

and the annuity for life option provided by insurance companies.

He said that the seminar would also provide knowledge on healthy living in retirement and making good investment decisions.

The director-general expressed the commission’s appreciation to Governor Babatunde Fashola for the achievements made in the administration of the CPS in the states, and the development of critical skills,”

Fashola

Nigeria.

He said the commission believed that a sound regulatory and supervisory system was necessary for maintaining a fair, safe and stable insurance sector for the benefit and or protection of the interests of stakeholders, as well as promote stability of the financial system.

Kari said: “In its earlier

forms, supervisory approaches tended to be ‘compliance-based’, aimed mainly at ensuring compliance with the rules laid down for financial soundness and the conduct of business. The risks associated with compliancebased approaches are that they may lead to excessive focus on observed non-compliance and to insufficient understanding of

key business drivers and flaws in risk management practices of insurers.

“However, an element of compliance monitoring is necessary in any supervisory approach to ensure that essential minimum standards are met and that the overall regulatory and supervisory regime has credibility,” he added.

Vehicle insurance tips for first time car buyers

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eing a good first-time car buyer isn’t easy, but if it’s worth doing — and it is — it’s worth doing well. Here are a few tips on what to buy, how to buy it and where to buy it.

Establish a realistic budgetThis figure is generally based on what you can afford per month.

The ideal is to pay cash, but in most instances when considering a new (or just newer) car, the nature of the transaction price often requires the leverage of financing.

So, look at your cost of living in all the more important areas, like shelter, food, health insurance and happy hour. Once those are calculated, the remainder could be spent on a car payment, fuel, car insurance and — for cars without a warranty — mechanical maintenance.

Know what you can spend monthly-While this may look similar your level of indebtedness is different from your monthly commitment. Neither one — for a firsttime buyer — should be out of balance in comparison to your other assets.

Establish your transportation needs- Given the cost of fuel, insurance and — in many cities — monthly parking, don’t buy what you don’t need. And perhaps consider renting what you need, only when you need it.

Identify and prioritise your wants-This runs a bit counter to the previous tip. The first-time purchase doesn’t need to be your be-all/end-all acquisition, but you should still pay attention to your want list, as this isn’t a process you need to repeat every 18 months.

Better to stretch a bit for those things in a car that satisfy you, than to be hit over the head — and pocketbook.

Do your research-There is an amazing amount of both information and perspective on new cars and their late-model alternatives.

Once you’ve digested it all, balance it with your gut instincts — or those instincts of someone whose gut you trust. And be proactive; if you see someone with a car you have an interest in — and they’re not doing 90 miles per hour — stop and ask them about their ownership experience.

Locate a convenient dealer-For most of car-selling history ,the act of buying a car for the first time has run akin to getting a colonoscopy for the first time: Come in, lay down, you’re not going to’ feel a thing. But despite our almost inherent misgivings, the salesman on the showroom is closer to a normal person than you might think.

Most of the abnormal ones.

the corresponding period of 2014, saying its gross premium income rose by 12.6 per cent to N4.9bn in the first quarter of this year from N4.3bn in the first quarter of 2014.

According to him, underwriting profit decreased by 26 per cent to N479m in 2015 from N651m in 2014, saying the development reflected a strong performance displaying positive outcomes across most key technical indices, but dampened by an adverse development in the claims ratio due to settlement

of the US dollar denominate claims that were inflated by the effects of negative currency movement experienced in the last quarter of 2014.

Continental Re’s loss ratio, he pointed out, increased to 49.3 per cent from 42.9 per cent due to the impact of high claims for both life and non-life business, while the company’s total assets grew by 13.3 per cent to N30.7bn in 2015 from N27.2bn in 2014.

Shareholders’ funds rose to N16.2bn from N14.7bn and its

Take a test drive-With all of the online sources available for your basic research; we believe the importance of the test drive has been marginalized. Virtually nothing is more important in your decision process than how you feel behind the wheel. And so many variables come into play — seat height, wheel adjustment, steering feel, throttle tip-in, outward visibility, control layout, etc. — that you simply must spend a reasonable amount of time driving the car. And that time should be more than five minutes on someone’s idea of a stop-and-go test route.

Take at least half an hour, while trying stop-and-go, freeway merging and freeway speeds.

Determine the proper purchase price-Once you’ve decided what you like — and have already established what you can afford — it’s time to arrive at a purchase price.

This, too, has been made easier by online sites.

Source: www.insure.net

Continental Re posts N1.1bn profit in Q1

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he Group Managing Director, Continental Reinsurance Plc, Dr. Femi Oyetunji, said the company’s profit before tax rose by 46 per cent to N1.1bn in the first quarter of the 2015, up from N764m in the profit grossed in the corresponding period of last year.

Oyetunji in a statement noted that the performance reflected the benefits of the company’s diversified client base of over 200 insurance entities across Africa.

“Underpinning our strategy

is our commitment to sustainable growth and profitability through the localisation of our operations in key markets. We aim to continue to escalate our returns from the investments we have already undertaken that are focused on meeting market demand and ultimately positioning our company for sustainable growth and profitability,” he explained.

He added that the company profit after tax rose by 38 per cent to N837m in the period under review from N606m in

return on equity for the quarter stood at five per cent which was higher than the four per cent recorded last year, he added.

“The company is poised to build upon this promising start to the year to deliver on expectations through the second quarter to year end by continuing to leverage its strong financial condition and market positioning in Africa. Primary focus areas remain sustained volume growth, improved operational efficiency” Oyetunji said.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Money

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Why Banks may escape regulators’ future sanctions –FRC boss The monetary sanctions imposed on banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria in the 2014 showed that the Deposit Money Banks, DMBs, were defective in some aspects of corporate governance.. UDO ONYEKA reports that with sustained efforts by the regulatory authorities and efforts by the banks to find solutions to their operational flaws, the years ahead may make the financial institutions to escape further sanctions.

T

he Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRC, Mr. Jim Obazee, has projected that with efforts by the Deposit Money Banks and the regulatory authorities to ensure best corporate governance principles, the days of stiff penalties over regulatory infractions by many banks may be over soon.

Noting that most banks are now beginning to make some disclosures which they were not doing in the past, the FRC chief said that the reason for increasing compliance with regulatory guidelines was due to the activities of the FRC and monitoring by the CBN. Obazee who said the agency had completed work on the National Code of Corporate Governance,NCCG, which would become operational June, declared that banks that failed to make necessary disclosures in their books in line with the IFRS or found to have committed certain regulatory infractions risked various amounts of fines, depending on the materiality of the infractions.

The external auditors of the affected banks, he said, might also lose their practising licences and could also face jail terms.

According to him, some of the accounting and disclosure anomalies that the regulator will be looking are improper classification of expenses such as directors and auditors’ remuneration; failure to disclose analysis of expenses by nature; and offsetting of interest received and paid, or dividend paid and received in a statement of cash flows, among others.

He said: “We will look at revenue recognition, income classification, disclosures, measurement and recognition. We want to look at how you are implementing the accounting policies because it is the accounting policies that drive your revenue. We will also check their implementation.

“We will not only look at the implementation of the IFRS, we will also look at how you implement the laws. How they are complying with the laws of their primary regulators. For example, if the banks have been told how to recognise non-performing loans and they are turning it the other way, we will look at it because it will affect their financial accounts.”

“We are convinced, as a council, that the NCCG will assist our nation greatly at improving our investment climate, mitigating corruption and enhancing our competitiveness and international perception,” he said.

Even though the stringent supervision and reforms of the banking sector by the Central Bank of Nigeria have impacted positively on the industry, institutions and the economy at large, many financial experts have said that governance issues are still rife in the sector, an argument that operators have often disagreed with.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

WE ARE CONVINCED, AS A COUNCIL, THAT THE NCCG WILL ASSIST OUR NATION GREATLY AT IMPROVING OUR INVESTMENT

CLIMATE, MITIGATING CORRUPTION AND ENHANCING OUR COMPETITIVENESS AND INTERNATIONAL PERCEPTION This accounted for the N312m imposed by the CBN on five banks in 2014, an ugly development that raised shareholders’ concern for the management of the DMBs in the country to be more proactive in their compliance with operational guidelines in the industry.

Guaranty Trust Bank, GT Bank, Zenith Bank, First City Monument Bank,FCMB, Access Bank and Sterling Bank were the biggest offenders during the year.

A breakdown of the figures as contained in the banks’ annual reports showed that Access Bank paid the highest fine of N184m for various contraventions in the period under review.

The bank was fined N184m for not ob-

Obazee

taining approval from CBN for the additions to investment in property of N5.15bn, non-compliance to implementation of the recommendations of a financial services provider, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

It was also fined for contravening the CBN’s foreign exchange manual and weaknesses noted in internal control and know your customer procedures.

Also the bank contravened the minimum documentation in the credit file and reporting of public sector deposit in line with CBN guidelines.

Sterling Bank paid a fine of N50m to the CBN for under reporting of public sector deposits as at August 29, 2014.

Also Zenith Bank was fined N48m for non disclosure of date of last lodgement on credit print out, appointment of a deputy general manager and incomplete reporting of all transactions of politically-exposed persons.

The bank was also fined for incomplete reporting of international funds transfer, incomplete reporting of some currency transactions and misclassification of some public sector deposit among others.

GT Bank in 2014 also paid N24m as fine for the appointment of top management without CBN’s approval and infraction arising from anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism spot checks among others.

The FCMB Group was penalised N6m for not implementing prior year’s external auditors recommendations, incorrect returns to CBN and failure to comply with ATM operation standards.

Indeed there other banks which were fined in 2014, an indication that managers of banks need to pay more attention to

issues of compliance to corporate governance issues.

Apart from looking at the development as a waste, as raised by many shareholders experts say bankers show learn to play according the rules.

National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association, Mr Sunny Nwosu, who expressed concern about the various amount paid by banks for contraventions in 2014, said the huge amount would have been used to higher dividend for shareholders, adding that bankers should always keep at the back of their mind that monies in their custody are not theirs but are kept in trust.

Also President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, PSAN, Mr Boniface Okezie said some of the contraventions would have been avoided if the banks had followed the rule. But he advised the CBN not to kill the banks with fines.

However many shareholders including Nwosu and Okezie that in case where there was outright disregard to the banking rule that the board and management of the banks should bear the cost because of their negligence and not the shareholders.

Many have said that the issue of fine has been there but the issue is that it is as if that some banks prefer to pay fine than play by the rules.

For instance CBN data in 2012 showed that some banks where sanctioned.

According to the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, CACS, report for the months of April to July 2012, banks were penalised for various contraventions in the CACS scheme.

The CBN said the sum of N470m earmarked for one project was withdrawn from Stanbic IBTC between January and June 2012, while the bank was also charged N47m for various infractions on the CACS guidelines.

In the case of Sterling Bank, the CBN said the sum of N936m was withdrawn from Sterling Bank in respect of Karma Industries due to contravention of CACS guidelines in May 2012.

The regulatory financial institution charged Access Bank the sum of N19.99m for the infractions.

The sanction on Sterling Bank was in respect of its dealings with Al Bookies while Access Bank was sanction over its dealings with White Gold Ginnery.

According to the CBN, from inception till July ending, 19 banks, namely, Access Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, Eco Bank Plc, Skye Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Union Bank of Nigeria, Keystone Bank, United Bank for Africa, Unity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Sterling, Citibank, Wema, Mainstreet Bank, Enterprise Bank and FCMB participated under the Scheme.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Taxation

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Value Added Tax in Nigeria (1) T

he idea of introducing VAT in Nigeria came from the study group set up by the Federal Government in 1991 to review the entire tax system.

VAT was proposed and a committee was set up to carry out feasibility studies on its implementation. In January, 1993, the then government agreed to introduce VAT by the middle of the year.

It was later shifted to 1st September, 1993 by which time the relevant legislation would have been made and proper ground work done. The actual implementation however, did not commence until January 1994 after the promulgation of the Value Added Tax Decree No. 102 of 1993. According to the decree, a ‘VATable’ organization is an existing manufacturer, distributor, importer or supplier of goods and services.

VAT as Replacement for Sales Tax. The rationale behind replacing Sales Tax with VAT was informed by a number of factors and considerations, notable among these are: The base of the Sales Tax in Nigeria as operated under Decree No. 7 of 1986 is narrow. It covers only nine categories of goods plus sales and services in registered hotels, motels and similar establishments. The narrow base of the tax negates the fundamental principle of consumption tax which by nature is expected to cut across all consumable goods and services. VAT base is broader and includes most professional services and banking transactions which are high profit-generating sectors.

Only locally manufactured goods were targeted by the Sales Tax Decree of 1986, although this might not have been the intention of the law. VAT is neutral in this regard. Under VAT; a consideration part of the tax to be realized is from imported goods. This means that under the new VAT; locally manufactured goods will not be placed at a disadvantage relative to imports.

Since VAT is based on the general consumption behaviour of the people, the expected high yield from it will boost the revenue collectible by governments with the minimum resistance from taxpayers.

Definition VAT is a consumption tax payable on the goods and service consumed by any person, whether government agencies, business organizations or individuals.

The target of VAT is consumption of goods and services and unless an item is specifically exempted by law, the consumer is liable to the tax.

It can also be defined as a tax on spending/consumption levied at every stage of a transaction but eventually borne by the final consumer of such goods and services. It is levied at the rate of 5%.

The Nigerian VAT System has the Following Features:

FIRS Acting Chairman, Odugbesan

It is a Multi-Stage Tax System Under this principle, VAT is imposed at every stage of the production chain from the manufacturer to the consumer (see below example).

Credit Mechanism In order to eliminate the cascading effect of taxation at every stage of production, a credit mechanism system is installed to allow VAT paid on imports or purchases of raw materials (input taxes) to be deducted from the VAT charged on sales (output taxes) and therefore, the tax to be paid by a taxable firm is the difference between output tax and input tax. This credit mechanism acts as a safeguard against the negative impact of the tax so that VAT is made neutral to price determination (VAT is not an element in the price). The credit mechanism also helps VAT to promote export drive in view of its neutral characteristic to international trade. In export trade, the total input taxes incurred on production is refundable.

Lagos Chamber of Commerce Industry, Director General, Muda Yusuf

the government by businesses and organizations which have registered with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for VAT purposes. (iv) A business or organization which has registered for VAT is classified as a “registered person”. Such persons will pay 5% VAT on goods and services purchases but can claim credit for this tax (called input tax) when sold. (v) 5% VAT (called output tax) is included in the price of all goods and services supplied/sold by registered persons. (vi) The “registered person” has to make regular VAT returns and either pays to, or receives from the FIRS, the

Illustration 1: If a product moves from Raw Materials Producer (A) to Manufacturer (B) at N1,000.00 then to wholesale (C) at N1,500.00, then to Retailer (D) at N2,000.00; and finally to the consumer who pays N2,500 to the Retailer, VAT payable to government at 5% rate of VAT on the product is as follows:

VATable Person

Sales Price

Tax Invoice System The VAT system is invoice based and not cash based.

Understanding the Nigerian VAT System There are some key facts which will help us understand the implementation of VAT in Nigeria. Among these are: (i) VAT is a tax on consumption.

The tax is borne by the final consumer of goods and services because it is included in the price paid. (ii) The tax is at a flat rate of 5%. (iii) The tax is collected on behalf of

difference of the input tax and the output tax. (vii) VAT returns (and payments) are normally made monthly to the FIRS tax offices on or before 30th day of the month following that in which the supply was made. (viii) To claim a credit for input tax, a registered person must hold a “Tax Invoice”. (ix) Records and accounts have to be kept.

Although VAT is a multiple stage tax, it has a single effect and does not add more than the specified rate to the consumer price no matter the number of stages at which the tax is paid.

VAT Collected (Output VAT)

VAT on Inputs VAT paid (Input Tax) to government

N A

1,000

50

50

B

1,500

75

50

25

C

2,000

100

75

25

D

2,500

125

100

25

Thus, the VAT paid to government in the four transactions is N125 which is 5% of the final consumer price of N2,500.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Capital Market

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37

T-Bills yields may fall further in Q2 JOHNSON OKANLAWON

I

ndications emerged that Treasury bills yields may drop slightly in second quarter on the back of expected liquidity in the market, the renewed interests in the government securities by the institutional investors as well as the political stability in the country.

However, participation and subscription levels at the auctions is expected to be higher than preceding quarter.

In the first quarter, subscription levels rose to N2.85trillion, which is 158 per cent and 59 per cent higher than the preceding and corresponding quarter in 2014, which stood at N1.11trillion and N1.80trillion respectively.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, showed that aggregate issuance in the first quarter 2015 stood at N2.06trilion, which was 37 per cent and 96 per cent higher than volumes recorded in preceding and corresponding quarters in 2014 which stood at N1.51trillion and N1.05trillion respectively.

Total T.bills issuance at the Primary Market Auction, PMA, for first quarter, 2015 rose to N1.24trillion, which was 45 per cent and eight per cent higher than fourth quarter of 2014 and corresponding period of 2014, which stood at N857.15billion and N1.14trillion respectively.

Average marginal rates for 91-day, 182day and 364-day benchmarks in first quarter of 2015 stood at 10.94 per cent, 14.26 per cent and 14.98 per cent respectively, compared to average rates of 0.75 per cent, 11.43 per cent and 11.72 per cent recorded in corresponding period of 2013.

Treasury bills turnover in the first quarter of 2015 rose to N8.44trilion, which was 103 per cent and 145 per cent higher than fourth quarter of 2014 and corresponding period of 2014, which stood at N8.22trillion and N5.83trillion respectively.

An investment firm, DLM Securities Limited, noted that the renewed interest and improved confidence in the Nigerian fixed income space especially by domestic investors who continued to invest in government securities despite prevalent economic and political risk.

“With positive Rate of Return, ROR, as yields surpassed inflation which by and large, is still at single digit, the T.bill market still remains attractive to interested investors.

“The various threats identified by Fitch Ratings on the Nigerian economy had been factored into the pricing of the domestic fixed income instruments by both local and foreign investors. Thus, we do not expect any further price correction from the downgrade of the Nigeria’s credit rating,” the firm said.

The CBN has intensified its Open Market Operation, OMO, activities in the first quarter of 2015 in managing system liquidity as other monetary policy tools has been kept constant in the last two consecutive MPC meetings.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

CEO, NSE, Oscar Onyema

The fixed income market has continued to enjoy good patronage from both local and foreign investors as real return on investment has remained positive with inflation trending lower than yields across various tenors.

“We project that yields on fixed income securities may decrease slightly in second quarter of 2015 on the back of anticipated increase in system liquidity, renewed interests in the government securities by the institutional investors (domestic and foreign) as well as the prevailing political stability in the country.

“Against these backdrops, participation at the auctions is expected to be higher than preceding quarter,” the firm added.

However, foreign exchange demand by the authorized dealers in the first quarter was estimated at $14.86billion, indicating increase of 34.2 per cent and 23.9 per cent above the levels in the preceding quarter and the corresponding quarter of 2013, respectively.

The development, relative to the preceding quarter was attributed to arbitrage activities occasioned by the falling price of crude oil especially towards the end of the first quarter.

The sum of $12.46bilion was sold by the CBN during the first quarter, indicating increase of 22.6 per cent and 36.9 per cent above the levels in the preceding quarter and the corresponding quarter of 2013, respectively.

The official exchange rate has recently been devalued at the CBN window due to its steady decline, now at N197.00 with a bandwidth between ±-3 to ±-5 per cent.

The naira depreciated in the first quarter by 7.56 per cent to close March at N199.10 to $1 in the inter-bank market from N185.10 to $1 at the beginning of the quarter.

Rates at the inter-bank and Bureu De Change market have continually been on a rise due to high levels of repatriation by Foreign Portfolio Investments and high demand mostly from importers in recent times.

CBN to grant FBN Holding Merchant Bank licence

T

he Managing Director of FBN Holding company, Mr. Bello Maccido has said that FBN Capital will soon become a merchant bank.

Speaking at the Nigerian Stock Exchange in Lagos, he said the company is at a final stage in securing the merchant bank license.

He said, “Essentially, what we have done is to apply for the licence through the acquisition of Kakawa Discound House I believe that very soon we should get response for the application..

“Previously, First Bank used to have 40 per cent of Kakawa Discount House, but when we recognised the need for us to have a merchant bank, FBN Holding acquired 100 per cent of the linsence.”

He explained that the acquisition of the discount house serves as a vehicle

to submit the application to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Kakawa Discount House was recently granted an approval in principle by the CBN to set up a merchant bank. The acquisition represents a strategic fit for FBN Holdings portfolio.

Prior to the acquisition, FBN Holdings was the majority shareholder in Kakawa Discount House.

Others were GTBank, Sterling Bank, First City Monument Bank, Skye Bank and Unity Bank.

Kakawa Discount House had applied for the merchant banking licence in December last year.

The CBN had introduced modified licensing rules for banks as part of reforms after the financial crisis in 2009 brought the industry to the verge of col-

lapse.

Under the rules, the CBN requires merchant banks to maintain a minimum paid-up share capital of N5 billion.

Merchant banks are also expected to comply with all prudential guidelines and regulations issued by the CBN on the required level of capital adequacy, liquidity and cash reserve, observe all applicable corporate governance standards as may be prescribed by the CBN and other financial service sector regulatory authorities in Nigeria.

Kakawa Discount House has been going through restructuring in the past few months with Investment One Financial Services Limited, a financial services group recently acquiring Kakawa Asset Management Limited (KAML), one of its subsidiaries.

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Features

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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Unending controversies over boundary

Oba Erediauwa in a father-son discussion with Oshiomhole at Government House

SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAM

H

istorically, the Benin Monarch is honest, trusted, valiant, revered and feared not just by his subjects but also by other monarchs outside Benin Kingdom .

A few of the legacies the Omo N’Oba, as His Royal Majesty Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa is fondly addressed, admired and regaled for include: respect for constituted authorities, good and proper conduct, and peaceful and united Benin Traditional Kingdom.

Even before Oba Erediauwa, “The Leopard” and Head of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) ages, some close aides and subjects of the king with gentle talking and likeable fatherly mien are already hatching nefarious plans and agendas to reverse some of the gains and legacies he would leave for the future.

One of the royal aides, who has been facing allegations by his critics is the personal secretary to the monarch Oronsaye Goubadia, who was alleged to be author of a letter that is alleged to be responsible for division and threats of bloodshed in Oghede and Ago-Ivbigie communities.

As a matter of fact, the Enogie of Oghede, HRH Osadebamwen Aghahowa and the elders of Oghede as well as the acting Odionwere and elders of Ago-Ivbigie have accused Guobadia of stirring some youths into rebellion and backing the youths’ illegal and violent actions with a letter to the Inspector-General of Police withdrawing the jurisdiction of the Enogie

of Oghede over Ago-Ivbigie village.

A copy of the letter written by Guobadia on the letterhead of the crown of the Oba of Benin to the Nigeria Police Force as seen by our correspondent was dated January 22nd, 2014 with Reference Number: Palace, 227/280; addressed through the Commissioner of Police, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Department of Criminal Investigation, Mr Augustine Evbakhavbokun.

The letter is a reply to an enquiry from the police. It stated that: there is an Enogie in Oghede Community; HRH Osadebamwen Aghahowa is the Enogie of Oghede Community; an Odionwere is the Administrative Head of Ago-Ivbigie and emphasized that the village “is not under the leadership of the Enogie of Oghede Community;” and that Oghede is the only community under the authority of Osadebamwen Aghahowa, the Enogie of Oghede.

The communal violence that resulted from the purported royal disagreement claimed one life and inflicted several others with lifelong injuries from exchange of gunfire, cutlasses and other weapons used by youths of each group. Now, the crisis is

threatening a full scale war with several lives waiting to be wasted in a state that is already reeling from the deadly throes and woes of cultism and other violent crimes.

According to a petition our correspondent obtained at Ago-Ivbigie, signed by the acting Odionwere, Pa Michael Okoro and its elders including Benson Erhahon, Johnson Agbontaen, Imadonmwonyi, Jesurobo Iyekedevbivbe, Monday Ugie, Lucky Idehen, addressed to the Edaiken N’Uselu, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa and the IGP, the crisis began in 2011/2012 when some youths led by Charles Okoro, Dickson Okoro, Charles Igbineweka (alias Safora) and one Ulomo said to be indigenes of Igo community, swooped on Ago-Ivbigie community, chased away its Odionwere and hijacked the vast community land for illegal sale.

Efforts made to resolve the crisis failed as the armed and rampaging youths neither honoured the call of the Enogie of Oghede nor that of Benin Traditional Palace, resulting in the killing on 13th November, 2013 of one Stanley Imoh, who was shot dead during an armed raid of the community.

EVEN WHEN THIS MATTER WENT TO HIGH COURT IN SUIT NO B/309/83 AND LATER COURT OF APPEAL IN APPEAL NO CA/B/1/88, THE END RESULT AFFIRMED THE OBA’S DECISION

According to the community leaders, they have always paid their homage to the Enogie of Oghede, who they explained, planted an Ikhinmwin tree for Ago-Ivbigie and has been their administrative head.

“We are direct descendants of Arhoko and Ugie, the founding father and mother of Ago-Ivbigie and Oghede, the overlord of our land. We are in a better position to say what transpired in the beginning between us and Ago-Ivbigie and Oghede the overlord of our land, not Oronsaye Guobadia or any sojourner in Ago-Ivbigie who are now parading themselves as elders of Agor-Ivbigie because they are benefiting from the evil machinations of this group of boys.”

“As Secretary to the Oba of Benin, Oronsaye Guobadia, will not say he is unaware that the Oba Erediauwa had in 1982 adjudicated on matters that border on jurisdiction between Oghede and Ugbighoko and other camps around it where Ago-Ivbigie lies in then, the Oba said all the communities are one community (see Oba Palace Bulletin, dated 30th September, 1982; Ref. No. BTC.A.66/Vol. 9; press statement from Oba Palace in the Nigeria Observer of Saturday, October 2, 1982).”

“Even when this matter went to High Court in Suit No B/309/83 and later Court of Appeal in Appeal No CA/B/1/88, the end result affirmed the Oba’s decision,” they explained.

In another petition to the Crown Prince, the BTC and the IGP, dated February 18th 2015, signed on behalf of the Enogie of Oghede Community by Mr I. N. Ewansiha of Esangbedo & Company, protesting Force

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Features

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

39

disputes in Benin Kingdom Headquarters’ arrest and detention on spurious allegations over the matter in December 2014, the traditional ruler sought to know the source of the scribe’s information and why the contradictory clarification came after the Oba of Benin became indisposed.

When our correspondent met with the monarch’s personal scribe in his office at the palace, he refused to allow his statement to be recorded or written and insisted that it can be done only if Oba Erediauwa permits him to respond upon a formal request.

Confronted with copies of relevant pronouncements on the matter, Guobadia admitted that the monarch indeed waded into the matter years ago but that nowhere was it stated or written that Ago-Ivbigie is under the authority of the Enogie of Oghede.

He could not explain also how Ago-Ivbigie became an independent village.

Firstly, Guobadia advised the Enogie of Oghede Community and elders of AgoIvbigie village to find out about their petition from the Secretary of Benin Traditional Council after stating that his office is a parallel, independent one.

“Since he sent his petition to the secretary of BTC, he should go to the secretary of BTC to find out the outcome of his letter.

My office as secretary of the Omo N’Oba is different from that of BTC secretary.”

Secondly, Guobadia accused Enogie of Oghede of going to the media instead of presenting the matter to the council of traditional rulers.

“As the Enogie of Oghede, he is a member of the Benin Traditional Council. Also, he is a member of Enigies of Benin King-

SINCE HE SENT HIS PETITION TO THE SECRETARY OF

BTC,

HE SHOULD GO TO THE SECRETARY OF

BTC TO FIND OUT THE OUTCOME OF HIS LETTER.

MY OFFICE AS SECRETARY OF THE OMO N’OBA IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF BTC SECRETARY Crown Prince and Edaiken N’Uselu, Eheneden Erediauwa

dom and attends the meeting of Council of Enigies regularly. He should have brought this matter to the meeting, where it can be discussed.”

Thirdly, Guobadia denied that he took advantage of Oba of Benin’s indisposed state to write the letter. He swore, “I acted in my letter as directed. I work for the Omo N’Oba. I didn’t write that letter on my own.

If the Enogie of Oghede has any problem, he knows what to do. He should approach the Omo N’Oba.” “He should show proof of a gazette or any other official document that gave him

the jurisdiction of Ago-Ivbigie village. His domain ends in Oghede.”

Asked how Ago-Ivbigie suddenly became an independent community, Guobadia said he would not speak further.

Instead, he explained that the planting of an Ikhinmwin tree, participation in traditional festivals and submission of first harvests to Enogie are some of the features of a sub-community. He insisted that AgoIvbigie fulfils none of these to the Enogie of Oghede.

On the plan to bring the matter to public domain, Guobadia threatened, “If he

wants to publish the matter, he is free. But we will put up a rejoinder and take up the matter at the council level.”

Affirming death and destruction in the crisis already, Guobadia said, “If he (Enogie of Oghede) is talking about one member of his community being killed, ask him what led to his father’s assassination in 1987.”

Although Oba Erediauwa is currently indisposed, according to official statement by palace spokesman Chief Frank Irabor; worried residents have urged Edo State government and the Crown Prince to wade into the matter before more lives are lost from violence that may break out over the matter.

Expert explains unresolved murder cases DARE AKOGUN

T

he reasons for unresolved murder cases are many. They include poor financial compensation and poor training, low morale and mediocre leadership and the archaic and non-functioning equipment they have to work with, like an up-to-date forensic laboratory and well trained officers in crime investigation.

These and many other factors, account for why the police in Nigeria have resolved less than 30 per cent of all homicides and assassinations that occur in any given year.

It is not uncommon to see high profile murderers, certified treasury looters, scam artists, rapists and all sorts of nefarious char-

IGP, Arase

acters set free for “lack of evidence.”

Former Lagos State Solicitor General, Mr. Fola Authur-Worrey at a 2-day Forensic Workshop organized by the state Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner recently attributed the failure of the Nigerian police in solving high profile murder cases in recent times to their reliance on confessional statements and eye witness accounts in place of hard evidence that could be obtained through modern scientific methods.

According to him, “One of the major problems facing investigators in solving crime riddles is the critical dearth of forensic and scientific tools. Many crimes are committed in the dark, in secret, out of sight, that it is almost impossible to obtain statement from eye witness, identifying the actual participants on which to base a successful arrest and prosecution.”

“There’s a dearth of capability in other forensic fields. No facilities for blood and other body fluids, cross matching , no luminal for establishing the presence of near invisible traces of blood, no DNA testing equipment, comparison of tire threads, fibre and hair analysis, auto paint identification, speed testing devices and breath analyzers for traffic investigations,” he said.

Explaining further he added that this dearth of modern facilities does not encour-

age the police to take their investigation of cases as far as they should. On many occasions, lack of vital forensic clues just waiting to be discovered have prevented them from making essential evidential connections even where strong suspicion exists as to their possible involvement in the alleged crime and when this happens, the DPP’s office is blamed for telling the suspects to go on ‘technical grounds.’

There’s only one barely functioning forensic laboratory in the whole country at Oshodi which is used by police authorities in respect of cases under investigation. But it’s being the only laboratory is not the only problem. This lab suffers serious government neglect resulting in a severe shortage of relevant chemicals and reagents and poorly motivated staff. Items such as knives, clubs and other weapons suspected to have been used to perpetrate homicide are often kept for months thereby holding up the investigation and trial process and even when they are returned, no useful findings would have been made.

The police force used to have a number of highly trained and competent experts in forensic criminal investigations but even at that time the laboratory in which to exercise their skills could not be considered top of the range. Today, astonishing as it may sound, there is only one trained ballistician

in the whole country and his equipment is a joke by today’s technological standards.

Fingerprinting, described as the most reliable means of identifying an individual no longer feature in crime investigation in Nigeria.Yet, it is acknowledged worldwide as the most important aid in the detection of crime.

If the fingerprints, ballistic and biology (DNA profiling) sections of the Nigeria Police Forensic Laboratory could be developed to world-class standard, cases of violent crimes will be reduced because perpetrators of the crime would easily be identified and arrested.

Fowler added “It may seem unbelievable that suspects are no longer finger printed in Nigeria not to talk of having their photographs taken during arrest procedure. We have no record of these people when they are released so that in the event of a crime being committed subsequently, we could investigate their possible involvement.

“I have searched in vain for any recent Nigerian criminal cases where fingerprints were relied upon in the course of the trial and it is hoped that judges will be more demanding of the police of their present unscientific levels of investigation so that perhaps the authorities might be forced to upgrade capability.’’

40

Global Business

Protest over Shell Arctic drilling

H

undreds of people in kayaks and small boats have staged a protest in the north-western US port city of Seattle against oil drilling in the Arctic by the Shell energy giant.

Paddle in Seattle was held by activists who said the firm’s drilling would damage the environment.

It comes after the first of Shell’s two massive oil rigs arrived at the port.

The firm wants to move them in the coming months to explore for oil off Alaska’s northern coast.

Earlier this week, Shell won conditional approval from the US Department of Interior for oil exploration in the Arctic.

The Anglo-Dutch company still must obtain permits from the federal government and the state of

Alaska to begin drilling.

It says Arctic resources could be vital for supplying future energy needs.

‘The only safe place’ The flotilla of kayaks, canoes, sailboats and paddle boats gathered near the 400ft (122m) tall Polar Pioneer drilling rig.

A solar-powered barge - The People’s Platform - joined the protesters, who chanted slogans and also sang songs.

“This weekend is another opportunity for the people to demand that their voices be heard,” Alli Harvey, Alaska representative for the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

“Science is as clear as day when it comes to drilling in the Arctic - the only safe place for these dirty fuels is in the ground.’’

The protesters later gathered in formation and unveiled a big sign which read “Climate justice now”.

They mostly stayed outside the official 100-yard (91m) buffer zone around the Polar Pioneer, the Seattle Times newspaper reports.

Police and coastguard monitored the flotilla, saying it was peaceful.

The demonstrators are now planning to hold a day of peaceful civil disobedience on Monday in an attempt to shut down Shell operations in the port, the newspaper adds.

As recalls mount, Japan’s automakers stuck in reliance

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Russia’s economy falls in first quarter as woes mount

Rissian President, Valdimir Putin

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he Russian economy has contracted in the first three months of 2015 because of low oil prices, weaker spending and sanctions from the West.

It shrank by 1.9% between January and March compared with the previous year, according to the Russian statistics agency.

That compares to annual growth of 0.4% in the previous quarter.

President Vladimir Putin has said the government expects Russia’s economy to start growing again next year.

But the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development says that it expects the economy to contract by 4.5% in 2015 and

1.8% in 2016.

The country has been hit hard by a sharp fall in oil prices in the past year, its main export, as well as by sanctions imposed by the West over the Ukraine crisis.

‘Painful’ “The best that can be said about Q1 GDP [first quarter gross domestic product] data from Russia is that the economy has avoided outright collapse and is, instead, merely on the cusp of recession,” says Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had previously predicted a 2% decline in the first quarter of 2015.

“Though better than expected, this is still a painful fall for any economy,” said Craig Botham, emerging markets economist at Schroders.

“Further contraction seems inevitable given the lagged effect of monetary policy and the fiscal tightening underway,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Russian central bank has extended anti-crisis measures aimed at helping banks that have suffered from the low value of the rouble and sanctions in Ukraine.

India and China sign $22bn-worth of deals as Modi ends visit

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ir bag manufacturer Takata Corp (7312.T) and Japanese carmakers including Honda Motor Co (7267.T) are locked in the commercial equivalent of a bad marriage; not entirely happy in each other’s company but unable to break apart and wary of potentially costly court battles.

Honda on Friday unveiled a new model with an unusual sales pitch fuel efficient, lots of cargo space and, by the way, no air bag inflators made

by Takata, the Japanese supplier at the center of a global safety crisis that has rocked both companies.

Over the past five years, recalls have ballooned to include 36 million vehicles fitted with potentially lethal Takata air bags, triggering a criminal investigation and lawsuits in the United States, and testing ties between Takata and its main customers, bankers and auto executives say.

Automakers don’t normally discuss supply arrangements for components like air bags in their new models.

But in a departure that underscores an increasingly strained relationship, Sho Minekawa, Honda senior managing director, said the new Shuttle wagon sold only in Japan would use inflators from Takata’s rival, Daicel Corp (4202.T).

“We use very little from Takata for our domestic models and that’s been the trend in recent years,” Minekawa said in response to a question at the launch of the new car. “There was a time when we used a lot.”

The uneasy dynamic explains why Japan’s automakers have not been agitating for a shake-up or even restructuring at Takata even as they give new contracts to other suppliers.

The automakers need Takata to supply replacement parts for urgent repairs and cannot demand compensation that would endanger its ability to do so in an industry where no rival could readily take up the slack.

A court battle could risk embarrassing disclosures about the responsibility of automakers in reviewing Takata’s designs or in pushing for cost cutting, a banker who has been in contact with Takata said.

“The most important thing from the perspective of the automakers is that they can ensure replacement parts are being supplied in a stable fashion,” said Masaki Higurashi, deputy director of the automobile division at Japan’s trade ministry who is involved in coordinating the government’s monitoring of the recall crisis.

ndia has signed trade and economic co-operation deals worth $22bn ($14bn) in Shanghai as PM Narendra Modi’s visit to China draws to a close.

The agreements cover a range of industries including renewable energy, the financial sector and ports.

“Let us work together in mutual interests,” said Mr Modi. “Now India is ready for business.”

On Friday, more agreements worth $10bn (£6.3bn) covering education, railways, and scientific research were signed.

On Friday, Mr Modi held talks with China’s Premier Li Keqiang and both sides agreed to seek a “fair resolution” to dispute on their common border.

China rejects a 1914 border agreement signed by the British colonial authorities with TIbet, establishing a de-facto boundary.

Both have claims on various parts of each other’s territories, including an Indian-administered area known as Zangnan or South Tibet in China which is considered part of Arunachal Pradesh state in India.

Modi

Mr Modi said at a press conference that he and Mr Li had agreed to explore a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution” to the issue.

Mr Li said the two countries had “enough political wisdom to manage and control” differences. “Our common. oth these Asian giants are talking up the need for greater co-operation following decades of mistrust. And the economy is one area they can agree upon.

But for all talk of co-operation, China and India remain fierce rivals.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Navy nabs 30 ships in Eastern Naval Command RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

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bout thirty ships have been arrested by officers and personnel of the Nigeria Navy while trying to convey adulterated crude oil and other stolen products along the water ways of the Eastern Naval Command in the last six months.

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command,Rear Adm. Henry Babalola, disclosed Saturday Night during the regimental dinner at the end of the bi-annual sea exercise which took place between May 12 and 14. The Navy said that the sea robbers were arrested along Ibaka, Oron, bonny, Ikot Abasi, Portharcourt and Calabar waterways because they were involved in all sorts of illegality adding that the Navy had no choice than to get them arrested. Babalola said that the arrest was made possible due to the steady patrol of Navy personnel along the water ways. ``In the last six months, I think we have arrested well over 30 ships and boats and our men have been on steady patrol and we have destroyed several illegal refineries in our operating base. ``When we arrest a ship, we go further to investigate their patrons and hand them over to

OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

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jaws from all walks of life at the weekend joined the family and friends of Late minority rights activist and pioneer of the present day Niger Delta struggle, Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, in celebration of the annual Isaac Boro day, to mark his historic deeds.

The three days event which began at Kaima, where a symposium was held in his honour by the Ijaw Heritage Center was followed by a road walk by the Ijaw Youth Congress, IYC, which later culminated at the Heroes Park, venue for the wreath laying ceremony.

Also on the same day, his home town, Kaiama, was in festive mood as men, women and children trooped out to honour a man regarded as the pioneer of activism in the Niger Delta, while an event tagged ‘a night with Isaac Boro’ organized by the Engr. Timi Orus foundation was later held at the Creek hotel, Yenagoa.

The main event which was on Saturday saw both social and commercial activities grounded for the better part of the day as Ijaws led by the exuberant IYC President, Udengs Eradiri and his foot soldiers led others to walk round Yenagoa for the late Ijaw activ-

the relevant government agencies like the civil defense and others’’, he said.

He said that the sea inspection was a normal routine exercise of the Navy to secure the economic assets of the country and other multi million dollars off shore investment and platforms. ``The importance of this exercise is that we continue to

maintain a continous presence in our maritime environment to give confidence to legal and useful users of the maritime sector. ``Our presence at the sea is enough security for maritime operators. The exercise also helps us to know the status of our ships and machinery breakdown. ``during the exercise, we encountered some vessels, we

stopped them, interrogate them and we found out that some of them have their valid maritime papers’’, he said.

He said that reports from the oil industries indicate that they have been a drastic reduction in crude oil theft,stressing that the success was recorded due to the steady policing of the waterways. ``The major security chal-

lenges we are having is the issue of kidnapping. The Chief of Naval Staff in his wisdom has allocated some new patrol boats to help us curb this ugly challenge.

The FOC assured legal maritime operators of adequate security, adding that the Navy will not relent on its effort until the sea criminals decide to stop their nefarious activities.

L-R: Chief of Staff to Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Chief Paulinus Akpeki; Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Athonia Asheidu; Commissioner for Fiance, Mr. Kenneth Okpara and Head of Service, Partick Origho, at the opening of Delta Trade Expo 2015 in Asaba.

Ijaws celebrate Isaac Adaka Boro’s Day ist, known for his fight for equity and true fiscal federalism within a united Nigeria.Shops and retail outlets in Yenagoa, the capital city, were under locks and keys as Igbo brothers join in honouring Isaac Boro. The Ijaw youths procession round the city was rounded up at the Heroes Park, where the remains of Boro were reburied last year.

Speaking at the Heroes Park on the anniversary, Governor Dickson, represented by his Deputy, Rear Admiral John GboribioghaJonah (rtd), said that for the Ijaw to be taken seriously in the politics of the country, they must come together and speak with one voice.

Dickson implored Ijaw and Niger Delta youths to imbibe the ideals of selfless service, which he said defined Isaac Boro’s life and struggle for the emancipation of the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta in general.

The governor said though Boro rebelled against the Federal Government to show his displeasure over the oppression of the minority by the Nigerian state, he later joined the Nigerian Army to fight to keep the country a united nation.

He also used the opportunity to take a swipe at the Bayelsa politicians who defected to the All Progress Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying they will remain a persona non grata to the state and the party.

Also speaking President of the IYC, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, while eulogizing the virtues of the late Adaka Boro, said it was time for the Ijaw struggle to enter into the second phase, which is the economic power.

His words , “From May 29th, we will began the new face of our struggle for justice in the Nigerian state. If you follow our issues properly, our struggle was for economy and political space in the Nigerian context, we have our share in the political context, we want to focus on economic phase.

A lot of our people who were not employed by the westerners who came to do business claim that we were unemployable but thank God that with President Goodluck administration a lot of our people now have capacity to function properly in the oil and gas sector, a lot of our people have been trained to be able to fend for

themselves as human beings.

Our struggle form here is that you can no longer do business in the Niger Delta without employing our people. Therefore we are

Esther Adaka Boro laying wrealth

informing the world that those people that you have refused to employ because they are un employable are now trained and they CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Obomkpa community pledges support for Uduaghan over kingship tussle THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

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he people of Obomkpa Community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State have vowed to foil any attempt by any individual or group of persons to truncate the existing peace agenda of the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan over the lingering kingship struggle in the area. In view of the lingering crisis that has greeted the emergence of a new traditional ruler from one of the quarters in the community, they insisted that they are not opposed to any plan by the state government to give official recognition to the monarch of Ugboba quarter in the community.

At the end of a stakeholders’ meeting held recently, leaders of the community appealed to relevant government agencies and the people of Ugboba to initiate the right moves so as to maintain peaceful coexistence. Reviewing fallout from the meeting, the President General of Obomkpa, Mr. Linus Chima told newsmen that though it was not in the position of Obomkpa to call for a meeting to resolve grey areas in the agitation and demands of Ugboba for an Obi, but that Obomkpa was ready to enter into meaningful dialogue on the matter and have all related issues resolved.

Chima, who is also the Press Secretary to Governor Uduaghan maintained that those

who attended the stakeholders’ meeting were of the view that lingering litigations which ended at the Supreme Court should have settled the matter of who owned the area where Ugboba is presently situated and by extension the propriety of a second King on the same land.

He added , “The stakeholders observed that ‘we have intermarried with our people in Ugboba, there is a strong bond

between us that goes back to the times of our forefathers. Our fathers did not make a mistake by accommodating and living in peace and harmony with the people of Ugboba and indeed our neighbors namely, Onitcha Olona, Ezi, Idumu-Ogo, Ubulubu, Ukwunzu and Ohodua in Edo State.”

Obomkpa President-General added that the people of the area would key into the peace

drive of out-going Governor Uduaghan and that of his successor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa in order to live in peace together.

Other leaders of the community assured that “if our brothers and sisters in Ugboba are ready for dialogue we will all sit down with them and other relevant government agencies to map the way forward.” What we are unhappy with is the attempt to achieve their goal through

the back door, under arm tactics and by coercive means” “Our people are of the view that the instrument which brought about the installation of an Obi for Ugboba in 1979 was faulty from the onset. You cannot build a castle with sand. It is bound to collapse. As reasonable people we are ready to discuss and give peace a chance”, Mr Chima assured the state government.

Rivers State members of National Youth Service Corps during a sensitisation seminar organised by NDIC at NYSC Orientation Camp, Nonwa, Rivers State.

Petrol tanker loses 33,000 litres to explosion in Calabar RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

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n oil tanker belonging to Hudson Petroleum Ltd at the weekend lost

33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in an explosion.The oil truck exploded in front of the firm’s office making it the fifth time such explosion occurred at the same spot with devastating effect.

The previous explosion is reported to have claimed several lives, while nearby kiosks and properties worth thousands of naira were destroyed..

Eye witnesses account claimed that the truck which

Ijaws celebrate Isaac Adaka Boro’s Day CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 are employable.”

Eradiri has earlier spoken on the need for the Ijaws to refocus their strategy in the fight for economic freedom and emancipation through education.

Esther Boro, the first daughter of late Adaka Boro, who laid the wreath on behalf of the family, said he remembered his father only as a child, but regretted that she was robbed of her father’s care by his struggle and agitation for a better Ijaw nation and an

emancipated Niger Delta.

Speaking with Niger Delta Mirror, she noted that the people of the Niger Delta have completely forgotten the ideals his father fought for instead it is every one for his or herself.

Some of the pains she had as child and as an adult was growing up without the presence of his father who was also in the fore front of the struggle and fighting first, for a free Niger Delta society and secondly for a united Nigeria.

Ironically, she noted that the Nigeria and the Niger Delta peo-

ple he fought has not given him his pride of place in Nigeria or even in the Niger Delta as a whole apart from the Ijaws, noting that her father ‘s fight was not for the Ijaws alone but for the entire region.

She said people who benefited immensely from the struggles of Adaka Boro are all today paying lip service to the main issues that led to the Ijaw struggle as they continue to line their pockets and banks account while the people suffer.

left the Hudson farm tank was negotiating the bend in front of the firm’s office when eight of the tyres pull off and it somersaulted violently leading to explosion of the oil tanker. “At least, we know of three trucks that have so somersaulted and exploded at this same spot”, the eye witnesses maintained.

Speaking to newsmen after the incidence Chairman of the local branch of National Union Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Effiong Solomon said that, according to his members who drive such oil trucks there are many of them which are faulty belonging to both Hudson Petroleum Ltd and nearby Addax Petroleum Ltd at their tank farms.

The chairman stated that the oil firms do not pay heed to

such complaints, saying it was not their business to fix faulty oil tankers but the owners.

Commenting on the mishap, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer of Cross River State Fire Service, Mr Effiong Joe Okon pointed out that they were able to arrive the scene of the explosion with minimum delay and were able to dampen the impact and quench the fire using foam contents composed of animal by-products. He was assisted by the NPA Fire Service as well as Hudson Fire Service.

When contacted, Officials of Hudson Petroleum Ltd who were at the scene of incident vehemently refused to make comment on the issue as they claimed not to be in a proper position to make any comment on the mishap.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

43

Constitution amendment: Racing against time

men at the National Assembly last week, disclosed that one of the legal options open to the National Assembly was to vigorously challenge the order of the Supreme Court, which was made ex-parte, stressing that “I believe that we get the court to quickly determine that and we intend to pursue that option.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 then stock of the APC were full of venom against President Jonathan. As a result, most of the proposals, especially the idea of whittling down the powers of the President, were targeted at Jonathan directly.

But as God would have it, nemesis has now caught up with them.

President’s objections President Jonathan in a letter dated April 10 and addressed separately to both the Senate President, David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, explained that he was withholding his assent to the proposed constitutional amendments. He also disclosed that because he was withholding his assent to the bill, he would be returning the document sent to him by the lawmakers.

Some of the reasons the President gave for refusing to assent to the bill were that he objected to the whittling down of the President’s powers as contained in the original constitution. In particular he cited section 4 of the alteration act, which seeks to alter section 9 of the 1999 constitution, by the insertion of a new section 3A, which dispenses with the assent of the President in the process of constitutional amendment.

He doubted if the amendment satisfied the constitution requirement, which provides that it must he supported by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly and approved by a resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states as provided by section 9(3) of the 1999 constitution.

The President stated that going by the information contained in the votes and proceedings of the National Assembly, it was doubtful if this constitutional requirement was met by the lawmakers and therefore, it will be unconstitutional for him to assent to the bill.

Jonathan also raised concerns over the insertion of sections 45a and 45b, which guarantees right to free basic education and unqualified right to free primary and maternal care services.

According to the President, the alteration as contained is open ended and should have been restricted to government schools only in the case of right to free basic education.

He argued: “This is because a right, unless qualified or restricted, must be observed by all. It follows therefore that the

The President stated that going by the information contained in the votes and proceedings of the

National Assembly, it was doubtful if this constitutional requirement was met by the lawmakers and therefore, it will be

unconstitutional for him to assent to the bill.

Mohammed

right to free basic education under this provision if taken to its logical conclusion will invariably apply to private schools, which could not have been the intendment of the legislature.”

Same, the President argues, applies to right to free primary and maternal care services. He said the implication of the proposed alteration is that “private institutions will be obliged under the constitution to offer free medical services since it is a right and this is not only impracticable, but also could not have been the intention of the law giver.”

In addition, Jonathan complained about the alteration of section 14 of the constitution, which new section 58 removes the power of the President to withhold his assent to bills passed by the National Assembly.

This was also as the President objected to the alteration of section 21 of the constitution, which seeks to limit the period when expenditure can be authorised in default of appropriation from the six months provided in the constitution to three months.

The President also faulted the insertion of section 84a to 84f, which creates the new office of Accountant-General of the Federation, distinct from the AccountantGeneral of the Federation.

Furthermore, Jonathan frowned at the insertion of new sections 174a to 174h; section 195 and sections 211a to 211h, which encapsulate wide-range provisions that seek to separate the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation from the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General from the Commissioner for Justice in the respective states of the federation.

In withholding his assent to the proposed amendments, the President said: “In view of the foregoing and the absence of credible evidence that the Act satisfied the strict requirements of section 9(3) of the 1999 constitution, it will be unconstitutional for me to assent to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (fourth amendment) Act 2015, I therefore withhold my assent and accordingly remit it to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Proposed amendments In all, there were about 70 amendments proposed by the National Assembly in the fourth alteration bill. However, by the time the proposed amendment came back from the states Houses of Assembly, the number eventually approved was trimmed down to about 13. Out of the 70 proposed amendments, the President faulted 45.

Tambuwal

Legal fireworks Following this development, the President, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, filed an action at the Supreme Court, seeking basically to stop the lawmakers from proceeding with further actions on the matter. The action, which was filed by a private counsel on behalf of government, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, was anchored on the alleged insistence of by the National Assembly to proceed with the veto and eventual passage of the constitution amendment bill into law.

In the application, the AGF argued that it was in the interest of all Nigerians that the issues raised in the substantive application be resolved first before the lawmakers proceeds further on the proposed alteration of the constitution.

Adoke, while explaining the resolve of the lawmakers to proceed with the veto of the President, cited the action of the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Osagie, who he quoted as saying at a world press conference that “despite any case filed against the said Act, the National Assembly would go ahead to pass it into law.”

According to Adoke, the balance of convenience tilts in favour of resolution of the suit before any further steps is taken on the bill.

However, on May 7, the Supreme Court, presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmoud Mohammed, in a ruling, held that since a suit had been filed on the suit, parties must maintain the status quo ante on the matter.

Infuriated by the court’s ruling, the sSenate vowed to proceed with the alteration of the Constitution, saying the Supreme Court lacked the powers to stop it from conducting its constitutionally enshrined legislative duties. Senate Committee on Information and Public Affairs chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, in a statement insisted that “the Supreme Court is wrong. The law does not allow one arm of the government to stop another arm of government from performing its duties.”

He added: “The Supreme Court cannot stop us from legislating and if they say that the Supreme Court is stopping us from making laws, it is misleading and it amounts to misreading the powers of the Supreme Court.”

Later, in a volte face and in realisation of the proper position of the law on the matter, Senator Ndoma-Egba, while briefing news-

In the beginning When the constitution amendment exercise commenced in July 2011, it was with so much fanfare. The National Assembly started off with retreats in Akwa Ibom and Lagos respectively. It later held public hearings in the six geo political zones of the country. The lawmakers also held public hearings in the 36 states of the federation as well as the 360 federal constituencies of the country and eventually rounded the exercise off with what was a grand finale at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

In the Senate, a 46-member Senate Constitution Review Committee was constituted while the House set up its own 53-member committee.

Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu headed the Senate committee, while Hon. Emeka Ihedioha headed that of the House.

The Senate committee from the onset, delineated 16 thematic issues for review in the 1999 constitution. The essence of that according to Ekwermadu, was to properly guide the amendment process so as not to dissipate much energy unnecessarily.

The thematic areas were devolution of power, creation of states, recognition of six geo-political zones in the constitution, role for traditional rulers, local government, taking out (land use act, NYSC act, code of conduct), fiscal federalism and amendment of provisions relating to amendment of the constitution; state creation and boundary adjustment – to remove ambiguity. The rest are immunity clause, Nigerian police, judiciary, executive, rotation of executive offices, gender and special groups, mayoral status for the FCT Administration and the residency and indigene provisions.

However, following over one year of extensive research, study tours, collating proposals from the public, strategic collaboration with key partners, consultations with stakeholders and feedbacks from national and zonal public hearings, the 16 thematic issues were compressed to 10, when the committee submitted its report on June 3, 2014.

The final draft document placed before the Senate for consideration by the review committee contained therefore just about ten items or thereabout, and these are only the items that will be voted for. These items are: the single six-year term for elected executives - president and his vice and the governors and their deputies, removal of state-local government joint accounts, an elected mayoral system of administration for the FCT and the separation of the office of the attorney general from that of the minister/commissioner for justice.

The rest are the procedure for drafting and enactment of a new constitution, presidential assent, creation of first line charge for certain bodies and offices at the state level, the process for the alteration of acts, devolution of powers and the remuneration of past presiding officers of the National Assembly.

With the ding-dong on going over this process, it is glaring that taxpayers’ money to the tune of N4 billion had actually gone down the drain!

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Politics

here seems to be a disconnect between the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, on who emerged as successor to the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who would on May 29 assume office as the governor of Sokoto State.

There has been much noise about which zone produces the next Speaker of the 8th House of Representatives between the South-West and the North-East geo-political zones. While many have opined that the North-East deserves the speakership as compensation for its contribution to the success of the APC and President-elect Buhari at the polls, APC caucus seem hell bent on zoning the slot to the South West.

Available records show that the North-East has never produced the Speaker of the House in the present dispensation which began in 1999. The highest it has ever got was Deputy Speaker. On the other hand, the South-West had produced two Speakers in Patricia Etteh and Dimeji Bankole between 2007 and 2011.

National Mirror reliably gathered that left to president-elect Buhari, he preferred the the emergence of the next Speaker be done through due process, devoid of any interference from the Presidency or the APC leadership, after the inauguration of the National Assembly, expectedly on June 6. This according to sources, is in line with the APC mantra of change.

It was learnt that already, the party’s Central Working Committee, CWC and its Board of Trustees, BoT, had recommended to Buhari to endorse the zoning arrangement of the party, apparently to ensure that each of the six geopolitical zones is given a slot from the bicameral National Assembly towards equal power sharing formula.

But a reliable source, who pleaded anonymity confided in National Mirror that the President-elect, General Buhari did not only discountenanced the zoning arrangement, but utterly spurned the arrangement, describing it as undemocratic and instead opted for due process in the election of the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.

As the race to the speakership hots up, National Mirror gathered that Tambuwal, including top notchers of the APC and almost vall opposition lawmakers are solidly behind the candidature of Hon. Yakubu Doghara, representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa federal constituency of Bauchi State, in their determination, not only to assert the independence of the legislative arm of government, but to serve as a gauge valve and unifying force among ethnic groups in the entire North, as well as the need for unity.

But despite the support Doghara has garnered from across the country among returning lawmakers and members-elect, the unflinching support from his NorthEast base and his endorsement for the speakership by North-West members-elect, there is now a gradual plot being hatched from Bauchi State and North-East politicians, mainly from one religious bloc to scuttle Doghara’s ambition, by deliberate endorsement of Senator Nazif Gamawa to contest for the Senate Presidency.

The reason behind this plot, according to National Mirror sources, was simply because Doghara is of a different religious stock and from the minority ethnic group in the North-East.

Unconfirmed source fingered Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu and other top Northern elders in high-wire consultations across the North to stop Doghara from emerging Speaker of the House of Representatives, not only because of his religion, but also of his ethnicity. One of the brains behind the ‘Operation Stop Doghara’ was quoted as saying: “Why should the North-East lawmakers allow Doghara to contest for the House speakership despite his being a minority. Where are the majority?”

This development is said to have now set a stage for a big fight between Northern Muslims and the Christians in the country. This is against the background of the allegation in the past that APC is a Muslim party.

Christians are peeved that despite the massive support Buhari, a Muslim enjoyed from northern Christians against outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, anybody could come up with this kind of shenanighan, wondering whether this is the type of

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Speakership: Litmus test for Buhari, APC ahead 2019 polls EZEKIEL TITUS examines the intrigues of election of a successor to outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives and SokotoState governor-elect, Aminu Tambuwal and concludes that the emergence of Speaker for the 8th House of Representatives is a litmus test for the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the 2019 general elections.

Tambuwal

Doghara

‘change’ they actually voted for.

It was also gathered that the Bauchi State governorelect is also leading the crusade against Doghara’s emergence as Speaker of the House, when he allegedly met former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other top notchers of APC to tender the result of the last general election from Bogoro Local Government as a weapon to stop Doghara, despite the massive support he enjoyed from Doghara during the general election.

Although the Bauchi governor-elect has since denied his involvement in the plot to stop Doghara from emergeing Speaker, many have taken his denial with a pinch of salt.

The general feeling, especially among Northern Christians now is that those agitating against Doghara’s speakership may be doing that at the expenses of the APC and Buhari ahead of 2019 general elections and if care is not taken, the party may be consumed and given the same ‘PDP treatment’come 2019.

It could be recalled that when 19 Northern states political groups met in Kaduna State recently and finally endorsed Doghara, they cautioned mischief-makers to tow the path of honour and support Doghara, without consideration for religious or ethnic bias. They claimed that those plotting against Doghara are bunch

of failures in their respective constituencies and are intimidated by Doghara’s giant strides, achievements and overwhelming acceptance across the country.

Among the speakership aspirants that emerged from the members-elect, Doghara appears to have edge over them as a result of his selfless humanity services as well as his experience as erudite lawmaker who have piloted and served as chairman and member of various committees in the National Assembly since 2007 to date.

Meanwhile, President of Norther Coalition for Good Governance, NCGG, Alhaji Ado Ahmed, had said in Kaduna recently that denying Doghara the speakership slot as a result of his religious and ethnic status is tantamount to the crashing of APC in 2019 election. He added that other religion and ethnic nationalities used their numerical strength to vote APC in the last election and should not now be discrinminated against in the scheme of things.

Ahmed said it is sad enough to realise that some selfish politicians who are plotting against the corporate existence of the country due to vested interest, adding that they have ignorantly endorsed one Senator Gamawa from the same Bauchi State to vie for the presidency of the Senate, all in a desperate bid to scuttle Doghara’s ambition. He said democracy deserves credible hands like Doghara to consolidate on its gains.

In another development, a renown political group, Bauchi Generational Leadership Awareness Initiative, BGLAI, said any attempt to scuttle Doghara’s speakership ambition is equivalent of a coup d’etat and will justify peoples’ fears that APC was out to achieve vested religious interests.

BGLAI Publicity Secretary, Hon Kabir Gidado, told newsmen in Bauchi recently that Doghara’s deserve the speaker’s slot, in a bid to reallt tell Nigerians that we are truly a united corporate entity and also to unite all ethnic groups in the North, wondering why some paperweight politicians and groups who have failed in their respective communities are ganging up against Dogara.

Gidado maintain that Doghara’s giant strides have intimidated some politicians who failed to consolidate

While many have opined that the North-East deserves the speakership as compensation for its contribution to the

APC and President-elect Buhari at the polls, APC caucus success of the

seem hell bent on zoning the slot to the

West.

South

CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

T

he governorship election in Akwa Ibom State was allegedly marred with irregularities, as an advocate of good leadership who hails from the state, how far is this true?

Before elections, there were issues in Nigeria and after elections, there will always be issues. The people saying these are not Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. INEC is the body officially recognised to conduct and announce election results. Look at it this way, INEC has declared the winner of the presidential election, which is General Mohamed Buhari. INEC has also declared Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as the elected governor of Lagos State. It has also declared Mr. Udom Emmanuel as the elected governor of Akwa Ibom State. They have declared the winner of the election in the North, South, West and East.

Of course, every loser will complain. Even when you are playing a football match and your team is not strong enough, you can easily attribute your failure to the referee.

In this case, the people who are complaining have the right to do so but on a very serious note, election was very peaceful in Akwa Ibom State. In my ward, it was very peaceful.

People should understand that Akwa Ibom sState is a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP state. Most of the people raising issues today were former active members of the PDP until three months to the election. But what I don’t understand is how somebody will wake up one day and wants to win election under just three months. You left a vibrant party on ground in a state and came out to say you want to win election within that short period of time, I mean, practically, this is impossible. Again, you don’t have to forget the fact that the sitting governor who is a PDP governor has performed excellently well, so logically, the people will always support the PDP and vote for the candidate of the PDP. Despite the performance of the sitting governor in Akwa Ibom State, it has been alleged, that the level of acceptance for the candidacy of Emmanuel is on the low side, why is this so and why is the cry of irregularities so high?

There is no problem in Akwa Ibom State. I am from the state. The people on social media are not from there. You cannot use what some media houses wrote or said to define what is happening in Akwa Ibom State because they all have proprietorial interests. I don’t watch some channels anymore because they are anti-people. To me, Akwa Ibom State is a PDP state. Journalists have come to Akwa Ibom, the world has come too and they have all seen the difference in the state. So the performance of Akpabio is a key to the amount of followers that the governor enjoyed. Now, Emmanuel came from the banking world. He is a professional. And in Akwa Ibom State, we are looking for a man that will fit into the big shoes of Governor Akpabio. And when Emmanuel emerged from the Zenith Bank, there was jubilation everywhere.

Emmanuel coming as the governor with his versatile experience in economic management will transform and

re-engineer the people.

Politics

Akpabio has laid good foundation for Udom –Bassey James Bassey James is the chancellor of Akpabio Centre for Leadershipb Development, a non–governmental organisation advocating for good leadership in Nigeria. In this encounter with journalists, the Chancellor fielded questions on the overall merit of the emergence of Udom Emmanuel as the governor-elect of Akwa Ibom State. AYO ESAN brings excerpts:

James

And he later became the Secretary to the State Government, SSG. He further went ahead to contest the election.

And fortunately for him, he is from Eket senatorial district that has never produced a governor. Uyo has produced Victor Attah for eight good years, no issues, Ikot Ekpene has produced Governor Akpabio, and there were also no issues. Now the natural thing to happen is for power to go to Eket which has naturally come to pass.

Eket has incredible leaders, credible candidates. And fortunately again, Emmanuel became an aspirant and the people in one voice said that they wanted a technocrat.

They wanted a man that will understand the dynamics of governance in terms of economic development, transformation and redesigning, and as we all know, these perfectly fit Emmanuel’s high profile. His experience as a top banker coupled with his position as the SSG has made him the best among equals.

So there is no way people of Akwa Ibom will not be happy about his emergence. But I think his opponents should take a cue from the president and concede victory to the victorious. Some people believe that since they are All Progressievs Congress, APC members, they can do what pleases them, no. They should wait for their turn, who knows, in the next four or eight years, they will have their turn. They should stop portraying Akwa Ibom State in a bad light.

In some quarters, Emmanuel is seen as a political stooge of Governor Akpabio, and they feel he will be under his control. How would you describe this allegation?

Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought Babatunde Fashola, does that make Fashola a stooge of Tinubu? Tinubu has also brought in Akinwunmi Ambode, will that make Ambode a stooge? Why is it that people are all talking about Akwa Ibom? Why? Because they know that the state is richly endowed.

They all want to come in and do as they like but that will not work. Eket senatorial district can never wait for another eight years. This is a man who has been the executive director of one of the major banks in Africa.

Like we all know, rifts often times occur between a leader and his political benefactor. Don’t you foresee a political rift between Emmanuel and Akpabio in the near future?

What kind of rift are you talking about? Let me use Lagos State as an example. Was there any rift between Tinubu and Fashola? No. So what kind of rift are they talking about? Mischievous people are just insinuating all manner of things. Emmanuel was a major player in Zenith Bank, no rift with his bosses .He became the SSG, no rift with his boss. So how can they be more Catholic than the Pope? We are Akwa Ibom people. We are the indigenes and we have spoken.

That’s why Akwa Ibom people voted overwhelmingly for him. If you do election hundred times, Emmanuel will win hundred times because PDP is Akwa Ibom, Akwa Ibom is PDP. They should not forget that he became the Governor elect by the popular will of the people. Meanwhile, mischievous people should forget the idea of a rift between the two of them. They are both very experienced. People are only trying to create problems where there are none.

What should the people of Akwa Ibom State expect from Emmanuel?

Nigerians living in Akwa Ibom will have so much to benefit from the emergence of Emmanuel. If you would agree with me, that outside Lagos, we don’t have any state that has the convergence of people of different tribes like Akwa Ibom State. That is the level of the development in the state. So Emmanuel coming as the governor with his versatile experience in economic management will transform and re-engineer the people. We should not forget that Governor Akpabio has laid a very good foundation for him and Emmanuel will not belabour himself to build many bridges again. He will not build government houses again. He will not do more of infrastructure again. But he is coming to build on human capacity. He is coming to bring in industries.

I see him coming with investment portfolios.

Speakership: Litmus test for Buhari, APC ahead 2019 polls CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44 on the gains of democracy while in office; cautioning people to shun political and religious differences to safeguard the unity of Nigeria.

BGLAI charged APC caucus to tow the path of honour, ensure justice and equity and sacrifice to save the party from the quagmire likely to erupt ahead of the 2019 elections as well as learning a lesson or two from the defeat of PDP. However, indications have emerged that the APC leadership may have made a u-turn in its decision to zone National Assembly leadership positions., as the party allegedly said that sanators and members of the

45

House of Representatives are free to choose their leaders.

National Mirror learnt that the party leadership arrived at this conclusion following the controversies the zoning arrangement proposed by its NWC had generated since it was leaked .

Efforts by the party leadership to resolve the imbroglio have been largely unsuccessful.

While the NWC was said to be peeved by the party’s decision to set another committee to review its recommendations, National Mirror realiably gathered that the APC leadership was trying to avoid the PDP mistake of 2011, moreover as the battle for the National Assembly leadership has become a dog fight, with the

party not being able to nip it in the bud.

Much has been said over the undercurrents ongoing over who emerges Speaker of the House of Representatives or which zone produces the Speaker, its now left for Buhari and APC leadership to save the party from possible crash in ensuring justice prevails in the emergence of the next Speaker, as a stitch in time saves nine. Perhaps, it is pertinent to note that the intrigues of who emerged Speaker in 2011 contributed to PDP’s fall in 2015.

Will APC leadership hearken to the voice of reason or like the recalcitrant fry that follows the corpse to the grave, allow some selfish politicians to jeopardise its future, only time will tell!

46

Politics

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Benue leaders to Mark: Support Akume’s bid for Senate president Adeola Tukuru ABUJA

P

olitical leaders from Benue State under the umbrella of Benue Rebirth Initiative, BRI, have appealed to the Senate President, David Mark, to support the candidature of Senator George Akume, for the Senate Presidency.

BRI, in a communiqué issued at the end of its inaugural meeting in Abuja and signed by Arc Joe Ikyaagba and Sam Ode, said it has identified key issues which have continued to drag the state backward, particularly at the national scene, where an average Benue man sees his fellow brother as an enemy, appealing to all stakeholders to sheathe their swords and embrace unity and oneness of purpose.

Acknowledging the importance of Mark’s involvement in the campaign, BRI said his pres-

ence will add value to the bid, adding: “We enjoined our brother who has walked this road before and has built the necessary bridges to enable his fellow brother continue.

“It is imperative that at this auspicious time, when his silence means so much, we expect that he takes a definite stance just as he is not known to be one who sits on the fence.”

It further expressed its desire to shelve all tribal differences and work for the success of Senator Akume’s Senate presidency bid.

It said: “We sincerely wish to use this medium to affirm to Nigerians and the rest of Africa that the bitter tribal discord between the various ethnic components of Benue State has been buried through the concerted efforts of this group in honour of Senator Akume’s detribalised and nationalistic posture.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

APC holds policy direction forum for new govt Olajide Omojolomoju

A

head of the May 29 inauguration of the All Progressives Congress -led Federal Government in the country, the roadmap for the policy direction of the Muhammadu Buhari –led administration would be unveiled during a two-day policy dialogue holding in Abuja on Wednesday and Thursday.

The policy dialogue themed: “Implementing Change: From Vision to Reality,” is being organised by the Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate of the

APC Presidential Campaign Council.

Briefing journalists in Abuja yesterday, the deputy head of the directorate and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the President-elect Buhari would declare the dialogue, which would be chaired by Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osibajo, SAN, open.

Former British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair will deliver the keynote address at the dialogue, where input to the roadmap for the actualisation of the policies of the incoming administration would be made by experts

drawn from different fields and members of the public.

Identifying the core areas of focus in the twoday dialogue to include the economy, governance, job creation and security in line with the APC manifestoes for change, Abdullahi added that topics for discussion include: ‘Improving the National Economy for Shared Prosperity’; ‘Repositioning Agriculture for Job Creation and Economic Prosperity’; ‘Developing Infrastructure for National Development’; ‘Achieving Sustainable Reforms on Oil/Gas Sector’; ‘Reducing Inequality and

Achieving Sustainable Human Development’; ‘Achieving Holistic and Sustainable Reforms in the Education Sector’; ‘Developing an Education System Relevant to Nigeria’s Developmental Aspiration’ and ‘Achieving Qualitative and Affordable Healthcare’.

Others include: ‘Achieving Diversity and Inclusion in Public Life’; ‘Exploring Sports, Tourism and Creative Industry for Job Creation’; ‘Governance and Improved Efficiency in Public Service’; ‘Tackling Corruption in Public Sector’ and ‘Foreign Policy and Agenda for Change’.

Ex-Majority Leader wants Ndokwa to produce dep speaker Amour Udemude ASABA

A

head of the inauguration of the 6th Assembly of Delta State in June, pioneer Majority Leader of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Aneke Ifemeni, has advocated that the position of the Deputy Speaker should be zoned to the Ndokwa nation.

Ifemeni made this known while commenting on issues bothering on Ndokwa nation, however advised the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to be mindful of equity, balance and even distribution of key political offices.

Ifemeni noted that Delta-North comprises of three federal constituencies with Ika federal consistency producing the governor, Aniocha/Oshimili producing the senator then the only higher elective office left within the senatorial district is Deputy Speaker which supposed to go to Ndokwa/ Ukwuani federal constituency.

He said: “Thank God, there are experienced and ranking legislators from

the federal constituency, so the issue of any contender coming from outside of Ndokwa/Ukwuani is nothing but trying to undermine the policy of PDP which dwells on equality and even distribution of offices.

“Though this is more of the legislature internal issue, PDP leadership in the state must play a role in seeing that there’s a smooth take of in the sixth Assembly.

“The same principle and approach will also come to play in political appointments which is the prerogative of the governor and knowing governor-elect, Ifeanyi Okowa, I have absolute confidence that his first set of appointments will justify his wide acceptance and election as the first grassroots governor ever in Delta state.”

On the proposed new Delta State Oil Producing Commission, OSOPADEC Bill currently in the Assembly, Ifemeni stated that with the oppositions coming from various interest groups and considering the time left to wind up the fifth assembly, the proposed bill should die a natural death now.

L-R: President, Change Women Association, Mrs. Maryam Alexander; Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Buba and Treasurer, Hajia Hajara Ahmed, during the association’s news conference in supports of Hon. Dogara Yakubu to contest for the post of the Speaker, House of Representatives, in Bauchi, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

CSO wants US to absolve self of complicity on Kashamu Adeola Tukuru ABUJA

A

civil society organisation, African Civil Liberty Committee on Rendition, ACLCR, has asked the United State of America to absolve herself from the planned abduction of a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Buruji Kashamu, to face drug related charges.

In a letter signed by ACLCR coordinator, Mr. Sunday Philip, to the US ambassador in Nigeria, James Entwistle, dated May 15, the organisation accused some highly placed Nigerians of working with the US government to illegally extradite Kashamu, a senator-elect

to the US to face trial.

The organisation said: “We are worried that the United States government has not adequately distanced itself from these weighty allegations that it is an active part in a plot to commit illegality on the soil of a friendly nation, to wit abducting and rendering the national of the country in collusion with other Nigerians who have made it clear that they are on a vendetta mission.

“There have been assertions that a court in the United Kingdom, presided over by district Judge Tim Workman on January 10, 2003 after 3 years of diligent trial, had earlier vindicated Prince Kashamu for the same charges he is allegedly being sought in

the US thus resorting to underhand tactics by the Nigerians involved in the abduction plot.

“This judgment has not been appealed by authorities of any country. It is equally on record that an American judge, Charles R Norgle, District Judge of United States District Court for the Northern District Illinois, Eastern Division on the July 15, 2010 ruled that Kashamu is not a fugitive.

“For Judge Norgle, who ordinarily has no basis to side with Kashamu, to have clearly stated that he is not a fugitive is an indication that there are untold stories on the Nigerian’s side.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria has also not proven that it has re-

ceived any extradition request from the United States. The Federal Government admitted that much in a letter by the Attorney General dated January 28.

“From several news reports, statements and declarations from the personae involved, it is apparent that former Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo is an arrowhead in the abduction plot and it is on this basis that we implore the US Government to revisit Obasanjo’s recent democratic credential that include his failed attempt at tenure elongation as well as the war crimes he committed in Odi and Zaki Ibiam to get the true feel of what is driving his present venture.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Index rises 1% as bulls hold sway JOHNSON OKANLAWON

I

nvestors in equities have increased their speculative purchases across defensive stocks, as the index gained for the fourth consecutive days.

The All Share Index appreciated 0.99 per cent to close at 34,781.46 points , compared to the marginal increase of 0.07 per cent recorded on Friday to close at 34,439.40 points.

Market capitalisation gained N121billion to close at N11.8trillion, compared to the increase of N8 billion recorded on Friday to close at N11.7trillion.

On the sectorial indices, the NSE 30-Index gained 1.20 per cent to close at 1,602.62 points, while the Banking Index appreciated 1.92 per cent to close at 404.12 points.

The Insurance Index added 0.25 per cent to close at N147.27 points, while the Consumer Goods Index rose 0.76 per cent to close at N870.62 points.

The Oil and Gas Index was up 3.48 per cent to close at N395.12 points, while the Lotus Islamic Index increased to 2,259.12 points, up 0.27 per cent.

The Industrial Index lost 0.16 per cent to close at

2,213.56 points. The Alternative Securities Market closed flat at 1,213.52 points.

Skye Bank Plc led the gainers’ table with 21 kobo or 9.68 per cent to close at N2.38 per share, followed

by Forte Oil Plc with N15.77 or 9.10 per cent to close at N189.00 per share.

NEM Insurance Plc appreciated six kobo or 8.82 per cent to close at 74 kobo per share, while Presco Plc added N2.55 or 8.50 per cent to close at N32.55 per share.

Diamond Bank Plc was up 28 kobo or 6.41 per cent to close at N4.65 per share.

Conversely, Transnational Express Plc dropped

five kobo or 4.72 per cent to close at N1.01 per share, while Chemical and Allied Plc shed N2.00 or 4.65 per cent to close at N41.00 per share.

Vono Products Plc fell four kobo or 4.26 per cent to close at 90 kobo per share, while Custodian and Insurance Plc depreciated 17 kobo or 4.08 per cent to close at N4.00 per share.

Vitafoam Plc declined 14 kobo or 2.19 per cent to close at N6.24 per share.

A total of 305.7 million shares valued at N2.97 billion were traded in 4,674 deals.

Skye Bank posts N6bn profit in Q1 JOHNSON OKANLAWON

S

kye Bank Plc has announced a profit before tax of N6.2 billion for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015, representing an increase of 82 per cent over the N3.4 billion recorded during the same period in 2014.

Similarly, the bank’s profit after tax grew to N5 billion during the review period, compared to N2.7 billion achieved during the corresponding period in 2013, showing a rise of 85 per cent.

According to the unaudited result submitted on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange yesterday, the bank also recorded strong growth in all the performance indicators.

Reflecting the bank’s inclination towards fee based transactions, its fee and commission income which was N6.2 billion in 2013, increased to N10.2 billion in the first quarter of 2014, representing a growth of 64.5 per cent.

The expanded business activities of the bank also manifested in a big rise in

its gross earnings which rose to N42.3 billion from N34.3 billion in 2013, appreciating by 23 per cent.

The shareholders’ fund also rose to N137.3 billion from N132 billion.

The IFRS compliant result also shows the bank’s total assets hitting N1.43 billion as against N1.42 billion during the same period in 2013. Similarly, its total liabilities, including total deposits, stood at N1.3 trillion as against N1.2 trillion in the preceding year.

Commenting on the first quarter result, the

bank’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, said the bank was set to deliver superior value and returns to the shareholders as the bank enters its new strategic growth phase.

He explained that the bank would leverage on the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank to take its services closer to its customers – current and prospects - and expand its bouquet of value adding offerings to meet the diverse needs of its stakeholders.

Dollar rebounds as Greek bond yields rise

T

he dollar bounced back from four-month lows yesterday, while Greek bond yields jumped on worries the country would not be able to make its debt payments.

Wall Street added slightly to gains, pushing the benchmark Standard and Poor 500 to a fresh all-time high.

Oil prices retreated, as supply worries, triggered by advances by Islamic State militants in Iraqi, eased. US Treasuries were weaker.

Greek two-year sovereign bond yields GR2YT=TWEB rose nearly 300 basis points to just shy of 24 per cent as investors fretted the country would be unable to make a debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund next month.

“Greece is running on fumes and the risk of non-payment of some form is riding

high ... These are desperate times and desperate stakes,” Rabobank fixed income strategist Richard McGuire said.

The country made a May 12 payment to the IMF only by emptying an IMF holding account, and a leaked IMF memo acknowledged Greece had little chance of making a scheduled June 5 payment.

Many in the market say the next two weeks will be crucial for the country.

The dollar was last up nearly one per cent at $1.1352 against the euro, which had risen more than eight per cent against the U.S. currency since April 13.

A recent run of softer-thanexpected US economic data has encouraged bets that the Federal Reserve will hold off on its first interest rate hikes in nearly a decade, and

that has interrupted several months of dollar gains against key world currencies.

Adding fuel to that, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said that while a rate hike could come as early as June, they should start rising early in 2016. Evans is considered one of the Fed’s most dovish members, generally in favor of looser policy.

Wall Street edged up slightly. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 14.91 points, or 0.08 per cent, at 18,287.47, the S&P 500 added 3.88 points, or 0.18 per cent, at 2,126.61 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 13.95 points, or 0.28 per cent, at 5,062.24.

The MSCI world equity index , which tracks shares in 45 nations, dropped modestly, shedding 0.12 point, or 0.03 per cent, to 442.24.

In Europe, the pan-Euro-

Source: NSE

Inter-Bank Rate Naira

Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

13

Crude oil price

$58.96

US Dollar

$1

N197.00 Market indicators All-Share Index 34,781.46 points Market capitalisation 11.82trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

SKYEBANK

2.17

2.38

0.21

9.68

FO

173.23

189.00

15.77

9.10

NEM

0.68

0.74

0.06

8.82

PRESCO

30.00

32.55

2.55

8.50

DIAMONDBNK

4.37

4.65

0.28

6.41

MAYBAKER

1.60

1.68

0.08

5.00

UBA

5.20

5.46

0.26

5.00

CONOIL

39.92

41.91

1.99

4.98

HONYFLOUR

3.47

3.64

0.17

4.90

UACN

40.00

41.90

1.90

4.75

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

TRANSEXPR

1.06

1.01

-0.05

-4.72

CAP

43.00

41.00

-2.00

-4.65

VONO

0.94

0.90

-0.04

-4.26

CUSTODYINS

4.17

4.00

-0.17

-4.08

VITAFOAM

6.38

6.24

-0.14

-2.19

WAPIC

0.54

0.53

-0.01

-1.85

ETERNA

2.70

2.65

-0.05

-1.85

CILEASING

0.69

0.68

-0.01

-1.45

CHAMPION

7.09

7.00

-0.09

-1.27

STERLNBANK

2.15

2.13

-0.02

-0.93

FGN Bonds

pean FTSEurofirst 300 stocks index was little changed as the market was stung by lackluster energy sector earnings, volatile financial shares and Greece’s precarious finances.

47

Bid

Description

Offer

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.25

99.09

13.82

99.24

13.69

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.94

102.14

13.79

102.29

13.71

16.00 29-JUN-2019

4.12

106.96

13.72

107.26

13.62

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.70

112.02

13.58

112.32

13.52

14.20 14-MAR-2024

8.82

103.49

13.50

103.79

13.44

10.00 23-JUL-2030

15.18 68.00

15.54

68.30

15.47

Closing Market Prices of May 11, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

Exchange

Rates (N)

13-Aug-15

11.71

12.05

WAUA

270

12-Nov-15

13.84

14.84

USD

197

05-May-16

13.17

15.09

EURO

214

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

SWISS FRANC

NIBOR Tenor

Rate (%)

202

O/N

23.7500

1M

14.9112

POUNDS STERLING

293

3M

15.9494

SDR

273

6M

16.8274 The Fixings of May 11, 2015

48

Capital Market

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at May 18, 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)

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

49

Community Mirror “I don’t really believe that it is only in government that you can do things; even outside government, you can do a lot of things. The richest people in the world don’t even serve in government” President Goodluck Jonathan ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

N

iger Delta militants under the amnesty programme in the Berebegha camp have threatened to return to the creek if the Federal Government refuses to restructure the programme and probe the leader of the camp.

During a warning protest in Lagos recently, the beneficiaries alleged that the leader of the Camp, Comrade Joseph Evah, of non-payment of their monthly allowances for over four years and denying them the training

Ex-militants protest non-payment of allowances programme promised by the government.

While addressing the press, the convener of the protest, Bar. Angela Adigwe said the Joseph Evah led camp has been suffering since the emancipation of its members in 2011 because the General of the Camp has been denying its members their due allowances and the training meant for them both in Nigeria and abroad.

Adigwem who is also the convener of Speak up Against

Corruption Campaign, a NonGovernmental Organisation, NGO, noted that the protest was organized in order to expose the corruption in the amnesty programme, which has been disturbing the programme from achieving its target objectives.

She therefore appealed to the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari to probe those leading the various Camps especially, Comrade Joseph Evah, whose Camp members have been denied their rights.

One of the protester Ebike Aderebo, explained that they were supposed to be paid N65,000 monthly allowance in addition to their vocational training both in Nigeria and abroad but were paid N40,000 instead and has not been enrolled for any training since 2011.

He explained that their payment was stopped when they

NEMA sensitises Taraba residents on flood disaster prevention JUSTIN TYOPUUSU JALINGO

N

ational Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has commenced preflood campaign to stakeholders in Taraba to mitigate the effect of a possible flood disaster during the rainy season.

Alhaji Muhammad Sidi, the Director General of the agency told the stakeholders at the workshop on yesterday in Jalingo that regular campaign was a cardinal mandate of NEMA to prevent disaster and ensure quick action during emergencies.

Sidi said the main objective of the campaign was to draw from the experiences of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community based Organizations (CBOs), Civil Society Or-

L-R: Mrs. Christiana Obiazikwor; Head of Public Relations Unit, NAFDAC Lagos, Mrs. Benedicta Obaseki, NAFDAC Chief Regulatory Officer, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and Mr. Gregory Omiyi, Chief Lab Technologist during a post market surveillance exercise by NAFDAC in Lagos, recently.

NAFDAC begins post market surveillance of bakery products DARE AKOGUN

A

s part of its activities in ensuring food safety in Nigeria the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC recently embarked on a post marketing surveillance exercise to conduct on the spot testing of bakery products.

The exercise which took place at the popular Ojuwoye food market in Mushin area of Lagos was done according to NAFDAC Chief Regulatory Officer Food Safety and Applied Nutrition,

Mrs. Benedictta Obaseki, to confirm whether the products taken to the market follows NAFDAC approved guidelines.

She reiterated that any product that fails the integrity test will be mopped out of circulation by the agency and the manufacturers will be advised on the need to enlighten their customer on standard storage procedure.

Obaseki noted that the exercise is also part of the agency’s continuous enlightenment of the retailers to maintain standard storage practices before it get to the final consumer, adding that improper handling and ex-

posure to sunlight of vegetables oil depletes its nutritional value faster.

The products tested were vegetable oil and flour, with the aid of mobile ‘i-check test kit’ for testing the level of vitamin A in vegetable oil and ‘I-Check Flouro’ for sugar and flour.

The exercise if part of the NAFDAC Annual Bread Monitoring Exercise for Bakery facilities to remind bakers of basic adherence to the Good Hygiene Practice, GHP requirements and the need for effective compliance with NAFDAC guidelines and procedures.

challenged the short payment of the allowance and has not been paid since 2011.

While they appealed to the government to urgently come in to address the issue, they said the allowances were not really their target and agitation but the training, which would make them self-reliant and useful to the society.

ganizations (CSOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) and other relevant agencies to ensure risk reduction.

Represented by the agency’s Head of Gombe Operations Office, Alhaji Saidu Mini, Sidi urged participants to pay attention to various paper presenters to gain the needed knowledge to be able to contribute to disaster management.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Taraba Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. Nuvaga Habu thanked NEMA for always given attention to emergency situation in the state.

Represented by the agency’s Secretary, Mr. Paul Tino, Habu urged the participants to take advantage of the training to gain the much needed knowledge to assist in disaster risk reduction in the country.

Our democratic efforts may become fruitless –Fasehun DARE AKOGUN

N

ational chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, has decried happenings in the country, wondering if this was the democracy fought for by the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO. He made the remark at a summit “Revolution Through the Ballot Box” organized by the party in Lagos recently.

Fasehun noted that Nigerians have gone through various regimes of mutual distrust, civilian, military, liberal militocracy and totalitarian dictatorship and all forms of government that made Nigeria a place where patriotism has taken

flight.

According to him “The times through which we have passed through have not encouraged us to hope and pray.

“But against all hope, we shall go on hoping and praying, in strong belief that one day, our children will live in peace and harmony, sharing a nation in which beauty flows all around,” he said.

Speaking earlier the guest speaker former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Kanu Ndubuisi (Rtd) represented by Professor Bola Akinterinwa, Director General of Nigeria Institute International Affairs, NIIA, spoke on the topic: Ideology and NonIdeology, Mapping the Genotype of this Generation of Nigerian Politicians.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

World News Ebola crisis prompts $100m WHO emergency fund 51

The United States believes the death sentence for former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is unjust and undermines confidence in the rule of law.

–US State Department Spokesman, Jeff Rathke

Burundi’s president sacks defence chief after failed coup Paul Arhewe

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

B

urundi’s embattled President Pierre Nkurunziza sacked his defence and foreign ministers on Monday, five days after surviving an attempted coup by generals opposed to his bid for a third term in office.

In a decree seen by Reuters, Nkurunziza declined to give any reasons for the dismissals.

“President does not have to explain,” one of his spokesmen said in a follow-up text message.

“Constitution gives him powers to (do) so.”

The sackings are the first signs of ructions inside Nkurunziza’s administration after the attempted coup, which intensified fears a political crisis may be spiralling out of control and pitching Africa’s Great Lakes region towards another bout of ethnic conflict.

Some 300,000 people died in a Burundian civil war that ended in 2005. Neighbouring Rwanda, which shares a similar ethnic mix between a Hutu majority and Tutsi minority, is still recovering from a 1994 genocide in which 800,000 people, mostly

Soldiers pass by protesters during a demonstration against Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza and his bid for a third term in Bujumbura, Burundi, yesterday.

Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were killed.

So far, however, there are no signs of supporters and opponents of Nkurunziza being divided along ethnic lines.

The constitution and a peace deal that ended the civil war both specify a two-term presidential limit. Nkurunziza is seeking a third term, relying on a court ruling that his first term

does not count because he was appointed by parliament, not elected in a popular vote.

Although surviving the coup may have strengthened his position in the short term, the appointment of his main spokesman’s brother as foreign minister suggests Nkurunziza may be running out of confidantes.

Many of those behind the

Ex-tennis star jailed six years for rape in South Africa

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ormer Grand Slam doubles tennis champion Bob Hewitt was sentenced to six years in prison by a South African court yesterday after being found guilty of two counts of rape and a charge of sexual assault of minors, local media reported.

The Australian-born Hewitt, 75, was found guilty of assaulting three under-age girls during his time coaching children in South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s.

Before sentencing, Hewitt pleaded with the court to take his poor health into consideration and said he had received anonymous threats warning

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

of assault if he was put behind bars, Talk Radio 702 reported.

Hewitt also told the court that he had suffered a stroke in 2010 and a heart attack in 2011.

The court extended Hewitt’s bail until Tuesday when his legal team will appeal the sentence, the radio reported.

Hewitt won nine Grand Slam doubles and six Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in the 1960s and 1970s.

He also reached the semifinals of the men’s singles at the Australian Open three times, and won the Davis Cup with South Africa in 1974 after settling there.

Hewitt

May 14 coup attempt are in custody. But its main leader, former intelligence chief Godefroid Niyombare, who was sacked in February, remains at large.

As 51-year-old Nkurunziza, a former sports lecturer credited with building national unity after the war, unveiled his purge, groups of protesters resumed their daily demonstrations in the capital for the first time since the attempted army takeover.

The atmosphere was tense as soldiers were deployed in the capital, Bujumbura, where more than 20 people were killed in almost three weeks of unrest before the failed putsch.

“This protest will not end until he himself says that he is not vying for a third term,” protester Gentil Shokomba told Reuters. “We want peace in Burundi, and we are tired of war.”

The government responded by saying that all protesters would be “treated as accomplices of the putschists”, a clear threat to come down hard on any unrest.

Residents reported heavy overnight gunfire in some parts of the city, and a body was found in the morning, though details were not immediately clear. The police, reviled by the protesters as pro-Nkurunziza, were largely absent from the streets.

WORLD BULLETIN

French police acquitted in teen deaths that sparked riots A French court yesterday acquitted two police officers accused of contributing to the deaths of two minority teenagers in a blighted Paris suburb a decade ago — a long-awaited verdict that crushed the boys’ families and raised fears of possible violence like that seen recently in the U.S. The deaths of 15-year-old Bouna Traore and 17-year-old Zyed Benna prompted weeks of riots across France in 2005, exposing anger and resentment in neglected, crime-ridden suburban housing projects.

The two boys, chased by police, entered a power substation in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois to hide and were electrocuted. A third boy survived the powerful 20,000-volt electric shock with severe burns.

Yesterday, the court in the western city of Rennes ruled that officers Sebastien Gaillemin and Stephanie Klein were not responsible. Neither had a “clear awareness of grave and imminent danger” as required

by French law, said Judge Nicolas Leger.

Guinean opposition vows more protests unless president backs down Guinea’s opposition leader pledged to continue the protests in which at least four people have been killed unless President Alpha Conde allows prompt local elections.

Cellou Dalien Diallo said Conde had broken a 2013 U.N.-brokered deal with the opposition to organize long-overdue municipal polls before a presidential vote set for October.

The opposition accuses Conde of packing local authorities with his supporters after the five-year mandate of elected officials expired in 2010.

Diallo said those officials are campaigning on Conde’s behalf, making fair elections impossible.

Tanzania confirms cholera at Burundian refugee camp Tanzania confirmed a cholera outbreak yesterday at a refugee camp sheltering thousands of people who had fled political unrest in neighboring Burundi.

“We can confirm that there is an outbreak of cholera at the Burundi refugee camp in Tanzania,” Health Ministry spokesman Nsachris Mwamwaja said.

“The Ministry of Health is sending a team of medical experts to the Burundi refugee camp in Tanzania to deal with the cholera outbreak.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

WORLD BULLETIN

Ukraine to prosecute captured Russian soldiers for terrorist acts Ukraine on Monday showed two prisoners it said were Russian soldiers who had killed Ukrainian troops in fighting in its east and said they would be prosecuted for “terrorist acts”.

The Ukrainians seized on the capture of the two Russians, both wounded, to support their accusations of direct Russian involvement in the separatist conflict despite a ceasefire signed in February. Russia denies active military involvement.

In a video posted online by the Ukrainian interior ministry, one of the prisoners gave his name as Alexander Alexandrov. He said he had been on a spying mission in Ukraine as part of a 14-member special forces group from the Russian town of Togliatti.

“We were discovered. I was wounded in the leg as I tried to get away ... We’ve been here 4-5 days,” he said.

The capture and possible prosecution of the two Russians and the potential embarrassment for Russia’s Vladimir Putin come as the United States and its European Union allies press Moscow to fully implement the Minsk peace accords.

“We welcome the Ukraine government’s public statements that they are being well taken care of and that the International Committee of the Red Cross... will be allowed access to them,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, said in Moscow.

World News

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Ebola crisis prompts $100m WHO emergency fund

T

he World Health Organisation is to set up a $100m (£63m) emergency contingency fund following the Ebola outbreak, its director-general has announced.

Speaking in Geneva, Margaret Chan said the WHO had been overwhelmed by the epidemic in West Africa.

She said the demands were more than 10 times greater than anything else it had experienced.

The Ebola outbreak was first reported in March 2014 and is believed to have claimed more than 11,000 lives.

The WHO and Ms Chan had faced criticism for the slow international response to the epidemic.

“With the support of member states, I am establishing a $100m contingency fund, financed by flexible voluntary contributions, to ensure we have the necessary resources available to immediately mount an initial response,” Ms Chan told WHO’s annual meeting.

She also said that, among other measures, she was putting in place a new “unified” programme to help deal with health

emergencies.

“I do not ever again want to see this organisation faced with a situation it is not prepared, staffed, funded, or administratively set up to manage,” she said.

“We will move forward on an urgent footing. I plan to complete these changes by the end of the year.”

Ms Chan added that the Ebola outbreak “shook this organisation to its core” but she hoped the reforms would help give it “new relevance and empower it to lead in global health”.

Chan

US heightens security after deadly biker gang shootout

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olice were on alert yesterday for any retaliatory attacks after a chaotic shootout between rival biker gangs left nine people dead and at least 18 more wounded outside a Texas restaurant.

Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said authorities had received threats against law enforcement “throughout the night” from biker groups and stood ready to confront any more violence resulting from

Sunday’s gunfire.

“We have a contingency plan to deal with those individuals if they try to cause trouble here,” Swanton said at a news conference.

About 170 people were arrest-

Saudi-led air strikes hit Yemen after truce expires Saudi-led forces resumed military operations in Yemen after a five-day ceasefire ended late on Sunday, and Yemen’s exiled government in Riyadh and the Iranian-allied Houthis blamed each other for a failure to renew the truce.

The ceasefire ended despite appeals by the United Nations and rights groups for extra time to allow badly needed humanitarian supplies into the country of 25 million, one of the poorest in the Middle East.

“That’s what we said before - that if they start again, we will start again,” Yemeni Foreign Minister Reyad Yassin Abdulla told Reuters.

He said the coalition was not considering any new ceasefire but would not target air and sea ports needed for aid shipments.

Saudi-led forces conducted three air strikes on Yemen’s northern Saada province on Monday, according to Houthi media, which said Saudi forces had fired 70 rockets and artillery shells into north Yemen.

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Authorities investigate shooting in the parking lot of Twin Peaks restaurant on Sunday, in Waco, Texas.

EU approves migrant crisis naval force

E

U ministers have approved plans to establish a naval force to combat people-smugglers operating from Libya.

The aim is to launch the operation next month, with a headquarters in Rome under an Italian admiral, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

The EU is struggling to cope with a surge in illegal migrants from Africa and the Middle East crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.

Ms Mogherini was speaking

after talks with EU foreign and defence ministers.

The UK is playing the lead role at the UN Security Council in drafting a resolution that would give the EU a legal basis for using military force against people traffickers.

“It is not so much the destruction of the boats but the destruction of the business models of the (smugglers’) networks themselves,” she explained.

Ms Mogherini stressed that co-operation with officials in Libya, a country torn apart by feuding militias, would be vital

to make the operation succeed.

“We are looking for a partnership - there is a responsibility the Libyans themselves have to take on their territory, for the land and sea borders.”

The EU would have to work closely not only with the recognised government in Tobruk represented at the UN - but also with rival officials in Tripoli and Misrata, to dismantle the smuggling networks, she told a news conference in Brussels.

“The [Libyan] municipalities might have an important role to play,” she said.

ed on charges of engaging in organized crime. Earlier, Swanton said 192 people had been arrested but later revised that number downward.

The shootout erupted shortly after noon at a busy shopping centre along Interstate 35 where members of at least five rival gangs had gathered for a meeting, Swanton said.

Preliminary findings indicate a dispute broke out in a bathroom and escalated to include knives and guns. The fight eventually spilled into the restaurant parking lot.

“I was amazed that we didn’t have innocent civilians killed or injured,” Swanton said.

The interior of the restaurant was littered with bullet casings, knives, bodies and pools of blood, he said.

Authorities were processing the evidence at the scene, 95 miles south of Dallas. About 150 to 200 bikers were inside during the shootout.

Parts of downtown Waco were locked down, and officials stopped and questioned motorcycle riders. Agents from the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting local and state authorities.

Police and the operators of Twin Peaks — a national chain that features waitresses in revealing uniforms — were aware of the meeting in advance and at least 12 Waco officers in addition to state troopers were outside the restaurant when the fight began, Swanton said.

Officers shot armed bikers, he said.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the nine dead were killed by police. The identities of the dead have yet to be made public.

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North

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

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Taraba police decorate 11 officers as SP, DSPs JUSTIN TYOPUUSU JALINGO

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Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (right) and Secretary to Sokoto State Government, Alhaji Isa Gada, during Gowon’s arrival at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, in Sokoto, yesterday.

Borno seeks UN intervention in humanitarian crisis INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

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orno State government has called on the United Nations to immediately intercede in the emerging humanitarian crisis the Boko Haram insurgency has brought on the West and Central Africa subregions before it gets out of hand.

Speaking with journalists in Maiduguri after receiving the third batch of deportees from Niger on Sunday, chairman of Borno State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Alhaji Grema Terab, said the Boko Haram crisis was assuming a dangerous dimension as shown by the recent extradition of about 15,000 Nigerians

from Niger.

Borno State had earlier received two batches of 1,200 and 1,448 and now 1,600 victims of Boko Haram.

Terab lamented that “today, it is Niger that is sending Nigerians parking; tomorrow, it may be Chad or Cameroon or any other country in the subregion.”

He added that the situation calls for urgent attention, first from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS; then, the African Union and perhaps the United Nations.

He said Borno State alone bears the brunt of building a new camp for 4,248 indigenes of the state evacuated to Maidu-

guri.

He lamented that with the creation of the new camp for those evacuated from Niger, the state has 21 camps with over 120,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), insisting that this has created a heavy financial burden on the state government with several millions of Naira going into the running of the camps.

He disclosed that “as it stands today, Borno State government has spent several billions of Naira on the problems thrown up by the Boko Haram crisis and this has led to the neglect of so many other things.

“We need the assistance of not only the Federal Government but also

that of the United Nations to come out of this quagmire, which has put everything in the state at a near standstill.”

He said, “It was a pity that the state, which has had to bear the burden of 1.5 million IDPs, has to do it almost alone without appreciable assistance from the Nigerian government and international agencies.”

He said instead of abating, the Boko Haram crisis was introducing new problems everyday with the potential of creating massive humanitarian crisis in West and Central Africa sub-regions, stressing that Borno State, the North East region, Nigeria and the West and Central Africa need to be assisted.

Collection of fees in public schools remains illegal –Kwankwaso ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI KANO

K

ano State Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has cautioned public school officials that the law banning payment of school fees in public institutions in the state was still in operation.

He warned that any officials caught collecting school fees in public schools would face the wrath of the law.

Kwankwaso said this while commissioning Salamatu Garba Girls Secondary School, Aisami, in Gwale Local Government Area of the state; he restated that payment

of school fees in the state was prohibited.

The governor lamented that some tertiary institutions and secondary schools’ management have introduced deceptive tools through which they compel students to pay some fees, alleging that such monies were not remitted into the treasury of the state government.

He disclosed that the state government had always ensured that public schools were adequately funded, adding that in a situation where it becomes necessary for a public school to approach the state government for extra funds backed by

justified reasons, such request are usually granted.

Commenting on the newly commissioned girls’ school, Kwankwaso said it was previously a psychiatric hospital that suffered abandonment for years, noting that the state government decided to convert the health facility into a school to benefit residents of Aisami community and its environs.

Kwankwaso stated the state government resolved to immortalise the late Hajiya Salamatu M.N. Garba by naming the school after her in appreciation of her service to the people of Kano before retiring as a school

administrator and permanent secretary, adding that she contributed immensely to the development of the state.

The governor disclosed that 860 girls have been admitted into the school, and urged its management to ensure it adopts the best maintenance culture in taking care of the facility.

In his remarks, one of the sons of the late Garba, Capt. Sabi’u Ali Muhammad, thanked the governor for naming the school after his mother, adding that all the family members were very delighted that the contributions of their mother did not go in vain.

araba State Commissioner of Police, Nyats Jatau, yesterday in Jalingo decorated 11 police officers, who were recently promoted to the ranks of Superintendent of Police, SP, and Deputy Superintendents of Police, DSP, by the force.

Our correspondent reports that one of the officers, Ishaku Kwambla Hamman, was decorated with the rank of SP, while 10 were decorated as DSP. Among those decorated was the command’s Public Relations Officer, Joseph Kwaji, who was promoted from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police to that of DSP. Others decorated with the ranks of DSP include Wee Dee, JohnHolt Samaila, Thekman Elias,

Emmanuel Ossayoji, Yohanna Ayuba, Yohanna, Holman Saleh, Victor Jude, Victor Allahmagani and Mohammed Dahuwa.

Performing the ceremony at the command’s headquarters, Jalingo, Jatau charged the newly- decorated officers to show a high level of maturity and sense of responsibility in their new positions.

He urged them to serve as role models worthy of emulation by others and promote the good image of the force wherever they are posted to serve.

Responding on behalf of the decorated officers, Superintendent Ishaku Hamman thanked the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, for approving their promotions and promised that they would give their best in the discharge of their duties.

El-Rufai to probe Yero over N2.7bn SURE-P fund

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aduna State G ove r n o r- e l e c t , Malam Nasir elRufai, yesterday vowed to probe the use of N2.7 billion allocated for the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) in the state.

El-Rufai in a statement issued by his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, said attempt by Governor Mukhtar Yero to secure approval of the state assembly to withdraw the money would have serious consequences.

“I am aware of desperate attempts to secure approval to spend the N2.744 billion SURE-P fund in less than two weeks to his exit; 50 per cent of the money it planned to be spent on Kawo road project, while the 23 local government councils will share the balance.

“As governor-elect, it is my duty to caution every official involved in these last-minute deals that the incoming government will ensure there are consequences for illegal conducts, breach of trust and stealing of public assets.

“While I await the formal submission of the committee’s report, I am compelled to publicly af-

firm that we cannot and will not turn a blind eye to bad behaviour,” el-Rufai said.

The governor last week forwarded a request to the House of Assembly to approve the release of the money to complete ongoing projects across the local councils.

Already, 14 members of the assembly on Friday kicked against the move, vowing to frustrate it.

Deputy Minority leader, Aminu Shagali, claimed at a press conference that already, the lawmakers had at an executive session resolved not to approve the proposal.

“Even though an attempt was made to discuss the issue and pass the bill by the assembly, a resolution was made during an executive session that the funds should not be appropriated and disbursed.

“We hereby state categorically that we are not party to such financial recklessness and dissociate ourselves from the move,” Shagaliku said.

Media aide to the governor, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, declined comment on the

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Let me first savour this first Premier League title win and then we can talk about my future after –Chelsea midfielder, Eden Hazard

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

53

Sport

AWC Cup: Jonathan still owes Falcons –Mbachu

54

TANGO: Sharks FC’s Chiamuka Madu (left) being challenged by Ikechukwu Mbonu of Gabros during their league match last Sunday

Abia Warriors get 3-match ultimatum T

AFCON 2017: Nigerien officials for Eagles, Chad tie

...as Pinnick hails return of good rivalry Everest Onyewuchi

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he management of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia has given the technical crew and players of the team an ultimatum to win their next three Glo Premier League matches or be placed on half salaries.

Media Officer of the club, Igwe Onuoha, disclosed yesterday that the ultimatum was given following the Warriors’ second home loss of the season as defending champions, Kano Pillars won 1-0 in Umuahia last weekend.

At an emergency meeting held at the club’s secretariat in

Umuahia attended by the board members and coaches, the management, expressed displeasure that the team has lost twice in five home games, insisting that the club’s fortunes must improve henceforth.

Club Chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama, said Abia Warriors have no reason to fail since the welfare of the players and coaches have been properly taken care of.

“As we speak, we are net owing any of you. Your salaries have been paid regularly so you don’t have any reason not to perform well,” an obviously disappointed Inyama told the coaches.

Meanwhile, Nigeria Football

Federation (NFF), President ,Amaju Pinnick, is confident the good old days are returning to the elite division of Nigeria football after savouring an incident-free Glo Premier League showdown between traditional rivals, Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Enugu Rangers at the Lekan Salami Stadium last Sunday.

“It was just like the good old days, when people could go to any of the stadia with their families and enjoy a League match without any hassles. The officiating was spot-on, the players gave their all and both teams deserved the point they each got from the encounter,” Pinnick said.

he Confederation of African Football (CAF) has picked Nigerien officials, Assoumane Moussa Gnali as Referee for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Nigeria and Chad, scheduled for the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on June 13.

Moussa Gnali, who became an International Referee only this year, will be accompanied by countrymen Sadissou Idi (Assistant Referee 1), Abdoul Aziz Moctar Saley (Assistant Referee 2) and Gomno Daouda (Reserve Referee).

CAF has also picked Mr. G. Andy Quamie, from Liberia, as Match Commissioner.

Super Eagles confront the Chadians in the opening match of the 2017 AFCON qualifiers, with Egypt and Tanzania the other teams in Group G.

Similarly, Nigerian referee, Joshua Opeyemi Amao, will officiate the qualifier between Mali and South Sudan.

The match is scheduled for the Stade Modibbo Keita, Bamako on same June 13.

Amao will be assisted by fellow Nigerians, Peter Edibi (Assistant Referee 1), Abel Baba (Assistant Referee 2) and Ferdinand Udoh (Reserve Referee).

Amao, 35, became an international in 2009, while 28-yearold Udoh, regarded as the rising star of Nigerian refereeing, became an international two years ago.

Edibi, 44, who narrowly missed a spot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil has been an international for 11 years, and 38-year-old Abel Baba has been an international since 2008.

Sports

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Pique

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Pique

basks in Liga honour B

arcelona defender, Gerard Pique, says the team’s La Liga triumph is just reward for the treble-chasing side.

Barca captured the Spanish title for the 23rd time with a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday, with Lionel Messi getting the goal.

“It’s been a fantastic year,” Pique said yesterday.

“We’ve stood tall and the reward has been this title.

“It was a difficult year last season, but we showed that we could pick ourselves up. I am very proud to be a part of this great generation of players.”

The Spanish giant is on course for more glory as it

Mbachu

faces Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on May 30 before meeting Juventus in the Champions League decider in Berlin on June 6.

“We have to take each game at a time and now we need to focus on the Copa which will be very tough,” Pique added, stressing, “We are on the way, but there’s still work to be done.”

T/tennis: Oribamishe, Hassan lead juniors to Egypt

N

ational junior champion, Tosin Oribamishe and Lagos Open revelation, Nurudeen Hassan, are at the top of Team Nigeria list to next month’s International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Junior Circuit

L-R: Governor Adams Oshiomhole; second prize winner Amos Mitel from Kenya; first prize winner Korio Alex Olotptip from Kenya; third prize winner Leul Gabriel Salassie (Ethiopian), and Directorate Head, South, Heritage Bank Limited, Mr. Emeke Anene at the final of the 3rd Okpekpe Road Race last weekend

(WJC) holding in Egypt.

Oribamishe, who won the Aso Tournament recently in Abuja, will also be joined by Halimot Ayinla, Muibat Bello and two others in the girls’ event.

Hassan, whose performance at the 2015 Lagos Open is still a

point of reference will be tasting his first international tournament outside the shore of Nigeria when he spearhead the boys’ team which include African Youth Games champion, Olasunkanmi Oginni, and teenage sensation, Abayomi Ani-

mashaun.

Nigeria’s junior players are returning to the world stage after missing out at the Mauritius Open last April, with the hope to challenge Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria at the competition holding from June 8 to 12.

AWC Cup: Jonathan still owes Falcons –Mbachu

S

uper Falcons ex-striker, Stella Mbachu, has pleaded with the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan to fulfill his promised grand reception for the side before leaving office on May 29.

The president promised to host the Falcons for emerging winners of the ninth Africa Women Championship (AWC) in Namibia.

Falcons edged perennial rivals Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroun 2-0 in the final to claim their seventh title of the biennial football showpiece at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia.

Seven months after the heroic performance and barely 10 days to the termination date of the current regime, the nation’s heroines are yet to be received

by President Jonathan.

Mbachu said it will be a huge discouragement and disincentive on the side’s quest for honour at the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada should the President leave office without the promised reception seeing the light of the day.

“I just want to remind President Goodluck Jonathan in case he has forgotten that he is yet to fulfill his promise to host us for winning the 9th Africa Women Championship in Namibia,” Mbachu told supersport.com.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Athletics… With MERCY JACOB

55

AFCON qualifiers: ‘Nigeria needs no distraction’ Mercy Jacob

F

ormer Super Eagles defender, Yisa Sofoluwe, has advised Coach Stephen Keshi to avoid all forms of distraction as he begins the build-up to the AFCON 2017 finals next Monday.

Sofoluwe, who commended Keshi’s decision to look inward by inviting 26 players from the domestic league, believed the decision would create competitive spirit between the players and their counterparts plying their trade in foreign leagues.

“Nigerians have clamoured for the home-based players to be given an equal opportunity, especially after the players based abroad have failed to deliver results in recent times,” he said.

“In our days, there was always a blend of home and foreign based players in a very competitive atmosphere and I think the fact that there is need for re-building has put Keshi in the right direction.

“I think it would also create opportunity for the discovery of fresh talent and I am

Okagbare

Okagbare tasked T on standards

Paul Erewuba

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confident that the home-based players will compete favourably.”

Nigeria will host Chad on June 13 in Kaduna as the Gabon 2017 AFCON qualifiers get underway. Group G also has Egypt and Tanzania.

CBN Tennis: Top seeds scale hurdle

Diamond league:

ormer Olympian, Henry Amike, has advised compatriot Blessing Okagbare to maintain her standard ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics, even as the veteran commended the athlete over her performance at the Diamond league in Shanghai, China over the weekend.

Amike, who spoke to National Mirror in Lagos yesterday, said Okagbare had lived to expectation as Nigeria counted on her for medal haul at the quadrennial

Coach Keshi

games.

“Blessing has really proved her class as Africa’s best wherever she has competed so far,” Amike said.

“I just pray she remains injury-free before and after the All African Games ahead of the Olympics.

“She also needs to train more to avoid injuries because it is only when an athlete relaxes that injury creeps in. But I honestly believe she will excel at the Olympics Games.

Star quote…

“I prepare myself by relaxing, laying down and watching cartoons. A few hours before a competition I like to be alone. It helps me to focus.”

Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatari high jumper

he defending champion of the Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Open Tennis Championship, Abdulmumuni Babalola, began on a blistering note yesterday with the defeat of Uche Oparoji 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the next round of the CBN Open Tennis at the National Stadium, Lagos.

Fifth seed Henry Atseye also beat Joseph Iyorobe 6-2, 6-1 to also advance to the second round.

Men’s Singles Seed 3, Thomas Otu justified his tournament rating when he out-

stroked Taiwo Owolabi 6-4, 6-4.

Edward Christopher defeated John Henry 6-0, 3-0 as Augustine Nwokedi beat Ayuba Dauda 6-0, 6-3 to qualify for the round of 32.

Third seed Thomas Otu, who faces Albert Becon today in the second round, is optimistic of victory.

“I have worked so hard to feature in this tourney and I believe I will win,” Becon said.

Action continues this morning in the Men’s and Women’s Singles categories, with those featuring in the Doubles events.

The Wheelchair category in the round of 16 will serve off tomorrow.

Basketball: Starry-eyed kids excite me –Oguche Paul Erewuba

F

ormer Nigeria basketball player, Samuel Oguche, has expressed joy at the immense basketball talent in the country, saying he derives joy from seeing kids achieve their dream in the sport.

The former Dodan Warriors of Lagos player said basketball offered him a window to the world, stressing the need for grassroots development.

“While I was young, I never had the opportunity to do this,” Oguche said.

“I am trying to give back to my country. I want to invest my time in kids I can help to junior colleges and prep schools in the United States, because if I get them out at tender age, their prospects will be brighter,” he added.

Oguche also commended his partners in the United Kingdom for their support to Nigerian kids.

“I owe them a lot,” he remarked.

Oguche

WORLD RECORD

cakes dribbling sold in eight FastestMost marathon two hours basketballs The most cakes sold in eight hours is 14,534 and was achieved by Maria Michel, Chris Mintz and the Running Rarebits (all Canada)

N150

Vol. 05 No. 1115 Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Nigeria in 2050: Challenge of development leadership

I

n the first of this series, I identified factors that are crucial to the realisation of a country that will be one of the leading 20 economies in the world. Some people have argued that the African problem requires an African solution, just as the Nigerian problem, Nigerian solution. We should note that there are general principles of development cutting across countries, though the peculiarity of a situation or circumstance in a country will influence the application of such principle in its struggle for development. Here, we shall be discussing development leadership as a requirement for realising growth in Nigeria.

Leadership is an indispensable factor in national development. In fact, no nation has

Guest Columnist

Olusola Akinyemi

made it to development without the igniting force of a leader that’s passionate and/ or knowledgeable in economic growth. It is necessary to quickly distinguish between the form and substance of leadership. The form of leadership is about the style of governance in a nation. This includes democracy, monarchy, presidential, parliamentary, regional, federalism, unitary… systems of government. The substance of leadership on the other hand describes more the heart, vision, competence, commitment, exposure, quality of policies, quality of human resources working with a leader. The failure of the latter cannot be blamed on the former.

The practice of a particular form of governance style is not an automatic ticket to development, although, the visionary quality and dedication of a leader can do more to facilitate development under any system of government.

Leadership, more in the context of substance, is the major driver of development.

The history of nations that have made it to prosperity shows the place of a leader that changed the national experience from poverty to wealth. From the book of Lee Kuan Yew (of blessed memory), From Third World to First World, we can tell of the Singapore growth from how the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, the first leader of independent Singapore, set the pace of development which the country is still building on.

In the history of England, there was a time when the economic activity was export of wool to merchants in other countries who process it and sell back at more expensive rate. It was the ascension of King

LEADERSHIP IS AN INDISPENSABLE FACTOR IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Henry IV that altered the situation and made England the hub of cloth manufacturing through policies that encouraged and protected local growth. Queen Elizabeth 1, by the end of the 15th century, concretised the age of industrialization with more policies and strategies for growth. That was where the wealth of the nation started.

There was the age of the Great Depression when the economy of the world was at a standstill or rather retrogressing. This started in the United States of America in the 1920s. The sitting President, Herbert Hoover, had shown no interest in rescuing the situation. Then came the tenure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose aim was more to end the economic crisis. This started with aggressive decisions, policies and strategies that his predecessor had no gut to initiate such as proclaiming bank holiday, proposed and passed legislations to control and stabilize stock market, public work programmes, backed safety nets and social security system, among others. FD Roosevelt moved the American power to a super power status. He served an unpopular four terms in office from 1933-1945.Till date, the US economy remains great.

Germany in the early 19th century was described as a hopeless country where

wealth was not feasible. But something happened in 1933, the era of the popular tyrant leader, Adolf Hitler. Though not particularly interested in economic theory, he had advisors who implemented economic reforms with impressive results. They formed forces that engaged the unemployed Germans as a vast work teams in public works, construction, clearance and agricultural labour.

They also ensured local growth by reducing Germany’s dependence on foreign raw materials to about 33 percent and food importation to about 20 percent. Within three years, there was more or less full employment in Germany with an improving economy. In 1937, Hitler established Volkswagen to produce cheap cars for German families. The German economy has continued to improve since after Hitler’s administration.

More recent is the globally well discussed rise of China. The beginning of the age of prosperity in China was ignited by the reascent of the reformist leader, Deng Xiaoping in about 1978. The awakening of the Dragon was a deliberate and compelling project that brought about the economic revolution upon which the republic has developed into an irresistible global force beating nations ahead in wealth and rising to become the second richest country in the world. I mentioned earlier that China is projected to overtake the US as the largest economy by 2017 in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms and by 2027 in market exchange rates. That is the positive economic effect of leadership in China.

The starting point for Nigeria’s becoming the 20th leading economy in the world by 2020 is development leadership, a leadership that will not just cast a vision, but be committed to its achievement, and compelling every element and everyone to be a part of making it a reality. It is, therefore, crucial that this incoming administration represent that development leadership needed to make Nigeria a country that will lead economically in 2050.

Olusola Akinyemi is President, Joseph Initiative Ltd/Gte, Lagos.

Sport Extra

M

arseille winger, Andre Ayew, yesterday received the 2015 Marc-Vivien Foe Award as the best African Player in the French Ligue 1.

He replaces Super Eagles’ goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, who won the award

Ayew wins Ligue 1 African Player prize last year after his exploits with Lille.

The Ghana international beat competition from Ivorian Max-Alain Gradel (Saint-Etienne) and Tunisian defender Aymen Ab-

dennour who plays for Monaco.

Analysts have reckoned this season as Ayew’s best in recent years after his performance at the Brazil 2014 World Cup finals shot him

to prominence ahead of the new season in France. He has also remained consistent to emerge as run-away winner of the prize initiated to honour Cameroun fallen star Vivien-Foe who died in

action for the Indomitable Lions in 2003.

Ayew has scored ten goals this season and helped Marseille to fight for a qualification to Europe as the side sits fourth on the table.

Ayew

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